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NTU Hall 2 Publication 2010/11

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Page 1: Echoes 2010/11
Page 2: Echoes 2010/11
Page 3: Echoes 2010/11

Editorial note

Cliché it may sound, but how time flies! In a blink of

an eye, an eventful year in Hall 2 has almost come to

an end! New friends have been found, and

unforgettable memories have been forged. Some of us

may carry on to live the Hall 2 life, but others such as

the graduating seniors would be moving on to achieve

the greater things in life.

Throughout the year, the Publications team has been

busily snapping away as you participated in the

various events of Hall 2. As you enjoyed yourselves,

we have worked hard to try and capture those special

moments of your time. What you hold in your hands

now is the laborious result of 27th JCRC’s effort at a

compilation of your memories – ECHOES.

A heartfelt “Thank You” goes out to all who have

contributed in any way, making ECHOES possible.

Not forgetting all of you who have participated in

each event we have painstakingly planned – without

you the events wouldn’t be a success.

Sit back and enjoy the moment together with us

reminiscing the past year …

Jocelyn & Edward

27th JCRC Publication Secretaries

Editorial

Editors| Edward Liauw, Jocelyn Neo

Contributors| 27th

JCRC, Sports and

Recreational Team Managers/Captains,

Dinner & Dance, Orientation Main

Committee, Hall Productions, Hall Dance,

Cheerleading, JCRC Subcommers

Design

Cover| Sim Boon Long

Layout | Edward Liauw | Jocelyn Neo Tay

Xiang Yi

Photographs

Publications Subcomm, Team

Managers/Captains, Wendy Tan, Wing

Sing

Page 4: Echoes 2010/11

Content

2 Hall Crest & Song

3 Our History

4 27th JCRC

18 Special Committees

21 Events

31 IHG Sports

45 IHRG Recreational

52 Team Photos

53 JCRC Sub-Commers

55 Awards

Page

Page 5: Echoes 2010/11

Hall Two’s spirit living on

It’s living far and far beyond

It’s never gonna die

It’s gonna live in each of us

And we’ll keep it burning, burning

strong

The flame of zest lights in us all along

Always inspiring us to go on

Hall Two’s spirit flying high

It’s flying far and far beyond

It’s never gonna die

It’s gonna live forever more

And we’ll keep it burning, burning strong

The flame of zest lights in us along

Always inspiring us to go on

Spokes supporting the ring

Close link and the spirit of camaraderie forged between the blocks

Lion

Strength and Courage

Leaves

Growth

Colors

White, bright red and navy blue

represents magnanimity, peace and

harmony

Shield-shaped crest

Upholds the virtues of the traditional

Arthurian Knights

Honor, Loyalty and Valor

Hall Crest & Song

Page 6: Echoes 2010/11

Our History,

Our Legacy

Hall of Residence 2 was first established in 1957 on the grounds of Nanyang Technological University, which was previously known as Nantah. It was originally built to host students from NTU as well as NUS. However, as the enrolment increased over the years, the demand for accommodation steadily rose. Hall 2 eventually came to be occupied only by students from Nantah.

Located right at the heart of the school campus, Hall 2 is a mere five minutes’ walk away from North Spine as well as the Sports Recreational Centre (SRC).

It consists of 11 double-story blocks which house a total of 302 double rooms and 48 single rooms. The open, architectural style of the blocks ensures that residents enjoy bright and breezy rooms. Notably, our rooms are one of the most spacious in NTU and they are all furnished with built-in wardrobes, writing desks and shelves.

Hall 2 is one of the two hostels in school to adopt the attached toilets system, where two rooms share a toilet, inclusive of sinks, a shower and a cubicle. This unique feature is highly prized among our residents as it provides additional privacy and convenience.

Laundry rooms, kitchenettes, readings rooms, music and dance rooms, as well as TV lounges are just some of the common facilities hostelites have at their doorstep here at Hall 2.

Food lovers will be delighted to know that the Hall is well served by not one, but two canteens - Can 1 and Can 2. Students all over the campus flock to these exceedingly popular canteens as they offer a wide variety of affordable and delicious food. For sports fanatics, the SRC, boasting a swimming pool, running track, well-equipped gym and other facilities, sits just round the corner.

Residents will also enjoy close proximity to the following amenities:

ATM Machine

Nanyang Supermart

Grocery store

Futsal Court

Volleyball Court

Hairdresser

With its superb central location, spacious rooms and unparalleled amenities, Hall 2 never fails to be heavily oversubscribed year after year. Hall 2 is not just a hall; it is a home away from home.

Page 7: Echoes 2010/11
Page 8: Echoes 2010/11

Teo Yu

Hao

President

Dear Hall Two-ians,

I really hope that you have enjoyed yourself for the past one

year in Hall 2 and I sincerely wish that we have made a

difference and have given you a fulfilling campus experience, an

experience which will bring sweet „echoes‟ to your heart when

you reminisce of your university journey in NTU.

This year has been an amazing year for Hall 2‟s participation in

the Inter-Hall Competitions. Not only did our sports come in

overall 1st runner, our recreational games made a great

improvement since last year by clinching 9th position and we

ended our IHG/IHRG season as overall 5th. Besides the games,

our cheerleaders, the Awesomes, also gave us an exciting

performance during Hall Olympiad Opening Ceremony, while

our dancers, H2D, put up a creative dance which merged a love

story into their delicate dance moves and clinched a

commendable 4th spot in the Hall Olympiad Closing Ceremony.

Though results are important, I strongly believe that at the end

of the day what we can truly remember is the blood, sweat and

tears we sacrificed through the months of trainings and also the

close friendships that we have made through the course of this

Hall Olympiad season. May I salute all of you, sports players,

recreational game players, cheerleaders, dancers, JCRC

subcommers and supporters alike! THREE CHEERS to all of

YOU! HIP HIP HOORAY!

As for those of you who have joined special committees, such as

our Orientation Main Committee, Dinner and Dance

Committee or Verve Productions, I would like to say a big

thank you to all of you for working together hand in hand with

us to make Hall 2 a more vibrant and exciting hall. Now that

Verve Productions had entertained us with their fabulous show,

TEN, at the Jubilee Theatre during the recess break. Lets

JIAYOU together and I look forward to a smooth preparation

for the upcoming Freshmen Orientation Camp and also Dinner

and Dance, and may we be able to give a big warm hall 2

welcome to our incoming freshmen.

Next, I would like to thank our ever supportive Hall officer

Albert Yu and Adeline Aw for always being there for us to offer

their insightful advices and unconditional help. In addition, I

would also like to thank our Senior hall fellow Prof Lam and

hall fellows, Assoc Prof Teh, Assoc Prof Ricky Ang, Dr Tan

and also Ms Li Fang for always taking their time off from their

busy schedule to join us in our activities and also giving us the

support needed to run our events.

Beginning of my term, I talked about the hall 2‟s Kampong

spirit which I admired and also my vision of creating a caring

culture in hall 2. So this year, we took a step of faith and formed

a new Ad-Hoc committee called, Hall 2 Hearts. This

committee will engage in both local and overseas community

involvement projects providing residents the chance to give

back to the society. At the end of this semester, they will be

embarking on their OCIP trip to Laos, and lets hope that this

pioneer batch of Hall 2 Hearts will do us proud in Laos.

What‟s more, this year we have also developed a brand new

website to showcase Hall 2, so check us out

http://webx.ntu.edu.sg/hall2 Last but not the least, I would like to say a big thank you to my

dear 27th JCRC, you guys are just amazing! I know this may

sound cliché, but people talk about adding years to their lives,

but you guys truly add life to my years in Hall 2! Thank you and

thank you to each an every one of you, for listening to my

nagging, laughing to my not-so-funny jokes, and simply just

being the unique individuals you guys are! Keep on rocking and

oh god, I know I‟m gonna to miss you guys!

Cheers,

Yu Hao

Page 9: Echoes 2010/11

My second year in JCRC has been nothing short of

memorable. Hot off the heels of a fantastic orientation

camp, those who were rerunning had to start forming the

27th. After many long nights and hard thought we had the

final 16. I must say I am glad and impressed with the 27th

and what a long journey we have had!

Being in JCRC for a second term allowed me to right the

wrongs of the previous year and prevent any mistakes from

being repeated. It provided me with a platform to mentor

and guide the first years. Besides that I also have to attend

to my own duties; handling internal affairs by taking charge

of the block managers and also making sure the three

Special Committees (OMC, DND and Hall Productions)

are doing well. I am proud to say that each committee is

truly special and has grown so much. I am also very please

that the new initiative of Overseas Community

Involvement Programme has come to fruition. And not to

mention the LLRC who has added much colour and

vibrancy to our Hall!

Seeing the success of each event and the way residents‟

band together to support one another during IHG,

Cheerleading and Dance made me realise what a special

place Hall 2 is.

Through it all, my greatest take away has to be learning

from each and every person that I have come into contact

with. I am forever grateful for having this opportunity to

serve as your Vice President.

To the 27th, thank you for all the fun and laughter. When

there‟s work to be done, you guys are always right at it.

When it‟s time for fun, you guys do not slack off either! I

think each of you has outperformed yourselves and I am

proud to be part of this team.

To 26th and OMC 10/11, thank you for giving me such a

good experience in my first year that it made me want to

go for a second term.

To my Block Managers, thank you for all your help! You

guys did a good job bridging the hall and JCRC. Without

which, we will not have such a strong hall culture and

tradition.

To Albert, Adeline and Hall Office, a big thank you for

always being so helpful and encouraging. Thank you for

being such great friends. It is Hall 2‟s privilege to have you

guys!

To OMC 11/12, thank you for having me as an Ex-Official.

I truly enjoy myself and I look forward to an awesome

experience in Camp Ho-Hii!

To all the residents of Hall 2, I hope you enjoy and

treasure your stay in Hall 2! May the year that has passed

be one of the best and I hope you will continue to make

Hall 2 your choice of hall and your home away from

home.

Thank you.

Cher Jia Hui,

Clement

Vice

President

Page 10: Echoes 2010/11

2010/2011 was another unforgettable year with back-to-back

events right from the start of the academic year. Taking up the role

of Honorary General Secretary in 27th

JCRC was no easy feat.

However, being granted the opportunity to serve the Hall for the

second time was indeed an enriching experience.

The news of me becoming the Honorary General Secretary came as a shock to many as my recent predecessors were all

females. I took up this role because I saw this as a learning experience to organise and manage administrative work.

Administrative work might sound simple but it was really no joke when it comes to handling these duties.

Despite taking up the portfolio, I felt the need and responsibility to guide the fresh junior portfolios in JCRC. This

feeling was totally different as compared to the first year. I felt great being able to impart my knowledge and see

improvement in our hall events and activities. Personally, I had paid much more attention on the Recreational Games

Secretaries (Joshua and Yu Hui) especially. They had proved themselves and the effort they invested was definitely

worth of the results. I was very proud of them, seeing that they had made tremendous progress in the Inter Hall

Recreational Games.

This journey was no easy ride as I struggled with my duties and academic work. I was very thankful to those who had

supported me and assisted me in my duties. I really appreciated the help and concern from my predecessors (Siying and

Canphylia). Both of you were always ready to lend me a helping hand.

Accompanied with the Yu Hao (President), Clement (Vice President), Fawn (Financial Controller) and Eunice (Business

Manager), we set off together on the same page and committed ourselves to build a strong JCRC. Despite the struggles, I

really enjoyed working with you guys and I was very touched by all the patience you guys shown me throughout the year.

To the whole 27th

JCRC, thank you for adding colours in my university and hall life!

I did not regret re-running for 27th

JCRC. I know I never will.

Yours sincerely,

Kong Jian Hao

Honorary General Secretary

27th

JCRC

Kong Jian Hao

Honorary

General

Secretary

Page 11: Echoes 2010/11

The year is almost gone in a blink of eyes.

Rewind. The decision to re-run was not an easy feat. It‟s

always about time, time, and more time. But at the end of

the day, it all boils down to how well one can manage it.

The journey was not as easy as it seems. Juggling studies

and the different commitments at the same time has been

a hell of a ride.

To many, the job of a business manager may seem easy -

to collect items from sponsors and pack them (or so

everyone, myself included, thought). But no, the job scope

encompassed more than that. From the e-mailing of

potential sponsors, to the liaising, and finally the

confirmation of the sponsorship, it definitely was not as

simple as it seemed initially. From the constant e-mails of

rejection received, to the non-responsive recipients, it did

get a little frustrating at times. However, I have learned a

great deal from these little experiences of the corporate

world.

In addition, working with the other 16 business managers

at the joint-hall level was a very refreshing experience for

me, having served in a portfolio that did not require

participation at joint-hall level. Also, being an ex-official to

Hall Productions this year had allowed me to learn much.

From the planning process to the execution and

production of the play, they are experiences that one

would not have been able to go through without being part

of the committee. Finally, I‟m grateful to be given the

chance to be part of the OCIP team, a chance for me to

help the kids in Laos.

The year is almost coming to an end, and before we wrap

it up, I will like to extend my thanks to all who have been

there for me.

Firstly, I would like to thank my predecessor, Charissa, for

her advice and help when I am in doubt. Secondly, a big

thank you to my ever trustworthy sub-commers for your

unconditional help. Thank you for being my „saikang‟

warriors, and for always being just a phone call/sms away.

You have no idea how thankful I am to have each and

every one of you. I could not have packed 600 goodies bag

in a night without you guys, nor moved 4 100-plus board

together with cartons of drinks without your muscles. Most

importantly, all these events would not have been

successful without you guys. In addition, many thanks to

the friends who were there for me, for the help and advice

given when I needed them most, and for being my pillars

of support and strength. Finally, thank you Hall 2

residents, for your unwavering support for every single

event, for they will not be successful without your

presence.

Finally, not forgetting the 27th

JCRC, a big thank you to

each and every one of you. Thanks for being part of this

big family. You guys have been a bunch of energizer

bunnies. Without all of you, late night meetings would

have been real dreadful, and everything will be so different

from how it is now. If given a chance to choose the

committee again, I wouldn‟t have trade you guys for

anyone else. Cause‟ you are special just the way you are,

making the committee whole as it is now.

Serving in JCRC for the past two years has definitely been

one of the most wonderful and memorable experiences

thus far.

Love,

Eunice Ngieng

Business Manager

27th

JCRC

Eunice Ngieng

Business

Manager

Page 12: Echoes 2010/11

My 2nd

term as a Financial Controller with the 27th

is now

coming to an end and this journey was never the least

smooth sailing. Being in charge of a new portfolio and

taking on something completely different from my 1st

year

as a Publication secretary was indeed overwhelming. Last

year I was busy shooting pictures, designing, coming up

with Echoes and this year was looking at accounts (all the

numbers that literally made me $_$ and then X_X) and

trying my best to expand our finances and working around

them.

My term started off with the planning of City Hike during

this year‟s Camp Yeeha. My summer holidays were spent

planning this and I really hope all the freshies did enjoy

themselves during City Hike! Thank you Lawrence for

your guidance and giving me this opportunity to plan this

event as I really did learn a lot and pre-empted me for

what was ahead of me.

Then, I officially took over the role as a financial

controller. Finance matters are always very sensitive and of

course extremely important in making our events

successful. It might not show but much effort is needed

for all the budgeting and constant monitoring of our

finances to ensure everything is in place. At the end of the

day, I try my best to fulfil everything within my means as it

is my duty and responsibility to make sure that everyone

gets their money back efficiently.

My term as a financial controller has indeed taught me a

lot. With my predecessor, Royston away on exchange, it

was hard for me to turn to him and seek help when I faced

difficulties. I had no choice but to bother the people over

at SAO. I made countless trips to SAO and bugged them

when I was unsure and needed help. Also, with new

financial procedures in place, I found myself with a lot of

difficulties during the first few months of my term and

claims for reimbursements were really slow. Nevertheless,

I like to thank the patience and understanding I got from

SAO and my committee members for the inefficiency at

times.

Thank you 27th for being so prompt with the receipts,

working within your budgets and listening to me going on

about “no money already, no money already” and our

subcommittees as well for being so patient when the claims

take a bit of time. Also, the special committees for being so

cooperative with the finance matters as well. Thank you all

for your help and support! :D

The 27th

as well as the special committees have put in

much effort in organising numerous events this whole year.

I thank all the residents for being a part of them and

supporting us in our events. If the 27th

have not performed

up to standard in any ways, I‟m sure we will learn from our

mistakes and come back even better! So, do look out for

our events during the upcoming orientation camp as well.

