Essays

A lovely sharing on the value of Respect by Putra (4B) on 29 January 2021:

Once upon a time, there was a small town. There lived a man by himself who couldn’t see. He was blind.  Yet, he carried a lighted lamp with him whenever he went out at night. One night as he was coming home after having dinner outside, he came across a group of young travellers. They saw that he was blind, yet carrying a lighted lamp. They started passing comments on him and made fun of him.

One of them asked him, “Hey Man! You are blind and can’t see anything! Why do you carry the lamp then?!”

The blind man replied, “Yes, unfortunately, I am blind and I can’t see anything but a lighted lamp which I am carrying is for the people like you who can see. You may not see the blind man coming and end up pushing me. That is why I carry a lighted lamp”.

The group of travellers felt ashamed and apologized for their behaviour.

Reflection:

If you were the young travelers, would you be quick to judge someone so easily? Have you been in a similar scenario where you were in the same position as the travelers in the story? The travelers were quick to judge someone based on their disability and appearance without understanding the circumstances.  We should all learn to be more understanding and be more respectful in the way we talk to each other. I urge you my fellow Queenstownians, to be kind and respectful everyday.

The approbation of one

is only obtained through

the colors they portray.

‘You don’t need money to have fun.’ Write about some occasions when you have found this to be true.

‘I don’t need dollar bills to have fun tonight’. This phrase, sung by the famous Singer-songwriter Sia, serves as a perfect example of the non-existent necessity of money for our entertainment. Do we really need to spend to be happy? I thoroughly disagree. The sheer number of things that can be done proves my stand firmly.

I have had many experiences that have reiterated my point, that material wealth is not proportional to fun. Among these, is a memory I have from when I was 12 years old. At that time, I was residing in a secluded house in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It had a large and lush garden, where I would spend most of my days. I did not have a phone or laptop back then, so I would squander my time frolicking aimlessly about the garden. One day, I just broke and asked myself what other things I could do with my time to facilitate my boredom. Then it hit me, like an arrow. I could make a bow! I vaguely recalled watching a ‘Bear Grylls’ video on bow making and thought I’d give it a go. And so I set off. Although I may not have made the most efficient or powerful bow, the journey of making it and the satisfaction of seeing something fly out of it was enough to keep me entertained for days. Using only what was available to me, I was able to craft something new, and this opened up a vast array of new ideas and projects to me. This coincides seamlessly with the fact that everything around us can inspire, create and give endless enjoyment to us.

Another memory that resurfaces to me, is one from when I was ten. I used to go down to the amphitheatre area near my HDB flat, to meet my neighbours and play some games. On this certain day, the amphitheatre was assaulted with a colossal downpour, leaving me and my friends inside. We were indescribably bored, with presumably nothing to entertain us. One of my friends picked up a plastic bottle and whacked his head with it out of frustration. ‘Bong…’ We all turned and laughed, before deciding to join in. We had tons of fun experimenting with the different sounds and notes different bottles made, and we even made some half-decent beats. We had been at it for so long, that it had been an hour since it stopped raining! This just illustrates how simple items that require no money can be used for our enjoyment.

Anything can be fun, and we certainly do not require money to facilitate our euphoria. ‘I love cheap thrills!’ – Sia.

Asher Nathanael 3A 2020

9 Short Stories written by Elle Madison Gaugler – 2D (2020)

STORY 1

 A PRANK

It was the beginning of the third school term and that meant that final year exams are around the corner. I was particularly not looking forward to them since I had been practicing hard for the swim team and had neglected my studies.  The day was nearly over and I was about to meet my best friend and partner-in-crime, Maya, for our Chinese lesson.

Along the corridor, I bumped into Maya and she asked, ” Are you ready?” she then winked slyly to me as I nodded my head. Our classmates looked confused at our new founded enthusiasm for Chinese.

As we entered the class and strolled into our seats our teacher, Mdm Lee, walked in a moment later. She said in Chinese,” Open your books to page 50.” I decided it was time to play my prank. Pretending not to hear Mdm Lee, I looked around and signaled to Maya that I could not hear anything. Maya repeated her instructions to me. To our dismay, the class was very noisy so Mdm Lee could not hear Maya. Luckily for us, Mdm Lee was looked in our direction.

