in this issue

A NEWSLETTER OF CATHOLIC JUNIOR COLLEGEMAY 2008

The GCE ‘A’ level Spartans of CJCThe GCE ‘A’ level Spartans of CJCBy Ben Chester Cheong (2T15)

2THE GCE ‘A’ LEVEL SPARTANS

OF CJC

3OF WITCHES, GHOULS

AND VAMPIRES

LENTEN VIGIL

4GETTING STARTED - 34TH

STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTION

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY

5NEW ROCKAFELLA CHAMPION

IS A REAL CLASS ACT

PARENT-TEACHER MEETING SETS THE TONE FOR JC1S

6ORIENTATION 2: “EXOTHERMIC”

7RICE TO THE OCCASION

GIVING BLOOD - WITHOUT THESWEAT AND TEARS

8BATTLE DROIDS

CHOIR CONCERT: A JOB WELL DONE

9LARGEST EVER MEDAL HAUL

FOR CJC FENCING

10FROM STUDENTS TO TEACHERS

JUDOKAS BAG MEDALS AT NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIPS

11MAKING HISTORY

12STRIKING A CHORD

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The tension in the Performing Arts Centre(PAC) was palpable. However, this was noconcert or performance. It was a make or

break moment for the 2007 JC2 cohort on 7March, the day of the release of the 2007 GCE ‘A’Level Results.

When school principal Bro. Paul announced thatthe results were the best in 11 years of theschool’s history, the students, teachers andparents who were present in the PAC broke intoeuphoric screams and applause. Never had somany students scored 4 or more distinctions.

There was added cause for celebration when itwas announced that the number of distinctionsfor most subjects enjoyed a tremendous increase.The top performing subject was Literature at H1and H2 level, with 100% passes. At H2 level,there were 45% distinctions, while at H1 levelthere were 56% distinctions.

The subject which saw the largest improvementwas Biology. Many students acknowledged thatBiology was difficult as the concepts can beconvoluted. When Bro. Paul mentioned that therewere 28.7% H2 distinctions and 50% H1distinctions, the whole PAC was filled with gaspsof astonishment and surprise. The H2 distinctionswere up by a whopping 16%. Judging from theflabbergasted reactions as Bro. Paul continued hislong list of improvements; it is safe to say that the2007 ‘A’ level results were phenomenal.

The top two students were Liew Han Hsien(2T13/’07) and Chua Kim Loong Victor(2T27/’07), who each received 7 distinctions.Both were from the Science faculty. Thisperformance was outstanding - they had brokenthe record set in 2006, when the top student,Alexandria Kate Neo (2T06/’06) had achieved 6distinctions.

Han Hsien did not enter CJC through thetraditional route. He had entered CJC directlyafter schooling in Malaysia. Yet, this did not puthim at any disadvantage. He scored distinctionsin H1 GP, H1 Chinese, H2 Maths, H2 Physics, H2Chemistry, H2 Economics, and H3 Chemistry.

When queried on his secret formula for success,he replied modestly, “I never believe in lastminute studying. I studied regularly at my own

pace and more importantly, Iprepared my own notes aswell.” He also spoke aboutachieving a balance betweenCCAs and academics.Considering that he was theCIP coordinator for Fencingand a NYAA participant, thisfeat is admirable. Han Hsienelaborates, “I see CCA as thenumber one distraction. InJC 1, the number of activitieswas tremendous. In order toachieve a balance, I had tobe very focused anddisciplined. Mr. Tan HoeTeck, the NYAA coordinator,taught me how to achievethis delicate balance and Ithink I benefitted from hisguidance.”

Continued on page 2

Bro Paul with the Top students of 2007

Bro Paul with Top Arts students, Brenda Tanand Andrea Lee

news

The GCE ‘A’ level Spartans of CJC Continued from Cover Page

2

Furthermore, his college involvement did not justrevolve around school work. Han Hsien has aninterest in the French language and is very well-versed in it. He said of this accomplishment, “Istarted learning French in 2002. I liked the styleof the language and the intrinsic value of it.French is my fourth language. I can speak andwrite well in English, Chinese and Malay as well.”Han Hsien intends to apply for a scholarship toallow him to study law in the London School ofEconomics (LSE). When asked about his futureplans, he proudly replied, “I hope to get into theUnited Nations (UN) and be a UN delegate tohelp out in eradicating the problem of HIV/Aidsin the Third World countries.”

Victor’s subject combination is slightly differentfrom Han Hsien’s. Instead of taking H2 Physicsand H3 Chemistry, Victor took H2 Biology and H3Maths. He kindly let out a secret about studyingfor his most difficult subject - Biology, “Biology isdifficult, I have no doubt about it. But the key toscoring in this subject is to put in a lot of timeand to consult your teachers very often. They arethe experts at Biology and they can easily pointout your mistakes.” Victor hopes to get into NUSto study either Mathematics or Business.

The top Arts student, with 6 distinctions wasBrenda Tan Xiang Yun (2T03/’07). She scoreddistinctions in H1 GP, H1 Chinese, H2 Literature,H2 History, H2 Economics and H2 Mathematics.

