NTUSU Tribune November 2012

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MICA (P) 144/09/2011 Printed By: KHL Printing Co. Pte Ltd
the tr bune
NOVEMBER 2012
publication
NOVEMBER 2012
Student Life
Gets A
Makeover
How the Students’ Union
is addressing your needs
PAGE 3
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editorial
Branded
Or Brain Dead?
Connecting the links between advertising and mind control
Shreya Sharma
Chief editor
With most of my acquaintances looking for jobs or summer internships, there’s not a day that goes by
when I don’t hear someone talk about one company or the other. Some have their minds made up that
banks are evil while others swear by the products of a particular company. As consumers and job seekers,
we interact with a number of corporations everyday. We’re bombarded with images every where- on the
way to school, at the bus stop, on television. You might think that you could estimate how much these
corporations play a role in your life, but you’d be severely mistaken.
Most of the time, advertisements or product placements in media form a correlation in our heads
without us even realizing. A majority of pre conceived notions and stereotypes stem from interactions
that we see on screen. Think of the advertisements you’ve seen that have bikini-clad girls running towards
men spraying themselves with a brand of deodorant or family-friendly marketing that has a
cheery child biting into a big hamburger. These images seem harmless but they have a subliminal effect
on us, relating emotions with particular symbols.
It’s, therefore, not surprising that big corporations spend obscenely large amounts of money on projecting
a certain image. Perception is reality. Doctors receive generous gifts to prescribe only a certain
brand of medicine. Google and Facebook know exactly what you like and sell this information to other
consumer-centric companies. Sometimes in the backrooms of these companies, things get even more sinister.
There are experiments that determine the optimum kind of music and scent that a store should have
to make customers spend more time there and what placements and colours evoke the most favourable
response. These are not the things that conspiracy theories are made of; these are well documented and
widely accepted facts that have been studied extensively.
Movies and television play a big role in how we view the world. Most people have never been to a
court or a prison and yet, they can probably tell you exactly what the interiors of one looks like. How?
Because they’re so prominently featured in movies. Without realizing, we’ve made mental pictures in
our heads of how certain unfamiliar things are. That is why the control and consolidation of media is a
scary thing. The power of subliminal messaging is one that can easily be misused to further a specific
group’s strategy.
We are lucky that we live in an age where the Internet is a thing and fact checking is as easy as the
push of a button. Use it. Don’t take things at face value. Take everything that you read or see with a
pinch of salt. Be skeptical. If we don’t question, we give into the agenda of the corporations to make us
believe what they want us to believe. And giving into the agenda gives them absolute power when the
real power should always lie with us- the consumers.
the ed tor al
Publications Executive
Swarnali Mitra
Chief Editor
Shreya Sharma
Sub Editor (Content)
Jayanti Basu Roy
Sub Editor (Design)
Shubham Goyal
News Editors
Shaun Yap
Teo Xing Zhi
Kanika Asija
Opinions Editors
Akhil Batra
Kaustav Chaudhuri
Sports Editor
Neel Mitra
Photo Editor
Vinay Kumar
Art Editor
Tran Thi Huyen Tran
Layout Editors
Surabhi Batra
Dikshita Chandrasekaran
Cover Page Illustrator
Pranav Sethaputra
PHOTO| Flickr commonS
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NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
ReADInGIntO
MAtuRIty
November brings with it the Singapore Writers Festival! 10 days
of panel discussions, workshops and author meet-and-greets
all to do with books, authors and the literary scene. The Tribune
Team brings you some of the best coming-of-age books for
college students.
‘About A Boy’ is the perfect example of a clichéd story
written in an unique voice. The awkward friendship
between Will, a privileged spoilt man child, and
Marcus, an outcast bullied teenager, is very endearing.
There are few books that can be described as
beautifully depressing. ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ is about
a young girl searching for her mother’s past, and has
amazing character arcs and development.
With the movie just out, ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’
is an obvious choice. The book might not compare
to the movie but it’s a charming story about finding
yourself and all that jazz.
‘Little Women’, an almost 150 year old book, is a must
read for anyone who has strong family ties. It’s heart
breaking and heart warming at the same time. And this
coming from a self confessed Classics hater.
Dystopian novels are the new in thing but ‘‘Uglies” is
one of the unique ones, with underlying themes of image
and self acceptance. It depicts a world where everyone
is made pretty to create a standardized society.
6John Green, one half of the famous VlogBrothers, wrote
‘Paper Towns’, the story of a teenager looking for his
childhood love. This is one of the most college relevant
entries on this list.
7This one is a classic (as much as you can call a teenage
novel a classic). ‘Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret’
is a book that should be made compulsory to be
read by all girls just turning sixteen.
View our issues online:
su.ntu.edu.sg/tribune
The Tribune Team is looking for writers and designers
Apply to ntusutribune@gmail.com
news
Improving Student Life:
A Look Behind the Scenes
How does the Students’ Union work with NTU management to address student issues?
Shreya Sharma
In order to provide a platform
to discuss new ideas and student
suggestions, a series of
meetings have been initiated
by the Students’ Union and the
President’s Office to provide a
platform for two-way dialogue
between elected student representatives
and management
officials. This is an effort that
involves both the undergraduate
and postgraduate students
and aims at improving student
life, in terms of both academic
and non-academic learning.
Professor Bertil Andersson
(President- NTU), Professor
Kwok Kian Woon (Associate
Provost- Student Life, President’s
Office) and Professor
Koh Soo Ngee (Director- Undergraduate
Education (Projects),
President’s Office) came
down for the discussion. Professor
Andersson encouraged
the students to play a greater
role in formulating the ideas
that shape NTU’s future and
said that “every single person
has to be on board” to help
NTU continue to rise, not just
with regards to rankings but
also, student experience. Emphasis
was placed by him on
being more proactive about
learning, promote interaction
Professor
Andersson
encouraged NTU
students to play
a greater role in
formulating the
ideas that shape
NTU’s future.
and collaboration, better preparing
students for the work
place.
As part of NTU’s continued
efforts to improve the
learning experience, Professor
Andersson addressed the student
complaints, for example,
effective lecture delivery. He
highlighted that most lecturers
are researchers and experts in
their particular fields and are
here to impart their in-depth
knowledge, with learning being
the priority.
Professor Koh shared that
the curriculum is revised extensively
to meet the demands
of employers and the system of
AUs is benchmarked according
to systems in other renowned
universities, encouraging soft
skills like project management
alongside traditional technical
knowledge.
Another point of focus by
the President was diversity,
NTU being the 5th “most international
university” in terms
of faculty profile and with students
from more than eighty
countries. Professor Andersson
went on to express his
desire to expand the avenues
of interaction between the numerous
different nationalities
at NTU.
Student life is a matter that
is very important to both the
students and the administra-
PHOTO| Teja Ummareddy
tion. He spoke about the growing
frustration amongst a section
of NTU students in not
obtaining housing on campus.
Hence, NTU is embarking on
the construction for eight new
The attitude at
NTU should change
and students
themselves should
play a greater
role in creating
a better, more
vibrant campus for
everyone.
halls of residence. Entrepreneurial
spirit is also something
that the President wants to inculcate,
giving examples of his
own experiences with student-
owned businesses in Sweden.
Other issues brought to light
were the management of unpleasant
issues and backlash
on social media, the construc-
tion and maintenance of new
halls and most importantly,
making students aware of the
new changes at the campus.
Increased interaction with
students illustrates the administration’s
commitment to
consulting students when it
comes to new developments
on campus. Follow up meetings
were arranged where
Professor Kwok Kian Woon,
Dr. Kristen Sadler (Deputy
Director- Student Life, President’s
Office) and Mrs. Seah
Wai Choo (Divisional Director,
Student Affairs Office) participated.
Professor Kwok spoke
about creating a conducive
university for all members of
the NTU community.
There was a debate on the
rising costs of living on campus,
be it for housing or canteens
or laundry. The President
of the Cultural Activities
Club, Lee Jian Kai, and the
Sports Club, Lee Meng Chin,
also played a big role in the
meetings. They brought to attention
the shortcomings in
the infrastructure for carrying
out sporting and recreational
activities. The issue of making
the shuttle bus service better
was another point of conflict
that was heavily spoken about.
There is no single perfect
solution to creating a vibrant
and well-equipped campus.
Instead of passively observing,
students should take ownership
of their university experience
and themselves play a
greater role in creating a better,
more vibrant campus.
“The Students’ Union Council
is working very closely with
the NTU President’s Office to
ensure that students’ concerns
are channeled in the right direction.
However, we require
patience and understanding as
not all changes can be made instantly.
Please be assured that
the Students’ Union is doing
our best to improve the life of
students.”, summarised Clement
Foo, NTU Students’ Union
Vice President. If you have issues
to raise, do write to sufeedback@ntu.edu.sg.
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4 AROUND CAMPUS 5
NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
exams:StudyGoWhere
Are the support facilities provided by NTU during exams time adequate?
Vo XUan PhUoc
Everyone can sense it: the
NTU exam period drawing
close. Libraries and McDonalds’
extend opening hours
as students busy with lecture
notes and recordings scatter at
every corner of the school, filling
up all study areas in North
and South Spine.
It is still difficult to find a
place in libraries. The need is
still high and the complaints
about people hogging seats are
still there. However, most people
recognize better improvement
in NTU this semester.
“Study areas this year are
better with more space,” shares
Fitri Handa Yani, an English
Literature student, referring to
the new benches built below
the South Spine. Reina Heng,
final year EEE student agrees:
“It provides a good study atmosphere.
When we have people
around studying, we are
more likely to focus too!”
For many students, the common
problem is time. Nasruddin
Bin A’aidil Shari, a freshman
from SCE, found himself
deep in assignments, leaving
little time to revise for his exams.
Seniors such as Reina advise
those such as himself to
survive using past year papers
(PYP). PYPs, especially those
with answers, will be an efficient
tool for students to deal
with lots of modules and content
in limited time frames. Of
course, the exams can never be
the same as the PYPs, and it
often gets very difficult when
PYPs come without any answers.
There are those who find it
less stressful. Being of a 100%
CA course, linguistics students
feel their load lightening as assignments
are being cleared.
English Literature student Fitri
also finds it less stressful. “We
have assignments that require
a lot of reading during normal
school days. So I just need one
week to revise when it comes
to exams.”
Different people have
different mindsets to
exams. It completely
depends on how well
we make use of the
support features
provided and how we
keep our spirit high.
Dau Thi Huyen My, an NBS
final year student also found
it less taxing than most. She
admitted to having an uneasy
exam period in her first semester,
but then found it more
relaxing after she figured out
how to prepare for the exams
before the rush period. “It will
be more supportive as NBS
has their lectures recorded for
students to make reference,”
says My.
Other facilities also provided
excellent outlets for
students to release stress. My
found the new Shop n Save supermarket
at Canteen 2 saved
her much time in preparing
food during the exam period.
Meanwhile, Timothy Neo, a
year 2 SBS student, often hits
the good old NTU Sports and
Recreation Centre.
Different people have different
mindsets to exams. It completely
depends on how well
we make use of the support
features provided and how we
keep our spirit high. And well,
if all else fails: “Praise the Bell-
Curve ‘God’!” jokes Fitri about
the nickname NTU students
have tagged onto the NTU
bell-curve grading policy.
exam
Survival
tips
Hear from the seniors a
few tricks to guide you
through your exams!
“Make summaries from
your lecture notes and
textbooks to help you
understand what you’re
revising better - works
like a charm! Also, a bit of
Starbucks wouldn’t hurt!”
- Val Teo, Year 2, HSS.
“It’s OK to mug till last
minute, but mug smart!”
- Lim Shi Qi, Year 2, Business.
“Studying with friends
can help you check your
progress and have someone
cheer up each other.
Eat more fruit and vegetable.”
- Dau Thi Huyen My,
Year 3, Business
“For freshmen, getting
good achievement of GPA
and social life in the first
semester will help a lot in
stabilizing the second and
third years.” - Timothy
Neo, Year 2, SBS
“Start early. Study hard
and study smart.” - Jian
Wei, Year 4, EEE.
“Don’t stay up too late.