With that, I‟ll like to thank everyone for making my

journey these 2 years so enjoyable and enriching. These

will be the fond memories I‟ll be taking back with (:

Thank you.

Cher Jia Wei Fawn

27th

JCRC Financial Controller

Fawn Cher

Financial

Controller

Page 13: Echoes 2010/11

From the day we were voted into the 27th

Junior Common Room Committee as Publication Secretaries, we knew that the

1 year journey ahead of us was not going to be an easy one, and it did turn tougher than expected. Although we did not

have events of our own, but in fact, every Hall event held throughout the year was our event, be it Hall Olympiad, Night

Cycling, Ice cream Festivals or Wing supper. This is because not only do we have publicise the events beforehand, take

photographs during the event, we also have to do the follow up of the various events such as uploading of photos. We

can proudly say that we manage to survive the arduous and gruelling journey and bring away with us the wonderful and

precious experiences we had gained throughout our term.

Being the Publication Secretaries, we always had to ensure that each and everyone‟s smile and the success of each and

every event was captured in our photos and videos, freezing the fun and laughter we spent together throughout the year

and keeping them as our memories. Also, during the Hall Olympiad period, planning and updating of the

photographers schedule was tough, but we are glad we managed to overcome the difficulties and problems in between

and everything proceeded smoothly. We believed without the help of the people around us, we would not be able to

capture every single moment of the events so successfully.

First of all, special thanks to our upper study, Fawn, for guiding us along the way and giving us constant advice,

suggestions and reminders throughout our term regarding publications related stuff. Not forgetting the 27th

JCRC, the

help and support was much appreciated and none of that would have been possible without you guys.

Most importantly, we would not have made it through without the help of our dearest subcommers. Being subcommers

of our portfolio, I believe the year was rather tough for you guys too, so really appreciate the time and effort you guys

committed in supporting us in all Publication duties. From lending us your camera, helping us take photos and videos,

helping us to edit and come up with videos, helping us to decorate and update the noticeboards outside Canteen 2, all

these that you guys had done really touched our heart. Especially during the Hall Olympiad period, not only did you

guys sacrificed your weekends and holidays, you all also have to endure the super long messages we sent out and getting

you guys down on a super short notice, without the 15 of you, we would not have been able to accomplished anything.

Really love you guys a lot and we treasure the friendship forged between us!

Thank you!

Edward Liauw &

Jocelyn Neo

Publications

Secs

Page 14: Echoes 2010/11

Daryl Lim

The IHG 10/11 season maybe well be remembered as a

season for redemption. On the back of a sorely disappointing

4th placed finish in sports last year, we were determined to

push ourselves hard in order to regain our reputation as a

traditional sporting powerhouse. Trainings for this year‟s

IHG began in earnest as early as the second week of semester

one as the managers and captains of all the sports were

briefed on Hall 2‟s target for this year, which was to achieve a

top 3 finish. Not only did we achieve that target at the end of

the season, we managed to finish as 1st Runner Up. The

anticipated tight race for the 1st Runner Up spot with Hall 6

had an anticlimactic finish after a flurry of strong results in the

final week of the games secured our place with comfortable

ease. We achieved 4 Golds and 6 Silvers overall, putting us in

a whopping 10 Finals out of 20 sports. These results would

not have been possible had it not been for the efforts of all

the players who came down for the trainings and pushing

themselves to their limits during the games. For that, this

short report would be insufficient to express the amount of

gratitude and respect we have for all of you.

The Hockey girls might just be the most unlucky team in Hall

2 history. To go out on penalties is extremely unfortunate, to

go out on penalties for 2 consecutive seasons is downright

unfair. Our hearts go out to the girls. As we all like to say, 3rd

time lucky! So heads up girls, we will come back stronger and

hopefully luckier next year! The Table tennis team started the

season well enough with a win but were unable to proceed

further than the preliminaries. Our Basketball girls were

unfortunately disqualified as fielded a returning exchange

student which was later deemed to be illegal by the

committee. We would like to apologise both to the girls and

to the Hall for overlooking that rule. Let us put this setback

behind us and bring Hall 2 Basketball girls back to the glory

days next season.

Our Hockey guys managed a slight improve on last year‟s

disappointing prelims exit by qualifying for the quarters.

However, as luck will have it, we were drawn against the

mighty Hall 3. Despite playing with great vigour and team

spirit, the team had no answer to the individual talent that the

opponents possess in their state players. We have extremely

high hopes for our hockey guys next year, with majority of the

team made out of freshies who have just picked up the sport.

Hopefully with one season‟s experience under their belts, we

will go further next year! Our Takraw boys managed to defy

the odds by beating Hall 6‟s gravity-defying, somersaulting

boys to proceed once again to the quarters. And once again,

we met our stumbling block at there. A disappointing

performance from the guys resulted a loss to Hall 5. Soccer

had a disappointing season as well, the high standards set by

our soccer guys means that a quarters exit is extremely

disappointing. The team looked destined for greater things,

scoring 15 goals in the first 2 matches. We then went up

against eventual champions Hall 3 in the quarters and gave

them evidently their hardest match of their season when we

took the lead twice but eventually losing 3-2. Our Softball

guys were next in line to befall the curse of the ballot by

drawing Hall 3 yet again in the quarters. Despite facing

seemingly insurmountable odds against a team that is heads

and shoulders above any other hall in IHG softball, the guys

entered the match determined to give our best and the

defending champions a run for their money. Lost, as we

inevitably did, but the guys ended the game with our heads

held high. Our Netballers started the season strongly with a

trashing of Hall 4. A loss to eventual finalist Hall 12 meant

that the girls were forced to play a third game against Hall 8

for a place in the quarters. The girls proceeded to overrun the

opponents and book their place in the quarters. Alas, we were

drawn against Hall 3 YET AGAIN! And boy did the girls give

last year‟s losing finalist a good run for their money by ending

the first quarter with a commanding lead. However, the

strength in depth of the opposition meant that they could

bring on fresh shooters to capitalise on our fast tiring girls

who were forced to the entire game.

Our tennis team proved this season that miracles really do

happen. We were 2 points away from a preliminary round

exit when our game against Hall 13 was halted due to

unforeseen circumstances. Needing nothing short of a miracle

to qualify, as the game was to be continued from the point of

stoppage. Our male doubles consisting of Yuankai and Yi

Hong managed to come back from being

Page 15: Echoes 2010/11

Alvin Chin

down 5 set to 3 and trailing 30-0 to eventually beating the

opponents. The reality of the miracle that has just occurred

had little time to set in as the team was to play their

quarters match immediately. Up against top seed Hall 11,

things did not look good. However, with sheer

determination and grit, our tennis team managed to

overcome their opponents and within the space of one

night, we went from being 2 points away from a

preliminary exit to a semi-finalist. The miracles do not stop

there. Our hall‟s MVP Si Ying somehow managed to beat

an IVP tennis player at her own game in the semi-finals

against Hall 6. Despite her heroics, the team lost out

narrowly with a score of 3-2. An extremely commendable

effort from the tennis team. Our Softball girls made a

fairytale journey to the semis this season. Proving everyone,

including themselves wrong, they went from whipping dogs

in the previous season to serious title contenders this year.

Beating softball powerhouse Hall 7 en route to the semis,

the girls showed everyone how far a hard work and team

spirit can bring a team. The softball girl‟s fairytale did not

end with the semi-final exit to Hall 12, the journey for Hall

2‟s Softball girls‟ team has only just began.

Hall 2 Rugby made a comeback in IHG this year after a

cameo appearance in the prelims last year. Blitzing our way

pass the prelims with convincing victories over Hall 12 and

Hall 11. An unfortunate walkover meant that we were

given a free ride into the semis. A mouth-watering tie

against arch rivals Hall 6 beckoned. The combination of a

strong forward line and powerful back line meant that we

emerged comfortable winners against Hall 6. The finals

against Hall 3 ended in a heartbreaking defeat but the

rugby team can be extremely proud for restoring Hall 2‟s

reputation as a rugby powerhouse. Volleyball Male

breezed their way into the finals with comfortable victories

in the prelims quarters and semis. Breaking our losing

streak to Hall 3 along the way. GOOD JOB BOYS! The

team lost out in the finals to Hall 5 as they were unable to

recover from a slow start in the first set. The Track team,

boasting the fastest quartet of girls over 4by100 and 4by400

in IHG finished as 1st Runner Up

Overall. Road Relay had a fruitful year as we finished 1st

Runner Up as well. Kudos to Mark and Parthi for the

extreme training schedule that allowed for the runners to

achieve such a good result.

This year, Hall 2 also fared very well in water sports. The

Swimming Team which comprised of the fastest group of

freestylers the IHG has ever seen having led the next team

for the 4by50 event by only about 6 seconds. The strength

of the team was in itself, clearly enough to ensure that the

team obtained at least a 2nd placing, with only Hall 3 strong

enough to be an obstacle to us. The team fought brave and

hard and put up a good fight but were sadly unable to

outdo the defending champions and eventually lost to

them on nerves and technicality. The Water-polo Team

finally broke their 3-year drought of getting knocked-out in

the semi-finals this year when we were drawn against Hall

6. Having breezed through the prelims and quarters, the

game against hall 6 proved to be one of considerable

challenge to the team as we were competing on a whole

new level of skill and playing field. Our team did well to

knock hall 6 out to proceed to the final showdown with our

arch-rivals - Hall 3. The team disregarded the fact that we

were the under-dogs and played the game as if their life

depended on it. The sheer determination and drive of the

team was strong enough to subdue most of their key

players whose individual strength would have easily allowed

them to “devour” us. Sadly, our team lost in the end. We

lost however, not in fighting spirit, not in perseverance, but

only to the experience which the other team had.

The Male Basketball team, dubbed the “Redemption

Team” came into this IHG season with only one thing in

mind, and that is to redeem themselves for the

heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Hall 10 the year before.

Despite being weaker on paper, this year‟s team was more

determined, more bonded and trained a whole lot more

than last year‟s team. These factors came to fore when we

went up against Hall 6 in the semis. Despite being even in

terms of talent, the team displayed extreme discipline and

teamwork and

Sports

Secs

Page 16: Echoes 2010/11

proceed to comfortably brush aside their opponent. A

date with Hall 10 in the finals meant that the date for

redemption was set. The team displayed yet again why

they have the best defence in IHG basketball by

holding the opponents down to a single digit score line

in the first quarter. The momentum carried on to the

rest of the game and with the final whistle, the

redemption was complete. Hall 2 is finally IHG

Basketball Champions. Our Volleyball Girls defended

their title albeit with a few nervous moments along the

way when they took their time to get into the game

and lost the first set for their games in the prelims and

semis. The finals proved to be their toughest match as

they went up against Hall 14, a team made up entirely

of former school team players with immense

experience. Our girls where nonetheless unimpressed

and finished the season strongly with a 3-1 victory and

the title once again. Our ever dependable Squash

team brought us to the Finals once again, providing us

with some great games along the way. The semis was a

match against Hall 1, a team we lost to in the prelims.

However, with a marked improvement in an

extremely short period of time, Huaming was able to

overcome the same adversary convincingly to bring us

to the finals once again. Once again, the decider was

down to Huaming‟s game. With the entire hall‟s

support behind him, Huaming did not disappoint and

smashed his way to victory with a score of 3-0 to bring

the crown back to Hall 2. Our last Gold medal came

from the Badminton team. With half the team made

up of graduating seniors, they were determined to

leave Hall 2 with the best present they could think of

and that is the IHG Badminton crown. Hardly

breaking a sweat en route to the finals, we comfortably

beat great rivals Hall 3 4-1 in the finals.

This is a roundup of the results from all the sports:

Basketball (M) Champions

Badminton Champions

Volleyball (F) Champions

Squash Champions

Rugby 1st Runner Up

Volleyball (M) 1st Runner Up

Swimming 1st Runner Up

Waterpolo 1st Runner Up

Track 1st Runner Up

Road relay 1st Runner Up

Tennis Semi-Finalist

Softball (F) Semi-Finalist

Hockey (M) Quarter-Finalist

Soccer Quarter-Finalist

Sepak Takraw Quarter-Finalist

Softball (M) Quarter-Finalist

Netball Quarter-Finalist

Basketball (F) Preliminary

Hockey (F) Preliminary

Table tennis Preliminary

Last but not least, we would like to thank everyone in Hall 2 for

giving us your support in making IHG a success. The results we have

achieved would not have been possible if not for everyone single one

of you. Let‟s work together and bring Hall 2 to greater heights next

year!!

It was indeed an honour to be trusted

with the responsibilities of the

Recreational Secretaries.

We vividly recollected the scene at the

mass rally when dear Mr Chia Yee Han

asked the question we badly dreaded,

“I‟m sure you have heard about our Rec

position for last year. How can you

assure us that we will not get a perfect

10 again this year? ”. Putting on a

confident front, we replied “There is

only one way and that is UP!”

However frankly, how confident could

we possibly be when both of us were

freshies who were new to hall life and

the intricacies of the recreational

games? While it was an irony that the

Recreational secretaries were lacking in

aptitude and experience, we drew our

strength from our passion for the hall

and our optimism. Slowly, we worked

from

there.

Since then, we head hunted players with

much effort, attempting to uncover the

hidden talents and black diamonds in

Hall 2. We utilized hall 2‟s various

communication channels (coordination

with our Publicity Secretaries) for the

publicity of our recruitment. Other

strategies included events such the Sport

and Recreational Day (a JCRC event)

and our Recreational open house

(painstakingly planned by the seniors).

The collective effort from various

groups of people in the hall facilitated

the challenging recruitment process.

Scouring for players was merely one of

our tasks. There were so much we had

to learn and do, but very quickly, time

was running out against us.

Soon we discovered that IH was

approaching.

The wave of crazy hectic-ness then

starts. Meetings, events and everything

seemed to clash suddenly. Some of the

games, weeks before the competition,

were still looking for players. The

competition quickly came and everyday

in the month of January, our players

competed intensively against players

from other halls.

To be honest, convening Snooker was

definitely a challenge. The success of

convening the game would be

impossible without the help of all the

diligent umpires and chief umpire, Song

Teck. We are more than grateful to

have them around. While they

understood that umpiring for snooker

was not part of their obligations, they

still came selflessly, out of concern and

friendship. Umpiring for snooker

stretched for long hours, dawn to dusk.

The evidence of this demanding

process was exactly when our umpires

Page 17: Echoes 2010/11

umpires transformed from novices to

experts the game play. They are the one

that had made the 4 seemingly

extremely long days manageable.

With a mix of losses and wins, the inter-

hall recreational games ended before we

realized it.

Truthfully, there were more that we

could have done for our recreational

teams. We could have publicized more

strongly for the recreational games, we

could have spent more effort and time

picking up the games, we could have

pushed for more trainings and

organized inter-hall friendly matches

right from the start… the list goes on

with non-exhaustive we could haves. But

we are not repenting here. We hope to

emphasize to the reader that the time

we have in hall each year is short. There

is so much we could have done, but so

little time. Therefore, residents should

do as they wish and not look back in

regret! (Especially as we all understand

the harsh reality of no-guaranteed-stay,

the reason to do so is even more

compelling).

Our inter-hall Recreational games

experience would have been tougher if

not for seniors who patiently guided and

assisted us. They were the ones who

knew the systems, the games and the IH

best. Despite their knowledge, they

never once questioned us or imposed

their seniority upon us. We always had

the freedom to explore and experiment.

Although we sometimes suspect that

they could have thought of more

efficient ways of doing things right from

the start, we believed they had not

pushed for their methods because they

wanted us to have our own learning

experiences. It is always heart-warming

to know that the seniors helped so

passionately even though they had no

obligations to! Also, we are extremely

thankful to have our wonderful upper

studies Jianhao and Shiying. Their

guidance played a crucial part in

allowing us to forge our very own Hall 2

Recreational Team.

We would also like to extend our

utmost gratitude to our dedicated team

managers and captain for their initiative

in strategizing on the games and for

training the players. Motivated and

driven, they put in great efforts in

planning and coordinating the trainings.

Their passions for their games were

truly inspiring. The late night trainings

everyday in the recreational room, the

crazy secret manuals or ten years series

and the weekly go-out-of-school-for-

external-trainings clearly demonstrated

our point. Many thanks also go to the

players, who spent a great deal of their

time training ceaselessly. Sacrificing

their holidays for extra drilling, our

dedicated players

trained into the wee hours of the night

as they strived to perfect their accuracy,

skills and tactics. Without their pure

determination, sheer hard work and

commitment, we would not have

achieved much especially as we did not

have any recreational backgrounds to

begin with.