Credit must also be given to the highest value-added student of the 2007 JC2 cohort - BrandonWong Kah Ming (2T23/’07). He has a successstory truly admirable and commendable. With aPSLE T-score of 144, he was posted to theNormal (Technical) stream. Against all odds,he worked hard and eventually made it toCJC with a L1R5 score of 10. Adding tohis track record of continuousimprovement, he achieved adistinction in H2 Maths and B for H2Economics and H2 Physics.

The best value added student to walk throughCJC’s gates is Thio Soon Huat, Justin (2T24/’07).He had distinctions in H2 Maths, H2 Economicsand H1 Literature and he achieved a B in H1 GPand H2 Physics. This young gentleman came toCJC with a not so perfect result slip. He had aPSLE T-score of 195 and a L1R5 score of 8. Yet,he is a testament to how much one person canachieve when he sets his mind to doing well.Justin was also Captain of the Canoeing team,obtained an NYAA Gold award in JC, and hasbeen selected for Officer Cadet School. He hopesto be a pilot.

In all, there were 67 students with 4 or moredistinctions. One of these 67 students is ShaunGerald Nathan (2T28/’07). Shaun had 6distinctions and was the only person in his cohortto take 2 H3 subjects. What was moreoutstanding was that he received distinctions for2 of his H3 subjects in Maths and Chemistry. Tothis great achievement, Shaun said that he wouldlike to thank all the teachers who have supportedhim in achieving such exemplary results.

Another student in this league with 5 distinctionsis Goh Bing Xing (2T30/’07). Bing Xing haddistinctions in H1 GP, H2 Chemistry, H2 Maths,H2 Biology and H2 History. When asked how hefeels about his results, Bing Xing had this to say,“I am surprised by my results but I think Iexpected it. I was consistent in my work and paidclose attention to all the lectures.” He alsothanked Mr. Ho Seng Chye, Ms. Daphane Tanand Mr. Melvin Ho for contributing to hissuccesses. Bing Xing also spoke on his next movefrom here, “I would be applying to studymedicine at NUS. I am deeply interested inmedicine as I enjoy service vocations.”

One student who was singled out by Bro. Paul ashaving a tremendously heavy CCA commitmentin his capacity as Captain of Track & Field and alow PSLE score of 211, stood out as a shining starwith 6 distinctions. Choong Jan Tai Lionel(2T24/’07) was a dark horse of his cohort. When

asked about how he

juggled track and his academic commitments,Lionel said, “I never allowed an excuse such as “Iwas too tired from training”. My idea was that ifyou are an athlete, you train hard and you studyhard. Towards the end of my season, I went madwith studying. I studied from 8pm to 12am atnight.” On a lighter note, Lionel says for thewhole 19 years of his life, CJC was the best placewhere bonds are truly made and lessons learnt.As an Officer Cadet, Lionel has this advice foraspiring officers, “For all aspiring OCS people,start training now. It’s not even questionablewhether it will be tough or not, it’s confirmed.”Lionel is thinking of pursuing a double degree inEngineering and Business locally but he willconsider an overseas scholarship.

The most memorable moment of the resultsrelease was when Bro. Paul announced that KohJun Rui, Benjamin (2T17/’07) achieved 3distinctions. In his own right, Benjamin’sperformance is special. Benjamin is profoundlydeaf yet this handicap did not hinder him fromperforming to the fullest of his ability. Thisindividual shows us that we must have resiliencewhen faced with any setback, no matter how life-size the setback might be. Only then will we berewarded with the promise of good results.

Such sterling results would not be possiblewithout the hard work of the students and theguidance and mentorship from Bro. Paul and theteachers. This stellar performance is therefore

dedicated to those who have contributed tothe accolade of “best ‘A’ level results in11 years”.

3 of the Top ScienceStudents take pride in theirresults. From left: EvanYeo, Victor Chua andShaun Nathan

The beaming faces of Linus Seah and Zhou XiaoNan (2T17/’07) upon receiving their results

Lester Hio (2T11/’07)celebrating his resultswith Mrs Sng

celebrations

Of Witches, Ghouls and Vampires By Michelle Kwok (2T13) and Victoria Pereira (1T06)

It was a real Freaky Friday on theevening of 1st February as witches,vampires and other manner of

ghoulish beings flitted about thegrounds of CJC. For those seeking a trueparanormal experience, however, theapparitions were merely the college’sJC2 Literature students having amonstrously good time at this year’sGothic-themed Literature Film Evening.

For some, it was a chance for them to,literally, dress to kill as they traded theirschool uniforms for Gothic costumes.Photo-taking were the order of theevening as students hammed it up in front ofthe cameras.

The evening began with moviescreenings of “The House of Usher” and“The Raven”, both of whichshared elements of Gothichorror. These elements arerelated to the nightmareworlds that the Literaturestudents are analysingin class and studentswere asked to look outfor them in the films.

