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theinkSlingersThursday, 25 June 2015 • IS#27:250615(3) • For internal circulation only
Lift reformation projectencourages use of stairsBy MOHAMED KHAIDIR MOHAMED ZARAAI
SUBANG JAYA: Taylor’s University (TU) Community Service Initiatives (CSI) encourages the use of stairs on campus through a lift reformation project launched as part of the Eco Campaign this month.
CSI collaborated with TU Facilities, Environment, Health, Safety and Security Administration (FEHSSA) to implement the pilot project in Block C.
Currently, the first lift on the left of the building (also known as the emergency lift) stops on all floors as usual; the second lift has been sequenced to stop only on odd-numbered floors; and the third lift serves only even-numbered floors.
According to FEHSSA Senior Sustainability and Projects Manager Edward Chong Eu Siang, TU management spends an average of RM4.5 million per year on electricity bills alone at Lakeside Campus.
“Hence the Eco Campaign was conceived with the key objectives of driving towards our Energy Savings initiatives and promoting a healthy lifestyle at the same time,” he said.
The lift lobby on Block C level one was plastered with a large wallpaper
showing messages such as “Regular use of the stairs will improve leg strength and aerobic capacity”, to encourage Taylorians to reduce usage of lifts.
Chong said, “Our aim is to be the first private university in Malaysia to achieve ‘Green Campus’ status by 2020.”
Eco Campaign Assistant Director Tan Vee Yen, 21, said, “We plan to reduce the energy consumption in campus by 20 percent towards the end of this year.”
The Primary Education major added that the lift reformation project not only saves energy, it also helps to increase time efficiency as the lift no longer stops at every floor.
According to Tan, CSI will carry out a survey after the Eco Campaign, which ends on 25 June, in consideration of implementing the project for all lifts at the academic blocks.
Biomedical Science major Zaihasniza Zahidi, 22, said, “I think this initiative will be successful because I can see many people take the stairs even without looking at the lift, and they went up to the eighth floor.”
Foundation in Natural and Built Environments lecturer Shazreene Nurjanna Shamsuddin said, “Using the staircase initiative is a good idea but I don’t know whether it can work.
“My class is usually at level one and my office at level five, so I will use the lift, unless if my destination is one level down, I use the stairs,” she said.
Unique platform for self-expression Page 4
NEWS
Taylor’s Racing Team in pursuit of victory Page 6
FEATURES
The right to love all kinds of music Page 9
NEWS
FEATURES
Smartphones that won’t break the bank Page 10
HELLO STRANGER: Public Relations and Marketing major Brenda Yeoh Cheng Yee, 22 (left) and Public Relations and Event Management major Wendy Chok Li Yin, 23, bonded with each other in a ball pit at the Take a Seat, Make a Friend event. Full story on page 2
The lift reformation project is part of CSI’s Eco Campaign initiative to conserve energy and encourage the use of stairs.
2 NEWS June 2015
theink Slingers
Exploring Taylor’s in ‘Scenerific’ photography contestBy CINDY JUNOVICA
Taylorians make new friends in ball pit By TRECIA TAN SHU HUI
SUBANG JAYA: Taylorians sat in a wooden crate filled with colourful plastic balls, and befriended strangers in the Take a Seat, Make a Friend event at Lakeside Campus on 10 June.
Participants were required to spend 15 minutes in a ball pit with a complete stranger and befriend them by asking each other questions that were provided by organiser Mad (Make A Difference) Taylor’s University.
Software Engineering major Adrian Chin Chun Min, 20, was paired up with Foundation in Science student Thong Wing Yee, 19.
By randomly picking cubes in the pit, they received instructions such as, “Tell your partner what you like about them and say things you might not say to someone you’ve just met.”
Chin said to Thong, “You have a cool haircut, you’re friendly, outgoing and loud, too, if I may add.”
One of the winning photos was captured during a scenerific evening on campus. Photo Credit: Ryan Lee Run Lin
SUBANG JAYA: Taylor’s University (TU) encouraged students to showcase their photography skills by participating in the ‘Scenerific’ photo contest.
Participants were required to post their pictures on TU official Facebook and Instagram with #exploretaylors by 29 May, and five winners were chosen.
Interior Architecture major Ryan Lee Run Lin, 21, won the contest with his entry of a scenerific TU evening scene.
He said, “Luckily, I was able to snap this picture during the golden hour period, which created a perfect colour contrast for this photograph.”
Lee added that this contest gave him a chance to explore, capture, and share the campus environment to others.
Lee said, “The main reason why I joined this competition was to show others how amazing TU is, through my point of view and camera lens.”
Law student Christabelle Yap Xing Ning, 20, another winner, said, “I’ve never done anything related to photography before, so I thought it
would be a good opportunity to start exploring my creativity.”
Besides allowing her to recognise beautiful sceneries, Yap said the contest made her appreciate her education opportunity in TU.
“It’s a great initiative for students to take a look around, embrace what we have and where we are,” she said.
The other three winners of the contest were International Business student Aanchal Bhandari, 22, Public Relations and Event Management student Yap Jilian, 21, and Foundation in Design student Felicia Chong Khei Mink, 19.
Each of the winners was awarded RM40 worth of Starbucks vouchers.
TU library adds 200 seats, to install more plug pointsBy TRECIA TAN SHU HUI
SUBANG JAYA: A total of 212 additional seats have been placed in Taylor’s University library, and 390 electrical plugs will be installed, Chief Librarian Jefrina Jamaluddin said.
The level four silent study zone was refurbished with a variety of new furniture in order to accommodate more students.
“We received feedback from students that there weren’t enough seats and the old desks were small, so now we have larger and more individual study tables
with partition, as well as new individual cubicles,” Jefrina said.
She said the refurbishment was timely as the furniture were put in place on 14 June, right before the exam season.
“We are also in the midst of installing plug points for every table so students can charge their electronic devices,” she said, adding that the contractors are still working out the date of completion for the installation.
Level two of the library had also undergone a facelift, with Event Halls
one and two (previously silent study areas) now being utilised for group discussions under a new name called Open Collaboration.
“Taylor’s staff used to hold meetings there, but students would be glad to know that these rooms are now no longer open for booking and are solely for the use of students,” Jefrina said.
According to her, these upgrades are a response to students’ feedback through the Library Online survey and i-Graduate survey.
The duo even created a secret handshake of their own by the end of the session.
Thong said, “We might not be best buddies right away since we just met each other, but we would eventually get there if we talked more.”
School of Biosciences lecturer Dr Looi Mee Lee also participated in the activity, and she was paired up with Mechanical Engineering major Melanie Yong Ze Siin, 21.
“I think this activity is quite creative, and Melanie is actually the first student that I know from a different school,” Dr Looi said.
Two School of Communication students from different intakes were also paired up in the ball pit.
Public Relations major Chan Kuok-Han, 20, said he had the chance to mingle with new people, including his senior, Public Relations and Marketing
major Wilson Ong Wei Sheng, 22, whom he had never met before.
“Through this session, I got to know that Wilson is a good guy who values trust and friendship a lot.
“I’ll be sure to say hi to him if I bump into him on campus from now on,” Chan said.
According to Organising Chairperson Chen Zi Juin, 20, the Take a Seat, Make a Friend event was a recreation of creative agency SoulPancake’s viral video of the same name.
“If you watch the original video, the conversations formed are like sparks of human connection, and we want to replicate that in our campus.
“The aim of the event is to provide a space for students to connect with each other, to help them realise that strangers are not all that scary, and to also keep the positivity going,” the Finance and Economics major said.
