Written by azhar.
Working as a cashier in a huge supermarket for the past two months has opened my eyes to the various silly antics of Singapore customers. Most of the behaviour mentioned here may seem shameless and risible but they explicitly mirror the greedy, arrogant and thoughtless characteristics that some local customers possess. The list includes foolish manners by consumers which you may not have known before.
The tabulation below compiles the behaviour of middle-aged to old Singapore customers only. It covers both the antics portrayed by Singaporean citizens as well as the foreign expatriates living and working in the island too. In this blog post, I intend to highlight the dirty habits of local consumers in the hope that the rest of the society will not follow them.
(in random order)
1) Huh? Err? Hmm? *gone*
I do not have a problem with the influx of foreign talents into Singapore, but I definitely have a problem with foreign workers who expect us to communicate in a language that they use widely in their homeland. I have encountered many situations whereby customers showed poor attitude and rushed off when I could not understand the language they are using.
One of the similar experiences that is still vivid in my mind is when a young Chinese-speaking female customer (most probably from China) snatched her goods away from me and stormed off the store grumpily after failing to converse with me properly. It is as if I was expected to know and learn the language that she uses in her homeland. Can't she just be patient and wait while I get a colleague to translate what she was trying to say? What a bummer....
2) The Newspaper Browser
There is a rule stated clearly above the magazine and newspaper shelf that customers are not allowed to browse through the reading materials available. Well, apparently some customers have found a way to circumvent the rule. This is what they do:
First, they choose the newspaper that they wish to read. Next, they join a long queue and start browsing through the articles in the newspaper. They probably use the first few minutes to finish reading on the cover story. Finally, once they reach the counter, they look at the cashier and say, "Oh, I don't want the newspaper."
Amazing isn't it? (lots of sarcasm here)
3) Greedy Liars
The retail company that I am working for upholds the policy that if buyers are unhappy with the goods that they bought from its stores, a full refund will be given to them. As expected, a few greedy customers are trying to exploit the policy by attempting to lie all the way till they get their moolah back. Let me share with you two stories as told by one of my female colleagues who works under the Delicatessen section:
A few weeks ago, a customer came into the outlet, strolled to the Delicatessen section and before you knew it, began throwing insulting remarks at her. The customer bought cooked chicken prepared by her two days ago. Now, he was claiming that the chicken was uncooked. When asked to hand over the chicken for investigation, the customer refused to cooperate and instead gave a loud rude reply, "I gave the uncooked chicken to my dog!" She could not give the refund as there was no proof that the chicken was not well-cooked. The customer could be cooking up a story to earn the cash he did not deserve to get. In the end, the customer went straight to one of my duty managers who decided to give a full refund after checking the receipt. Till now, my colleague believes that decision was a poor one.
Nonetheless, the customer in the story below was not as lucky as the one above.
The customer in this story used the very same tactic as the one above, except for one key difference - the anomaly on the receipt. He was aggressive and hurled insults at my colleague. He then tried to fool my Store Manager while appealing for the refund. The outlet I am working for is located in Sengkang. However, the receipt showed that the chicken was brought from an outlet in Hougang! It was a completely failed attempt to get a cash refund and the abashed customer went home empty-handed, leaving behind his ego.
4) The Money Changers
This particular behaviour is actually quite funny when I look at it in retrospect but nevertheless, it sure annoys the other customers in the queue. I, for one, have a personal experience with people who love to change their big notes. I love to call them the 'money changers' and I enjoy sharing their antics with my friends, such as this one:
A female customer handed over the good she wanted to buy to me so that I could scan it. My screen revealed that it was a small sanitary pad which costs around $4 (can't remember the exact amount). She whips out her wallet, took out a note and passed it over to me. Guess what? It was a $1000 note!
I had no choice but to rush to the Cashiers' Room and change the $1000 note into smaller denominations. This usually takes quite some time, especially when the Chief Cashier is out at the washroom! OHGAWD! Next time if you want to change big notes into smaller ones, please do so in a place called a BANK!
5) Anti- Bring Your Own Bag Day
If you think that all Singapore consumers are in favour of the weekly 'Bring Your Own Bag Day' campaign, then you are wrong. There were buyers who questioned me where the money collected by the weekly donations are heading to. When I gave the reply that the donations will be channeled to the Singapore Environment Council, they were unimpressed. One of them even said, "Money go straight to gahmen! What's the point?!"
Other more experienced colleagues also shared their pitiful experiences with me. Most of them agree that the campaign is still relatively unpopular and unknown among local consumers. My colleagues added that at times, they were scolded after informing their customers that they were supposed to bring their own bags. Somehow, the buyers felt that the campaign was just causing too much trouble for them.
It takes time for local consumers to get used to the weekly campaign I guess...
6) Plastic Notes Only
I have customers who after receiving their changes, request for the paper notes to be swapped with plastic ones. This habit is especially prevalent among senior citizens. So what makes this particular habit bad, you ask?
Well, it turns bad when they insist on having the plastic notes at ALL COSTS. There are times whereby we cashiers have run out of plastic notes in our cash box. This leaves us with no choice but to act like beggars and visit the other counters searching for available plastic notes. Mind you, the other cashiers are also serving a line of customers. Lots of time is lost just to meet the strict requirements of the old lady.
Till now, I still don't get why senior citizens (not all of course) only accept plastic notes because sooner or later, the notes will be used! (for goodness sake)
7) The (Queue) Jumper
"Aiyah...I have only one item to purchase...let me go first lah," said the old woman as she forced her way to the front end of the queue.
This is one of the most common bad behaviour that I have witnessed so far. Queue jumpers are very annoying. I mean seriously, they are really really annoying. They may get away with it the first time, but one day someone may just teach them the lesson.
One of my colleagues once shared with me a story whereby she nearly quit her job because of a queue jumper. So what happened? The annoying human being jumped queue and when my colleague tried to stop her and refused to scan her items first, she retaliated and criticized her loudly. My colleague was so embarrassed by the incident that she ran straight to our Section Leader and wanted to resign. I told you they are annoying...
8) I Want That Free Gift!!!
Promotions are available all year round in participating supermarkets. One of the most popular promotions is the free gift. A very good example is the Sunshine Bakeries' free gift marketing campaign. Some of you may know by now that Sunshine Bakeries is running a promotion whereby a free packet of Hot dog Buns are given upon purchase of their selected types of breads. The thing is that the free gift are only available while stocks lasts.
