Special Assembly: Hari Raya Celebration

by Emma Lim Su Mei, Junior 2 Higgs, Class of 2015

The long wait is finally over. A week full of mouth watering food, fabulous Raya clothing and precious moments with family and friends has finally arrived. Just what everyone needed after the exam week stress that has been radiating around school and the gruelling exam preparation the seniors have been enduring for the longest time, no? Of course, the wondrous occasion called for a celebration, all done up in a traditional Cempaka style assembly. A proper holiday celebration just wouldn’t be the same without the mandatory formal assemblies full of exciting performances and riveting speeches. 

All dressed in traditional clothing, the students were sat in the hall in anticipation of the show to come. Our competent emcees kicked off the assembly introducing the first performance - a poetry citation done tastefully by the Primary students. Typically, poetry citations don’t keep the crowd interested, but the enthusiasm portrayed definitely put us in the holiday spirit. The verses in their poem spoke of the Raya festivities that are celebrated every year. All in all, they did a good job at setting the mood for the day.

A throwback to Cempaka's International Understanding day, the Sophomore 2 girls came out on stage with a well choreographed dance number. For those who didn’t attend the event held in school the previous Saturday, this dance provided a glimpse of what they had missed. It was a blend of traditional and modern, which definitely couldn’t have been an easy task. However these girls definitely mastered it to the best of their abilities, leading to the most elegant yet heart racing performance of the day.

Next up was probably the most memorable performance of the assembly. Rarely do we ever get the chance to see our very own teachers grace the stage. Encik Izad and Miss Sha started by playing some traditional instruments, followed by Coach Shahar and Puan Julia on lead vocals. Who knew that in addition to scolding rebellious PE students, Coach had a hidden talent. The back up dancers - Encik Shaik and Puan Zuraida, were not overlooked as well, swaying to the music, their wide smiles instantly brightening the hall.

Soon following their performance, the teachers were replaced by the Freshman dance ensemble, performing a plucky and spirited number. Though their talents could not match up to the girls who had amazed the crowd before, they showed great promise and at such young ages, there is no where but up for them. Improvement is to be expected and I’m sure they are more than capable of dazzling us next time around. 

Though they’ve made comments of their lack of practice, the Junior 2 and Form 5 students gave us their own rendition of a Malay song. Accompanied by the cajon and guitar, the quadruplet certainly seemed like they were having a great time on stage. They were no strangers to the spotlight as individually or as a group, they’ve performed numerous times during school events in the past. 

Last but not least, the Junior Cempaka Voices ended the show with a bang as they sung their uplifting Hari Raya song. The vocal ensemble has always been a crowd pleaser since the members consist of some of our youngest, yet most spirited Cempakans.

Instead of closing the assembly with Dato Freida’s address, students were invited on stage for a singalong with the principals, teachers, even Dato herself. Many danced and sang to the Lagu Raya that was playing, ending the assembly on a very happy note.

Math Olympiad Upper Primary Damansara

by Julian Yang, Year 6, Class of 2020.

Every year, we have a competition for Mathematics called “Maths Olympiad”. Previously, the competition had three levels each, for Year 1 and 2, Year 3 and 4, and Year 5 and 6. There also used to be three rounds, everyone did the first, selected students partook in the second, and only one from each level, for each house, competed in the third. This year, the competition was changed entirely, instead of basically just sitting down and taking a test, there was a treasure hunt. There were eight teams in total, two for each of the four houses, all with their own group leaders and group names.

The day before Maths Olympiad, the Upper Primary students were gathered to be briefed and assigned into their groups. The group leader and group name for each group was chosen by the members of the respective group. On the day that Maths Olympiad was to be held, the students gathered again in front of the swimming pool before they set off for the challenge. When it started, each group was given a different puzzle to solve, the answer to the puzzle was the name of the next place they had to go to.

There were several challenges that were presented to the challengers. A list of those challenges would include: making the most number of triangles with sticks, moving a stack of leaves with certain rules, arranging chess pieces in a certain way, drawing angles by laying down, measuring the volume, area, and perimeter of the swimming pool, a maths relay, and some other maths challenges.

When all the groups had finished all of the challenges, they gathered yet again at where they started to announce the champions. After proclaiming the points that each group had received, the announcer said, “The winner is… group Bob!” Everyone laughed or at least giggled at the rather funny name of the Beruang group amongst the other, more serious ones like, “Mathologists” and “Eye of the Tiger”. In the end, everyone had lots of fun with the new and teamwork based version of Maths Olympiad. We all look forward to the next Maths Olympiad in 2016!

Visiting Cambodia

by Emma Lim, Junior 2 Higgs, Class of 2015.
All photographs by Lai Li Chan, Junior 2 Higgs, Class of 2015. 

Waking up early for the education you so rightfully deserve from Monday to Saturday, with no ounce of dread just to attend classes for a mere 4 hours, walking or cycling your way to every destination you wish to reach even if it means a pair of swollen feet. Working to your full capacity every day to earn enough money for your four siblings to get the already insufficient nutrition they desperately need. This is not my life; neither is it yours. However, it is the lives of many underprivileged children living in Cambodia. 