EditorSim Pei Xuan
Deputy EditorCindy Junovica
Chief Sub-EditorLim Weng Eu
Layout EditorSalim Hamood Al-Afifi
Online Editor Begaiym Dzhanova
WritersFelicia JulinLee Jia Ann
Malik Ridhwan ZaihanMary Christina Britto
Mohamed Khaidir Mohamed ZaraaiNadia Ahmed Abdalla
Nur Farahain Abdul MutalibPrethiba Esvary Subramanian
Shazwani Che RahimTrecia Tan Shu Hui
Vincent Wong Yew SingWong Sow Yee
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NEWS 3June 2015
Kong (left), Yap (second from right), and Khoo (right) upon receiving their awards at Masiswa Award Night from Ministry of Higher Education Media Coordinator Nur Ekmal Buhary. Source: Khoo Cai Lin
TU athletes win sports awards at Masiswa
Couples gracing the dance floor at Sheraton Imperial Hotel Kuala Lumpur.Photo Credit: Twins Photography
By CINDY JUNOVICA
SUBANG JAYA: Public Relations and Marketing student Khoo Cai Lin, received the award for being Malaysia’s Sportswoman of the Year for the third consecutive year.
At only the age of 27, Khoo is already Malaysia’s top female distance swimmer and received her newest award recently at the Majlis Sukan IPTS Malaysia (Masiswa) 2014 Award Night.
She said she is beyond grateful to Masiswa for acknowledging her efforts in swimming and recognising her for what she does.
Khoo has been swimming since she was three years old, and her swimming achievements began when she was 11.
She said, “I started winning inter-club and inter-state competitions when I was about 11 years old, and that was when
my passion for swimming started to grow till where I am now.”
Besides her education and swimming career, Khoo does occasional part-time coaching as well.
“Sometimes, it’s not easy to do all of these at once, but this is a challenge I have to face,” Khoo said.
Other Taylorians, American Degree Transfer Program student Shaun Yap Kah Choon, 20, and Foundation in Business student Erika Kong Chia Chia, 20, were also awarded Sportsman of the Year and Most Promising Athlete for women’s category respectively.
Aside from receiving the awards, all three of them competed for the 28th Sea Games from 6 to 11 June in Singapore.
Khoo said, “I’m very proud to be able to represent my country.”
Students wear paper shoes to raise awareness for underprivileged kidsBy TRECIA TAN SHU HUI
SUBANG JAYA: Five Taylor’s University Diploma in Education students replaced their normal footwear with fragile hotel slippers for a week to bring awareness to underprivileged children who have no access to shoes.
“The ‘My Paper Shoes’ social action project is a way for us to feel what it’s like to not own proper shoes and to start a conversation about how we often take our shoes for granted,” said Violacea Low Yin Hui, 20.
Low said she and her friends wanted to explore the idea of abundance versus scarcity, and a quick survey among them showed that they had an average of 12 pairs of shoes per person.
“It was really overwhelming after I laid out all of my shoes on the floor, thinking about how ridiculous it is that I only have two feet, but 27 pairs of shoes,” she said.
Low said she almost broke her shoes on the first day of wearing them to campus as they were made out of very thin fabric.
“My shoes were in such bad shape that you could see my toes and I had to fix them in the Student Council room using cardboards and tapes.
“I actually plan out my day just so I can take the least amount of steps and avoid wet floors, and it makes me think of the kids on the other side of the world with no shoes,” she said.
Aside from the difficulty of walking in paper shoes, the students also had to endure curious stares from members of the public.
Ho Ji Bee, 20, said, “I went to Sunway Pyramid and it was nerve-racking because people were staring at me as if I had a mental problem.”
“They shot judgmental looks at me and I was feeling self-conscious at first,
but I reminded myself that I’m doing this for a cause and I shouldn’t be afraid,” she said.
Ho, Low, and three other friends – Jessica Yew Chin Wei, 20, Divya Devi Paramasewa, 20, and Lo Wei Hui, 20 – shared their journey of self-reflection on Facebook as part of their Education and Society class, and they had inspired their friends.
Foundation in Natural and Built Environments student Chin Khang Wei, 19, said he wanted to participate in their project but he did not own a pair of hotel slippers.
“I find their project very meaningful because we often take things for granted and forget that we are more fortunate than other people in this world,” he said.
SUBANG JAYA: Taylor’s Ball 2015 was a success with the remarkable response of 278 student attendees.
Taylor’s University (TU) Student Council Campus Integration Director Bernard Ow Ji Jing said the annual ball managed to attract more students to participate this year.
“We provided a much more spacious and grand ballroom at Sheraton Imperial Hotel Kuala Lumpur this year to accommodate our guests and ensure their comfort,” he said.
Talents from various clubs, including The Backseat Affair, Society of Performing Arts and TU Dance Club, enlivened the night with singing, acting and dancing performances.
Attendees were provided with a free photo booth service, whereby they could choose two photographs to be printed with TU’s constellations frames.
According to Ow, all participants stood a chance to win lucky draw prizes, as well as the opportunity to be crowned Prom King and Prom Queen.
“The total of this year’s prizes are worth more than RM10,000 for 14 lucky winners,” he said.
International Tourism Management major Yansen Christian Alexander, 21, and Architecture major Cynthia Lee Siaw Wun, 21, were crowned Prom King and Prom Queen respectively.
Yansen said, “I’m grateful for the chance, but the highlight of the night is creating memories with my friends.”
International Hospitality Management student Lily Yunsiana, 21, said, as a final year student, prom night was something she would definitely not want to miss.
“It’s the night when Taylorians come together to reminisce our bittersweet journey,” she said.
In accordance with the theme of constellations, the ball aimed to create unity by embracing differences and celebrating individual uniqueness.
Ow said, “The constellations signify that every one of us is unique in our own way, and when we come together, we create a beautiful sky full of stars.”
Taylor’s Ball 2015 a successBy CINDY JUNOVICA
(From left) Divya, Lo and Ho walking around campus in hotel slippers for their project.
4 NEWS June 2015
MOE launches Global Strategy Strategic PlanBy NADIA AHMED ABDALLA
SUBANG JAYA: Minister of Education II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh launched the Global Strategy Strategic Plan during the second annual cultural festival World Fest 2015.
The plan aimed to offer a precise focus for all international activities to be embedded within Taylor’s University’s (TU) institutional culture, curriculum, research, systems and practices.
TU Global Engagement Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Perry Hobson said, “The Global Strategic Plan is a formulation of hard work into internationalising TU.
“We have 2,000 international students from 84 countries currently studying in Taylor’s but we also want to make sure that we are internationalising every part of the university.”
Students create space for self-expressionBy PRETHIBA ESVARY SUBRAMANIAN
SUBANG JAYA: The Freedom of Expression box set up in Lakeside Campus recently was an innovative way for students to express their thoughts.
Architecture major Aksha Hirani, 21, said, “I was having a terrible day so I sang ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars’ in the box and it was quite relaxing.”
Pioneering the idea behind the project was Architecture major Law Yong Lin, 22, who said the project was part of an assignment for the subject “Leading in the 21st Century”.
Law said, “I feel that nowadays people have a lot of things that they want to say, but there is no proper place to say it.
“So, this is an opportunity for students to say what is on their minds.”
International Hospitality Management Masters student Jasfarina Jasman, 30, said she expressed her thoughts on women’s rights, as there is a lot of discrimination across the globe.
The Freedom of Expression box had an indoor hanging chair constructed,
and it took four hours to be set up, according to Law.
It also had a video camera on a stand, which served to record the actions and words of students who went in.
Law said the end product of the project would be made into a video presentation, which would showcase the various ways in which students expressed their thoughts.
According to Architecture major and project leader Kelvin Fong Jia Zheng, 20, “Based on the video clips, a lot of
(From left) Taylor’s University Vice-Chancellor Prof Hassan Said, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh and Prof Hobson during the launch of the Global Strategy Strategic Plan. Photo Credit: Jian Leo Photography
Quantity surveying students bond over sports dayBy SIM PEI XUAN
SUBANG JAYA: Quantity surveying students from all semesters gathered to build relationships during the sports event organised by Quantity Surveying (QS) Society.
Held for the second year, the QS Sports Day on 30 May, welcomed a total of 102 participants competing in four categories, such as basketball, dodgeball, captain ball and futsal.
Participants were sorted into teams based on their respective semesters, and
the students who entered the box either voiced out their complaints or shared happy thoughts with their friends.”
A group of Public Relations students shared their positive and negative thoughts with each other in the box.
