It has been some time since I posted. I guess it is the tiredness from day to day activities and all the other things that have happened that have taken over my effort to blog once in a while.
The question arises. Why blog? Does it matter to me if anyone reads it? Not really. Then why do it? Why not do it in a private diary of something. Then I can be really open and “let out” everything. Even then, not really. Many a person regretted the contents of a ‘private’ diary when it becomes public. A blog is different. We may not think it. But it is a public domain. So we have to be careful. What we write could be read by anyone if they so choose to do so. That’s the reason why I blog really. Anyone or no one could read this. I started it as an avenue to communicate with some of my students in terms of my thoughts and reflections on things that happen in class. But it has shifted over time. So besides my students, there could be others who come across it by and by. So i guess, it is partially an exclamation (albeit a small one) that this is me in cyberspace! I am.
It is a new world. Cyber space has become a medium which few have fully understood (certainly not me!). So there are all kinds of moral greys and ambiguities about what is right and what is wrong. Can I say whatever I like. After all, it is my opinion. To some extent, yes. But we have to be conscious of responsibility of this power (I know, sounds like the cliche from Spiderman) to express ourselves in a medium where anyone can hear us.
The most immediate act that prompted this was a blog I came across put up by some students. Even as someone who does come across all kinds of blogs occasional, this disturbed me on a number of levels. On the one level, there are all the safety issues with personal details and photos used. We often live to regret such flagrant displays of ourselves in a public domain. More significantly, these otherwise ‘good’ young people sometimes post entries that are not as responsible to people and things around them as they could be. It saddens me. It is often easy to come down hard and take them to task, but I think that would be sad. There are of course thousands of such things all around in cyberspace. But it is different when we come in contact with such things put up by people we know and think well of.
I grant that tolerance level of such things vary and age has inevitably something to do with this. But I ask that all of us as human beings (even in the virtual world) to grant each other the respect and dignity all of us deserve. I am all for freedom of expression. I remember many a battle as a student leader with school administrations to exercise this freedom. It is good. Young people must have such passions. It is what being young and asserting your individuality is about. But I draw the line when it affects ther people and institutions. We must be acutely aware of the impact we have. We hurt others inadvertently. This is not acceptable in my book.
I don’t have the answers to this. It is something that will continue to be an issue for many years to come. I just ask for common human decency.
But have you actually made the effort to find out whether those people ‘manipulated’ in question mind being the subject of a joke?
Or whether the issue is actually as bad, offensive and slanderous (?) as you assume it to be?
I defend our blog by saying that the people in question were notified, and none took offence.
With only one post as an exception, which renders me ashamed to type this reply. But I will exclude that single offensive and defiling blogpost. Because I myself am fully against it.
I am not denying that what we did was in the wrong, although I myself had no part whatsoever in it. I simply feel a need to justify not myself- but the abuse, lectures, attempts to bore some sense into us and callous humiliation and indignation (and maybe unfairness, we aren’t the only group bloggers around) we as a whole have suffered from many ‘concerned individuals’ since the incident.
Really, we have feelings too. We aren’t hurt when people manipulate our photos. We are hurt when our freedom is taken away, we are hurt when we are overpowered and told that we are only to eat at a certain inconvenient area. Surely, there are better ways of treating youngsters?
Walking all over us would breed indignity.
Indignity leads to rebellion.
Or do you need proof of that? (alright that was childish. But I too, am a half grown up youngster)
But I must commend those who actually TALKED to us, and opened another perspective (realistic or not is another matter) instead of just showing us a ‘black face’ and threatening us.
We are youngsters in the process of maturity. I think that our standards for “common human decency” here do vary, and that students may not see things from your matured and um, uptight, I mean, upright point of view. This is a new generation, people live by new standards and it would be ineffective to simply impose old, traditional values onto them via CME or punishment. We are intellectuals. You have to convince us. And that way you’re doing it now isn’t working.
I am saddened that you are saddened by this issue. I must say you are sensitive and easily saddened.
In return, I must say I too, am saddened once again in return that you actually considered “to come down hard and take them to task”, because that would not be an appropriate solution for the problem. Punishment is an effective deterrent, but can it convince anyone? Let’s be honest, it does not, and it never will. It’s just like the law. We may not think it is justified, but we avoid getting one the wrong side just to avoid trouble.
Are you saying that you want to bring up students who only do the correct and righteous thing because they are afraid of the punishment they would receive if they didn’t? I must contemplate on your disciplinary measures then. Once, someone told me “School does not only impart knowledge, but also teaches you how to zuo ren (be human)” But if being human means nothing more than being afraid of punishment, I’d morph into a pig any day. (Napoleon = awesome) Do you teach us to grow up right, or do you coerce and threaten us to?
I am more than glad no disciplinary measures were actually taken, because then, I would not think twice to burn the school up. Starting from the GO then the admin block.
After all this, I mean neither offence nor harm.
What I propose is, treat us with respect, don’t drive/walk over us, and being common, decent humans, we will in return, respect and listen to you.
There was a teacher who actually lent us a listening ear, sacrificing a whole one hour lesson, just to listen to us, and trying to open another perspective to our myopic eyes. He should get a pay rise. Because it was only through this person that I personally understood WHY we should not do such things and its implications. We can feel too. What I felt from this teacher was that he really did care (he claimed he was kaypo), and he listened to us, ACCEPTED our opinions and gently aided us to enlightenment.
I believe we can learn alot from him, both teachers and students alike.
Punishment is not a solution. It breeds more problems.
Or maybe you never intended to punish us, but rather, to use that as a trumpcard/threat.
…which is even lower than actually punishing us.
All in all, no offence intended. I only tried to show you what we feel. I learn from that teacher. He really should get a pay rise.
Oh dear. How long is this?
I hope you don’t come after me.
It would be very…inconvenient if you did.
And it says alot about you too.
The email is fake, don’t try to look for me.
I totally agree with all the above!
Strong post this. I deliberately posted on this as I had a sense some of you would find this blog. I do appreciate all the things you have said. No life is too short to “look for you” in that way. I hope you would look for me though so that we can engage in a dialogue on the issues because this is an issue which I think is very important. And obviously you feel very strongly about too. Have a little more faith in us. Some of us are not as obtuse as you think. As those of you who know me a little better know, I have the utmost respect for you as thinking individuals. I am an idealist when it comes to all of you. That’s why I am saddened. But that’s just me. So let’s pursue this issue. I can see from what you have written and how you have written it, you are obviously skilled at nuancing your comments. It is exactly the issue of how such postings can get out of control sometimes in spite of ourselves. But come and see me. I listen.
I am curious about the teacher who you say deserve a “pay rise” 3 times. Nevertheless I am happy someone connected to you. There is hope for all of us after all ya?
Oh dear. Now my whole class wishes to hunt me down. and they will not rest till I am found.
You replied at 7AM in the morning.
It rocks to have your own office, doesn’t it?
The reason I have little or no faith at all in you guys is not purely because of this issue. I have interacted with you in person before, one on one, under some very… unfortunate circumstances. It felt like you were stabbing me the whole time. But that would be due to the… unfortunate circumstances. I will not resort to personal attacks, so I will leave it as that.
I am glad to hear that you did not “end” this issue by simply lecturing us. But I will not look for you. Reason being.. the unfortunate circumstances. I don’t trust the school management. That is the bottom line. I do not believe any further action for the better of my class can be taken, and therefore I see no reason to look for you.
Although I am curious when you say that some of you are not as “obtuse” as we think. It is not sufficient to tell us that. Prove it to us. All through my secondary school life, the management has done nothing but walk all over us. From bra colour to eating venues. Prove it to us you listen. Show us you aren’t “obtuse”.
Even if I do engage in a dialogue with you, what more can you do? Your values will still stand, and so will mine.
As for the teacher who deserves a pay rise..
I will email you.
Iridescence:
Rest assured the reason I’m trying to find you is not because we are against you or anything. It’s just that I want to “clear” my name – since every one think it’s me. -.-
Okay, I just want to say that I agree with most of what you are saying, only, I’m trying to know who was the one who wrote this post, especially since it’s your own classmates that are asking, it’s not like the school management that is asking, so yeah, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with letting us know. Or at least let me know… Since yeah, since you apparently sound like me. (PS. I don’t think you sound like me, only that you are rebellious and the burning part sounds like me. The rest… Nah. I know you are a quiet person!)
So yes, please help me “clear” my name. -_______-lll
I have already posted my opinions about the school management quite some time ago, when she first complained about our blog. So, yeah.
-LawWN
Poor W.
I am sorry to have dragged you down with me.
When the time comes, I will reveal myself to the class. But for now, just bear with it. I need to mkae sure the class won’t burn me at the stake for speaking thusly.
I am not quiet. Neither am I W.
To the owner of this blog, I am sorry to post on such an unrelated issue.
Miao and I salute you Iridescence.
SQUIDWARD FTW!!!
yo! just a little minion popping by
don’t fight! don’t fight!! we must unite in the face of adversity. *HUGHUG*
Iridescence, we’ll hardly lynch you for speaking your mind.
Also, word, bb, word.
I completely agree with miz iridescence. Took the words out of my mouth. As for ‘dude’… unite with who? I reject your embraces.
I am curious as to how the school (save for that one inflammatory post, which I wholeheartedly condemn) came to the conclusion that our blog affected ‘people and institutions’. Affected staffroom gossiptalk, perhaps. Well, I can see why the school isn’t very happy with the content, but exactly which part was offensive to any persons?
We are acutely aware of the impact we have. People who were hurt inadvertently, apologies. Insulting people, whether students or teachers, on a public domain is of course unacceptable. Consensual photo-manipulations (pardon language)? Hardly.
I like to draw lines too. Such fun.
Dear Iridescence, the class won’t bite you if you told us who you are. We never do. I myself am dying of suspense though, because I never knew someone in our class besides the usual few (who deny that they posted) who could comment with such impact and clarity.
Dear Mr Teacher (I presume it would not be recommended for me to type your surname),
I echo the many sentiments of Iridescence, but not because I am a part of my class. Honestly, I am very against that one certain post too. However, I find that the rest of our blog is perfectly normal. It serves the purpose of a typical class blog- which is to keep the whole class au courant with issues and to foster class spirit as well. The result is not merely satisfactory- I think we owe our commendable class spirit (if I may say so) to our class blog. Most of it, at least. Regarding “having fun at others’ expense”…I think the majority of “others” here would refer to members within the class. And as mentioned, those “others” have all consented to whatever little jokes our peers may carry out using our photos.
