Connexscions Volume III Issue 01 Aug - Nov 2006 - WKWSCI Home

POSTGRAD NEWS
Final Year Projects
Win Kudos
By Vu Nguyen Binh Phuong
Over the years, Final Year Projects (FYP) from the Division of
Public and Promotional Communication have continually
strove to showcase the exceptional skills of SCI fourth year
students. As Assistant Professor Dr Pamela Koch, the FYP coordinator
commented: “Last year’s projects were useful and of superior quality.
The students did really well and achieved tremendous results.” The
substantial attention these students have been receiving for their
projects, particularly the media, has certainly reflected the success of
these campaigns.
Black Carnival Campaign:
Cirque de Singapore
Stemming from Singaporeans’ weak support for local designers
vis-à-vis foreign labels, the Black Carnival campaign was
developed by final year students, Ms Jasmine Tan, Ms Sheena Chan
and Ms Liang Shu-Min, and supervised by Associate Professor Dr
Lee Chun Wah. The campaign aimed to promote brand awareness
for Singaporean labels in the fashion world.
From left to right: Ms Liang Shumin, Ms Jasmine Tan,
Guest, Mr Daniel Lee, Ms Audrey Lee, Ms Sheena Chan and Nixem (centre).
Photo Courtesy of Ms Jasmine Tan
Youth Anti-Run Away Campaign:
A Pitch for Youth
One of the highlights of the campaign was the Motorola Black
Carnival Fashion Show, held in January 2006 at DXO. Motorola
sponsored $5,000 for this event. Themed on the tale of
Metamorphosis — the Child who adopts different characters to
explore herself — the four local labels Hansel, Nicholas, Mizu and
Baylene were represented through each persona. Nearly 900 guests
attended the show, which was declared a huge success.
“Cirque du Soleil it wasn’t. However, it was enjoyable nonetheless!”
(Mr Robert — Nightlife, January 22, 2006).
After observing some of the problems of her young relative, Ms
Jasmine Lee and three of her friends — Ms Sylvia Goh, Ms Lin
Yuebin and Ms Ng Yiqing — initiated a low-budget 12-week
campaign in conjunction with NTU’s Student Advisory Centre
(SAC) to dissuade and help runaway youths, as well as raise public
awareness of the problem.
The campaign was targeted at reaching out to young people through
secondary school tours, a three-week contest, and the finale event
at SAC’s Open House, held in February. The open house’s theme:
“When Home Becomes the Last Place You Want to Be”, not only
served to unveil the youthful and more approachable face of SAC,
but, more importantly, offered a listening ear to runaways.
Judging by feedback received, this campaign helped to considerably
raise awareness for the runaway issue, a testament to the campaign’s
effectiveness.
Back to School
By Jasmine Lee, Renita Ong and Sarah Teo
Once SCI undergraduates themselves, Mr Chew Han Ei
(2000), Ms Terrie Wong (2002) and Mr Kenny Tan (2004)
now find themselves on the other side of the table. They
have returned to pursue their Masters, and during the year, each
took up the position of tutor or teaching assistant.
While Han Ei is currently tutoring Media Management, Terrie
remains largely behind the scenes. “The classes that I’m assisting
with do not have tutorials,” she says with a laugh. “I’m the
background person.” She is the teacher assistant for Introduction to
Communication Studies and Communication History and Theories.
Kenny took two tutorial classes for Introduction to Communication
Research in the first-half of the year.
Being a tutor is not the piece of cake that students think it is, as
Kenny told us: “You always think that it’s quite easy [to be a tutor],
but there are a lot of people skills involved. You have to interact with
the students and make sure that everything runs well.”
Drawing on their own undergraduate days, Kenny and Han Ei try
to avoid “talking to the transparency” or “awkward pauses” — what
they believe to be teaching pitfalls.
From left: Ms Terrie Wong, Mr Kenny Tan and Mr Chew Han Ei.
Having these graduates teach undergraduate classes is
advantageous. For example, Han Ei told us about one of the
biggest and humbling lessons he learnt during his undergraduate
experience that he hopes to share with his class one day: “During
my Professional Internship, I actually quarrelled with my boss over
work matters. For someone who was supposed to be quite booksmart,
I must admit that it was quite a dumb move. I was fortunate
that it happened when I was a student and not when I started work
outside.”
It is not only these graduates who are glad to be back in their alma
mater. The school is equally happy to have the former help out in
classes as well.
As Associate Professor Dr Benjamin Detenber, Head of the Division
of Communication Research, said: “Many of us ‘old-timers’ know
the students personally and have a connection that runs back many
years, so it’s great to see them again, and in some cases work with
them again.”
Photo by Renita Ong
From left to right: Ms Sylvia Goh, Ms Ng Yiqing, Ms Lin Yuebin and Ms Jasmine Lee.
Photo Courtesy of Ms Ng Yiqing
“[T]here were little victories, however, that told the team they were
making headway — like when students who attended their roadshow
gave them the thumbs-up.” (Ms Lynn Ka — The Straits Times, March
27, 2006).
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