One of the students, Cheong Sin Hwa, 21, said, “The concept and idea of this project is good.”
According to Fong, the Freedom of Expression box, which was open from 12pm to 2pm on 5 June, received participation from a total of 66 students.
the first three winning teams for each category were awarded with medals.
Samuel Chan Tjun Yean, 22, whose team obtained second place in the basketball category, said, “QS Sports Day brought me and my team members closer in terms of friendship.”
“We hardly talk and hang out together for activities throughout the semesters, hence I think this event is a good platform for us to get together,” the Semester 5 student said.
Student Affairs Student Experience Senior Executive Mohammed Hussaini Abdullah said, “The launch and the framework is an important milestone for all current and future students pursuing their higher education at Lakeside Campus.
“Being at an infancy stage, my personal hope is that the strategic plan will bring positive impact and also
produce global citizens among the student population.”
With regards to World Fest 2015, Hussaini said the event was a major success which brought about a positive reflection upon TU.
During the event, there were different kinds of cultural perfomances that potrayed how TU was a melting pot of different diversities put together.
These performances included orchestra music by Taylor’s University Symphony Orchestra (TUSO), a Japanese Fishermen Dance by Help University and a dance performance by the Kazakhstan Society.
Idris said, “International student participation in Malaysia showcases a bonding with local students which allows them to get to know one another with a deeper understanding.”
“TU is a place where students can mix together, allowing diversity to promote and enhance student experience while they are here,” he said.
International Student Council Internal Engagement Specialist Sudan Rai said, “World Fest allows students to showcase different cultures and learn a little more about these cultures than what we can find in text.
“However, I am not sure whether the launched initiative will improve the culture and diversity awareness at TU though we hope this is a new stepping stone into internationalising TU.”
As a token of appreciation and a friendship initiative, the Semester 2 futsal team even took the effort to unofficially award the best player in their team with a medal.
Semester 2 team Best Player, Lim Chern Yie, 20, said, “It was a great honour to receive the award and I really appreciate the votes from my fellow team players.”
“I learnt about sportsmanship and friendship from this event; I got to know
many new friends from the competition and we would respect one another even though we lost a match,” Lim added.
In accordance with the society’s vision – ‘QS passion leads unity’, the QS Sports Day aimed to bring together students of different semesters for bonding purposes.
Event organiser Lim Ru Huey, 22, said, “I think we achieved our goal because I noticed seniors and juniors interacting with one another after that.”
NEWS 5June 2015
By SIM PEI XUAN
(From left) Ng, Ong, Thian and Chew won the competition with a business proposal for My Socks Malaysia Sdn Bhd to establish its own brand.
SUBANG JAYA: A team of four Taylor’s International Business and Marketing students took home a RM6,000 cash prize in the “Innovative Youth, Future Business Leader 2.0” inter-university business competition.
Assigned with the client My Socks Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the winning team presented a comprehensive business proposal for the sock manufacturer and distributor to establish its own brand of high quality socks.
The brand, Tiptoes, which came with the tagline “express yourself ”, aimed to be an avenue for people to wear socks that they could be proud of in showing their individuality.
“Our idea is for the brand to collaborate with artists and designers by paying them royalty for their creations; they can submit their designs online and the company’s panel of judges would select the feasible designs to be manufactured,” said Raymond Thian Sie Yee, 22.
Students win RM6,000 in business competition
Campaign to provide clean water to African communitiesBy PRETHIBA ESVARY SUBRAMANIAN
Taylor’s University wins inter-uni table tennis openBy MOHAMED KHAIDIR MOHAMED ZARAAI
SUBANG JAYA: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) Club of Taylor’s University (TU) initiated a campaign to provide clean water to African communities in need.
According to Pata Club President Aishath Zilma, the six-month campaign, which is called “Change for a Change”, began on 17 April, and has an aim to raise USD4,000 (RM15,000).
The campaign is held in collaboration with The Water Project (TWP), which is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing sustainable sources of clean water for African communities living close to the Sahara Desert.
Zilma said purchase of products and services offered at Pata Club’s fundraising booth opposite Student Life Centre will go towards the club funds.
Students can opt to play Fifa Games for RM5 per game or purchase snacks and drinks within the price range of RM1 to RM3.
During their purchase, students can drop some spare change into charity bottles provided at the booth and these funds will go towards the Change for a Change campaign.
The funds collected at the end of the campaign will be channelled to TWP,
Throughout the preparation stage for the competition, the team brainstormed and conducted surveys among the public to identify consumer preferences, before deciding to capitalise on the second most important criteria of socks apart from comfort – design.
Max Chew Wee Ti, 20, said, “We also consulted our lecturers Ms Oh Yoke Moi and Dr Yeoh Ken Kyin, who gave us encouragement and advice, especially the cost which was an important factor because in the end it was all about profitability.”
“The challenge of this competition was the short time frame; as we were all involved in various other activities and events, we could only meet once a week for discussion,” said Ong Eu Nis, 20.
However, Thian said everyone in the team did a fair share throughout the preparation, and contributed their part in terms of ideas, writing and presentation, which made it possible for the entire process to flow smoothly.
Ng Jia Ying, 20, said, “I believe such competitions provide great learning opportunity for students to look at business from a real company’s perspective, and it would be beneficial for me as I hope to run an international company in the future.”
Organised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, the competition aimed to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit among Malaysian youths while promoting racial harmony as well as national unity.
who will allocate them to the relevant African communities in need.
According to TWP, 783 million people across the globe do not have access to clean water, and 37% of that population are from the sub-Saharan continent of Africa.
“We are not asking for a big amount of money, all we are asking for is 10 cents, which is equivalent to a litre of water,” Zilma said.
Zilma added that the total amount collected to date was RM500.
Based on TWP’s website, it utilises the funds collected from supporters to build hygiene and sanitation facilities, rainwater catchments and drilled wells.
Pata Club is under Taylor’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts, in alliance with international non-profit organisation Pata.
Students can play FIFA or purchase snacks and drinks at the Pata Club booth, then donate spare change for the club’s Change for a Change campaign.Source: Pata Malaysia Taylor’s Student Chapter
Chua was crowned the Best Male Player at the Taylor’s Table Tennis Open 2015.
SUBANG JAYA: The table tennis team from Taylor’s University (TU) won RM2,000 after defeating University Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) in the Taylor’s Table Tennis Open 2015 finals.
Aaron Chua Jin Heng, 23, from TU’s team Taylor’s Sigma, said Utar was the hardest opponent for him to defeat.
“Honestly, I didn’t think that I’ll win,” he said.
Chua, who represented his team in the singles match, was also crowned the Best Male Player during the tournament.
The first semester student majoring in Business Administration said he had
stopped playing table tennis since lower secondary school, and resumed to play it again in university.
He and his teammates – Marketing major Ernes Chee Kien Ee, 24, Economics and Finance major Tong Yie Keng, 21, Interior Design major Francis Chua, 19, and Pharmacy major Caroline Law Sok Ching, 24 – got into the finals after they defeated Catholic High School in the semifinals.
Each team consisted of four to six members for the tournament.
Utar walked away with the first runner-up prize of RM1,000, while
Catholic High School and Help University brought home RM500 each as second runner-ups.
Chee, who is also an organising committee member, said, “The tournament was a project by TU’s Table Tennis Club, and it was planned since October last year.
“The tournament is to promote table tennis while promoting unity and community among adversaries.”
The tournament was held at The Grand Hall with participants from other insitutions such as Sunway University and SEGi University.
6 NEWS June 2015
By LEE JIA ANN
TRT members (right) on the race tracks during the FV 2015 competition. Photo Credit: Aswan Yap
SEPANG: Taylor’s University Racing Team (TRT) recently obtained a fourth place ranking at the Formula Varsity 2015 (FV 2015) competition, with their car, Imperica.
The varsity-level competition tested the capabilities of students from various universities nationwide to create, design and race their own automobiles.
TRT Public Relations Director Thomson Hee Chin Siong said, “Imperica was designed by our seniors, so basically what we did for the competition was to reinforce and improve the car for the race.”
