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.

Throwback: Kelantan Trip 2015

by Lee Ting An, Junior 2 Higgs, Class of 2015,

The states of Malaysia live at the constant whims of mother nature. Often, there is endless heat with bright sunshine and scorching temperatures, and you’ll see kids coming back from the ‘padang’ after their football games brown and burnt. This year, we were instead met with a colossal amount of rainfall, which eventually led to one of the worst, most devastating floods in the history of Malaysia.

With mud levels up to the waist, houses wrecked and their daily lives rather suddenly torn apart, the people of Kelantan - among one of the places which was hit the hardest - found themselves in desperate need of aid. While flood relief centres helped to supply basic needs like drinking water and food, they could only do so much, and were short-supplied and equally short-handed. Cempaka Schools leapt to the opportunity, and held a massive donation drive where we collected not only food and water, but the things donors tend to overlook - items that would help them resume their normal, daily lives, such as toiletries like soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, sanitary pads, clothes, hangers, towels, exercise books and stationery, and other assorted household items.

This mammoth donation drive, with so many items to collect, sort, separate, package, and distribute, took an enormous amount of effort to get done. It took the entire Cempakan family of teachers and students alike several days to go through the entire process, but with a remarkable efficiency borne of teamwork and cooperation, we achieved it with time to spare.

In February, another team of teachers, students, and staff, sat through a 9 hour bus ride to Kelantan, to help lighten the load of those who had the misfortune to be caught in one of the worst floods of our time. Together with us we brought a lorry full of donated items, and the burning desire to help those in need. On the way we could already witness the devastation that the floods had caused: torn houses, buildings with roofs caved in, and the unmissable mark that mud waters left on walls, all of which was visible even from our bus.

The first challenge we faced was housing. Finding a place to sleep for a 50-odd group of people was not the easiest task, and I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of everyone from my school, to the thank the man and his family who allowed us to stay at his house. He selflessly gave us his house and food, and the 50 of us spent the night on sleeping bags on his comfortable floor.

The next morning, we were up by sunrise, and ready to bring what help we could to SMK Teriang, a school that was left completely ravaged by the flood. Tables, chairs, and several buildings were destroyed by the flood, and by the time we’d gotten there, they had already scrubbed the mud that reached up to their knees off their walls. The entire compound was dusty and had little furniture that had survived against the destructive power of the water. Our first priority was unloading the tables and chairs that we had brought from our own school compound, and

reassembling them with the tools that we’d brought.

While the teachers who were more competent with hammers and nails slowly changed a pile of wooden slabs and metal into tables, the students and other teachers organised themselves into groups and decided on a timetable and goals. We started off the day by painting the now dark brown walls of the school to a clean, refreshing, white. After scraping the dirt and dried mud off the walls, some of us put on the first coat of white while the rest cleaned, mopped, and tidied up the little school.

By afternoon, the first coat was dry, and the compound had gained the busy, bustling atmosphere of extremely efficient work. Everyone was running around, sweating heavily under the hot sun, all of us carrying a roller, brush, mop or broom, but we all had a smile on our faces. The face masks that we wore to stop us from breathing in the old paint that we scraped off the wall, along with our hair, were by now flecked with white paint. By now, the school’s students had joined us, and together with our combined efforts we managed to finish on schedule.

After putting four coats of paint, the entire school had a new, different look. We formed assembly lines and began passing tables, chairs and shelves to each class, and then arranged them according to a floor plan. The art teachers painted a massive mural on a wall, and the students began to happily sit at their new desks, some already deciding where they wanted to sit.

The next day, we said our goodbyes, and then left for home on another 10 hour long journey. We made several little pit stops along the way to witness the culture of Kelantan, taking a glimpse of the various markets that sold knick knacks and held little nuggets of a traditional civilisation that we’d left behind. We were all tired and weary, but I daresay that none of us would have missed it, and we will gladly go again, should the opportunity arise.