Stay focussed. Use Facebook
less.” - Sun Jing Xiang,
Year 2, CEE
PHOTOS| Vinay kUmar
ntu’s Own Super Store
now a Stone’s throw Away
jayanti BaSU roy
The Nanyang Supermarket
shut down earlier this
semester, taking away with it
convenience and easy availability
of daily necessities. The
7-11 store that soon opened at
the Hall of Residence 2 complex
was nowhere close to the
range of products offered by
its predecessor and hence was
a reason of disappointment for
all. Prices were high too, and
its customer base was fairly
weak.
Shop n Save soon took over
and overnight, university convenience
stores were given a
new meaning. There’s hardly
anything missing in this supermart
that comes as a relief
to all residential students and
professors who felt the illimpacts
of an affordable store
being uprooted. Ranging from
a great selection of fresh fruits
and vegetables, different kinds
of meat, and cooking amenities
(utensils and seasonings)
to student-friendly treats, this
market has it all.
“This is my first time here,
and wow! I am honestly impressed.
Students are spoilt for
choice”, says, an excited NBS
student.
Upon entering the store,
an inviting range of fresh and
colourful fruits and vegetables
are sure to attract your attention.
Infact, Shop n Save has
grown to be a quick favourite
amongst health freaks on campus
for the variety and quality
of raw food it offers.
Says Clark, a Sports Science
and Management student, “I
love frequenting Shop n Save
for a fresh fruit or two after
my rigorous sports practice
at SRC. The fruits here are the
best picks and I prefer them to
cut fruits available at the canteen.”
There’s hardly
anything missing
in this supermart
and that comes
as a relief to all
residential students
and professors who
felt the ill-impacts
of an affordable
store being
uprooted.
A professor queuing at the
billing counter with a basket
full of groceries was all smiles
as he exclaimed, “I have young
school-going kids at home, and
there’s nothing like grabbing
the just-in tart apples or perfectly
ripe bananas for them on
my way back from work.”
Infact, most students agree
that Shop n Save is not only
an answer to their daily needs
but is also a much better alter-
native to the Nanyang Supermarket
with a wider selection
of everyday necessities, a few
highlights it boasts of includes
a fairly sizeable selection of affordable
wine as well as beerdefinitely
a novelty in the student
complexes of NTU.
While the toiletries more
than suffice, one cannot help
but point out the need for
a stationery section to fulfil
academic requirements of
students. Students often find
themselves making trips to
Popular at Jurong Point or
Yunnan Bookstore, due to the
lack of a well-equipped stationery
section, something that
the previous supermarket was
known for.
Overall, Shop n Save is a
great and much-needed facility,
and an answer to all
your daily needs. For one, the
cooking enthusiast in me is
extremely satisfied with the
innumerable choices of meat
cuts, condiments and freshly
grown vegetables available.
And as a PhD student from
Germany pointed out, “Kudos
to the Students’ Affairs
body for a supermart that is
both cost-effective and a mark
above its counterparts in other
universities.”
He says that he’s been to
several universities all across
the world, so we’ll take his
word for it!
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PHOTOS| Vinay kUmar

6 news
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NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
Hall-O-Ween 2012
akriti Vij
The end of October marked
the return of the spooky
“trick-or-treat season”, with
the halls of residences at NTU
celebrating Halloween in style
with different events and
games as well as elaborate decor.
Most of the halls of residence
were extravagantly decorated
with lights, hangings, and
hovering ghost models. Pumpkins,
lanterns, sprays and spider
webs were put around the
corridors to add to the spooky
effect. The residents appreciated
the effort put in by the
committee members. Jessica,
a year 3 student at the School
of Physical and Mathematical
Sciences (SPMS) who is also a
resident of Hall 11, gushed, “I
think the hall lighting and decorations
are very impressive!”
In addition to this, diverse
events were organized around
campus for the occasion.
The Hall 14 Halloween
event was named the Battle
Doom Apocalypse. Prior to
the event, a two-day pre-event
game, known as Assassination,
was held from 29 October to 31
October. The game was based
on a storyline that after three
days of killing, there would be
one survivor and the fallen assassins
would turn into zombies
and monsters.
Andy, the Assistant Social
Secretary of Hall 14 shared
the details of other highlights
of the event. “Other than just
lucky draws, booth games and
prize presentations, including
even an iPad. Hall 14’s Jam
Band specially performed the
song Assassins by John Mayer”,
he informed.
The Hall of Residence 13
organized an event titled Halloween,
on the 24th of October.
The participants enjoyed a
variety of activities, including
engaging station games,
and a lucky draw. They could
also exercise their creativity
at a photo-booth competition
where they could get pictures
clicked and adorned by their
favourite characters.
Jian Yu, the Social Secretary
of Hall 13 attributed the success
of the event to the enthusi-
asm of the residents and committee
members who went out
of their way to create a memorable
night.
Hall 5 based its Halloween
night, held on the 18th of October,
on a “Sugar” theme, where
residents could take a yummy
break from their monotonous
routines, and enjoy costumedressing,
games, and candies.
most of the halls
of residence were
extravagantly
decorated with
lights, hangings
and hovering ghost
models. Pumpkins,
lanterns and spider
webs were put
around the corridors
to add to the spooky
effect.
All these events were thoroughly
enjoyed by the participants.
Dalton Lim Jun Jie, and
Tham Jia Ning, both residents
of Hall 1 appreciated the dance
and cheer-leading performances,
games, costume and
award sessions organized as
a part of their Halloween festival.
Spicing up the event further,
a short game section was
initiated and appended into
the programme, which is the
“Voila-ween Next Top Model”.
In this game, 4 volunteers are
picked up from the audience
to participate as models. These
participants were dressed up
with accessories that were
provided while racing against
time, who were then tasked
to cat-walk, showcasing their
creative looks.
The various clubs and societies
in NTU were also active
in celebration, bringing in Halloween
with full enthusiasm.
As an example, the drama and
literature club, Epiphany, organized
an open mic-session
for Halloween. Besides, as
shared by Anmol Bansal, a
member of the NTU Film Society,
the club liaised with Halls
10, 11, 3 and 12 to organize
screenings of movies such as
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PhotoS | hall jcrc committeeS
“The Woman in Black”, “Drag
Me to Hell” and “1408” in collaboration
with the halls’ own
respective agendas. Horror
movies being an integral part
of Halloween.
Halloween, being an important
tradition for a major percentage
of incoming exchange
students, was very well received
by them. Hector Garza
Rodriguez (Civil Engineering),
on exchange from Mexico, and
resident of Hall 11, shared that
it was heartening to see these
celebrations bring people together
to enjoy the festivities.
Apart from campus events,
students put on scary ensembles,
and let their hair down at
events like The SingaporeUNI
Halloween Rave Party and the
Halloween celebration at Universal
Studios.
The festive air of Halloween
and the host of events organized
served to be the perfect
breather for students in providing
them the recreation
that they need before burying
themselves behind books for
the upcoming examinations.
Halls embrace the Halloween ‘spirit’ with scary costumes,
music performances and even beauty pageants, alongside
a plethora of carved pumpkins and candy. The Tribune
Team presents snapshots of the different hall events at NTU.
Halloween
Around
the World
UNITeD STATeS
of AmerIcA
Halloween celebrations in
the USA instantly bring pictures
of pumpkins, parties
and decorations in mind.
Community events, costume
parties and horror filmscreenings
are organized.
Children go around “trickor-treating”.
Haunted houses
are also set-up.
GermANY
In Germany, Halloween is
celebrated pretty traditionally
throughout the country.
One unique fact is that the
people put away their knives
on Halloween night there.
The reason for this is because
they do not want to
risk harm to (or from) the
returning spirits.
IrelAND
Many believe Ireland to be
the birthplace of Halloween,
and it is one of the places
to celebrate it with exceptional
enthusiasm. Its roots
are traced to a Pagan festival
of ancient Ireland known as
Samhain. In the modern days,
bonfires are lit, and children
dress up in costumes to
spend the evening “trick-ortreating”.
In addition, parties
and games are also organized.
frANce
Unlike most other countries,
Halloween emerged
in France, as an “American
holiday”, and commercialism
led to its popular rise over
time. Halloween in France is
usually celebrated by people
of all ages in the form of costume
parties and social gatherings.
The homes, streets
and shops are adorned by
lanterns and other decorations.
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8 CLUBS
NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
9
the Race For Space is On
Dropbox’s new marketing strategy has university students worldwide competing in a race for space
teo Xing Zhi
What’s online and holds
lots of files that can be
easily shared?
If you’re thinking Dropbox,
you’re right! Dropbox, the
online sharing cloud storage
service launched their Dropbox
Space Race on October 15,
2012. This international race
pit universities against one
another as each raced to get
the free 25GB worth of online
space that will last for two
years.
kaVya jahagirdar
The atmosphere of the Rock
Auditorium in Suntec City
Mall was electrifying with the
smartest brains of Singapore
universities locking their horns
to battle out for the championship
of Tata Crucible Campus
Quiz on 30th October 2012.
The 6th Edition of the Tata
Crucible Campus Quiz was
presided by the Guest of
Honour, Mr. Sunny Verghese,
Group Managing Director/
CEO, Olam International
and Chairman, IE Singapore.
“Insight is not merely about
the retention of facts, it’s about
the ability to analyse information,
compare different types
of data and find links which
may not necessarily be evident
at first look,” he said.
Quiz master Mr. Giri Balasubramaniam,
popularly known
as Pickbrain for his wit, humour
and sharp style of quizzing,
kept the audience on their
toes with his interesting trivia.
Here’s how it works: once
your school is registered, verifying
your school email will
give you an instant 3GB free.
After that, you spread the
word so that more students
from your school will sign up.
The more ‘Space Racers’, as
Dropbox termed the students,
the greater the capacity of
that school’s free space, which
can increase to a maximum of
25GB per person. Even professors
can take part, as long as
The intense quizzing on business
knowledge and out of the
box thinking involved a wide
range of subjects like business,
economy, brands and markets
among other exciting topics.
The quiz was open to all
college student teams of 2
above the age of 18. The winning
team was awarded a cash
prize of $7000 and the first
Runners up and Second Runners
up were awarded $3000
and $2000 respectively.
Two teams from NTU qualified
to the wildcard entry
round but unfortunately could
not make it any further. Aditya
Mitra and Kaustav Chaudhuri
gave a tough fight but lost out
by quite a small margin on the
scoreboard. On the other hand,
Sheldon battled bravely and
single handedly as his teammate
was unfortunately unavailable
for the round. Two
other teams from NTU qualified
to the finals.
they have a valid school email.
“It’s a great marketing technique,”
says Thye Tzy Huoy,
a first-year Chinese Studies
student. “I mean, it’s international!”
Many students are overjoyed
by this new cloud space
gaining technique.
“I think it’s good,” shares
Lim Zhi Lun, a year 2 Engineering
student. “Cloud technology
has helped us for projects,
file transfers, viewing
The winners of this year’s
edition were the defending
champions of the previous
year, namely Poon Jia Wen and
Aaron Wong Xuan Ming, from
Singapore Management University.
After five rounds of
intense quizzing that had the
entire audience on the edge of
their seats, this team from SMU
claimed a prize of $7,000 and
other attractive giveaways.
The first runners-up from National
University of Singapore
(NUS), comprising of Sriharsha
Bhat and Karan Prasad,
took away a cash prize of
S$3,000. Both of these teams
also qualified for the International
Crucible Final scheduled
around April ’13 in Mumbai.
Following a nail biting tiebreaker,
the second runnersup
spot was sealed by Valerie
Loong and Chen Yanheng
from Nanyang Technological
University who won a cash
prize of S$2,000.
archived files, and so on. The
free 25GB is very useful even if
it’s only 2 years.”
Year 2 business student Lim
Tze Teng agrees: “I don’t have
to worry about space constraints
on Dropbox anymore!
It’s a whole lot more convenient!”
Others are a little skeptical.
“What am I supposed to do
with 25GB?” asked year 2 Linguistics
student Chan Wei Jie.
The explanation is one which
many curious people seek online.
“It’s the Singaporean kiasu
spirit,” laughs a HSS year 1
student. “Who knows why
we want it, but since it’s there,
why not?” His opinion is corroborated
by many similar
remarks on online threads
discussing the success of the
Space Race in Singapore.