Our gratitude does not end there! We

cannot thank our favourite JCRC

people enough! The support and

concern shown was AMAZING. Every

little action adds up, and these sincere

gestures are what, in our opinion,

defines the JCRC spirit.

Now as the academic year is coming to

an end, we are proud to have kept our

promise to the residents by not

repeating history. Also, we proudly

made an improvement of 7 spots to be

the 9th position among all 16 halls. We

emerged as semi-finalists for Snooker

and Chinese Chess and quarter-finalists

for Weiqi, Contract Bridge and

International Chess.

We are equally proud of the other

recreational games which have put up a

tough fight and put in commendable

efforts. The experiences gained from

this competition will definitely provide

precious insights for the next inter-hall

games.

It was indeed satisfying to see Hall 2‟s

recreation ranking improve, but we have

to stress that, as the Recreational

Secretaries, we merely facilitated this

process. Success was largely attributed

to the recreational players who trained

tirelessly. Despite the continual

contribution we made to the hall, we

were in fact the biggest beneficiary.

For everyone who was involved in

IHRG this year, we hope that your

passion for the Recreational Games stay

aflame. And for those who have yet to

discover this burning passion, we are

sure you‟ll to find it in the seasons to

come. Thank you everyone!

Joshua and Yuhui

Joshua Lim & Tay Yu Hui

Recreation Secs

Page 18: Echoes 2010/11

Throughout this whole year as the

cultural secretary, people always ask

me why I took up this post.

Although some may find it hard to

belief, amidst the jokes that crack

and the outgoing person that I am, I

am really passionate about cultural

activities such as dance and music.

As such, I was driven by this passion

to help to boost the cultural scene

within Hall 2.

Since the first day that I was

nominated to be the cultural

secretary, I knew that it was going

to be a very tough journey ahead

and it definitely turned out to be

what I expected. Although it was

tough, it has added plenty of

colours to my hall experience as a

cultural secretary. The most

fulfilling experience for me would

be organising events for the

residents.

One of such events would be Hall 2

Got Talent. I would never forget the

hours of preparation churning out

proposals, writing emails, holding

meetings etc. During that week of

the event, I could vividly remember

that I was so worried that I would

just stare at my computer just

running through what are the things

that might turn out wrong on

the day. Fortunately, the event

was much more smooth-sailing than

I expected and I have never felt so

relieved before.

How can I forget about the bonds I

forged with the JCRC family? I have

got to say that this bunch of people

that I have worked with for the past

year has really become great friends.

In times of trouble, they are always

there to lend a helping hand. In

times of sadness, they are always

there to lend a listening ear. In

times of happiness, they are always

there to share the joy. I really feel

honoured to have worked with

them and i foresee we will remain

awesome friends even after our time

in NTU. Cheers!

Fong Yee Hsu

Cultural

Sec

Given the chance to be the 27th welfare sec was probably the best thing that

happened to me in NTU so far. The experiences when organising the ice

cream fests and during IHG as well as the friendships made was what made hall

so wonderful for me.

From helping out with welfare during the events like night cycling to organising

the ice cream fests, I feel that I have really truely grown as a person. I never

Elizabeth Poh

Welfare

Page 19: Echoes 2010/11

It has been a fun experience serving

Hall 2 as Publicity Secretary for the

past year. It always brings me great

fulfillment when the posters or

banners are displayed all around

hall, adding much vigor and life into

the hall. And of course, when a

fellow hall resident walks around

wearing a shirt I designed, the

unspoken bond simply makes me

feel more attached to the hall.

I took up this portfolio with much

hesitation because afterall, I had

near zero experience in this field.

However, throughout the year, I

learnt so much about the job.

Designs, paint, canvas, printing; I

have almost become an expert in

them xP

The process was enjoyable and at

times even therapeutic (especially

for painting), but highly

cumbersome and time consuming.

Apologies go out to the six sports

who attained 1st runners up position

for IHG. After hanging the

championship banners, there was an

urge to add the six other banners to

display the true competency of our

hall. All of you deserved to be

recognized but I am sorry that it

can‟t be in the form of a banner,

due to time constraints.

Nevertheless, you guys will still be

champions in our hearts :D

Throughout this period, I received

so much help from my subcommers

and other helpful souls for coming

down to help me to paint for long

periods and getting paint stains all

over their bodies and clothes.

Special thanks to Alvin Chin and

Potter Peh for erecting the structure

outside Block 1. Everytime you take

the bus and pass by the Hall 2 FOR

Koh Ping Fang

Publicity Sec

I couldn‟t have done it without you all! You guys took time out during your holidays, evenings and weekends to help with

welfare when you could have spent the time going out/home or studying for our many assignments and tests. I really

appreciate it! Especially to Ming Qin, Xiao Hua, Hui Ting, Zi Hao, Huaili, Johnson, Kai Heng, you guys were always there

when I couldn‟t find enough people!

To Mel Lek, thank you so much upperstudy! For always clearing my doubts and giving advice whenever I was not sure about

welfare stuff. To the 27th JCRC, thank you all so much for making JCRC so fun! All the late night meetings, overseas trip,

IHG, events planning and the events themselves! To Yu Hao and Clement, thank you so much for all your advice and for

answering my many questions. I know I really bug you guys a lot! Fawn, thanks for helping me keep track of my money, if not

they would have all disappeared. And sorry when I keep exceeding that $200 limit! Jian Hao, thanks for all the last minute

booking of the JCRC room. Ngieng, thank you for guiding me when JCRC first started! I was so clueless and didn‟t know what

to do. To the Sports and Rec secs, Alvin Chin, Daryl, Joshua and Yu Hui, thank you all so very much for covering my ass

when I couldn‟t settle welfare during IHG! Ping Fang, thank you for the posters! Jocelyn and Edward, thanks for the door tag

and for stressing about IH together when we couldn‟t find subcommers. Alwin, Hann Bin and Yee Hsu, thank you! I think I

learn a lot from you all after helping with welfare for your events.

There were times when I felt maybe I shouldn‟t have joined JCRC. There were so many other things that I could have

invested more time in, like my studies, my family and friends and of course, joining hall dance. However, without JCRC, I

don‟t think hall life would have been as fulfilling for me. All the learning experiences and stressful situations, and also during

exams and the IH period when I see your faces almost every day. You all are literally like my second family, always being

there for me and helping me out. I love you all a lot a lot!

THE WIN banner, take a moment to

remember and appreciate their hard

work for an entire day. Not forgetting my

dearest committee who loves to shoot

arrows at me for work, but whom I love

nonetheless for their constant support

and the crazy personalities.

Looking at the countless unwashable

paint stains on my hands and legs never

made me regret taking up this

opportunity to serve the hall. These

marks are temporary, but the memories

and lessons are eternal. I YOU

HALL 2 (:

Page 20: Echoes 2010/11

Soon, we would all be a year older. A year closer to graduation. A year

closer to the working world. Gone were the days where we had to „just‟ go to

school, take our attendance, blank through the first ¾ of a year and study to

promote. Yes, growing up is a sad reality of life. But boy, when I look back,

I know I would have awesome memories of my first year in varsity.

Being in a committee is never easy. Being in a student committee is even

harder. On one hand, you got to juggle your studies, on the other, you got to

carry out your duties as part of that committee. And on the third hand, you

got to juggle your personal friendships and your own life. Busy is just not the

word for it. But fulfilling? Hell yes.

I would think that running for social secretary is often a non-glamour job.

You go around quietly doing your work, planning your events, and

executing them. At the end of the day, you don‟t get any cash or rewards.

But what really drives me on, is the smiles on the faces of my peers. The

sight of seeing everyone so bonded within their committees and neighbors.

We all come NTU for our own reasons, but I‟m sure one of them would be

to enjoy what no other uni can bring to you, a hall life that is fulfilling, fun

and filled with events. In that aspect, I hope as one 27th JCRC, we have

achieved and reached your expectations, and that we have given you one

whole year‟s worth of satisfaction.

Of course, my passion in being a social sect would never be satisfied without

the help of my faithful subcom. To the Hisdom guys who have always

offered a helping hand in times of need, I thank you. To the dispersed

group of friends that were always there in times of need, I owe you this

shout of thanks. Tireless they worked while everyone was having fun; they

came earlier to set up and later to clear up just to make the event successful.

I could never do without you guys.

Lastly, and most importantly, is of course 27th JCRC. Our time has came

and passed. But it is not the dates that matter, but the dash in-between that

forever holds our story. The memories we share will forever be etched

deeply into my heart, and may our tale stay forever with us. We have set out

to under-promise and over-deliver, and there is no greater measure of that

than compare what we were before and what we are now. No one will know

the stormy seas we fought through, but also, no one will see the rainbow like

we have. Definitely, everything wouldn‟t be possible without the leadership

of Yu Hao and Clement. Without your vision and leadership, we wouldn‟t

be where we are now.

To all residents, I hope you have a fun-filled and fulfilling year in hall 2.

Thank you.

Social Secs

Alwin Tan & Lim Hann

Bin

Page 21: Echoes 2010/11

“Its time for Camp Yeehaa!” Hall 2’s annual bombastic freshmen orientation camp was held this year during late August 2010. As 2010 was the year Youth Olympic Games were held in Singapore/NTU, our legendary FOC has to be held outside of our beloved hall grounds. Nonetheless, Hall 2 OMC, together with the seniors of hall 2, carried out the camp with the same unsurpassed fervor and enthusiasm, and touched each freshie’s heart with the grand spirit of hall 2. I am sure each and every freshies walked away from the camp, with tons of happy memories, and into the big family of hall 2. FOC is the time where freshies and seniors alike, come together and erupt in an unfathomable amount of fun. It is also a time where great memories are created, friendships are forged, and common experiences are shared. One of these great memories would be the sights, smells, and sounds of our Flavours of Camp Yeehaa. Stuck in a confined area, shoulder to shoulder with each other, and constantly being ‘seasoned’ by various food flavourings would definitely be something one cannot easily forget. Another such memory would be the spooky and eerie setting of the now abandoned SAF Keat Hong Camp, which was the site of our ghostwalk. The screams and tears of freshies have certainly made the day for those who dressed up as ghosts.

Amongst all these activities, were our hall 2 traditional games. Being an old hall in NTU, hall 2 is proud of its wonderful traditions, and many of those are carried out in the camp. One such activity would be our traditional field games. Each year, male freshie’s and seniors alike, band together arm in arm like brothers to brave and defy the brutal advances of their female counterpart, who sought to break up our manly bro-hood. It is a special thing that all hall 2 males share, and this year once again, we have proven ourselves worthy of the bro-code, as many of us held on to each other and manage to stay together. For those unfortunate enough to be preyed upon by the hungry females, our sincerest condolences goes out to you and we will not forget you. Another of our traditional activities would be the ‘Catfight’,

held at the Sentosa’s Palawan Beach. Affectionately known as such, it derives its name from being an activity where the female freshies and seniors engage in a battle to the death with each other. Held sturdily on the shoulders by the macho males of hall 2, our girls display their viciousness and ferocity by trying to topple each other and emerge victorious. As with every year, the CGLs of Camp Yeehaa performed 2 electrifying dances (the strip and fire dances). The CGLs have been training up their bodies and polishing up their hot dance moves for most part of the holidays. Seeing how the freshies were charmed and swayed, it is clear that their hard work paid off. Special thanks to Zhengwen and Xingwei, who were Ex-CGLs themselves, for choreographing and training the CGLs for firedance, and also Jocelyn for once again, taking up the mantle and to teach the CGLs for strip dance. Along with firedance which was held on Camp fire night, was the memorable ‘Cheer Fight’. Each and every freshie was screaming and shouting at the top of their voices to clinch the title of cheer fight champion. It was also amusing to hear all the creative cheers that freshies come up with to impress our chairperson, Yeehan, who was the judge of the event. Congratulations to Hisdom for emerging cheerfight champion that night. All good things come to an end, and Camp Yeehaa was no different. After an exciting and exhilarating Amazing Race round Singapore, the camp gathered at the ending point Ayer Rajah Japanese Association Field, for the initiation into Hall 2 conducted by the 26th JCRC. Although freshies are put through a series of physical demanding activities, the seniors were always within reach, always ready to put on an extra t-shirt for those freshies who were feeling cold, and keeping them entertained and not fall asleep. At the end of it, after an explosive and fiery ceremony, the freshies were now proud residents of hall 2. It was a heart-warming sight to see the throngs of seniors turning up for camp, especially those who have already graduated and started working. Your tireless effort can be felt throughout all the aspects of camp, be it the carrying out of games, setting up of various locations and sets, or the showering of welfare foods and drinks to the freshmen. It is all these little gestures that have left a deep mark in all our hearts. I guess, this would be the real spirit of hall 2, no matter where you are or what you become, there’s always a part of you back here in hall. Thank You!

Orientation Main Committee 10/11

Page 22: Echoes 2010/11

VERVE PRODUCTIONSVERVE PRODUCTIONSVERVE PRODUCTIONS

Hall Two's Verve Productions brought Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None to the stage this year. Verve Production's reinterpretation of the classic murder mystery, renamed as Ten, was staged on 19th March 2011 at Jubilee Theatre, Raffles Hotel.

TTen guests trapped on an island and getting killed off one by one. The audience held their breaths in anticipation and speculated who the murderer was. Some suspected the jittery doctor while some were dead set on the lawyer who jittery doctor while some were dead set on the lawyer who almost seemed too calm. Performing to a near full house proved to be no daunting feat for the cast and crew. In fact, they were able to feed of the energy of the crowd and laced the show with excitement, suspense and the occasional humour. A pivotal scene which can hardly be forgotten was when Lawrence (Played by Thaddeus Tsang) mysteriously reappeared and had the last laugh, revealing himself to be a reappeared and had the last laugh, revealing himself to be a psychotic maniac with a murderous streak.

The months leading up to the production was a roller coaster ride of emotions, from the jubilation of accomplishing what seemed impossible to the frustration of bumping into dead ends. Without the concerted effort of the cast and crew, we wouldn't have been able to put the show together. It is without a doubt that we have a committed crew and dedicated cast to thank for in creating yet another milestone for Verve Productions.for Verve Productions.

Page 23: Echoes 2010/11

2010 saw

another successful Dinner

and Dance carried out

successfully by the hall’s

D&D committee!

Another round of

excellent

choreography on the

part of both dance

instructors as well as

catwalk instructors

brought out all the

pizzazz inherent in

each and every

contestant that night!

Preparations and hard work

the contestants put in

sprinkled with fun moments

throughout the month long

journey ensured it was an

experience they would not

soon forget!

Dinner & Dance Committee 10/11

Page 24: Echoes 2010/11

Hall 2 Dance By Fong Yee Hsu

We came to win, to fly, to conquer, to survive…

Those were the lyrics in our opening song and how apt it was as

it chronicled our entire journey from the start of our practice for

HOCC in late-January to the competition day on 10 March

2011.

Although we did not win first, we were all winners in our own

right already. Firstly, we flew way past our own expectations.

This year, we started training intensively only in late January

due to the change in timetable because of YOG. This effectively,

left us only with a month or so before the competition. Besides

the choreography being a lot tougher than last year’s, a lot of

us came in totally new to dance. We were definitely not

confident of maintaining our 4th position last year at first.

However, nearing the end of the competition, everyone showed

tremendous improvement since they started and to get 4th

placing again this year is a feat that we are really proud of.

Hall Overseas

Trip By Alvin Chin

Since many of us are new dancers, we all had to work harder to

remember the choreography, get the timing right and finally

clean and sharpen our moves. It was not easy for some of us to

get the intricate choreography which required a lot of

technique but we did. Many stayed behind even after practice

officially ended to train more on their own or helped others nail

a particular choreography. After the competition, it was an

extremely touching moment to view the final performance on

film together as a crew. Those 6 minutes on stage was not just

a culmination of a month’s plus of hard work but for some of us,

it also signified the conquest of our own personal barriers as

new dancers.

We survived this H2D! I’m really proud of all of us for putting in

so much effort, staying till 2, 3am at HSS just to clean steps

and practice! A lot of us came in as non-dancers but now I can

really say that all of us are.

This year’s overseas trip was a resounding success that almost

did not happen. Due to the delays in the IHG schedule as a

result of YOG, we were unable to go for our overseas trip during

the usual term break in December. Fortunately for everyone of

us, we were able to arrange the trip for the first weekend of

recess week in Sem 2. After going through a few destinations

Bintan was finally decided as the destination of choice. I am

sure the trip came as a much needed respite after the rigorous

IHG season and first half of Sem 2.