It was an enlightening experience to help someone in need, and see their eyes light up when they look at their new books. Or watch a dusty, murky school slowly transform into a new centre for learning and education. I felt privileged to be a part of this trip, as I believe I speak for everyone when I say that I learned, gained, and experienced so much. I’ve seen first hand the sheer grit that the people there show, waking up with a smile even after their lives have been destroyed, and I’ve learned that if you just bite your tongue and pull through that everything will turn out ok. I’ve seen proof that if you work hard enough, and work together, nothing is impossible - even transforming an entire school within one day! But the best lesson I learned is that often times, receiving something for yourself is great, but doing something for someone else, is much, much better.

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.

Malaysian Spooks

by Kong Xin Mei, Form 4 Science 1, Class of 2014

Malaysian spooks have made quite the legendary mark around the community. Just the mention of the ghoul Pontianak can get the hair at the back of your neck rising, with it being the subject of far too many local and Indonesian horror movies. Even the Pocong, a dead soul trapped in its shroud, has made quite the household name of itself. And of course, when something goes missing, who else is there to blame besides a miniature oil-covered man known as a Toyol? 

To merely overlook the rest of the local ghouls believed to be lurking in the shadows would be an insult to our country's rich culture and diversity of beliefs. There are many other mythical monstrosities that aren’t quite as popular yet - but not to fear (pun intended), because we at YJC have decided to satisfy your hunger for the unknown - or at very least, rob you off a few hours of sleep tonight.

1. Hantu Penanggal

This ghost could easily be classified as one of the most gruesome-looking creatures of all time. You could even say that it has quite the unique look, mainly because it does not have much of a body. Yes, you read the right - all that you will be able to see is a head floating in mid-air, some strands of hair, and a trail of organs attached to it. Nonetheless, these creatures could be very deceiving as they appear as ordinary women in broad daylight, but bodiless demons at night. Terrifying, isn't it?

It is believed that this female supernatural creature lives off human blood, with the blood of babies and unborn fetuses being its favourite. So it comes as no surprise that the Hantu Penanggal is often blamed for the sudden miscarriages or drastic blood loss in a pregnant woman. Fortunately for us, every creature has its weakness, with the Hantu Penanggal being no exception.

In this case, the Hantu Penanggal is terribly afraid of a local plant known as 'Mengkuang' and pineapples. The sharp thorns of this plant and fruit would either trap or injure the ghost’s exposed organs. So always eat your pineapples, folks!

2. The Mohini


Famous in the Indian community, a Mohini is commonly seen as a women dressed up in the Indian traditional costume, the sari. To put things a bit more into perspective, you could say that this ghoul somewhat resembles the famous Pontianak given the fact that it preys on men as well. The main difference between a Mohini and a Pontianak is its origins - the Pontianak is believed to be a lady who passed away with a fetus in its belly, while the Mohini is a suicidal soul who failed to achieve love in life.

This creature also does not devour its prey, but instead lures them into a trap using its powers of seduction. These unfortunate men are forced to spend the rest of their life with her, and will eventually wither away and die.
Victims have described the 'Mohini' as a beauty covered in a white sari, with a baby in its hands. In this appearance, it then starts to allure men. Once prey has been taken, the ghoul will ask the victim to hold its child while it reconstructs itself into its original form, which has been described to be a hideous blood-dripping, zombie-like figure. 

3. Jiangshi

Originally from China, Jiangshi has gained popularity in our country and is now feared by predominantly the Malaysian-Chinese community. These creatures are actually rotted corpses dressed up in traditional Qing Dynasty costumes. A Jiangshi is created when a soul is unable to leave its deceased body, often due to its tendency to stir up trouble, or a suicide.

What makes the Jiangshi so distinctive is how it travels from one place to another - it hops forward, with its arms outstretched due to a disability leaving it unable to bend its limbs and body. It also has a greenish-white complexion, which was believed to be caused by the fungus or mould growing on the corpse body.

These parasites suck the life force out of living creatures during broad daylight and hibernate through the night. However, they do not have the sense of sight, speech, or consciousness, and catch their prey through their keen sense of smell. 