EThe Space Race ends 10
December, 8 weeks after its
launch.
tata Crucible: A Battle of Wits
Student Teams Face Off at the Tata Crucibles Campus Quiz 2012
Photo| Flickr commonS
PHOTO| TaTa CruCible Quiz Organizers
Show Off your Hidden talents
Sing and dance your way to glory with Impresario 2013!
leanne roSe thachil
Impresario, Singapore’s Talent
Search Competition, held
its Vocal Solo and Vocal Group
Campus auditions on the 25th
of October at the Students’
Activities Centre at NTU.
Targeted at contestants aged
between 15 and 35, the other
categories in the competition
include Dance and Original
Composition. The Cultural
Activities Club (CAC) of NTU,
along with their Official Music
School for 2013 - Lee Wei Song
School of Music, held the auditions,
which saw a huge number
of enthusiastic contestants
from NTU, utilizing the unique
opportunity to showcase their
talents at the national level.
The Cultural Activities Club
(CAC) consists of 22 other
clubs, of which the Dance and
Support and Design clubs are
actively involved in organizing
Impresario 2013. The annual
event, which was founded
in 1992, looks for people
who are passionate to perform
and it is open to all, irrespective
of experience. Impresario
strongly encourages contestants
from all backgrounds to
seize the opportunity and ac-
tively participate in the event.
Serving as a great platform to
discover new talents and reward
them at the same time,
this year’s event gives participants
a chance to win $10,000
worth of cash and prizes.
Dorothy Chong, Year 2
student from WKWSCI said,
“Campus audition was held in
the Students’ Activities Centre
in NTU last Thursday, and the
committee was in high spirits
while bringing in contestants
into the venue. The turnout
for the auditions was good;
PHOTO| cac imPreSario committee
contestants walked into the
waiting area confidently, full
of smiles, and mingled among
themselves. Judges from our
Official Music School, Lee Wei
Song School of Music, came
with high expectations of the
performances, and concluded
that they were pleased with
the quality of talents they witnessed
that night.”
In addition, the CAC also
aimed at publicizing the event
around Singapore. As part
of external publicity, on the
27th of October, participants
dressed in yellow t-shirts gave
out flyers so as to let the crowd
near Orchard know more
about Impresario.
As the longest running project
of the CAC, Impresario’s
finalists in previous seasons,
Candice Foo and Maia Lee
went on to become finalists of
Singapore Idol. While the campus
auditions were held for aspiring
vocalists and dancers of
NTU, auditions for the general
public are in mid December.
The semi-finals are scheduled
for February and the Grand
Finale is scheduled for 17th of
March, 2013, at Nanyang Auditorium.
If you’ve missed the
Campus auditions, you can
still register for the next round
of auditions via: www.cacimpresario.com/2013
or even
follow their Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/Impresario2012.
Students’ Fund Reaches Out
iHeart Bazaarity helps give academic opportunities to those in need
teo ying en
The iHeart Bazaarity was
held from 22nd October
to 25th October at Canopy K,
NTU.
The event which was organised
by NTUSU’s Students’
Fund Committee aimed to
raise funds through the sale of
food products like KOI bubble
tea, bean curd, brownies and
popcorns. The KOI bubble tea
was the most popular product
of the event. Students purchased
the items had a chance
to take part in a lucky draw.
“We hope to raise funds for
the financially needy students
in the form of bursaries, and
also to promote the existence
for this club,” said Hanna Liaw
Yin Siang, chairperson of the
Students’ Fund committee.
Hanna added that the most
interesting part of the event
happened when students went
up to donate without being
approached. “A group of students
were collecting funds
and they donated their funds
to us,” said Hanna.
Besides the display of food
products at the booths, the
iHeart mosaic board also
caught the eye of many people.
The iHeart mosaic was a publicity
stunt created to attract
more students. Pictures of students
wearing funky hats, cool
wigs and masks provided by
the Students’ Fund committee
were taken and pasted on the
board, to collectively form a
heart shape.
“It was a pretty successful
attempt to attract students,”
said Hanna.
“The price is reasonable
for charity. The KOI costs $2
outside and $3 here, I only
need to spend an extra $1 for
a cup of KOI here, and I get to
help those in need,” said Han
Chong, a Year 2 Mechanical
Engineering student, when
asked why he chose to support
the event. “This is charity,
and I like to drink bubble tea,”
added Jun Wen.
PHOTO| Teja Ummareddy
ABoUT
STUDeNTS’ fUND
The Students’ Fund committee
organises a few fund
raising events every year and
the iHeart Bazaarity was the
first event held this year.
The NTUSU Students’ Fund
Committee was founded based
on the belief that “No student
shall be denied the chance to
enter university just because of
his financial inability”.
They aim to reach out to
those students who require
financial assistance for the continuation
of their tertiary education
in the form of bursaries
through a series of dynamic
and meaningful annual fundraising
events that engage all
NTU students and members
of the public.
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10 news news
CLUBS SINGAPORE
NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
11
AIeSeC Showcases Brilliant
talent At the Leadership talk
kanika aSija
Leadership Unleashed by
AIESEC? A talk with speakers
extolling on the virtues
of how best to harness your
skills to become an effective
leader, sounded interesting.
Held on 22nd October in LT1A,
the forum revealed itself to be
par expectations. Leadership
Unleashed 2012 organised by
AIESEC-NTU, a youth-run
organisation, had high-profile
speakers from Executive
Coaching International (one of
the leading coaching organisations
in the world), P&G, UBS
and Bank of Tokyo.
The first to take to the podium
was Mr Soon Loo, Senior
Executive Coach and Program
Leader, Executive Coach International.
He recounted his
own experiences as a Masters
student studying in Boston,
when he, with a group
of friends decided to start a
business. They created a business
plan to present to their
Professor for guidance, only to
be given the advice to not be
hasty and acquire more working
experience before starting
an enterprise of their own.
With all due respect to their
Professor, they decided to go
ahead with their idea, to see it
grow into a million dollar enterprise.
Having said this, he
requested everyone present to
ask themselves, “What is the
one thing you’ve been wanting
to do, but haven’t got around
to it yet?” Vivacious and energetic,
he engaged the audience
by making the session highly
interactive, promising to make
it a memorable evening.
The next speaker was Mr
Steve Ong, Regional Portfolio
Manager (Asia), Procter
“What is the one thing
you’ve been wanting
to do, but haven’t got
around to it yet?”
asked mr. Soon loo,
Senior executive
coach and Program
leader, executive
coach International
and Gamble. He imparted
three important tips for being
a successful leader, which include,
having enough faith in
something to be able to see it
through, the ability to embrace
diversity and taking upon every
crisis as a great opportunity.
Mr Clive Lim, a student
himself and author of the book
‘Past>Present>>Future’, was
invited onto the stage next. He
spoke about how lucky we are
to have age on our side, as being
young gives us the flexibility
to make mistakes and learn
from them. He recently set
up his first business in Myanmar,
called Potato Paradise.
He ended by saying, “Many
things don’t matter, what only
matters is what you think matters.”
Mr. Lim was succeeded by
Ms Junie Foo, Assistant General
Manager at the Asian
Business Division of Bank of
Tokyo. She spoke about her
career and the challenges she
faced as a woman in the banking
sector, as well as about
what leadership means to her.
She elaborated, “Leadership is
situational and contextual, and
a journey because you grow
into it.”
A sombre tone to the evening
was added by Mr Kelvin
Lim, CEO and Founder, Executive
Coach International.
Being forthcoming and direct,
he asked the question, “Do
you live true to yourself?” His
words, although cutting and
solemn, compelled reflection.
A pleasing and mellifluous
performance by Ms Christina
Wang, drew the highly interesting
evening to a close.
PHOTOS| adarSh kanodia
Avenue Q: Crude Humour Or An
Honest Look At Society?
Sharad kUmar Pandian
God Of Carnage: A Rendition of
Modern Day Family Issues
Sharad kUmar Pandian
Tony and Laurence Olivier
A Award winning play, God
of Carnage, will play at DBS
Arts Centre from 6 November
2012. The show stars Tony
Award winner Lea Salonga, ST
Life! Theatre Award winner
Adrian Pang, New York Theatre
Award winner Art Acuña,
and Philstage Award winner
Menchu Launchengco-Yulo.
Alice Jones, Deputy Arts
Editor of The Independent,
summarized the show with
her review: “Imagine the most
supremely awkward social
situation you can and multiply
it tenfold; that is the nightmarish
scenario cooked up by Yasmina
Reza in God of Carnage.”
The story kicks off with two
eleven year olds getting into
an argument. One hits the other
with a branch, knocking out
two front teeth. To resolve this
amicably, the parents of the
stick-wielding boy, Alan and
Nancy Cowan (Art Acuña and
Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo)
visit the home of the victim
to talk to parents Michael and
Penelope Longstreet (Adrian
Pang and Lea Salonga). In
the minds of the adults, the
children just ‘haven’t gotten a
sense of community yet’ and
thus require adult intervention.
However, the adults start
arguing bitterly about topics
such as misogyny and hypocrisy,
making and breaking alliances
as they argue, leaving
the evening in chaos.
Each character has a unique
back-story and set of issues
that’s examined as the play
goes on. Alan Cowan is a lawyer
with questionable morals,
always on the phone trying to
keep a pharmaceutical com-
Be it musical theatre lovers
or otherwise, everyone
was in for a treat when the
hilarious musical Avenue Q
came to Singapore. A winner of
three Tony awards including
Best Musical, it was staged at
the Marina Bay Sands Grand
Theatre from 27 September to
7 October. Although it broadly
dealt with the cliché ‘coming of
age’ theme, it did so in a truly
novel way which ensured your
riveted attention throughout.
The well-received show
is done Sesame Street style,
with three human characters
and eleven puppet characters
acting out a life on a street
called Avenue Q. The puppets
are held by unconcealed actors
dressed in black onstage, and
it is clear that viewers are to
ignore the puppeteers. Several
puppets take substantial
influence from Sesame
Street, thus the appearance
of distorted versions of Bert,
pany out of trouble for producing
medication with unintended
side-effects. His wife
initially poised and seemingly
happy, reveals a darker side
where she felt unloved by her
husband and bogged down
with the responsibility of
housekeeping and child care.
The Longstreets, for their part,
have vicious quarrels, giving
viewers a glimpse into their
unhappy marriage life.
The show manages to
weave this seemingly endless
series of arguments into
a smooth flow throughout the
90 minutes. Apart from this,
there are a number of surprises
and unexpected turns,
including Michael Longstreet
finding out that his mother
uses medication from the very
same company Alan Cowan
was defending.
Ernie, and the Cookie Monster.
The story revolves around
lives of a group of friends on
Avenue Q. The major storyline
involves Princeton, a graduate
who is searching for a job and a
purpose; Kate Monster, who is
searching for a boyfriend, and
Rod, a closeted Republican.
Don’t be fooled by the
theme though: this show is
not meant for children. In this
diplomatic age where we are
frantically tamping down our
voices to be politically correct,
Avenue Q seeks to shock us
and through laughter, makes
us face some of the issues that
most people would rather not
discuss in society. The song
“Everybody’s a Little Racist”
tries to drive the point that
instead of simply issuing
moral commandments, we
should learn to accept the truth
and to get along. Other social
issues dealt with also included
self-acceptance, particularly
through Rod’s struggle for his
existential crisis.
James W, a writer on yelp.
com.sg, gave it five stars.
His review was frank, but he
praised the musical – “The
musical really shines a light on
current social issues including
acceptance of homosexuality,
interracial marriage, racism,
and internet porn. I’m not sure
about that last one, but I sure
did learn something!”
Some of these issues may
offend some people who
think it’s inappropriate
to discuss them in such a
fashion. Yet, Avenue Q’s
honest and open discussion
of these topics showed clearly
behind the crude humour and
occasionally offensive songs.
And that is never a bad thing.
Avenue Q has stopped
showing in Singapore, but it
may return. Look out for it if
it ever does! This is one show
that people should try to catch!
PHOTOS| Flickr commonS
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12 news SINGAPORE
Passages:
enchanted evenings
jayanti BaSU roy
Singapore welcomed its
first November weekend
with contemporary dance
taking centre stage at the National
Museum Gallery Theatre,
a theatre that never fails
to deliver captivating performances
to art enthusiasts
from Singapore and beyond.
