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.
Showing posts with label seg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seg. Show all posts
Monday, August 6, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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| With the Malaysia Youth Council at Kampong Kuala Medang. |
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.
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| Students visit a 'bamboo' school in Thailand. |
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.
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| 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. |
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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!
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…
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| Top 3 Competitors for Day 1 - IT Network Systems Administration |
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| Top 4 Competitors for Day 1 – IT Software Solutions for Businesses |
Speaking about JUICY, let us take a sneak peek into the “Cooking” trade to see what the competitors have whipped up for the judges.
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| Future chefs cooking up a storm! |
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.
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| Mohammad Ariff and Ma Wai Cheung from NYP testing out the robot controls in the Mobile Robotics competition area |
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| 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. |
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| Here’s Joey Ng representing NYP in Graphic Design Technology. Looking good! |
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| Two of NYP’s students – Yik Loong (left) and Kah Yooi busy with building a cabling network in “Information Network Cabling” competition area. |
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| 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.”
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| 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. |
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Thursday, July 5, 2012
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!
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!
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!
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| In deep concentration…competitors from Electronics. |
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| Facial, anyone? The Beauty Therapy competition area. |
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| NYP competitor Jason Soh participating in IT Network Systems Administration. |
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| Visual Merchandising competitors at work. |
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. |
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
NYP Alumni to Climb Everest in 2015
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| Ismail, Hilwan and Sufian, three NYP alumni looking to literally scale new heights. |
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
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| Sufian taking a short break at the base camp of Mount Shitidhar |
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
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| Ismail coiling ropes after reaching the base camp of Mount Shitidhar. |
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”
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| Hilwan undergoing a Technical Mountaineering Course at the base camp of Mount Shitidhar. |
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.”
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| 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 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.
Friday, March 23, 2012
CADC: A Legacy of Excellence
NYP’s Current Affairs and Debating Club’s (CADC) recent win at the Inter-Poly Debates Competition could not have been more poignant. It was the club’s 12th victory and a momentous occasion for the alumni coaches, the seniors and the new members.
It also seemed like the perfect present for NYP’s 20th Anniversary.
After two days of gruelling competition, NYP’s team A, consisting of Kanna Paramatheva, Marcus Ng Aik Wei (both from School of Engineering) and S Prabu Dev (School of Chemical & Life Sciences) brought home the trophy for an unprecedented 12th time.
The team swept the tournament with an undefeated 3-0 result. The win was further sweetened by Kanna Paramatheva winning the Best Speaker (Series) Award.
Discover NYP speaks to the winning team to learn more about their recipe for success and what this means for the club’s legacy.
The Alumni Coach – Coming back For Victory
For Nazmus Sakib, one of the club’s three Alumni coaches, victory was sweet vindication. Sakib was a former CADC member and graduated from NYP in 2009. But even though he made it to the finals of the competition, he never won the first prize.
Instead of lingering on this, he moved on and when asked to return as an alumni coach in 2010, he jumped at the opportunity.
“I’ve always like NYP and I’ve always had an affinity for it,” he said.
He credited NYP’s “family environment” for the CADC’s phenomenal success. He said that the coaches are close and there is a strong sense of tradition in the club. The flipside of maintaining tradition is the pressure it places on newer members.
“I have lots of fun coaching them,” he said, “and even though we hoped to win, we (coaches) never expressed our wishes to the team because some of them were nervous and we didn’t want to pressurise them.” But he acknowledged that even though the coaches never communicated any expectations to the members, some may feel obligated to continue the club’s winning ways.
Fortunately expectations were met this year albeit with some anxiety.
“The way they announce the results is done to create some suspense. So instead of saying who won, they’ll say ‘The Motion falls’. So when the results were announced, both teams needed time to process the meaning, but once it sunk in we were very happy!” He said with a laugh.
The Other Alumni Coaches
The Senior Debater – FINALLY Getting His Due
Though Sakib was humble and cautious about the team’s chances, for senior debater, Kanna, victory was never in doubt.
He was the leader and only senior member in the three-person team.
He said that, “There was no pressure. It wasn’t about whether or not we could win. I felt confident, because I’ve debated for a long time and we won last year.”
For Kanna, who graduates from NYP in May, this year’s competition was especially meaningful because he won the “Best Speaker Award”.
“Finally!” he exclaimed with a laugh.
But when asked to pin-point his team’s success, Kanna was quick to attribute it to his coaches and teammates.
He said that he felt no pressure from the coaches and that they were always objective about how they could do better. Having alumni coaches was also a boon because it provided continuity and familiarity as generations of students came and went.
Kanna added that that the environment allowed them to become friends outside of NYP, and it was helpful that his friends understood his quirks.
The Unlikely Upstarts
Kanna’s teammates, Prabu and Marcus, were the wildcards in the team. Both first-year students were unlikely candidates for a champion debating team.
In fact, Prabu did not even consider debating when he was searching for a CCA. He was more interested in the IT Club and soccer. But he was approached by a CADC member and decided to give it a try.
Marcus was another unlikely candidate. He was a scout in his secondary school, Raffles Institution, - a CCA vastly different from the adversarial nature of debate.