21

Page 25: Echoes 2010/11

A senior of mine once told us that a dancer is defined by his

heart and work ethics. You guys truly emerged as dancers at

the end of this because I can see the passion you have for

dance and the amount of hard work you have put into this

competition.

Lastly, I would like to thank the 27th JCRC for their undying

support and coming to support us during the last few and most

difficult nights before the competition. A big, big shoutout

especially to Yee Hsu our Cultural Secretary, Clement our Vice-

President and Elizabeth our Welfare Secretary, for providing us

with tons of welfare (drinks and supper) during our practices.

To all the cultural subcomm members who made that HUGE

mirror which was essential to our routine, you guys are really

dope! And to all Hall 2 residents who told us to jiayou, we love

you!

Keep dancing! =)

3D2Ns of beach games, excessive exposure to the sun and

possibly radioactive smog from Fukushima gave everyone who

attended the trip an excellent chance to bond as a hall and

also to take a break off school. I hope everyone had enjoyed

themselves and I am thoroughly excited at the prospect of

going on the next trip overseas with the Hall. Special thanks to

Eunice Karina, who literally planned everything for the trip on

her own. The trip would not have been possible with you. So

thank you

Page 26: Echoes 2010/11

Ice Cream Fest By Elizabeth Poh

Ice cream fest is an event where free ice cream was given out

to all residents when the exams were coming, to serve as an

exam de-stresser to everyone. The event was naturally a

success as who would reject free ice cream and goody bags?

This year, we continued with the Gobble-like-a-monster

Challenge where 5 groups of 3 competed to see which team

could finish 20 scoops of ice cream the fastest! It was much

fun seeing the different teams shoving the ice cream and

toppings into their mouths and spilling it all over. It definitely

brought a lot of joy to the teams and the audience.

To the teams, thank you for participating even though I know

it wasn’t exactly a very wonderful or delicious experience for

some of you. Too much ice cream can actually be disgusting

for once. Haha!

Also, a big thank you to my subcommers for helping me run

the event if not the residents would have no ice cream! Thank

you for helping with the scooping of ice cream, giving out of

toppings, moving and setting up of tables and also the crowd

control. 27th JCRC, thank you very much also! Yu Hao, for my

endless questions. Clement, for your spotlights and helping

me take note of the small details.

Cheerleading

By Lim Hann Bin Building on last year’s hype, Hall 2 Awesomes Cheerleading

team decided to turn up the heat in this year Hall Olympiad

Opening Ceremony Cheerleading Competition. Packed with

more powerful and impactful stunts, we decided to up our

standards to try for a higher level of stunts. The energy

present in the routine was A-W-E-S-O-M-E. The crowd was

cheering their hearts out for us and we felt the need to just

put on a good show. Even though we came in last, we

thoroughly enjoyed the routine and at the end of the day we

knew we had done our best.

The past few weeks before HOOC was hell for us! Training till

the wee hours, sacrificing time with our loved ones and for

some, less time to study for their tests. Through all these

trainings though we learnt that we have grown stronger as a

team and that the future ahead of us is bright. Special kudos

to Coach Ben and Coach Lynn for coming down to help us for

our routine. The efforts they have put in to train us cannot be

left unseen. They have done a fantastic job in bringing life into

our routine, merging our fun loving culture within our routine.

Page 27: Echoes 2010/11

Jian Hao, for the moving of tables. Alwin, for your awesome

music that helped up the atmosphere and for the 100

scoops of ice cream for the challenge! Yee Hsu, for the

awesome emceeing throughout the event and helping to

control the crowd. Ping Fang, for designing the whiteboard

on the spot and also the pretty pretty poster! Edward and

Jocelyn for the photos! Ngieng, for your goody bags that

helped draw people to the event. And also to everyone else

who helped with the setting up and cleaning up. Not

forgetting the people who turned up for the event, thank you

very much if not it wouldn’t have been a success!

Although we suffered many setbacks in our course to HOOC,

we stood by each other and helped one another up. We are

more inspired to train up for the next HOOC. WE WILL COME

BACK STRONGER, FASTER, BETTER, HALL 2 FTW!

Page 28: Echoes 2010/11

Night Cycling By Alwin Tan

Hall 2 晚 to cycle! This year’s night cycling was distinctively different compared to other years. In terms of both length and route,

this year’s night cycling offered more flexibility to the different abilities of the cyclists. Instead of travelling to the often visited east,

we decided to unravel the mysteries of the North. Travelling through the emergency aeroplane landing point at Old Choa Chu Kang

route, we ventured through Kranji, passing by the only knight in Singapore, Knight Sir Fari(i saw this on twitter don’t kill me) and

Mandai Zoo, before meeting the beautiful sunrise at Khatib Dam.

Of course, along the way, we wouldn’t have moved as efficiently without the constant energy boosts the welfare mama has prepared

for us. A few things that excite those taste buds are ah lian’s bee hoon, ice cream, and of course the gorgeous red bull girls with that

sexy mini cooper.

Of course, this event wouldn’t be possible without the help of a lot of people. Those who offered to drive the lorries, I thank you very

much. This event wouldn’t be possible if not for their dedication, as they had to make 4 trips from the ulu-ness of NTU to the far east

of ECP. To transport the bicycles, the lorries had to be packed to the brim, which required a lot of meticulous arrangement from the

everybody who helped. Even after the whole event, they did not abandon their cause; bit their lips, carried on their work even with

their fatigue. I really have to dedicate this event to my sub-com, for without their help, there wouldn’t be a night cycling to speak off.

Hall 2 Got Talent By Fong Yee Hsu

You might be wondering what 600 odd residents would have much talent to offer. You are in for a treat. Hall 2 Got Talent has

definitely provided one of the most entertaining shows this year.

Auditions were held in the way of American Idol style where contestants had to wait for their turn outside the audition room and had

to go through an interview with our very own Ryan Seacrest, Cedrick. Though the auditions were held at the TV room, the faces of the

panel of judges made it very intimidating for contestants who had to showcase their very best talent. Out of 16 performing groups

that came to audition, only 8 made the cut for the Finals.

Here it comes! The day of the finals of Hall 2 Got Talent! Though it was pouring, it definitely did not dampen the mood of

contestants and audience. After making their final preparations and sound check, the contestant took centre stage of Canteen 2 to

showcase their talents. After which contestants stood still to listen to the judges’ comments. There were loads of variety in the

competition; however there were two performances which stood out.

Firstly, it was Kim, an international student that came for exchange, who melted the ladies hearts with his rendition of a Korean

Song (Nothing Better). Although many of the audience do not understand Korean, they do understand the sentiments of Kim who

sang the song so beautifully.

Page 29: Echoes 2010/11

Along the way, I am sure everyone had tons of fun, be it with your special committees or with your OGs. For the LLRC that came

back, I am sure we definitely miss the time we had in our varsity lives and I wish you the best in your future endeavors. For the

Freshies, this is only but the first of many more years of hall life to come, and thank you once again for being such wonderful

participants!

Secondly, it was the performing group representing the Lao Lang Relac Club (LLRC): The Backside Boys! Being the seniors of Hall 2,

they definitely showed the freshies how to move their bodies with their energetic and dynamic dance moves. Receiving the loudest

applause of the night, they also claimed the 1st prize of the day by being the Hall 2 Got Talent Champions!

Hall 2 Got Talent? YES!

Page 30: Echoes 2010/11

International Night By Fong Yee Hsu

KAM SA HA MI DA! Greetings to all International students! This was an event

which definitely reaped unexpected rewards. At first glance, it was just a night

of food and games; however it turned out to be a night where joy was shared

and friendships were forged.

The night kicked off with an extremely sumptuous buffet-styled dinner with

huge volumes of food; in terms of both quantity and variety. The food served

ranged from local delicacies like Laksa to international food such as Phat Thai

and Kebab. The long queues at the food stations definitely showed the warm

response by our International friends.

There were 4 stations set up to let International students have a feel of

Singapore‟s culture. The most well-received was definitely the Durian stations

which saw some Caucasians trying out a seemingly „smelly‟ fruit. This fruit is

actually reputed as the „King of Fruits‟ in Singapore. The other stations had

people try a hand at making hand-rolled spring rolls, or „Popiah‟, and glutinous

rice balls, also known as „Tang Yuan‟. In addition, people donned various ethnic

costumes such as the „Sari‟ to pose for photos for remembrance.

An international quiz was held as well! People had to rush up to the emcee to

have a go at the questions. 15 questions were asked and people also had to

play side games like „rock, paper, scissors‟ and „oh-ya-bei-ya-som‟ to earn their

right to answer the questions. Many walked away as proud winners of vouchers

given out during the event.

Lastly, it was time for BINGO! As usual, this never fails to hype up the ever-

fervent Hall 2 residents. The Grand Prize saw people punching through their

Bingo cards, which all of the numbers had to be called out. As the numbers

were called out, faces of anticipation, hope, optimism, desire and belief were

seen. Then came the moment where everybody loathed. Someone shouted and

destroyed everyone‟s hopes. And the winner was none other than “Rambu” Tan

which definitely had the biggest smile of the night.

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Round Island Eating Trip By Alwin Tan

Round island supper has always been an event to chill, enjoy

the cool night breeze and indulge in your favourite foods. This

year, having the autonomy to vote for each resident’s favourite

supper place, we travelled far and wide to Casuarina for some

sizzling crispy prata, Geylang for some delicious dim sum and

Katong to sing our hearts out at Teo Heng Karaoke. To end

everything off, we enjoyed the smooth savoury tau hway at

Rochor Road.

Along the way, there was attractive prize money to be won. At

Casuarina, we tested our taste buds by trying to identify the

drinks given to us. Knowing that it would come from the menu,

we secretly took photos and read off it one by one. Sadly, even

with this advantage, and a tinge of dumbness (like not

reading the first line of the menu, and saying names in

English), the fastest team that came in took 3 mins.

At Geylang, we moved from more sensitive taste buds to

fastest swallowers. At this station, we had to eat (okay fine,

swallow) a chee cheong fun and drink up all the zhup in the

fastest possible time. Seems easy, and the talk came cheaply

too. Many a time’s guys would come up talking big about how

fast they can finish it, but the latter action was always

humorous. Zhup came flying everywhere, half chewed chee

cheong fun all over their plates, and a dirty messy shirt was

the result. Of course, there was the occasional coward (right,

Vincent?) who wouldn’t dare attempt to eat at all. The results

were hilarious, reputations made (and lost), and it was all a

good night of fun.

At Teo Heng, we sang our hearts out. Some of us even got

carried away and kissed whatever in sight. It was a good break

from all that eating, and the singing provided us an insight to

some we never got to see. While it might go against the idea

of supper, we had lots of joy singing, laughing, shuffling, and

for some, kissing. Kudos to Ervin Lai for the brilliant idea.

At the last station, we met up with our fellow hall mates from

different committees and had a good laugh over the different

experiences that we had. Of course, the most entertaining of

all, knew that the games were not for naught. Prize money was

given out. The full results are as follows:

Taste bud galore:

1) Basketball

2) OMC

3) OCIP

Fastests chee cheong fun:

1) Low Zi Hao - OCIP

2) Justin Teh – Hall Prod

3) Kollin - Rec

Most songs sung:

1) LLRC

2) OMC

3) OCIP

Thank you all for making this such a memorable event!

Page 32: Echoes 2010/11

Wing Supper By Clement Cher

“One Hall. Two Levels. Eleven blocks, which is yours?”

If you do not know yet, Hall 2 consists of 11 blocks and 4

wings. Block 1 and 2 make up the first wing. Block 3,4,5 the

second wing, blocks 6,7,8 the third and 9,10 and 11 the

fourth wing!

Wing Supper took place on 10th Feb, right after everyone had

gorged themselves during Chinese New Year and amidst a

very exhausting IHG period. It provided the perfect backdrop

for residents to know new neighbours who had shifted in,

catch up with old friends after the CNY break and get up to

date on Hall 2’s progress in IHG!

Hall Fellows graced the event and it provided a good

opportunity for them to interact and know the residents on a

deeper level. Food for the night included KFC egg tarts,

CNY Dinner By Lim Hann Bin

Hall Tu CNY dinner was held at hall 8’s function room this

year. A wide array of food spread was available for each

person, inclusive of traditional steamboat staples such as

sausages, chicken slices, golden mushrooms, and our own

delicacies such as cheese tofu and abalone.

The event kicked off with a bang, with a performance from

our very own NTU dragon dance troupe. The guest of honor

was none other than our hall fellow, Prof Lam and his family.

Shortly after that, dinner started and we started feasting.

Selegie beancurd and soya bean milk, Pizza Hut drumlets,

satay and 1A curry puffs just to name a few!

Kudos to the Block Managers for assisting in the set up,

collection of food and distribution of block tee shirts! It was

indeed a memorable and gastronomically satisfying

experience. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and found

the event a rewarding one.

Towards the end, we ended off with a big big lucky draw.

Prizes ranged from monetary vouchers to steamboat sets,

and the biggest of them all, the Nintendo Wii. After the grand

lucky draw, we gathered to the centre where the whole hall

took part in the ceremonial lao-ing of yusheng. With a few

quick words from our emcee, Malcolm, we proceeded with

the traditional customs with a bit of hall 2 flavour in it.

Page 33: Echoes 2010/11

Alumni Night

By Jocelyn Neo

This year’s alumni night chaired by the 26th JCRC president,

Lawrence Teh was a great success. And slightly different from

past years, we invited graduating seniors to the event as well.

This year we held it at the futsal court in hall 2 so as to give

the alumni a homely feel. The event started off with a

sumptuous buffet and fabulous barbeque dinner prepared by

D & D.

Following on was the fantastic performance bought by Alvin

and Yee Hsu (also the mc and vice-chairman of alumni

night’11). The main highlight of the event was the carnival

and casino games, prepared by OMC and Hall Prod

respectively, attracting alumni and graduating seniors to test

their luck and try to earn as many chips as possible to win the

fantastic prizes in hold for them. The night ended with the

well-liked game, Bingo, and with the alumni leaving the

event with souvenirs such as instant print photos and our very

A big thank you to the water polo boys who came down even

though they had just completed a gruelling semi-finals

match with hall 6.

This event wouldn’t have been possible without the help

everyone provided us with. Thank you everyone who helped in

one way or another, especially all those that stayed behind to

Thanks to Lawrence for his guidance, thanks to Yee Hsu for

all the help you have given and special thanks to the 3

special committee and all who had contributed in a way or

another to the success of this event. Thank you.

Page 34: Echoes 2010/11

Basketball (F) By Eunice Pang

Hall 2 Table Tennis team of 2010/2011 consisted of 15 people. Trainings were

conducted on every Thursday for 3hrs at the SRC.

The Inter-Hall Table Tennis Games commenced on the 4th Jan 2011.It was a round

robin between 4 groups, A, B, c and D. Hall 2 was in group C.The first game was against

hall 8. It was lead by the Captain, Keith with his team of 8 players.

It was not an easy game as we were faced with the obstacle of a shortage in the female

players until the day before the match. Despite so, the team started the IHG well,

attaining a victory over Hall 8 with a score of 4:1.

The next 2 matches was against hall 3 who had 2 of the strongest IVP players and hall

15, who had 3 IVP players in their team. In spite of the difference in our standard, we

did not give up and fought our best. The female doubles won a game against hall 3 with

a score of 3:0 while our male doubles put up a tough fight against hall 15, ending up with

a score of 2:3.

Although we lost, it was a great experience for all of us, especially when it was the first

table tennis competition for many in the team. This concludes our IHG for 2010/2011

but it will not be the end of it. With failure comes success.

As we ushered in the new academic year with orientation camp,

the hall 2 basketball girls‟ team received an enthusiastic

response from the fellow hall members. The girls are back in

contention for the title, where they finished runners-up in last

year‟s inter-hall games.

Training started earlier this season, to ensure that we were

equipped and prepared for the games. We trained weekly and

everyone made an effort to turn up for training despite of our

hectic schedule. Having gone through months of rigorous

training, our girls came prepared for this season.

Under the leadership of our captain, Jayne, our girls started the

season strongly, with a convincing win over Hall 10. During the

next match, we faced the strongest contenders of the group,

Hall 13. The game had been very challenging for us given that

Hall 13 had advantage in terms of players. Our girls fought

hard, chasing and going for every ball that they could. However,

Hall 13 proved to be the stronger team, eventually becoming

the winner of the match.

Despite losing the 2nd game, our girls were confident of coming

back stronger in the last game of the preliminary round, where a

win will see us through to the quarters. Unfortunately, we

suffered a blow when we were informed that our team has been

disqualified due to administrative errors.