Having said that, I do recognise your concerns for us. At 16, I’m confident that most of us do think of the consequences of such things- we just need an arena to air our thoughts outside of school. Now that we’ve finally found a place to do so, it saddens me that this has to be taken away from us. You really, really, really have to understand that point.
It may sound as if our class is rebellious and lawless, but I beg to differ. We are the AL class, and perhaps the most outspoken class in the level, so we are inevitably very opinionated people. Lastly, apologies for “spamming” your blog.
Hello!
Wow your blog’s been getting loads of traffic these days. J and I are sitting in the library.. on the pretext of doing HER KI presentation. Anyway, I’m not surprised regarding that incident. Blogs has been and will always be a problem. My solution: don’t blog. (HAHA A BIT EXTREME NEVERMIND DOESN’T MAKE SENSE THAT’S WHY I QUIT KI ANYWAY)
Oh yeah, on another note. I quit my unofficial CCA. Felt that I should really start studying and stop playing around yknow. And yeah, Mr B told us the other day that for us, it’s 100% PROMOS. Cos the A levels are pretty much like that anyway. But it’s freaky.
Meanwhile. We’ve been watching Battle Royale in our classrooms (air conditioned, don’t forget the aircon !!!) and sleeping in Math lectures, laughing at Mr B’s churchill jokes and stuff. Life has been good, I suppose.
You know, when I look at the entries above from all the juniors, I felt more amused than anything. Actually I was amused by the frivolousness of it all. But hey, here I am contributing to it. Well, my dear juniors, when you cross over the bridge and come over to Hwach, you’d understand why I say this whole issue is.. a waste of time, really.
And you better watch what you say, the walls have ears! I don’t know what you guys did anyway but who gives a sh*t? It’s your last few months in NY, don’t waste your time doing all these nonsense. Mug hard, play harder, and let the pieces land where they fall. (or the other way round. whateverrr)
Okay byebye shall visit you soooon i haven’t been here since foreverrrr hahahah.
hello. i see you’ve become somewhat of a mini celebrity here. how are you? jc life has been somewhat disastrous, and i think, on some rather distant level, i can identify with what you’re saying here.
i miss the school. i miss it more than it’s physical presence- the familiar buildings, classrooms…down to the mixed veg rice stall. it’s more than that. i miss the people. i miss the ones who have moved along to jc with me but moved on to places i can’t follow. i miss the ones i’ve left behind as i moved on myself. and of course, the ones i’ve left behind – my juniors, teachers. and i wonder if i’ve left myself behind as well. my unofficial cca is causing me some problems right now, and people are creating all sorts of horrid rumours and subjecting me to silent suffering, because really, who wants to listen to me?
which is what we’re talking about here, right? being heard, having a voice etc. in response to what’s been said above to all, i think the crux of it all lies in the fact that this issue would never produce an absolute answer with definite ‘correctness’ to it. give/take, anyone? i suppose i can identify with it all now, because given the benefit of hindsight, i’d probably have a typical response, by supporting and justifying what i’ve done or am doing. i’d probably strongly support what i think is right, possibly with undiminishing hot-headedness. perhaps this in itself illustrates that i’m an ex student through and through, by responding with a mega long post expressing my views, dissecting each and argument with little charity.
well, i’m sorry. or maybe, not really. because i’d love to express my views with freedom too. i concede: i’m not too sure about what’s going on here, however, i think having no absolute answer to issues such as this show how we essentially, are humans. we can never mould situations into the perfect, idealistic way we want them to be. the world is not the plaster to a sculptor! same for people.
i suppose, as a student ‘well trained’ in SRQ, i could delve into the fallacies of the responses above and of my own argument. but let’s not go there today, because absolute answers destroy the beauty in arguments, really. relax! (or in jc lingo, “laxing laxing!”)
okay i need to eat lunch with H. see you haha.
this is not frivolous.
Seniors-
You are exactly what I vowed NEVER to become.
I won’t forget what our school has done to me.
I mean, you probably aced your exams like a typical our-school-student.
I, on the other end, had to go through the most painful trauma and misfortune to survive.
By the way, I did not deny that we were in the wrong. I was not defending our blog. (Maybe I appeared to be, but that was not the point.) But this isn’t a problem about who is wrong and who is not. It goes further than that. It’s about the friction between two parties, and I doubt there can be a solution to it.
I don’t think this is a waste of time.
And I don’t think tht veiw will change by merely crossing a bridge.
Let’s not get personal. Keep our views on the issues, not the people can?
I agree – completely – with Margaux and iridescence.
Keep our views on the issue? I /also/ agree completely. I hope the school could shed some light on how the class blog offends.
Again not including that one post which I presume has been cleared.
dear iridescence,
let’s keep things in objective here. ignore h for a while, haha. she’s happy-go-lucky person by nature and takes life easy, most of the time. that aside right, i hope you don’t mind me saying this because i don’t know you at all (possibly), but you sound rather ‘bitter’ (lack of a better word, sorry).
contrary to what you’ve stated, i had my fair share of trauma and misfortune in school. what with failing my exams, burning bridges with friends and having somewhat a no life with bad grades, i think i’m definitely not your “typical our-school-student”. (and i think i can say pretty much the same for h too. haha.) don’t give up, alright?
i’m glad you agree with me that this issue will never have a definite solution, and that there is no clear divide between what’s wrong and what’s right. therefore, following your own logic, all our viewpoints here are weak when we speak in terms of what’s absolute. so maybe both parties should just take a step back and re-evaluate the problem with it all. (as lulu says, the school should shed some light on what they’re unhappy with)
i’m really not too concerned with what the blog said, seeing how i myself advocate freedom of speech. still, what concerns me is your obvious bitterness (once again, for want of a better word, sorry!!). i think what h meant, (and from henceforth i try to rephrase her words with the real intentions) is that life goes on, really. i don’t think it’s frivolous or a waste of time, either. i think what she meant was that back in school, we took a lot of things for granted. alternatively, we hated the way things were done sometimes. we didn’t see the point in many things (and still don’t, really) and always felt so restricted. but i suppose when i crossed the bridge, the freedom scared me. because after a while we realise how close we were to being ‘adults’, and that no one’s going to cover our backs and teach us a private lesson on responsibility. in the legal sense: post something racist and get jailed, for example. maybe that’s too extreme. i suppose that’s where ny is coming from- like, “i’d rather teach you the hard way in public than to let the society teach you in public.” thing.
sorry if that seemed personal…i just understand how it feels like to go through rough patches one after another, plus you sound really upset and semi-violent (what’s with burning the school down?). i just hope that all this hasn’t disillusioned you from the fact that this issue is what both parties are making it out to be. please, for your own sake, take a break for a while, okay? (:
It’s okay. I admit to being a bitter person.
Although on that part about our school (please do not refer to it with those two letters- it gives our identity away) teaching us the lesson privately before we blow it up big and offend people, I have my contentions.
We aren’t simple minded fools who offend people because we don’t know any better. Besides that singular post, all of it was in the name of good fun. And I believe it has been repeated countless times that the individuals who were the subjects of jokes were not offended in any way.
Responsibility is something I believe we all have. (Although I must admit sometimes my friends let it slip) BUT. Deep down, we all can think. We know what is wrong and what is right. They may not match with the school’s standards, but that’s easily settled by just informing us of what is not acceptable. (Withoug going too far of course) I do not think that if the school had not made a huge brouhaha over this, we would grow up to be trouble making racist/inflammatory bloggers.
When no one covers your back, you learn the lessons the best way- the hard way. And only through falling do we learn to get up and face more difficult problems. I do not believe sheltering us is a way for us to grow up.
Although the school has told us of some areas they were unhappy with, they have not let us understand WHY it is so bad, the effects and repercussions of what we had done. Especially when no one was hamred in the process.
Of course life goes on. Please do not mistake me for harping over this issue. But I believe opinions can be voiced over any matter at any time. WWII has long ended, but today we are still contemplating the cases of “Justified conflict”, are we not?
But at the end of the day, I wouldn’t be one to hide in a dark corner, get all emotional and violent, and think “the world hates me etc.”
As you said, life goes on. Life is too short to get all touchy over such things.
(: glad to see that you’ve evidently thought things through. well, as for referring to our school with the letter ‘ehn’ and ‘wyyy’, because it supposedly ‘gives our identity away’. i suppose you’ve just highlighted the issue, then. the school has an image to uphold. and as superficial as that may sound, it’s sadly important. and perhaps through the class blog, it has precisely reached the effect that you guys did not want/expect: public attention.
well i suppose just exercise some self-preservation (haha, that’s what my senior class told us to do) and lock your blog or something! that’s not the most politically correct answer, but either do it surreptitiously or not at all. haha!
j and s, you know you are always welcome back when you are free. Will catch up with you. Will be out for quite a while after this weekend. So if I don’t see you this week, enjoy your break in a couple of weeks…
Iridescence, you express your views clearly and you stand strongly by them. Good. I respect that. In spite of what you think, that is always my starting point. I may not agree with your point of view all the time, just as you clearly don’t agree with mine. That is ok. I would have liked to engage in an intellectual discourse with you all on the issue. Time didn’t permit that day. We all play different roles in different contexts. For people who know me a bit better, for all my faults, I do take time out to listen. Much easier to address things openly. Come and give me a chance to explain where I come from. And then at the very least, we can agree to disagree.
hey I’ve been waging a war with myself whether to post comments.
To address J’s first paragraph. I’m not sure if you know the actual happenings, but I think iridescence raised the point of not mentioning The New York for specific reasons (not highlighting the issue). That is, sarcasm. We have been told rather explicitly to dissociate ourselves with our school. I have issues, and we all do with that.
Let me clarify something. To me, a blog is a convenient way of exercising the ability to express ourselves. Not to have some diary to which public attention should be avoided. We rejoice, let me remind you that, whenever our readership goes higher than the norm. It means people find us funny, entertaining, and are probably jealous we made a class blog work. I am very proud of the fact other classes has acknowledged we have the best class blog ever. I disagree with whatever you have said, and I think it’s probably because you don’t really get to see this blog the way I do (:
And over my dead body will a class blog be locked. that’s just ridiculous, sorry.
