Team Everest (Singapore) Nepal Expediton 2012

Remember Team Everest (Singapore)? They recently returned from their expedition of Nepal. Check out the amazing video they made!

Team Everest (Singapore) is led by NYP alumnus Mohamad Sufian Bin Sulaiman. NYP alumni Ismail Bin Latiff and Muhd Hilwan Bin Mohd Idrus are also part of the team.

The team plans to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 2015 as a birthday gift to Singapore on her 50th birthday. They hope that this gesture will also inspire others to pursue their passions and follow their dreams.

WorldSkills Singapore 2012: The Heat is On!

By Ho Khin Wai, Year 2, Diploma in Banking & Financial Services

It is DAY TWO of the WorldSkills Singapore 2012 and I am here at ITE College West reporting to you about all that is happening today for the competition!

But first of all, let us find out how NYP fared in Day One…

Top 3 Competitors for Day 1 - IT Network Systems Administration

Top 4 Competitors for Day 1 – IT Software Solutions for Businesses

Day 2 was filled with much excitement and anticipation as competitors from each trade were given new tasks to work on. Today, I went around the competition venues to bring you the juiciest updates on the competitors.


Speaking about JUICY, let us take a sneak peek into the “Cooking” trade to see what the competitors have whipped up for the judges. 

Future chefs cooking up a storm!

After salivating (too much) over those delicious plates of steak, I left the competition arena in search of more exciting skills to cover.

At the main competition arena, competitors had already started on their individual tasks and had no time to lose. It was also heartening to see that our NYP competitors were all extremely focused on completing their tasks.

Mohammad Ariff and Ma Wai Cheung from NYP testing out the robot controls in the Mobile Robotics competition area

Jashen Low and Leroy Tang with their robot on the battlefield! The team had to engineer the robot so that it is able to pick up the respective coloured cans and deposit them at the other side with the corresponding colour.

According to one of the coaches for Mobile Robotics, the competitors had different strengths and were from various diplomas.  They needed to tap on these strengths so they can overcome new challenges in the competition.  Indeed, teamwork was very important to succeed.

Here’s Joey Ng representing NYP in Graphic Design Technology. Looking good!

At the Graphics Design Technology trade, I got the chance to speak with one of the Experts, Ms Amy Soon, who told me that the NYP competitors are from the School of Interactive and Digital Media (SIDM).  Much time and dedication were needed to train the students to be of competition standards. “Their fighting spirit is very high; they already know what they want in this competition and want to prove themselves to be the best”, said Ms Soon.

Two of NYP’s students – Yik Loong (left) and Kah Yooi busy with building a cabling network in “Information Network Cabling” competition area.

NYP students Zoe and Nadiah working on their display sets!

For second year Visual Communications student Zoe Lim, joining the WorldSkills Singapore 2012 was a great learning journey for her. Said Zoe, “I’ve learnt better time management from this whole experience as I really had to work within a tight schedule to finish my designs.”

Jason Soh and Elgin Lee (not pictured) from NYP

As I ventured around the competition grounds, I wondered what IT Network Systems Administration trade’s competitors do during the competition and so I asked one of the coaches.  To my surprise, I was told their task was equivalent to creating and managing a whole enterprise website and its internal systems in approximately six hours! During that period, they had to work on things like Information Security, VoIP, wireless networks and tons of codes! Kudos to them that they could manage all the stress and keep focused for hours.

I also found out that the coach for NYP for this competition area is Ms Viridis Liew, one of the ex-competitors (and ex-student of NYP!) of the WorldSkills Competition.  She even went on to the international stage to clinch the most prestigious Albert Vidal award in Helsinki, Finland in 2005!

Said Ms Liew, “Winning the award was never on my mind; I was just focused on doing my best to complete my task and let the results take care of themselves.” When asked about how she thought the students fared this year, she said, “They are good. Each of the competitors has his own different strengths and weaknesses. Right now, what they have to do is to cope well with the pressure and they will need to persevere through the finals. Nothing is impossible.”

Competitors at the “Beauty Therapy” competition area working on these pretty models

That concludes Day Two of WorldSkills Singapore 2012! I would like to wish all NYP competitors all the best in the finals on Day 3. The closing ceremony will be on the 11 July, with the results of the winners revealed. These winners will get to represent Singapore to compete in the international WorldSkills 2013 competition held in Leipzig, Germany! Go, Team NYP!