It was a pity that our fight came to a halt, but our spirits are high

and we will be back the next year to make up for what we have

lost.

Table Tennis By Adelene Tan

31

Page 35: Echoes 2010/11

Basketball (M) By Cedrick Lee and Kenneth Hor

“Swishhh”

The reverberating sound of the last shot

which deafened the eerie silence within

SRC and promptly knocked Hall 2 out of

IHG 09/10 seemed like a haunting

nightmare on self-replay mode flashing

through our minds the past year.

Every training session, every basketball

affair, every post-match debrief, was so

we could make things right again, to erase

this painful memory and in its place,

replaced with sheer joy and pure ecstasy.

Fast forward one year on, we stormed

our way past the initial stages, posting

impressive wins over Halls 7, 16 and 5. A

mere two wins stood between us and the

coveted championship. Next up in the

semi-finals, our neighbours and fierce

competitors both in IHG and for

Canteen 2, Hall 6. Any doubts of

elimination and inability were swiftly

quashed with a resounding 51-43 victory

to set up a date with our old foes,

nemesis and the defending champions,

Hall 10.

A case of déjà vu, or history in the

making?

The confidence and momentum we

gained in our convincing semi-final

triumph were certainly awe-inspiring.

Driven by a shared vision that the team

shall demand redemption for our failure

last year, and that we needed to fight for

it as a team, our desire to claim the

championship was evident right from the

onset. We were men on a mission with a

vengeance, not merely looking for just

another journey, experience or process.

On the contrary, we were focused and

had a clear target in mind – Champions.

Anything less would be deemed as a

failure.

“Talent counts for nothing without hard

work”. The fundamental key to success is

about hard work, determination and

dedication. That was the attitude we

embraced when preparing for the season.

All of us dedicated our heart and soul

into trainings. Everybody‟s presence was

essential to the team‟s progress, and

needless to say, it was gratifying when our

efforts paid off during the matches. I

daresay that our victories were largely

driven by our team effort, rather than

individual talents and skills. It is the trust

and camaraderie we developed along the

way, which will essentially bring us the

championship, completing our validation.

Validation indeed, the road to

redemption was completed with an

emphatic 43-33 victory in the final. We

were finally liberated, we were finally able

to look ourselves into the mirror and

remain accountable. The pride and

honor of being a part of this team, is

priceless. Nonetheless, the unwavering

support from the Hall and our

supporters cannot be underestimated. To

send you guys into raptures of euphoria

and rhapsody was a joy to behold, it was

our way of saying thanks.

As quoted from Pat Riley and Aung San

Suu Kyi, “You have no choices about

how you had lost, but you do have a

choice about how you come back and

prepare to win again. It is his capacity for

self-redemption which most distinguishes

man from the mere brute.”

Hall 2, IHG Basketball Champions

10/11.

The Redemption Team, redeemed.

Page 36: Echoes 2010/11

Hockey (M) By Shawn Tien

Our Hall 2 Male Hockey team has had a

relatively successful run in the 2010 IHG

season with many ups and downs and

exciting moments along the way. The most

memorable match in my view was the first

match against Hall 1. I felt that that match

really exemplified the determination of the

team to achieve greater heights.

The team this year were mostly comprised

of freshmen with little hockey experience

and we had only played a couple of friendly

in the run-up to IHG. As such, the first

match would prove our mettle.

The match was a pretty one sided one, with

us controlling the play in the opposing half

and limiting Hall 1 to only a half decent

chance on target. However, as much as we

tried, we could not convert our many

chances to goals. Thus, the match went to

penalties after regulation time.

Our first penalty was taken by Rabnick, who

shot to the left and put it slightly out of reach

of the opposing goalkeeper's despairing dive.

Hall 1's first penalty was then shot down the

middle, however it was too close to our

goalkeeper Shawn, who saved with his

hands.

As the tall and imposing Hall 1 player

strutted confidently to the penalty spot, you

literally could hear a pin drop. After the

referee blew the whistle, he sent a shot

slightly off-center to the left of the goal,

which Shawn saved with his outstretched leg.

This meant that we had won our first match

1-0 on penalties. We had proven that we did

not let the pressure cooker of penalties get to

us.

Our second penalty was taken by Shaikh,

whose excellent shot to the left was matched

by an equally excellent save by the Hall 1

goalkeeper. Hall 1's second penalty was then

shot high down the middle, however it went

high and well over the bar, not troubling

Shawn.

Our third and last penalty was taken by our

captain Stephen, who dispatched a powerful

shot to the right of the goal which the Hall 1

goalkeeper was lucky to get to, hitting him

somewhere in the midsection which had him

grimacing in pain after that.

The possibly penultimate penalty of the

match was Hall 1's. The equation was

simple, if Hall 1 scored, we would have to

take more penalties. If they failed to score

we would win the first match of our IHG

tournament.

The subsequent results in the preliminaries

were a hard to stomach 1-0 loss to Hall 6

followed by a hard fought 1-0 victory against

Hall 15 which secured us a quarterfinal spot.

I felt that the team really bounced back from

the loss the Hall 6 by taking the game to Hall

15 in which Hall 15 had no shots on our

goal.

Our quarterfinal opponents, Hall 3, had two

skillful players who had the ability to slice

through our defence like a hot knife through

butter. As such, we lost the match to the

future runners-up 2-0 but not without giving

it our best before losing valiantly.

In conclusion, IHG 2010/2011 has been a

good season for the hockey team. The team's

chemistry, determination and mental

strength cannot be faulted. I believe the team

we have is a team for the future. If the core

of the team manages to stay together, I am

pretty sure that we will be able to advance

further in future IHG seasons to come.

Volleyball (M) By Teo Weilun

Hall 2 volleyball team made the hall proud once again by making our way into the finals. We defeated Hall

4 and hall 13 in the preliminary games and advanced into quarter-finals against hall 16 securing a 2-0 win.

Proceeding to the semi-finals, we played against last year runner-up hall 3 in an intense best of 5 sets game.

Despite the stress and fatigue we are facing in battling out with them, our players‟ experiences and supporters

came in right and we won 3-0.

In the finals against volleyball powerhouse hall 5, our players were motivated and determined to win. High-

powered serves and spikes dominated the gameplay for extended periods of time. Balls rocketed out of the

court at times, nearly flying in the faces of spectators. The two teams had identical passing figures and attack

error percentage figures, but hall 5 were a good margin ahead on attack kill percentage and also on serve

proficiency. Our team stood strong and made several spikes in return to disrupt their momentum, which

boasted our morale and the spirit of hall 2 in the supporters.

All in all, hall 5 defeated us as their players possessed greater skills and displayed better teamwork. Despite

the lost, hall 2 volleyball team has forged a strong bond and we thank the hall for the support given to us

during this IHG season. The team will return stronger and retrieve back the title of championship.

Page 37: Echoes 2010/11

Softball (M) By Low Zi Hao

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man

who points out how the strong man

stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could

have done them better. The credit belongs to

the man who is actually in the arena, whose

face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;

who strives valiantly.”

These are words most befitting the softball

team for the spirit they have shown during

the IHG season. We fought hard and played

well, leaving behind our legacy and earning

the respect of our opponents.

This year‟s 10/11 IHG for softball has been

a challenging and tricky one. Hall 2 has been

drawn to play against Halls 14 and 9 in the

group stages, both of which are decent

teams. We got off to a good start with a

victory over Hall 14. Although we lost our

second match to Hall 9, we managed to

come back strong and win our remaining

match to advance into the Quarter-Finals.

In the Quarters, we were up against the

defending champions, Hall 3. The odds

were stacked heavily against us, nevertheless,

our spirits never dampened and we did all

we could in our preparation and went head

on with goliath.

Despite our best efforts, and unyielding

spirit, we have to admit that we lost to a

better team, and there is no shame in that.

Instead, we should be proud of the never-

say-die attitude of the team! So rest assured,

we will be stronger and aiming to topple the

giants next season.

This year‟s softball team is made up of a

balanced mix of devoted seniors and

enthusiastic freshmen. Our team captain,

Wing Sing, and player-coach Bryan Shih

(a.k.a Best Softballer in the World) came up

with a structured and organised training

programme for the team.

With that, the team steadily improved over

the season and was in high morale &

confidence for the IHG. Seniors player like

Zhuo Song and Lawrence also played their

part by sharing their knowledge and

expertise with the team. Si Kuan and Sidney

were also the main reasons why the team had

such fighting spirit and strong mindset. Their

speeches and prep-talks during trainings and

matches were extremely encouraging and

inspiring.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank

all the supporters who came down for the

matches. Your presence was definitely felt.

Thank you Welfare, Elizabeth, for all the

100 plus, drinks and food. Big thank you to

the Sports Secs as well, Daryl and Alvin, for

all they have done for the team both upfront

and behind the scenes. You all are the

unsung hero that helped cover all the needs

of the team and for the support not only

during the games but also during trainings.

And lastly, special thanks to all the players

who will be graduating this year. The team

will like to wish them well in their future

endeavours.

All in all, this year‟s softball season was an

enjoyable and memorable one. Let us all

work harder and strive for greater heights

together next year. Finally, I would like to

end off with a quote that I find very

meaningful;

"When I am at my physical limit, these are the people that come into my mind because they are the ones who are in hell with me. I will press on, because they are the ones who will give their all to help me attain my wildest dreams."

Page 38: Echoes 2010/11

Track By Lim Zhihao

The track team has improved from last year‟s overall 3rd to 2nd this year, and it was only made possible by

everyone‟s hard work and effort.

The girls, comprising of Mainisah, Angela, Eunice, Philicia, Ling Juan, Alissa and Sann were amazingly fast.

Despite facing strong or even national runners, the girls emerged triumphant, bringing home 2 gold medals. It

was definitely no mean feat. Besides their glorious accomplishments, the girls had also brought back sweet

memories, as year 1 Mainisah put it,” Winning was great, but running with my friends, especially my touch rugby

seniors was AWESOME!”

Led by team captain Fong Yi, the guys‟ team, Sidney, Yuan Kai, Yen Hao, Yee Han, Wang Peng, Zhi Hao and

Zhi Sheng, Alvin, Alex, finished strong to clinch the 4th and 5

th place. With the guys‟ team fraught with injuries,

they had to constantly practice with new partners for baton passing. However, even in the face of adversities, the

guys team made great improvements within a short period, with even Yee Han managing to trim his 400m timing

from 76sec to 56sec in a night!

Last but not least, the medley team, made up of Alissa, Sann, Alvin and Alex put up a great race to secure a 5th

position. Being the last race, they faced immense pressure, as it will determine our fate. Our hopes were not let

down, as they finished triumphantly to the cheers of the hall 2 supporters.

Finals Results

4x100m Females – 1st

4x400m Females – 1st

4x100m Males – 4th

4x400m Males – 6th

4x800m Medley – 5th

Netball By Wong Sok Peng

It was the day when we were going to fight against one of the strongest hall for netball.

We knew that it was going to be a tough battle but we did have quite a fair chance to

win the match. The crowd that came down to support us on that day was the biggest

out of all our matches. It was a crucial match that determined whether we would be in

the semi-finals. Before the match, many of us were nervous and scared.

When the match finally started, our opponent managed to score the first goal.

However, we were not demoralized and we tried to win back the score. We had a

very close fight with them in the first and second quarter. First quarter was a draw and

by the end of second quarter, we only lost by one goal. We believed even more

strongly that we had an equal chance to win the match. Our morale was high and we

could see that our opponents were getting more worried.

During the third quarter, the opponent team suddenly kept scoring and pulled the

score difference apart. Every score that they put in made our confidence level drop

by a bit. We knew that we were affected by them and the situation was bad.

Eventually, they were leading ahead by eight at the end of third quarter. We took the

break time to reflect on our mistakes and tell ourselves that we were going to win it

back in the last quarter. We went in and fought hard till the very last moment when

the whistle was blown. There were no thoughts of giving up. Although we lost the

match, we knew that we did our best and it was a good play. What many of us looked

forward was to come back stronger next year and do better than this year.

Page 39: Echoes 2010/11

Badminton By Brian Koh

In the spirit of Inter-Hall Games, graciousness, fair-play and fun were the basis of this harmonious event. But it appeared to some as a

serious competition which they would not mind winning by all means and undertaking measures in hope for a „glorious‟ victory.

The quarterfinals, indeed was a memorable and theatrical piece. Starting with several correspondences with the opposing IC but somehow

misinterpreted information which was given weeks before. It was certainly an honour to be able to speak to the higher management of

committees of the oppositions as they were kind enough to clear up the misunderstandings. The truth be told, a couple of decisions were

apparently made on their part and we were pleasantly surprised to see only our team at the time of the game. The spokespersons of the

opposing team were definitely spontaneous in their thoughts as assurances were made instantaneously showing their commitment and

desire for a fair competition. Giving them the benefit of the doubt and several pleas, we were made to believe that it was indeed

miscommunication on their side that led to the confusion. Appearing attenuated and in despair, were probably their metier as it bought

over many of our players‟ as we graciously postponed the game to accommodate them. But after much investigation, it was unveiled that

statements were mere statements, which we really hoped to hold through. The eventual day of the quarterfinals finally arrived and we were

all excited to find out which team would progress to the next round. It was a tough match on the whole with both teams tied at 2-2. It

dragged till the last game of mix-doubles and our players had to perform brilliantly to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Despite all the

unwanted and messy incidences our players held thru to the end and won that epic battle.

Nevertheless, we fought all the way in the Semis and Finals to emerge as gallant champions of 2011.

Our hockey girl’s team this year can be commended for their hard effort and determination displayed during the inter-hall games. This year, our team comprised of slightly more freshies girls as newcomers with no background in hockey made up the majority, while seniors with experience continue to stay in the team with the addition of 2 IVP players. Almost similar to last year’s IHG fixtures, our team continue to face familiar opponents from stronger halls like hall 7 to other relatively weaker halls. Therefore, although our team did not manage to break through the preliminaries, the amount of time and effort the team had seen to put in for the competition is highly worth praising nonetheless. Moreover, just as an overview, our team has done hall 2 proud by securing 1 win, 1 draw and 1 lost in the preliminary rounds. Our first match was against the strong opponent from hall 7. Our girls have had definitely done the hall proud by displaying good defensive skills throughout the match. We had undoubtedly put up a strong fight against hall 7 that is well-known for their dominant attack nature from their IVP players. The game eventually ended with a loss on our side of 0-1. However, our team was honestly quite flattered with the results as other halls which competed with hall 7 later on, ended up with score lines of 3-0 or 5-0 even. In fact, this news boosted our morale and confidence as we geared up for the next match. Next, we competed with hall 1 for the second round of preliminaries. Once again, the girls did hall 2 proud by securing a win of 1-0 against hall 1. We had the upper hand during the game as the possession of ball maintained ours throughout the game. Finally, the deciding and crucial round was against hall 4 as with the previous years too. After a tough fight with hall 4, our team

ended with a draw of 0-0 unfortunately. This was later followed by penalty shots from both teams. Although sok yin managed to score one penalty goal for our team, it was to our disappointment that hall 4 had surpassed us in such penalty goals and the end result was 1-2. In conclusion, it is still evident that all of our girls had put in their utmost best for this competition, from willing to learn hockey from the basics to the taking out of time for numerous trainings, to training as a team together to acquire teamwork skills and finally to the day of competition itself. Although we might not have won the competition and emerge victorious, we have had already won ourselves the true spirit and meaning behind these inter-hall games. Till the next IHG season may we conquer victory!

Hockey (F) By Foo Ming Qin

Page 40: Echoes 2010/11

Waterpolo By Ray Lim and Kenryu Wang

Having finally entering the finals for their first time in 3 years, our

very own hall polo boys gave the defending champions a run for

their money. Though the end result was not to our favour, it was

nonetheless a breath-taking and exciting game with a final score of 5-

2, a score line only seen in the tightest of water polo games.

With a team largely consisting of freshsmen inexperienced in the

techniques of water polo, together with the more seasoned senior

players, we held our own and did well against an opposing team that

consisted of many ex-ivp players. The team‟s strong commitment to

the sport and the hall was shown in the regular training sessions that

were held both within the school and out. Some of our training

highlights would include the friendlies that we played against teams

such as NUS, The National Women‟s Water Polo Team and with

special focus on the SAJC Water Polo team, to which our teammates

can attest to having gained a really good experience in the sport.