At that moment, Maya repeated every single word in her instruction to me. Mdm Lee asked, “Why must you shout like that?” Maya replied that I was deaf and started bawling like a baby. Mdm Lee rushed over to my seat and yelled into my ear.  I was not actually deaf, so I thought that my eardrums would burst but I had to continue pretending. After a while, Mdm Lee began to panic and yell for help.

During this commotion, the next-door teacher, Miss Tan, came into help. It was at this moment when I turned pale as I knew I was in big trouble. Miss Tan, who was more experienced than Mdm Lee knew I was pulling a prank. She threw me a murderous glare and I immediately owned up and apologized. Maya had gotten away scot-free.

       Mdm Lee continued the rest of her boring lesson, continuously staring at me. Finally, it was over. Maya and I then headed for our swimming practice. The teacher left us alone so we started fooling around in the pool.

I decided to try to beat my record of 30 seconds underwater.  “50 seconds!’, said Maya “wowsers! That was long!” Unfortunately, I did not hear what she said. Soon, I realized that my ears were blocked, I was anxious if I really became deaf.

       The next day, my ears were still blocked. Maya was concerned for me. When lessons started, Miss Tan delivered her instruction. Maya repeated them for me to hear. Miss Tan shouted,” Grace Lillian! Stand! Don’t tell me you are trying to trick me!” Maya explained to her what happened yesterday. Miss Tan did not believe her though.  I was forced to move to the front. I dislike sitting in the front as it was no fun. “Oh! Why did I stay underwater for too long and trick Mdm Lee!”

       “POP! My ears went pop!” I shouted with glee, Miss Tan I can hear again!” Miss Tan replied” Well then, listen carefully, this would be your permanent seat. To add on, you will not be participating in the upcoming swimming tournament.” When I heard this, I sulked back into my seat.

       When the time for the swimming tournament came, I sat on the benches watching my friends prepare. Just then, Miss Tan walked over and spoke, “Grace, you have been studying hard for English for the past two months. I allow you to take part in the swimming gala this time.” I was so delighted, I searched for my swimsuit and prepared for the race.

       I learned not to lie or trick the teacher. This did not stop me from pranking the teachers, but become better at doing it. Miss tan you should have thought of that!

STORY 2

TRAFFIC JAM

Do you remember when you were a careless eight-year-old kid riding a bike with your friends and racing each other around the neighborhood? Remember that feeling of absolute freedom as you felt the wind in your hair and the smile it put on your face? I never thought that I would feel that way as a grown-up until my friends presented me with a brand new red bike. At first, I was a bit skeptical about the idea of commuting to work by bicycle. One morning a couple of days later, I completely changed my mind.

I was stuck in a traffic jam and saw a strange sight in my rear mirror. A man in a suit was riding a classy bike with his laptop case in one hand and a handlebar in the other. I figured that it would take him about 15 minutes to get to the office while I was still sitting in my car, waiting for the cars ahead to move, even if just for an inch. I was always very afraid of being late for my business meetings.

That was when I decided to get on the bike. I have not regretted my decision so far. One of the best things about cycling was that the bike is perfect for exercising. Just cycling to and from work or to the shops every day was enough to keep you healthy and happy. Besides, it was incredibly liberating to be able to get to anywhere without losing time in traffic jams. Also, the environmental benefits that we can reap are enormous. Cycling helps to lower air pollution while reducing traffic congestion and the need for gas.

At some point, I realized that I had started to use the bike more often, not only to get to work but also to catch up with friends and to head out for coffee on the weekends. I loved this style of traveling because it lets you really appreciate what you are seeing around you. You can stop anywhere you want and yet cover a lot of distance. The daily distance I rode to work was no longer enough for me. I started riding to the nearest mountain bike trail so that I could spend the day going up and down the hills. I did it because it was fun and because I enjoyed it.

“I wish I could bike all the way around the world,” I said to myself one day. Then I thought, “Why not?”

       OK, I knew I could not ride across the oceans. So I came up with the idea to ride from coast to coast, across each of the continents. The more I thought about it, the more excited I was about my future plans. If I do this, I will have to thoroughly prepare for the journey. I was also very scared. Will I be able to make it over the towering mountains and across the burning deserts? What if I got lost somewhere and didn’t know the language?

After a few months of training, I set off. This was hard at first, but soon I realized that everywhere I went people cheered me on when they heard about my journey. The newspaper back home reported on my progress. Once or twice I ran out of money and had to spend a couple of weeks doing odd jobs before I could continue on my way. I never gave up on my idea. A year and six months later, I found myself pedaling back toward the place where it all began. My journey was over and I was home.