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	Khin Wai is an NYP Year 2 Banking and Financial Services student from School of Business Management (SBM). He started writing for NYP Portal in 2011 out of interest and was soon "addicted" to it. He has also written book reviews for Straits Times YA Classified. Besides writing, he loves singing and has performed for various events in NYP under NYP Soundcard.

WorldSkills Singapore 2012: The Battle of the Best

By Ho Khin Wai, Year 2, Diploma in Banking & Financial Services

Yesterday marked the start of WorldSkills 2012, where the strongest players from all polytechnics and ITE come together on one playing field to compete! In this grueling skill play, competitors find out that to succeed, they need to have not just technical competence, but also self-discipline, confidence and perseverance.  As one of NYP’s official bloggers for the event, I am honoured to bring you the key highlights of the event during competition days, as well as updates on NYP’s performance in the competition.

The competition was tough and intense. Upon reaching the competition grounds at 10am, I could feel how intense it was already. The competition arena reminded me of an examination hall with students furiously writing on their examination scripts. Every competitor seemed extremely focused and alert in the tasks they had to perform. In such an electrifying atmosphere, it is no wonder the competitors dare not lose their concentration. This is truly the battle of the best! 

In deep concentration…competitors from Electronics.

Facial, anyone? The Beauty Therapy competition area.

NYP competitor Jason Soh participating in IT Network Systems Administration.

Visual Merchandising competitors at work.

 NYP has 44 competitors taking part in WorldSkills Singapore. They will be competing in these skill areas:

Aircraft Maintenance
Chow Wei Li
Chua Zhi Hao

Caring (team event)
Gladys Aw Sin Yun & Audrey Foo Bao Yun
Yeo Min & Eri Farah TsuBoi

CNC Milling
Kannan S/O Ponnambalam

CNC Turning
Eunice Chia Siew Peng
Norman Soh Chi Keong

Electronics
Alton Low Jun Xiang
Tan Yong Chin

Graphic Design Technology
Muhammad Zaqeer Bin Mohd Radzi
Joey Ng Kai Woon

Information Network Cabling
Kong Kah Yooi
Lee Yik Loong
Muhammad Shaffie Bin Ariffin

IT Network Systems Administration
Cyrus Guo Xuhui
Elgin Lee Wei Sheng
Jason Soh
Kwek Ming Hong

IT Software Solutions for Business
Chia Wei Kang
Goh Jing Loon
Joshua Tan Jun Ming
Gwendoline Tan Wan Xin
David Jonathan Ten Chee Onn
Bernard Yip Mun Kit

Mechanical Engineering Design – CAD
Francis Goh Kim Swee
Muhammad Izzul Raimi B F
Siti Nabilah Binte Mohamed

Mechatronics (team event)
Chan Jun Wen & Leow Ying Jie
Dominic Tan Yuan Zhi & Chen Jia Yi
Jasper Tay Yi Xiang & Norman Chwee

Mobile Robotics (team event)
Jashen Low Kai Wen Jashen & Leroy Tang Yow Leong
Mohammad Ariff Mustaqim Bin Mohammad Yusofe & Ma Wai Cheung

Visual Merchandising
Zoe Lim Kai Ee
Nadiah Binte Mohamad

Web Design
Glenn Chee Jun Yuan
Chen Junsheng
Adrienna Quek Yan Ling

Keep a lookout for our blog, as we bring you more highlights.  I know things are going to get even more heated and exciting!

If you, too, would like to catch all the excitement and buzz, why not make a trip down to ITE College West this afternoon, and catch a glimpse of these young and talented competitors in action!

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	Khin Wai is an NYP Year 2 Banking and Financial Services student from School of Business Management (SBM). He started writing for NYP Portal in 2011 out of interest and was soon "addicted" to it. He has also written book reviews for Straits Times YA Classified. Besides writing, he loves singing and has performed for various events in NYP under NYP Soundcard.

NYP Alumni to Climb Everest in 2015

Ismail, Hilwan and Sufian, three NYP alumni looking to literally scale new heights.

It was painfully cold as the blizzard raged on.  High on India’s Mount Shitidhar, members of Team Singapura Everest 2015 struggled to reach their camp. They were drenched and the white-out meant they could not see beyond their arm’s reach.

As the team hurriedly entered the warm reprieve of their camp, the remaining stragglers in the team received a chilling warning from their Sherpa - move quickly because an avalanche is coming.