From the basics to the higher level tactics that we have used to play

in our various games, our players displayed splendid determination

and team work to help the team reach such a standing in this year‟s

Hall Olympiad. Although the team finished the season as runner-up,

it is still an excellent result and we are ever determined to try and

snatch the championship off hall 3 next year.

The polo team would like to take this opportunity to thank our

seniors who will be graduating. Firstly, to our IVP senior Xian Rong,

for his dedication and commitment to the team in imparting his

knowledge and skills of water polo to us. Rodrick, for his

contribution of the dynamics of the team and guidance towards

coaching and training matters. Ervin, for instilling a sense of identity

and belonging for every member of the water polo team. Yee Han,

for his remedial shooting courses he conducts for the freshies to help

improve their shooting and long passes. And Thai Ee, for his

unmistakable passion for hall two sports. Thank you for sticking with

us through the season.

We would also like to make a special mention to our most improved

players Chia Wang Peng and Harry Peh YuZheng-Potter for their

exceptional performances. And lastly, to all the supporters that came

down to cheer the team on regardless of the score, your support and

encouragement was much appreciated.

To our freshies, be proud of what you have achieved, water polo is

not an easy sport to pick up at all and every one of you has done

really well and has shown lots of spirit. For our seniors, thank you for

being there with the extra encouragement and guidance.

This year was special. I was part of it.

I truly don‟t recall camaraderie like this

other than my army days as a commando.

Everybody learns something. Wang Peng,

the hall king, overcame his greatest fear

and totally knocked someone out with a

move he had learnt in his secondary school

days watching wrestling. Mr Wang

completely ignored that it was the last play

of the game and if there was an MVP

system, he would have been the only

contender.

Rugby By TanWei Qiang

Page 41: Echoes 2010/11

Soccer By Chai Ming Long

Hello people. It has indeed been a long and arduous journey.

I was handed the captaincy of the team almost immediately after last year IHG. The

fact that I was a freshie and notoriously outspoken didn‟t help matters at all. In the

team, I have seniors who have a too much faith in themselves but thank god they either

graduated or couldn‟t get a room. Seniors aside, I have a bunch of freshies reeking with

potential and ready to go.

Gathering whatever resources I have available, I assembled together a team that is

formidable, well at least in the sense of IHG. We played a series of friendly matches in

pre-season, notching up consecutive wins along the way. We remained unbeaten up till

IHG and boy, aren‟t we more than ready for the real deal.

The draw came out. I thought Alvin was kidding me. He handed me the exact same

grouping as last IHG. Oh! And we played our first match against the exact same

opponent as last year. Donned in our H L Lian‟s freshly printed purple stripe, we

looked pretty awesome, much better than the gay boys across the street (Hall 6).

We proved too much for Hall 13 to handle, smashing 7 goals past them without any

mercy. Their reply? The referee is their friend! Oh man, indeed he is my classmate but

hello, it‟s freaking 7 goals! What do you have to say? Never mind that, let‟s move on to

the second match.

We were up against Hall 15 in the scorching sun of Serangoon Stadium. The sun

practically sapped away all our energies, had Parthi played, he will probably get a heat

stroke! The heat was more than detrimental. I was too overwhelmed that I made a

mistake which probably caused us our season. I had forgotten to remove my Fernando

Torres who was already on a yellow card despite us leading comfortably. Before I

realised it, a mistimed tackle by the opposition on Torres saw him taking a fall in the

penalty box which was adjusted to be a dive by the referee! And as they said, the rest is

history.

We were poised to face our greatest nemesis, Hall 3 in the quarter final. Much had

been said, much had been done in preparation for the game but it all boils down to

what we deliver on the pitch. Right from the start, the confidence we had in prior

matches was adversely missing. Our usual fluent passing was non-existence. Despite us

opening the scoring through a cool, calm and composed penalty, we never really look

convincing enough. We toiled, we struggled and we killed ourselves through a series of

mistakes. Mistakes that were pointed out time and time again during friendly matches

and trainings, but were never learnt. We were knocked out.

This is life, you win some and you lose some. This defeat definitely taught us a lesson, a

lesson which is pretty hard to swallow. But we will, and we shall. Perhaps we should

start calling ourselves the „redemption team‟.

Passion can never be expressed in words. Our President Yu Hao; Sports Secretary Alvin, and

Game Shark Zheng Jie came for trainings while sporting sprains and pulls. Sidney, the oldest

player on the team, showed his devotion to the team, coming down after his attachment to

train us on top of his national commitments. The immense commitment my teammates

showed for turning up for trainings was extremely impressive.

We trained for 3 months, breezing through our preliminaries with victories over Hall 11 and

12, and making a statement in our semis with Hall 6 after a walkover by Hall 15 during our

quarters. Hall 3 was our strongest opponent and we faced each other in the finals.

Once the whistle blew, we took them by surprise with our efforts. However, on this occasion,

the better team didn‟t win. We faced dismay for the first time as we walked out of the pitch.

The journey doesn‟t end here.

Page 42: Echoes 2010/11

Sepak Takraw By Alvin Bay

Hall 2 Sepak Takraw team mainly consisted of players who

participated in the previous edition of IHG. Hence, confidence was

high as our boys knew well that competitive takraw games at this level

could be won with sheer grit, composure and sufficient trainings.

Alas, it was not always as easy as making a self-assuring axiomatic

claim. To begin with, our winning formula fell short of the most

important element – trainings. Unlike last year, and most probably

because of last year, training frequencies and intensities had

increased manifold for many other sports. To make matter worse,

many key players had other commitments like IA, part-time job,

involvement in other sports and, at times, PP. Hence, it was a chore

trying to grab players down for trainings. Nevertheless, with the

regular “updates” of the then current IHG preparation from several

sources and help from Toh De Yong, takraw trainings finally kicked

off, albeit, to a slow start.

However, all was not bleak as the majority of the players were

undeterred by their busy schedules and found valuable time to come

down for practices. Special thanks to Zhengjie, De Yong, Jian Hao,

Stephen, Handsome Peh, Hans, Boon, Parthi, Wang Peng, Clement

and Nian for coming down for trainings and friendly matches even

though the majority of you ended up with near to zilch play time

during the tournament.

Hall 2 were oddly drafted into a group consisting of Halls 6, 9 and

12. Our first game was against Hall 6. Tension was high initially at

our camp as they were the seeded team boasting of players who

could well moonlight as novice acrobats. A glimpse of hope befell us

as we claimed the first point. We then realised we might have given

our opponents too much respect. Unfortunately, we lost the next two

sets, handing over to our opponents a 2-1 victory.

Our next match was against Hall 9. We were fired up and

determined to win at all costs. 3-0 to Hall 2. Nuff said.

For the third game, as luck would have it, we were given our chance

at redemption against Hall 6. We knew we had the competence to

beat them even though some of their players might be technically

stronger. Some tactical changes were made to counter every possible

array of ammunitions Hall 6 might hurl at us. It was a tough fight all

night, culminating in an exciting final set where we narrowly beat the

opponents 21-19. Final score: 2-1 to Hall 2. Sweet Revenge, aye! ;)

Having beaten Hall 6, morale got high as we marched into the battle

against Hall 5 in the quarter-finals. Little was known about their

capabilities. Turned out, their only asset lied in their heads. But, boy

were they effective. For every ball that went over the net to their side,

they returned it unostentatiously back to us, hoping we would falter

and implode on ourselves. Unfortunately, it worked in their favour in

the first set. Hall 2 were undeterred. The next team put up a valiant

and heroic fight and won us back a point. Hall 2 were resolute to

make history – to progress to the next available stage that is the semi-

finals. Even with evidently poorer support, our boys braced

themselves for the third set that ultimately also was the last one for

the entire IHG campaign. Hall 5 emerged victorious with a score of

21-19(!).

Once again, a very sincere thank you to everybody (players,

supporters, welfare, coordinator yong) and everyone else i missed.

Let‟s all continue to build upon what we have achieved thus far and

hopefully in the near future, we will be close to smelling victory in

Sepak Takraw once again!

The inaugural hall games have been a heart throbbing and fulfilling experience for me.

Being part of hall 2 volleyball team, I was fortunate enough to have highly skilled and

dedicated teammates to lead me through to the finals. Having said this, competition after

competition, leading to the finals were not all smooth sailing; there were games which

were played badly and served as an instant wake up call for us. The fact that I have

never played volleyball competitively before made me even more insecure about my

position and responsibility in the team. However, the endless motivation that my

teammates and hall supporters gave was all that I needed to sustain through the many

matches before the grand finals. There are several learning points which I managed to

take with away from this experience. Amongst which the one that stood out the most was

the importance of teamwork and communication in team sports and the immense pride

and glory of winning as a team.

Volleyball (F) By Yap Qian Jun

Page 43: Echoes 2010/11

Softball (F) By Michelle Ang

The swing of the bat, the four bases, the

stitched ball, the glove. This is softball, the

game we have come to love.

For many of us, softball started off as a

foreign sport, something very much like a

stranger you befriended and slowly became a

regular feature in your life. For someone

who started off with knowing zilch about

softball except for the once-off PE module

back as a 15 year-old, where foam balls were

used with plastic bats instead, joining Hall 2

Softball was a steep learning curve indeed.

Maybe it was pure obstinacy that made us go

down for every training. We know that after

throwing, blocking and batting ball after ball,

we can get the ball to the next base, into the

glove that was being held out. Innately,

softball was something we wanted to and

knew we could play well in. The word going

around was that Softball is the most

hardworking sport in Hall – who could

forget the memorable training camp we had

during the December holidays.

Taking one step at a time, we grew as a team

and as individuals in terms of skills and

lessons taken away from numerous softball

trainings. First, we learnt the rules of the

game, the techniques of throwing, batting

and catching. But at the matches, it all boiled

down to the crucial moment where it is just

us and the ball. Getting through the

Preliminaries was a first in 4 years for Hall 2

Softball F – an especially proud moment for

many of the graduating seniors. Next came

the Quarterfinals, then the Semifinals.

However, the ball is always round, and at

that point, the ball of victory stopped

spinning for us. Yet, what we took away was

greater than the position of a joint-third.

Friendships and memories from spending

hours together in the Sun and in the mud

formed an integral experience of our stay in

Hall 2. Some memories are even etched

physically as bruises on our bodies.

For bringing the Softball Girls team to where

it is today, everyone played a significant role.

However, the road would have been

significantly tougher without the help of Si

Kuan, Sidney, Wing Sing, Zhuo Song, Bryan

Shih and Lawrence – and most importantly,

the Girls‟ Captain, Shu Lin. They provided

invaluable inspiration and support

throughout the whole Softball journey.

Years down the road, we may forget the

plays, the runs, the mistakes and the scores

but we will never forget this team. This team

with a unique blend of characters, coming

together making mutual sacrifices for group

success. The banter and laughter among the

infielders and outfielders on the pitch, the

covering of each other‟s asses, the manly

over-throwers are what makes this team so

special and unforgettable. It is the feeling of

teamwork with these very people that we will

always remember – a new team next year

would never feel the same again.

Hall 2 Softball Girls is more than just

another sport.

The journey in achieving Top 2 was not a smooth sailing one. However, with 2 incredible squatters, Alex Ong and Png Zhi Sheng, and the

Sports Secretaries worked hard in getting the race fixed on a day where all our runners were free and fit to run, everything became better.

Towards the last few weeks leading towards the race, we had even better luck when last year‟s team captain, Sann decided to help out. This

resulted in having a trio of strong female runners which had a great impact on the race.

On the day itself, 2 balanced teams with Alex and Zhi Sheng started off the race for us. Although at the beginning, the 2 of them looked like

they were in the middle of the pack, they managed to pull away and came in 3rd and 7

th respectively. The race was continued by Philicia Lim and

Tan Yen Hao, running their hearts out, they managed to cut their timings by almost a full minute. They then passed on the race wristbands to

Chia Wang Peng and Sann. The two of them maintained the strong pace of the 2 teams to then handover to Alisa and Alvin Bay. Alisa went on

to run a timing that would put most guys to shame despite being ill on that day. Alvin Bay proved that size was not a factor with an extraordinary

timing of 8.19. Finally, down to our last 2 runners, Aw Si Kuan and Wee Jun Yang, although Si Kuan had just recovered from a bad ankle

sprain, he did not let it get in his way as he ran to a strong finish. Jun Yang, who did not have enough time to train due to IA, made up with his

experience from past road relays to run to a timing of 8.22. Our 2 teams came in 5th and 11

th in placing, leading to an overall placing of 2

nd with a

timing of 1 hr 27 min 45 sec. We hope that this team would not rest on its laurels, but instead continue our endeavours to bring it up a notch.

Road Relay By Mark Lim and Parthiban

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Swimming By Eunice Karina Fu and Francis Koh

IHG swimming was a one day affair which started at the

unearthly hour of 9am on the morning of 27th February at the

Sports & Recreation Centre (SRC). A total of five events were

held, the men's 4x50m free style, men's 4x50m breast stroke,

women's 4x50m free style, women's 4x50m breast stroke and

the mixed 4x50m medley. Hall 2 placed second overall for the

IHG swimming competition, obtaining top three positions in all

events, of which the most memorable was the 4x50m men's free

style relay where our boys clinched the gold in style.

By Eugene Tang

All our swimmers swam with great gusto that day, proving that

pure hall bred talent and dedication is always a dependable

solution to producing a title winning team. These are our titles:

Men's 4x50m free style: 1st

Men's 4x50m breast stroke: 2nd

Women's 4x50m free style: 3rd

Women's 4x50m breast stroke: 2nd

Mixed 4x50m medley: 2nd

We would like to express our gratitude to several members of

our graduating swim team: Xian Rong, Roderick and Jia ying.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to our superstar coaches Xian Rong

and Roderick, who prepared our rigorous weekly training

regime while always paying close attention to correcting our

individual strokes. To Jia ying, thank you for your commitment,

your presence at every training and time sacrificed have led to

your undeniable value to this team!

Thank you for the years of dedication, four for Roderick and

Jia ying, three for our Wang xi lookalike, Xian Rong. You guys

have become an essential part of Hall Two and the swim team

could not have achieved as much all these years without the

three of you!

To the rest of our team, work hard for next year's IHG

swimming. Let us always have the desire to better ourselves, for

personal bests are meant to be rewritten and records are meant

to be broken. If you ever feel disheartened, look to the starting

platforms. White, red and blue: the colours we don for Hall II.

Tennis

Odds were stacked high against us right from the beginning.

Yet, despite all difficulties, our tennis team managed an amazing

run, finishing a semi-final placement though we did not have the

advantage of having any seeded players this year.

However, to the amazement of many, our players were able to

brush this adversity aside and make up for the difference by

training even harder instead. Through sheer determination,

resolve and dedication to the sport, we were able to exceed all

expectations and put on a great fight for all to remember.

Those who were privileged enough to watch tennis this year

should know better that it is nothing short of drama. We were

losing 3-5(30/30) in the last preliminary decider before the

courts lights went off on an almost theatrical note. However,

being the champions that we are, our players were able to rise to

the occasion and make a spectacular comeback on the return

game.

Neither was it short of magic nor sheer determination that our

players were able to make something out of nothing when it

mattered the most. That was by far the most epic game of the

season and definitely a match to remember for many years to

come.

All players have shown good commitment, some others have

showed even more. Exemplary players like Mah Si Ying and

Chang Yi Hong are just sensational to watch.An IVP badminton

player, Mah Si Ying, that can beat a tennis IVP player with ease.

That is just how good she is. By winning the most difficult match-

ups with class, confidence and style, on a game that is not her

own, she makes the impossible, possible. In short : “What a total

baller.”

“A true IVP, our M.V.P.” – Lee Chong

“Undisputed racket queen of hall2.” – Eugene Tang

Although we came up short in the semi-finals, it was a close game

and the final result could have gone either way. We did our best

this year and we will come back stronger and better next year.

Page 45: Echoes 2010/11

Squash By Thaddeus Tsang "There is only one thing we should achieve today." "NOTHING... ... but

VICTORY."

Such words were translated into reality not long after, when Huang Hua

Ming, OMC Vice-Chairman wrapped victory for Hall 2 against Hall 1 and

ensured our route to the finals after humiliating his opponent 3-0 without

reply. Fighting all the way from start to finish, Hua Ming took the first 2 sets

without much difficulty. A combination of quick reflexes and smart play

ensured that he had a 2 set advantage over his opponent, who was then

determined to retaliate. In the 3rd set, the attempted retaliation was

imminent. Hua Ming at the same time, got a little tired and found himself

suddenly trailing 6-3.