In its third year, Passages
offered three upcoming local
talents from Singapore an opportunity
to create new performances
and develop their abilities
as choreographers through
the process of this workshop
and presentation. The choreographers
selected for Passages
November 2012, namely
Tan Fang Xi, Timothy Coleman
and Christopher Arzaga,
were guided through different
choreography techniques and
tools over a 2-week workshop
programme in October. The
choreographers were then giv-
en the chance to work with the
professional dancers from the
iconic Singapore Dance Theatre
to create their own works.
These three fledgling artists,
who were trained and mentored
by SDT’s Artistic Director
Janek Schergen, presented
a 10-minute piece, during the
annual performance which
was held between 2 nd and 4 th
November, 2012 in the National
Museum Gallery theatre.
The audience witnessed
the highly entertaining and
mesmerising culmination of
weeks of guidance, where
the dancers were driven to
stretch their creative potential,
inject their own thoughts
and expressions and realize
their individualistic flairs.
While fresh and unique performances
wowed the audience
in the first half of the show,
also called the “experimental
PHOTOS| Flickr commonS
black box theatre space”, the
latter half comprised of highly
successful dance recitals
from previous years as well
as from a few established talents
in the industry. “Waiting”
by Christina Chan is the marriage
of spectacular lights and
innovative costume art, a performance
that was extremely
well-received by the audience
in last year’s Passages. “Absence
of Story” by Toru Shimazaki,
danced to the music of
Brahm, is a silent piece, aimed
at upholding the majestic
beauty and the power of music.
The show came to an end
with two breathtaking dance
pieces, filled with bold and
unrestrained moves: “Nameless”
by Xing Liang and “Hold
the Fourth” by Daniel Roberts,
which were performed
in Refractions 2010 and Passages
2010 respectively.
news
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WORLD COMMENTARY13
NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
Magnum:
Picture Perfect
Shreya Sharma
Pictures speak a thousand
words, they say. Yes, it’s a
cliché but that doesn’t make
it less true. The power of conveying
messages through
photography is beautifully
illustrated at the ‘Outside
In: Magnum Photos Showcase’
at the ArtScience Museum
at Marina Bay Sands.
The exhibition is in celebration
of Magnum Photos’
65th anniversary. Magnum is
a photo agency that brings
on board diverse photographers
who uniquely chronicle
societies, especially those
undergoing transformation,
through their pictures.
There are three photographers
whose works adorn the
walls at the ArtScience Museum-
Stuart Franklin, Mark
Power and Jacob Aue Sobol.
Stuart Franklin’s section,
‘Footprint: Our Landscape
in Flux’, is a series of pieces
that demonstrate the effects
of pollution, flooding and
other harmful human activities
on nature. He has specifically
focused on Europe and
his pictures have incredible
natural colours and depth.
Mark Power’s ‘Sound of
Two Songs’ is a series that show
Poland through the eyes of a
foreigner. The UK photographer’s
work depicts the transition
period in Poland, covered
by the photographer in more
than 20 trips to the country.
The third exhibition, ‘I, Tokyo’
is the exemplary work
of the Danish photographer
Jacob Aue Sobol. It features
his enriching experiences
in Tokyo with his Japanese
girlfriend, taken by a pocket
camera to eliminate the delay
of over-analyzing moments.
He very effectively
captures the isolation and
loneliness in the metropolis.
The corridors of dimly lit
photographs interspersed
with quotes from the three
photographers create a surreal
feel at the ArtScience Museum.
One of them by Stuart
Franklin reads, “Photography,
for me, is a way of learning
about the world around us. It’s
a passport to understanding.”
eurozone Debt Crisis:
the Power Dynamics
akhil Batra and ajay kriShna
The European sovereign
debt crisis is one of the
worst financial crises to hit
the world in recent times. It
has crippled several major
European economies like
Portugal, Greece and Ireland
and made them dependent
on bailout funds in order
to survive. A major reason
for the crisis was inefficient
governance and private debt
management coupled with
a property bubble burst in
various European economies.
Governments were unable
to produce enough revenue
to match their increasing
expenditure and financial
deficits started to deepen.
In order to solve the deficit,
governments started incurring
more debt. But with economies
showing no signs of recovery
or growth, economic and
political instability has
pervaded most of Europe.
Almost every country in the
European Union has been
affected.
GREECE
Greece is by far the country
worst affected by the sovereign
debt crisis in Europe. At
several times during the crisis,
there was a very real threat of
Greece being forced to leave
the European Union due to
the huge devaluation effect
its economy had on the Euro
currency. A series of austerity
measures were unveiled
in parliament to cut the
budget deficit which sparked
widespread protests among
the public for being favourable
to higher income brackets. Two
bailout packages amounting to
more than 220 billion Euros
have been administered by
the European Union and
the International Monetary
Fund to prevent Greece from
defaulting on its debt. The
recent elections that led to a
change in Government have
helped allay some concerns
over Greece’s ability to meet
its budget cuts.
PORTUGAL
Economists agree that
Portugal and Greece have
suffered almost equal
damage from the financial
storm. Acknowledging that
Portugal was unable to deal
with its finances itself, the
EU and IMF allotted a 78
billion Euro bailout package.
Various budget cuts are being
employed to try and reduce
the deficit as well as higher
taxation in order to generate
more revenue. Unemployment
is at an all-time high of 13%.
IRELAND
Ireland was the third country
to record a crisis in the EU
when its Economy went into
recession for the first time
since the 1980’s. The crisis in
Ireland was not caused due
to Government over spending
– it was due to Government
backing for National banks
that had created a property
bubble in Ireland. The EU and
IMF intervened upon being
requested by Irish authorities
and provided an 85 billion
Euro bailout fund. Meanwhile
in 2011, the ruling government
of Ireland collapsed to be
replaced by a coalition.
Through budget cuts and
bailout packages, the country
is expected to be back up on its
own feet by this quarter.
SPAIN
Spain being one of the
largest economies in Europe
was of particular interest to
International investors. At
the start of the debt crisis,
the country was much better
off than its EU counterparts.
However, Spain’s public debt
rose drastically U.S. $820
billion in 2010, roughly the
level of Greece, Portugal, and
Ireland combined. However,
with amendments being made
to the Spanish constitution in
order to create a fundamental
low debt policy in the country,
Spain can be expected to
recover from the crisis soon.
GERMANY
The direct effect of the
Eurozone Crisis on Germany’s
economy has been relatively
minimal. The German
chancellor, Angela Merkel,
has offered aid to struggling
nations but in return for a
guarantee that strict austerity
be maintained in these
countries. This idea had
dominated the response to the
crisis, but was unfavourably
received by the countries
in crisis and led to political
tension.
FRANCE
France’s debt and deficit levels
remain far below those in the
other countries falling victim
to the crisis. However, they
have been unable to replicate
the political leadership
displayed in trying to unify
the continent in the first place.
This is because their economic
shape is worse than what it
was in 2007, at the start of
Nicolas Sarkozy’s tenure.
However, the election of
Francois Hollande, a Socialist,
as Prime Minister has allowed
the passage of economic
reforms and improved their
status in the Eurozone.
The economic recession in
the EU is indicative of political
mismanagement and has
resulted in problems like child
labour.
AROunD
tHe WORLD
A Quick Glimpse
of the Latest
Happenings
akhil Batra
Hurricane
Sandy
Hurricane Sandy devastated
parts of Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba,
before striking the East Coast
of America in late October. It
affected more than 20 states,
causing an estimated 50 billion
dollars in damage, behind only
Hurricane Katrina. Nasdaq
and NYSE were forced to shut
down for two days, leading to
a widespread interruption in
business and huge losses. It has
so far claimed 178 lives and left
millions displaced or without
power, especially in the states
of New York, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania.
Malala
yousafazi
Malala Yousafazi is a school
student and education activist
from the Swat Valley in
Pakistan, a war torn area under
the control of the Taliban. She
has extensively campaigned for
the right of women to attend
school, which has been banned
under Taliban rule. On 9
October 2012, Taliban gunmen
shot Yousafzai in the head
and neck in an assassination
attempt while she returned
home in a school bus. She
remained unconscious and in
a critical condition, hence was
sent to a hospital in UK for
intensive care. Leaders all over
the world have condemned
this attack, while the Taliban
has only reiterated their desire
to silence her.
Felix
Baumgartner
The world’s most famous
daredevil, Baumgartner broke
the world record for the
world’s highest free-fall and
the highest free fall velocity.
The 42-year-old record, set by
Joseph Kittinger, was broken
with the help of Red Bull’s
Stratos project, which involved
flying a helium balloon into the
stratosphere and jumping off of
it. He also became the first man
to break the sound barrier on
his descent.
NOVEMBER 2012 FINAL.indd 12-13 20/12/12 5:57 PM

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
DO’S
This is obvious, but it has it’s own point here because
it’s very, very important: take a break. Go
someplace nice for dinner, blow bubbles, read a
book. The world won’t end.
Assign yourself a bully: if you’re the type who is
prone to procrastination, have a friend who checks
in on you, bullies you, and reminds you that you
will die a penniless hobo if you don’t buck up.
Plan well, and don’t give up yet: it’s really, really
easy to panic this close to the exams, and decide
that there’s no point even trying. Yes, there is, and
if you try, you can salvage a surprising amount.
Use all the resources you have: your lecture notes,
helpful professors, tutorial facilities provided by
your school, recorded lectures, library resources,
your alarm clock, and supreme panic.
Understand your patterns: it’s common to panic
when you just don’t seem to get anything done, but
don’t waste time trying new methods: if you study
best alone, for example, don’t try group study.
Give yourself something to look forward to. A
winter holiday, a shopping spree. Something to
reinforce you positively, and to motivate you when
you feel the month has been going on forever.
Realise your limits: achieve a balance in your study
schedule. You don’t want to look like the non-cute
version of a very tired panda, sleep deprived and
crazy-eyed. They’re just exams: not reason enough
to induce spontaneous combustion.
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NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
THISISA
VeRy
LARGe
ROCK
EXAMS ARE COMING | PRO-TIPS TO STOP YOU FROM WANTING TO CRAWL UNDER SIMILAR VERY LARGE ROCKS.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
DOn’tS
The Internet can be your friend, and your biggest
enemy. It will destroy you. Youtube will suck you
into its giant vortex of adorable cats and despair.
Fight it, and you will emerge broken, but alive.
Do not, absolutely do not, start a new television
series a month before your exams. Once you
begin, you will only finish to realise that the civilization
has fallen and cyborgs run the world.
Procrastination is evil. It is worse than flesh eating
seamonsters, worse than screaming babies on the
airplane. Purchase a hunting knife and stab yourself
in the eye whenever you procrastinate.
Do not go berserk with the coffee. You want a little
bit of a push to help keep you awake, functional,
and productive. You don’t want a recipe for homicide,
or be bouncing off your exam hall walls.
If you can emerge from the dank cave of exam
time without having gained weight that indicates
you might have swallowed an entire other person,
congratulations. Few are so fortunate.
Don’t go overboard with the blindingly color-coded
timetables that are laughably unrealistic schedules.
You are not going to be able to study that
monstrous chunk of coursework in an hour.
Facebook during examination month is the spawn
of Satan. Do whatever it takes to fight this evil:
deactivate your account, have a friend change your
password, punch a hole through your computer
screen. May the force be with you.
content and design | abha nitin apte
NOVEMBER 2012 FINAL.indd Custom V 7 20/12/12 5:57 PM

16 business
Is Facebook Merely An Online Billboard?
The pros and cons of advertising through Social Media
kaUStaV chaUdhUri
The primary objective of
any business activity is to
generate revenue. Facebook
has been a trendsetter in leaving
analysts puzzled about its
performance since it went IPO
earlier this year.
In its Quarter 3 results, Facebook
announced that 14% of
its advertising revenue came
from mobile ads translating
to $152.6 million. An insight
into this indicates that ads in
the News Feed generate $4
million per day. This was a
business that never existed
9 months ago in Quarter 1 of
2012. However, today, the mobile
ad business stands at generating
a massive $1.09 billion.
Reports suggest that this revenue
has enormous potential to
grow as Facebook has not yet
started its ads on Instagram, a
recently acquired photo-sharing
network that has become
a favourite amongst socialnetworking
enthusiasts. Since
its acquisition, the number of
registered users has grown to
100 million.