The highlight of the evening, however, was theprize ceremony for the Best Dressed Class

award. The judging criteria for the BestDressed Class competition included

relevance to the theme and creativity.Carrying off the night’s top honours

were the spirited 2T05, whose ranksincluded a version of the ghoulish

killer from the movieScream as well as atall and imposingCount Dracula. 2T01

and 2T13 were the first

and second runners-up, respectively.

“I took more than an hour to dress up. Iwas rather surprised that my class won.We’re all very glad that our efforts have paidoff,” said “Count Dracula” MuhammadZulhilmi (2T05) whose intricate outfitcomplete with make-up attractedconsiderable attention and made him afavourite target for the photo-taking hordes.

Goh Yi Ting (2T01), who was dressed as aGothic duchess for the event, summed upthe night by saying, “The event is fun anddefinitely an eye-opener!”

Lenten Vigil

Catholic students in CJCgathered on 18 March 2008for a very meaningful

spiritual journey in a Lenten Vigil.The CJC Catholic Activity Wing hadprepared the Lenten Vigil to markMaundy Thursday, a time forreflection for Catholics around theworld.

The Lenten Vigil was divided intoseven main parts, with clips fromthe movie The Passion of the Christshown at some sections. At the start of theevening, Father Francis Leong lighted thePascal Candle to symbolize God’s continuouspresence throughout the journey, followed bythe sharing of The Seder Meal. The Seder Mealrepresents the Last Supper which comprisedThe One Bread, The Lamb, Bitter Herbs, The

Meal and The Cup of Solidarity. To representtheir friendship and care for each other, thestudents then washed one another’s hands.

After the washing, the studentsembarked on a journey todiscover their relationship withGod and the people aroundthem. They moved around thecollege to 4 stations for amodified version of the Stations ofthe Cross. At three of the stations,they were asked to reflect on howthey would respond to His calland a time of reflection followedwhere students renewed theircommitment to God.

For some students, the experience was uniqueand priceless. Said Clare Low (2T37), “I’vegotten a new point of view of the Seder Mealafter being able to share it as one community.”

3

BEWITCHED: 2T13 show off their wicked side

FREAKY BUNCH: Best Dressed Class winners 2T05 in all theirGothic glory, together with Literature teacher Mr RupertGlascow (back row, 2nd from right).

A REAL SCREAM: Principal Brother Paul getsup close and personal with The Scream.

Breaking Bread: CJCians remember the work ofChrist as they share a meal at the Lenten Vigil.

By Yosephine Leosaputro (2T13)and Khoo Jia Xin (1T12)

By Yosephine Leosaputro (2T37)and Khoo Jiaxin (1T12)International Friendship Day

“A friend loves at all times, and abrother is born for adversity.”

- Proverbs 17:17

Friends are part and parcel of our lives.Considering the valuable roles that friendsplay in our lives, Friendship Day is a day

dedicated to friends and friendships, and wascelebrated on 15 April in the college.

To commemorate the occasion, a booth sellingcookies was set up in the canteen. The cookiebooth was a combined effort by the studentsof Legion of Mary and St Vincent De PaulSociety. Funds were raised for a combined

overseas community involvement project tohelp an orphanage in Batam. The organiserwas Beverly Anne Kannangar (2T21).

More than 200 cookies were baked bystudents from these two societies, and eachwas individually decorated with creative andcheerful designs. Some cookies could even beuniquely customised with a short handwrittenmessage composed by the buyer.

These cookies were met with overwhelmingresponse and support by the student cohort.Many students who visited the booth endedup with a packet of cookies to give to theirfriends as a token of appreciation.

Leonard Yeo (2T08), one of the helpers at theevent, mentioned that the response from thestudents was overwhelming as they did notexpect the 200 self-baked cookies to sell out sofast. “The favourite phrase of the day was‘Keep the change!’”, he said. “CJC-ians aregenerally supportive of the needy and we arevery proud of this spirit.”

The support from the students motivated theorganisers to produce and provide morecookies which were selling out fast. “I think it’sa good way to inculcate camaraderie amongthe students,’ said Goh Ee Ling (1T12).

By Samuel Kwek (2T15) andMagdalene Yeow (1T05)

events

Getting Started - 34th Student Council Election

4

The 34th StudentCouncil Election isan especially

exciting period for theJC1s. Most candidateshad no priorexperience in standingand campaigning forelections, and stepshad been taken toprepare the candidates for the role of being aStudent Councillor.

Students had to first submit an applicationcontaining reflective questions on how theywould like to serve the college. Nominees hadto attend a Nominees’ Camp, held over twodays (4-5 April) with programmes thatmimicked typical council work, such assubmitting proposals for planned events andexecuting it during the camp. Based on a

theme “WAVE”, thenominees planned aprayer service and afinale event for the camp.Going through thisallowed nominees tohave a taste of whatcouncil work would belike andwhether

they were up to meeting thechallenges of council work.Teacher advisors and theirseniors also had the opportunityto get to know them better.

Lastly, nominees prepared theirproposals for their campaignevent and executed it. Theelection process was completedon 22 April with the studentpopulation voting for theirpotential council leaders.