These days, I continue exploring the world with my bike as often as I can. Thanks to my bike, I’ve made countless friends, seen incredible sights, and had unforgettable adventures. I would have missed out on all of that if I hadn’t decided to try biking instead of driving! I guess there is an upside to traffic jams after all!

STORY 3

BEAUTY

         It was Myra’s daily art class, and as usual, she was teasing her classmates for their ‘terrible’ artwork. The reason why Myra had every reason to be arrogant was that she came from a renowned beautician family, and because of that, her artwork was always the best.  She was also often praised by her teachers.  

The end of year examinations was around the corner and Myra was quite confident that she would top the class again. This year’s topic was rather unique. Mr. Nino had announced that they would be tested on face painting and the theme was Halloween.

       Everyone was busy preparing for the annual exams, except for Myra. Some were trying new designs, some were testing the colors and the majority were making sure they had enough materials. However, Myra wasted most of her time gazing at her Instagram. She soon lost interest in her art classes as she thought that she was the most skilled among her classmates.

The days flew by in a blink of an eye. It was finally the day of the exam. Myra had a smirk on her face. She had made a bet with everyone in the class that she would top the class. Her classmates had also believed that she would. Mr. Nino gave the signal to begin face painting and everyone instantly began working on their models. Myra opened up her bag confidently. At that moment, she started rummaging through her bag. That was when it dawned upon her, that she had left her good brushes and make-up set at home.

Myra’s heart was pounding, her hands were trembling as she felt a shiver run down her spine. To prevent anyone from noticing that she was using old brushes, she weakly took them out and began applying concealer on her model. Her model was a bit confused by the way Myra was acting, as her usual air of confidence was nowhere to be seen.

“Time’s up! All the brushes down!” Mr. Nino added in a grave tone, “cheating is a serious offense.”  Myra dropped her brushes in despair and glanced around the classroom. All around the classroom were eerie-looking facesthat fit the theme. She then looked at her own piece of work and thought that her sea monster seemed more hilarious than scary.

The teachers and Mr.Nino started proceeding around the classroom to inspect and grade the artworks. Myra heard ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ from the teachers as they looked really impressed. She wondered how the teachers would react to her work.

The thought of that made her very thirsty and she gulped her water down nervously.

Finally, the teachers came to her table. They stared at the model in disbelief, and one of them even gave a sigh. Together with Mr. Nino, they walked offshaking their heads in dismay. When the grading was over, Myra was called to one corner. Mr. Nino then told her that she had failed and must retake the class for the next semester. This was her worst nightmare come true. She had failed her parents’ expectations. Myra’s parents’ expectations were for Myra to ace the class as it was a family tradition.

Without a choice, Myra had to retake the module while the rest of her classmates advanced to the next level. She learned that she must put in her 110% in everything that she does and if she wants to be a top beautician like her parents, she must learn to be humble.

STORY 4

LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

On the crowded streets of Goa, India, there lived a boy named Aarav. Goa was India’s top tourist attraction but at the same time, it was very poor. The Candolim Market, located at the central part of Goa, was where the 13-year-old Aarav worked at. At the market, he sold beetroot samosas to the locals and the tourists. Every day late at night, his mum would prepare a batch of mouth-watering samosas for him to bring to the market before the skies turned bright.

       The Candolim Market was a bustling market where people from all over the world come to visit. One day, Aarav was at the market selling his beetroot samosas as usual. He noticed a woman who looked oriental and immediately went closer to her. Aarav then heard her uttering Japanese to herself. He shyly took out a small book, flipped it open and asked the woman if she would like a free sample of his mother’s beetroot samosas.

       The lady was astounded by Aarav’s fluent Japanese. ” How did you learn Japanese?” she questioned. Aarav told the lady that over the past few years he had met tourists from all over the world at the market. They spoke in different languages that he could not comprehend. He was inquisitive and wanted to learn their languages. Whenever he saw someone who was not a local, he was unafraid to approach them and asked them what the meaning of the words he had heard them saying. He bought a few notebooks to jot down whatever he had learned.

The Japanese lady thought to herself, what an unusual boy! She then handed Aarav her name card. Aarav took a good look at the name card and realized that he was talking to a well-known language professor. Aarav could not believe his ears what he had just heard – A free stay in the United States of America and the chance to go to the finest middle school in New York City! The Japanese professor was nodding her head to what she had just said.