Some customers just don't get it. They would request for a full refund if the free packet of Hot dog Buns were not given. Some would even accuse us for being misleading. There is no way we can remove the advertising brochure from the bread shelf the moment we run out of the free gifts. Oh and by the way, the brochure also clearly indicates that the free gifts are available while stocks last. I rest my case...
9) Where Did The Herbs Go To?
Thieves are everywhere and one of their favourite spots is the supermarket. Of course, they are not stupid enough to smuggle the whole unpaid product out of the store; so what did they do? Here you go, using a bottle of herbs as an example:
First, he chooses the bottle of herbs that he wants. Next, he opens the lid, pours all the content into the pocket before inserting shreds of paper into the now-empty bottle. Finally, he walked out the store a free man.
Not convinced that the strategy worked? Well, it happened last month! One of the Sales Assistants found the bottle filled with shreds of paper. And herbs are not the only favourite goods stolen; batteries are another easy target. Their small size makes it easy for the thieves to smuggle them out unnoticed.
10) Littering!
What do you do after you have checked your receipt?
a) Keep it in the plastic bag and dispose of it at home
b) Heck. Just leave it in the basket!
Rubbish bins are available at all counters. Customers usually check their receipts near the entrance. And once done, believe it or not, some of them chose to throw them in the baskets stacked up there. How do I know? I was given the duty to clear the baskets collected at the cashiers and re-stack them up at the entrance once. Well, you guessed it, I had to spend quite some time to clear all the receipts and rubbish left behind in the baskets. Sometimes there is liquid spilled all over the baskets. Ewww...
There you go, Singapore's top ten worst consumer behaviour! Do share with me what you think of the antics mentioned above!
[EXCLUSIVE] Singapore's Top 10 Worst Consumer Behaviour
What I Really Think Of TPJC...
Written by Siti Sarah Bte Daud (09A02).
Tampines Junior College was my dream destination after the 'O' Levels ended, ever since I have made up my mind over the age-old debate of Poly vs JC. Why? I don't really know. I'm not a stellar student. My grades are perfectly average. I'm not good enough for the higher end JCs but not that bad either. Besides, TPJC has a pretty good Arts Course, and the Theatre Studies and Drama subject were a part of the attraction.
As of now, I have been in the school for a good two weeks or so and there are a couple of things that have already made an impression on me.
Firstly, what is up with the school's perfect symmetry? Block B and Block E are both painted yellow. They have the exact same architecture. They both have patches of grass right in the centre of the building, surrounded by brown benches. There is nothing to tell them apart from each other.
I felt like a headless chicken half the time I spent in school in the first week. I remembered once, when I had to leave halfway due to a TSD audition during a History lecture in LT2. I ran across the school campus to get to the Black Box, got completely lost, and ended up back outside LT2. When I finally found the Black Box, heavily panting and disoriented, the TSD teacher asked if I was this flustered all the time. I told her that it was due to the school having completely identical blocks and that I couldn't find my way around all the time. The resounding chorus of agreement from the TSD J2s was, if anything, comforting. At least I wasn't the only one losing my head over the layout of the $18.2 million* school.
However, this becomes a minor blip in my existence as a TPJCian because there are a lot of other things about TPJC that I really love. One example is none other than the college song. After a disastrous attempt to teach a less than enthusiastic cohort of J1s the TPJC school song, I went online and Youtube-d the College Video to learn the song by myself. Before long, I found myself suffering from major earworms for the next week or so. I don't know – there is something about the melody and the lyrics that made the song stuck in my head for a really long time. Ask my friends; they heard nothing from me except the school song for quite some time.
Plus, the first eleven words (which is only what most TPJCians can remember of the school song), 'Proud are we to be a part of Tampines Junior College...' struck a chord in me because that particular moment really reminded me that I was actually here, as a part of TPJC.
However, the thing I love the most about the school is the people. From what I've noticed, the regular TPJCian is heady, lively and a little offbeat. A lot of the TPJCians that I have met are very friendly. One good instance is the first two people I met when I stepped into TPJC. In the first week of our orientation, I recalled with fondness my OGLs, Jie Ying and Shahrin (OGLs for OG 18), and their lively antics in attempts to make us feel more comfortable in and familiar with TPJC. They brought us around the school, shared inside secrets and dished the dirt on canteen food. Furthermore, they weren't friendly only during the orientation period. I still do encounter them in the hallways and they always have a smile, a wave, or a piece of friendly advice to share.
But why do I say TPJCians are a little offbeat, you ask? Well, check out this video:
All in all, I feel really blessed to be here and be part of the TPJC family and I'm looking forward to my two years here! (:
Now if only, they printed pocket maps for all new J1s..
*according to Wikipedia
TPJC Orientation Camp '09: The Review
Written by Abdul Hamid B Roslan (09A06).
I’ll be upfront about the whole event and start by saying that Tampines Junior College was not my first choice. Walking into the school everyday, by lunchtime I’d find myself feeling really left out and disoriented because everyone seemed to be settling in quite easily. Secretly, I’d hoped to be able to adapt as quickly as they could, and from there I started to look at this year’s orientation camp as something to look forward to; it presented a chance for me to bond with my classmates and find a sense of belonging with the school.
Lets skip back to a few days before, when camp was in full swing. It was Day One. We were told to create our Civics Group flag – symbolizing whatever it was that we wanted to embody. I got a chance to see how my class worked together for the first time. Everything went along fine and slowly, we got to know what each person could contribute to the entire group as a single unit.
The games organized by the councillors was stellar. I think it was the games and the whole “Early Bird Contest” (whoever was at the venues first was awarded bonus house points) that really pushed everyone to work together. The games helped us let loose a little and it gave us a chance to have fun together as a class while at the same time working under pressure. From becoming the figures of a game of football to vigorously scrubbing our hair at another station to get suds to fill a bucket, or using any means necessary to transfer water from a bucket to bottles of different sizes, we all learnt something new about one another (e.g. In times of distress, the mighty shoe can act as a bucket to fill things with), and that subsequently brought us closer.
Another thing that really stood out for me was the fact that we were always encouraged to cheer. This, I think, helped to create a sense of familiarity that we can associate with the school. Cheering was fun; being able to scream your hearts out and proudly proclaim yourself as a member of one of the six houses forged a sense of identity with the school as well as with your class.
Anyone who has kept up with this blog would have read about the issues surrounding the way the dance was choreographed. Some commented that it was not suitable for guys while others thought that it was too hard to learn all three dance items at the same time.
I will have to agree with them, but only to an extent. Learning the mass dance was not easy, especially when being taught by someone who cannot possibly check and see if everyone’s following the moves to the letter. At the beginning it was frustrating to see that repetition doesn’t count for perfection when you just can’t land the moves right. Furthermore, we were not given much time to really practise hard. It was like a mass dance crash course, though with great enthusiasm and the want to learn.
