Welcome, IB Freshmen!
The commencement day of the Orientation Week at TCSH was unquestionably the most anticipated day for our International Baccalaureate freshmen. It was held on 5th of July 2010 at the Beta Theatre. The management, Student Council and other seniors were well-prepared for this day.
The orientation started off with Mr Ananda’s welcoming address. It was undeniable that he was pleased to meet the new IB intake, cracking jokes every now and then, yet asserting that college rules are important and should be adhered to at all times. He was well-liked by the audience, judging by the applause received. Next, Mr Abbot gave a general overview of the IB Programme and explained the aims of the orientation. That definitely shed some light for our bright and eager new students.
Next up was our Student Event Advisor, Miss Dachaini. She enlightened our freshmen about extramural life around TCSH, giving a few pointers on how to start or join a club. The emcees played a pivotal role during orientation for what better way to know the college than from senior students Sulaiman and Grace? They started by explaining the events held around the campus, followed by introductions of clubs which most students are keen to sign up for.
After being put at ease by the welcoming addresses, the new IB intake was ready to break the ice and mingle with one another. For this, an exciting group activity was planned out for them: The Explorace, Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas’ trademark way of welcoming new intakes. As the name implies, the Explorace involves exploring the campus while competing in a Clue Hunt race. May the best man win!
The freshmen were divided into teams of 5 and provided with a series of questions to tackle. Answers to these brain-bogglers were subtly hidden in the layout of the college building, ready to be discovered by students of keen eye and sharp wit. The fastest team to obtain all the answers had prizes awaiting their return. Among the 12 questions posed were ‘What can you do with beans? You can eat ‘em, chew ‘em and read on ‘em!’ If you haven’t guessed already, we suggest you take a trip down to the college library. Therein lies our much-loved beanbags, the only kind of beans you can sit on.
The current intake of students were very much amused as the excited explorers exploded out of the Beta Theatre and rushed around campus in a chaotic bid to be the best Marco Polo (or Admiral Zheng He, if you wish).
After a great deal of discussing and running, finally all teams were back safely in the hall, with answers in tow. As it is with races, there can be only one winner: Group 4! As a reward for their efficiency, prizes in the form of Jack’N’Jill Potato Chips and bottles of free drink were presented to them.
When asked about the experience, team leader Shayne Foo said that not only was it good fun, it also “helped us to get to know the campus and our fellow intake students better”. Another student stated that the campus was refreshingly modern and professional, a welcome change from hot and stuffy secondary schools.
When the freshmen had calmed down after all the excitement from the Explorace, Mr. Rahul gave them a general briefing on the administrative staff of TCSH. The new intake was introduced to the staff and told who to contact in the event any assistance is needed. After the briefing, the orientation took an hour long break for lunch to rest and socialise.
After lunch, at around 1pm, the Beta Theatre was once again crowded with the new IB students. During this session, they were given a breakdown of the ICT and library services of the college which play an increasingly important role in college life. The usage of the student portal, BlackBoard 7, and printing services were made clear to the freshmen by Ms. Wen Tieng. Library services such as the borrowing of books and book renewal were also explained by Ms. Maizura.
At 2.15, the IB intake flocked to the Alpha Theatre, where they were given a taste of how events are run in TCSH. The Drug Free Campaign kick-started with speeches by Mr. Ananda, and guest speaker Tun Haji Mohd Yunos Pathi. The audience was informed that they had the freedom of choice whether or not to involve themselves in drug-taking. The Dance Club then treated them to a performance – a symbolic dance revealing the desperation of drug addicts and their rejection by society. The entire party then shifted outside Alpha Theatre to witness the signing of the Drug Free Campaign banner by the VIPs, thus officiating the start of the campaign.
At this point, day one of Orientation Week for the IB freshmen drew to a close. All in all, the orientation was extremely informative and exciting with the Explorace being the highlight of the day. Equipped with their newly found knowledge and friends, it is without a doubt the new intake started off their college life with a bang! All we want to say is we look forward to getting to know you better in the days to come. Welcome to Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas!