According to the nominees, thecamp tested their limits of patience,endurance and creativity as they worked lateinto the night. They learnt to be moreaccommodating in their ideas andmindsets, a trait that is vital to being a

member of the studentgovernment. The camp alsoenabled the participants tocross paths with many otherswho share the same passionand ideals as them, thoughdifferent in many ways,offering them a chance towork with a diverse group ofpeople, and taste what it islike to be a StudentCouncillor.

Solving problems as a team

Student nominees trying out the gamesproposed by their teams

An interview session with the councilteachers in charge

A debriefing session by the seniors on theirgames

Students nominees explaining their proposalsto council teacher, Mr. Eugene Yeow.

events

New Rockafella Championis a Real Class Act

By Ben Chester Cheong (2T15)

5

Wooo...hooo” screams filled the air ashundreds of students cheered fortheir favourite performers. The venue

was CJC auditorium. The event: Rockafella IV.On 15th February 2008, the auditorium, usedto housing students diligently taking theirexams, had been transformed into a darkenedhall with disco lightings and rock music.

In fact, it was so electric that many startedjumping, dancing and clapping to the grooveof the rock music. Some students even rushedup to the centre-stage to idolize their favouriterock star.

The fifth performance by Class Act upped thisfeeling further by its outstanding performanceof “Always”. Lead singer, Al-Sharifa Um SalamaHaka (2T37) was extremely loved by the crowdfor her powerful vocals and heart-warmingrenditions. After the band finished with theirperformance, the whole auditorium was filledwith deafening cheers and applauses.

From the sheer extent of the cheers, it is nowonder then that Class Act stirred the hearts,minds and souls of the judges. They were laterawarded the prestigious title of “OverallWinning Band”.

This year, CJC had an exciting and diversepanel of judges. The 4 judges who presidedover Rockafella IV includes Ms. Caroline Smith,an ex-teacher from CJC who is currently aClass 95 DJ, Ms Tiffany Tay, an ex CJC studentcouncillor who was the brain child of

“ Rockafella, Ms. Kelly Poon, the runner up in2005’s Project Superstar, and Brother Paul.

For the organizing committee, puttingtogether this year’s Rockafella has been a life-changing experience. Michael da Silva (2T36),Vice-President, Community Involvement ofStudent Council explains, “As an organiser, Ifelt that Rockafella was a life changingexperience for me. All profits from this year’sRockafella will be donated towards theOverseas Community Involvement Project(OCIP) fund. Having gone for an OCIP tripmyself, I realised how important Rockafella wasin helping to raise funds to aid the children inthe various orphanages and schools.”

Many students acknowledged that this year’sRockafella was much earlier than expected.Some were caught by surprise when told ofthe timing in late January. Participating rockbands had to make do with a shorter timeframe for rehearsals. Yet, the earlier concert didnot cause the quality of the rock concert to becompromised.

This was echoed by a first-timer to a Rockafellaconcert Hansel Chew (1T32), “I think that theperformance tonight is comparable toprofessional rock concerts. I feel that it isinteresting to have this in school as it engagesboth students and teachers.”

Parent-TeacherMeeting sets thetone for JC1s

By Low Han Loong (2T05) and Jorain Ng (1T05)

The first Parent-Teacher Meeting, held on2 March 2008, was warmly graced withthe presence of teachers, parents and

students. The purpose was to set the tone andexpectations for the JC1 students as they begina new phase of life in junior college. Theschool principal, Brother Paul spoke aboutwhat students must expect of life in juniorcollege - elaborating on the all-round aspectsof academic achievements, characterdevelopment and personal attributes - as wellas the importance of parental support.

Parents were also briefed on the schoolcalendar for the year, giving them an overviewof their children’s time schedule and the stagesinvolved in Project Work. They were alsobriefed about the school’s Service LearningProject which exemplifies the college values ofIntegrity and Service. Parents were also urgedto be more aware of their children’s dailyactivities and to take a more active role inestablishing good relations and giving thenecessary support to their children.

Teo Xin Le Sandra (1T28) was one of thestudents present who found the session useful.“I am now more aware of the need to establishand cultivate good time management skillsand will strive for a balance between studiesand other personal activities,” she said.

Energized for a good cause

Teachers and the JC1 parents meet each otherfor the first time.

events

Orientation 2: “Exothermic” by Ben Chester Cheong (2T15)& Low Han Loong (2T05)

6

From a facilitators’ perspective

It is often said by even the cynics ofleadership that one of the pinnacles ofleadership development is servant leadership,

with the attention paid to being asteward/stewardess of the college mates theyserved. More importantly, this style ofleadership emphasizes collaboration, trust andempathy which are the key intentions of the2008 Orientation 2 program.

This year, the theme for the 2nd orientationwas “Exothermic”, which took awhile to settleon after many weeks of brainstorming. Thetheme emphasized the formation of strongbonds between the students and the school, aswell as their peers.

Deriving a theme was only the tip of theiceberg. The big chunk that ensued was theplanning procedure which dragged late intothe evenings almost every day for two weeksbefore Orientation 2.