Aarav was so thrilled as this was a dream come true. However, his thoughts immediately turned to his mother and his five siblings and a look of worry flashed across his face, but he tried not to show it to the Japanese lady.

Later that day, the Japanese lady followed Aarav to his home. He lived in a slum area with other poor people. The trash was everywhere and the stench was putrid. Aarav introduced the lady to his mother and explained to her the situation. His mother told him to stop worrying too much and go for his dream as he only lives once.

Three days later, he was at the airport with the Japanese lady. He waved his family a final goodbye, took a deep breath and walked through the customs. Once he could not see his family anymore, the reality of going to a new country hit him. He never thought that this would actually happen when he was busy memorizing his notes three years ago.

“I hope I made the correct decision!” muttered Aarav under his breath…

STORY 5

A WARNING THAT CHANGED SCOTT’S LIFE

         It was just like any other day, Scott was getting home from work. As he was walking through the park to get to his house, he noticed some boys no older than fourteen smoking openly. It reminded him of the time when he was just like them…

The fourteen-year-old Scott was at Mike’s house. Mike had been his best friend for as long as he could remember. They were in Mike’s room dying from boredom when Scott suddenly whipped out a cigarette. 

Mike exclaimed in shock, “Dude, you smoke?”

Scott replied nonchalantly, “Duh! You want one? It’s a good way to past time.”

Mike was not sure about Scott’s offer. It seemed like a good idea as he was really bored but he was also worried that his asthma would act up. However, Scott had no idea about his friend’s health problems and continued to offer a cigarette to him.

Unknown to both of them, Mike’s father had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation. As Mike reached out to take the cigarette, his father charged into the room. He strode over to Scott, grabbed the cigarette and crushed it. Mike’s father had an expression of worry and anger at the same time. He was concerned that Scott had been smoking and angry that he was trying to influence his son to pick up the bad habit.

Mike’s father said sternly, “Do you know that Mike has asthma and what you are doing can possibly kill him?! If you are going to smoke I do not want you ever near Mike again. I am not going to tell your parents so count yourself lucky this time around.”

Scott was astonished to hear that Mike had asthma. Colour drained from his face as he realised that he could have killed his friend. He was thankful for the warning and apologised to Mike’s father.

Scott took Mike’s father’s words into account and decided to look for help. When school reopened on Monday, he went straight to the school counsellor for advice. A few months later, he was able to quit smoking. Mike’s father learnt about it and knew his warning had worked. He praised Scott for the change.

Back to the present. Scott walked over to the boys and shared his story. He told them that they were endangering their health and even if they did not care about themselves, they must care about the people around them. One of the boys asked for help and Scott passed him his school counsellor’s email and name. As Scott turned to leave, he hoped that his warning would change the boy’s life.

STORY 6

A SUPERHERO ADVENTURE

Have you ever imagined if you had superpowers?

Well, nine-year-old Benjamin certainly did. Jillian and Benjamin had finished watching the latest Marvel movie, Endgame. Benjamin was fascinated with the superheroes’ powers. Since then, whenever he was at home, he would try to fly like Iron Man, jumping from one couch to another. He would also run from the kitchen to the living room as if he was Black Panther. He also wore all green and an extra layer of purple shorts and stormed around the house.

When he was bored with these characters, he created a new superhero for himself. He called himself ‘Rubber Ball’ and his power was throwing rubber balls at objects with alarming accuracy. Things continued like this for the next few weeks. Benjamin tied a towel around his neck as if it was a cape. He would stash rubber balls in his pocket and randomly throw them at Jillian. Over time, She grew annoyed and complained to their parents. To her dismay, their parents did not stop Benjamin as they thought it was cute.

One day, Jillian and Benjamin were walking home from school when they noticed a commotion at their neighbour’s front yard. Their neighbour was an elderly woman in her early seventies and she looked frantic and she hopelessly pointed up at her tree. She said, ” My cat was chasing a chipmunk and climbed her way up the tree. Now she can’t come down, could you help me?”

 Benjamin immediately started climbing the tree as Jillian lifted him up. He scaled up the tree like he was a monkey. As he got nearer to the cat, he realised that the cat was trying to claw him because she was scared. Then he had an idea. He took out a rubber ball and passed it to the cat. Right away the cat looked more relaxed and Benjamin was able to place her on his shoulder. In no time, they safely made their way down the tree.