I’m not going to be anonymous or anything, because firstly, I have pretty much nothing to hide and I claim responsibility of the daily action of my class blog, and whatever the management has found to criticize now.
Btw teacher, we do thank you for the first formal reply, instructions and presentation of viewpoint of the school. I think it’s really important we get that instead of just the gossip that passes around to us after a few rounds. (:
I feel somewhat sorry for iridescence, it’s somehow sad to see her having to reply to so many people when she’s trying to reason out something on behalf of our class, and there’s no one around to help her.
So.
The reason why we are so worked up here, is not just because of the blog. Well, the blog was what spark the dissent we have with the school now, but I think that it was other factors that contributed to our state of… amusement-turned-disagreement with the school.
Consolidating all that I have heard so far, I believe that first and foremost, what we were angry about (maybe due to miscommunication, so you might want to correct me on this if it was otherwise), was how the management spread out blog URL to many teachers, and how teachers even told their classes about how inappropriate our blog was. We felt that it was like backstabbing, especially since we were kept in the dark while our URL was circulating around and people were talking about it behind our backs, and only finally coming back to us when everyone else knew about it.
Secondly, what the teachers seemed to be telling us was that we had to take down anything that had “vulgar” language in it, and “suggestive” captions, as well as photoshopped photos that was apparently a form of “cyber bullying” of the victim who for some strange reason, doesn’t seem to mind as much as the teachers do. We saw this as being unreasonable since it was these things that made our blog funny and different, and just look at this from our POV for a moment. How would you feel, if someone told you that all the effort you’ve put into making something humourous and individualistic is inappropriate and that you had to take it down immediately? The impression we had (and I still have) is that for the sake of this institution we are affiliated to, we have to put on a front and pretend that we were all nice, decent, obedient students who are all pure and innocent and what-not.
Then, after the talk you had with us on Tuesday, we ended without arguing – sorry, discussing much after you made your point. I don’t think this silence was due to us being convinced, I think it was because we no.1, did not know how to argue with you, it’s like arguing against the law. And as our LA teacher said (this seems ironic in a sense), the law isn’t always right. But just how are we supposed to argue that? no.2, (I do not pretend to speak for my class on this note since this is what I personally feel) there is an impression that whatever we are saying doesn’t really get through. It sort of goes halfway, then gets beaten down, and then the teachers would ask us what else do we have to say and it’s just kind of… pointless.
For now, I have deflated, and hence forgotten the other points. When I get… more inspiration, I’ll continue.
Thank you Law. (How ironic.) I guess you’ve voiced out most of what I had to say. Our class is opinionated and vocal, and I think we are the most so in our whole level. Don’t know why, but i think it’s good. It means we think.
On Tuesday, I must admit I contributed to 0% of the discussion. I was more occupied with the strage bumpy floor of the H corner. And the people passing by outside, staring in. Because I felt the same way as Law did. Even if we voiced, what could come out of it? It would get shot down. And by that I don’t mean to convince me, and to agree with the school morally. Yes, morals are that important to me.
I am glad my sarcasm of not mentioning or associating myself with The New York got through. For our dear senior, under normal circumstances I would not have cared less.
I agree that the school has an image to uphold, and that is important. (How else would tonnes of PSLE students eye our school?) Idon’t think it is superficial. I think it is important. Although liberty may sound awfully attractive, some things must stand. Like telling the public New York is full of juvenile delinquents. That would not be appropriate. Mr L, what I would appreciate is that you guys could tell us why a few photos of us in the RED LETTERED CLOTHES could scandalise the school so much. People having fun is never a bad sign.
That said, I draw the line at throwing abuse at other people. Which we have done only on a singular isolated occasion. The rest is in the name of fun. I’ve said that so many times I start to feel like a broken record.
Though, I think sometimes the school takes “the four words you find in the quadrangle” too far. I have a patch of pink and another patch of yellow pain on my skirt. (Both pretty small) Thanks to Sec 1 funfair, and Sec 2 OM. Once, a Chinese teacher told me to buy another skirt, because the current stained one “ruins the school image”. I nodded, but inwardly scowled. Supposing that the stains were not permanent, are we to lose and arm and leg to keep our skirts spotless for the “school image”?
What does a stained skirt scandalise about the school?
Secondly, I found it pretty ridiculous that she asked me to buy a skirt. I am going through my last year in New York, and she said, “You still have many months to go.” And her tone. Oh her tone. It burns. We are students. Not dogs. We have pride, we have feelings. Her tone is precisely the reason why I did not even give her demand a slightest thought.
Adolescent indignance. Powerful thing, I must say.
Another issue, this more related to our topic. I remember clearly, on Tuesday, that Mr L said a teacher was offended when you exclaimed in the more crude word for defacation, that teachers took offence. And you said that we had to be sensitive about them.
I ask: Why??
Being offended (especially at a collegue) for an exclaimation as such is going a little too far.
1. It may be reflex
2. Why do you have to express the fact that you have taken offence? Isn’t that a little… (name calling is the activity of lowlives.)
3. Sensitivity is a two way thing.
Sure, we can stop the offensive content on our blog. But the sensitivity… has got to consider us too. We are more liberated, and to us defacation is not a rude, degradory or scandalising term. I hope that we do not have to strike that out, or euphemise it for those who would be offended by such a slight thing. We have taken a step back, and as a common decent human, you should appreciate it, if not return that favour.
I do not mean disrespect.
We can draw a line, and to make harmony, the easiliy offended can too. You can start with avoiding content that may offend you. Or, tolerance. Tolerance makes marriages work. It makes schools work too.
Why else would I begrudgingly move to the canteen everytime I feel gastric pains, instead of shoving food in my face anywhere else?
“Just one term…” (And you didn’t tell me why either)
I’m waiting for that term to be over.
Alright I think I was a little unreasonable demanding that the school justifies everything they do.
But when it concerns us and our blog, at least let us understand. We are understanding people. If we see then sense, we will not act against it anymore.
hi!! i agree with iridescence and all my classmates!! you guys are not alone
yah and seniors, we’d appreciate that you stay out of this matter because in the first place you weren’t involved and therefore you guys don’t really understand the context of this, how it started etc. i’m feeling mean and narrow-minded today so don’t accuse me of being whiny and immature, because truth to be told, i just want all this to cease and for people to stop butting in and for people to stop getting others involved. if you were me i think you’d understand our predicament as well. the moment our teacher informed us about the offensive posts we locked them, mocked the situation a little and in two days we had moved on. then one week later this issue resurfaced again, and this time it seemed as if the teachers were implying for us to close down our blog or else demerit points would be issued, and we were told password-protecting wouldn’t help, because apparently everyone else in the world are hackers and can crack our passwords. and implying for us to disassociate from our school? way to go for building school spirit. you might accuse me of being “bitter”, but how can you blame me? we’ve moved on, but the school management hasn’t. and of course we’d appreciate if those who don’t understand this issue to stay out, and don’t tell us to password-lock our whole class blog because then why not just get like, a class diary or something?
I see that the school has still not addressed the issue of /why/ the blog posts were offensive to people. (Again I exclude The One Post.)
Even though I don’t agree, I have to concede that I understand – the school has an image to uphold. Perhaps certain images of sweet, fun-loving New York 413 girls were not on par with the school’s expectations. Sure.
But try to see it from our point of view.
You claim that we should “Have a little more faith in us. Some of us are not as obtuse as you think. I have the utmost respect for you as thinking individuals.”
How can we have faith in you?
How can we expect anything from the school? To quote miao, “the school gives me the impression that they don’t want me to even associate myself with them”. But somehow, if we remove all the ‘inappropriate content’, everything will be all rainbows and butterflies again?
You have not even attempted to convince us of your points. Explaining exactly which parts were offensive. Instead you opted to give us The Lecture. Why this is wrong, why that is wrong, et cetera.
If you truly have respect for us, give us some credit for intelligence, too. Like iridescence said. We are intellectuals. We need to be convinced.
Believe me when I say I would love to discuss this issue in person, but sadly that just brings me to another issue.
Can we trust the management? The school /never/ listens. (That sounds bitter, I’ll admit it freely.) That doesn’t change the facts, however. The Student Councilors are working for the teachers, not for the student body. We are under-represented. The recent panel thingamajig was another sham. Two councilors, two GEP students and a scholar hardly represent the general student population. Was that not deliberately manipulated by the school? The Pupil Suggestion Scheme is a complete farce. We suggest more benches for eating in the Science block, and what happens? Eating at the benches is banned entirely. So what, pray, do the councilors do for our welfare?
Even if we attempted communication, I am highly skeptical it will work.
You once tried to talk to us, but it ended up being a lecture I spent the whole time smirking at. Another attempt at dialogue will inevitably become a session in which the school attempts to shove their high-handed opinions down our throats.
You do realize that no matter how much we students protest, in the end there is nothing we can do. If the school is content with the fact that that it’s reputation is no longer /tainted/, then okay. What can I say to that? The school doesn’t have to care about how we feel. The school can ‘come down hard on us’, as you said. Sure. Fine.
I agree with Weining – it’s like fighting against the law. We must obey. But laws have been wrong before.
We have resorted to code names and mosaic-ing our photos. I hope the school is happy. Because although I am more than willing to listen to the school, the school doesn’t want to listen to us.
I think our blog is getting 400 hits a day now. burnn.
I don’t claim everything the shcool does as unjustified and wrong.
But let me just cite you one example. The canteen fiasco. (Yes, I am very annoyed with it. Sometimes I’d just hide in the toilet and try to swallow what I need to swallow in order not to get gastric pains)
“Just one term okay… Just try for one term…”
Initially when I heard that, I swore. The F word, no less.
“What kind of -ing explanation is that?! She sounds like she is -ing bargaining for apples.”
A moment of rage, nothing more.
So we had the -luxury- of eating at the higher-level benches chiselled out of us. But WE DONT KNOW THE REASON. I don’t know whether it was because I fell asleep at that part, or that it was never given. They just imposed a rule without explanation.
Not to mention that rule brings us a whole plethora of inconveniences and a few newer never-acheived levels of gastric pain. (We have things to do, other than eat.)
And what I felt betrayed by was, STUDENT COUNCILLORS, who are supposed to connect students with the school management, who supposedly work for the students, are hoppign around booking people, threatening people, locking up classrooms. Do you blame us for the impression that they work for the teachers?