That moment served as stark reminder of the inherent risk in climbing a mountain. Death and injury is so commonplace that Sherpas point out incidences of death with a matter-of-fact nonchalance. Reaching camp brings no guarantee of safety.

Some climbers are even buried by avalanches while they sleep in the assumed safety of their camp. It is a way of ‘mountain life’.

Aside from the dangerous terrain, there is also the risk of acute mountain sickness (AMS) – an illness that first manifests itself as a severe pounding in the head before turning into confusion; water later forms in the lungs and brain and becomes fatal if it turns into ice.

Despite these potential dangers, NYP Alumni Mohamad Sufian Bin Sulaiman, Ismail Bin Latiff and Muhd Hilwan Bin Mohd Idrus remained unfazed. These three NYP Alumni are part of the seven-member Team Singapura Everest 2015.  

Sufian - The Team Captain and Strategist

Sufian taking a short break at the base camp of Mount Shitidhar

“It’s a calculated risk,” said Sufian, a Senior Officer in the Singapore Civil Defence Force. This alumnus from the School of Business Management (SBM) said that the team is like a family and they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They avoid pushing each other unnecessarily and draw a clear line between accomplishment and dangerous bravado.

As Sufian discusses the risks, it quickly becomes clear that his focus on safety and strategic-planning makes him a perfect leader for this expedition. This former SAF officer said that what he learnt from NYP helped him in preparing for this trip.

“I learnt how to think ahead from my lecturers,” he said, “especially from Ms Helen Tan the Advisor to the SBM Club. I learnt a lot from her, like the importance of following your passion.”

Ismail - The elite SCDF Officer and Trainer

Ismail coiling ropes after reaching the base camp of Mount Shitidhar.

To prepare for Everest, the team is embarking on a series of 7 climbs, with each successive climb being higher than the last. Their journey up Mount Shitidhar was the second climb in the series, with the team recently completing their climb of Nepal’s Mera Peak, Amphulaptsa Pass and Island Peak in May. The team’s recent trip to Nepal was their first attempt at climbing multiple peaks in one excursion.

Ismail, an alumnus from the School of Engineering (SEG) and an officer in SCDF’s elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART), oversees the team’s training with fellow team member Nur Yusrina Yaakob. He said that the team trains 3 times a week. Each two-hour session varies from climbing with heavy loads, to cardiovascular exercises to technical training.

“We are preparing for something big. To me, training is never enough. You can’t really be fit for any mountain. And we have full-time jobs so we make do with what we have. We also get feedback from other Singaporeans who have climbed Everest. I take it one mountain at a time,” he said.

Hilwan - “The fittest programmer around”
 

Hilwan undergoing a Technical Mountaineering Course at the base camp of Mount Shitidhar.

Hilwan’s motivation for scaling Everest? “The brave do not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all. I want to say that I’ve lived.”

So far, the arduous climbs and the strenuous training have not an issue for Hilwan, an alumnus from the School of Interactive and Digital Media (SIDM). Unlike Suffian and Ismail, Hilwan’s job as a Digital Developer at an advertising MNC is not physically demanding.

Whereas Sufian and Ismail were adventurous since they were students at NYP, Hilwan only began participating in marathons and ironman competitions after he completed National Service.

“I’m the fittest programmer around,” he joked.

Fortunately, he has not suffered any asthma attacks during any climbs so far.

But Hilwan’s climbs have not been without incident. During his first climb, he experienced acute mountain sickness (AMS). “Yusrina had to carry me on her shoulders and I can’t remember what happened after that! Things like that make us strong and bond our team together.” he recalled with a laugh.

When he had to undergo a 26-day acclimatisation climb by himself due to a scheduling conflict with the rest of the team, he underwent a period of the intense solitude.

“You have too much time to think and reflect on your life,” he said. “When you reach the top, you can see as far as your eye can see. But I felt so lonely at the top, I wanted to call someone to let them know this awesome feeling and to share the view with someone.”

A gift of inspiration to Singapore on her 50th birthday
The team is quick to point out that no one ‘conquers’ a mountain. “It’s an awesome and humbling feeling, “Hilwan said.

Sufian agreed. “When you are at the peak, you see the clouds below and you feel blessed to be there.”

19 March 2011 -Team Singapura Everest 2015 at the summit of Mount Kinabalu. The team's first climb allowed them to iron out teething issues and gel together as a team.

The team wants to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 2015 as a birthday gift to Singapore on her 50th birthday. They hope that this gesture will also inspire others to pursue their passions and follow their dreams.