For me, I think the two main things about the camp that really helped everyone become closer to one another were the games and the cheering. Everyone was really enthusiastic about cheering for his or her own respective houses.
Another good thing to mention was the morning exercise on the second day. We were told to run around the school field while singing the school song. This was particularly hilarious because it seemed like as if most of the J1s then did not know the second verse of the song. So whenever we came to that bit of the song, all of us would just ad-lib with either “la la la” or some other inaudible sound. Eventually we managed to pick up the rest of the song, and by the time we were running around the track one last time, everyone was singing so loudly that it caught the attention of a few of the J2s who rushed to the railings at the study café to look at us.
That aside, I’m not the type of person who’d like to sugarcoat things and tell you that the camp went off without any hitches. Sometimes I felt like the reflections after each event was a little rushed and halfhearted. I don’t really think it’s feasible for people to set a certain time frame of which at the end of the whole thing, you’re supposed to learn something new. Let’s be honest here – no one is going to receive an epiphany if you time him or her and apply some good ole peer pressure. Everyone is going to need his or her own time to come to conclusions about the things they have done. Own time, own target right?
In preparation for Soul Night, each house was instructed to come up with a skit to advertise a product or thing. Being adolescents, you can guess as to the silly things we were told to pitch for. In spite of the odd product placements (come on, advertising hair?), all the houses still did their best to come up with something original. I think this helped us in terms of learning about teamwork, and being able to accept other people’s ideas and slowly come to something that everyone can agree on. I think I’ll count myself thankful when I say there wasn’t any creative friction whenever our Civics Group or the House was called upon to work together and brainstorm.
On the final day, everyone was really tired but some of us didn’t really want the whole thing to end. It had been such an amazing and memorable experience – we had learned so much and had so much fun at the same time – and the thought that all good things must come to an end began to emerge as the last day of camp arrived. We took part in a few more cheer-offs, watched a compilation of videos and pictures of what we had done for the past three days, and the next thing I knew I was already on the bus back home.
It is strange how the things you started out hating always turn into something you can truly be proud to be a part of. This year’s orientation camp, like any other, was organized with the intention to foster stronger bonds between classmates and with the college as a whole.
Well, I think it worked like a charm.
Parents Or Friends First?
Log into Facebook and you see a screen inundated with status updates from your friends. They share their daily experiences with you and the rest of their buddies. Facebook has become a comfortable venue for us to air our grievances or lightheartedness among our peers. We know that someone is there when we are down and that he or she may drop an uplifting message to keep our spirits high. Moreover, we also know that someone is there when we are joyful and that he or she may join in and celebrate the happiness with a joke or two.
As the process of 'emotional amalgamation' continue to grow among our friends online, I believe that we may be less attached to our parents in the future. When we share our miseries with our peers online, we know and expect that they will be there to support us in overcoming the difficult period of our lives (such as relationship breakups and failures in examinations). After all, they are of the same age as us and are most likely to have the same set of thinking as us. This cannot be said in the case of our parents who may decide to hold a tongue-lashing exercise with us instead.
Let me provide you with a simple example - the dreaded relationship breakup. We usually share our relationship problems with our closest friends. In Facebook for example, the shattered love is even made evident when friends change their relationship status from being 'engaged' to 'single'. What follows next are usually consoling comments by concerned peers. By contrast, in most cases, we do not usually inform our parents when love cracks start to emerge. Somehow we feel awkward or nervous when we try to do so.
I am not sure if we teenagers are not drifting away from our parents. However, I am pretty confident that we are developing 'new families' with our friends. We are spending more time with them than our parents. We reveal the ups and downs of our lives to our buddies more often than we do to our parents. Our friends have metaphorically become like another family for us.
Technology plays a crucial role in the structuring of the 'new families'. In fact, it accelerates the whole process. Technology is evolving so fast that our parents are struggling to keep up with it. Mobile phones are turning obsolete and new communication gadgets and utilities are entering the market such as iPhones, social networking websites and many more. The digital divide between teenagers and their parents is the essential component that helps sew a stronger bond among their peers while having an opposite impact on the connection with their parents.
When teenagers start believing that their friends are taking over the roles as their parents, society will change. In the future, teenagers may no longer learn about the birds and the bees from their parents. Instead, they seek for knowledge from their friends. Teenagers may no longer share their problems with their parents. Instead, they rest their shoulders on their friends. Teenagers no longer spend their leisure time with their parents. Instead, they prefer organizing outings with their buddies.
I always believe that our parents are the ones that keep us back on the right track when we are lost in life. When we are drowning with all the hardships in life, they are the first ones to rescue us and bring us back ashore. If the connection between teenagers and their parents is weakened, then we teenagers will be left alone when trouble arises. We are now left to make our own decisions alone. Join the wrong group, and our future may be in jeopardy.
This may be the cause of all the social problems teenagers are facing now. Abortions rates and teenage pregnancies have doubled over the years. Sometimes we wonder if our friends really know what they are talking about when they offer us advice or if they are merely pretending to know everything. When teenagers hide the truth from their parents, they are sending a wrong message to them. Parents may be misled to believe that their children are enjoying their lives and as a result be more willing to pay more attention to other areas of their lives, such as work.
Can you see the whole picture now?
In conclusion, the reality now is that teenagers are sharing their roller-coaster lives with their friends more often and readily as compared to with their parents. They are more easily influenced by their peers now than ever. Moreover, parents are also granting too much freedom to their children as they are given a false impression of the real state of the children's lives. In short, the connection between both parties is waning and this may be why there is a rise in the number of social problems among teenagers.
In a family, arguments may strain the thread that holds us together but it will never break it. However, in a friendship, a simple misunderstanding can snap the thread that has kept us together for many years, in just a split second.
TPJC Mass Dance '09: The Informal Review
Written by azhar.
The 23rd Student Council had just released three mass dance instructional videos for the upcoming orientation camp. The videos have invited mixed reactions from the new JC1 batch. Some of them love the three dance items while the others think the choreography is either too hard or too err... weird.
The team in charge of the college mass dance this year has chosen bold songs to accompany their choreography. Who would have expected them to choose an old pop song such as Wannabe, made famous by the Spice Girls? The other two three songs chosen fall under the hip-hop genre - Low (by Flo Rida), Run the show (by Kat Deluna) and Temperature (by who else but the one and only Sean Paul). As a whole, I would say interesting choice of songs. Although one of them seems to be out of place, but it is good (perhaps) to have something different to be part of the whole mass dance package.
