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!

Interhouse Dance Competition 2015

by Akhilan Manivannan, Junior 2 Higgs, Class of 2015
All photographs by Lai Li Chan, Junior 2 Higgs, Class of 2015

On the 10th of February, Cempaka Schools had one of its most popular and highly anticipated events of the year, the Interhouse Dance Competition. The Interhouse Dance Competition is an annual event that tasks each sports house to perform dances split into three categories(A,B and C) based on ascending secondary school years. 

Seladang Damansara Category A

Harimau Damansara Category A

Category A consisted of Freshmen and Sophomore 1, Category C consisted of Sophomore 2 and Junior 1 and Category C consisted of the senior students, Junior 2 and Form 5. The event was a combined spectacle between both the Damansara and Cheras campuses, the results tabulated together as well. With only a very limited amount of time to prepare, all dancers gave it their all and the performances spoke for themselves.   

Helang Damansara Category A

With the the Category A dancers being the youngest participants, all houses were given the exact same music and only had to choreograph their dances. The song was “Get It” by Phillerz, an upbeat, exciting, electronic dance track. While a standardised song might seem like an easier option, with identical music the dancers found it much harder to stand out and there were many performances that felt stale and repeated. However there were a few that managed to describe the purpose of Cat A perfectly, fresh, energetic and full of promise. Those were the top 3 performances, the winners Beruang Damansara and the runners up - Harimau Damansara followed by Helang Damansara.

 Beruang Damansara Category A

Beruang Damansara Category A

Category B dancers were given arguably the most difficult and strenuous task of all, composing their own music and then choreographing their dance according to that music. Music is a major part of the performances and therefore if the music wasn’t appealing and fitting to the dance or was poorly crafted, audience members and judges would gradually turn off. This proved to be the case for many dances that featured much too generic and unimaginatively put together tunes. However the winning performances were clearly pegs above the competition and were incredibly enthralling and memorable to behold. 

Helang Cheras Category B

Harimau Cheras Category B

Harimau Damansara Category B

Beruang Damansara Category B

This was a case in particular for Helang Cheras featuring an acrobatic hip-hop themed dance routine that truly took audience members through a futuristic and heart thumping journey. They certainly stood out of the pack and were completely distinguishable from the rest of the category. In fact a vast majority of the audience felt that they should have clinched first place rather than winners, whom in all fairness did put on a good performance as well.

Seladang Damansara Category C

Seladang Damansara Category C

Finally, the most consistent and outstanding set of dances, Category C. The Category C performers were given the most freedom among all groups, the ability to choose an existing song and choreograph their dance according to it. The senior students did not disappoint in the slightest, and proved their talent and metal with this string of astonishing performances ranging from a fun and alluring routine with a mash up of "Mercy//Rehab" by Helang Damansara passing through a vibrant and catchy routine with “Bang Bang” by Harimau Damansara) to well refined and dramatic routine with “Telephone” by Beruang Damansara. However the performance that without a doubt claimed first place was Seladang Damansara's out of this world routine of DJ Snake and Lil Jons “Turn Down for What”, and it would be an absolute sin not to talk about it.

Helang Damansara Category C

Beruang Damansara Category C 

Beruang Damansara Category C

Harimau Damansara Category C

Led by assistant house captain and head prefect “Ruhaani Mahadeva”, the dancers owned the stage like no other performance, clad in joker costumes and faces sprawled with terrifying joker paint. To say they left a lasting impression would be an understatement, and the level of uniqueness yet unparalleled synchronisation was marvellous to behold. Furthermore the routine was arguably the most full-body dance routine of the day, and the performers exhibited a very professional level of control despite their fast paced movements. Definitely the most polished and perfected performance, which to this day students are still found re-watching, minds engrossed in utter awe and spectacle. Overall the Damansara campus dominated this category, taking all four top places.

                                      Seladang Damansara Category C

In the end of the day Beruang Damansara rose to first place thanks largely to their consistent placings in all three categories. However it would be safe to say that competition for runner up was very close with Harimau Damansara ultimately pulling through. All in all the Interhouse Dance Competition 2015 was a huge success and it’s safe to say that we at YJC are already looking forward to next years event.

Interhouse Dance Competition 2015 Champions

Beruang Damansara

Big Splash 2014 Glimpses

It's only once a year when senior students are allowed 

to jump into the school's pool with their clothes on, and even watch their house captains being thrown in by their peers. No Cempakan will ever forget their experience doing this. With that being said, here are the pictures of the Annual Big Splash 2014.

Harimau

Beruang

Seladang

Helang

After-splash Fun

Photographed by Lai Li Chan and Gavin See of Junior 1 Higgs, Class of 2015.

YJC Summer Fun Photography Competition Winning Submissions

1st place: 

Lim Jas Lin, Form 5 Science 1, Class of 2015

Runner up:

Timothy Yang, Form 4 Science 1, Class of 2014

YJC Summer Fun Editorial Entry: Summer For Aliens?