The team wants other Singaporeans to know that there is more to life than just work and it is important to realize your dreams, no matter how busy you are.

To support Team Singapura Everest 2015, leave words of encouragement on their facebook page. You can also learn more on their website.

SIDM Charity Event: May the 4th be with you

May the Force be with you

To Star Wars fans, May 4th was the unofficial Star Wars day and it also marked the 35th Anniversary of the first screening of Star Wars: A New Hope. Nanyang Polytechnic’s School of Interactive and Digital Media (SIDM) celebrated this occasion in style by raising funds for the Singapore Children’s Society.

‘May the 4th be with you’ posters  outside LTM1

For those unfamiliar with the Star Wars movie series, the first Star Wars movie was actually Episode IV: A New Hope. This was followed by Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

After the original trilogy fans had to wait 16 years for the series to continue with the prequels, Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

SIDM celebrated Star Wars day for a good cause. There were booths set up outside LTM1, for the sale of cookies, T-shirts and personalized photographs. All proceeds were donated to the Singapore Children's Society.
When I arrived at LTM1 at 3pm, there were huge crowds around each of the booths and the screening of the Star Wars movies had already started in LTM1. The first booth that caught my eye was one which had many balloon sculptures. I was really impressed by the creativity of the SIDM students because they were able to make all kinds of things from the balloons.  I learnt from Jasmin (one of the talented balloon sculptors) that they developed the skill of balloon sculpting as a hobby.

Jasmin with her impressive Darth Vader balloon sculpture

There were also booths selling delicious chocolate cupcakes with irresistible icings and decorated with sweets resembling the light sabers in Star Wars. The cupcakes went for $2.50 each and they were very popular amongst the SIDM students. Almost everyone had one in hand. There were also cookies available for sale. Each cookie had a unique Star Wars character drawn in edible food coloring.

Okay, call me biased but I particularly liked the one with Darth Vader on it.

As I explored, I became attracted to the t-shirt booths.  I have never owned a hand-drawn T-shirt and was excited when I found someone to draw one for me. Because it was a Star Wars event, the drawings were of Star Wars characters - exactly what I wanted. My t-shirt artist was a 2nd year animation student who very kindly drew a red Darth Vader on the back of my SIDM t-shirt. The t-shirt was then passed to her extremely talented teacher, Ms Deda, who drew a cute version of Darth Vader on the front of my t shirt. I am not an artistic sort of girl so my jaw dropped when I saw how the artists were able to draw without sketching in advance.  It was such an enriching experience. The other person who impressed me was Mr. Jacques Muller. Within 15 minutes, he brought Yoda, one of my favourite characters, to life with an awesome drawing giving the t-shirt a brand new look.
 

The SIDM t-shirt Artists at work

Mr. Jacques Muller with his t-shirt Drawing

Attending SIDM’s Star Wars event was an eye-opening experience. For many Star Wars fans, the event rekindled our love for the Star Wars franchise while creating awareness for a worthy beneficiary. I believe that the passionate, creative, caring SIDM students have a bright future ahead and the Force will be always with them.

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.

Lighting up the NDP Multimedia Screens with Made-In-NYP Animations

For four months, 29 Diploma in Motion Graphics & Broadcast Design (MGBD) students from the School of Interactive & Digital Media (SIDM) spent many sleepless nights working to create a stunning multimedia backdrop comprising of 24 animated scenes for this year’s National Day Parade (NDP).

The students worked on the project, based on a script, a music score, and an overall impression of the installation set-up by the NDP committee. Despite the tight deadlines, they managed to professionally render beautiful cultural motifs and animations for the huge projection screens.

All these could not have been possible without the help of SIDM staff – especially Charles Lee, Stephen Lim and Tina Jailani – who steered the project and supported the students by liaising with the NDP committee, providing art direction and technical help.

As for the students, it was an enriching experience.  Not only did they learn much more about motion graphics editing, but their weeks of research also helped them better appreciate the cultural and historical knowledge of Singapore.

Final-year MGBD students Mohamad Fadhli and Christina Qui felt privileged to be working on such an important national level project.  Although work was stressful at times, it provided them an avenue to bond with their group members while working overnight. They were also pleased to be given NDP tickets!

And the greatest reward for staff and students?  It was having our very own made-in-NYP animations lit up the huge projection screens for the nation to see on National Day itself.

SIDM students at Marina Bay. They were working on their project on site as well as in school.