All right, here comes the most crucial part - the CHOREOGRAPHY. Overall, I believe the steps are not too difficult or complicated. One thing I noticed is how they repeated certain steps (especially for the first song) over and over again. Although some may argue doing so eats up the creativity of the dance items, it can actually help the JC1s memorize the steps faster and better.
Ok, enough of the good stuff; here comes the criticisms.
Firstly, I do not seem to get some of the steps that are incorporated into the dance items. I did some research beforehand and found out that there are quite a number of bloggers (mostly guys) out there who hate dislike the male dancer. Apparently, the poor impression they have on him is due to the feminine steps he choreographed for the guys in the COUPLE DANCE. Hmmm...I am not siding any particular party here but I sure have one question in mind.
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE DOING HERE???
Perhaps you guys can help answer the question. I doubt that most of the guys will do this move....
Next, I know, you know, and we all know that the dancers made quite a number of mistakes in the three videos. It is completely fine if they made one or two errors here and there while recording the video, but more than that is as good as saying the supposedly instructional videos are corrupt. The dancers should have requested for more takes and as far as possible strive for perfection in the videos. Why? The last thing you want is a bunch of confused human beings dancing in the hall. Oh boy...
And finally, this goes out to all JC1s out there who may not like the mass dance items as much as the rest. I have heard and read some of your comments regarding them and am appalled by some of the insensitive remarks. Please do not spread untrue rumours that one of the dancers is gay and many more. Instead, show some appreciation for the dancers involved who have spent hours trying to figure out a simple yet fun choreography for you guys.
Till then, have fun!
The Student Council - Leaders For The Student Body
Written by Wee Yong Choon Eugin (08S02).
The TPJC Student Council started in 1986, and has a long history of serving the student body and upholding college values. The new addition to our TPJC family – the J1s, may be curious as to what exactly is the Student Council all about. It is not just another co-curricular activity, but in fact, it is the highest form of student representation and leadership a student can obtain at the junior college level.
“With great power comes great responsibility.” This is indeed true as being a councilor is not as easy as what others think. The Student Council takes charge in planning the majority of the school events such as the Teachers’ Day, Council Investiture, National Day, Prom Night, Friendship Week and also the upcoming JC1 Orientation Camp!
The 23rd Student Council.
Not only that, being a councilor also means that we must uphold the school values at all times, such as integrity, perseverance and teamwork to name a few. We are also responsible for initiating new proposals and ideas that we deem will be beneficial to the school population as a whole. A good example would be the launching of the Good News Café in year 2007, thanks to the intense campaigning by the 21st Student Council.
With all these responsibilities and heavy duties tagged to the title of being a councilor, what exactly are the perks and benefits of being a member of the prestigious Student Council? Well, I would say there are mainly two things, which will affect your life in one way or another.
Firstly, it would be experience. Being a student councilor really gives you a lot of opportunities to excel in different areas, especially leadership. You get the chance to do tasks you have never attempted before – like writing detailed proposals, where you acquire skills you need in the workforce. Or perhaps more relevant to me, doing videos for the respective events and the compliments and praises that comes after the student body watches it, really makes you feel your effort is all worthwhile. Furthermore, you will learn the different skills and values throughout the council term like the importance of time management, the rare chance to interact with the other students, and also develop critical thinking skills.
Secondly, it would be working with the wonderful friends in Council. The friendship forged between each councilor is strong and I believe, will stay for eternity. We come together as individuals, but during the nine months of being a leader, we learnt from each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We are not selfish when it comes to giving each other learning points. And finally, we leave, not as individuals, but as the entire 23rd Student Council.
Now if you’re still wondering whether you’re suitable for Council, fret no more. Think about what exactly you want to achieve in your life. Do you want to make your days in the college memorable? Do you want to look back your JC days, ten years down the road, and realize you haven’t contribute much to the school? Hesitate no more, show your courage and be a part of the 24th Student Council now!
Wushu - Why We Stand Out From The Rest
Written by Seah Ching Chong Jake (08S21).
A good friend of mine once posed me this question during a normal conversation. He asked, “What makes Wushu stand out from the rest of the CCAs?” Immediately, I thought of two good answers.
TPJC Wushu has one vision, which is to accept all members regardless of race or experience. In Wushu, everyone is treated equally and given equal chances. Last year, the new JC1s were given a chance to take part in the National Inter-School Wushu Competition although most of them just tried the sport. Despite not knowing the basics, the whole team persevered and clinched third prize in the Group Quanshu – Boys Category. This itself has separated Wushu from the rest of the sports CCAs.
The second reason is the family bond that all the members has for one another. We organize group outings and reunion dinners at coffee shops frequently. Moreover, we support each other academically - doing homework together and tutoring one another. CCA isn’t just CCA anymore; it becomes something more than that.
A wise teacher once told me, “Only those who persevered will be able to see the gem in things.” In the beginning, I was uncertain on my choice to take up Wushu. However, after I joined the team, I began to realize that I have stumbled upon many fortunes and treasures. And this motivated me to do my best for this CCA of mine, Wushu.
A member of Wushu
TPJC Symphonic Winds- We ARE the Music Makers
Written by Tng Loong Hua Aaron (08S09).
The Band is one of the pioneer CCAs when TPJC first started in 1986. Under the baton of many prestigious conductors, TPJC band has grown significantly into what it is today. Now renamed ‘TPJC Symphonic Winds’ and under the guidance of the current resident conductor, Mr. Adrian Chiang, the band is set to excel in the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) this year. Last year, the band had actively participated in numerous college events such as the Speech Day, Watercolours Open House and National Day.
The band had also staged two sold-out concerts - one called ‘Le Musique 2008’, a combined concert with the college Guitar Club in April, and the other in conjunction with our ‘Band Festival’ (12th – 18th Dec) during the December Holidays. The concert involved the participation of three other Secondary Schools- Marist Stella High School (MSHS), Saint Anthony Canoissan (SAC) and Chong Boon Secondary (CBSS) and it served as a grand finale to our week long ‘Band Festival’, the first to be organized by the band itself. The festival comprises of master classes by professional musicians and also band clinics conducted by Mr. Surapol Thanyawibool, Music Director form Kasetsart University, Thailand.
To add on, the band was also privileged to be able to go for a five-days-and-four-nights band exchange and performance in Hong Kong (19th -23rd November). Band members were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform at Hong Kong Disneyland together with Chong Boon Secondary. Hence, TPJCSW is not just your average band; it is a band that will assure a very musical yet enriching experience for many aspiring musicians.