Tell us why. We listen too.
(After all these -wordy- comments, I wonder if Mr L still reads)
I agree with Law, especially with the point about “arguing with the law” because, yes, we can’t say anything much can we? In the end, because we are not upholding the pristine-sparkling-clean! image of the school, we are still ‘wrong’. And because of that, because we type/post like we talk, because we are a “fun-loving group of friends”, we are getting a lot of flak. It’s the internet, it’s public domain, yes, we do know that. And I understand that there are ’sensitive’ people out there. But we aren’t asking them to read our blog and surely they have a choice–if they don’t like the tone Miao/whoever else blogs in, if they don’t like our photoshop manipulations, fine, the little red [x] exists for a reason. We are hardly breaking the law by typing a few choice four-lettered-words, not the law as far as the Supreme Court is concerned.
Aaaaand seriously, yes, we’ve locked our ‘offensive’ posts already (whether they can be hacked into or not is an entirely different business–and anyway since you sounded so convinced about that, I propose you email the team behind WordPress. If a locked entry is that easily hacked into by [sorry] un-IT-savvy school teachers, I believe it is the duty of a user of WordPress to tell them this flaw in their programming so that they can improve). As far as we were concerned, that was that. And then The Heritage Corner happened, and seriously, I don’t think we were expecting it. We thought the issue had been dropped but no, like a cockroach, it never dies. It’s a little annoying.
Yes, I know we are, in part to blame. I don’t deny that I find that some of us have a tenacious nature, and I want all this to just stop, because it’s long and draggy and annoying. But we are an opinionated class, and you can’t divorce that from us, and all this drama is only making us dislike the school management even more. We dislike what we were told, so we complain. It’s very simple, very Singaporean. I can’t say that The Heritage Corner episode was entirely useless, because we were presented with a clearer image of what the school management wants us to do, but many comments antagonized us and all I can say is, Mr. L, that you should have seen this coming.
Also I just really, really disliked the comments about us being a blight on the school’s otherwise blindingly clean history of good girls because, no one other than the PRCs are like that. Our class blog is funny, as many have told us, and as you have said, and well, I see no need to deliberately censor ourselves. We have mosaic-ed the Ehn-Wai logo, even on the socks, but (and this may be a personal opinion here) it looks even more like we’re mocking the school.
I do love the school, and I don’t want to bring unpleasant memories over the Bridge. I have no idea how the issue of our class blog ballooned so big, and I hope that it will shrivel away into nothingness.
(Also: I agree with Lulu, the PSS helps nothing. You may want to rely this message to whoever who’s in charge of it. To us, it feels like our opinions are never taken up and acted upon. For example, in Sec 3, we requested many, many times for more benches in the Science block and nothing happened and now we have to squeeze into the canteen to eat. I think a lot of students are do not like this either, but have come to terms with it because they are not being heard. Revise the PSS! Let the students be heard!)
DEE AYYY ENNN GEEEE. this is fo sho intense intense!
“oooh i think the alarm clock is going off.
aaah time to wake up school management!”
look, i do know you sir. spoken to you couple of times and have absolutely no doubt you’re a brillant teacher so i hope you know what im trying to put across to you hey.
xx
Yes, it is intense. And yes, I do read the comments. A few of you have strong views about things. Good. Now, stand by your views. I mentioned to you that a few minutes wasn’t enough to meaningfully engage in the issues. There has been a lot of misunderstandings around. Time is tight as you know. I won’t be around for a while after this week. You want to be heard. Come and see me.
Agreed whole-heartedly with Chew!
That said, ireflections: We aren’t blaming you. We aren’t targeting you, to be sure. (Apologies if it appeared that way.)
And to be fair, The Heritage Corner Lecture wasn’t /that/ bad. I appreciate that you told us clearly the perspectives of The School. I suppose it could have been worse.
This message is meant for The School.
I will look for you. It may shed some light on our different perspectives, if not very useful
Rest assured that we have ’strong ideas’ we will stand by.
Hello, just to clarify, I was not “Chew” who posted two previous comments. Thank you
I’m Chew. Why does no one know my surname. ):
(Because we all think you are DLJ.)
I know people who are like “This is over so just drop it or it’ll bring us even more trouble”
It isn’t about the blog. It’s about the conflict and resentment between two parties which the Council is supposed to bridge, but is evidently ineffective in doing so. (They are very good for booking poeple, however. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.)
But what I initially wanted to acheive by replying to this blogpost was to open another perspective, hoping that the management could consider things from our side.
Or at least if they really have, done so and found it not practical, they should at least have told us. The impression we get now is that the Higher Beings run the school, and we have to listen like muted children.
But the question is- What do they actually consider before taking action? The school name or the students?
When we say, “our liberty has been taken away”, “We have been reprimmanded like kids who don’t know any better”, all we feel is tht the management is only concerned about the School Image. The students can cry all they like.
So I think this is about mutual understanding. (Which the PSS has yet to acheive) You walk in our shoes, we walk in yours.
Which is why, I second Lulu. We aren’t blaming you. Maybe when I first started off, I was a bit resentful, but through 33 comments, I realise it would be unfair to just vent our frustrations on him.
But what I wonder is- With people like Mr T and Mr L around, why isn’t our school life getting any better? Besides understanding the school a little more by engaging Mr L, what change could it make? We would still have to squeeze into the canteen to eat, and we will never be able to mention our shcool name on our class blog.
What have we lost, and what has the school gained from it?
Is it neccessary to have to consider everything from the worst case scenario?
It seems to me that everyone thought that sil’s forum was a waste of time since a majority of student’s couldn’t connect, and those that could would only carry on with their lives nodding their heads and thinking: Yeah, hey wow that’s true. I still don’t see why people just won’t procrastinate and have to be such opinionated jicks and make a point by not doing their homework?
The thing is, if the majority of sec 4s found that panel-only discussion a waste of time, wouldn’t that mean that it wasn’t part of the solution? “To understand more about what’s going wrong with our students, e.g. know what they think, and help them by showing them good examples…” Was that the objective of the SIL? Maybe it was a good objective, but it clearly wasn’t effective at all. It’s general knowledge that if you suggest to a person with problems your own solutions without hearing that person out, and saying “I understand how you feel” is the quickest way to shut him/her off…
It would probably have exceeded all expectations if peabo’s class had hosted the discussion, if time wasn’t wasted introducing redundant things for so many minutes, and if the teacher’s didn’t input for once. The law doesn’t have to defend themselves at every turn, it has to hear the people out, then defend accordingly after a board discussion.
And I have a feeling the “eat-on-1st-floor-only” thing was so well discussed the school didn’t want to change their minds even though the level (however much it relied on it’s voice, peabo-class) didn’t agree with it. Was the school’s mind so determined to lock us on the first floor that it didn’t want to hear us out?
And isn’t the same thing happening with the peabo blog? Give demerit points? Lock the posts? Censor stuff, close of students? It isn’t solving the problem. The 1st floor rule only applies to the timid (meaning that they don’t agree with the 1st floor rule either). Students aren’t happy with the school, some are still eating in even the library, and I have a classmate that eats throughout class discussions with general ease. Oo Amusing. Just because the birds have a bigger party at the canteen, it doesn’t mean that the eating thing is solved, right?
Same here, if you shut off voice, how does this achieve your objectives? “Once it ruins our image, it’s past the line, we don’t have to deal with it”, is that it? If students from other classes read it, it means we aren’t annoyed with it, we may be amused, but if we disagreed, we’d take the female dog for a good walk in school, no?
Why not bring up the peabo webby during assembly or sil and see what student’s think? Hmmm, oh wait… we can’t go against the law, right? If not we’ll be censored, have to pixelise our nametags, and get demerit points. Okay, sit down again, let peabo’s class handle it, and give that female dog a good rub in the back once the bell rings.
…And I have a feeling that, if our council was given more power, more freedom, not so many rounds of proposals, it would be more like a student council THAT CAN MAKE A CHANGE. We’ve heard of the sac, we’ve heard of ankle socks, we’ve heard of short hair… that seems to be what we heard in sec 1. We’re in sec 4 now? Improvements? Changes? Inter-class is still as disjointed as ever, school activities are the ultimate hmmm, and now we’re gonna leave after 4 years of stagnancy. We’re reacting as fast as sodium as compared to caesium. Sodium because we’re probably making some changes Oo and I can’t disregard all the effort our councillors have put in for us. Lol… this chem example is nerdy. Ah wells…
wow yeh, actually the panel discussion thing was a waste of time.
anyway, i just feel that the school really needs to listen to their students better and engage with them more emotionally. i mean..sometimes, it isnt just about using your ears to listen. its about using your heart to listen to the students too. (:
Mmm, I agree.
I’d also like to clarify that this it isn’t just the problem of one class blog, no. It may have started out like that, but surely it is no longer.
It’s about the whole level, the whole school, the whole student body. A long, slippery slope of mistakes.
How we clash. How the students feel. How the school doesn’t listen. It’s true. – C.F.C. : your last paragraph totally connected with me. Stagnant is exactly the right word. We are stagnant, unprogressive, recessive.
I’m glad everyone felt that the panel discussion was … not particularly useful. ^_^ As for the canteen issue, perhaps the school should explain to us the rationale behind it all. Because from our point of view (not just on this issue, but all others as well), we have expressed our stands very clearly and explicitly. Whereas, if I remember correctly, all the school managed to come up with (just citing that one case as an example. case study, woo~) was : ‘Just try for one term, ok??’
Perhaps the school thinks using us as guinea pigs is acceptable, but it surely cannot be.
A true discussion would benefit both parties, instead of a mockery of a panel discussion, ya?
The sil forum was useless. It was just the panel talking among themselves. It totally doesn’t reach out to the level.
addiction’s right. The school management seriously needs to start listening with their heart instead of their ears. Take the ‘eat-on-1st-floor-only” rule. It really causes many of us inconvenience. I mean, taking away paper boxes is already agonising enough. Though it’s meant to be environmentally friendly…
This is cyber space, and peabo deserves a place. Even though they use words like (insert a synonym for defecation), photoshop photos/pictures and whatever else they do, it’s all in the name of fun. Most of the photos photoshopped are their own photos and I’m sure the people in those photos do not feel that they’ve been subjected to “cyber-bullying”. Peabo’s a very vocal class so if there were any unhappiness I’m sure they would have been voiced out long before this hooha.