On the darker side, Facebook
has been claimed by experts
to not have a business
model per se. Contrary to Fa-
The Disney and Lucasfilm Deal:
What Does It Mean for the Rest of us?
kaUStaV chaUdhUri
wouldn’t say I’m an avid Star
I Wars fan, but I wouldn’t say
that I don’t like the franchise
either. I have watched the movies
and I immensely appreciate
George Lucas’ contribution to
the world of sci-fi fantasy and
science fiction through the Star
Wars franchise and Lucasfilm.
I am still trying to gauge the
impacts of Disney buying Lucasfilm
for $4 billion, bringing
the Star Wars under the
same name that includes Marvel,
Pixar, Mickey Mouse and
ESPN, to name just a few of the
hugely successful franchises
that are Disney-owned.
We already know that the
first big project from the Disney-owned
Lucasfilm will be
a new Star Wars movie hitting
theatres in 2015, and this could
work well with the hordes of
Stars Wars fans that were quite
critical of the last two mov-
ies by Lucas. Disney doesn’t
make bad films, and there is
a realistic possibility that this
deal starting with the new
Star Wars trilogy could benefit
Disney immensely. Disney has
purchased perhaps the biggest
science fiction movie franchise
of all time, adding to a list that
includes Spider-Man, Mickey
Mouse and, now, Darth Vader
and Skywalker. But without
George Lucas, will Star Wars
ever be the same again?
Disney is planning to throw
the full weight of its empire
behind relaunching the Star
Wars franchise as a trilogy in
2015, which saw its last installment
in 2005 with “Episode
3: Revenge of the Sith.” Commercially,
apart from the movies,
Disney is also planning
to expand into the extremely
successful theme park by incorporating
Star Wars themed
cebook, Google is visited by
people, world over, to search
for what they intend to find.
On Facebook, people are confined
to the walls of their so-
amusement parks which could
target a wider audience. Moreover,
Disney will also tap into
the market of selling consumer
goods inspired by the Star
Wars franchise.
Enough of Disney, let’s talk
George Lucas now. Well, for
starters, he wouldn’t leave his
Without George
lucas, will Star Wars
ever be the same
again?
successful company which
had almost zero debt with people
who he wouldn’t trust with
continuing his legacy. And
he’s not one to relinquish control
of something that bears his
name. But he needed to have
people who knew his vision
and continue his legacy, and
PHOTO| Flickr commonS
cial mesh that inhibits their
interests in the advertisements
on the side. More often than
not, these ads are viewed as
a disturbance amidst social
his decision to sell Star Wars
to Disney could be a profitable
deal for Lucas as well, in light
of his recent plans of heading
towards retirement and going
for experimental movies. Most
importantly, Lucas wishes to
contribute the entire amount of
money generated for the purpose
of education. George Lucas
will focus on philanthropy
and the 4 billion gained from
this deal could help him invest
in nurturing filmmaking careers
and scout new talents for
directing movies. Moreover,
he plans to contribute most of
it to improve education in different
parts of the world and
America where education isn’t
a feasible option for many of
the underprivileged.
Worldwide, fans are worried
that this multibillion dollar
deal maybe based entirely
on corporate motives, and that
the tr bune the tr bune
technology 17
NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
inter-mixing. So what brings
in more money into Facebook
doesn’t necessary bring in consumer
appreciation.
Websites that operate on a
so called “freemium” model
are at risk of being severely
threatened in the market.
Twitter and LinkedIn are two
other websites that have often
been studied and criticised for
having a weak revenue generation
model. But for businesses
aiming to secure an
outreach, newer methods of
affiliate marketing can also be
explored through Facebook.
Owing to the vast customer
base, accessibility can be improved
through innovative
techniques in the adopted
marketing regime.
Facebook shares are trading
at half the price issued at IPO.
Revenues in the advertising
segment might just be putting
an end to the downfall of their
share price. This ad market
could just be the answer to Facebook’s
revenue woes.
Disney is more concerned with
capitalizing on Lucas’ merchandising
franchise than the
actual content. But when you
think about all the different
things, especially Lucasfilm
and Star Wars in particular, it
all falls into place. This purchase
includes three new Star
Wars movies. This in itself has
a chance of getting back the
$4 billion initial investment in
terms of worldwide revenue.
Disney now has Marvel, Pixar
and Lucasfilm - three of the
biggest companies that most
consistently make blockbusters.
Therefore, this deal puts
Disney in a commanding position
to be the leader in this
business. At the end of the day,
this deal seems to present a
win - win for both parties and
it is up to them on how to utilise
the resources to maximise
public impact.
arnaV kUmar
After Bill Gates’ departure,
everyone expected Microsoft
to stagnate and the
vast empire built on the back
of multiple successful and accessible
operating systems
and a software-only strategy
to disintegrate. Like, any selffulfilling
prophecy, this looked
like materialising into reality,
but Windows 8 represents Microsoft
fighting back. Clearly
Steve Balmer is bold enough
to bet the entire company on
it. Rather than going the way
of Android and iOS where
a tablet is closer to a mobile
than to a desktop, Microsoft
has grouped tablets with desktops,
and mobiles separately.
the empire
Strikes Back
the tablet Wars Continue
aditya kaPoor and arnaV kUmar
This is that time of the year
again. Holidays are upon
us and as usual, all tech companies
are loading up the market
to squeeze as much out of
our wallets as possible before
the year ends. So, if you are
a gadget freak and the tablet
tops your wishlist,read on.
Google updated the Nexus
7 and added a 10” member to
the family. Amazon updated
its entire Kindle lineup and
passed the baton from the
original Kindle to the new paperwhite
Kindles. Microsoft
went against its age-old policy
of not making hardware by announcing
and recently releasing
the Surface. Apple went
against itself by updating the
Windows 8:
While this approach optimizes
the new Metro start screen, to
touch input, it makes other the
traditional peripheral input
quite, well, interesting. The
new start screen is the center
of attraction of the new operating
systems and is probably
the way Windows will be in
the years to come. The world
isn’t ready for life without the
traditional desktop yet.
The start menu is now a full
screen tiled interface, which
was initially called “Metro”
(let’s just call it that for the
purposes of this article). On
the traditional desktop, the
start button has been removed.
All this has made a lot of peo-
iPad and releasing the muchawaited
iPad mini. While this
opens up the field for discussion
of tablets in each size category,
let’s focus on the 7 inches
here.
First up, Nexus 7. Android’s
flagship tablet was given a
minor spec upgrade and the
16GB model was made the
entry-level device. It finally
got 3G capabilities, the lack of
which had been its major bane
for the time it has been out in
the market. At 216 pixels per
inch (ppi), it has a really gorgeous
screen with great internals
to back,which is sure to be
a great hit.
Last but not the least, the
iPad mini- the Holy Grail for
ple angry and has been widely
considered a bad move. Those
who love it though, stand by it.
While the redesigned interface
is really clean, uncluttered
and beautiful, some of the
functionality decisions Microsoft
has made is for the worse
and will lead to reduction of
productivity, particularly for
desktop users. It requires more
mouse movement and clicks
and slows workflows down
(In Metro, the contextual menus
on right clicking appear at
the bottom). If chrome is open
on Metro and then opened on
the desktop, it is found that
they are two separate instances.
This is because the Metro
iOS lovers wanting a smaller
tablet than the bigger iPads.
However, this does not have
a retina display. It still runs
on an Apple A5 chip, which
is now 2 generations old. It is
more expensive than the other
tablets mentioned above.
Having said all this, it will
blow the market away and
outsell its competitors by a
huge margin. So, which one
is right for you? Depends of
what your needs are. The Amazon
Store is very rich and has
lots of media, but they haven’t
taken steps to establish the
Kindle worldwide, until that
changes, it will not be able to
significantly affect the market.
The Nexus 7 is a brilliant
is essentially another operating
system and the traditional
“desktop” is another app in
Metro.
While this is a great product,
it is an “almost there” product.
Rather than being seamless for
both tablets and desktops, it
appears confused about what
it is trying to be. Having said
that, I really want Microsoft
to succeed because of their effort.
Once we get used to everything
on Windows 8, it will
be the next step of computing.
In a world filled with patent
wars, its great to see a company
coming up with something
totally different (and beautiful).
device. Specifications wise, its
right up to date with the times.
Screen-wise, it is really crisp
and provides a rich user experience.
Also the Google Play
Store just matched Apple’s
700,000 apps on the App Store.
The problem is that there
aren’t too many tablet optimised
apps for the Android
platform, relegating the Android
tablets to being devices
which run scaled up phone
Apps. Having said that, the
Nexus 7 is a great device and
is highly recommended to anyone
in the market for a new
tablet, and has never used an
iOS device before but if you
have, you’ll probably get an
iPad mini.
VIDeO GAMeS
WAtCH
Games to watch out
for in 2012-13
akhil Batra and
kaUStaV chaUdhUri
Call of Duty
Black Ops 2:
Releasing worldwide
on November 13th, this
hugely popular first person
shootout game franchise by
Treyarch is one of the most
anticipated games of the year.
A must-buy for every wannabe
sharpshooter, it is the first
game of the series to include
branching storylines based
on player choice. An added
attraction is David S. Goyer, the
man wielding the pen behind
this new issue, better known
as the co-writer of Nolan’s
Batman trilogy.
Assassin’s
Creed 3:
Ubisoft Montreal will release
this addition to the phenomenal
game series on November
23rd and this time round it’s
the American Revolution. This
series that seems to have
redefined the art of stealth in
video games has a huge online
fan following, thereby resulting
in this game being hyped up to
extreme proportions.
Grand theft
Auto 5:
The 15th game in the popular
series from Rockstar, it
continues to be the hugely
successful open-world action
adventure formula. Set in the
city of Los Santos, a rendition
of modern day Los Angeles
and California, Rockstar
has announced it to be their
“biggest and most anticipated
game yet”.
Hitman
Absolution:
A sequel to the blockbuster
series following the unstoppable
assassin - Agent 47’; releasing
November 20th. The series
that has made breakthroughs
in both first person shooter as
well as stealth oriented games,
promises easier gameplay, a
more accessible universe and
a brand new antagonist, Blake
Dexter.
NOVEMBER 2012 FINAL.indd Custom V 2 20/12/12 5:57 PM

18
culture
eerie, epic, entertaining
The universality of fear is the main selling point for Hollywood horror movies
ajay kriShna
The recent years have
seen a revival in the
popularity of horror movies
in Hollywood, with a whole
array of nightmare inducing
movies hitting the screens
regularly. The past few months
leading up to Halloween have
presented the thrill seekers
that thrive on these films with
a delectable array to scare their
guts out such as ‘Sinister’,
‘The Possession’, ‘Paranormal
Activity 4’ and ‘Cabin in The
Woods’. What is prompting
major studios to pump money
in to the horror franchise? The
answer is straightforward–
Horror sells better than any
other genre.
Human beings have always
had a fascination with the
supernatural and the otherworldly
that predates the
advent of cinema or any other
form of media. Before we
had a basic understanding
of the world or a general
scientific awareness, this
was the only way to explain
anything that was beyond our
comprehension.
The sight of Jack Nicholson’s
demented face staring through
the door in ‘The Shining’ or
that of Jennifer Carpenter
screaming satanic curses in
‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’
evokes the same emotion
regardless of age, sex or race
– fear.
The same does not hold
true however for other genres
of movies, with romantic
comedies being the first
example that springs to mind.
With consumer tastes changing
over the years, Hollywood has
also started to tweak around
with the generic scary movie
formula in order to adapt to
these changing tastes. The
80’s were the golden age of
horror and produced some of
the benchmark movies in this
genre. Notable examples are
‘Evil Dead 2’, ‘The Shining’
and ‘Nightmare on Elm
Street’. These movies have all
the Rise of the Anti-Hero
Breaking Bad breaks the predictability of television
Shreya Sharma
The mid season break from
Breaking Bad is going to be
an excruciating one. This show
has gone places that were hard
to imagine when it just started.