Visit us at or official CCA website @ http://cca.tpjcian.net/band/achievements.htm
-TPJCSW- PASSION. COHERENCE. DISCIPLINE.
Guitar Ensemble- Where Friendship Takes On A New Meaning.
Written by Loh Pei Ying (08A05).
When I think about Guitar Ensemble, I tend to smile to myself. I know it sounds a little crazy, but it’s the truth. The thought of Guitar Ensemble brings back great memories to my mind. In 2008, I joined Guitar Ensemble because I had a great love for music. I thought the CCA would have been a great choice for me because the guitar is an extremely versatile instrument. Moreover, I already had prior guitar playing experience. So I thought “Why not?”
My decision to join Guitar Ensemble has changed my perspective on many things. At first, practices were boring. I knew no one else and was on my own. To make matters worse, ice-breaking games made me feel awkward. However, I made a new friend. Her name is Heather. She is currently the President of the Guitar Ensemble. We stuck together and became CCA buddies. From there, I made more friends. Soon, I became increasingly attached to the CCA.
During our June Camp, we had the usual round of interview to select the new executive committee for the CCA. I did not have any real intention of being part of it. To me, it did not matter. I had fun in the CCA, and that was most important at that point of time. In my interview, I had said, “I would do anything that the CCA require of me.” My instructor questioned me as to exactly how much I would actually contribute to the CCA. I only remembered giving a vague answer.
When the results came out, I was pretty surprised by the leadership position that I was assigned to. I was chosen to be the “Publicity Officer”. Later on I thought, “This shouldn't be too bad. Doesn’t seem like a tough job.”
I was wrong.
My leadership is now an inside joke in Guitar Ensemble. I had one of the most tedious jobs in the team. My job covered handling CCA shirts, to CCA files, to drafting proposals, to creating logos, posters, getting a tailor for our costumes, creating a newsletter and so on. As long as it did not involve music or admin matters, I had to do it.
It was tiring. There are days when I stayed up till unearthly hours to complete my work. I used to joke about how I’ve become the “ambassador for Guitar Ensemble” because I have to pick up calls and reply emails to external organizations for the CCA pretty often.
Nonetheless, the experience has been fulfilling. And it is so because I have my team members supporting me. When I need help, my executive committee is there to pick me up and put me back in place. We do camp-material shopping together. I drag them to Jurong East and Chinese Garden with me just to find a tailor.
We are a group, an ensemble. We stick together through thick and thin. It is not the outcome that matters, but the process of working together and learning something. Although my work is tough, I have now developed life skills that many others may have missed out on. “One Band, One Sound.” That was the motto of the Military Band in the movie Drumline. We have adopted our own version of “One Ensemble, One Sound.” It does not sound as nice, but it does not matter because it is the meaning that counts.
Commitment is important, but friendship is far more crucial than that. In Guitar, we do crazy things together; we can have fun that is completely out of this world. We are like a family and this is what Guitar Ensemble offers to all the new JC1s coming in to TPJC.
This CCA has a long history in TPJC. We have an internal rock band and our ensemble has held its own concert last December. We achieved Gold with Honours for SYF in 2007. Plus, we practice music from almost all genres.
Guitar practices are on Wednesdays and Fridays. We start at 2.30pm and practice should end around 4.30pm for the JC1s. You don’t need to have any music experience to join as Guitar Ensemble is open to everyone. Music is only one of the major things we do. As long as you have the heart and the interest, we will accept you.
For more information you can contact me, Loh Pei Ying (08A05) on tpjc.net. More information is also available at http://tpjcguitarensemble.blogspot.com. Have a great orientation and see you around ; )
Chess Club - Sports For Your Mind
Written by Lim Yu Shaun (08S09).
This is Chess Club. Lets go into the introduction first. We play five main mind sports namely Weiqi/Go, Chinese Chess, Contract Bridge, Othello/Reversi and lastly International Chess. Our training dates are Wednesdays from 2.30 – 5.30pm and Fridays from 1.30 – 4.00pm. We play both competitively and casually. This year we are in need of players especially in Weiqi, Othello and International Chess.
Our Club shirt with the five games we play.
Check out our video here:
We also organize other activities such as Service Learning trips, a camp and also a chalet.
Enough of the nerdy stuff; I’ll now share my experience as a Chess Club member. I’m obsessed with Weiqi/Go (ever since I watched anime). Sadly, it’s not very popular in Singapore. In fact when I entered the Chess Club, only one other person knew how to play the game. Being a Chess Club member is not all about playing games but also having fun. Somehow we managed to form a team after months of casual practice. The experience gained from the tournaments is priceless. I believe that we should be playing not just to win, but also to make new friends and teaching others in the process. I never regretted joining the Chess Club and I am proud to be a member of the team.
That said, we welcome everyone - beginners, experts and enthusiasts. Feel free to come down to play with us at D203 (our club room) anytime. We are looking forward to see you all.
Lim Yu Shaun (Izumi), Captain (Weiqi & Othello), TPJC Chess Club
Students In School Uniform Banned From Entering Shopping Malls - Good Idea?
We have had enough of the hairstyle rule already. No spikes, no sideburns, and no fringe touching the eyebrows- that is the disciplinary slogan our teachers carry whenever the hair check date draws nearer. Students protest but to no avail. You are not in school to make a fashion statement, the discipline mister or mistress would always rebut.
Now, schools are looking forward to implement a new rule. Students may not be allowed to enter shopping malls or even stroll around the housing estates in their school uniforms anymore. It is a deliberate move to protect the reputation of the school. The new rule has received strong support by parents but faces widespread condemnation by students.
Students feel that the new rule is clipping their wings. Nonetheless, parents believe that the regulation can help prevent their children from mixing with the wrong group and loitering aimlessly outside school. They cited examples of students seen smoking and behaving intimately with their partners in public to back up their opinions.
We decided to start a forum thread in our online school portal requesting for opinions from TPJCians about this issue. Below are four of the best responses that we receive:
'I guess it is time for a former Coral Sec student to answer to this. First of all, the reasons why the school disallows students from going to White Sands. Apparently there are complaints from security guards, mall visitors, store keepers and others that the students are smoking outside the mall and running and fooling around in the shopping mall. Moreover, apparently the complaints come a few times every week, as a lot of our morning assemblies include lectures on our behaviour outside school.
Well personally, as both a student at that time and an alumnus now, I still do not see any of the students doing the things that they are being accused of. What I saw were normal students having lunch at McDonald's or other food outlets although occasionally they might have talked very loudly or just plainly hanging out. The only misbehaviour I have noticed is the inappropriate attire (shirt tucked out) they displayed in public.