For the competition, the team replaced Imperica’s old cooling system and designed the car’s upright, which was attached to the wheels in order for it to turn.
TRT drives home success in competition
Dr Pradeep (left) shakes hands with Lim after the signing.
TU, PHD Malaysia launch The Game Change AcademyBy LIM WENG EU
Promoting green awareness with creative postersBy SIM PEI XUAN
SUBANG JAYA: Taylor’s University (TU) and PHD Malaysia recently signed a memorandum of agreement to launch The Game Change Academy.
TU Deputy Vice Chancellor Dr Pradeep Kumar Nair said it was the global media network’s first in-market collaboration with an institution of higher education.
He added that the collaboration aimed to prepare Taylor’s School of Communication (SOC) students by providing practical industry training via a student-managed agency within TU called proPassion Communications.
Students would be provided with access to PHD’s proprietary planning tools and have the opportunity to understudy PHD’s senior professionals,
allowing them to experience real industry simulations.
PHD Malaysia General Manager Jimmy Lim said, “Our industry is facing a severe talent crunch and we cannot continue to do the same things.”
“The industry at large is not doing itself any favour with archaic talent development programmes,” he said.
SOC Dean Josephine Tan Lian Lei said, “Like how professional football clubs have youth academies to develop future talents, The Game Change Academy will provide industry linkages to the students.”
“With this, the industry will have a pool of talent who will be able to immediately start practising in the field,” Tan said.
The planning and considerations prior to the event took one month, and the team encountered some struggles during the process.
Prior to the competition, they had a car testing and due to sandy road conditions, the driver unfortunately crashed the racing vehicle.
Hee said, “Our struggle was we needed to fix the car, and our team managed to do that.”
He said everything went by smoothly during the race, the only difficulty faced was engine jerking, which was something the team managed to fix on the spot.
Hee said he is proud of his team’s achievement in the competition, and as they competed in such events, they gained invaluable experience and knowledge as well.
According to Hee, TRT is looking forward to joining an international race competition in Melbourne in December this year.
The FV 2015 competition was held at Sepang International Circuit and TRT was one of the 36 participating teams.
Saw creating a three-dimensional poster for the competition.
SUBANG JAYA: Students expressed their creativity in promoting green awareness during the Eco Poster Designing Competition held recently.
Each team of three students had to create a poster on a blank A3 canvas, using mixed media of their own choice.
The students used art materials such as paint, crayons and colour pencils to fill in their ideas of environmentalism on the canvases.
“I realised that it is very difficult to see stars in the sky nowadays because of the polluted environment which most people are not concerned about,” Foundation in Science student Saw Kai Xuan, 19, said.
Saw’s team, From Our Heart, created a three-dimensional poster promoting the message that humans are dependent on the ecosystem, and they were one of the top five winners of the competition.
Team Baymax, who was also one of the winners, challenged innovativeness by using materials from the surroundings such as leaves, cracker wrappers and bottle labels collected from the trash.
Inspired by the daily observation of people littering, the team from School of Biosciences wanted to pass on the message that every small piece of litter is a contribution to a big pile of rubbish.
“I think this is a healthy competition and we need it once in a while,” team member and Filipino exchange student Patricia Noreen Bueno, 20, said.
Another winning team, The Fingerprints from Diploma in Education, created a poster that promoted awareness on the conservation of electricity, using only their fingers and paint.
Team member Violacea Low Yin Hui, 20, said, “It was so much fun, and
we had a lot of laughter playing around with the colours.”
Organised by Taylor’s University Community Service Initiatives, the competition was part of the Energy Conservation Opportunity Campaign held throughout the World Environment Month of June.
Campaign Assistant Director Tan Vee Yen, 21, said the competition aimed to instill the concept of energy conservation in the minds of students while fostering inter-school relationships within Taylor’s.
“Each team had its own unique feature, and I was very impressed to know that every single line and colour on each poster had a significant meaning,” she added.
The final winner of the competition was to be announced during the closing ceremony of the campaign on 25 June.
7June 2015 FEATURES
Relive the past with 5 films from 2010By LIM WENG EU
WITH the amount of films that exist today, we tend to get caught up with the wave of new films and forget to reminisce the good old ones.
We all like to be inspired, and what better way to do so than to watch films based on actual events that touch our emotions? Most people would not know where to begin but fret not, here are five good films from the year 2010 to get you started with.1) 127 Hours
It is a story of the unexpected journey of Aron Ralston (portrayed by James Franco) and how he survived with one arm being trapped in between a rock and a canyon.
We get to watch the experience he faced in his ordeal as well as how
resilient he was at that time. A stellar performance by Franco showing deep mental struggles, this film will amaze you with the resiliency of humankind.2) The Fighter
Christian Bale puts on an excellent performance for his portrayal of Dicky Eklund, brother of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward (portrayed by Mark Walhberg) during Micky’s early years.
Dicky struggles while being caught up with his former glory and drug abuse, whereas Micky struggles with trying to go professional in the mid-1980s. 3) The King’s Speech
The film tells the ascension of Britains’ King George VI (portrayed by Colin Firth), the father of Queen Elizabeth II, during the mid-1930s.
When he was still a prince, George VI was struggling with a stammer and sought the help of an unorthodox speech therapist, Lionel Logue (portrayed by Geoffrey Rush). The two developed a lifelong bond on George VI’s road to overcoming his weaknesses.
This award-winning film serves as an inspiration for people who are facing difficulties in life.4) Ip Man 2
The movie is a sequel which focused on Ip Man’s (portrayed by Donnie Yen) migration to Hong Kong in 1949, which was under the British colonial ruling.
We see Ip Man’s attempt to spread the martial art teachings of Wing Chun, as he faced rivalries from other martial art practitioners.
A change of pace in comparison to the other films on the list, this action-packed film will make you feel like taking up the art of Wing Chun by the end of it.5) The Social Network
The movie shows the journey to success of Facebook. The film tells of the early years of Facebook co-founders, Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin (portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield).
Set in their Harvard days back in 2003, we see how Mark worked on a new idea that became the online dynasty it is today. However, every success comes with its price and we see the personal and legal conflicts that occurred between the two young co-founders.
Experiencing an enlightening journey in the darkBy PRETHIBA ESVARY SUBRAMANIAN
I WAS prepared to cross the road when I heard the sounds of vehicle engines coming to a slow stop. I assumed that the green walking sign had come on, so I firmly held on to my walking cane and swished it from side to side as I began to walk. I could hear the footsteps of my sisters who were trailing behind me.
All of a sudden, the sound of the engines roared back to life, and I could hear our tour guide, Nor Aisyah Aziz, urging us to pick up our pace. Problem was, I did not know where I was going and whether I was even walking in a straight line.
Lucky for us, this was merely a simulation exercise. We were simply put into a dark room filled with good sound effects and props, and were tasked to find our way around and comprehend what was going on by following the voice of our guide.
Crossing a busy road in Kuala Lumpur was just one of the few exciting activities that my sisters and I were involved in during an experiential journey through a series of specially-designed dark rooms.
Spearheaded by its founder Stevens Chan Kum Fai, Dialogue in the Dark (DID) Malaysia is an exhibition centre and social enterprise which aims to educate the society about challenges faced by the blind community and to bring to light the ability of the blind, rather than their disability.
The tour around a series of dark rooms took about 45 minutes, where my sisters and I were led by a blind guide who took us on a “Cuti-cuti Malaysia” adventure. We found ourselves navigating through real-life settings such as the National Park, the foothill of Mount Kinabalu, Port Dickson beach, a bank, a market and even a café.
Throughout the entire journey, my sisters and I were basically swishing our
walking canes from side to side trying to determine what we were standing on, avoid walking into walls or holes, and identify random objects or food and drinks through our senses such as touch, smell and taste.
When we were at the bank, we were tasked to look for a telephone booth. We found a booth alright, only it wasn’t exactly a telephone booth. I moved my hands across the booth and felt the familiar shapes and arrangement of a keypad. As I kept moving my hands, I felt a thin, rectangular slot which felt like the size a card could fit into. It was actually an ATM.