The show has seen the transformation
of Walter White
from a failed businessman
and overqualified high school
teacher with a pregnant wife
and a handicapped child to
Heisenberg, the king of a huge
empire, willing to do whatever
it takes to keep it intact- even
harm a child. A character that
initially evoked sympathy
from the viewers has gone
from being rooted for to being
wished dead by almost everyone
watching. The successive
seasons have become progressively
darker to the point that
it’s almost as if the character
was a completely different person
when the show started.
It’s interesting to see more
and more shows taking the
path less taken and actually
working on character development,
rather than playing it
safe. The 90s were more about
the comfortable predictability
and familiarity of shows like
Friends and Everybody Loves
Raymond. Audiences became
accustomed to shows with
characters that were so well
defined that you could almost
predict what they were going
to say next. Yes, these charac-
IllUStration| ignatia deVy dwiaStUti
ters did change over the course
of the show but they always
remained close to the hearts of
the audience.
Now, we have Breaking
Bad- a show that has managed
to make a cancer patient look
unsympathetic. The death of
Mike in the last season evoked
an emotional response in almost
all the die hard fans but
if you look at it, he was a merciless
killer. He did deserve to
die for being a quintessential
bad guy and yet, it felt unjustified.
The moral anchor in
the show keeps changing. You
think the wife is going to be
the one that holds her ground.
The next episode she joins the
business. You think the lovable
sidekick will figure out the deviancy
of the protagonist. The
next episode he is swearing his
loyalty to him. The characters
are greedy and unpredictable
and flawed, just like real life.
It’s not about the good triumphing
all the time anymore.
It’s about presenting the gritty
reality of the world, not ruled
by cinematic karma. Game of
Thrones, like Breaking Bad is
one of the many shows gaining
popularity; it too is not
concerned about making characters
likable or relatable. It
paints the picture of a world
where the quintessential bad
guy is not punished and the
the tr bune bune the tr bune 19
NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
the typical characteristics of a
conventional horror movie –
eerie background scores which
drop and rise unexpectedly,
sudden cut-scenes and jerks in
camera movement, and other
more obvious chill inducing
tactics. The hip 90’s however
saw a drop in the quality and
quantity of horror movies, with
filmmakers experimenting
with other genres during this
period. The 2000’s have seen
a revival in the enthusiasm for
horror, almost on par with the
80’s. Innovations such as using
the hand-held camera point
of view, first introduced by
‘Blair Witch Project’ and made
famous by the Paranormal
Activity series, have enhanced
the viewer experience. There
has also been shift towards
a more subtle approach to
horror, as opposed to the ‘in
your face’ scares of the 80’s.
It is unclear whether this
trend favouring horror will be a
permanent one or a temporary
fascination of Hollywood
studios. In the meantime,
viewers are advised to grab
their popcorns and head to the
cinemas to soak up on scares
as Halloween gets over.
right side doesn’t always win.
As we say bye to our favourite
drug kingpin, we say hello
to the friendly neighbourhood
serial killer, Dexter. The new
season of Dexter kick started
with him being the most honest
he has ever been. He tries
to get rid of his ‘habit’ but in
the end, he doesn’t, going back
to killing criminals that have
slipped through the cracks. He
remains a serial killer. And yet,
we still think he is in the right.
Why? It’s because we’re awed
by the characters that are written
to draw us into a parallel
universe- a universe where
twisted morals and a lack of
conscience seem almost okay.
What does NTU’s rise in QS University Rankings mean to you?
We are now highly
recognised in both
academics and
recreation. NTU has
adapted to the global
education system.
Anne
ENE Year 4
Services
Do you think NTU’s Career Attachment Services suffice?
CAO sends out
detailed emails
and is a great
medium to reach
out to my dream
companies.
Chen Hong Hua
SCBE Masters
What’s your favourite canteen in NTU?
Golden Spoon is my
pick for a plate of
steaming chicken
rice with a delicious
broth to go with it. I
keep going back!
Masha Zarakhani
NBS Exchange
The prominence
makes me proud
and assures me of a
high quality student
life at NTU.
Shi Zekun
BCG Year 1
I would like a
wider range of
choices and a
more transparent
process when
applying for
internships.
Lim Kin Hwee
SCE Year 3
Canteen 1. From
traditional Indian
food to spicy
dumplings, this
conveniently located
canteen spoils us
with a variety of
cuisines.
Yolaine Zhao
NBS Exchange
It was always a
dream to be a
student in one of
the world’s premium
universities. Glad I
can say it’s true.
Wang Yuan Yuan
SCE Year 3
I find the
recruitment
talks extremely
informative.I think
CAO is doing a
great job.
Undoubtedly,
Canteen A as I
love my share of
fast food and I can
always grab a bite
when I am studying
in the North Spine.
Renjie Chen
Physics, Exchange
people watch
High rankings
are synonymous
to a wider range
of exchange
opportunities and
better prospects for
higher studies.
Penny Chew
NBS Year 2
Even though I am
on the lookout for
technical jobs,
CAO’s emails give
me a broader view
of jobs in other
industries.
Abe Yuichiro
MSE PhD
The prata and curry
at Food Connection
is a favourite.
NTU’s canteens are
both hygenic and
spacious.
Liz Jester
NBS Exchange
I hope that
NTU’s new found
success is not
a reason for
complacency in
the future.
Prashanth
EEE Year 2
I suggest CAO
sends out a
consolidated
weekly newsletter
as we often
tend to overlook
emails.
Wong Yan Ting
WKWCI Year 1
For a vegetarian
like me, NTU’s
canteens have
great options.I
frequent Food
Connection a lot
on weekdays.
NOVEMBER 2012 FINAL.indd 18-19 20/12/12 5:58 PM
Melissa Rusli
NBS Year 1
Julia Smith
CS Exchange
Rankings
Canteens

20 features the tr bune the tr bune
21
Fireworks And Festivities In The Big City
Talk to a Singaporean about the things that make this country unique and cultural diversity will definitely be one of the
answers. But the word ‘diversity’ implies that people are not the same, that they are intricately different. However, when
you look closely, it’s quite apparent that the different festival celebrations over the year have a lot of things in common.
NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
Come Together
Memories associated with festivals
usually comprise of sitting around
with family and friends and swapping
stories. Festivities aren’t complete
without the warmth and companionship
of the ones you love the most.
Christmas mornings always have all
the family members open their gifts
under the tree.
A Touch of Honey
Family gatherings aren’t complete
without good food. The recent Halloween
and Oktoberfest celebrations
were all about adopting elements of
Western food and drink. Diwali and
Hari Raya also involve the preparation
of traditional food like Murukku and
Rendang.
Twist and Shout
New Year celebrations conjure up images
of toasts and binge drinking. Eggnog
is a Christmas staple. Even festivals
that do not involve alcohol in the
celebrations have their own parties full
of singing and dancing.
All You Need is Love
Faith. It’s the last and the most important
thing that joins the people belonging
to diverse cultures. Whether you’re
a Hindu, Christian or a Muslim, the one
thing that remains the same across the
different religions is the importance
given to morals, goodness and helping
one another.
CONTENT AND DESIGN| Shreya Sharma
IllUStration| ignatia deVy dwiaStUti
For The ROMANTIC
Putting together a card filled with Christmas memories of past years,
an adorable collage, cooking up a storm to surprise your beloved,
or opening each other’s presents while sipping on marshmallow
topped hot chocolate or a glass of wine, are the perfect ways to spend
Christmas with that special someone. Complete your day by driving
around town and admiring the majestic Christmas adornments as you
pass by modernly decorated Orchard Street and warm, fuzzy and
quiet lanes. If all else fails, just kiss under the mistletoe.
For The FOODIE
For a Christmas special way to bring out the cooking enthusiast in
you, whip up easy traditional dishes for a gastronomically delightful
evening with friends and family. Start your day with pancakes, topped
with maple sauce. For a Christmas brunch, a casserole made with
bacon, eggs and other favorite leftovers makes for a nostalgic meal.
Dinner means Turkey roasted with herbs to give your palette that
festive kick, or ham with honey and mustard glaze to fit in perfectly
with an evening of opening gifts. Accompany these with delicious
sides like mashed potatoes or French bread. And no family Christmas
gathering is complete without eggnog or hot buttered rum of course.
For the QUIET SOUL
features
For A Warm and Cozy Christmas
With the most awaited holiday around the corner, The Tribune has special tips to ensure a great Christmas for everyone. So
whether you like being home alone snuggling in your couch with a bag of treats or party hopping at Clarke Quay, cooking up a
storm for loved ones or ushering in the festive night with your other half, keep a watchful eye on that Christmas tree. Who knows,
while you were busy catching up with friends and family, Santa left you the topmost pick from your wishlist.
For a peaceful Christmas at home, delve into your favorite childhood
books or revisit those warm festive movies. Classics like “How the
Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Miracle on 34th Street” and books like
“Skipping Christmas” by John Grisham and “A Christmas Carol” by
Charles Dickens are sure to be a great treat. Or choose to donate your
time by volunteering at a local shelter for the needy. A great way to
usher in Christmas night is to visit a church that’s performing a Nativity
scene. Spend an hour or two celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
For the PARTY ANIMAL
During this festive season each year, the celebrations never stop at
Singapore’s favourite party central Clarke Quay, which will be offering a
multitude of festive dining and parties amidst a star-studded Christmas
light-up throughout the season. What better way to get into the holiday
mood than with a bevy of specially concocted festive drinks? Send your
taste buds to a new high at bars and pubs that offer a wide variety of
Christmas drinks like The Grinch Shot and Candy Cane Martini. From
Attica to Zirca and Butter Factory to Timbre, there’s something for
every party animal at Clarke Quay.
CONTENT| jayanti BaSU roy
deSign| SUraBhi Batra and Shreya Sharma
NOVEMBER 2012 FINAL.indd 20-21 20/12/12 5:58 PM

22 the tr bune the tr bune
23
features
Akhil Batra
Singapore Writers Festival 2012: It’s Only Words
Shreya Sharma
The Festival
Did you get picked on for having your face buried in a book
all the time? Do you think libraries are the best place to hang
out? If you answered yes to both these questions and consider
yourself to be a proverbial bookworm, we hope you didn’t
miss out on the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF).
The 10-day long event (2 th to 10 th November), organized by the
National Arts Council, catered to book lovers of all ages and
interests. It celebrated the best in Singaporean as well as Asian
literature and also, showcased numerous upcoming works
from all over the world. Attention was given to the literature
in all the four national languages of Singapore- English, Malay,
Chinese and Tamil.
This year, the festival had a range of events that include author
meets, panel discussions and workshops. There was story-telling
for both adults and kids. For hardcore enthusiasts, there
were literary meals and cocktails to meet like-minded people.
The theme for the SWF 2012 was ‘Origins: The Beginning’- be
it the beginning of time, of language or even of our identities.
It was about going back to the roots, appreciating the world
without the complications of technology and the fast pace of
activity.
In a world that is obsessed with Ke$ha and Honey Boo Boo
child, festivals like these are important to re-capture the imagination
of the youth and provide a more extensive cultural
experience.
The Highlights
We bring you some of the most uniquely interesting events that were held during the festival:
The Ukulele Girls (03 Nov/SMU)
This session was conducted by Kaylin and Tian who played their trademark quirky songs and
exchanged quirky banter through the half an hour. They kept the crowd entertained with their
soothing ukulele harmonies.
Hitting the Right Notes (03 Nov/SMU)
Dick Lee, a local singer song-writer, paired up with Tay Kewei, an emerging musical talent,
to talk about the creative process that goes into making successful songs. They went in depth
about what makes a song and how the singer’s temperament influences the direction of a song.
Growing Up is Tough - or Is It? (04 Nov/The Salon, NMS)
Monique Truong, Mick Foley and Ahmad Fuadi talk about the quintessential coming-of-age
novels and how growing pains shape literary projects. It was a funny discussion about high
school relationships and bullying.
Why I Write (04 Nov/Glass Hall, SAM)
This showcase was a panel of prominent writers that shared their experiences on how their
lives influenced their writing.
The Fifty Shades of Grey Phenomenon (07 Nov/The Arts House)
Fifty Shades of Grey is a book that has been making waves for being female erotica. The panel
tried to find out why women love this book and why it has been the talk of the town .
NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
illUStration| PranaV SethaPUtra
opinions STUDENT
to Sleep or not to Sleep?
aarUShi magan
The fiercely competitive
world that we live in, and
the crazy non-stop rat race to
be the best that it entails, has
led to the birth of yet another
problem for us to deal with,
a problem- sleep deprivation.