Maybe the reason why I did not see any of the students committing the "crimes" that the public have accused us of is because of the ban. However, the rules the school has enforced on us after receiving are really just too extreme.
First, at the beginning, the ban does not just include White Sands Shopping Mall; it is a ban that disallows students to loiter under void decks for a 500m-1km radius around the school. Teachers, mostly almost all from the discipline committee, are sent out right after school ends to catch students loitering. Daily, around three to five would go to White Sands while others would go around neighbourhood search for students loitering in their school uniforms. I even spot teachers twice at Downtown East as well.
Next, the only place in White Sands students are allowed to go to is the library. What's more, they have to find the discipline mistress in school, give her their names and class to inform her that after school, the are heading to the library. And according to the school, "go straight up to the library and do not even stay at a shop for even a second".
Even more absurd, if you all have been to White Sands before, you will know that you can cut through White Sands to the MRT station for a short-cut from the back entrance to the main entrance. The school forbids student from taking that route. Sometimes, a teacher would stay at the second storey, looking down, and if anyone tries cutting through White Sands, the teacher would immediately take action. No excuses will be accepted from the student as the rules strictly says "students are not allowed to go to White Sands Shopping Mall in uniform" (its even in our handbook). And there is no running away if you are being spotted. Teachers who failed to catch up with the students to confront them on time will remember their appearance and on the following school day, will go through every class searching for him or her.
Moreover, security guards are asked to help turn in the students that loiter in White Sands.'
- Wong Wen Bin Stanford (08S20)
'Ultimately, I feel that this rule of not allowing students in uniform at shopping centres or around housing estates is void because the students will still spend their time in those places, with or without uniform. The only difference is that the public may not know which school these students come from and hence prevents the school from having a notorious reputation for students hanging out at the mall or nearby housing estates.
However, the root of the problem is still not solved, as students will still be hanging out at the places as mentioned and doing the things that they used to without their school uniforms. Eventually, the school's reputation will still be tarnished overtime. Instead, I feel that the school should carry out active measures to convince students that there are better ways to spend their time such as by doing revision, participating more actively in their CCAs and more.'
-Foo Chuan Sing Georgina (09S03)
'Seriously, how much 'face' can the school save when they impose such a rule. Not much. I didn't read the article. However, I do not accept any reason they suggested.
If the main assumption here is that all, if not most, of the trouble caused by the students happen at the malls or in the void decks, then that is not true. They can happen in food centres which are outside or far away from the malls. They can happen in public transport. They can also happen within the school, visible to the people living in that area. So are they actually being a bit hypocritical. You can go home in school uniform but not anywhere else in them. So why not ban students from wearing school uniform outside school?
If they wanted them to spend more time studying, then the ban will not help. It will probably stop the students from directly going to the places after school, but it won't hinder them from doing what they want. Perhaps if they go home earlier, they will sleep all the way.
The greater solution to this (not best though) is to change the public notion. They need to change their mindset when looking at things. We can't say that if one person does this, then all the other people belonging to the same group does it too.'
- Seng Leng Kiat (08S11)
'Well, certainly Coral Secondary School does not want students to spend their time aimlessly around the malls and HDB estates (or just anywhere out of school). The intended action is supposed to deal with those who "hangs out anywhere out of school", and trying to make sure that students do not make any trouble outside school. Or at least, that was the only brief answer given to The New Paper.
It is true that many students do stay out of school aimlessly with their friends (sometimes attracting a lot of attention, and sometimes disgracing the school), but it does not serve as a good reason why students should be banned from staying out of school in their school uniforms. We are given the choice to choose to spend our free time on whatever we wished to, and the intervention of schools can very much affect our private lives. Somehow, the schools will be intruding our private time and space that we have and deserve.
Yes, none of the teachers, parents or Principals (and me as a student) will approve youngsters to behave like hooligans in public. However, banning the students from entering recreational and public sites seems to say that we, the students, are potential trouble makers.
If the school decides to lift the ban and trust the students instead, I think it will be a far better solution to the problem. The best way to remedy the complication (in my own opinion), is to impart positive moral values into the students and coach them to apply them in real life. Even after they had done something wrong, it is best to do a follow up. By banning them, they will not learn anything at all. However if the school lifts the ban, it may be a chance for them to learn from their mistakes.
Furthermore, rules should be grounded on a common sense, and because of that, it encourages compliance and respect. Impractical rules invites mockery from the public's eye and is largely likely to spark defiance in students. Trust and mutual respect are important in communication between everyone, and it could serve as a base for conduct. If Coral Secondary School were to trust and respect their students, it is also likely that the students would respect their own school and not make trouble outside the school compound.'
- Fong Guo Wei (09A07)
Yet Another Anti-STOMP Blog Opened
Even though attempts by local netizens to close down STOMP in the past were of no avail, they remain adamant and decided to launch yet another anti-STOMP blog. The only difference this time is that it comes together with a Facebook cause known as 'Stomp out STOMP for good!' to act as a tool to garner as much online support as possible.
Do visit the blog HERE.
One of the blog posts published suggested members to send a letter of appeal for the discontinuation of STOMP. A paragraph was inserted to inform supporters that they are not committing a crime but instead just performing their duty as a concerned citizen. The letter specifically mentioned how STOMP encourages the culture of voyeurism in our society, unnecessarily intrudes into the private lives of Singaporeans and destroys the lives of Singaporeans affected by the stories featured in the website.
You can join the cause HERE.
Meanwhile, the Facebook cause has attracted more than 450 members and is still growing. The cause hopes to raise awareness of the shortcomings of STOMP through the use of the new media. There is currently an active discussion going on in the group whereby members examine the negative impacts of STOMP and raise suggestions to improve it.
Sceptics are already questioning the effectiveness of such a cause. As mentioned earlier, many anti-stomp websites had been closed down in the past. Furthermore, online petitions rarely work in Singapore. Nonetheless, I applaud the effort of the creator and administrators of the cause for highlighting an important issue on responsible citizen journalism. I hope they continue fighting for the cause or else we will be left counting the number of days left before it closes down.
5 Must-Watch Videos This Weekend!
Sometimes, a little entertainment can help make your day. Enjoy!
1)
"This is my 7 year old son who had an extra tooth removed last summer, 2008. I had the camera because he was so nervous before and I wanted him to see the before and after. He was so out of it after, I had to carry him out of the office. The staff was trying to keep from laughing. I had tears from laughing so hard.He is doing fine now and the teeth are great.Best of all he is the best kid as is his brother William. I couldnt have asked for two better sons!"
