Looking beneath The Façade

By Kelly Liew, Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Midwifery)

Girls, girls! I found them.

Yes! I found two cute boys who actually sing.

Jereld Ang and Brendon Chua, the members of the band The Façade, melted my heart when they played their guitars and sang.

Jereld (left) and Brendon (right) rocking the house at NYP Jam! 2012

Earlier this year, they emerged as champions of NYP Jam! 2012. Following that success, they attracted 2 additional members and took the 1st Place when they competed against 7 other talented bands from NP, NUS, SMU and NTU at the starringNIGHT competition organised by the Singapore Management University (SMU) in August. 

The Facade was invited to perform at starringNIGHT to celebrate the conclusion of a series of activities to raise funds for My Buona Vista Place, a one-stop centre for social welfare programmes that reaches out to over 20,000 residents in the Buona Vista estate. Through starringNIGHT, they advocated the importance of building strong community ties by nurturing the spirit of helping the less fortunate during their time of need. Who doesn’t like amazing performers who also care for the community?

The vibrant CCA and arts scene in NYP promotes creativity and a love for the community while giving students a platform to shine. Brendon and Jereld, who are members of Soundcard, discovered their mutual love for music making and came together to form The Façade in 2011 after a spontaneous suggestion by Brendon.

"The Façade started as an acoustic duo, with me playing the rhythmic guitar parts and Jereld taking the lead guitar parts" Brendon shared. The newly formed duo sang covers of pop and R&B songs and their persistence led them to NYP Jam! 2012 where they tasted sweet success when they won the NYP category. Winning NYP Jam! 2012 also gave them national exposure when they performed in-studio after an interview on FM98.7 with DJ Divian Nair. How lucky!

When I spoke to Jereld and Brendon, they said that having a CCA in NYP is an essential part of the whole polytechnic experience.

The vibrant CCA and arts scene in NYP promotes creativity with a love for the community and gives students the platform to shine.  They explained, "NYP's CCAs are connected like a huge and warm family. We form strong bonds with new friends from other CCAs through inter-CCA exchanges and camps. Thanks to Soundcard, our three years in poly was all the more enriching and exciting!"

I strongly agree with that view. I believe that it is the social interactions in school that let us make new friends, discover our talents and create a school culture that we can truly call our own. In these past 8 months, I made many wonderful friends that I would keep for the rest of my life. Being a writer for Discover NYP gave me a chance to work with many talented people and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything else.
As Brendon puts it, “If you want to have a fun Poly life, NYP’s the choice!”

I am now an ardent fan of The Façade and I am sure you will be too when you see them for yourself. The Façade is currently working on original compositions and we may be able to see them play under the music group, Timber.Org soon. For now, you can find them as TheFacadeSG on YouTube.

Catch The Façade at NYP Jam! 2013, on 4 Jan at the NYP Atrium.

NYP JAM! IS BACK
If you love to sing and want a shot at stardom like The Façade, sign up for NYP Jam! 2013 now. You could be the next NYP Jam! Champion! For more information and to register, visit www.nyp.edu.sg/nypjam2013.

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Kelly is a first year student, pursing an Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Midwifery), who loves reading and cooking. She also likes to spend time with her friends, engaging in relaxing activities. Her friends describe her as unpredictable, spontaneous and inquisitive.

Faith, Hope & Joshua Sim

By Dzulhilmi Bin Dzulkifli, Year 1, Diploma in Business Informatics

Interviewing Joshua Sim Renhe, second runner-up of the recently concluded Microsoft Imagine Cup, was a great way for me to learn and grow from his experiences.

I have a habit of comparing myself to others. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in a competitive environment both at school and at home. In my secondary school, I constantly strove to be the best I could. At home, being the eldest I was constantly compared to my siblings and cousins. It shook my self-confidence.

But when I sat down with Joshua, it changed my mindset. His life story is an inspiration to me. Most importantly, he rekindled that little flame called faith and gave me hope, something I lost long ago.
Joshua served his National Service (NS) before he completed his Higher NITEC. He then decided to serve NS first because he didn’t perform well for his 'O'-levels. At that time, he thought that education wasn't important. He almost gave up on himself.


However, this all changed while he served his NS. After some reflection, he realized that he didn't like the direction he was going in life. He vowed to better himself and he started off by completing his education. After he completed his NS, he enrolled in ITE College West's Higher NITEC in Network Security and attained a perfect score of 4.0.

With his excellent results and a new found passion for information technology, he wanted to enter Nanyang Polytechnic's (NYP) School of Information Technology. He was accepted into NYP’s Diploma in Information Security and hasn't looked back since.

When he enrolled into NYP, he continued to strive for excellence - something that was quickly noticed by his lecturers. During his first year, his lecturer asked him to join the Cisco NetRiders IT Skills Challenge 2011. His team made NYP proud by clinching first place. With his undeniable skill, drive and talent, he was approached once again in Year 2 to enter the Microsoft Imagine Cup.

When asked about his next step after the competition, he answered that he is going to continue work hard and enter even more competitions in order to improve himself. He hopes to become a researcher in the future. Currently, he is a nominee of A*Star Science Award (Polytechnic), a scholarship which gears recipients towards a professoriate.