Orientation 2 I/C, Billy Tanu (2T33)highlighted that this orientation was special inits own right as it was only 4 days comparedto the traditional 6 days of orientation.Furthermore, the JC1s remained in their IGgroups throughout the program unlikeOrientation 1 and the past two orientations in2007, which saw them being grouped byhome tutorial groups. According to Billy, thiswas a challenge given that the students had tore-interact with their peers when they wereassigned into their home tutorial classes. As aresult, the councillors tried to arrange activities

and games that catered for massiveinteractions, hoping that it would lessen thechilliness among the JC1s.

Matthias Chua (2T15), an EXCO member inthe Student Council considered the East Coastpark games where students got to enjoychallenging competitions, the mass dance andthe finale night as crucial items thatcontributed to this spirit of fraternity.

As Han Su-Ying (2T29), AssistantI/C for Orientation 2, puts it,“Seeing how much the JC1senjoyed the programme made theorganising committee’s sacrificesworthwhile. Our aim was to givethe JC1s an orientation toremember long after they have leftthe school. And I feel that O2 hasleft a lasting impression on eachand every student that was involvedin it, be it the facilitators, or theJC1s.”

JC1’s responses to O2:

Exothermic, the experience was one they will not soon forget but they will forever rememberas a highlight of their JC experience.

Koh Jiajian (1T23) - “The theme Exothermic captured the vitality and life of the orientationprogramme. It was full of energy! Just like an exothermic reaction!

“The games and activities conducted really helped us to bond and I got to meet many newpeople,” reflected David Low (1T27).

The highlight of the orientation was undoubtedly Finale Night, which saw Solas defeating theother houses Honoo, Arator and Fuoco to win the title of “Best House”. “It was one of the

most exciting events I had everseen,” remarked Yeoh Keong Yee(1T04), who is from Solas house.“I was really surprised but happythat we won.”

“It was enriching on the whole,”shared Osman Khan (1T05). “It isalways fun to meet new people!”

JC2 facilitators unleash their tribal instincts

Scaling the heights of friendship

Firing up the college spirit

JC1 students engaged in some water games

community involvement programme

Rice to the Occasion By Edson Kieu (2T06) andVictoria Pereira (1T12)

By Bianca Mascarenhas (2T10) and Faza Mahirah (1T03)

7

On 17 and 18 of April, CJC’s InteractClub organized a rice donation drive tohelp migrant workers defray the cost of

rising food prices. Students were encouragedto bring a cup of rice each to school on one ofthe two days. The project, entitled ‘Rice to theoccasion’. Not surprisingly, they rose to theoccasion, contributing at least one bag of riceper class.

This remarkable act of charity undertaken byJagan Nagappan S/O Muthaiah (2T31), theInternational Understanding Director ofInteract Cub, came about when he was

browsing the internet. Inspired, hetherefore decided to adopt aproject to help out the needymigrant workers who rely onexternal funds. With their low paycoupled with the rising cost of rice,these have caused their wells to rundry. In conjunction with UNIFEM,this project would ensure thatworkers did not run out of food.

The objective of the rice drive wasthree-pronged. First, it aimed tomeet the needs of shelters run byH.O.M.E. (HumanitarianOrganisation for MigrantEconomies) by collecting rice from students ina collective effort. Secondly, to raise awarenessabout the problems faced by migrant workeras well as violence against women. Lastly, itwas also meant to cultivate a spirit of givingamong youths.

The Interact Club members worked tirelessly tomake this project a success. During their recessbreaks on both days, 2 to 3 members werestationed at the booth to collect the ricedropped off by students in school.

Jagan noted delightfully that even though weasked students to bring a cup of rice each,classes went a step further and gavecollectively an entire 5kg bag of rice. Theproject turned out to be extremely successful,with over 2394 kg of rice collected, farexceeding the initial target of 500 kg. Beingthe project pioneer, Jagan was elated with theamount of rice collected. Nevertheless, withoutthe united effort of every contributor in CJC,the rice donation drive would not have beensuch a success.

Giving blood - without the sweat and tears

April was the month where 188 CatholicJunior College students stepped up tothe challenge and donated blood, during

the Blood Donation Drive, held on the10th and 11th April.

The Blood Donation Drive wasadvertised during morning assembliesthrough hilarious and innovative shortskits. These helped raise awareness ofthe drive among students and manywere eager to lend a helping handwhen faced with the prospect ofsaving lives. Understandably, somestudents still had a phobia of donatingblood and needed a gentle prod fromtheir friends to step up to thechallenge.

Scores of students came within the designatedtimings to donate. The atmosphere in theauditorium was surprisingly cheery, given the

normally gory subject of blood, and manystudents were talkative as they waited for theirturn. Most appeared calm as blood was drawn

out of them and many were surprisedat the relative painlessness of thewhole process.

“It was not painful at all! It really isn’tas bad as some people think,” saidTara Averial Chan (1T03). “It was alsoless intimidating because I donatedblood in school - where my friendscan give me support.”

Students queuing to donate their rice to the team

GOOD CAUSE: Students find the experience of donating blood to beless painful than they had envisioned.