So kids, if you ever encounter a Jiangshi, hold your breath and who knows, you might just be able to escape with your soul intact. (keyword: might)

After reading about these three horrifying creatures, you may feel a little frightened. And with good reason - Halloween is said to be the time where the line between the other world is at its thinnest, allowing even more unknown creatures to roam freely through the night. Who knows, maybe one of them could be standing behind you this very second and we may not even know it. 

Happy Halloween! 

What Is The Ukraine Crisis?

by Natasha Wong and Ayena Shaneez

Lightning is said to never strike twice, but this time it did. Just months after the disappearance of MH370, MH17 was accidentally shot down by Russian-backed rebels, 40 kilometers from the Ukrainian-Russian border in Donetsk, Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew on board were killed. This intensified the international spotlight on the Ukrainian crisis and brought the crisis to Malaysian soil by meaninglessly involving Malaysian lives. Like every international conflict, it needs to be looked at from different perspectives, and we here will let you have a glimpse at both, from the Ukrainian government and the Russian government.

PRO-UKRAINIAN

Ukraine only achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Ever since, it has experienced a faltering economy and a wavering foreign policy, until then-President Viktor Yanukovych decided to further relations with Russia instead of the EU. This provoked the people to protest against the government, with support from the US and Europe.

Once the corrupt Yanukovych was driven out of the country and his government toppled, Russian troops invaded and annexed Crimea in an attempt to salvage its influence in Ukraine. The pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine felt that Russia would give them better terms. Hence, they allowed Russia to claim territory. The rebels pushed further and further, gaining control over a wider area of Eastern Ukraine.

The new pro-EU government started a military operation to forcibly drive the separatists out of East Ukraine. It did not go exactly as planned, as the separatists manage to organise and launch a counteroffensive, cutting off government troops. The turmoil was taken advantage of by Russia, and they sent in troops and supplied arms to the rebels in Crimea. Reports came in that Russia had amassed some 20 thousand military troops near the border, and had shot an anti-aircraft missile.

With the amount of resources such as military strength and weapons they have invested in, Putin’s motives still remain painfully unclear. But ever since Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Putin’s approval ratings have skyrocketed. This is a huge change compared to the Russian public’s response to his possibly-rigged re-election in 2012 which sparked mass protests in Moscow. Ever since, Putin has started pushing an anti-West foreign policy, and an attempt to revive imperialist Russia.

When MH17 was shot down by the rebels, Putin was quick to cut all ties with them but the truth was already out: a civilian plane carrying 283 passengers and 15 crew hailing from Malaysia, Australia and the Netherlands were victims of the rebel movement that was supported and armed by President Putin. And they seem to have died in vain as the fighting has only intensified after the tragedy.

PRO-RUSSIAN

Ukrainians are divided into those that see Ukraine as part of Europe and others who see themselves as linked to Russia by historical bonds to the Russian Empire.

In Crimea, according to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, Russians make up more than half (58%) of the population, with 77% of inhabitants claiming Russian as their primary language. This shows that Crimea is a predominantly Russian state that wishes only to be reunited with Russia. There was even an illegitimate majority vote among Crimeans for them to become a part of Russia. So why not allow Crimea to be a part of Russia?

Meanwhile, Ukraine has seen a government overhaul, carrying out its own political revolution. The Russians have not approved of this change, refusing to accept the new 2014 interim government, with it siding with NATO. NATO or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, safeguards the freedom and security of its members through the use of political and military means. This means stopping Russia from colonising and ruling over surrounding countries, becoming more powerful than it is now.

Russia has repeatedly called to consider peaceful talks to solve the fighting. Humanitarian supply trucks sent by Russia to help Luhansk and Donetsk civilians trapped in the fighting were delayed for a week after the Ukrainian government asked for different permits despite showing consent from the US and the Red Cross.

This war has killed at least 2,593 people since mid-April, not including the passengers and crew of our own MH17. 951 civilians were shot down and killed in the Donetsk region alone. In other dangerous sites, numbers remain inaccurate. The rebels are losing and Russia does not seem to have any clear plan ahead. Economic sanctions imposed by the US and the EU are pushing Russia to the brink of collapsing in on itself. However, no one from the West is intervening as it would bring the threat of a third world war that much closer to reality.