I hope the school management won’t resort to holding back their students’ creativity and whatnot just to prevent them from spoiling the school image. It’s just ridiculous!! Is the image of the school more important than the students? Which century are we living in now? Give us the freedom.
I’m not from peabo’s class. Just someone who wants to stand up for peabo.
In response to CFC, I think it is unfair to have the ‘law’ or the management justify itself at every turn, yes. But what I am saying is, at least when it concerns us so directly, they should tell us why. Even if the 1st floor thing was very well discussed, they really should explain it to us. I will not waste my breath in my continued mockery of “Just one term okay..??”
The SIL panel was a joke. GEP and scholars? And councillors too. I am curious about how many A1s they can gather in a year.
“It would probably have exceeded all expectations if peabo’s class had hosted the discussion, and if the teacher’s didn’t input for once. ”
Wrong. I expected better than personal attacks. Ironically, I think the teachers should input. But with more consideration. And as a thinking class, we do not have double standards. If you make sense, we will listen too. (But I cannot comment any further – I wasn’t listening)
Although I must thank you for enlightening me on the fact that the council itself is tied up with rounds of proposals. I understand now (that was not to shut you up.) that it would be unfair as well to put all the blame on the Council. I always thought they were too preoccupied with um… cleaning shoes and locking up classrooms. I apologise. It’s just that sometimes newly elected councillors are a little… too proud of their position. Their attitude reflects it.
I must thank Tigger. For the past two days, it felt like Peabo VS the world. Although I hold the school’s image with a high opinion, I think creativity should not be controlled. But I am not insinuating which is more important. The school image may not mean much to us students, but I think it means more than an arm and leg for the management.
I believe balance should be a feasible solution.
But let’s go back to the basics. What is the primary purpose of a school? To teach, to impart knowledge and lifeskills to youngsters so they can contribute to society later. Is that right? (Well, got to he MOE website and look at the principles of education if you like.) That said, I wonder, what are the management’s priorities? And what function does a sparkly clean school image perform? That more people will stare at us in awe when we walk out in our school uniforms? Why do we even need that?
Or do we want more crying parents at the GO begging us for a place in New York?
“The SIL panel was a joke. GEP and scholars? And councillors too. I am curious about how many A1s they can gather in a year. ”
Hm in response to this (I’m from 406, the only class who’s fortunate enough to be taught by Mr L), we did voice our feedback during our last LA lesson, and Mr L explained it to us.
With his explanation, it was understood that the two GEPers weren’t intentional (some misfortunate incident of someone who backed out), and that the councillor J was supposed to represent the Science classes, whilst the 410 girl was a cheerful girl whom he thought might bring some optimistic comments to the session. Never did he think that all of them would be the typical Tigger.
406 accepted his explanation (though I don’t know if we were really convinced, or that we didn’t want to pursue this further).
Anyhow, I do appreciate Mr L’s effort in this aspect. I guess he could have thought through more carefully about the choice of participants, but I’m sure it wasn’t his intention for the panel to appear all (crudely) guai1 and mugger.
If he didn’t truely care about us, he wouldn’t be getting us to submit weekly journals (okay I haven’t submitted mine for some time, really sorry): but yea you get my point), reading through, and writing in really long comments on each.
To quote Mr PT during one of the LA lectures when a PRC was making a presentation with us giggling away in the audience: Cut some slack la. Afterall, you can’t expect teachers to entirely understand us (they are, afterall, teacher), just like you can’t expect PRCs to speak fluently when they are new around here.
Yepppppppp.
This is the end of my cyber script. Thank you.
How could you laugh at PRCs. That is just so mean. They leave their homes and travel so far away into aa foreign environment that is largely English, a language they are not comfortable with. Instead of being understanding, you snigger.
I don’t understand how relevant the PRC scenario was to your arguement.
We aren’t expecting the teachers to fully understand us. They will never understand the sense of satisfaction we get after we climb over a locked school gate etc.
But I believe it would’t hurt to walk in our shoes.
Let’s try: All teachers have to line up for food (no students won’t buy it for you), no eating in the staff room, GO TO THE FIRST FLOOR IF YOU WANT TO EAT. And if you are caught eating in the staff room, it will be locked. even if you bring your own food eat it on the first floor.
If they had thought of it like that, I wonder……
Wait. If one of them represented Science classes, WHAT ABOUT HUMANS? Who represented us?
I am sorry the way the discussion bore out was not the way you all liked it to. Not intentioned but there were circumstances. OK. My fault.
Let’s make it right. I won’t be around for a while, but when I come back, initiate a discussion.
There are larger issues than blogging. I agree fully. That is a small issue.
You know why I even bother with failed efforts at discussions and even this online thing which as one of you put it I should have seen coming. I did. Why do you think I even mentioned it to you. It is because some of us do want to listen. That is why I refer to the comments as good. There is life yet. I have made mushy comments about some of you. I stand by them. I do think the world of those who I have come in contact with over the last year or so. I would be lying if I said that some of comments made didn’t disappoint me. But that’s ok. Perhaps I have too romantic a notion. But that’s just me. Apologies if you don’t get a quick response to comments. I may not have easy access to the web after today for a while.
Iridescence: slow down. I’m sure C.F.C didn’t mean “It would probably have exceeded all expectations if peabo’s class had hosted the discussion” in a sarcastic way, so I don’t think it was a personal attack.
lw: I fail to realize what PRCs have to do with this, but I’m from China, thanks.
I’m sure teacher’s can’t be expected to fully understand students. But they should at least try. We’re trying to cut them some slack. Believe me, I have spent time considering the whole issue from the school’s point of view. Has the school considered ours?
As for councilors: I agree that they need more autonomy. They need to be able to keep the school in check, they need to actually represent our ideas and convey them to the school. Not just act like watchdogs for the school. That’s pathetic.
The councilors are simply not an effective medium for the students to communicate with the school. If the current situation continues, more and more ‘ordinary’ students will feel increasingly alienated.
Just to clarify. I know CFC, and she was not being sarcastic, and she’s not from our class. And she’s trying to help, not antagonize you, iridescence. Yep.
Which brings up yet another issue-
If the council doesn’t work, why have a council?
We are lead to think that the council listens.
And the council is lead to think the school listens.
What it is claimed to be like is – we speak to the council, the council speaks to the school for us.
What it (probably) is- We submit PSS forms. The council looks through and rejects most of it. (My friend’s class sent in 3 in one day alone for the 1st floor fiasco) When there is one that sounds reasonable enough to them, they submit yet more forms to the school. (According to CFC, “rounds and rounds” of them.)
Most of them are rejected.
I am thankful that ankle socks are allowed, and we can keep our hair long. I know much effort was put in to appeal for these luxuries and I am appreciative of them.
But I believe the PSS should not be only for appealing for luxuries?
Eating at the benches on other levels hardly seems a luxury. It was a way of life before they removed it.
Once again, I use my favourite word: WHY???
Hi, I’m baaack.
After a while.
Well, we all have our gripes on our darling mother school. And I scanned through some posts(didn’t read all in detail), saw one post about the skirts – and this is probably a random comment, I can prolly figure who that chinese teacher is. I had a LOT of issues with her, I was one of the top student leaders of my year, so I would know.
Anyway, I just have to quote this, to clarify something. J has tried to help me clarify it, but hey, I think I should speak for myself too
“Seniors-
You are exactly what I vowed NEVER to become.
I won’t forget what our school has done to me.
I mean, you probably aced your exams like a typical our-school-student.
I, on the other end, had to go through the most painful trauma and misfortune to survive.”
this was posted waaaaay back, see entry number 15.
Okay I’m sure everyone’s past this, but ohwel. I have to tell you, life in the school was bittersweet. Heck, it wasn’t even my first choice. I never aced my exams, our class was labelled as the stupid class of the level. My chinese teacher kept telling us that we’d fail our HCL Os throughout the year(in an attempt to motivate us). What I’m trying to say is, life isn’t easy. And that, you guys’d definitely have many many things to say about the school. Go see Mr L. Seriously. The way to get yourselves heard is to go find someone who cares about what you have to say.
By the way, what’s the sil thing about? Anyway, I don’t think Council is useless. They’re just anal retentive. You think they want to be? No, they don’t. They just have no choice. The “People on Top” aka The Woman Who Sits In The Office Beside Mr L, and a certain Chinese Teacher, are the ones in charge. I think the councillors have it harder. They probably wish they could do more, and they probably don’t agree with many things, but the thing is, unlike you, THEY CANNOT RAISE THEIR OPINIONS. They have to be loyal to the dark side.
Good luck with your last year. I was happy leaving the school at the end of last year, I must say. But after a while, when I returned to see Mr L and the school, you realised that in YOUR SCHOOL, you lead a sheltered and a happy go lucky life.
Life won’t be as kind to you in Hwach. But if all you’re looking at is the rules aspect, then by all means, in Hwach, break as many as you want. They don’t give a shit. The only rule is: Don’t get caught. What I’m saying is that, just live and let live, kay? Enjoy the last few moments you have, and get rage war in Hwach. (ok not that drastic, depends on your class)
Okay I SHALL END SOON, this is getting REALLY WORDY. And instead of looking at the shitty sides that the school has (a lot, I know.) try to be positive too, I know it sounds like a crappy consolation, but hey, you sec 4s get to go on your sec 3 eoy journey again, and don’t get forced t go t China. Good luck you guys, for everything (:
ANYWAY MR L WHEN ARE YOU COMING BACK I NEED TO SEE YOU REGARDING APPLICATION OF SOME AWARD THAT I WANT TO APPLY FOR THANK YOU.
p.s. your blog was never this alive last year.
I quote a friend of mine.
“When peabo attacks a blog, it’s like a flash mob.”
I know personal attacks is low, but. I allow myself a moment of childishness, and you WILL pardon me because of the fact that I am an ignorant kid who is younger than you.
“I was one of the top student leaders of my year”
What I have to say is: OH. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. How frivolous indeed.
I know very well life will only get harder as we grow up. Why else do adults wish to go back to school? And personally, the older I grow, the more cynical I realise I become.
I am not being complacent, if that’s what you are insinuating. I am appalled by the ridiculousness of this entire situation we are in. I beleve the principles of education would revolve around moulding and shaping the future leaders of our generation. A school should care and respond to its students. Because as I’ve said, what is the reason a school is set up?