Benjamin then handed frightened cat back to their neighbour. Jillian was proud of her brother. She then felt sorry for making fun of him for the past few weeks and apologised for her words. He was surprised as she did not usually apologise. They headed back to their home both smiling.

The next day, the neighbour gave Benjamin a big rubber ball as a way of saying thank you. He squealed with joy and yelled, “Hey everyone! Here comes your friendly neighbourhood superhero ‘Rubber Ball’!”

STORY 7

GRACELYNN’S CLUMSY EXPERIENCE

It was a hot day and the sun was beating down on Gracelynn’s back. She was sweating from head to toe as she was trying to listen to Miss Davidson’s explanation on how frogs breathe in water.  Gracelynn and her classmates were at Willow Park on a school excursion. They were only in Grade One and it was their first time at a nature park.

They then moved on to the activity where they could observe the animals up close. Miss Davidson had allowed the students to go near the pond but warned them not to touch the animals. The students were enjoying themselves, pointing out the different animals when Clara, Gracelynn’s best friend, flailed her arms excitedly.

Clara had seen a humongous toad and wanted to show Gracelynn. However, she accidentally nudged Gracelynn which had caused her to lose her balance and tumble into the water. Gracelynn had been looking very closely at a water snail and was squatting at the edge of the pond. She shrieked the moment she fell in. Clara was horrified had what she had done, but it was too late.

Gracelynn was now sitting in the middle of the pond. There was seaweed in her hair and the water snail she was looking at was on her shoulder. Her face was bright red with embarrassment as everyone was laughing at her.

        Miss Davidson hurried over and pulled her out of the pond. Poor Gracelynn had to go through the whole park drenched, with the water snail on her shoulder! She did not talk to Clara for the rest of the trip.

       At the end of the trip, it was time to go back to school. Everyone was queuing up to board the bus, but the bus driver did not allow Gracelynn to board the bus. Miss Davidson then gave Gracelynn a disposable raincoat so that she could board the bus and not wet the seat. Whenever she moved there was a squishy noise and the people around her would snicker.

Needless to say, Gracelynn never dared to go near a pond again.

STORY 8

Melanie’s First Trip to America

        As Melanie’s taxi left the airport, she marvelled at how big it was. Her cab drove through the bustling streets of Florida, Melanie and her family passed by many tourists dragging their luggage bags. It was no wonder since they were all heading to Disneyland in Orlando. 

Their taxi pulled up at the gates of Disneyland. Melanie and her family exited the cab and gaped at the iconic castle that stood proudly in the distance. Melanie’s brother, Mickey, would not stop chattering about meeting Mickey Mouse. After checking in at the hotel, they were ready to explore the theme park. Before they knew it, they were queuing up for a ride called Jungle Cruise. Melanie’s parents started speaking excitedly in Mandarin.

 Some American teenagers queuing in front of them turned around and stared at them. Melanie grew more and more uncomfortable as they began to whisper and laugh while pointing at her family. The situation worsened when they pulled the corners of their eyes and mockingly mimicked the Chinese language.

 Melanie and her brother turned red with embarrassment as she tried to hold back her tears. She had always thought that the stories her teacher told her about racism in America were fake. Her parents were shocked but they could only look on helplessly.

Just at that moment, a big burly man told the teenagers to stop. The teenagers eventually stopped as the man glared at them. 

Fortunately, after that incident, the rest of the holidays went without a hitch. Melanie chose to focus on the happy memories she had in America. Though it was traumatising to be laughed at because of her race, she enjoyed her trip and would visit America again.

STORY 9

BECOMING CLASS PRESIDENT

        One day, ten-year-old David burst into class before assembly and exclaimed, “I’m running for class president!” Amber, his arch-nemesis since the day they met, immediately retorted and said that he would not win. David wanted to retaliate but the bell rang and everyone headed towards the hall.

       Amber had been eyeing the position for a while as her friends told her that she should run for it. David, however, knew that he could do a good job even before he announced to the class that he was running for class president.

        A week later, it was the final selection of candidates. Amber and David were the only ones left. In front of the entire class, Ms. Doherty announced that there would be one task left to decide who would become class president. “The task is to write good qualities about your opponent and how he or she would make a good class president,” said Ms. Doherty.