Written by Ho Wye Yew, Sophomore Cempaka, Class of 2016

Neo Nvan Netereok
 
Rocky Red Cliffs
,
Mars
.
30th June 2014

Cempaka Damansara Campus
19 Jalan Setia Bakti 1
,
Bukit Damansara
,
50490 Kuala Lumpur
,
Malaysia
,
Earth.

Dear Earthling,

I received a letter from you a year ago, asking me to describe how I spend my summer holidays. Unlike your two month holiday, Martians get to relax for 6 Earth months since our summer is longer than yours! Be warned: do not get overwhelmed by the complexity and absurdity of what I shall write below. Keep in mind that Mars and the Earth are two different planets, so expect a huge cultural shock!

After the mundane term, my friends and I usually head to the meteor valley to play a game of Meteorball. Usually, we have to wear ‘gravity gainers’ which overcome the lack of gravity and pull us downwards in our everyday lives. Basically, Mars has a significantly lower amount of gravity than your planet and as such we will float in the air during this game. When the game commences, two hundred meteor balls will be unleashed upon us on the field. As individuals, we need to catch as many balls as we can to win the game. The twist is, that when you place your meteor balls back into the cage, they may escape so you are required to keep an eagle eye on it. The highlight of this game is that a rush of adrenaline and pure excitement always surges through you when you try to partake in the frenzied pandemonium for the first time.

To the contrary of all the commotion, many Martians enjoy hiking up Arsia Mons to enjoy the serenity of what the mountain has to offer. Whenever I get the solitude to stroll briskly up the mountain, I grab the chance to gaze at the psychedelic sunset, where a warm orange glow of sunlight glistens upon the edges of the clear yellow sky. Purple clouds envelop the vicinity, creating a picturesque yet mystic panorama. Eerie but interesting creatures can be found roaming the area. Defining fun on Mars is not just the presence of friends and activities but also by observing Nature’s talent. Although many people do not even notice it, there are so many things to learn in this area which really defines the educational side of my summer fun. For instance, observing a different creature can improve your biological knowledge on the classification of Martian animals.

If the gruelling sun takes its toll on me, heading to my mother’s dance studio would be ideal. Not only have Martians placed first place consecutively in universal dancing competitions with their authentic ‘jelly dancing’, we have been accorded with twisting dances from different planets as well. At first, when I tried dancing, I forgot to put my ‘gainers’ on, so I ended up twisting my entire body in mid air. It was a real disaster. Nonetheless, failure is the head start to success. As I learned new techniques, I felt more confident in meandering myself across the hall.

In life, I believe that people should experience their summer fun by indulging in unattempted activities yet having that irresistible feeling of excitement, enrichment and exhilaration. Holidays filled with opportunities should not be demolished by stress and pressure. One word of advice—prepare cold refreshments with you! On Mars, all of us get dehydrated extremely easily so we need more redeau, which is our source of hydration. Anyways, I hope you will invent some activities on Earth based on mine! Cheers!

Regards, Neo.

YJC Summer Fun Top Editorial Entry: Summer Fun, Expectations Versus Reality

Written by Yap Jia Xin, Class of 2015, Form 4 Science 1

For most people, the bare mention of the word “summer” triggers the uncontainable excitement that builds inside of them as they yearn for the summer holidays to arrive year after year. As summer inches closer, many even count the days till they get to kick back, relax and enjoy that time of the year where the very existence of stress and worry have no authority over anyone whatsoever. Unfortunately, or shall I say fortunately, we Malaysians do not fall into that category as living in a tropical country, we experience this much anticipated season all year-round. However, let’s not talk about how we spend our year-long summer indoors with the air conditioning set to the lowest temperature permitted, but about how we would spend our summer if we did experience the four seasons. 

The promise of summer brings great hype and expectations- tanning, swimming, going to beach parties, the list goes on. You and your best friends spend the whole month planning out the perfect summer, but let’s face it, odds are that the exhilarating activities and action-packed agenda will not quite go as planned. Nonetheless, chances are that it will not result in summer break being any less spectacular. Having that said, here is a breakdown of typical summer fun, where expectations meet reality.

It is almost guaranteed that the first thing on everyone’s summer to-do list is to hit the beach. That said, your expectations would in all likelihood, be to get a tan or swim in the ocean. Either way, when summer rolls around and the reality of the sun beating down on your back and frying you on the sizzling pan (otherwise known as the beach) would suddenly make watching movies indoors with the air conditioning on full blast seem like the more reasonable choice, which you take without a moment of hesitation. Just like that, all hopes of getting that beautiful sun-kissed skin is thrown out the window. 

The next thing on the list you would expect yourself to fulfill - start being healthy and exercise every day. Alternatively, this could also be written as - start working hard for the perfect beach body. In reality, and also the unbearable searing heat of the summer, you may as well just cross this off the list as it would be immediately ruined by your overdose of ice cream, frozen yogurt and shaved ice. Well, that was quick.

Besides that, surely you would expect to spend every waking moment of summer break with your friends going to phenomenal beach parties or simply just letting loose. However when reality kicks in, your inner sloth would probably have revealed itself and have you stay inside and be socially awkward in every possible way. Incidentally, no, this in no way implies endless hours of stalking your friends on Facebook, Twitter or even on Instagram. Of course not!