Then came the turning point. It was the sight of Parthiban, fellow OMC-er

cheering his guts out and wrenching his hair every time Hua Ming made an

unforced error that gave the latter new found strength. And as if by miracle,

Hua Ming crawled back to push the score to 6-6. He then lost a point,

making the score 7-6 in his opponent's favour but eventually squeezed his

way to win the set 9-7 to the squeal and delight of the Hall 2 supporters!

The win for Hua Ming proved to be even sweeter for him than anybody

else, as he lost to the same opponent 3 weeks earlier during the

preliminaries. Despite the loss that fateful day, Hua Ming trained triply

hard, sacrificed some of his chinese new year goodies like his favourite

peanut cake and never looked back. And his efforts paid off handsomely.

Zhi Rui gave his opponent absolutely no chance to even get 1 point off him

as he conquered 9-0, 9-0 ,9-0. Executing exquisite moves that would make

even the reigning world squash champion, Ramy Ashour salivate, Zhi Rui

totally wowed the audience to the point where jaws were dropped and the

cheers stopped as supporters just looked on with awe for 10 minutes.

Ummm...because... the match was won within 10 minutes. ;) Those who

came late regretted later on as they realised they had just missed out on a

world-class, winning performance.

Having a more laid-back approach to the game, Thaddeus' initial lobs and

drops irritated his opponent and it proved to be a good strategy as his

opponent started making many unforced errors. In the 3rd set however,

Thaddeus changed his game plan and started to play a fast-paced game.

Unused to the sudden change in style of play, his opponent was forced to

make even more errors and one error was that he mistook the wall for the

ball and he swung his racket at the wall! And his racket broke! Justin Teh

later commented, "eh wah lao, thrashing him is already bad enough. still

must make him break his own racket!".

Later on, Poh Ying Ting took on the challenge of playing an IVP player. It

was not her skills but rather, her determination that touched the crowd.

Running at ball after ball, Ying Ting gave her opponent every reason to pant

and sweat. The support of her close friends also gave her

encouragement and she fought till the very end. Also having the privilege of

playing another strong IVP player was Mah Si Ying, who was gunning for an

upset. It was honestly a great effort as she managed to steal quite a few

points from her opponent, who also happens to be a badminton-convert.

The two girls' efforts were commendable as they both put up good fights

despite playing much better players.

The girls always seemed to have a knack for playing IVP players. And the

finals against Hall 12 were no exception, where Joella Chua and Mah Si

Ying had to pit their wits against opponents worthy of the

national team. The two girls battled their hearts out. Not to win. But to play

their best. For themselves and for Hall 2. And that was something to be

proud of.

Backed by the unwavering support of the Tan duo, Silin and Regina, who

screamed their lungs out after almost every point, Thaddeus Tsang would

have done himself injustice if he had lost his match. Fortunately, he did not

disappoint and duly won his match after whipping his opponent 9-3, 9-2, 9-

0. Mere triumph however, did not seem to please everyone. Justin Teh was

one of those who publicly voiced out his displeasure. “I came all the way

here to see Thaddeus crush his opponent and there he has to concede 5

points! I‟m not happy. He had better train harder.”

In contrast, Tan Zhi Rui left not a single supporter fuming as he overcame

his opponent 9-0, 9-0, 9-0 in what considered to be a mere 9-minute cameo

appearance. He even caused his opponent‟s racket string to snap during the

5-minute match warm-up! Not once. But twice! Before the match even

started!

Hall 2 Squash somehow has a special skill for causing our opponents‟ things

to be destroyed. Earlier in the semi-finals, our opponent‟s racket cracked. In

the finals, our opponent‟s string snapped. What‟s next? Shatter?

That‟s exactly what happened to Huang Hua Ming‟s opponent‟s confidence

in what must have been one of the most amazing comebacks and conquests

ever. Playing the decider that would make or break the team – determining

the champion of IHG Squash 10/11, Hua Ming stormed to a 2-0 lead after

maintaining his stronghold. His nemesis then managed to wrestle 1 set from

him to keep the championship title open again at 2-1. In the 4th set, sneaky

fatigue began to crawl up with Hua Ming and he suddenly found himself

trailing 7-0! “Is he going to relinquish this set or even the match eventually?”

went through a lot of supporters‟ minds. No prizes for guessing that The

Hall 2 support then had a trick up their sleeves. No it was not the girlfriend.

Neither was it Parthi this time. Unleashing their secret weapon was Priscilla

Ng, whose enthusiastic cheer alone would make a loud hailer useless and

Hall 12‟s entire support contingent embarrassed, who made the difference.

“GO HUAMINGGGG!!!” Hua Ming in response, crept up 1-7. 2-7. 3-7.

Slowly but surely, his opponent‟s confidence shattered like glass as Hua

Ming fought back to 7-7! By then, both players looked like they just had a

dip in the SRC swimming pool 20 metres away. Hua Ming then took full

advantage of his opponents‟ low morale and sealed a spectacular success

with a 9-7 win, right after trailing 7-0 just a while ago!

Once again, it was down to the 3 musketeers to salvage a sweet 3-2 team

final victory. A long-awaited gold medal was finally clinched. This however,

could not have been possible without the support and dedication of Hall 2.

It was not just your presence and cheering. It was the small, little ways, be it

Johnson quietly supporting 100% of our matches, Thai Ee snapping pictures

of us or even Elizabeth preparing refreshments that meant a whole lot to us.

And we appreciate that. Thank you.

We are pleased to declare that the gold, squash medal now belongs to us.

Hall 2.

Page 46: Echoes 2010/11

CHAMPIONS

Badminton Basketball m

Squash volleyball F

Page 47: Echoes 2010/11

RUNNER UPS

Road relay Rugby Swimming

Track Volleyball m Water polo

Page 48: Echoes 2010/11

Bridge By Tan Wen Yuan

This is my fourth and last time writing the team story for Hall 2

bridge team. After three times when we have tried and failed, at

last I have before I graduate got the opportunity to write a

successful debrief report.

The bridge team this year started almost from scratch. All of our

core players are new, while our old hands did not play as they

have other commitments. Yet we qualified for the quarters. Note

that the quarters for bridge were not easy to reach as there are

only four Halls in each group.

The core players are Ariana, Sylvia, Mervyn, Weiji, Zhikai and I.

Edison, Sin Loong, Tony and Sharon are reserve players. Finally,

my peers WenHan, Kai Leong, Weiping, Shifeng and Thai Ee,

though not formally playing, contributed a great deal in helping to

plan and debrief each training.

Bridge, unlike other IH games, is played in pairs and the

partnership plays as one. I paired Ariana and Sylvia, Mervyn and

Weiji, Zhikai and I. I hesitated for a very long time before

deciding to pair Ariana, Sylvia, Zhikai and I this way. For in terms

of playing style compatibility, pairing Zhikai with Sylvia and

Ariana and I actually would have been theoretically better. What

eventually made me decide to pair this way is because Ariana and

Sylvia are roommies and therefore I predicted that they may have

a telepathy-like ability to communicate – a trait characteristic of

roommies – and something that I myself share with two roommies

of my own, WenHan and Kai Leong.

Having decided the partnerships, we proceeded to train hard.

Training was tough – often lasting till late at night into the wee

hours of the day, harder than I have trained in the school team

back then in my freshie year. Here I really must thank my fellow

Year 4’s: my roommies WenHan and Kai Leong, my great

friends Weiping and Shifeng, for coming down to the rec room to

help plan and evaluate the training. We actually role-played the

process, the Year 4’s acting as freshies to see whether the training

was feasible or not for the real freshies. Besides the Year 4’s I

would particularly commend Zhikai for staying beyond even the

extremely long training hours to discuss bridge further. He has

more than once stayed behind after all the others left except my

Year 4 peers, to help give suggestions and plan the next training.

Carrom By Low Zi Hao This year has truly been an extraordinary year for Hall 2 carrom

team. The team went to the Hall Recreational Games and

managed a decent display against teams like Hall 3, which is the

defending champion for Carrom and Hall 9 which is the other

overall champion for recreational games. Despite not being able

to quality for the next round, the team manages to gain some

precious experience and enjoy the atmosphere. I strongly believe

that those who participated this year will be back next year for the

new challenge.

The carom team this year consist of a mixture of freshies and

seniors. Players like Kai Leong and Sin long did their very best in

imparting skill to us in training. Our team Captain, Lawrence also

encourage us a lot and try to make the training interesting and fun.

Female players, Regina also did her best in all the single matches.

Being the only senior female player, she shows great composure

Finally, the efforts of WenHan, Kai Leong, Weiping, Shifeng, Sin

Loong, Tony and Claire, Mervyn and Weiji are not to be

forgotten. Their jovial nature balanced my much more serious

personality, making the freshies feel at home. Otherwise, I fear

some of them would have long been freaked out by the tough

training.

The big day eventually came and the first game of the day proved

that both our training and pairing had paid off. For Hall 2

defeated Hall 3 by 25 points to 3, a very great victory, the

maximum possible gain of points on our side. One of the boards

(board=round) deserved particular mention. Ariana and Sylvia

scored 2000 points (!). (Bridge scores are usually only a few

hundred, rarely more than 1000.) It is safe to say that this board

alone was enough for them to be put on the capping list. I was

told that this board totally demoralized the opponents.

The next game however we faced the powerhouse of the group,

Hall 16. After a long and difficult struggle, we lost 10 points

against 20. While we were disappointed with the result, it was still

an honourable defeat against a much stronger opponent.

The last game against Hall 1 was one where we needed to win as

much as possible. The match was hard fought; one board, one of

our very best, was so brilliant that the opponents thought we

cheated! We won by a healthy margin of 22 points to 8.

Unfortunately, we still could not outdistance Hall 16, and ended

up being second place in the group.

We therefore matched against Hall 15 in the quarters and lost to

them, they being very strong, almost as good as Hall 16. All the

same, we have outdone our expectations given our opponents.

For that, I am grateful and we should be happy about it.

Finally, a special word of thanks to all those who came down to

support us. Your presence acted like a Brilliance Aura and that

has certainly helped improve our morale.

I am sad that I will no longer be around next year. However, I am

happy to know that I have given the rest of the team enough

foundational strength for them to propagate on their own. May

the Spirit of Hall 2 be with all her residents till eternity ends.

and calmness in her battle. Freshies like Valarie Pok a.k.a Carrom

Queen and Vincent also form a formidable pair despite being

relatively new to the game.

I would like to thanks the other team members like Silin, Tony,

Jun Hua, Sheryl and Fion who gave their all in the gruelling games

that last the whole day. Not forgetting their tireless hours in

trainings and the amount of weekend burned because of training.

We couldn’t have done it without you guys (and girls).

Special thanks to our supporters like Hui Xin, Jocelyn, Ping Fang,

Qi Quan and Malcolm for coming down to lent us your support

and for your love of the game. Your presence was definitely felt.

Then, I would like to thanks Elizabeth for the welfare provided.

The Biscuits & Drinks provided is indeed morale boasting after

every match. 45

Page 49: Echoes 2010/11

Othello By Tan Zi Jian

This year, the team was bent on improving upon previous year’s

strong showing and to display the indomitable spirit that

characterizes Hall 2 on the Othello boards. With this sole mission

in mind, the Othello players trained long and hard for the

competition amid their busy schedules. Self-proclaimed Othello

Queen V Pok held the helm in trainings and her presence greatly

benefited the team, proving to be the source of jokes that helped

lighten up the competitive nature of the game.

The core members of the group this year consists of a mix of

experience and brimming youthfulness. In addition to Wen Yuan

and Edison from previous years, we also have new members

including Sheryl, Shang Fei, Heidi and Hui Xin. With the

addition of Thai Ee to the team, it was like the proverbial saying

of “adding wings to the tiger”. With his masterful teachings and

guidance, many of the members improved tremendously over the

training sessions. He also selflessly imparted his trademark silent

move to the players though none could do it the way he did.

Going into the competition, we had high hopes and confidence in

achieving a placed finish with the strong core of players this year.

True to form, our first two rounds were converted to dominating

wins against Hall 6 and Hall 12. The hard work in training

showed as players like Thai Ee and Sheryl mercilessly destroyed

their opponents. However, as only 2 Halls from the group can

proceed to the semi-finals, we had a very narrow margin of error

as any misstep could potentially lead to failure to qualify for the

next round. Alas, it proved not to be as we lost the crucial games

against previous year’s semi-finalists Hall 9 and Hall 14.

While the team narrowly missed out on progressing into the next

round, we are highly encouraged by the improvements we have

made over the past year. For example, Shang Fei showcased her

apparent skills despite only winning one game in the competition.

The new generation of players like Sheryl and Heidi will also

undoubtedly become the cornerstones of next year’s team. Not

mentioning the Othello Queen V Pok’s comedic aura that

brought joy and laughter in all the training sessions. As such, I am

convinced that these seeds that we have sowed will eventually

grow into an Othello tree in the future.

Lastly I would like to thanks the Rec Secs, Joshua, Yuhui and the

help of Jian Hao for all they have done for the team both front

and back stage. You are the unsung heroes that help us cover all

the teams needs and for the support not only during the games

but also during trainings.

All in all, I feel that the team has great potential and given the

right training, Hall 2 carrom team will rise up the ranks. All the

Best for next year’s Recreational Games. Hall 2 Hall 2 Hall 2, OI

OI OI !!!

With the end of this write up, the long journey of the team has

also finally come to an end. While we did not reach the

destination we had intended, it is often the journey we shared

together that matters. I am glad that over this past year, the team

went through an incredible journey together that will stay with us

for years to come.

46

Page 50: Echoes 2010/11

Boggle By John Tan Despite last minute hell trainings and a one-to-two-days-crash-

course schedule, I must say the boggle team put up a good fight.

Although at first we lack members, but as the saying goes: it is the

quality that matters not quantity. If the rules had allowed one

person to challenge five opponents, we would have gladly elected

our newly-enlightened-team-God a.k.a our team captain, Poh Wei

Lun, to send our opponents whimpering to a corner. That was

how much substance we had. Sadly Reality stepped in to crush

our ambition. Though crushed our ambitions were, our Spirits

were never stronger. We decided to fight till our last breath, our

last intellectual moment.

On the first day, we stepped into Hall 8 with an unwavering motto

in our hearts, and that was: „We did not come to play. We came

to win.” The motto was good and aspiring. But unfortunately the

odds were against us. The first few rounds only saw our team God,

Poh Wei Lun, shining in hallowed victory over his pallid

opponents. The rest of us were mired in defeated darkness, but

fortunately the iridescent light emanating out from our team God

gave us renewed hope. We decided to fight on, but alas how our

destinies were never smooth-sailing and easy! We concluded the

first day of the competition with only our Team God basking in

kaleidoscopic valor while the rest of us were close to kowtowing

when suddenly he seemed to say: “Despair not. For no matter

how dark a day it is today, there will always be tomorrow.” Upon

hearing this, tears welled up in our eyes. We decided that we have

to fight on. We must!

The next day, we lost.

Although we did not manage to clinch the championship title as

we had set out to, nevertheless we had an awesome and

enlightening experience. We vowed to our team God that we shall

come back next year with a much stronger conviction to kill, as

compared to this year when we showed too much mercy and

leniency – possibly the chief reason we did not manage to get first.

As the saying goes: “For those who did not die, they will only

come back stronger”. With this motto in our hearts, we shall await

the next IHRG, where we will show the other halls what true

wisdom really is.

The Boggle Team Boggle Team Manager, John Tan Team captain a.k.a Team God

DARTS By Seow Wei Chung and Claire Chin

Darts is all about having fun and challenging yourself. The Darts

team did not make it far this year but we are definitely aiming for

a better result next year. Nevertheless, the journey to IH is an

unforgettable one. Old ties between the seniors were made

stronger while new ties with the new players were established and

strengthened.

We hope this year‟s batch of new players can spread the passion

for darts to the future freshies and always put in mind that the

process is always more important that the result. Never be

contented with what we can do and always try to challenge

ourselves to greater heights.

To seniors: Shi Feng, Kai Leong, Wei Ping, Zhi Kai, Johnny

You guys have given us so much guidance and support. Your

passion towards darts is always a motivation for us to continue to

push on. The nights at the pubs, challenging us. The nights in the

Rec Room, pushing us on to finish our round the board trainings.

The nights in hall and other gatherings, just going crazy with us.

All these have shown us how much darts has brought us together.

Thank you.

To new players: Kollin, Sin Loong, Shaikh, Janelle, Yan Kee

Thanks for the coming down for the trainings and pushing

through IH together. You guys started off as players who have

never played darts before and made the team proud during the

matches. You guys started off as strangers who did not know each

other and ended up being friends through darts. We hope this

passion for darts can continue, even when you are not playing for

IH. To us, that is the ultimate most important thing.