        Amber and David were a bit shocked. David, who was good-natured, tried his best to write nice things about Amber even though she was not a very likable person. Amber, on the other hand, did not want to compliment anybody as she thought it was a waste of time.

       Time was up! Ms. Doherty held up Amber’s paper. It was still blank and empty. A look of disappointment flashed across her face. She then moved on to David’s paper and saw that a whole paragraph was written. She passed it to Amber and asked her to read it aloud. It turned out that David had written a lot of nice things about her. Amber’s face turned red with shame.     

       Needless to say, everyone knew what Ms. Doherty was going to say next. The class erupted into cheers as she elected David as the class president. As Amber went back to her seat, she gave David a small pat on the back.

       The teacher then gave David a badge that said ‘class president’ and pinned it on his collar. Ms. Doherty explained that David had won because he did something that he was reluctant to do and tried his best. He also showed that he was the more gracious person between the two of them. David then shouted, “I’m the class president and I’ll do my best!”

An Uneventful Event?

by Asher Nathaniel (3A’2020)

On the 7th of August, Queenstown Secondary School hosted two of the most anticipated celebratory events of the year, the Speech Day Prize Presentation and the National Day celebrations. However, due to the on-going Covid-19 situation, these events could not take on their full forms. This has resulted in many of the students finding the event to be lacklustre. So what did Queenstown get right? And more importantly, what didn’t they?

Food is one of the most motivating things in life. And Queenstown Secondary definitely knew how to use that to their advantage. On the morning of August 7th, our school challenged every class in every level, to an onerous quiz on Singapore trivia. The highest scoring class in each level were rewarded with bags full of titbits and goodies. This, combined with a spirit of friendly competitiveness, was sufficient in keeping the minds and bellies of students longing for victory. I was lucky enough to be part of one of the classes that got full points for the quiz, and I can corroborate that my mind and belly were ecstatic. The cornucopia of snacks kept me engaged throughout the festivities. Our school certainly knows how to win our attention with food.

One other thing that the students were captivated by, was the opportunity to cheer for their peers who have performed outstandingly for their examinations. In the class I was in, I vividly recall all of us applauding jovially for our classmates who were awarded. Every time we heard our friends’ names, we were energised with glee, and waited eagerly for the next awardee, hoping it would be another one of our peers. These joy-filled moments are something all Queenstownians look forward to on Speech Day.

Although there was a fair share of eclectic moments, many students of Queenstown Secondary School found the overall day to be boring and uninteresting. All of us were made to stay in our classrooms from 8.00a.m. to almost 2p.m. – a whopping six hours of cramps, numbness and what seemed like eternal boredom.

One thing in my opinion that particularly made this event an uneventful one, was the indescribably elongated speeches of the top students in Secondary 4. Many, including myself, felt that the videos of the students speaking were tiresome to listen to, and filled to the brim with repetitive information that could have easily been expressed in ten seconds. This definitely killed the mood for plenty of students.

Most importantly, something that contributed substantially to the dullness of the event, was the fact that the ceremony was broadcasted live, and not face-to-face. This inevitable decision forfeited the personal touch an in-person event would have offered. This led to the students finding the celebrations to be partial, and they could not truly be part of the ceremony.

This year’s pandemic situation has certainly caused some restraints, but there is always next year. Although there were a few cons, the pros outweighed them by a long way. This year’s National Day and Speech day celebrations will definitely live in our minds and memories for years to come.

Speech on Community Youth Leadership Project

by Patricia Sim (3A’2020)

Good morning teachers and classmates. Today I will be sharing my proposal for our Community Youth Leadership project. I have gotten news that due to the pandemic, there will be numerous restrictions for our CYL projects involving social distancing, limited crowds and strict hygiene protocols. However, I have found ways to overcome these restrictions – moving our activities online.

We will raise awareness on the abuse of animals as well as the ways pets are not taken care of properly. We will educate the school population and public, if possible, about being responsible pet owners and kind to animals. As our end-of-year exams will be in a month and a half, I would prefer to host our campaign afterwards, around October. These ideas will take around two to three weeks to materialise, depending on our efficiency, cooperation, and distribution of workload. The first idea is rather simple – we will make interactive activities for the students to participate in. We can set up a social media campaign using the school’s accounts. We can include fun challenges alongside infographics about animal abuse to encourage interactivity, such as answering questions or sharing educational infographics with a specific number of people. This will help the spread of the campaign, especially if our class alerts their own friends about this too. This will teach us about graphic design, social media marketing, and how to appeal to and educate a wider audience. It is rather simple to do as well.