Both men were quickly put through the paces under the careful tutelage of their seniors and coaches but it wasn’t smooth sailing. Prabu said that initiation into the club was difficult because they tended to make “logical leaps” due to their inexperience.
But despite the tough training and rigorous debates, Marcus says that the club is a great place to make friends. “There’s always lots of joking around and even when we debate heatedly, there are no sore feelings.”
The new members will have their hands full as recruitment for the next generation of CADC members begins soon.
Sakib said, “We want to attract the right kind of people; it’s a competitive CCA, so we’re trying to find more like-minded individuals.”
Kanna added that a love for debating is a must. “A high level of commitment is important. If you love debating, you’ll always find a way to get better.”
It also seemed like the perfect present for NYP’s 20th Anniversary.
After two days of gruelling competition, NYP’s team A, consisting of Kanna Paramatheva, Marcus Ng Aik Wei (both from School of Engineering) and S Prabu Dev (School of Chemical & Life Sciences) brought home the trophy for an unprecedented 12th time.
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| Business as usual. The CADC is victorious again. (From left to right: S Prabu Dev, Nazmus Sakib, Kanna Paramatheva and Marcus Ng. |
The team swept the tournament with an undefeated 3-0 result. The win was further sweetened by Kanna Paramatheva winning the Best Speaker (Series) Award.
Discover NYP speaks to the winning team to learn more about their recipe for success and what this means for the club’s legacy.
The Alumni Coach – Coming back For Victory
For Nazmus Sakib, one of the club’s three Alumni coaches, victory was sweet vindication. Sakib was a former CADC member and graduated from NYP in 2009. But even though he made it to the finals of the competition, he never won the first prize.
Instead of lingering on this, he moved on and when asked to return as an alumni coach in 2010, he jumped at the opportunity.
 |
| Sakib is described as the 'Good Cop' by the team for his approachability, jovial personality and contrasting coaching style to Pirakash (another alumni coach). |
He credited NYP’s “family environment” for the CADC’s phenomenal success. He said that the coaches are close and there is a strong sense of tradition in the club. The flipside of maintaining tradition is the pressure it places on newer members.
“I have lots of fun coaching them,” he said, “and even though we hoped to win, we (coaches) never expressed our wishes to the team because some of them were nervous and we didn’t want to pressurise them.” But he acknowledged that even though the coaches never communicated any expectations to the members, some may feel obligated to continue the club’s winning ways.
Fortunately expectations were met this year albeit with some anxiety.
“The way they announce the results is done to create some suspense. So instead of saying who won, they’ll say ‘The Motion falls’. So when the results were announced, both teams needed time to process the meaning, but once it sunk in we were very happy!” He said with a laugh.
The Other Alumni Coaches
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| The team affectionately described Pirakash as the 'Bad Cop' for his to-the-point and tough coaching style. |
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| CADC respectfully refers to Joey Pang as 'The Oracle' due to his extensive knowledge and experience. Joey has represented Singapore in international debating competitions and is recognized as a powerhouse in the local debating scene. |
Though Sakib was humble and cautious about the team’s chances, for senior debater, Kanna, victory was never in doubt.
He was the leader and only senior member in the three-person team.
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| This year's results will give Kanna (center) even more accolades from his time at CADC. |
He said that, “There was no pressure. It wasn’t about whether or not we could win. I felt confident, because I’ve debated for a long time and we won last year.”
For Kanna, who graduates from NYP in May, this year’s competition was especially meaningful because he won the “Best Speaker Award”.
“Finally!” he exclaimed with a laugh.
But when asked to pin-point his team’s success, Kanna was quick to attribute it to his coaches and teammates.
He said that he felt no pressure from the coaches and that they were always objective about how they could do better. Having alumni coaches was also a boon because it provided continuity and familiarity as generations of students came and went.
Kanna added that that the environment allowed them to become friends outside of NYP, and it was helpful that his friends understood his quirks.
The Unlikely Upstarts
Kanna’s teammates, Prabu and Marcus, were the wildcards in the team. Both first-year students were unlikely candidates for a champion debating team.
In fact, Prabu did not even consider debating when he was searching for a CCA. He was more interested in the IT Club and soccer. But he was approached by a CADC member and decided to give it a try.
Marcus was another unlikely candidate. He was a scout in his secondary school, Raffles Institution, - a CCA vastly different from the adversarial nature of debate.
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| Marcu Ng - From scout to champion debater. |
Both men were quickly put through the paces under the careful tutelage of their seniors and coaches but it wasn’t smooth sailing. Prabu said that initiation into the club was difficult because they tended to make “logical leaps” due to their inexperience.
But despite the tough training and rigorous debates, Marcus says that the club is a great place to make friends. “There’s always lots of joking around and even when we debate heatedly, there are no sore feelings.”
The new members will have their hands full as recruitment for the next generation of CADC members begins soon.
Sakib said, “We want to attract the right kind of people; it’s a competitive CCA, so we’re trying to find more like-minded individuals.”
Kanna added that a love for debating is a must. “A high level of commitment is important. If you love debating, you’ll always find a way to get better.”
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