Now, to examine this problem,
there exists no better way
than to look at the daily life of
a university student, because
no one better understands the
true struggle to attain a few
hours of sleep before a submission,
presentation, deadline or
exam.
A student’s life, they say, is
built on an intricately delicate
balance of good grades, social
life and sleep. Why delicate,
you ask? The answer is simplebecause
you can never truly
achieve all three. And most of
us facing this imbalance land
up somewhere in the middle
of this complex maze- reaching
neither end successfully.
Since good grades are a must,
and well, since humans are social
beings, sleep inconsequentially
ends up being the most
neglected part of our lives.
With exams less than a
month away, 8 hours of sleep
a day have become a distant
Confessions of A Former Gaming Addict:
the Complete Journey
kaUStaV chaUdhUri
We are the downloaders,
the youtubers, the
defraggers, the rippers, the
burners, and more importantly,
the ultimate gamers. As a
member of the 15 and above
– cyber generation, these
days the range starts from far
lesser, there was a time when
the only things on my mind
were offline and online games.
I have felt that euphoric urge
we gamers get waiting for our
favourite console to warm
up or our computer game to
load and log in. I have felt the
magnetic pull to play for days
upon days, to procrastinate for
just another play. I have been
that slack-jawed, glassy-eyed
gamer for a long time. I can say
that to an extent this gaming
addiction has inevitably made
me lose close friends and loved
hope in my life, instead pulling
all-nighters has become a daily
routine. After initially blaming
myself relentlessly for not having
allocated time effectively
for all my tasks, I came to the
stark realization that depriving
yourself of those essential
hours of mind and body rest is
the only way to roll. This constant
drill of last minute rush
and meeting deadlines has ultimately
made a good night’s
sleep the exception rather than
the norm. Moreover, ever since
the exams have reared their
ugly head, even 4 hours of
sleep has become a leisure we
enjoy occasionally.
We, university students,
more than anyone else, seemingly
underestimate the importance
and value of sleep in
our daily lives. What we fail to
realise is that this pattern is not
only hazardous to our physical
well-being but, more significantly,
sabotages our mental
health as well. Studies have
shown that well-rested individuals
have higher average
university performance than
those facing irregular sleep
patterns. When we deprive
ourselves of sleep to keep our
ones who could not shake the
mind rot and addiction of my
electronic second self. Classes I
was late for, the tests I messed
up, friends I didn’t meet, the
minutes and hours, the whole
days that, if compiled, could
easily add up to entire years of
nothing more than unproductive,
unresponsive work.
In our current high-tech
supersociety, there is no distinction
between a child and
an adult. With this regression
comes the disappearance
of manhood. Boys no longer
know when to grow up, when
to be men, not only in body but
in spirit and character as well.
Every time they press start,
they are giving up on their life,
exchanging their identities for
in-game avatars. My generation
of teenagers are in grave
grades up, we fail to realise
that it does exactly the opposite,
making the entire idea of
staying up to study redundant
in itself! A well-rested mind
danger, slowly succumbing to
mind rot, floating face down in
a pool of pixels.
For me, it began in the early
2000’s. What started with
handheld video games, progressed
to the TV video games
where Mario and Contra took
up my undivided attention
fresh home from
school, I’d throw
down my bag,
press the power
button and play
until called in for
dinner.
and then the advent of the
Nintendo Gameboy and the
Microsoft X box. Additionally,
computer games which started
from Road Rash were replaced
learns quickly, and quickly
is essential for us with examinations
less than an arm’s
length away. But how are we
supposed to fit in sleep in the
by Call of Duty and FIFA. As
each gaming console came and
went, my insatiated gaming
imagination expected more
and craved more.
Fresh home from school, I
would throw down my bag
and press the power button,
playing until called in for dinner,
leaving schoolwork undone.
In those first games, I
couldn’t save my progress, so
winning was an all-or-nothing
feat. On weekends, I would
delve into my newest game the
moment my parents left the
house for the night, playing
until I saw car headlights. I’d
pause the game while I slept,
only to wake up early the next
morning and continue where I
had left off.
While my parents were
mildly concerned that I spent
hectic schedule we seem to be
living on, which only seems
to have tightened itself with
exams approaching? If only I
knew!
illUStration| tran thi hUyen tran
more than a few hours at a time
sitting and playing, they knew
that I was quiet and having
fun, sometimes with a friend
comparing our sklls. Their
concerns grew more as I started
developing symptoms of
excessive exposure to screens
and gaming; my hands started
becoming numb, I started having
splitting headaches, didn’t
take any interest in anything
else whatsoever, and despite
having a lot of friends, continued
to neglect those relationships.
To compound my troubles,
I couldn’t perform well in
school, and this really shook
me up. Many counselling sessions,
controlled restraint from
all kinds of video games later
I found myself again, and was
able to finally let go my electronic
second self.
NOVEMBER 2012 FINAL.indd 22-23 20/12/12 5:58 PM

opinions opinions
24 NTU the tr bune the tr bune
WORLD 25
Memoirs Of A european Voyage
The highlights of an exchange programme to Sweden
SwarooP Sriram
On 1st August, 2009, I
landed in Singapore before
embarking on a journey
that would be a life changing
experience for me. Looking
back, it is the experiences from
my exchange programme that
have made me the person I am
today and changed my perception
of the world.
I was given an opportunity
to study at Jonkoping University,
Sweden which is situated
in a quaint little town inhabited
by around 100,000 people.
This university is particularly
known for its exchange programme
as it attracts students
from all over the world, all of
whom are eager to indulge in
the rich cultural and educational
wealth this university
has to offer.
My exchange experience
helped me in acquiring a taste
of several cultures. No doubt,
travelling does bring you in
contact with several cultures
across the world. But mark
my words; it’s absolutely different
from staying in a place
for a sustained duration. The
nationalities of students in my
apartment seemed as if pieces
of a world map had been
glued together. From baking
cookies for Christmas to frying
German sausages, from
GRAPHIC| PranaV SethaPUtra
univer-city Mania At ntu
aarUShi magan
The biggest transformation
NTU has yet to see is to
unfold in front of our very eyes
in the coming 2 years. With
the plan of turning NTU into
a full-fledged “univer-city”,
extensive construction plans
have begun in full swing. This,
I believe, is soon going to become
a source of unparalleled
nuisance for the students, especially
the ones staying on
campus.
With a new 7-storey educational
hub planned, together
with an entirely new educational
wing and 3 new halls,
one can obviously foresee the
discussing American politics
to Indian marriages; I’ve done
it all. This has given me the
unique perspective to interact
and blend in with with people
from across the world and
strike up a conversation with
anyone from anywhere.
They say that language is
more than just a medium of
The impact, good and the bad, of the NTU masterplan
amount of construction work
that is going to be undertaken.
This dramatic addition to the
daily goings-on of life at NTU
is sure to have many implications.
To begin with, the shuttle
bus routes are sure to change.
The recent irregular frequency
of the shuttle buses is already
something residents are dealing
with; the onset of construction
work on various parts of
the campus is bound to change
the routes of the buses going
through these areas.
Health-related issues are
bound to rise as well. The dust
communication. It is an embodiment
of the country’s self
and a representation of the
people. Language is a part of
the culture, but it sets itself
apart as it’s the only component
with auditory influence to
a stranger. All other elements
of a culture are predominantly
visual and demand a unique
and soot and cement in the air
is something international students
will have to learn to live
This dramatic
addition to daily life
at NTU will have
numerous effects.
locals are sure to
reconsider their
decision to stay on
campus.
with. But locals, for one, are
sure to reconsider their deci-
attention to detail for deeper
understanding. It is quickly
noticeable that Europeans
take great pride in speaking
their language although most,
if not all, do know some English.
Hence, while travelling
across Europe, I strongly recommend
having a knowledge
of basic words in the country’s
sion of staying on campus.
The most significant impact
of this large scale undertaking
is going to be the noise
pollution it is soon to cause.
This is not only going to affect
students living on campus,
but also the day scholars who
choose to stay back and put in
extra hours of study. With the
rigorous curriculum and continuous
assessment policy of
NTU, this constant cacophony
of noises from the construction
activities is likely to jar every
student’s study patterns.
To give due credit, the plan
that has been launched is tre-
NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
native tongue. It does come
in handy to greet and thank
passers-by who help find the
way through the confusing alleys
and by-lanes. Thanks to
INSTEP, I have now added –
speaking and writing French
– to my bucket list.
I learnt to enjoy nature,
more than ever before. This
is a natural consequence that
stems from the aforesaid experiences.
I have travelled
thousands of kilometres while
I enjoyed some of the most
pristine destinations on the
planet. The large windows
of the European high speed
trains offer a visual treat while
the train surges through the
countryside. Nature, in Europe,
is in abundance and has
been left untouched despite all
the developments that have
taken place. You might be
somewhere in Slovenia or lost
in Lithuania, but nature is an
equaliser.
I’m secretly hoping for a
time machine that could take
me back so that my exchange
programme would never end.
On a more realistic note, I have
a huge itinerary planned for
my graduation trip so I can
strike a few nations off my list.
And to all others going on exchange,
bonne chance.
mendous, with a lot of thought
been put into the slightest details.
With a new football playground,
library, rooftop gardens
and cafeterias to boast of,
NTU will soon add immensely
to its appeal; something I’m
definitely not complaining
about.
It will take two years before
we can have a glimpse of
the new and improved NTU.
Meanwhile, this is going to be
an issue we are going to have
to learn to tackle, because soon
the drone of lawnmowers will
not be the only thing waking
us up at unearthly hours.
Do the uS Presidential
Debates Really Matter?
Takhil Batra
o the well-informed
citizen, journalist,
or political advisor, the
Presidential Debates of 2012
are a bit like taking your dog
to the vet for a check-up. Fleas
or not, you will take him home
anyways. Hence, they assume
a mere academic importance
in the eyes of such people,
as they are already strongly
aware of their stance, and
their parties’ stance. So this
then begs the question, who
are the actual targets of such
debates in particular? Or even
the presidential campaign in
general?
Two words: Swing voters.
The trend in America is that
voters are either lifetime
Republicans or Democrats.
However, there does exist a
fraction of people, the elusive
swing voters, a combination
of fringe party voters and
independents with flimsy
allegiances. It is this narrow,
yet crucial, fraction of the
electorate that has been
bombarded over the last few
months with the full force of
two presidential campaigns.
These are the people that the
candidates are aiming to woo
with their debates.
This brings me to the recently
concluded debates of the 2012
presidential campaign. With
the shallow economy and the
mountain of debt piled on the
nation, citizens of the USA
have taken an even keener
interest in politics as they
GRAPHIC| tran thi hUyen tran
feel that in some small way,
every individual is somewhat
affected by the decisions made
within the Oval Office. With
this increase in scrutiny and
seemingly lack of voter apathy,
the margin for error that either
candidate has is razor thin.
In the first Presidential
Debate, Romney was at
his charismatic best while
Obama seemed quite listless.
Consequently, polls showed
Romney to be in front. This
was a huge change as, in
the months leading up to
the debate, Romney’s polls
had dropped considerably
due to bad PR and negative
publicity. All it took was one
debate to change this, further
it took merely another debate
to turn the tables again and
put Obama back in front. So,
we can see that the notion
that these debates have a
meager influence in shaping
the thoughts of a nation is
outdated and redundant.
However, we then must ask
what does exactly appeal to the
voters and what does actually
cause the polls to have such
meteoric jumps? To answer
that, we necessarily need to
look at the very purpose of
such debates.
Since the birth of democracy
in Athens, from the togawearing
Romans to the crisply
suited Presidential Candidates,
these debates are essentially
a way for the general public
to examine the ideas of each
candidate in conflict with the
other, and see for themselves
which weighs more. Another
kaUStaV chaUdhUri
There was an Armstrong
who walked on the moon,
and there was another who
won the Tour De France seven
times straight. Or wait, the second
one never happened, did
it?
Lance Armstrong was
stripped of his tour titles after
being found guilty of using
performance enhancing
steroids for his tour wins and
the suspected ringleader of
the most sophisticated doping
programme ever. So the
fairytale story of Lance Armstrong
are all based on a lie?