Another activity that we can do is to make an educational video. We can get some people to act, write the script and edit it to present it to the various classes during CCE or CMCT. We can produce an entertaining video that encourages pet owners to be more responsible and highlights the difficulties and rewards that pets bring humans. As groups are limited to five people, I suggest we find creative ways to shoot our parts in a safe and law-abiding manner, such as recording scripted Zoom meetings, filming individual parts at home to make a mockumentary with narration, or even making a cartoon slideshow with voiceovers. Seeing that many of you are the confident and humorous type, I doubt you would have any problem scripting and acting out a down-to-earth, authentic video that manages to educate others without a forced hand. This also gives us an opportunity to practise our video editing skills.

I understand that we have many duties to attend to, and that even after exams are over we will still be busy. However, CYL is just as important as academics and more fruitful than recreational activities. Since you will be working with your friends, it will also be fun and less tedious. As we get closer to graduating, we will need to find accomplishments for our EAE and JAE, and this is a good opportunity to snag something for your applications. Not only that, this will give you some experience that cannot be learnt in the classroom. Online teamwork, editing, graphic design, acting, these are all things that will definitely be useful one day and we should be exposed to. Last but not least, we could help protect animals from abuse and neglect with our awareness campaign. It may be difficult to do, but we should be compassionate enough to at least try. 

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my proposal. I hope you will consider them, for both the animals and our sakes.

Why work hard, when you can play hard?

by Reynard Lie Sutrisno (3A’2020)

I have always been told, like many other Asian kids, that games are for after you have finished your school work, and that phones should be used sparingly. But I have been balancing my school work and my usage of gadgets for a very long time, and I can say with a definite voice: online gaming is more important than school. Allow me to explain myself.

Why do we go to school? To study, of course. But ultimately it is to get a degree to attain a “good” job. But here is the big shocker – the world has changed. Now, playing games online is a viable career choice. Aside from the highly competitive Esports scene that demands a lot of time and dedication, playing games casually and streaming it on YouTube or Twitch is also a money-making prospect. Instead of wasting our time trying to torture ourselves by cramming jargons into our heads, we can dedicate our time to building the foundation for our careers. By getting good at the respective games that we are going to capitalise off, we open ourselves to better business opportunities. By being addicted to your mobile phone and spending hours daily on gaming, you are building the foundation for your future.

Another reason why phone addiction to online gaming is beneficial is because of the relationships that it builds. When you socialise with people who are born around you and raised around you, they start to think and act like you. Since everyone has a similar background, aside from the occasional outlier or foreigner, your view of the world becomes highly constrained. When you play online games and make friends all over the world, this might result in you learning new things about the outside world, outside of the bubble of your immediate social life.

But alas, we teenagers are minors, and in a society that sees teenagers as angsty nuisances, we are hard-pressed to chase the path of phone addiction. This is evident in the law that many “developed” countries in the world impose – compulsory education. By forcing us to go to school, going so far as to make it a legal matter, it just shows how little society thinks of us and our decision-making skills. Some misconceptions that the adults of said society have regarding how we allegedly use our phones are simply shocking. One misconception is that we are unaware of the dangers of the internet: the many predators, hackers and viruses that lurk around on the net, or so they describe it. I love my mother but sometimes I am offended by how she thinks that I use my real name and give away my address to strangers online. Adults try to shield us from the “dangers unknown” by completely cutting off our access to the internet. How? By taking away our phones.

The teachers are no better, they have the misconception that we are using our phones to distract ourselves from their lessons. Whether it is by playing games or checking the time, it is a show of arrogance and disrespect. Well, maybe we just need a breather, a slight reprieve from all the cramming. And why should how we are using our phones be of any of your concern? Perhaps we just don’t care very much for a lesson due to how irrelevant it is to our future plans.

And so to cap my argument off, I propose a change. A new school rule that will allow students to use their phones whenever they want to, given some restrictions. “Students should be allowed to use their gadgets at any time except during examinations, provided that they remain silent throughout the usage.” This would solve all my disagreements and many others as I am sure that all we need is freedom. We own our phones, and so we should darn well be allowed to use them.