To turn us into sparkly clean puppets with lots of A1s?
What is my problem?
I have a problem with the school management’s priorities. That’s what. I don’t have a problem with my life, that it is hard. In fact, my life is not hard now. (It was, but I made it better.) Even if they only start caring and listening AFTER I leave, I’d still be here, typing out lengthy comments. I don’t care about what I get that much. I eat on the third floor daily anyway. It does not affect me. But what bugs me is that they even implemented that ridiculous rule. It’s an emotional thing.
It’s a problem with my principles. Wich has a problem with the management’s.
So I appreciate that you stop mentioning that life is hard, rough, umpamperey and unsheltered in “Hwach”. I know. I have my own seniors. I talk to them.
You know, I like the rule thing about Hwach. Break as many as you like, just don’t get caught. But it won’t be something new for me. It already applies to me now, in New York. (It has, since sec 2.) The only difference between and bad girl and a good girl is that the bad girl was caught.
Wait, so that school is just going to let that notorious skirt catching Chinese teacher be and allow her to continue terrorising students about 1cm in circumference paint marks on their skirt?? Can’t they do something?
Basically you ask me to close one eye.
I appreciate your effort into deluding me that life is lovely, but I must reject you.
I rather be unhappy but in the know, that to close one eye and feign ignorance.
hello teacher (:
I (among more) admire the way you have responded. It’s really quite refreshing to see someone listening instead of just rebutting and defending
I dont think the school can DO SOMETHING about that particular person, it goes far beyond that to the ideals of a school, and who is in charge of upholding them. More than that, whether these people, the management, chooses to listen to those who are part and parcel of maintaining the ideals. Bordering on a confusing circular argument.
True enough, maybe I will change my viewpoint when I cross the bridge, but I am just hanging on to see where this appeal for an listening ear goes.
ok maybe the school management isnt really asleep like what someone mentioned. its more like..some teachers are walking around with eyes closed. and just so you know, i really do see that you want to make things right
xx
Life isn’t always about getting what you want.
It’s about the way you fight it (with morals, ethics and your thinking minds)
I’m really glad that people here are responding to the changes that they do not disagree with; referring to the previous posts, yes. We’re a bunch of intellectuals, we want reasons, not excuses.
–
Why not take a step back?
This is not about waving the white flag right now.
Just stop.
And think right now that if the students are part of the management (while management/teachers are students)…
What will it be like?
What will YOU do if you’re in the position?
I think the management should reflect as well, about all the rules that we have to abide? Do they actually set a good example to this?
Yes, no human being is perfect. But we are all trying to be the ideal here isn’t it?
–
I feel strongly about the Student Council issue and I thought, it is not just the Student Council that is meant to build the bridge. It is actually whole lot of Student leaders that are, supposedly, part of projecting the students’ voices across as well.
I must admit that I am dissappointed with myself for not voicing out my truthful opinions as I am a coward for the management’s scare tactics. (I think many are in this position too. It’s not that they do not want to voice out their opinions. It’s about how much they’re beaten down to stay whole and square in their comfort zone, get a fantastic testimonial, leave eeeeeeenwai with a good testimonial).
I’m not asking you guys to sacrifice your testimonials to make a change.
Just want all the students here to be part of the change.
-*
Just a side note: Having to stay in eeeeeeeeenwai for past 3 years+, I’ve seen many petitions come by, like “HEY, SIGN THIS, WE WANT XXXXXXXXXXXX to be put into place. blahblahblahblah”.
I did sign many. I did attempt to voice out during class contact time. Nothing did happen.
I guess, we just have to be really determind. AND KEEP CONSIDERING THE IMPLICATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES THAT WE HAVE if we get our voices heard (and even if we don’t, we should be glad that we did relief it off our chests).
-*
More random side note: Here we are, sitting infront of computer screens and voicing our opinions. The students whom died in Chengdu did not even have the chance to live anymore.
& Btw, I’m truly fortunate to be part of batch 2008
& to have atleast one teacher in this school whom really cares.
I am pretty tired of having to defend against people who don’t even understand what I’m talking about.
When I read your comment, a wave of fatigue rushed through me. Another misunderstanding/ununderstanding peace advocate I have to tackle. I think I am finally worn from all this defending.
I was too tired to even determine whether you were for or against me. We are not trying to “get what we want”. I would appreciate if my opinions were heard, understood considered, then the rule imposed. At least they listened. And if they could convince me that eating on the first floor is for the best of all, I would stop eating in class immediately.
I couldn’t care less if I didn’t get what I wanted. Did you read my previous comment? I eat anywhere I like anyway. I agree with you. It’s about your morals.
Do you know something? I couldn’t care less if they didn’t give me good testimonials. If they really lowered my testimonial count or quality over just voicing myself, I’ll laugh at the frivolity of it all.
In response to your “more random” side note: That is a comparison of absolute and relative. All you do is look at those dying/dead and pity them, and look upon those who don’t share those sentiments as strongly as selfish people.
Think about it. Just because there are poor people in Africa, does that mean those in poverty in Singapore deserve to be overlooked? That the old man living on one slice of bread a week is only in relative poverty and should not be so complacent? Wrong. He starves, they starve. Hunger is all the same everywhere.
If you want to harp over Africa, then you should donate every cent you earn to charity, and wrap yourself up with brown paper. Because clothes are a complacent comodity, and Africans have no clothes to wear. Every minute of your life should be spent doing charitable work because working to support yourself is complacent, because you don’t need that much money to buy one bowl of rice a day to keep yourself alive.
That was an extract from my own blog, against people like you. It is absolutely impractical to live life looking downwards. If you want to improve, look up.
Why should we take a step back? Because this is getting tiring, having to deal with people like you? Or is it that you advocate peace? Listen- where there is injustice or misunderstandings (or argumentative people like me), there can’t be peace.
If I were the management, I would not do what they are doing now. Truthfully, I will bring myself more trouble to listen and understand the students, rather than walk over them, or give them excuses. Because that’s my job. (I am too tired to explain this concept.)
So if you wanted me to concede that they have a difficult job and that we should not make life harder for them, you are going to be disappointed. I would really think in the student’s shoes, because if you HAVE read and understand all my previous comments, you would understand that I DID consider things from the management’s pov. I am reasonable.
Don’t forget my food for thought – the basic principle of a school. Which is more important, and easy job for the management or the students?
I don’t care about the consequences if my voice was heard. My anonymity is just to protect myself from harsh opinions from my class (they didn’t come). They matter to me, and their opinions of me matter to me too. They matter enough for me to conceal myself so I don’t offend them. I could not care less if I was denied a testimonial. It would only tell me something about the school.
It’s another case of morals. My morals say: Injustice should always be fought against. Nobody should suffer in silence. If they punish you for it, you are still on higher moral ground.
Being on the higher moral ground matters more to me than a lousy testimonial. Because I look at things more abstract than what is before me.
“I did sign many. I did attempt to voice out during class contact time. Nothing did happen.”
- This is exactly what the issue is.
I appeal to you. Think of things other than what lies before you. As you said, life is about morals and how you fight, and not how the fight has injured you. Stand by what you say.
tca: read through your replies.
Interesting points, but I was sitting here and thinking: “I agree with this, but I disagree with this, and this makes sense, but this doesn’t, but then basically wth is she trying to say?”
Strangely enough, I’ve never seen /any/ such petitions and whatnot from the student body. At all. Nothing, nil, zilch, zada, nothing attempting any change in the school. And if your class came up with some, but the rest of the level never saw them, some thing must be wrong Up There, Down Here, Between Us, everywhere.
The school makes us think we can make a difference. That we matter. They cite the student council as representing our opinions to them. The PSS as a form of feedback. However, they just can’t stand up to close scrutiny. For show, nothing more, is what these are.
And that’s okay for most of the student population. After 4 years in the school, you graduate with good grades, and you move on. But to me, it’s just not good enough.
This is not about getting what anyone wants, whether it is what we want or what the school wants. It’s bigger than that. Maybe I’m just an idealist, but the key word here is actually ideals. Justice, equality, fighting for what you believe in, if you’d like.
Communication is what’s important. We need a whole lot more of it. Change can come after, if it comes at all.
tca: read through your replies.
Interesting points, but I was sitting here and thinking: “I agree with this, but I disagree with this, and this makes sense, but this doesn’t, but then basically wth is she trying to say?”
Strangely enough, I’ve never seen /any/ such petitions and whatnot from the student body. At all. Nothing, nil, zilch, zada, nothing attempting any change in the school. And if your class came up with some, but the rest of the level never saw them, some thing must be wrong Up There, Down Here, Between Us, everywhere.
The school makes us think we can make a difference. That we matter. They cite the student council as representing our opinions to them. The PSS as a form of feedback. However, they just can’t stand up to close scrutiny. For show, nothing more, is what these are.
And that’s okay for most of the student population. After 4 years in the school, you graduate with good grades, and you move on. But to me, it’s just not good enough.
This is not about getting what anyone wants, whether it is what we want or what the school wants. It’s bigger than that. Maybe I’m just an idealist, but the key word here is actually ideals. Justice, equality, fighting for what you believe in, if you’d like.
Communication is what’s important. We need a whole lot more of it.
Hi. I feel quite strongly about the pss system. At the beginning of last year, I submitted a suggestion to the pss. It was approved by the student council itself, but ultimately the suggestion did not get put into action. When I asked my student councillor friend who was part of the process of approving the suggestions about it, she said that it was the management’s problem, and that many of the suggestions that were approved by the student council did not work out after they were handed over to the management.
So this brings us to the problem – the student council is always asking us to submit suggestions to the pss and all, but out of all these suggestions, how many actually do get approved? And how many of these approved suggestions actually get through to the management and put into effect? As Iridescence put it, “If the council doesn’t work, why have a council?”
Earlier, I dismissed an appeal for us to think of the victims of the Sichuan Earthquake.
I take those words back.
I am sorry. My conscience didn’t agree with it, and I post this to apologise.
Hi, will like to reply to Iridescence.
Sorry for this late reply, for I was not aware of this blog nor the comments on it till today, which i feel that a Councillor should respond to.
