Rock star welcome for Dr Kalam - Nanyang Technological University

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28opinionseptember 15, 2008The nanyang chronicleMake a life, not a livingSh a h i d a Bte HassimDon’t work. Avoid tellingthe truth. Be hated. Lovesomeone.Imagine goingthrough life doingexactly this.Now, before we frown uponthese seemingly misguidedopinions, we need to comprehendthe message behind what wasbeing said.Spoken by litigation lawyerAdrian Tan during his speech atthe recent convocation ceremonyfor the Wee Kim Wee School ofCommunication and Information,these words are best not takenlightly.Despite its seeminglycontroversial surface, what Tanwas trying to advocate was adifferent outlook towards livinglife.Speaking to the graduatingclass of 2008, Tan, better knownas the author of the 1987 cultfiction, The Teenage Textbook,called for the audience to startthinking seriously about theiraspirations and goals in life, whilesimultaneously living it free ofexpectations.Believing that expectationsimpede true progress and success,Tan urged his audience to “Eraseall life expectancies (and) justlive”.However, the one question thatremains to be seen is this: Are wecapable of doing that?Although what Tan advocates isa noble cause, the fact is, changingviews and perceptions is not aneasy task. In a society wheresuccess is often measured by thenumber of As on your result slip,the institutions you attend, andthe amount of money your jobpays you, it has become a norm forSingaporeans to associate successwith tangible results.Therefore, not “working” butfinding a job that enables oneto “play” is not even an option,especially if it does not put foodon the table. Additionally, with therising cost of living, entertainingsuch a thought would instead bedeemed a rather foolish thing todo.How many times have weheard the oft-quoted illustrationof the typical parents who prefertheir child to pursue more ‘viable’courses of study at university,the science and business courses,which are supposedly morecapable of providing better careeropportunities. Seldom (if ever) dothey push their children towardsthe arts, humanities or socialsciences.During his convocation address,Tan also encouraged the audiencenot to settle for a life of mediocrity,but instead to aspire to “be hated”.Why? Simply because “every greatfigure who has contributed to thehuman race has been hated, notjust by one person, but often by agreat many”. It is not about beinghated without cause, but rather, forstanding up for one’s convictionsand beliefs.At this point, I again questionthe likelihood of such a scenariooccurring by citing a recentexample.In a report released by theMinistry of Education in June,it was mentioned that the publicgenerally felt that “society was notpolitically mature to accommodatethe views expressed by studentsand faculty” of the nation’sproposed first liberal arts college.Additionally, many were alsoworried that “graduates wouldnot be able to find ‘financiallysustainable’ jobs”.Now how can we expect futuregenerations to freely express theiropinions and fiercely guard theirconvictions if all we do as a nationis to thwart the cultivation of abreeding ground for intellectualdiscourse?How then can we also aspireto “be hated”, to not stand in theshadows of our great ancestors butinstead to become just like them orbetter, if all we do is to constantlyplace great importance on theacquisition of wealth?Greatness comes at a price, butit still remains to be seen whetherSingaporeans are willing to paythis price.It is the journeyitself that isequally, if not evenmore, rewardingthan temporaryrewardsPrior to this advice, Tan hadalso encouraged his audience to bewary of the truth, which he claimedhas “a great capacity to offend andinjure”. This is especially true forSingapore, a nation comprisingof a myriad of races and religion,where precaution is better thancure. The racial riots of ouryesteryears should be enough toremind us of the delicate natureof our interracial ties. However,this does not mean that the truthshould simply be swept under arug.In a recent article publishedby The Straits Times, reporterNur Dianah Suhaimi wrote abouthow being a Malay in Singaporewas akin to being like the “leastfavourite child in the family”. Shealso cited numerous examples ofthe prejudices she is faced withas a Malay Muslim reporter forthe paper.What Nur Dianah did was tovoice out the repressed feelings ofmarginalisation of the minoritygroup. Her doing so might havegone against Tan’s belief that“there is great virtue in beingevasive”. However by voicing hertruth, she forced society to takenotice of, as well as to confrontthe issue of racial cohesion andharmony in Singapore. Instead ofchoosing the path of avoidance,perhaps it is better to confrontthese feelings of unhappiness(albeit civilly), so as to work outa solution for the betterment ofSingapore in the long run.That said, it has dawned on methat much still needs to be doneGreatness comes at aprice, and it remainsto be seen whetherSingaporeans are willingto pay this priceGRAPHICS | JANELL HOONGto change Singaporeans’ commonperceptions, as well as attitudes,towards life. This is not to saythat the greatness, as well as thehappiness that was spoken aboutin the speech is not within reachto the common man.However, should one aspireto attain such goals, it wouldcertainly require a considerableamount of hard work and effort.What we need to realisehowever, is that ‘hard work’ heredoes not merely mean strivingfor something we desire. Rather,it entails doing it for all the rightreasons.A person may be working hardwith the sole intention of achievingthe best grades in his examinations.Yet what good will it do if he stillfails to appreciate all the knowledgethat he has painstaking garneredover the years? While results aredoubtlessly important, the factremains that they are not the onlythings that matter in life.More often than not, it is thejourney itself that is equally, if noteven more, rewarding than thesetemporary rewards.