Our tour guide then asked us if we knew what buttons to press if we wanted to withdraw some cash. Nor Aisyah explained that the button that belonged to ‘5’ marked the centre of the keypad, thereby providing an indication to the blind of where and what the other numbers nearby are.
In the market, we picked up fruits and packets of herbs and spices from baskets. We did not know what each item was and so we had to use our sense
of smell and touch to distinguish them. We found ourselves getting excited when we could correctly guess what we were holding and smelling. It was amazing how much our sense of smell and touch could do to help our brain comprehend what was in front of us, without having to see it.
Another interesting experience was when we came across a motorcycle and a car. I imagined we looked ridiculous moving our hands all about the vehicles in the dark.
The highlight of this particular experience was when we could correctly guess the number plate on the car by moving our fingers around the letters and numbers. What would have taken seconds to read in broad daylight with proper eyesight, had taken a full minute or so in the dark.
The final stop of our journey was a café where we were tasked to make a purchase and have a meal. When the barista gave me my teh tarik and packet of cookies, I had to listen for her voice to know the rough location of where she was standing, to be able to predict
exactly where she was holding out my meal. Once seated at the dining table at the café, I had to move my hands carefully across the table to find what I was looking for and ensure I got the right thing down my throat. Well, that was a tough one!
What I realised during the simulated expedition was how much more I had to rely on my other senses than I normally would. At the end of the journey, I recalled feeling a sense of amazement and also empathy for the blind community, because I finally understood what it felt like to not have my eyesight.
If it were not for the reassuring voice of our tour guide, my sisters and I would have been at a lost in the dark. In the real world though, there is no reassuring voice telling the blind where to go, unless they have a constant companion with them.
I know that after this experience, I am never going to look at a blind person the same way again because now, I will have a newfound respect and empathy for them.
According to Chan, the goal of DID is not only to equip, enable and empower the visually impaired community, but also to enlighten the sighted community towards empathy to move beyond sight.
“Through the medium of darkness, people will learn to discover empathy, to love and appreciate light and not to take their God-given eyesight for granted,” Chan said.
Thus, it is time we saw blindness as an ability rather than a disability, and learn to understand the world inside a blind person’s mind. They do not deserve to be sidelined merely because of society’s misconceived perception of them.
As author Millie Huang once said, “Blind is not the situation when people cannot see others, but when people fail to feel or sense the existence of others.”
The writer’s sisters Agelya Esvary Subramanian (left) and Omisha Esvary Subramanian (right), thanking Nor Aisyah after the 45-minute “Cuti-cuti Malaysia” journey in total darkness.
8 June 2015FEATURES
Keeping the art of handwritten word aliveBy SIM PEI XUAN
IF I were to tell the story of my handwriting journey, it would begin with the distorted imitations of alphabets written with coloured pencils. It would then evolve into the repetitive patterns formed with a 2B pencil over the red and blue lines of an exercise book. The alphabets would gradually shrink, and it would be recognised as neat lines and paragraphs written in ink, filling up pages of paper. Then it would end, under the reign of the digital word.
It is a sad fact that most people like myself have fallen victim to the smartphones in our pockets and the keyboards at our fingertips, barely finding the use for pen and paper.
As we abandon old school stationery to seek better convenience
in today’s rapidly changing mode of communication, we unknowingly bury the art of the handwritten word.
There are significant reasons as to why the handwritten word remains an alluring aspect, irreplaceable by the rigid consistency of typed font.
The art of handwriting celebrates individuality and it is a way to recognise and know another person. Experts believe that the description of handwriting – bold or crabbed, sloping or upright, italic or rounded, elegant or slapdash – can reveal the personality of an individual.
Public Relations major Ng Jas Min, 22, is one of the few people who keeps the habit of handwriting letters to her high school friends.
She said, “I am not sure how it started but we love the way of communicating through handwritten letters, and we treasure each other’s effort to maintain this kind of relationship.”
Ng finds the excitement of receiving letters a great motivation to continue writing by hand.
“It is great to know someone actually sits down to write to you, hence I think handwritten letters are sacred, timeless and personal mementos,” she said.
Despite being able to connect with our friends and family through electronical means on a daily basis, there is no denying that the power of the handwritten word is one of the best ways to foster relationships.
In comparison to a birthday message sent on Facebook, one that is personally written on a small piece of card, would bring about a more significant meaning.
Leading female character causes controversy in Mad MaxBy SALIM HAMOOD AL-AFIFI
THE fourth installment of George Miller’s successful action-packed Mad Max franchise promised fans a unique cinematic experience that will take them on an unforgettable ride on a fury road.
The recently released movie, Mad Max: Fury Road, takes the audience into a post-apocalyptic story set in a deserted land where human life is in despair and people are struggling for survival. Within this world, two rebels – Mad Max (portrayed by Tom Hardy) and Furiosa (portrayed by Charlize Theron) – are determined to bring justice to the land and save what is left of it.
When Miller announced the production and storyline, fans were not pleased that Furiosa’s character has more screen time than the titular character Mad Max, and they called it a political scheme to portray feminism.
Truth be told, I myself was skeptical about the recent Mad Max movie for a couple of reasons. One is the fact that the movie is a fourth installment to its franchise, and movie sequels tend to
disappoint movie-goers and perform poorly at the box office.
The second reason why I was doubtful was because of the director’s decision to focus more on a female character, which could have driven fans away from watching the movie.
The movie had however surpassed my expectations with its great ensemble, over-the-top visual effects and sound mixing, as well as its unique storyline.
The lead actor does in fact have less dialogue in the movie compared to Furiosa, which challenges and alters the definition of a conventional blockbuster flick.
But is the movie truly aimed at shoving feminism concepts down people’s throats? I highly disagree.
In fact, I praise Miller’s risk-taking resolution. We are living in an era where new concepts and ideas are explored and developed. The hero of the movie does not have to be a male character.
In addition, heroine flicks do bring good businesses to the market such
as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, Beatrice “Tris” Prior in Divergent and Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games.
Mad Max is a mega hit regardless of which character has more screen time. Yet some critics are convinced that it is a form of propaganda for feminism.
For years, males were always perceived as the stronger gender in movies. In this film however, Furiosa was surrounded by physically powerful men, yet she is stronger, which infuriated some people for the false representation of a hero.
Regardless of the controversy, I am truly fascinated by the ever changing influence of gender roles in action-driven films. I feel that people should focus on the fact that Miller introduced a new idea into the realm of motion pictures that could be valued for the long run.
To me, the movie is not aimed at showcasing feminism, but rather, to equally place both genders on the same level when it comes to building on-screen superhero characters.
Hollywood is on the right track to break the stereotype of gender roles and conventional characters, and produce more roles that are entertaining, interesting and new to watch. Politics aside, the film was captivating with heroic triumphs.
The beauty of handwritten notes lies in the eternity of the message. The writer may eventually forget what was written as time passes, but the note will forever capture the emotion of that specific moment.
Taylor’s University Sky Adventure Club has a tradition whereby its members write notes for each other at the club’s annual orientation camp.
Club member Lee Phaik Yan, 22, recalled how everyone eagerly waited to receive their own envelope full of handwritten notes, and had read them with different expressions.
“It feels special when I receive notes from my friends whom I met few years back, when our very first handwritten notes to each other were simple messages, but now the content has become longer and more meaningful. It makes me realise how far we’ve come and grown together in the club,” the Interior Architecture student said.
One of the simplest ways to cultivate the habit of handwriting is to make time to write in a diary or a journal every single day.
Having a physical journal is distinctly different from owning a blog; although both options achieve the same objectives, they provide different experiences.
Writing by hand is slower than typing, but it allows for a deeper connection between the writer and the words.
Accounting and Finance major Ong Shanie, 22, who has kept a journal since young, said, “I love relieving my memories by reading back on the happenings in my journal, especially during my primary school years.”
“Apart from serving as a great platform to keep track of my life and the progresses I’ve made, I think there is effort involved in the art of a handwritten journal,” she said.
Over the years, research has suggested a link between handwriting and learning abilities.