Nevertheless, their monetary status does not affect these children's views in life. The life in their eyes has yet to fade and their smiles have not been wiped off their faces despite the unfortunate circumstances they live in. No bitterness was found in their hearts as they wholeheartedly embraced us, the Interactors, as we fully prepared ourselves to be immersed in the culture they had to offer. 

For most of the Cambodian population, the country’s official religion - Theravada Buddhism, is the faith of choice. Theravada Buddhism has been their state religion since the 13th century, with the exception of the Khmer Rouge period. The minority religions include Islam, Christianity and tribal animism. Previously, Islam was practiced by about 200,000 Cambodians but their numbers dwindled due to the persecutions under the Khmer Rouge.

The orphanages we went to gave us glimpses of Cambodian dances. The girls performed intricate and slow hand gestures which were complimented by simple and light footwork, alongside a slow traditional song in their native language, Khmer. Dressed in the Cambodian national dress, the "Sampot", with an armful of chunky, colourful bangles, their gentle and fluid movements were executed to the best of their capabilities.

Though every meal we ate was provided by Muslim restaurants, unknowingly, we were eating Cambodia’s staple foods. As Cambodia is one of our Southeast Asian neighbours, their eating habits are very similar to ours. Most meals were accompanied by rice, with dishes containing fish sauce, which is widely used in the country, evident by the countless tom yam soups that our troop were served during lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to savour the popular dishes Cambodia was known for, namely their pork broth rice noodle soup and curry, which are highly influenced by the Chinese and Indian cultures respectively.

The abundance of culture in Cambodia is meant to be indulged personally, not to be read as a mere article which doesn’t do it much justice. The world Cambodia has created is unlike any place you have been to before. Dare to throw yourselves into a journey of excitement and adventure? You will not regret it.

Mooting Talk with Professor Katherine Atkins

by Joyce Law, Alysha Kyra, Ayden Emir, Natasha Wong, Class of 2016

You sit on your couch, anxiously waiting for the court to give a ruling to that bad boy who yet again somehow ended up in trouble. The lawyers had given out their side of the story and it’s all up to the jury. The scene familiar? 

Well, those who signed up for the Mooting Talk by Professor Katherine were given an in-depth look into what actually happens in court.

Photo by Lai Li Chan

Ayden Emir: How long have you been working in the justice system?

Professor Katherine: I was administered into legal practice or as known from Malaysian terminology, called to the bar in the year 1985. About 30 years.

AE: How has the experience changed you?

KA: Rather than changed, I was given many skills. Problem solving, analyzing, communication, reasoning and others. Being a lawyer allowed me to develop these skills thoroughly.

Photo by Lai Li Chan

AE: Why did you choose to be a lawyer?

KA: Oh, you’re going to be disappointed with this answer. My first choice was actually to be a lawyer, but it being a male-dominated career, my parents were against it. So I liked languages, I studied Japanese and French, and wanted to be a translator, so I told my parents. But again, it would’ve been a bad idea considering the limited job opportunities in that area. So I thought I’d just end up a teacher, which is pretty funny since I’m a teacher right now, but yes, I did end up pursuing law in the end.   

AE: You mentioned that listening was extremely important further being different types of listening. Being a student, what advice can you give us that will allow us to listen better during classes?

KA: After class, you should self-reflect, this is important to keep in mind the key points being made. Think of phrases like “5 points I learnt from that class”.

Photo by Lai Li Chan

AE: In what way do you think your thoughts of the justice system and being a lawyer has changed from when you first started to right now?

KA: In the past, I think I had very unrealistic thoughts about it. I thought that justice would always be served, I was naive. Thinking that the court would always make the right decision. Instead, the court might choose the decision you may not agree with. So don’t put all your faith in the justice system. It’s also at its core driven by business and money.

AE: What are some of the struggles being a lawyer?

KA: Working with people you don’t respect or like is definitely a challenge, but ultimately that’s not your job you must represent them.

AE: And has that ever impaired your ability to perform your job?

KA: As a young lawyer, it can but by slowing maturing you won’t be as bothered by it. You just do your job and represent your client. Keeping an open mind and not allowing prejudices to hinder your job.

Photo by Lai Li Chan

AE: Have you ever thought of changing your job?

KA: Have I wondered what would have happened if I was a engineer or translator? Haha, yes. But our culture being such as “you learn law, you become a lawyer” and there’s no changing careers after that. Definitely no regrets though.

AE: Why should a student consider getting a law degree?

KA: A law degree is actually very versatile, it’s a fantastic degree to get. About 50% or more law students do not actually want to be a lawyer, they want the skills that come with it. The ability to communicate with everyone is so important along with being able to think on your feet and reasoning. I have a friend teaching business and she says that some of her best students are law students as well, she mentioned that the way they think was different from the typical business student giving them the edge in the real world. So I do believe that a law degree is a good choice, not only for being a lawyer but for many different professions, because no matter what you do it will include law or the skills you use in law in some way or another.