To our supporters, you know who you are, we thank you. For

being there to challenge us during our trainings, for being at the

matches to push us on and for making us laugh when trainings

become irritating.

This is a simple write up that can hopefully show our appreciation

towards our players and supporters and remind them of the fun

they had.

Last but not least, really, thanks to Joshua and Yuhui for their

endless support and encouragement. You guys were there

throughout the trainings and matches and that really meant a lot

to the team.

Page 51: Echoes 2010/11

Chinese Chess By Tony Lim

Semis! Semis! Semis! Among the roars of joy for the C Chess

team was the sweat and tears that everyone shed. Among the

fanfare and joyous screams was the toil and pain that each

member of the Chinese Chess Team underwent. Indeed it was a

win, yet the reasons we were standing with our heads up high had

to be acknowledged.

What makes a winning team? A good captain? A dedicated

manager? Passionate players? Great seniors and friends?

Powerful mentors? A supportive JCRC and Rec Secs? Indeed,

not one of this factors led to the success of our Chinese Chess

team but all of them joined together. Everyone holds this honor

together. We have done it.

Firstly, we would like to thank Sin Loong our captain for his

guidance and tactical play which was discussed with the mentors

which eventually brought us to the semis. His superb skills also

not only served to gain us countless wins but also served as a

benchmark and target to beat for all our players.

The players themselves must be mentioned in kind. Thanks to

Edison, our tanker, for withstanding the blows of the first table

where the competition was likely the most fierce and even

conquering strong players with his steady play. Thai Ee also has to

be mentioned for his passion to the game. Just 5 months prior to

the competition, he was willing to put aside his International

Chess where he did IH he did equally well and try out C Chess.

Through his continual effort, he quickly picked up the game and

became a formidable force to be reckoned with. Another stalwart

we must mention is Chang Quan. He must be mentioned for his

pure passion for the game and also for his excellent skills. He was

a very difficult foe and could easily be reckoned as one of the top

players in our IH field. Zhi Yang is yet another young player who

joined us this year and is another player to be recognised for his

strong grasp of chess knowledge through books. His prior training

served him as a good guide to others in terms of theory and battle

experience. Hong Han another young player who just joined

added to the armada of the C Chess team. His amazingly strong

skills made him a surprise trump card in the competition and

completed our team perfectly. Lastly, credit has to be given to our

stalwart Wen Yuan who as a senior showed a great example to the

juniors with his diligence in the trainings even to the wee hours of

the morning. His continually sharpened sword over the years also

sliced through opponents easily making him one of the unbeaten

in the whole competition.

However, we could never have done it without the support and

friendship of our seniors and other Rec players. Thanks to

seniors like Song Teck and Kai Leong for continually giving us

guidance. Thanks to the other Rec players from the other games

for their love and support. The suppers and talks we had will

never be forgotten.

Yet, before we forget, what is a good team without teachers. What

makes it even more amazing is when the mentors have graduated

long ago. Kudos to our captain for helping us look for such great

mentors. Thanks to Fuming for coming down hard on us and

correcting our skills with such zest. His true passion for the game

was showed as he continually trained the players not just to be

good for IH but also to truly love the game and look beyond the

narrow scope of IH. His passion for the game is especially

testament as he was not even a graduate of NTU let alone Hall 2.

Another mentor which must be thanked was Kirby who guided

with a softer yet firm hand. His slightly warped sense of humor

also often left us rolling on the ground. Being a grand senior of

Hall 2 C Chess team, he strived hard to uphold the traditions that

we were Champions. It was a great experience working with these

two mentors and heartening to see them sacrifice their own leisure

time for the team. It was especially touching when Fuming came

down on the first day. Thank you mentors, we have not let you

down.

We must also give thanks to the JCRC who has continually given

our team all the support we need. Thanks for bearing with our

nonsense all the way to the competition and in all the

coordination necessary to make this dream possible.

However, before we end, there are two very important people

which must be thanked. They are our beloved Rec Secs, Joshua

and Yuhui. They have done so much in the coordination of the

IHRG which eventually made it all possible. Seeing them toil, stay

up late during countless meetings and struggle to attend every

single game during IHRG is testament of their zest and hard work

they have put in. Thank you guys, we couldn’t have done it

without you.

It was a hard battle, a difficult fight. Yet we reached the semis with

our heads held high. Though we eventually lost out to the reigning

champion of many years, Hall 9, we only lost by a margin of 1.5-

3.5. This showed us that even giants could be toppled. It was time

for Hall 2 to rise again and fight for the next IH. It was time to

add another star onto our crest. It was time to WIN.

Page 52: Echoes 2010/11

International Chess By Ng Thai Ee

“Chess is 99 percent tactics.” -- Richard Teichmann

Having only achieved preliminary standings for IHRG last year,

the aim for the team was to improve our rankings. It is a lot to ask

for as Chess is a game that is not easy to teach. In spite of the

odds, I would say that the Chess team of Year 10/11 is

determined to surpass our limits. That determination is shown in

our willingness to train hard every week. And more often than not,

while most people are fast asleep, we are still pushing hard to

improve our game. And believe it, we can train beyond 2 am.

Wen Yuan, our most senior player in Chess, commended us as

he said that the number of times we trained in 1 semester is more

than 3 years put together.

It is also heart-warming to receive support from our alumni,

Andrew Jonathan. An experienced Chess player himself, his

presence and expertise motivated us to be the best we can be.

For this year’s IHRG I Chess, our hard work bore fruit. We

improved our rankings from last year to Quarter-Finalists, with a

decent score of 4 wins out of 7. Our victories over Hall 12, 15 and

16 were relatively calm and peaceful. However, our match against

Hall 11, a hall with strong opponents, was the most heated battle

ever. During the match itself, we were fighting to the very last

minute for the tie-breaker. It was like a reality show that gave its

viewers a lot of tension, suspense and adrenaline rush (except this

was over the chessboard). In the midst of the excitement, we

managed to outsmart the final opponent with some tactical

manoeuvres, thus gaining a 3 ~ 2 victory over them. Alas, our

losses to Halls like 1, 6 and 10 have shown us that there is still

room for improvement. We may have lost 3 of our matches, but

it steels us to fight hard to redeem ourselves next year.

Each member of the team is an asset and I would like to take this

opportunity to thank the following for their enthusiasm and spirit

in making our achievements possible.

Wen Yuan: Though you are in your final year, I am grateful for

your presence during training sessions. Your knowledge and skills

in Chess is indeed an asset to the team. All the best in your future

endeavours after you graduate.

Sin Loong: I see potential in you to raise your standard further, if

you continue to train hard. Your excellent background as a

Chinese Chess player serves you well. Turn it to your advantage.

Zi Yang: Your enthusiasm for Chess is evident in that you ask a

lot of questions regarding openings, tactics, strategies and

endgames. I admire that trait and continue to keep up that spirit

for the coming years.

Mervyn: Although you came in to the team later due to your Wei

Qi commitments, I am thankful for training alongside with us and

catching up as fast as you could within such a short time. Good

job!

Zack: The Chess tanker for IHG (100% win for your matches).

Your prior experience and passion in Chess is immeasurable and

I have much to learn, even as a seasoned player myself. May you

continue to do your best for I Chess in the next few years of

University life.

Sylvia: The only woman of the team. With your background in

bridge, you are able to grasp Chess concepts quite easily. Keep up

the good work. I see some potential to be an excellent Chess

player if given time and proper training.

Budding Chess Players: It is a pity that IHRG allows us to field a

maximum of seven players. (Wish they allowed us to field more)

However, I believe in you guys and given time and consistent

effort, you will shine as chess players eventually.

Rec Secs (Joshua and Yuhui): The moral support given by you

two is more than I can ask for. Thanks for providing the logistics

and also booking the Rec Room for us, so that we can have a

peace of mind when training.

For those whose names are not mentioned, fret not. I

acknowledge your support, in one way or another.

As I am in my final year, I would like to take this opportunity to

write something for the team before I graduate.

To the Hall 2 Chess Team

I am grateful to have crossed paths with the Chess Team of 10/11.

Playing Chess with you all is not just about playing for IHG.

Rather, we were immersed in the spirit of Chess, where we

discussed about strategies and ways to improve our game. It is

because of you all that I truly enjoy Chess more than anything else.

I am grateful for being assigned the role of Captain / Manager for

the Hall 2 Chess team. Most people think of it as just a post with

responsibilities. To me, it is a duty to maintain the team culture

and spirit for the current year and beyond. If time could be

reversed, I will be more than willing to take up the post again.

I am happy for you guys as we have managed to improve our

standings this year. Keep this up for next year and I have absolute

faith and confidence that we will be able to push beyond Quarter-

Finals. How far you want to push lies in how resolute you are for

next year.

For this IHG season, I will never forget the exhilaration and

adrenaline rush that I experienced when we were fighting against

Hall 11. It serves to remind me of my passion towards Chess,

dedication towards the team and more importantly, for Hall 2.

Sadly, I am in my final year. I really will miss saying “Watch out

for that square!”

I am leaving it to you guys to carve the future of Hall 2 Chess and

farewell, my fellow teammates. It is not easy for me to say this,

especially so to a team that gave me memories worth

remembering a lifetime.

Page 53: Echoes 2010/11

Snooker By Jerome Yip

In this year's IHRG, Hall 2 was matched against Hall 13, 15, 16

and 9. On our first day of competition, we did not know what to

expect but we went into the competition with an open mind and a

positive mindset. Our players that made the core of the team were

Dennis, Jerome, Yio Kiang, Royston, Wilson, Tony, Cheryl and

Ray.

Our first opponent was against Hall 13. The team managers

Jerome and Dennis made sure that our players played a tactical

game, going for a swift victory. In the four-ball matches, our player,

Tony managed to take the game with much ease, leaving the rest

to the snooker players. Our players, Dennis and Yio Kiang

managed to win their set, bringing us to the next round.

In our second stage, we were facing Hall 15 as they were the

winner of their set in group B. Hall 15 had good players but we

were determined to win. Winning this match was important, as it

would take us to the quarterfinals. In four-ball, we fought hard but

had lost both matches to their IVP players. In order to make it to

the quarter-finals, our 3 snooker players had to win all of their

games. There was immense pressure on them, but we kept our

composure and fighting spirit. Both Dennis and Wilson had won

their rounds, leaving the victory to the last player, Royston. In the

deciding snooker match, there was a nervousness that both Hall 2

and Hall 15 players and supporters felt that was filling up the

room. Royston played a tactical game, initially gaining the lead

hoping to gain some momentum and dampen the spirits of the

opponent. However, the opponent was not thrown off by

Royston's game and managed to catch-up towards the middle of

the game. During our last 2 cues, Hall 15 had overtaken us and

had given Royston a very bad position on the cue ball, making a

winning shot seemed impossible. Just then, lady luck shined upon

Royston and unexpectedly he had managed to pocket the ball and

scored! We had taken back the lead and managed to finish off on

top of hall 15! The mood in the atmosphere was ecstatic and we

were through to the quarterfinals.

Scrabble by Lim Jia Chang

Our scrabble team this year was made up of mostly freshies.

Despite our lack of experience, we made up for it by working

hard. Two-letter word lists replaced lecture notes. Words like

„faqir‟ and „haoma‟ (?) became part of our vocabulary. We had to

learn fast to prepare for the upcoming IHRG. Our team manager,

Hendrick had prior experience playing for his secondary school

team. He was committed to the weekly trainings and provided us

with valuable strategies and tips.

During the IHRG, we met stiff competition on the form of more

experienced and skilled players. However we put up a tough fight

and made the other teams fight for every point won. Our senior

players also provided much-needed wins in their respective games.

At the end of the day, it is important to remember that Scrabble is

a game that is meant to be enjoyed. We certainly enjoyed

ourselves this past year and look forward to next season. On

behalf of the team, I would like to thank the supporters who came

down during our matches and hope to see you next year.

In the quarterfinals, we were matched up against Hall 16. They

were strong opponents, due to their many IVP players on their

team. Once again, lady luck had it our way and many of their IVP

players had left, except one. After much deliberation and thought,

team manager Jerome decided to go against the only IVP player

for the 4 ball game and to "sacrifice" himself, to pave the way for

the other players. The other players for that day included Ray,

Yio Kiang and Tony, each winning their set, bringing Hall 2 to the

semi-finals! Victory was in sight and it was a day to remember in

Hall 2's history.

In the semi-finals, we had to go head to head with Hall 9, well-

known for their recreational games. We knew we had ourselves, a

formidable opponent and played to the best of our ability. In our

first 2 games, 1 four-ball and 1 snooker match, Tony and Yio

Kiang had decided to pit themselves against the opponents from

Hall 9. The opponents from hall 9 were indeed strong and

although both our players had lost, they managed to put up a

terrific fight. For the last game deciding game, it had come down

to a four-ball match that rested on the shoulders of our player

Jerome. Pushing on to a great start, Jerome managed to take the

lead and giving no chance to the opponent. The match was

intense as towards the middle, both Jerome and the opponent had

made great shots and the score was toe to toe. In the very last cue,

the score was slightly in Hall 8's favour and it was Jerome's turn to

shoot. The shot was difficult and it was looking bleak for us. In a

turn of events, Jerome managed to score the shot and we were

only 1 more pocket shot away from winning Hall 9! However, the

second shot was unsuccessful and Hall 8 was into the finals.

Although Hall 2 did not manage to make it to the finals, we were

grateful for being semi-finalists this year. Every player on the team

gave their best and managed to take Hall 2 all the way from

preliminaries to the semi-finals. This has indeed been a

remarkable journey and we will train harder and come back next

year as the champions!

Page 54: Echoes 2010/11

WeiQi By Mervyn Lim What is Weiqi? Perhaps most people would have heard of such a

strangely named game but only a handful would truly understand

the order amidst the chaos of black and white on the board as two

players twist and turn in their chairs trying to outwit one another

in the most abstract of recreational games known to mankind. It

would have seemed like this particular recreational game has

faded into the background as Hall 2 was recognized instead, for its

expertise in sports. Needless to say, previous records of

performance in this area were almost non-existent.

This year however, marked a change in the history of Hall 2 for I

would dare quote from our dear Recreational Secretary, Yuhui,

she believed that Hall 2‟s recreational games can be equally

“IMBA”, (in which case is a form of e-gaming slang to mean

imbalanced for the clueless). As such, this year‟s Weiqi team

struck out to make history with a vengeance. The team‟s

formation seemed to be pretty haphazard on first impression,

having accepted everyone who had the tiniest bit of knowledge on

the game. But little did the team know that they were gifted

individuals. It took some as little as two weeks to be able to play a

decent game and within a month, even I, the captain, was given a

run for my money by some of the players.

Like any other team, we had our troubles - busy schedules in

school and other commitments; and yet the team still did their

best to train at least once a week. Particular mention goes to two

of the most committed players, Toh Honghan and Sharon Tang

for diligently attending almost every other training session, be it

with the School Weiqi Team, attending classes by external

coaches in and outside of school or even the friendly matches

with Hall 11, you would never fail to see them putting in 100% in

whatever they do. Sure enough, these two talents even made it

into the school‟s junior team after just one semester!

The battle at IHRG was all the more even exciting, to which

spectators present could testify. In the same grouping as the team

were some of the more reputed teams and the team were already

expecting a tough fight on its hands. As this team of underdogs

fought on, we emerged stronger than ever after every round and

left a lasting impression on all its opponents. By the end of day

one, there were already rumors of other halls wanting to “poach”

our players. Day two came and the team continued our relentless

fight to secure a semi-finals placement. The team fought with such

vigor that even our previous opponent, Hall 11 was rooting for us.

However, that placement was to prove elusive still as we lost out to

Halls 1 and 6 in a three-way double tie-breaker when we lost out

by a mere one game point. Nonetheless, we‟ve achieved quarter-

finals scores and the team is definitely hungry for more in the next

IHRG.

All in all, the team had performed spectacularly and all this

couldn‟t have been possible without the passion, perseverance

and dedication of each and everyone in the team. To the team

that made history, Bernard Chng, Pang Sin Loong, Toh Honghan,

Sharon Tang, Edison Lau, Tan Wenyuan, this is for you. Finally,

not forgetting our dear Recreational Secretaries, Joshua and

Yuhui, for being our unsung heroes, working tirelessly in the

background to make sure that everything that we needed would

always be available for us so training and IH could be as smooth

as possible.

Cheers. =)

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