CAL June Orientation Day 2010
June 28 was a busy day at TCSH. You might be wondering “Wasn’t that a holiday?” Indeed it was, but while every other student was still getting their share of shut eye, the college was very much alive with student ambassadors and administration staff setting up booths for the June 2010 intake. Location: Alpha Theatre.
There was a mixed vibe in the theatre. While most students looked wide awake and ready to embark on their new journey of academic excellence, others looked more sluggish and quiet. It was pretty clear that the World Cup fever had hit these individuals. Either that or they just weren’t used to getting up so early.
The day began with a speech from Ms. Nirmala, the second in command at TCSH. She expressed her delight at the growing number of CAL students and how they would add to the Taylor’s family tree. Judging from the faces of the students, they seemed to feel more at ease, especially the nervous ones, as Ms. Nirmala continued her speech and warmly welcomed the group. Next, came the briefing from the CAL Program Coordinator, Mr. Hariandra Muthu. Clad in a black jacket, he looked stern but was able to crack a joke or two in his speech. Mr. Hari mostly talked about the break down of the course and introduced the students to their fellow teachers. He also took the opportunity to talk about non academic issues such as the dress code and smoking which are considered “no-no” in the eyes of the college.
After the speeches came the briefing by the class mentors. The students were required to group according to their respective classes and escorted to classrooms. Led by the student ambassadors, the juniors exited the theatre in an organized fashion. Up the escalator they went and into the classrooms they marched. At 10.40, there was a short break for an hour. Students who were hungry were allowed to eat or collect their Taylor’s T-shirts and have their photo taken for the Student ID. I took the opportunity to ask a few students about their impression of the college. Out of the 5 students I talked to, everyone said, “It’s really cold”, while hugging themselves to keep warm.
Then, it was back to the Alpha Theatre with a briefing about the ICT facilities in campus by Ms. Lim Wen Tieng. She explained how to access the computers in the iZone and Gen-Y computer labs. She also warned students not to visit certain unacceptable websites – if you know what I mean. The Head of Student Affairs then walked in. Mr. Rahul Ramachandran, strutted toward the mike full of smiles and swagger. It would be no surprise if he got a few heads turning along the way. He warmly welcomed the new students and told them that no problem should be kept to themselves; if they are unhappy about anything, they should not be afraid to bring it up.
The day continued in the Alpha Theatre with a short briefing by Ms. Hamizah, the TCSH counselor. Ms. Hamizah’s speech focused on the well-being of the students. She stated that if there was anything troubling them, they should just waltz right through her door and she will be all ears. She also reassured them that their meetings will be private and confidential. The day continued with a briefing on the libraries facilities by Ms Mazura Shamsuddin. She explained the workings of our tech savvy library and its self check-out services.
The final activity of the day was an ice breaking session by the TCSH Student Council. TCSH President, Jian Wei, welcomed the group and introduced the students to his team. Then, the Council divided the students into 14 groups. Their task was to answer a list of questions pertaining to the campus. It was very much like “The Amazing Race”. All 14 groups were let loose to run around the college to find the answers. Victory was every group’s goal. Some of the groups had a little trouble getting answers to the questions. That’s where the “friendly neighbourhood seniors” came in. They helped groups answer questions and even pointed them to the right direction. When the game ended, there was only one winner, Group 2, who largely owed their victory to the seniors!
All activities ended at 2 pm. As everyone walked off to the front entrance, friendships were beginning to blossom among all the students. Those sluggish, quiet, fearful faces were all gone now. They were replaced with smiles and laughter. Welcome, June 2010 students!
BY THONG WAI CHEONG
There was a mixed vibe in the theatre. While most students looked wide awake and ready to embark on their new journey of academic excellence, others looked more sluggish and quiet. It was pretty clear that the World Cup fever had hit these individuals. Either that or they just weren’t used to getting up so early.
The day began with a speech from Ms. Nirmala, the second in command at TCSH. She expressed her delight at the growing number of CAL students and how they would add to the Taylor’s family tree. Judging from the faces of the students, they seemed to feel more at ease, especially the nervous ones, as Ms. Nirmala continued her speech and warmly welcomed the group. Next, came the briefing from the CAL Program Coordinator, Mr. Hariandra Muthu. Clad in a black jacket, he looked stern but was able to crack a joke or two in his speech. Mr. Hari mostly talked about the break down of the course and introduced the students to their fellow teachers. He also took the opportunity to talk about non academic issues such as the dress code and smoking which are considered “no-no” in the eyes of the college.
After the speeches came the briefing by the class mentors. The students were required to group according to their respective classes and escorted to classrooms. Led by the student ambassadors, the juniors exited the theatre in an organized fashion. Up the escalator they went and into the classrooms they marched. At 10.40, there was a short break for an hour. Students who were hungry were allowed to eat or collect their Taylor’s T-shirts and have their photo taken for the Student ID. I took the opportunity to ask a few students about their impression of the college. Out of the 5 students I talked to, everyone said, “It’s really cold”, while hugging themselves to keep warm.
Then, it was back to the Alpha Theatre with a briefing about the ICT facilities in campus by Ms. Lim Wen Tieng. She explained how to access the computers in the iZone and Gen-Y computer labs. She also warned students not to visit certain unacceptable websites – if you know what I mean. The Head of Student Affairs then walked in. Mr. Rahul Ramachandran, strutted toward the mike full of smiles and swagger. It would be no surprise if he got a few heads turning along the way. He warmly welcomed the new students and told them that no problem should be kept to themselves; if they are unhappy about anything, they should not be afraid to bring it up.
The day continued in the Alpha Theatre with a short briefing by Ms. Hamizah, the TCSH counselor. Ms. Hamizah’s speech focused on the well-being of the students. She stated that if there was anything troubling them, they should just waltz right through her door and she will be all ears. She also reassured them that their meetings will be private and confidential. The day continued with a briefing on the libraries facilities by Ms Mazura Shamsuddin. She explained the workings of our tech savvy library and its self check-out services.
The final activity of the day was an ice breaking session by the TCSH Student Council. TCSH President, Jian Wei, welcomed the group and introduced the students to his team. Then, the Council divided the students into 14 groups. Their task was to answer a list of questions pertaining to the campus. It was very much like “The Amazing Race”. All 14 groups were let loose to run around the college to find the answers. Victory was every group’s goal. Some of the groups had a little trouble getting answers to the questions. That’s where the “friendly neighbourhood seniors” came in. They helped groups answer questions and even pointed them to the right direction. When the game ended, there was only one winner, Group 2, who largely owed their victory to the seniors!
All activities ended at 2 pm. As everyone walked off to the front entrance, friendships were beginning to blossom among all the students. Those sluggish, quiet, fearful faces were all gone now. They were replaced with smiles and laughter. Welcome, June 2010 students!
BY THONG WAI CHEONG
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