From left: Michelle Tan (2T26), Cheryl Choo (2T19) andWong He Jun (2T25) together with representatives Mr.Jolovan Wham (H.O.M.E) and Ms. Lynn Tang (UNIFEM)

achievements/events

Battle Droids By Ben Chester Cheong (2T15)and Joel Tay (1T35)

Unlike the massed ranks of CCAs likeODAC or Interact Club, the first thingthat one notices about the Robotics club

is how few members there are. But that onlyserves to make this crack team of Roboracersall the closer and upon closer inspection, likefamily. As amiable as they are, this team is aregular Michael Schumacher on the racetrack.They edged out fierce competition to placeboth 2nd runner up and Champion at theRobo Grand Prix F1 Masters in the JC/ITEcategory as well as coming in 1st and 3rdrunner up in the Temasek PolytechnicChallenge.

While the small size of their team could beeasily perceived as a drawback, the memberswere quick to correct this assumption, makingit understood that their small team allowedthem to really get to know the trueperformance capabilities of their robots.

Rebecca Chan (1T19), who had no priorknowledge of robotics before joining the club,said that with personal help from all themembers, she could pick up the required skillsquickly so that she could do her part tocontribute to the team, especially for the nextRobo GP competition.

However, these results were not easily obtainedand were the product of time and effort ofdaily trainings over the course of a year. Withthis effort, the results would have beenexpected, but the team reveals that suchresults came as a bit of a surprise to them.Cheng Ren Hao (2T23), Head of Micromouse,recounts how “before the competition, myrobot was breaking down, it could not evenstart. It’s quite a miracle that it came through

in the end.” Alvin See (2T23), Head of RoboGrand Prix, too was not immune to technicalfaults as “during the preliminary rounds myrobot did not perform as expected. It’sfortunate that I managed to rectify theproblem before the finals though.” Edmundadmits that “We faced tough powerhouses andother defending champions, so naturally thiscomes as a surprise to me.”

The team was, in the words of Vice-President,Edmund Wee (2T23), “Exhilarated over theprospect of winning two championships”.Rightly deserved pride also came in at ajuncture with the Ren Hao jokinglycommenting that their achievements were“routine!” While this may suggest that theteam is satisfied with their results, PresidentChan Hou Cheng (2T23) had this to say, “Weshould not only be the best nationally, butinternationally!”

While the team may deal with robots on adaily basis, it appears that they have notinherited their robots’ lack of ambition. Anyonehoping to find a robot on the team would besorely mistaken after all, in the wise words ofObi-Wan Kenobi, “These aren’t the droidsyou’re looking for”

Choir Concert: A Job Well Done

By Bianca Mascarenhas (2T10) and Faza Mahirah Bte Md Suhimi (1T03)

It was a night of heavenly voices at theVictoria Concert Hall on the 8 May where theyear’s Choir Concert was held. This year the

audience was treated to an outstanding arrayof performances put up not only by CJC Choirbut with the choirs of Dunman SecondarySchool as well as Saint Anthony’s CanossianSecondary School. Special guests includedBrother Paul, Mrs Edelweiss Neo, Mrs VivienLow, Mr Ling Koon Chow principal and vice-principal of Dunman Secondary Schoolrespectively, and Ms Melanie Ann Martens theprincipal of St Anthony’s Canossian SecondarySchool.

The concert kicked off with the songs ‘AveMaria’, ‘Tanguendo’ and ‘I Am Not Yours’. Forthe finale, together with the choirs of DunmanSecondary School and St Anthony’s CanossianSecondary School the songs ‘I Believe inspringtime’, ‘One Day More (from LesMiserables)’ and ‘Irish Blessing’ were sung withevident spirit and passion.

This may not have been possible had it notbeen for the tremendous dedication of thechoir members making the concert aresounding success. Members went throughgruelling practice sessions every Wednesdayand Friday, each session lasting four to fivehours. This was definitely on par with mostsports CCA’s who train endlessly ascompetitions draw near. Even during theMarch holidays, intensive practices wereconducted to ensure that the members couldwork together and sing in tune and harmonywith each other.

All in all, it seems that all the hard work anddedication was worth it in the end, as BrotherPaul appropriately noted, ‘It was a job welldone.’Our Harvests from The Singapore Robo Grand Prix8

From left: Chan Hou Cheng and Alvin Seetcalibrating the racers on the F1 Masters Track

achievements

Largest ever medal haul for CJC Fencing

When you are with your teammates, you fence and train vigorously.When meeting your opponents, you pray enthusiastically.” This wasthe approach of Charmaine Teo (1T16) towards the 3rd Fencing

National Interschool Championships (‘A’ division) that was held from the 31March to 3 April at Clementi Sports Hall. Along with Mindy Ko (1T26) and LimKailing (1T32), the three won silver at the Women’s Saber Team event.

This year’s fencing result is a milestone in CJC Fencing history as it marked thelargest number of accolades ever won by the club. Our fencers accumulated

and bagged medal after medal, as though they were determinedto bring home every award available for their taking. Every fencerwho took part won in at least one category, winning a total of 31medals in 14 different categories.