2)
"I love Jesus but I drink a little"
3)
"Watch the moment Liverpool Street Station danced to create this special T-Mobile Advert. Life's for sharing."
4)
"Japanese Game Show: Running Backwards"
5)
"The Evil Look"
More CCA Blogs Launched But...
More CCAs are opting to set up official blogs to disseminate news for future activities, enable members to post reflections of events and engage with the growing online audience. The softball team had just launched its very own blog a few days ago (you can view it HERE) and one of my sources told me that the badminton squad is looking forward to open its blog soon. There are currently about five active CCA blogs in our college blogosphere so far.
Our softball team's newly launched blog.
I believe there are three reasons why more CCAs are choosing to run official blogs instead of maintaining their web pages. Firstly, it is easier to update posts and announcements by using blogs as a medium to transmit them. CCAs are facing a huge difficulty in finding the best people with the right skills to revise their web pages. You need to at least have knowledge of basic HTML in order to update the web page (properly). By contrast, team members can easily insert slide shows, videos and music onto their blogs without much trouble.
Another reason is probably because our CCAs are realizing the benefits of allowing any member to update the blogs. Instead of relying on one web master to maintain the website, why not extend the authorship to all members so that information can be shared faster. Besides, members are also free to write reflection posts of past events that they were in. They can exchange tags and comments with each other. This can help strengthen the bond between team members.
The official blog for members of TPJC Interact Club.
Finally, another advantage that blogs carry is anonymity for their readers. Sometimes, students are interested in a particular CCA but are just too shy to ask information about it. Chat boxes embedded onto blogs help solve this problem as anyone can request information while retaining their anonymity. Yes, although the chat boxes can be installed onto web pages, the process may not be as simple as that by using blogs.
Nonetheless, how do our CCAs fully utilize their blogs? Well, the RSS feed tool available for blogs allows readers to subscribe to the blog's feed content and receive the latest updates through the web browser. The service is free and is updated automatically. This means that members will receive post updates from their CCA blog instantly whenever they open their web browsers. This is just one way CCAs can fully utilize their blogs and skip the SMS route.
A blog owned by the TPJC Indian Cultural Society members.
Another fact about CCA blogs is that it can die very easily. The reason is because we do not have CCA-related events or outings every week or so and members usually post their reflections only after an event has ended. Therefore, do not be surprised to view 'What to blog about?! I have nothing to post!!' tags all over some CCA blogs. Another possible outcome is that members may resort to spamming in a desperate attempt to revive the blog.
A guide to fully utilize your CCA blogs will be published soon. =)
Finally, A Toy For Kids To Play, Lose Weight And Conserve Energy
Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the world. Mary Bellizzi, an expert with the International Obesity Task Force once said, "We estimate that 22 million of the world's children under 5 are overweight or obese." The figure is alarming as it sheds light to the health problem facing our children today.
In the macro level, the world is battling a much more serious problem - environmental degradation. Global warming is affecting millions of people around the world. Recently, Australia faced one of its worse heat waves this year which led to a record-breaking prolonged high temperatures in the Southeast region of the country. The meteorological phenomenon affected the lives of thousands of citizens there. The threat that environmental disaster pose is real and monumental.
The key to solve the two problems is education. And it is our responsibility to teach the younger generation about proper eating diets and energy conservation. Good eating habits help prevent childhood obesity while energy conservation reduces the amount of pollutants that damage the environment, slows down the global warming process and so on. Early education creates a better tomorrow for our children.
So how do we solve the two problems at the same time using the principles of education? Well, an environmental entrepreneur has the answer to the question. Introducing Fastronauts, eco-friendly toys that are powered by play. Each Fastronaut comes with a rechargeable battery. The children will need to pedal in order to generate the energy required to power the lights and sound.
That is not all - each Fastronaut is equipped with a power indicator that can be pressed to make the gadget talk. Children receive instant feedback as they create energy, thus providing motivation and encouragement for them to cycle more. (Plus, imagine the cut in the amount of disposable batteries scattered all around our landfills.) When the children pedal more, this in turn helps to burn the fats in their bodies.
In short, Fastronauts not only educate our children about energy conservation and generation, but at the same time making exercising a fun activity for the kids. It is an innovative gadget that can change how our kids live in the future.
New Generation Youths: Online And Unprotected
The risks that the new generation youths face online today are high. Social networking websites are fishing in more teenagers to expand their membership database. They are actively promoting themselves as a great place to meet new friends. Nonetheless, being young and naive have caused the children to make precarious decisions such as meeting the virtual friends in real life. What they do not realize is that those friends are actually strangers, some with their harmful hidden agendas concealed by a nice and friendly profile layout.
The number of sexual offences committed online has risen. Sexual predators utilize the Internet to seduce and lure innocent children to satisfy their lust and sexual desires. Most of them gained the trusts of their victims before exploiting them. Social networking websites are working hard to prevent sexual offenders from preying on their younger members. For instance, MySpace had made site-design and policy changes that included acknowledging consumer reports of abuse within twenty-four hours, allowing parents to submit children's email addresses to the site for blocking and automatically making a greater number of profiles private. MySpace also employs technology from Sentinel Tech Holding to eliminate child predators who set up profiles in their own names.
However, despite all the efforts by the social networking websites to protect youths online, they are still exposed to an array of dangers online such as bullying and sexual predation. The reason being is simple: it is getting harder for parents to monitor their children's online activities. Parents play an integral role in making sure their children are safe while surfing the Internet. Constant monitoring is crucial to ensure that their children do not fall in the traps of online dangers such as by preventing them from sharing their personal contact information.
As technology advances, things are getting more complicated for parents to fulfill their duties online. For example, in the case of Facebook, sexual predators can befriend the children online, gain their trust and ask for their contact information via Facebook Chat. They can easily avoid all the privacy tools set by the children's parents. Besides that, social networking websites are also going mobile making it even much more difficult for parents to consistently monitor their children's online activities.
For the record, below are links of stories regarding sexual offences committed by criminals who utilized social networking websites such as MySpace, Facebook and Bebo:
Police: Man Used MySpace To Lure Child For Sex
MySpace tryst leads to charges for Catawba man
Social websites lure youngsters into gangs
La Crosse Teen Pleads Guilty in MySpace Nude Pictures Case
Police: Man Met, Assaulted Girl On Facebook
As you can see, the danger is real and teenagers are vulnerable online. So is there a solution to the problem? Yes, in my opinion, education combined with parental intervention is the best solution. Parents need to be taught the new systems and policies that social networking websites adopt. I believe some parents are still unaware of the new rules implemented by social networking websites to protect their kids. Parents should also be educated to effectively monitor the online activities of their children. They may need to extend their surveillance over mobile phones with Internet access, beyond the computers at home.