YOUR OPINION

After reading both perspectives, what do you think? Is one side more right than the other? Should they both be making a greater effort to achieve peace? What is Putin thinking? Well dear readers, only time will tell.

The Importance of Malaysia Day

written by Nicole Lee, Junior 1 Higgs, Class of 2015

When you ask any Malaysian whether they know the significance of Merdeka Day, the usual response would be that it’s about Malaysia gaining it’s independence on the 31st of August. In addition to this, most of us celebrate the independence of the country with parades, parties, a short vacation and not to forget the shopaholics who go crazy over the sales. Why is it that whilst Merdeka Day is celebrated widely across the country, Malaysia Day is merely a footnote in our history books?

It is very often forgotten that Malaysia was only formed on the 16th of September 1963 when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined together with the existing States of the Federation of Malaya, to establish the new federation of Malaysia. They did not join Malaysia before 1957 as is commonly thought. In other words, the 16th of September, Malaysia Day is Malaysia’s birthday. This recently created holiday, since 2010, has much significance for East Malaysia as recognition is given to the fact that they are part of Malaysia.

I feel that Malaysia Day should be celebrated with more pride. Yes, there may be a few things we can improve on such as the political, racial, religious and social undercurrents. However, we should put these things aside as we should be thankful for the many blessings we’ve had over the past decades. We live in a diverse country filled with people whom we call family despite our different cultures and races, a country rich in resources and free from natural disasters. 

Many stories from the man in the street will confirm that most Malaysians are blind to each others skin colour. It is so common to see  different races sitting together, over a cup of teh tarik whilst discussing common things like how the country fared in the badminton competition or the impact of inflation on their lifes. The recent disaster faced by Malaysia Airlines brought the people together. Everyone grieved, irrespective of the colour, race or religion of the victims. 

Malaysia Day is a day to remind us that we’re really fortunate to have the different races from various backgrounds living together in harmony. Most foreigners are truly amazed when they see how we can easily switch from one language to another in a conversation and understand each other. Malaysia Day, let’s give it the recognition it so richly deserves.

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.”

Happy National Chocolate Milkshake Day!

Written by Ayden Emir, Sophomore Terra, Class of 2016

Source: Lisa Siva's Blog

Do you love chocolate? What about milkshakes? If you do, then chances are you’re sure to love the upcoming National Chocolate Milkshake Day on September 12th. If you’re planning to go on a diet make sure to prepare for this one day so that you and your family will be able to enjoy a delicious chocolate milkshake. This may seem surprising, but the term milkshake was first used in a British newspaper, referring to an alcoholic drink that was similar to eggnog. In 1990, milkshakes were drinks flavored with syrups such as strawberry, vanilla and chocolate syrup. Soon, the milkshake became popular in malt shops - the ice cream parlors of that era.  

Today, milkshakes are now served in restaurants as a Some famous stores around the world which sell chocolate milkshakes are:

Source: Dairy Queen

Double Fudge         Frozen Hot           Chocolate at         DairyQueen

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Source: timecity reviews

Chocolate Madness Shake at Johnny Rockets

         

Source: Poore Amy's Blog

Liquid Nitrogen Chocolate Milkshake at FLIPP Burger

Afraid that this sinfully delicious treats will show on the scale? While the rich and creamy beverage certainly isn't the healthiest dessert choice available, chocolate milkshakes makes up for it by being loaded with calcium and antioxidants. Some scientists even go as far as claiming that the chocolate milkshake is the ideal post-workout recovery drink, as compared to isotonic drinks or good old-fashioned water. Of course, the high sugar intake may be concerning if you're trying to follow a healthy diet, but you can easily solve this by creating your own homemade treat and substituting the ice cream with Greek yoghurt. This healthier version reduces the fat and sugar content of your meal, so you don't have to feel too guilty about your weekly milkshake habit.
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Even if you don’t have milkshakes that often, go and celebrate National Chocolate Milkshake Day by having a delicious, heavenly, mouthwatering chocolate milkshake at almost any ice cream store on September 12th. Enjoy!