As you can see, reality has quite distinctly triumphed in the expectations versus reality war. In spite of that, one thing remains unchanged. The element of fun in the summer was always at hand whether in expectations, or reality. Truth be told, although it is wishful thinking that we would ever live through the four seasons and get to experience summer from this point of view, one thing is undeniable - summer is always filled to the brim and bursting with fun, whether it lasts for two months, or a whole year.

YJC Summer Fun Editorial Entry: Making The Best Of Your Summer

Written by Sarah Rajaratnam, Class of 2016, Sophomore Cempaka

“SARAH RAJARATNAM!!!”

After I bounced out of bed, I tied my flawless hair into a perfect bun, and admired myself in the mirror! After getting ready, I went jogging around the park, took a shower and cooked delicious breakfast for myself!

Translation into reality, you may ask? I dragged myself out of bed, and caught sight of myself in the full length mirror, attached to my cupboard. I saw... a confident young woman, who really needed to stop looking like a zombie that had been electrocuted. I looked at my phone. 11:50am. Wonderful, I was late for lunch with the neighbors, which had started at 11:30. Honestly, I did not expect my holidays to start like this.

I’m sure this essay was a bit unexpected, since most people would write about how good their holidays were, and how much they achieved, and how much fun they had during the holidays. However, I cover everything, down to the last nitty-gritty, disappointing detail. Don't worry, it doesn't get worse.(not by a long shot anyway!) Also, since summer is all year round here in Malaysia, I’m just going to refer to it as holidays, instead of summer holidays.

Summer fun. When the phrase comes to mind, so do a lot of other things, like playing volleyball on the beach, swimming in the crystal-clear ocean with tropical fish, and taking selfies with your best friends. What probably doesn't come to mind is spending hours, you’ll never get back, on your laptop, and promising yourself that you will finish that assignment today, but never really starting it. Usually, plans get a little messed up and sidetracked, along the way. The trick is how to deal with it when things don’t go completely perfect, though, to you people who’ve had ‘perfect’ holidays, good for you! Otherwise, I’ll let you in on a little FBI Secret’... You’ve got to look at the positive side when things go south!

“What is this silly writer talking about? How can I be happy after I... (bought a game on Steam, and it went on sale later, , got sick and wasn’t able to meet up with my friends, etc.) ? Ah, this is just going to be like one of those encouraging hipster posts, about being happy no matter what happens, and stuff like that.”

I’m going to bet some of you thought this.

To be honest, summer fun could be spending a day at the beach with your best buds, or it could be finishing holiday homework with friends the night before, and thinking of the worse-case scenarios of when school starts, but it really doesn't matter what you do during your holidays, weekends, or free time, as long as you don’t feel like you're wasting most of your youth, (even if you are a little), because every moment is worth enjoying.

It’s time to end the essay with a very deep and knowledgable line, or else you’ll only finish reading this essay after Hari Raya Holidays. It isn't so much what you do, it is your attitude while you’re doing it. You can choose to complain and generally be the pessimist, or you could choose to make whatever you’re doing, fun. (or at least pretend to!) 

YJC Summer Fun Editorial Entry: Through The Eyes Of A 13 Year Old

Written by Aishwarya Baskar, Class of 2016, Sophomore Cempaka

Parents these days do not understand what a teen’s life is like. Hormonal teenagers have a lot of things on their hands and barely have enough time for themselves. The stress that teens experience is very different from what it was like in the 1900’s. Back then, teens barely had stress till they started working. Now, we experience stress even before high school. Teens have homework, household chores, baby-sitting, peer pressure and the list goes on and on.

Just the other day, I was deprived of one the most important necessities in my life other than nasi lemak, my iPhone. It was confiscated for a month and I was devastated. I begged and cried and begged but nothing worked. For them, it is simple: if we could live without a phone till we were in our 20s, you can too. The older generation do not understand that we have been exposed to technology since a very young age and thus it has become a necessity in our very short lives.

The other thing that parents often do not understand is the difficulty of trying to juggle classes outside of school and homework. For instance, I play the piano and the violin, I do Taekwondo and I also play badminton. I often find that I barely have time to do revision or even talk about practicing the piano and the violin. In the 1900’s, students never had much homework and had more time to practice other skills and be more well rounded.

Also, many teens this days have bags under their eyes. This is no doubt the cause of lack of sleep due to overloading of homework. Homework has become a major issue among teens these days. The amount of homework given by teachers is literally so exorbitant that my bag returns home overflowing almost every day.
Peer pressure. Peer pressure is one of the main causes of suicide these days. Peer pressure has became a major worry in today’s world. Peer pressure is basically when

a teen feels pressured to follow their friends. Suicide occurs when their friends tease them due to something they do not have or because of their body size or even because they are smart. Peer pressure often makes teens make decisions that they will likely regret later on in life. I find that teens are often very insecure because little things like friends calling them ‘fat' or teasing them can actually cause them to commit suicide.

I think a lot has changed since the 1900’s. Things have affected the way people behave and how technology has evolved from large telephones to small pocket-sized mobile phones.