About the role of Council, I will say that Council really tries hard to reach a balance. Yes, we are for, and by the student body, but yet we are the bridge between the management and the students. We are here to improve the schooling environment as a whole. Yes. Before you begin to launch into a whole chain of thoughts about how many fo the things we are doing now are not for the students’ benefits, i’ll like to remind you that as Councillors, rules have the greatest impact on us because we keep strictly to the rules, we have meetings during recesses, we are 15, 16 year old teens who think the same way as you but have to be objective, rational, and at the end of it all, reinforce the rules. Give us time? And understand that we may not be able to achieve everything that the students want, which, coincidentally, Councillors, as your peers, usually want as well. We’ll really try, and we are trying to be the best middlemen that we can possibly be.
Next, about the PSS. Entries after entries in the PSS, we do try to propose them to the management, and it won’t be fair to say that the management rejects them all without any consideration. Well, perhaps on a personal basis, I will think that the management may have differing opinions within themselves, and thus, it is again not fair to judge everyone in the management based on some of their decisions that we may disagree with, yet do not try to understand their rationale behind their decisions.
I will also like to take this chance to clarify that Council did attempt to appeal to Mr. T and Laoshi about the eating rule, before the whole rule was implemented. (unlike popular belief which thought that Council suggested the implementation of that rule).
We voiced out what the students wanted, perhaps the results just did not reflect what we wanted. I will also like to request for Mr. L to address this issue explicitly at Sec 4 assembly. Frankly speaking, the fact that the issue was left at ‘Girls, you should know the rationale, think about it.’ and never explicitly explained made it a lot harder for the students to accept. Will it be possible for you (because i think the students will appreciate a new representative, a new perspective?)to state the reasons and at least, attempt to convince the students by reasoning?
Personally, if i’m any other student and not a Councillor whom, by duty, has to actively seek to understand both sides’ point of view, the first impression that I may get is that there are no substantial reasons behind this implementation and it’s all an ideology implemented in an oligarchy system (or so i’ve heard from other students). I believe that the management has actually foreseen students having to skip lunches due to practices (which is impossible to stop, because that again, is too utopic to implement, and students willingly practise for their cca due to their passion in it…), students who pack food to school, or students who will like to squeeze in a snack time before lessons, but it’ll be good to readdress this issue with the students before any major changes are decided..
I hope that in this post i’ve managed to address some issues from a Councillor’s stand (my stand does not equate to Council’s stand though), or at least in the role of PSS and my take on the canteen issue.
And, if there is anything that you would like Council to help with, whether it’s from Mr L (i.e. Management/teachers’ side) or from the students, please, please, have enough faith in us to approach us directly.
But anyway, Mr. L (i was told it’s better not to type your surname, which i already did, but…), I’ll just like to say that I’m actually quite surprised, but also extremely glad that you actually bother having a blog to communicate with your students.
It helps a lot, especially in this environment whereby many ny girls have reservations about the ’staff on the ground floor’, that someone truly cares and gets to the ground to listen to us.
thank you!:)
it’s great and everyone can see that you’re trying your best, so do keep going! it’s only with teachers like you that students lead a better life…
*cough*
Why is it that we call the council the Council (CAPPED) but not our school the School? And councillors Councillors but not students Students?
Dear hh, I would like to clarify that even as students, we DO actively seek to see both sides of the issue, and the councillors, I mean, Councillors, are not that only ones who do thusly. We try to be rational too, because if we were not, nobody would listen to us. The only way to get noticed and heard, is to present your case coherently and stylishly, first impressing, then driving the point across.
I believe scrolling through this page, my point proves itself.
The only reason why the students feel disconnected with the council is because the council alienates us. The only time we bond? “GIRLS, COMPRESS!!!” followed by a good many moans. And maybe a “You’re not supposed to eat on the third floor, please write your name here,” and then turning to a junior councillor, “See, she broke the rule, so you ask her to fill in this form, and tick here…”
But I do thank you for bringing to light that the council DID appeal for the ones in charge to think in our shoes, that the 1st floor rule isn’t making any sense. I stand by my earlier stated argument. GASTRIC PAINS.
Personally speaking, I do not have lunch/recess CCA praticses (not any I know of). I need the time to study for quizzes, to do homework, and to sleep. Yes, now insert the -time management- argument to blow mine apart. But I ask you, is time that easy to manage effectively? (for half grown up kids like us?) Looking at my poor, malnourished, underslept friends (including myself) I’d say not.
It is true, that when Mrs T speaks, nobody listens. (and I believe we all have a good idea as to why) So maybe if Mr L spoke to us instead, the messages could get through.
We as students are not asking the council to give us everything we want. But there are some jarring issues that are out of our range of tolerance. (read: ridiculous)
We have adressed the council issue here- but what about where it sprung from? The managementXstudent problem? Where is your stand on that? All you did was defend the council (I applaud you for doing a good job) but what about the root of this?
‘Girls, you should know the rationale, think about it.’
WAIT. Am I missing out on something here? Does ANYONE else besides me not get this “rationale”? I’m not being sarcastic here. What rationale? That the cleaners have an easier job? Is that it? Locking up the Science block toilets because it is dangerous to leave them open? (I was told this by a teacher) There are a great many things I do not understand. And I am afraid that with teenagers, you cannot just implement something on them and not explicitly state why. (or at least justify yourself)
Such is the problem with teenagers.
hello iridescence,
i’ll attempt to address as many issues as i can for i am not known to be someone very coherent as can be witnessed from my expo essays.
but anyway, here’s my attempt:
1. Bonding- I am very sorry to say that we did not manage to organize lil activities such as chocolat nor movenpick this year. However, we are aiming to come up with fringe activities for Founders’ Day, National Day, Teachers’ Day and Mid Autumn Festival. Things are still tentative, in fact i’m not sure if i’m even allowed to say this, but I do admit that we could have done more, and we will try to, step by step. If there are any Councillors in her class, do suggest to her what you’ll like to see in school, say for the fringe activities that i’ve listed, will help a lot in the planning!
2. Why Council is Council and not council, well honestly i’m really not sure (it’s like asking me why i’m Hern Hern and not hern hern), but i know that there’s no ’superiority’ intended. I think it’s more of a form of respect that we enforce amongst Councillors? (we don’t mind if you call us council or councillors…it’s just something we’re used to typing)
3. Time Management- is that a question for me? I for one, think that it’s not about ‘time management’. no no, i’m not going to say what some of the speakers said at SIL, that i can cope extremely well and all, but to me, I was short of time. 24 hours isn’t enough, even if i sleep 3 hours, or sometimes, just not sleep throughout the night– i don’t have time to even manage it, or i could do at one point in time was to bury my head in work and pray for the best. But my take on this ‘time management’ issue is that, it’s more of our source of motivation, the passion and discipline within us? I don’t know in what way will you take my comment, but when circumstances permit, i do feel that it’s passion and discipline that will see us through. Time management is a tool that comes in very handy, when we actually have time to manage.
4. I’m sorry i don’t get what you mean by managementXstudent (care to explain?) problem. But if i did interpret it correctly, my stand is to propose what’s reasonable (don’t ask me to define what’s reasonable, but even if my opinion differs from yours, there are 53 other Councillors who are students as well to determine if a suggestion is feasible) to the management, and if the management passes down rules that are ‘ridiculous’, we’ll try to understand their point of view, continue pushing for the benefit of students, but at the same time, attempt to make it easier for the students to accept these rules through various initiatives. When I say ‘reasonable’, i can give you an explanation as to why Councillors actually filter the PSS suggestions, otherwise- why don’t the students just post their suggestions directly to the management? We have requests like ‘ask my angel to tell me her name’ (an extreme example) which doesn’t render the management’s attention. Did i answer your question?
5. I agree with you. Not many will know the rationale behind it. I therefore also appeal once again for the management to address this issue explicity at the level assemblies.
thank you!
Hi all,
Comments on this post are getting rather long. Will post a new thread soon. Just a few points. I don’t agree with many of the points raised, just as you don’t agree with some I raised. That’s natural. And I invite you again to come and talk to me directly about them.
Just one the issue I want to touch on that of the Council, I have the utmost respect for them. It is tough to be caught between 2 perspectives. They are all students too and I am sure share many of your views. Even I do. But, there is a larger agenda of an organisation finding the best way to operate for the best of all. There is no sinister agenda on another’s part. We try to make it work for everyone’s sake. A LONG time ago I was a councillor too and we had similar issues to deal with. In the school where I spent the most time in, I was teacher-in-charge if the council and we also faced the same issues. Work together to make the school the best place for everyone here. We all have the same motivation.
Its not about me. I haven’t been here long and I won’t be here long. Its about being in a place all of you spent a large part of your growing up years in. Take it from an ‘outsider’. It is a good place. People do care. They may not show it in the ‘right’ way, but the heart is in the right place. That is key in my book. Let’s try to make it better while we can.
Bottoms up to that.
But exactly how do we make it better? The PSS is in place, the councillors are doing what they can. (*cough*hint*nudge*management*nudge*hint*cough*)
What I would like to know is what can be done even if we corner the issue, strip and violate it through and through.
What can be done?
What is so wrong now that we students are protesting?
Let me try to bring this back to the source. Sometimes we argue so much, talk about so many things, we forget what on earth we had been addressing in the beginning, and sidetrack to places completely unrelated.
Our class was unhappy that a HUGE fiasco was made over one or two posts on our class blog which were deemed offensive. (Which were actually not) (Again I speak in exclusion of The One Post) And from the way (and amount of) teachers who spoke to us, we could clearly see that they had not gotten their facts right, assumed many things, and probably listened to rumors more than what was in actuality on our blog. (Rumours have a bad habit of making things sound more scandalous)
One of the teachers actually treated this as a case of “cyber bullying”. She did not interact with the “bullied” before she came up with this conclusion.
What we say is: Find out from the source. Get your facts right before subjecting us to lecture, or actually just jumping to really weird conclusions. (Kudos to imagination)
And then, the management had to go address something about having to mosaic hongzis (enlighten me on this- I wasnt listening) and ny socks and anything school related (something about school image) when there are more than a dozen class and personal blogs out there with people in hongzi. They were given no notice of the new requirement.
Why? Is it because we are popular? So the other obscure blogs have no chance of marring the school’s image? Ahem, World Wide Web, period.
So we felt it was unfair, and had gone WAY out of reasonable proportion.
And this the spiralled into a case of how students resent and disagree with the management, because this case had actually reached that level (Can you believe it?)