A new research from the University of California claims that by taking handwritten notes during lectures, students are able to process and reframe the lecture content, which leads to better understanding and memory encoding.
Broadcasting major Jasmine Lim Sook Ee, 19, agreed that making notes by hand during lectures allows her to think faster and clearer.
“I like to take notes in colours and different fonts, so I can read it better and be more motivated to study,” she said, stating that writing by hand allows for flexibility.
“I love that I can write anywhere on a page. For example, I can make boxes for exam tips.”
She also added that the handwriting habit is more reliable than technology, the latter of which has the possibility of failing at times due to lack of battery or crashing software.
Ultimately, the art of handwriting is a unique culture that not only encourages self-expression, it also cultivates personalised communication.
Whether to foster relationships, preserve memories or for learning purposes, it is up to our own choice to rediscover the joys of writing by hand, and find the worth in our effort to keep the handwritten word alive.
Mad Max (left) and Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road. Source: Joblo Media Inc
Ng keeps the habit of handwriting letters to her friends till today.
9June 2015 FEATURES
Shame on those who music shame By TRECIA TAN SHU HUI
DURING my internship, I saw a colleague’s iPod on her desk and my curiosity got the best of me as I shamelessly asked if I could take a peek at her music library.
She gave me a look of horror, as if I just asked her to reveal her deepest, darkest secret to the whole world. She gave into my request only after I reminded her that my internship was about to end, and there was no way for me to tease her after that.
Thinking back, I understand now that the act of music shaming is the main reason why people are afraid to share something as trivial as their music playlist, and it should be stopped.
Many people are inaccurately using music taste as a judgement of character. For example, if someone is into One
Design students go nuts with Crazy Hat WeekBy WONG SOW YEE
Direction, they are perceived to have the mentality of a 12-year-old girl. People do not realise that belittling others based on something as subjective as music taste says more about them than the other person.
Music is a personal preference, just like food or movies, and everyone has their own definition of what good is. It is childish for people to feel superior about having “better” taste than others, just because they listen to indie artists rather than mainstream pop songs.
Music shaming has ruined the simple enjoyment of listening to music, and because of this, sharing something you love with friends has suddenly become a stressful affair.
It is absurd how people have to label the music they love as “guilty pleasures”.
It is not a crime to prefer the modern-day boy bands to the classics like The Beatles. They should not feel guilty about what makes them happy, as long as they are not harming anyone.
In fact, it is the judgmental people who should feel guilty for causing emotional pain to others by throwing unwarranted criticism at them. You can have opinions and dislike certain music, but you do not have to put other people down in the process.
Some may argue that people can actually learn to like better music.
According to The Atlantic, a study by researchers at University of Melbourne showed that the ability to identify tones and thus appreciate music is correlated with musical training. Hence, it is a learned trait.
Foundation in Design students proudly parading their hat designs on campus.
FANCY is the word of the day when Taylor’s University (TU) Foundation in Design students took part in the “Crazy Hat Week” project whereby every student had to parade their proud hat creations to the rest of the students on Lakeside Campus.
They didn’t specifically set up a booth to show off their creations, instead they bravely walked around campus, showcasing the huge and heavy head gears they were donning.
They intentionally chose lunch hour to parade their beautiful artwork because that is when most people walk in, out and about campus.
Foundation in Design student Chanel Than Kah Yee, 18, shared her firsthand experience when she heard of the task.
“Our first requirement was to sketch out our ideas and show it to our lecturer to be approved. It has to be huge and crazy enough, and a number of our ideas were rejected. The process requires a lot of planning — how to build it, where to get the materials, how to make it more stable and wearable, plus many others.
“It was a great but tiring experience for me. My hat was built completely out of wires and they are quite difficult to handle when it comes to building huge and round objects,” she said.
Than said, “We learnt that our designs must be good and also functional at the same time. For instance, some of the hats were coming apart during the parade and mine was quite unstable due to its size.”
The students were able to use any materials they wished for their hat designs as long as they were feasible enough to be worn over the head and not topple over when showcasing to the whole lot of students at campus.
The materials some of them used included wires, papier mâché, bamboo shoots and sponges.
Having such a big project to complete within just a few weeks, the students certainly had the “time of their lives”. Although they may have went through difficult moments throughout the project, they managed to have fun and gain inspiration from it.
Foundation in Design student Reid Ng Kah Yik, 18, said, “My hat piece was inspired by The Mad Hatter played by Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland.
“Having the want to improvise on the hat itself, I added the ‘death’ look to it whereby the end result became a combination of a bleach hollow mask and a tribal mask.”
“I also hung four skull bells around my hat that could make creepy sounds,” he said.
Ng said the stability of his horned head piece was an issue as it was too heavy until it slipped to his nose. He
fixed the problem by putting four sponges around the diameter of the hat for it to stabilise.
Human Communication lecturer Natasha Mohd Hishamudin said the aim of the project was to encourage the students to build their confidence by creating an outrageous design, have it publicly displayed and to see people’s reaction to it.
“As a designer, your work has no meaning if people have no reaction towards your art.
“Even a negative feedback can be constructive as long as you learn, develop and grow as an artist through it,” she said.
Natasha added, “I started this project four years ago as a way to make people talk about the Design School.”
“I also wanted to start a tradition at the Design School where three times a year, with each foundation batch, we get to be silly and be graded for it! It became part of their orientation programme and both the seniors and design lecturers always look forward to seeing fresh ideas.
“For designers, you’re not doing it right if your work is not being talked about,” she said.
The students had certainly done a proud job of showcasing their designs to the public and most of them had stories behind their creations, may it be an inspiration, a social cause, an idea from a movie or simply due to their infinite imaginary process.
“I’m very proud of them because the students always outdo the simple brief I give them.
“Design students can be very competitive with each other when it comes to ideation,” Natasha said.
Seeing the quirky hat designs from the students, there is no denying that they are indeed a creative bunch.
There is no doubt that the more skilled you are in a particular area, the more you appreciate it, but not everyone has the opportunity to be a music expert, and not everyone feels the need to know the technicalities of how a certain tune is created to love it.
Whether you like listening to music which has been validated by a Grammy win, or a catchy pop song by Justin Bieber, as long as it makes you happy, nothing else matters.
So, cease the shaming because everyone is entitled to their personal music preferences.
I wish that one day, we would be able to see a world where masculine men blast Britney Spears on their iPod while they work out in the gym, without the fear of being judged.
10 June 2015FEATURES
Cheaper smartphone alternativesBy VINCENT WONG YEW SING
IN the modern era of smartphones, owning one is inevitable. The Apple iPhones and the Samsung Galaxies are considered as the pioneers in any smartphone markets these days as these devices are earmarked as the benchmark in comparison with other smartphones.
However, these smartphones do not come into your possession without burning a hole in your pocket. A staggering price tag ranging from RM2,500 to above RM3,000 is what the iPhones and Samsung Galaxies will cost you, and this trend will continue on as both the Apple and Samsung brand have great brand recognition amongst users these days.
Fret not, as below are the top four smartphone alternatives for the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy.1) Google Nexus 5
“Nice to see, nice to hold.” That is the simplest of charms to the Nexus 5. The appearance makes it comfortable to hold. While the display, a five-inch full HD screen looks great, it is extremely fast, and it rarely lags. Sounds attractive so far?
The Nexus 5 is one of the more popular choices to replace any Android-
Zines – a medium to promote under-represented voicesBy NUR FARAHAIN ABDUL MUTALIB
I WAS looking for some good reads the other day, when I stumbled upon a booth at the Art for Grabs bazaar at Jaya One, Petaling Jaya.
Colourful collections of books were displayed at the booth, but they looked more like newsletters as they were not thick and the front covers had interesting illustrations with fascinating titles such as “Race-ing and Dating” and “The Art of Politics”.
I asked one of the girls there about them and she asked me, “Have you ever heard of zines?” and I was intrigued by the new term I had just heard.
Zine, or also known as fanzine, is a self-published magazine with a small circulation of original texts and pictures. Zines were famous back in the 80s and are more common in the West.