Let us not forget that this
is the same man who was
diagnosed with cancer, and
successfully evaded death
to become one of the greatest
sportsmen ever. Although
he did not publicly accept his
guilt, the manner in which he
accepted the verdict of the cycling
bodies, implies that he
has admitted to allegations.
The doping scandal is a serious
offense which violates fairplay
and the true spirit of competi-
critical thing they reveal is
the suitability and capacity
of each candidate to lead the
nation; a parameter that can
be essentially defined by their
persuasive ability. So, even if
either candidates tax policies
were not fully substantiated
in either debate, they did
still provide us a platform to
judge their ability to govern a
democracy.
Thus, these debates do tend
to bring us back to the core
ideals of a democracy, which
is to allow an open exchange
of ideas, fairly understood,
evaluated, and judged by
the people, who have an
equal voice in government.
Moreover, they influence the
political opinion of the country
and ensure that the correct heir
to the throne of the World’s
Most Powerful Man is chosen.
Lance Armstrong
Hero or Fraud?
tion, but I think that accepting
his flaws and admitting to his
mistake could change people’s
opinions about him.
Lance Armstrong has challenged
people to look into
themselves and to find the
strength, courage and tenacity
to face great adversity head
on. Now that he’s tainted, one
just cannot forget his contribution
to cycling and charity. Will
the ripples of inspiration that
have lapped against these millions
of cancer survivors now
be obviated as a result of his
improprieties? I don’t believe
they will be.
Lance Armstrong should
take a page from the playbooks
of so many other athletes tangled
in webs of deceit: Stop
the madness, admit wrongdoing,
face the consequences,
and get on with it. I think that
Lance Armstrong will realize
what needs to be done and it
will start with an apology. It is
then can balance be restored
and people could start forgiving
him.
NOVEMBER 2012 FINAL.indd 24-25 20/12/12 5:58 PM

sports the tr bune the tr bune
sports
26 NOVEMBER 2012 NOVEMBER 2012
27
ntu top Athletes Recognized At
the Sports excellence Awards
Professor Kwok Kian Woon awards NTU sportspersons for their exceptional achievements
edward anthony lim
It was a night where the best
sports men and women of
NTU came together to receive
recognition for their contribution
to the university and
the nation. The annual Sports
Award Ceremony 2012 at the
School of Art, Design & Media
(ADM) auditorium was
held on the 18th October 2012.
The Guest of Honour for the
night, Associate Provost of
Student Life Professor Kwok
Kian Woon, through his opening
speech, expressed his delight
and joy at knowing the
achievements our students
had made, and had showed his
full support to these students,
by stating that sports & recreational
facilities have become a
top priority for the University.
Professor Kwok recognized
the new achievements made
in different sport categories,
including in Floorball, where
the men won the title for the
first time, while the women regained
their crown by winning
in every single game, to which
he stated, “I think that’s really
the NTU spirit.”
First, were the Merit
Awards, which are given to
outstanding student athletes
who have represented NTU
in at least 2 local competitions
yearly, which includes
Singapore University Games
(SUniG), Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic
Championship (IVP),
etc. As many as 93 students
received the Merit Awards,
followed by the Half Colours
Awards, which were given to
41 student athletes, who have
not only represented NTU in
2 local competitions yearly,
but have also achieved a top
3 placing consistently. Finally,
the Full Colours Award were
presented to 10 student athletes
represented the country
and combined-university
teams in international and regional
competitions.
Soon after, the ceremony
continued with the NTU
Sports Grants, which were given
to two individuals, Mainisah
Binte Buang and Cheong
Zhi Xian Brandon. Mainisah,
who had achieved many titles
for the past years in 3 different
sporting categories (Silat
or Malay martial arts, Women
Football, and Women Touch
Football), felt glad yet surprised
to be able to receive this
grant.
The final three awards to
be presented were three of the
most prestigious awards of the
night. Tay Yu Juan claimed the
Special Achievement Award,
before Victoria Chan and Tan
Si Lie received the Sportswoman
and Sportsman of the Year
Award, respectively.
Talking about her honour
on winning the award, Victoria
stated in an interview,”
Winning the award is a great
honour, as it is the highest
sport accolade one can get in
the University.”
Meanwhile, Tan Si Lie had
the opportunity to share how
he managed to get “So Near,
yet So Far”. Si Lie had won
first positions at the PAYM,
Singapore Polytechnic, NUS,
NTU and National Open Archery
Championships, as well
as setting four national records
within a year. He had also won
a Gold medal in the 26th SEA
Games. However, his most
“tragic” story came in the final
Olympic qualifier in USA. He
ranked 8th, however only the
top 7 are able to enter the London
Olympics.
Last but not the least, Tay
Yu Juan, currently a 4th Year
SBS student, is a Wushu athlete
who has won various
gold medals in the 25th and
26th SEA Games, as well as a
Gold medal in the Women’s
Dui Lian event, along with
Emily Sin and Tao Yi Jun, in
the 2011 World Wushu Championships.
In her speech, she
conveyed, “Dreams do come
true, if you’re willing to work
for them.”
PHOTOS| ntU SPortS and recreation center
ASeAn university Games
A unique Platform For young Athletes
VarUn gUPta
The ASEAN University
Games-‘AUG’, is a biennial
sporting competition in
which combined university
teams from the ten ASEAN nations
lock horns in a battle to
be crowned the region’s number
one sporting powerhouse.
At the 15th AUG in Chiangmai,
2010, Singapore finished in
a respectable seventh place,
having amassed 30 medals - 1
gold, 6 silver and 23 bronze
medals.
The 16th edition of the ASE-
AN University Games will
take place from 12th to 21st December in Vientiane, Laos,
and is expected to draw university
athletes from all ten
ASEAN member states and
Timor Leste. Thirteen different
sports will be included,
and both genders will compete
in each of them. Singapore’s
university athletes have been
training hard since the start of
the year, and their efforts have
left them brimming with quiet
confidence. “I believe we can
achieve personal best performances
in Vientiane, Laos, if
not top the podium,” said Colin
Tung, a 4 th Year English Literature
student and distance
runner from NTU.
Archery team captain and
NTU Sports Science and Management
student, Tan Silie,
epitomizes this patriotic spirit.
“Our preparation for AUG is
definitely much higher than
our normal training as we will
be putting the name of Singapore
on our back and hence we
would want to do our best at
the event to do Singapore University
proud. We would surely
have to push ourselves much
harder as the event is just right
after our exams, which means
we would have to be able to
balance both our studies and
training,” he said. “The fact
that I will be representing Singapore
University at the ASE-
AN University Games against
the best university athletes in
“The fact that I will
be representing
the Singapore
Universities
motivates me much
more because
my performance
reflects on our
country”, says colin
Tung
the region motivates me that
much more because my result
and performance won’t
just reflect upon me alone, but
on our country,” adds Colin
Tung, who feels the weight
of the country’s expectations
too. Competition is fierce at
the AUG, as the region’s elite
young athletes attempt to utilize
an international event
of this magnitude to make
their mark on their respective
sports. While the competitors
from NTU are respectful
of their undoubtedly accomplished
opposition, they remain
unfazed by the challenge
they pose. Tan Silie knows
his archery team will have to
raise their game in order to
match up to some of the prodigious
talents they will come
up against. “We are striving to
put up our best performance at
this event as we will be facing
a few Olympians, who represented
countries such as Malaysia
and Philippines at the
recent London Olympics,” he
said. Colin shares in his opti-
IllUStration| ignatia deVy dwiaStUti
mism -“I understand the AUG
commences quite soon after
our exams end but I believe
our athletes will be well prepared
to stand up to the challenge
of the best university
athletes from ASEAN.” He isn’t
paying too much attention to
the opposition though, and
prefers to focus on his own
preparation. “I believe that in
sport, the athlete controls what
he/she can. The standard of
other athletes from ASEAN is
something we cannot control
so it shouldn’t be something
we worry about,” he suggests.
Wise words for his fellow team
Singapore athletes. All in all,
the ASEAN University Games
will be a gruelling and hectic
competition for everyone involved
along with the chance
to explore Laos’ iconic spot,
but it promises to be 9 days of
non-stop fun as well.
NOVEMBER 2012 FINAL.indd 26-27 20/12/12 5:58 PM

28 sports
Wonder Women
the tr bune
NOVEMBER 2012
Dipna Lim Prasad: Overcoming Hurdles
What did it felt like to be an
athlete representing Singapore?
As cliché as it sounds, it was a
dream come true.
Did you remember the moment
when you were informed
that you were given a wildcard
to the Olympics?
Yes, I was sleeping at that time
(knocked out from training)
when a reporter (too bad I forgot
his name!) called to congratulate
me.
How was the atmosphere of
the Olympic village like?
Amazing! It was quite a feeling
to be surrounded by world
class athletes where you see
people you have been consistently
watching on TV The
actual competition arena was
like a whole other world.
When I sat in the stands to
support Gary Yeo, I was overwhelmed
by the cheers of the
spectators –everyone was so
friendly and supportive regardless
of where they come
from. But when it was my turn
to run, the roar of the stadium
was indescribable! The closest
expression I can give is a real
life Dolby Surround system.
Furthermore, I was standing
next to the fastest hurdler in
recent history (Sally Pearson of
Australia) less than a metre to
your left. Holy moly!
Any special moments and experiences
you want to share
with us during the Games?
That should be running my
race of course! Especially, I
was able grab some small
talk with the famous athletes
Bernice Lim: the ten-Pin Queen
Not only did she win titles for the University, Bernice was awarded the SUniG Best Female Athlete
of the year. So what makes an all–round champion? The Tribune had a chance to find out
more about her through an interview.
How was the experience of
representing NTU in bowling?
It was a great experience representing
NTU together with
my beloved team mates. I
think the most rewarding experience
was the rapport that
I quickly built with my fellow
team mates and how we won
together as team.
How did you get involved in
Bowling?
I got involved in bowling when
I was about 11 years old. My
family used to bowl for recreation
at a club and my interest
in the sport grew after a while.
I joined a bowling academy
(Cathay Bowling Academy)
for a year and then proceeded
to try out for the Singapore
Sports School trials. When I
got accepted into the school, I
started bowling competitively
through the school and my ca-
PHOTO| diPna lim PraSad
reer kick started from there.
For a student – athlete, balancing
your schedule is not so
simple…
I would have to credit my ability
to balance my schedule to
the Singapore Sports School.
They planned out our timetable
in a very productive manner
and it taught me how to
manage my time effectively.
Since then, I have gotten used
to school in the day and then
going for National Team trainings
later in the evening. I use
the travelling time on the MRT
to revise my notes so as to keep
up with my studies.
Any future aims in the sport?
My future goals in sport
would be to continue representing
Singapore at this level,
and win a Gold at the World
Championships for Singapore.
I aspire to be a Sports Psy-
do dinh cao hUan
An NTU student represents Singapore in the Olympic Games – that certainly is not your everyday
news. How does it feel like to be at the world’s most major sporting event? Dipna whole
- heartedly shares her experience from the Games back in London with the Tribune.
chologist, and hopefully in the
future I would be able to give
back to the sport and the next
generation.
Do you remember your very
first tournament as a professional?
I remember my first major
tournament with the National
Elite team. In 2008, we were
competing in the Asian Tenpin
Bowling Championships
in Hong Kong. I was only 16
then. I had won my first International
Open title in 2007
therefore I was being pushed
up to the National Team. It
was an amazing, exhilarating,
nerve-wrecking experience
.I was competing at the next
level and had a taste of what it
was like to be among the best
bowlers. It really spurred me
on to train even harder and get
to that standard to compete.
such as Asafa Powell, Angelo
Taylor (400m hurdles double
Olympic Gold Medalist)
and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
(100m sprint, another double
Olympic Gold Medalist!). My
overseas friends were there
also, and more than that, my
boyfriend, my brother and
his girlfriend flew all the way
there to support me!
What about your next goals
and target?
That should be the SEA Games
next year in Myanmar.
Was there a time when you felt
like giving up everything you
had?
There have been times where
things got extra hard but no,
I would never throw away all
the effort I’ve been putting in
for the past 10 years of track.
PHOTO | Bernice lim
NOVEMBER 2012 FINAL.indd 28 20/12/12 5:58 PM