BY CHAN YUEE SUN and WONG SZE HSUEN
The orientation started off with Mr Ananda’s welcoming address. It was undeniable that he was pleased to meet the new IB intake, cracking jokes every now and then, yet asserting that college rules are important and should be adhered to at all times. He was well-liked by the audience, judging by the applause received. Next, Mr Abbot gave a general overview of the IB Programme and explained the aims of the orientation. That definitely shed some light for our bright and eager new students.
Next up was our Student Event Advisor, Miss Dachaini. She enlightened our freshmen about extramural life around TCSH, giving a few pointers on how to start or join a club. The emcees played a pivotal role during orientation for what better way to know the college than from senior students Sulaiman and Grace? They started by explaining the events held around the campus, followed by introductions of clubs which most students are keen to sign up for.
After being put at ease by the welcoming addresses, the new IB intake was ready to break the ice and mingle with one another. For this, an exciting group activity was planned out for them: The Explorace, Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas’ trademark way of welcoming new intakes. As the name implies, the Explorace involves exploring the campus while competing in a Clue Hunt race. May the best man win!
IB freshies breaking the ice
The freshmen were divided into teams of 5 and provided with a series of questions to tackle. Answers to these brain-bogglers were subtly hidden in the layout of the college building, ready to be discovered by students of keen eye and sharp wit. The fastest team to obtain all the answers had prizes awaiting their return. Among the 12 questions posed were ‘What can you do with beans? You can eat ‘em, chew ‘em and read on ‘em!’ If you haven’t guessed already, we suggest you take a trip down to the college library. Therein lies our much-loved beanbags, the only kind of beans you can sit on.
The current intake of students were very much amused as the excited explorers exploded out of the Beta Theatre and rushed around campus in a chaotic bid to be the best Marco Polo (or Admiral Zheng He, if you wish).
After a great deal of discussing and running, finally all teams were back safely in the hall, with answers in tow. As it is with races, there can be only one winner: Group 4! As a reward for their efficiency, prizes in the form of Jack’N’Jill Potato Chips and bottles of free drink were presented to them.
Winners of the Explorace
When asked about the experience, team leader Shayne Foo said that not only was it good fun, it also “helped us to get to know the campus and our fellow intake students better”. Another student stated that the campus was refreshingly modern and professional, a welcome change from hot and stuffy secondary schools.
When the freshmen had calmed down after all the excitement from the Explorace, Mr. Rahul gave them a general briefing on the administrative staff of TCSH. The new intake was introduced to the staff and told who to contact in the event any assistance is needed. After the briefing, the orientation took an hour long break for lunch to rest and socialise.
After lunch, at around 1pm, the Beta Theatre was once again crowded with the new IB students. During this session, they were given a breakdown of the ICT and library services of the college which play an increasingly important role in college life. The usage of the student portal, BlackBoard 7, and printing services were made clear to the freshmen by Ms. Wen Tieng. Library services such as the borrowing of books and book renewal were also explained by Ms. Maizura.
At 2.15, the IB intake flocked to the Alpha Theatre, where they were given a taste of how events are run in TCSH. The Drug Free Campaign kick-started with speeches by Mr. Ananda, and guest speaker Tun Haji Mohd Yunos Pathi. The audience was informed that they had the freedom of choice whether or not to involve themselves in drug-taking. The Dance Club then treated them to a performance – a symbolic dance revealing the desperation of drug addicts and their rejection by society. The entire party then shifted outside Alpha Theatre to witness the signing of the Drug Free Campaign banner by the VIPs, thus officiating the start of the campaign.
At this point, day one of Orientation Week for the IB freshmen drew to a close. All in all, the orientation was extremely informative and exciting with the Explorace being the highlight of the day. Equipped with their newly found knowledge and friends, it is without a doubt the new intake started off their college life with a bang! All we want to say is we look forward to getting to know you better in the days to come. Welcome to Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas!
BY CHAN YUEE SUN and WONG SZE HSUEN
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