To end off, I would really like to thank Joshua. You showed me that with sheer determination, faith and a dash of hope, one can achieve anything. From now on, I would view 'impossible' as ‘I aM POSSIBLE’! Now I realized that to be the best, you need to work hard and continuously push yourself towards excellence.

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Hello everybody! *Waves frantically~.* My name is Dzulhilmi B. Dzulkifli. Known by my friends as ‘Zool’ or ‘Zoomiee’. I am a Year 1 student taking Business Informatics from the School of Information Technology (SIT). Even though I have been blogging for half my life now, never have I ever felt that blogging is a burden. I find blogging as a way to express myself and let others have a little taste of my experiences.  I have taken up NYP Ultimate Frisbee as a CCA and auditioned for NYP Foreign Bodies Hip Hop Dance Group.

All Aboard the “Friendship Express”!

By Joel Goh, Year 2, Diploma in Biomedical Engineering

Imagine boarding a train on a two-week expedition of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand to learn more about other cultures and to help the underprivileged with social projects.  That’s what eight NYP students did recently in the “Friendship Express” - a pilot project by the Singapore International Foundation that aims to promote greater understanding between Singaporean and international students through the sharing of insights and culture, as well as knowledge and experiences.
They were part of a team of 50 Asian youths consisting of eight nationalities - Burmese, Chinese, Indian, Indonesia, Filipino, Malaysian, Singaporean and Thai.

The expedition started in Singapore where participants had the opportunity to speak with ambassadors from the three countries. This one-hour session gave them unique insights into Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. This was followed with a visit to “Food from the Heart” - a volunteer welfare organizations that provides meals to the underprivileged. During this visit, participants learnt more about social enterprise in Singapore. They also helped to pack food hampers for low-income families.

In Malaysia, they were involved in the refurbishment of a community house in a fisherman’s village in Klang and helped installed water filters in the homes of villagers in Pahang to provide clean drinking water.

With the Malaysia Youth Council at Kampong Kuala Medang.

Students also had the opportunity to learn more about the local Orang Asli tribe. They learnt how the tribe survived by hunting for game such as squirrels and deer. At a shooting range, they also  got a private demonstration of how a blow gun is used.

Participants also took part in a one-night home-stay with local families; and a half-day visit programme to Petronas for a greater cultural experience. The Malaysian leg concluded with a reception hosted by Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia Mr Ong Keng Yong at his official residence, Rumah Temasek.

For the final destination, the Friendship Express headed for the Thai province of Buriram where the students spent five days here working on social innovation projects (SIP) to meet the various needs as identified by the community. Here, participants were divided into five teams to help the nearby villages.

Students visit a 'bamboo' school in Thailand.

 After they completed their projects, they went to King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi for a campus tour, Thai-style lunch and a cultural performance to foster better understanding between communities.

Don Ong, a Year 2 Diploma in Banking and Finance student from the School of Business Management said that this experience helped him to learn more about solving problems in an in-depth manner.

Don Ong (in green) giving a presentation in Thailand.

He said, “It is not just about solving problems based on the facts which are easily accessible but to understand the roots of the problem so that you can tackle it efficiently.”

He also said that he learnt much from the 11-day experience. In addition to helping the underprivileged in Malaysia and Thailand, he also had the opportunity to learn more about the culture of his host countries.

“I felt that I received more than I gave. It was a humbling experience.”

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Joel is a Year 2 Biomedical Engineering student who enjoys reading books of all genres except horror/ghost stories. Apart from books, his other interests include visiting places of nature, playing tennis and enjoying good food. Often, the first reaction he gets from most people is, “Wow! You’re so tall! What did your mum feed you?” Also, he is currently saving money in hopes of one day being able to further his education abroad.

Summerlicious @ the Atrium

By Nicole Edwards, Year 3, Diploma in Marketing

NYP’s atrium is constantly buzzing with fairs and performances throughout the year. This week, the spotlight is on “Summerlicious” event. Largely occupied by food vendors, the atrium is buzzing with hungry students and filled with the smells of delicious food. Other vendors include cosmetic blogshop owners (like Smoochiezz) and a range of fashion stalls as well.

I am sure everyone will agree that one of the highlights of this event is the food! With all sorts of delicacies ranging from burgers and kebabs to cupcakes and yogurt, there is something for everyone at any time of the day. Most of the stalls open at about 9 and by 11, everything is up and running. Some of the popular stalls include the Ramly burger and the Taiwanese Chicken stall. With snaking lines, it is easy to see that food coming out if those stalls is nothing short of mouth-watering. Those in line seem to have no problem with having to wait 10 minutes for that bag of chicken or piping hot burger. What’s good about these stalls is that everything is made fresh and served hot so you know that whatever you have ordered will be worth the wait.