Biawak Gemok Distro (http://biawakgemok.tumblr.com) is a website which stocks cheap reads for the community such as zines, poetries and flash fictions.
Its co-founder and writer Liyana Dizzy considers zines as the cheaper alternative for good reads.
For Liyana, she believes that zines are more honest in terms of its content as writers usually write about their experiences or their personal take on certain issues.
She said, “It’s the opposite of a book, it’s definitely cheaper and doesn’t require any sort of special expertise, as
Liyana (left) and her friends promoting zines at the Art for Grabs bazaar.
powered device and it boasts fair specs which include a quad core Snapdragon processor which is what makes it lightning fast.
The downside of the device is that it has an unremarkable eight megapixels back camera and it provides an average battery life.
Many users are starting to take notice of this smartphone because of the speed in which the phone performs and at an affordable price, ranging from RM799 to RM899, they get to experience a stylish, refined and fast processing smartphone.2) LG G3
LG’s latest device is more of a phablet (phone and tablet) than a phone. Dubbed the LG G3, this great device contains some of the latest specs and advanced features.
It has a display screen of 5.5 inches, a quad core Snapdragon 801 chipset, a high processor which helps with capturing sharper image, post-processing, and virtually flawless communications, while also not taking up much battery life for premium smartphones and tablets.
Apart from its stunning screen, its magnificent 13 megapixels back camera
is a good camera even in bright lightings and with laser autofocus. The only slight let down is its dreary outer appearance. But that is where the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” comes into the fray. Do not underestimate its lackluster looks, because underneath the hood, the LG G3 packs quite the firepower.
According to website TechNave, the price range for the LG G3 is between RM709 and RM809, depending on the retail store you are purchasing off.3) Sony Xperia Z2
The Xperia Z2 is a reliable smartphone which provides an excellent and enjoyable user experience. It boasts all the mechanism one would expect from your standard smart device. The Xperia Z2 packs almost the same features as other smartphones in the same range, such as a fast processor and an Adreno graphics chip, which contributes to its brilliant graphics.
But what makes it outstanding is the camera. It has an amazing 20.7 megapixels back camera. For all out there who love the “snap life”, this phone is definitely for you.
All smart devices from the Japanese manufacturer are well known for being
well-built and durable to damages or outdoor purposes.
Battery life spans can be the root problem for any smart devices these days, but not for the Z2, which boasts a decent battery health life. However, it is slightly pricier at RM1,600 because it is a product from one of the most famous Japanese manufacturers after all.4) Xiaomi Mi 4
One of the cheapest smartphones on the list is the new Xiaomi Mi 4. While this phone is dubbed the copycat of the iPhone, it has still managed to build a reputation for itself.
The Mi 4 is powered by the 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, which supposedly makes it more powerful than its predecessor, the Mi 3, but yet energy efficient.
The five-inch 1080p IPS display with Adreno 330 GPU contributes to a dream screen display while also equipped with 2GB of RAM. With a 13 megapixels back camera, the phone is pretty decent for normal use.
The specs seem pretty identical to the Google Nexus 5 as well, but it is still a very fast phone, which will cost you around RM1,200.
long as you can write and people can buy them for like RM5.”
Liyana has been promoting zines for some time with her friends and started Biawak Gemok Distro as a platform for writers to submit their writings.
She thinks that zines should be brought back to the community as people are longing for more stories beyond the perspectives of the mainstream media.
She then explained that there are a lot of topics covered in zines. Most of the topics are usually beyond what
is covered in mainstream publications. Fascinating topics such as assimilation, racism, religion and sex are usually written in a realistic manner.
Liyana said, “We also have alternative history, because obviously history in the mainstream line has a certain narrative and not a lot of things get covered beyond that narration, so we try to look for alternative history.”
Al Ibrahim, 26, who wrote his first zine titled “Race-ing and Dating”, thinks that zines help people to voice
out their opinions about specific topics. Being a Nigerian, Al decided to write about his experience of being a black guy living in Malaysia. Little did he know that his zines became a great hit among Malaysian readers.
He explained, “I received my first feedback from this girl on Facebook who wrote a long post about racism and she tagged me. It was one of the best things I’ve experienced, to be able to make an impact on someone out there.”
Al thinks that zines should be promoted more and it can make a huge comeback for the community.
He said, “There are a lot of issues that need to be talked about. For example, racism. Being someone whose race has been questioned by others often, I think it is important to write on that perspective so that people know how it feels.”
As for Liyana, she intends to keep on fighting to gain a spot for zine culture in the society. She hopes that more people would start writing for zines and even produce their own zines.
“When you feel strongly about something and you just don’t know what to do about it, you write.
“You write and you publish it so that you can let that feeling go, and to know that someone is going to read it and get affected by it, it’s the best feeling ever because you know you did something about your feeling,” she said.
11FEATURESJune 2015
Fear of image takes a toll among studentsBy NUR FARAHAIN ABDUL MUTALIB
EVERYONE has a fear, and it could be anything. Whether it’s a fear of height or darkness, there are certain fears that can affect your entire life, and sometimes it takes a lifetime to work on overcoming that fear. One of them is the fear of image.
Society has never failed to set a standard on beauty or intelligence. Some people say being light skinned is beautiful, hence all these advertisements promoting whitening products pop out.
Then they start saying only straight A’s students are intelligent, then parents start pushing their children for that “top scorer of the year” title. Why? So that these people will have the benefit of thinking that they fit well in the society.
So what happens to those who were never welcomed in the society? Those who are not able to achieve the standards of beauty or intelligence? They start to develop fear within themselves. and this is called fear of image.
Fear of image does not only involve physical appearance but also intellectual capabilities. Study shows that students who are not performing well tend to develop lower self-confidence.
10 essentials for students to survive the exam seasonBy LEE JIA ANN
IDEALLY, students should allocate sufficient time to hit the books for revision during final exam season.
However, with procrastination as one of the main culprits behind our lack of time, last-minute cramming sessions are a habit most students relate to. These 10 essentials can get you through the season of stress.1) Highlighters
What is revision without highlighters to separate key points in a text? They add on colours into your study notes, that would likely aid in memorisation as well. Just keep a stack of them on standby, and you will make good use of them for sure.2) Vitamin C Chewies
The worst time to fall sick is during exam period, but then again, this is the time that we are most likely to, due to lack of sleep and added stress. Vitamin C Chewies can help ward away nasty colds, keeping you well and healthy to sit for your papers. The added bonus would be that they help keep you awake too. Just remember not to have too many at a time.3) Socks
If you are planning to pull an all-nighter, socks can help keep your toes warm in an air-conditioned room, so your focus would be on your notes and not the freezing cold. Whether you are headed to campus to revise at the 24-7 study hall, or just reading notes in your own room, socks will certainly keep you cozy and snug.
People who are not able to achieve the standards of society may develop a fear of image.Source: imgkid.com
Majoring in Public Relations, Elisabeth Chen Siew Hoon, 23, told her story as she was growing up dealing with fear of image.
“Out of the three siblings, I was the extreme underachiever who’d come home with D’s and E’s, no one at home believed in me.
“And in the same context, there were a few times during my mother’s sessions of rage, she might blurt out how stupid I was,” Chen said.
Chen admits that her fear of image was also caused by the divorce of her parents. She said her mother started to become abusive towards her and her sisters due to marriage issues. She also experienced fear of image from her friends at school but she was having a hard time identifying the symptoms of fear of image.
“I think it was very apparent when I was a teenager. I was very timid when I was a child, and I would break down in tears when confronted by teachers or when facing scary situations, so it took me a while to distinguish between that childhood characteristic of mine and the fear of image.”
According to Taylor’s University Counselling and Psychological Services Centre Counsellor Evan Kok Choon Foong, fear of image is relatively common among young adults and most of them don’t even realise that they are experiencing it.
“Fear of image is when one has negative impressions towards himself or herself, and because of that, they are always surrounded by negative energy.
“Some people may have it because of their appearance, body weight or maybe their performance in studies,” Kok explained.
He then added that there are various factors causing fear of image and there is no scientific explanation that can explain it because it’s very subjective and human behaviours are unpredictable.