The only people that stand between our youths and online sex predators or bullies are their parents. They can easily recognize a fishy situation and avoid trouble. The new generation youths are exposed to many online social networking outlets as the Internet is introduced in the early stages of their lives and their naivety is often taken advantage of by irresponsible netizens. Parental intervention is therefore fundamental in order to make sure the kids remain protected online. Teenagers are still children.
TPJC Friendship Week '09
For more information regarding the event, do drop by its official blog HERE.
Citizen Journalism In Singapore
Written by Guest Blogger.
(With commentary by the Editor.)
As our material world integrates into our online space, it is often no surprise to see reports of real-life events on the Internet. Credible news sources such as BBC, Channel News Asia and even The Straits Times all have online “e-versions” of their articles. On a technical basis, such reports are meant to cater to the internet-savvy generation and have an extremely potent reach in allowing World Citizens to know about what is happening, and has happened, in their world. However, the most important consideration when posting up any piece of news, and taking any piece of news seriously, is how credible a particular article is.
For many Singaporeans, such a skill is one of the most important things they learn at the Secondary School level, regardless of which stream they are in. Quite simply put, it is the skill of critical analysis and the ability to discern whether a source, or an article, is credible. Yet, somehow, it seems that we do not apply such key concepts in our everyday lives. Or, at least, that’s what I infer from the Straits Times’ very own online newsprint. Personally, there are two essential problems with online citizen journalist newsprint such as STOMP.
azhar: Citizen journalism is prevalent in the Internet now. The web is scattered with many websites which allows its members to share their photos, videos and commentary to the world. Among those in the list include CNN's iReport portal and Yahoo!'s You Witness News initiative. Besides the notorious STOMP, Singapore also has another website which promotes citizen journalism. It is none other than Omy's I Witness section.
Firstly, it is simply immoral. Whilst I applaud the vigilance with which Singaporeans have in attempting to maintain public order and peace, the vigour with which they do so borders upon voyeurism, obsession, and denigration. We seem to have thrown out all semblances of the basic values we criticize others of not having. When we snap photos of a stranger on the MRT supposedly “pretending to be asleep” and hence “not giving up his seat to a pregnant woman”, we accuse such people of being rude, uncivilized, and barbaric. It seems we have forgotten that the very fact that we took out a camera to snap a picture of this person, without him/her knowing, is a very rude act.
azhar: The issue regarding taking photos of people in public is a (very) complicated one. For instance, tourists are free to take photos of people in public areas of the countries they visit. In Singapore alone, we can view many tourists capturing photos of local citizens in action without them knowing. Professional photographers working for the traditional media have the rights to take photos in the location of a breaking news (and ironically, we usually react ecstatically when we find our pictures published in the newspaper). Furthermore, it is especially difficult to avoid taking photos of people in crowded places. So why should normal citizens equipped with camera phones be denied rights to do the same? And why are their actions considered rude as compared to -in this case- tourists and the professional photographers? At the end of the day, we all have to admit one thing: we can no longer expect privacy in any public area.
It also seems that, despite having the benefit of seeing our dear courtesy lion, Singa, in action, many of the more matured and senior members of the Singaporean society only preach, but never practice. Firstly, the accusation that someone is “pretending to be asleep” on the bus/MRT is pure speculation and defamation – the person may really be asleep, and it may have been since he boarded the train at say, Pasir Ris, he would have gotten the seat in the first place. Secondly, it seems that some have forgotten the concept of compromise and have begun to believe that they have the right to all sorts of things – such as a priority seat.
Yes, I believe that the younger generation should, if possible, give up their seat for the elderly and those who need it more than they do. After all, we are supposed to be livelier, youthful, and do not (generally) have issues with standing up for half an hour. However, this does not mean that those who need such a seat have the right to claim it as their own. Moreover, it does not give that person any right at all to take a picture of a supposed “culprit” and post it on the Internet, while including slander and libel along as captions.
azhar: This is the precise problem with our local citizen journalism. It is trying too hard to correct the society. I believe some citizen journalists have good intentions when they submit photos of Singaporeans in their poorest behaviours. They hope the same thing will not be repeated again. Unfortunately, the very same noble reason is the cause of the whole mess in our local citizen journalism. Our citizen journalists are too obsessed with the search for people who portray an indecent behaviour in public. They are waiting for people to make mistakes and hope that the same mistakes can be used as a form of campaign to educate netizens of proper public manners. The problem now is the people caught in action may turn out to be completely innocent. For all we know, we have just painted horns on their heads. Citizen journalism should not instill fear in our society; the last thing we want is to be living with a group of 'secret police officers'.
Secondly, and most importantly, is the credibility of such a source. How decisive can a source, that often allows defamatory and fictitious reports and accounts, be when it comes to deciding or judging a situation or person? A court of law will never admit such photographs and exaggerated witness accounts as evidence, so why should our schools, society, and people do so? A photograph that shows action A, which COULD lead to action B, C or D, does not provide any evidence or proof that the latter actions did indeed happen.
To explain the analogy, for the benefit of some who tend to misconstrue what might had happened with what really did, a photograph only shows a frame or snapshot of what had happened – and does not offer any conclusive evidence of what really did happen. It is thus fallacious to make our decisions or judgments upon such shaky ground. The only thing we can say for sure (going back to the “sleeping on the bus/MRT example) is that a student seemed to be sleeping at the moment, and that a pregnant woman did not have a seat. For all we know, that lady was offered the seat when that student awoke from his slumber, without having known that his picture was taken, and that he could very soon be on national news for something he was never guilty of.
azhar: Not to forget, the readers are also guilty of making harsh comments even though the source is not proven genuine. In fact, the actions of some of the readers who repeatedly make nasty comments regarding the victims can be deemed as bullying as it may cause emotional harm to the victims by the constant online harassment. Apart from that, in conclusion, we need more responsible citizen journalists who ensure the accuracy of the articles he or she submits. Failure to do so may hinder the progress of our local citizen journalism. Put one rotten egg in a basket of fresh eggs and the whole thing will stink. Citizen journalism can definitely help society, if used properly. It can also provide valuable feedback to the institutions and companies featured.
[Related post: http://tpjcian.blogspot.com/2009/01/stomp-and-citizen-journalism-in.html]