Another highlight that has definitely left the ladies contented is the ever popular Smoochiezz stall. The blog shop is popular for selling popular cosmetic brands, such as Mac and NYC, at warehouse prices, making it more affordable and definitely more attractive for students. Smoochiezz is a familiar face at NYP, having had a stall in the atrium about 2 months ago, and it is certainly always a welcome sight. Its shelves of lipsticks and numerous carts of nail polish are impossible to ignore. Carrying trendy brands like OPI and China glaze with their gorgeous colours and cute names, it is no wonder crowds of girls can always be found there spending quite a bit of time picking out that perfect shade or renewing their make-up brush collections.

The Summerlicious event is definitely a hit with students who enjoy a good mix of food and shopping. School fairs are something that everyone can appreciate and look forward to and students will surely be looking forward to the next food/fashion fair to take place in NYP.

Summerlicious” was organized by 21 Year 2 School of Business Management students as part of their Teaching Enterprise Project. These events provide a platform for students to hone their events planning and business management skills.

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Nicole Edwards is a Year 3 Diploma in Marketing student from the School of Business Management. She loves reading and socializing with her friends. She has "a bit of an obsession with shoes and Starbucks".  She is a loyal fan of Arsenal football club and she hopes to do a lot of traveling in the future. Her dream job is to be a travel and living journalist. Her other interests include photography and Public Relations.

NYP Celebrates the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame

On 7 August 2010, NYP was the first of the six sites to host the community celebrations as part of the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame (JYOF).

More than 5,000 students, staff and residents were at the NYP atrium to celebrate this occasion. The Guest-of-Honour was Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Our guests were treated to a number of exciting performances. These included percussion performances, song performances, fusion cultural and hip hop dances. There was also a heart-stopping abseiling act by three students from NYP Adventure Club.

“When I was first selected to do abseiling upside down, my first reaction was ‘Are you kidding?’ But I like challenges and decided to give this a go. So I had been practising three to four times a week to master this. I’m glad everything went smoothly. It was an honour and an once-in-a-lifetime experience to do this for NYP and Singapore," said Year 3, Diploma in Space & Interior Design student Muhammad Haidar Bin Tayib.

The highlight of the evening was the lighting of the YOG flame. Six NYP torch bearers were specially selected to be part of this relay. The final torchbearer, Nada Binte Ahmad Khalid, a second-year Diploma in Physiotherapy student, joined the Prime Minister on stage for the lighting of the cauldron.

“It was such an honour to be the final torch bearer. When I was bringing the torch to the atrium, I felt very touched to see so many NYP students and staff cheering me on. I was so overwhelmed that I wanted to cry. It makes me very proud to be an NYP student, and to be able to play my part in this special occasion,” she said.

Making the Right Choice: Preparatory Workshop for NYP Top Students

By Tiew Xin Yi
Diploma in Industrial Design

What are your strengths and weaknesses? How can you improve those weaknesses and leverage on your strengths, in order to secure scholarships and jobs in the future? Those were some of the questions posed to some 100 top NYP students who attended a one day “Interview, Scholarship & Career Preparatory Workshop” held on 22 June 2010.




In the morning, the students were introduced to a framework for career planning and guided through several exploratory and self-discovery exercises. This helps them to have a better understanding of themselves and learn more about their skills, strengths and weaknesses. They discussed career planning and completed worksheets on skills investigation, values assessment, and career interests.

“We encourage the students to know more about themselves, what makes them unique, and to know how to promote their positive traits effectively,” said Ms DJ, one of the coaches from Brightsparks.

After lunch, the participants worked in groups and practised role playing in mock panel interviews, where they learnt how to ace an interview.

Here’s what two of the participants had to say:

“I was able to explore and learn more about my interests and ambitions. I also picked up effective interviewing skills to ‘sell’ myself such as how best to presenting myself during an interview. These include,: speaking in a coherent manner, proper posture, facial expressions, tone of voice and language used.”

Malcom Chan
Year-3 Diploma in Fund Management and Administration student

“I will apply the skills I have learnt by creating a ‘sales story’ about myself, as taught in this workshop. I will focus on my leadership skills and the measurable achievements that I’ve attained. I will also read up on the company I’m applying to, and to anticipate the possible interview questions. I learnt that it is important to stand out from others during an interview and to provide evidence to support the personal qualities that you have stated.”

Nair Zeus Jaren
Year-3, Diploma in Molecular Biotechnology

New Sponsorship Scheme from NCSS for NYP Students

They are young, earnest, and enthusiastic. They are also driven by a strong desire to pick up professional skills to help others.

NYP’s first batch of 26 students from the Diploma in Social Sciences (Social Work) course started term since April 2010. This new course aims to train Social Work Associates to meet the increasing manpower needs of the social service and healthcare sectors in Singapore.

The students in this course recently received a boost with a new sponsorship scheme called the Social Work Associate Training Sponsorship. This new sponsorship has been introduced by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), with the support of the Ministry for Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Ten students have been offered this sponsorship, which covers tuition fees, other compulsory fees and an allowance for books and reference materials for their three years of study. The students received their sponsorships from Ms Ang Bee Lian, CEO of NCSS during a ceremony on 20 July 2010.

Many congrats to our students!

Graduation 2010

Pictures by
Bjorn Goh
Student Photographer
Diploma in Industrial Design