And then it linked to the 1st floor only rule, where we were given no reason but a rule, and councillors booking us mercilessly. (No, actually that’s just the sec3s eager to test out their power. Bad move, kids. Bad move.)
And that connected the student council with the case, with students feeling that they work for the teachers, do not bond with the students and are doing nothing to make students lives better. (HH has made it pretty clear that it is not the council’s fault, and I hold her to that.)
And that made someone raise a point about the PSS being a flop (hh has clarified this too) and that the council doesn’t listen, and then later after much clarification by some very defensive councillors, we concluded that the school management rejects almost everything they pass up,
And that has landed us back into the studentXmanagement resentment relationship. (hh I hope I’ve explained this pretty clearly to you)
And then Mr L wrote this entry demanding common human decency (this has become a favourite quote within our class), and then I don’t know why when I defended my class, I was subjected to attack from many others, and therefore had to defend myself, write god knows how many essays worth of words in replies, and still hang around here, to make sure I tie ends up and have the last say.
So much drama.
PS. And hi to Mr L who just came back from a vacation.
hi sorry, just a quick reply to iridescence.
Defensive Councillors? I’ll say that the PSS works on a multi-level basis, it’s not up to any one person to decide if a suggestion is realised. Will check with these ‘defensive councillors’ about their reply- i think what council on our part needs to work on, is to support any PSS suggestion with a concrete plan to be more persuasive, which we will in future.
Hence, if these Councillors really did make it sound like the management is at fault for rejecting everything, I apologise on their behalf. (i’ll have to check with them again to get my facts right first…sorry!)
thank you!
Sigh. Wish it was a vacation. That’s end of next week for me. This one was work. But that’s another story. I agree that we cannot judge without actually seeing for ourselves and not basing it on hearsay. But yes, it has been blown out of proportion. Like most things, “it will come to pass”. And yes, I love “common human decency”!
Dear Iridescence,
Stop and think before you post: Are you, in the first place, already biased against student Councillors? Are you then only having a personal argument with H?
I am not a Councillor myself, but I see that your points are edged on the extremes. On that count I beg you to look at the issue with better balance and look at underlying meanings rather than just take what is shown superficially.
And I think we should all give Mr L a break.
Peace out,
Dude
Dude-
Peace out?
You just advocated war…?
Nevermind. I admit, I am biased. But where did that bias come from? I was not born hating authority, if that’s what I sound like. There’s a reason.
I have nothing againt H. I like being sarcastic, that is all.
True, my arguments are biased and unfair and on the extremes and not well balanced from both sides. I never said my arguments were perfect. They simply reflect what I think. And the way I think, albeit immature, affects my actions and ideals in one way or another. And I believe that is the case with many students as well.
You have to understand I only started posting here because I wanted to defend my class against the management (ie. Mr L) and in such a stand, do you think I would actually go balance things out? A more mature person would. That I am not. I cannot see far, nor can I see deeper. All I wanted was justice. (The issue has already died down, actually)
What intrigues me is that underlying meanings you speak so highly of- what are they? (Can they be eaten?) What have I not seen? I should very much like to know. I listen to sense. And by doing that, hope to make myself more sensible.
Hey, I’m a growing kid. I make mistakes, I learn. We all do.
(In the first place read your own post- are you too, biased against me and is inclined to think that everything I say is unbalanced, immature and wrong?) I just ask for common human decency.
And H-
Sorry if I sounded offensive. It was unintentional.
By defensive councillors I was referring to a certain senior. Scroll through the drama to understand. Alright, and some doses of councillors going “Hey we did do things for you etc.”
But mostly just the senior. I have somehting against her. She gets on my nerves.
lol who’s Dude!! Impostor!!
I believe Dude is just a general term….?
um iridescence don’t take offense.. i just said comment 65 so that people won’t think i’m Dude. i’m with you on all your points =) who’s Dude!!!!!
Hello (:
Iridescence, slow down, calm down! Indeed you sounded a little on the offensive against the Council. And against the fake Dude, or hh. Heh heh, fake Dude.
I’m not going to reply to anyone/anything, just saying what I feel, after a few weeks of this being stagnant. But ready to boil over at the same time.
If you know me, you’ll know I got into quite some e-trouble quite some times (: The peabo fiasco is my… 5th. And it’s not like a love anything that goes off with a BANG, but this issue concerns… quite a lot of us, and I feel rather strongly on this. Some people advise, “live at let live, yadayadayoda”, but I think we should all be entitled to give a little feedback when it concerns something we are all attached to.
And speaking of attached to, I must profess and state that I love New York, and quite a lot of the things in it. Even the council/Council, sometimes, may be endearingly dumb. Or the EAT ON THE FIRST FLOOR RULE, which allowed me to drip food on the quadrangle floor with my friends and shake our fists around and pretend we want to overthrow the management.
But sometimes, I cannot stand the management, the big thing that looms above us all(no, not the clock tower) I understand that indeed, this is a school, and should be bound by rules and regulations that we cannot function without. Still, I sometimes wonder if the school listens. Hmm?
I don’t doubt that hh/HH has good intentions at heart, and she’s quite a fun person. Except super quirky and likes to add people on facebook for nothing?
Truth be told, I dont understand why the council has to give a response, though. From what I gather, they have tried to stay out of this (: But i appreciate the explanation and viewpoint.
YAH AGREED!! i dont even know her and she added me. haha. quirky is the word man!
[...] cannot be over-emphasised and I think this idea has been summed up pretty nicely in a post by iReflections on blogs and blogging: I draw the line when it affects other people and institutions. We must be acutely aware of the [...]
BLOGSCAPES…….
I could kill. Please, do find out about the context. But it is true, we must be aware of the impact of our actions. That I agree. Which is why I canot tolreate insensitive people who hurt others unknowingly, and sdo not do anything about it.
Hey, I mean hh no harm too. No hard feelings.
I’m not against fake dude! I’m just saying something about creativity. XDXD
I don’t passionately advocate the “live and let live” idea much. To an extent. Kind of, sorta thing. Sometimes, it can be categorised as just turning your back on, or even avoiding the issue.
But life is as it is. It WILL resurface. It WILL, if you don’t deal with it.
The PSS has been effective, but in the most minimal ways possible. We ask for a more comfortable uniform. We scream “COLLARS” and “SLEEVES”, but are presented with “new and refreshing” proposals that have neither collars nor sleeves, and are very much less COMFORTABLE/attractive. So we reject these proposals and a small but attention-seeking article appears in the school newsletter. “NY GIRLS LOVE THEIR BLOUSE. NO MORE CHANGES TO BE PROPOSED.”
Speaking of the uniform, I also do not see how Councillors are not directly segregated from the rest of the student population. Reasons? 1) Attire; 2) Treatment (I believe all would know from whom). I even more do not understand how presenting them with a long-sleeved blouse with shabbily-rolled-up sleeves allow them to represent the school. After all, it is the “cheena” sleeveless blouse that the public can identify as the NY trademark?
Ankle socks were a godsend. But I’d like to end off by quoting a certain teacher who has commented on many students’ socks:
“Ankle socks are not supposed to be worn at the ankles.”
Rationale? Appreciate.
Bemusement, you sound like you want to be the godsend to Nanyang to replace all the Councillors and make greater change for the school. By all means, if you think only talking helps, so be it.
The uniform is a part of Nanyang’s culture and history. Like as you mentioned, it is a Nanyang trademark. I think you can be concerned about larger issues in the school rather than something as superficial as the uniform.
And well don’t forget, Councillors are students and your friends too – Maybe you just need to talk to one of them to know. Unless, things like the uniform actually affect your relationships.
“Rationale? Appreciate”. And oh, appreciated.
yy, you are missing the point. It’s not like I want to dig up this comment box and make it some flaming ground again but what Bemusement was trying to say, I believe, is that the student’s voices are not being considered SERIOUSLY. The request to change the school uniform is a prime example of the kind of miscommunication we have here. We want sleeves, the designs that all come out… nah. It’s like being in the desert and asking us if we want to freeze in the Artic and when we say no, you assume we are all well and happy being cooked to death. Stupid analogy but yea.
Regarding your assertion that the uniform is part of our culture and history I would like to remind you that in the beginning our uniform was long sleeved and it didn’t have the red logo on the top left of your shirt. If we want to respect the trademark as what you purport to do by not modifying the school uniform as the absence of sleeves are a trademark, then I suggest… why not go back to long sleeved tops? As you have mentioned this uniform is part of our culture, history blah blah so in what way does this make it ’superficial’? Things like our uniform, which we are forced to wear everyday and becomes part of our identities… I believe you cannot dismiss them with the wave of a hand as ’superficial’. In that sense the wearing of a seperate top by the councillors has a implicit meaning: superiority. I think you can say the same for designer bags, spectacles, etc. I’m not against the wearing of a seperate blouse for this group of people, though. I mean most of them are nice humble people.
You guys are missing the entire point. How many times do I have to say this? No, don’t touch the uniform, stop talking about the socks. It isn’t of first priority we get to eat on all levels. WHAT superiority? Why drag that in? Sleeves? Equating them to designer bags? That is the strangest analogy I have ever seen.
You don’t understand. It’s not an issue of collars and sleeves.
Have you read Animal Farm?
We have Benjamins and Boxers.
We have consequence and inconsequence.
Kudos to YY for completely missing the point!
One question: why are we having yet another dialogue session, after feedback that they are completely ineffective (read: sham)?
Do we really need to give the management and councillors yet another opportunity to defend their stand against the students?
This isn’t about 413’s blog, or about eating on the first floor . Nor is it the uniform. It’s a much larger problem.. the way the school is being run.
Students aren’t being listened to. When we express our opinions (I cite the first floor rule as an example), they are dismissed. I’d like to think that the views of the student body are valued in our school. Sadly this is not the case.
I do realize that as students, we have to take into consideration the POV of the management. But it is (supposed) to go both ways – so have they been listening to us?
The panel discussion was a prime example of failure. Points raised by students were ignored. The school went on the defensive/offensive/oppressive.
Even though it’s plainly obvious that certain points made by the management are total bull, we have no choice but to accept them. Because yes, authority always wins.
(Also, before you pick on other people’s grammar, take a look at your own. “Like as you mentioned”?)
Conclusion: No change + Time = Nobody cares anymore.
Not quite. Change takes time and people do care. I do.