Notable achievements included the Men’s Sabre Team Event(Gold), with the team comprising Ken Chew (1T06), Yeo QingYuan (2T17), Huang Bairong (2T17) and Morgan Lee (2T21).Jeremoth Tan (1T21) went against the odds and took home thegold medal for the Men’s Foil Individual event. The girls didremarkably well also, with Cheryl Wong (1T34) and Sonia Mao

(2T03) winning the silver award for theWomen’s Foil individual and Women’s EpeeIndividual respectively.

Hard work and tough training enabled them toemerge victorious. They had a two-week longintensive training session before the competitionseason began. “We would even stay behind inschool every day till 8pm to train,” Jason Lee(2T36), Captain of the boys’ fencing team andwinner of Novice’s Individual (Bronze), recalledfondly. Not that the sessions had been a breeze- “There were literally sweat, blood and tears,”as Ng Kian Seng (2T08), who won the gold forMen’s Individual Epee informed us teasingly.“No pain, no gain, as they say.”

There was no doubting that the fencersdeserved their victories after going throughcountless adversities. “Our success would nothave been possible without the support of theteachers though,” Jason added. “We have farexceeded their expectations and have donethem proud!”

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The ladie’s Epee team together with Brother Paul and teacher-in-charge, Mr. Jonatan Tan

The all JC1 Sabre team basking in their victory

The participants with their ‘flame’ trophy

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By Ho Pei Ying (2T09) and Irene Chong (1T31)

From Students to Teachers Judokas BagMedals atNationalChampionships

By Samuel Lee (2T15) and Dora Lim (1T12)

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With the start of the new school year in2008, the fresh faces of relief teachersas young as 19 to 21 years of age

were sighted amongst the teaching staff, allready to face the new challenges ahead. Intotal, 11 ex-CJCians from the ‘03 and ‘05batch began their 6-month relief teachingstint.

Many of these young teachers have chosen toreturn to CJC to teach in appreciation of whatthe college has helped them to achieve as wellas inspire in their students a passion for thesubject which they developed under their ownteachers.

When they were students, most of themenvisioned their perfect teacher as someonewho shows care and concern, is fullycommitted to their students, who is able toconnect well with them and make a lessoninteresting. However, becoming teachersthemselves, they realized that being theperfect teacher was not as easy as theythought it to be. Most of them feel that theyhave tried their hardest, but recognize thestumbling block of being inexperienced andthat being a perfect teacher is something thattakes a lot of perseverance and commitmenton their part.

Even so, Mr Oliver Ching, (2T17/’05), aMinistry of Foreign Affairs scholar, pointed out,“In JC, I do not believe that teachers shouldspoon feed their students. In order to have thebest outcome, it really takes two hands to clap.The students must put in the effort before the

CJC’s judo team performed creditably atthe National Kyu Grade JudoChampionships and the National Inter-

School Judo Championships, garnering animpressive haul of medals in the process.

At the National Kyu Grade JudoChampionships, an open competition, on 17thFebruary 2008, CJC’s judokas came away with2 golds, 1 silver and 4 bronzes. Lin Zhenyi(2T25) and Sam Yvonne (2T31) bagged goldmedals for the Extra Lightweight Division, 1stto 2nd Kyu and 5th to 6th Kyu respectivelywhile Joshua Liang (2t24) clinched a silver inthe Heavy Weight Division 5th to 6th Kyuevent.

“I’m really proud of myself,” confessed goldmedallist Sam Yvonne. “The competition waschallenging, as I competed with moreexperienced players of the same belt.”

teacher is able to help them.”

On a lighter note, Miss Eileen Chua,(2T10/’07) admits that in becoming teachers,they experience a distinct change in roleswhich can be a plus for those who have beenstudents their whole lives.

“Having the authority does come with someperks”, Miss Eileen Chua, (2T10/’07) said witha smirk “one of which is the ability to givehomework rather than receive it.” However,the new found “power” is accompanied by aresponsibility to conduct themselves well and,ironic as it sounds, their “homework” has just

multiplied many folds, this time in the form ofmarking piles of students’ work instead ofdoing one assignment. The relief teachers alsofeel that the narrow age gap between thestudents and themselves actually helps them tobe able to identify with how the studentsthink, something that more experiencedteachers might have lost touch with.

On the whole, these teachers feel that theyhave gained from their stint here.

Mr Ching agrees that being a relief teacherdoes help him to grow as a person. “Becominga relief teacher has enabled me to understandpeople better, be it students or fellow teachers.It also turns my focus back to studying before Igo on to study Economics in the University.Taking up this stint allows me to experiencefirst hand what working life is all about andthus preparing me for the future.”

alumni/achievements

OLD BOYS & GIRLS OF CJC: Clockwise from left - Joey Kang, Jonathan Sim, Elaina Foo, Jessica Tan,Sarah Ooi, Oliver Ching, Ng Kuan Khai, Tan Kai Pin, Anne Marie Chua, Eileen Chua and Brenda Tan.