Photo by Lai Li Chan

Exclusive Insight on SPM Trials 2014

written by Kong Xin Mei, Form 4 Science 1, Class of 2015

Good thing the school bags are light during exams, because the load of stress is most certainly heavy enough.

The much dreaded season of national exam trials has just passed us. This of course includes our very own SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) Trials -  a huge deal to all fifth-year secondary school students. Along with the examinations of course comes a near bipolar stress level and numerous, numerous cups of coffee. 

This is just the first wave of the typical and mind-boggling subjects Biology, Chemistry, and Sejarah to take its toll on all Form 5 students. Other than that, who could ever forget the famous phrase, “Don’t forget kids, practice makes perfect,” by the teachers? Nobody, because this quote has been mentioned repeatedly over and over again by all Mathematics and Additional Mathematics teachers. These two subjects never fail to plant a bittersweet conceptualisation in the student’s mind, predominantly Additional Mathematics. 

Well, does the sound of the subjects mentioned above scare you already? If it does, there is no doubt that it casts the same effect on most of the Form 5 students but as they do year after year, they managed to suppress their fear and learn to just go for it. However, they never said it was a piece of cake.  

Damansara’s YJC Club managed to get an insight into the national Class of 2014 who are currently sitting for the SPM Trials, and here’s what we got:

1. How does it feel like sitting for SPM Trials? The answer is pretty obvious don’t you think? Its stressful. However, a great deal of them agree that they feel a profusion of pressure during the first week, when the examination just started. Once the second week comes by, they couldn’t really be bothered much. In my theory, I deduced my conclusions and could only come up with two, which is either immunity or Demi Lovato’s latest hit, really don’t care. Nonetheless, every cloud has a silver lining. Amirah Farhanah refers to this anxiety as an inspiration to push and study harder and Mithali actually studied two months in advance! Now thats something you don’t hear everyday. Kudos to both of them!

2. Do you think you’re prepared for SPM Trials? Most of the feedback we got was "no, not at all". Why you may ask? Various reasons were given to support their response, ranging from “I concentrate too much on certain subjects,” to “I just procrastinate all day” or straight up, “There just wasn’t enough time”. However, some students did admit that it all comes down to what subjects they were taking. This leaves the usual, Additional Mathematics, Sejarah and all three Sciences on the line as students either concentrate mainly on these subjects or barely at all. However, Mithali scores yet again! She claimed that she was quite prepared for SPM Trials except for Sejarah as two textbooks of this subject is just too strenuous. Well that doesn't matter because Sejarah is just one out of the many subjects. Bravo!                           

3. How do you prepare for SPM Trials? Its simple, do countless amount of Past Year SPM Questions, or, if you want the traditional and classic technique, just open your book and study. Nothing beats a warm cup of tea or in this case, coffee, and a huge, thick, fact-filled book to enjoy with it right? However, burning the midnight oil is never the answer when sitting for SPM Trials. According to the experienced Form 5 students, study at least 2 months before and while you still can, seize every opportunity to pay your fullest attention in class. Oh and of course, “Keep practising Additional Mathematics,” Amirah advised. This proves that our Mathematics teachers never lie.

4. What do you think about when you’re sitting in the exam hall apart from knowledge? There were so many answers to this question but “When is this paper going to end?” wins it all. Other than that, we can’t deny the fact that the Form 5 students self-forced themselves to stay up late just to absorb all the information from their textbooks, so you can agree that sleep would be out of the picture. Therefore, the runner-up for this enquiry would be “I really want to sleep now, but I can’t”. In spite of that, some students found distractions over-shadowing their trail of thoughts. This includes the classical music that everyone had grown used to, vocal practices and many more. Amirah tends to think out of the ordinary yet again. She ponders, “What if I fail? How am I going to explain my failure to mum and dad?” This mental picture is definitely another departure from the norm.

5. Do you have any words for the current Form 4’s? This is when the Form 5 students can finally show off their experiences and abilities to the current Form 4 students, for a good cause! Without further ado, here are some inspirational quotes from our beloved national Class of 2014:

“Don’t ignore your basics. Keep revising all your Form 4 subjects before its too late.”- Hafiz Railey 

“Do your Additional Mathematics consistently and never at the last minute. Also, in your examinations, never skip a question or you’ll end up regretting it. I repeat, never.”- Imran Teh and Waikheng 

“Have a crazy amount of fun in Form 4 because once you enter Form 5, the stress starts kicking in and before you know it, you’re going to regret the fun you could have had last year.”-  Amirul Zain 

 " Just start studying now. Oh and for Sejarah, if you don't want to study the textbook, just keep doing questions. You'll get the hang of it eventually." - Matthew Tang,  Ryan Yoong and Vanisha Ann

“Good luck.”- Jordan Wong, Alif Ashraf                

Which quote turned out to be your favourite? 

That was all the questions we had for our amazing seniors who are taking SPM Trials this year. Before I end this article, I would just like to give a quick shoutout to the Form 5 students who generously took their precious time off studying to answer these questions. Best of luck for your papers!

“Remember, don’t study hard, study smart.”