september 15, 2008The nanyang chronicle opinion 29Why so serious, son?Terence LeeThe sheer joy of victory issomething every athletecraves for, and this wasmost evident in the BeijingGames.But in the obsession for sportingsupremacy, some athletes have lostthe joy of participation and in somecases, gotten involved in drugsand fights.Is something similar nowhappening in our universityeducation?Not the fights, drugs andprotests. But are we losing sightof study for its own sake, assportsmen compete more for fameand glory than for the love of theirsport?No doubt, results are important,but so should be the enjoyment ofintellectual pursuit.The university system, togetherwith the hectic pace of life inSingapore, makes it difficult forstudents to have a truly enjoyableeducational experience.There is more the universitycan do to improve the quality ofits education.Firstly, reduce the numberof AUs required for students tograduate. At Columbia University– a member of the Ivy League andconsistently ranked among the topten in the world—a student is onlyrequired to complete 124 credits tograduate with a Bachelor of Artsdegree in four years.In NTU however, studentsmust complete a staggering 146AUs to graduate with a Sociologydegree in the same amount of time.Despite the disparity, it is no secretwhich university offers a betterundergraduate programme—and itis not about how much you study.5mm apart from storyResults areimportant, butso should bethe enjoymentof intellectualpursuitThere are also other ways tolearn, many of which do not happenin the classroom. Experience is thebest teacher so probably moreemphasis should be given tobuilding up experience rather thanstessing on grades.And with the fuss about pooralumni donations among localuniversities and low marriagerates, these measures just mighthelp alleviate these problems.More free time equals moresocialising—resulting in studentsbuilding deeper bonds with theschool and with one another.Expect more young couples tovisit the grassy roof of ADM tostar-gaze pretty soon.A paradigm shift is needed—bystudents, educators, and Singaporesociety alike, especially when itcomes to how we define success.In the Beijing Olympics, Chinatopped the medal table based ongold medal count alone. But if welook at the total medal count, theUS is still tops.However, if you factor inpopulation count, Jamaica isking, with 2.2 gold medals/millioninhabitants. The US came in at33rd, and China at 47th.So instead of merely recognisingoutstanding academic achieversat the NTU Convocation, specialmention—and perhaps even awards—should be given to studentswith outstanding extra-curricularwork.Small financial incentives thatare given out annually can beconsidered as well.These activities should be inaddition to the school club thestudent may already be involvedin.To facilitate this, studentsshould be encouraged to pen down—at his discretion of course—alist of his outside commitments.This could be in the form ofreligious activities, entrepreneurialendeavours, and even privatelanguage courses.The whole idea here is thateverything the student does thatcan be deemed educational shouldbe recognised—even if there are nomarks given for it.With these measures, educationcould become more of a pursuit ofpassion rather than just pointlessmugging.And when students are allowedto do more of what they like, theywill enjoy the process a little bitGRAPHICS | SU TONGmore, and maybe even performbetter.Usain Bolt, the flamboyant,fun-loving track star who rosequickly to prominence duringthe Olympics, exemplified what itmeant to enjoy what you do—andto do it well.He broke the world record in9.69s, and the funny thing was—hewas not even trying very hard.Sometimes, having a little bit offun can get you where you wishto be.
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Rock star welcome for Dr Kalam - Nanyang Technological University

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