Judokas celebrate a successful Kyu GradeChampionships 2008.

Making History By Low Han Loong (2T05)and Jorain Ng (1T05)

History came alive quite literally on thenight of 30 April 2008 as CJC held itsinaugural History Night. Lecture Theatre

2 became the venue for scenes of greatemotional gravity featuring the Berlin Wall, PolPot’s reign of terror, the Philippines’ PeoplePower revolution, the fall of Communism inthe Soviet Union and even a game show wherethe likes of Fidel Castro and John F. Kennedyamong others made their appearance.

In getting the students to have a greater senseof the History they study in the classroom, theJC2 H2 History students were tasked withcreating a short play of about 15 minutesaround the theme “Triumph and Tragedy”from a segment of their syllabus. Combiningthe use of drama and multimedia, the JC2students played to a rapturous reception infront of an audience comprising Guest ofHonour Associate Professor Ian Gordon of theNUS History Department, school principalBrother Paul, vice-principals, various teachersand the college’s H2 History students.

The night, however, belonged to the teamfrom 2T06 (which also included a few studentsfrom 2T29 and 2T33) whose presentation wasdeemed Best Adaptation by the judging panelof Prof. Gordon, ex-History teacher Ms FionaKoh and Drama Club teacher Mr ChristopherTay. Their play, Deadly Sins, combined wit andhumour with human emotion, and gave ahuman face to those whose lives were affectedby the Berlin Wall. Lim Chuan of 2T05 walkedaway with the Best Character award for his

sterling (and side-splitting) turn as FerdinandMarcos, former president of the Philippines.

“I am quite stunned at the quality of some ofthe reflections and final decisions. From ahistorical point of view, it was superblyexecuted. The interesting presentation,performance and the interplays of historicaltext facilitate understanding and relive history,”said Brother Paul, adding “I thoroughlyenjoyed it.”

For the students, perhaps the reality of eventsthey read about in their textbooks finally sankin. Hurwitz Joo (2T06), who directed thewinning play, said, “It was ultimately anenriching experience as, by performingthrough the eyes of people in the past, wegained new insight into how history hasimpacted us now.”

alumni/news

By Michelle Kwok (2T13) and Irene Chong (1T31)

Muhammad Iqbal bin Yacob (2T30), See YongJun (2T07), Lee Boon Ping (2T16) and TangHui Yi (2T31) rounded off the outing withbronzes in their event.

The judokas also did the college proud at theNational Inter-School Judo Championships,held from 27th-28th March at RafflesInstitution Hall. Competitors included HwaChong Institution, Raffles JC, Nanyang JC,Bishan Park Secondary and Assumption EnglishSecondary. Nevertheless, judokas Lim Yue Tow(2T37), See Yong Jun and Tang Hui Yi,successfully clinched their Bronze medals forLight Weight Division A Division, Extra LightWeight Division A Division, and Heavy WeightDivision A Division respectively.

Hui Yi also had much to be pleased about.Having just joined the club last year, she wasinitially afraid she would not be able to adaptto the strenuous sports training. “I wasuncomfortable about it at the start, since this ismy first time joining a sports CCA. But it’smeaningful and I have a passion for it. Withpassion, everything can come through,”mused the rookie who now as two medals forher efforts.

Mr and Mrs Marcos: 2T05’s Tiffanie Chia andLim Chuan channel the former First Lady andPresident of the Philippines.

Winning smiles: The team from 2T06 whose presentation took top honours for Best Adaptation. 11

Anight filled with a wide range of music,from classical works to rhythmic poppieces, Con Fuoco VI, held on 3 May,

showcased the talents of the Catholic JuniorCollege Symphonic Band.

With a repertoire ranging from Puccini’s spell-binding Turandot to Holsinger’s raging war pieceIn the Spring, the concert swept the audience up on a ride of jubilation and pensive poignancy.Con Fuoco VI set the stage for a masterful display of musical virtuosity from the soloists in poppieces like A Song For You and Jounetsu Tairiku.

The concert also featured passionate musicians of Catholic Junior College Symphonic Band fromprevious years. Their unwavering support has helped inspire us to reach the pinnacle of ourmusic-making endeavors. This year, they spiced up the concert with a highly energeticperformance of three pieces, including timeless classics like Deep Purple Medley. A collaborationbetween our alumni band and CJCSB, our very first musical production Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!greatly entertained the audience with a comical enactment of Godzilla’s rampage through theglitzy streets of Las Vegas.

Such a performance would have been impossible without the hard work of the band, theirconductor, and the alumni who rendered their support. Months of intensive and oftenfrustrating rehearsals culminated in a most memorable and dazzling performance that everymusician is proud to be a part of.

Buoyed by the success of Con Fuoco VI, the band is optimistic that their efforts will be rewardedwith a rousing performance at the Southern Cross Music Festival in Brisbane this June.12

Striking A Chord

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The majestic tunes of Con Fuoco IV

events

Such a performance wouldhave been impossiblewithout the hard work of theband, their conductor, andthe alumni who renderedtheir support.