“The factors can be anything; problems at home, peer pressure or maybe he or she experienced a traumatic incident,” Kok said
According to Kok, there are various ways to tackle fear of image. It is not impossible to improve on one’s self-confidence, however it takes time to gradually overcome the fear.
Kok said, “People who are dealing with fear of image need to be surrounded by positive energy and focus on their personal strengths.”
Kok added that Malaysians are slowly accepting psychological treatment as a positive alternative rather than seeing it as a treatment for people suffering from serious mental illnesses.
Essentials for a late night study session right before finals.
4) Ear PlugsWith a pair of ear plugs handy,
you can drown out the noise from a snoring roommate, noise from building constructions and from other external sources such as conversations or sounds from a blaring television. If you do not have one at hand, and do not wish to go through the hassle of purchasing one, earphones do the trick as well. Keep them plugged into your phone to free yourself from noisy distractions.5) Tea/Coffee
Nothing spells a perfect companion for the night than a good ol’ mug of tea or coffee. Both provide the necessary caffeine to keep you not only wide awake, but alert enough to absorb
information. Just remember to limit yourself to a handful of mugs (or less) of these caffeinated beverages.6) Wet Wipes
Even though it is called an all-nighter, maintaining self-hygiene is still necessary! Keeping a packet of wet wipes at hand can help you freshen yourself up from time to time, so you would feel comfortable enough to continue on to the next chapter of notes. Hand sanitizers are also another great option to keep germs at bay.7) Post-Its
Post-Its are convenient because they can be strategically stuck at places you would visit throughout the day such as the fridge door, changing room mirror
and even bathroom walls. If you do not have physical post-its lying around the house to serve as revision notes, a virtual post-it can be placed on your phone display, so you can catch up on some notes every time you are tempted to sneak in a little social media time.8) Mint and Hard Candy
While exams are not necessarily the sweetest of experiences, some mint and hard candy can help to make the journey all the better. Keep a stash of them in your bag or desk drawer to munch on and stay refreshed when studying. They help curb late night hunger and you can even opt to associate certain candy flavours with the study notes that you are currently revising.9) Nuts
Nuts are a handy dandy snack to have around, and apart from tasting great, they fill you up as well. Not only that, they provide you with the essential nutrients to boost memory. A small serving of baked nuts is an ideal snack for the night, as they are healthier when compared to salted variants.10) Water
Energy drinks, coffee and tea are beverages that students would automatically reach for when pulling an all-nighter. However, due to the high caffeine content, these drinks are also diuretics that may cause you to have a tendency of thirst. A good way to solve this problem would be to keep a bottle of water around to combat dehydration and stay healthy throughout.
theinkSlingersFEATURES
June 2015
Google takes technology to new heightsBy PRETHIBA ESVARY SUBRAMANIAN
RECENTLY, a group of 50 students from Taylor’s University (TU) stayed back on campus till 3am to watch the Google I/O 2015 via live streaming from San Francisco, USA.
For those who are unfamiliar with the term, Google I/O is an annual conference held by Google, where its latest products and services are revealed.
TU Agents of Tech Club Public Relations Director Ting Shi Jin said the main highlight of the conference was the virtual reality (VR) products.
According to the HowStuffWorks website, VR is the use of technology to
enable users to immerse themselves in a simulated, three-dimensional world.
One of the VR products Ting highlighted was the VR camera rig. He explained, “There’s a 360 degree GoPro camera in it. So, users can capture images from a 360 degree view.”
He said there is an algorithm which then calculates the depth of each image captured, and these images would then be stitched together to produce a stereoscopic (three-dimensional) video.
Agents of Tech Club Vice President and former Google Malaysia Student Ambassador, Norman Low Wei Kit
mentioned the Google Expeditions app, which also utilises the concept of VR.
According to The Verge, an online publication, the app is a VR education tool that lets students take VR field trips while teachers control their experience with a tablet.
Tech Crunch website stated that the purpose of the app is to allow students to travel to places they otherwise might not have had the opportunity to reach.
Low also highlighted Google’s Project Brillo, which according to The Verge, is an operating system that will let smart devices talk to each other.
The Guardian explained that Google Brillo is designed to run on multiple low-power devices, connecting anything from a washing machine to a rubbish bin with existing Google technologies.
As an example, Low said users can turn off the lamp on their study table by merely tapping on their phones.
Besides that, Low introduced two highly-anticipated, on-going projects by Google called Project Jacquard and Project Soli.
Discover and explore the hidden gems of Malaysia
Beautiful scenery of chalets on water in Semporna, Sabah is comparable to the famous Maldives. Source: Peter Wong Fine Art Photoghraphy
By FELICIA JULIN
HAVING access to all parts of the world through pictures and flights, we often forget what our own backyard has to offer. With social media’s ability to share a single photo to a wide audience, we treasure the little nooks and cranny that we can find in our own little town. So we hold on to it a little closer, by taking photos in mass.
Now, don’t be hasty to leave town, we have amazing wonders here as well.1. Pantai Klebang, Malacca
The famous beach in Malacca — with its huge stretch of beach, obvious tyre track print, and hills after hills of sand — could appear as though you are vacationing in the Sahara dessert. This Malaysian Sahara dessert is located near Tanjung Kling in Malacca.
Apart from the physical look of the beach itself, Pantai Klebang has a unique hotel nearby called Bustel. Located at Dataran 1 Malaysia, it is made from used buses in Malacca, turned into a typical room you can find in a hotel.
A night’s stay at Bustel can cost between RM80 and RM120.
Pantai Klebang also has a Submarine Museum — the first and also the only
one available in Malaysia. Visitors can have a feel of being in a submarine for RM1 only.2. Bukit Tinggi, Pahang
Surrounded by the thick forest of Pahang, Bukit Tinggi is well-known for its French-styled Colmar Tropicale, a resort located in the beautiful town.
Focused on bringing different cultural flavours from abroad into Malaysia, Bukit Tinggi not only has European architecture. There is also a Japanese Village nearby where you can wear kimonos and experience the
traditional Japanese lifestyle in replicas of Japanese houses for just RM20.
Bukit Tinggi is only an hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. Other attractions available there are the Botanical Garden, Rabbit Park and Horse Trails.3. Semporna, Sabah
Beautiful scenery of clear blue waters, white sands and picturesque chalets on water can be found in the land of Semporna, Sabah.
Semporna is a district consisting of various islands such as the Sipadan Island, Mabul Island and Kapalai Island.
This local wonder is a closer alternative to Maldives with its blue waters and white sands. Its rich and diverse marine life is comparable to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Apart from the great scenery, Semporna has many water sports and activities to complement it. Visitors can scuba dive, snorkel and go on a sunset boat cruise.4. Tusan Beach, Miri
Hidden behind cliffs, this breathtaking, secluded beach features a natural rock arch and a number of caves, making the area a good spot for hiking and for the curious, adventurous minds to explore.
Despite not being in the same stature of rock arches that you can find in Australia, Thailand, or the likes, one thing that makes Tusan Beach special is that the natural arch is in the shape of a horse head.
Needless to say, the view is majestic, especially during the golden hour when the sun hits the right spot as it sets.
Only 40km away from Miri, it’s a great spot to have a picnic and just lounge around with good company.
The founder of these two projects, Ivan Poupyrev said in an introductory video, “Project Jacquard involves replacing some of the threads in textile (fabric) with conductive (electrical conductivity) threads.”
So, users simply have to make “touch gestures” on their clothing to produce a response on their devices.
Low explained, “Fashion and technology could never really cross before this, but now, that barrier has been broken.”
In regards to Project Soli, Low said it is a technology which allows the user to interact with a device by merely showing hand gestures in front of the device, without actually touching it.
According to Huffington Post, the technology uses radar to detect hand movements to control everything from the volume controls on a stereo to a device’s on-off switch.
Poupyrev also said this technology seeks to push things far past a simple swipe and seeks to apply the finesse of actions to the virtual realm.Google’s VR camera rig is completed with 16 GoPro cameras. Source: Variety
