DPA freshies: Back row (from left): Dzulhilmann Bin Samat, Pagadala Madhava Sai Arun and Keith Kwok. Front row (from left): Palani Kalpana, Zhafarina Binte Kamsani and Law Jia Wei.

The latest batch of Direct Polytechnic Admission (DPA) students have come on board SP in February, starting their three-year SP journey ahead of most others who will commence their studies in third-week April. SP Buzz asks some of them why there are so eager to hop on the SP train.

Zhafarina Bte Kamsani from East View Secondary School
Diploma in Architecture (DARCH)

Why did you choose DARCH?

I’ve always been fascinated with building designs and the ideas behind them. DARCH seems like a good fit! I applied through DPA because it didn’t just depend on my ‘O’ level results: my passion and interest for architecture could be seen during the interview.

What’s next for you after SP?

I really want to study architecture at uni level, to realise my ambition to be an architect. Maybe even get the chance to work with great architects from all over the world!

Law Jia Wei from Naval Base Secondary School
Diploma in Accountancy (DAC)

Why DPA for you Jia Wei?

It was a precautionary measure in case I didn’t do well for my ‘Os’. I wasn’t very confident of my results! It also helped that I already had an idea of what I wanted to do for the future since I was interested in Principles of Accounts.

So, why SP?

It’s so convenient! And also the first polytechnic. The MRT station’s right next to the campus and I have some friends who are already studying at here. It’ll be easier for me to get help or guidance when I need it.

You have big dreams, yes?

My goal is to become a Chief Financial Officer, or at least an auditor. Even a forensic accountant (detectives of the finance world, they investigate fraud and other financial misrepresentation), because that really interests me.

Palani Kalpana from Bedok Town Secondary School
Diploma in Optometry (DOPT)

Why did you eye Optometry?

I’ve a strong passion for the sciences, particularly optical science since young. Also, my dream is to become a surgeon, and seniors of the course shared how DOPT can be a gateway to studying medicine if you work hard. So it’s a good match for me. My aim is to get into Harvard Medical School so I’ll need to work really hard to get a perfect Grade Point Average!

What did you know about SP before applying?

I knew that SP has awesome lecturers and seniors, so they’ll certainly help me to excel. I applied under DPA because I was afraid that it couldn’t get into my desired course based on my ‘O´s!

Kwok Keith from Orchid Park Secondary School
Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering (DARE)

And your love is…?

Airplanes! I’ve loved them as a kid. DARE course will bring me closer to my dream of becoming an aircraft engineer. Since I’m so sure of what I wanted to study, DPA is a good way to secure that choice and at the same time give me a head start with the Preparatory Programme.

What’s the future like for you?

I want to work with aircraft for the rest of my life, so learning everything about them is important to me. I hope to get a private pilot’s licence, that way I’ll learn first-hand from both an engineer and end-user’s point of view.

Dzulhilmann Bin Samat from Dunman Secondary School
Diploma in Marine Engineering (DME)

Welcome aboard, Captain!

(Laughs) Well, I’ve always been interested in ships, so this course is definitely for me! Since I knew what I wanted, might as well secure a place early through DPA right? I can get a head start with the Social Innovation Project (SIP) programme and the General Elective modules which will let me concentrate on other core modules while I work my way to becoming a marine engineer.

So do you like SP so far?

The campus is great! It’s really well-equipped – plenty of food options and good facilities! There’ll be many chances for me to explore the campus. In fact, I was thinking of joining the SP Dragonboating Team but I’ve heard the training is legendary. Fingers crossed!

First opened in 2011, SPELL is the only off-campus retail store fully run and managed by SP students.

“Welcome to SPELL,” chime two young girls stationed at the counter as you wander into the sleek fashion store located at Changi Airport Terminal 3. What immediately catches your eye are rows of brightly coloured dresses and a variety of fashion accessories, like classy faux leather laptop sleeves, cute pouches and unique, wood-carved handphone cases arranged neatly on a table for your choosing. You pick a chic item and pay for it, noting the warm and friendly service provided by the store keepers as you leave the shop, happy with your purchase.

SPELL is recently equipped with a nifty video analytics system to help students monitor store performance and analyse customer demographics.

While this may seem like any other shopping experience, the Singapore Polytechnic Entrepreneurship Living Lab (SPELL) is anything but ordinary. First opened in 2011, SPELL was the first, and is still the only off-campus retail store fully run and managed by SP students. A collaboration between SP and Changi Airport, this unique learning facility was created to give SP Business School students an authentic learning experience in running a business. The students are placed in charge of all business operations, such as merchandising and product sourcing, sales, inventory management, manpower scheduling and web and social media management.

Final-year Diploma in Business Administration students Hing Li Yi, Sim Shi Rong and Wong Hui Min started a business selling fashion accessories, like bags and clutches.

For final-year Diploma in Business Administration (DBA) student Wong Hui Min, who is part of the Merchandising team for SPELL, her experience in the store allows her to apply what she learned from classes in a real business setting. “We get to go on a product sourcing trips – our recent trip brought us to South Korea – and we did a lot of planning to decide what products to bring into SPELL and how we should arrange them. That’s something I can’t learn from a book.”

Celebrating its fourth anniversary this year, SPELL is getting new upgrades to enhance the students’ learning and improve store sales. One of the store’s new high-tech features is a video analytics system to help students monitor store performance and analyse customer demographics. This nifty system can even identify a customer’s age, gender and whether he or she is smiling, helping the students to understand their audience profile. “The students managing SPELL will not only benefit from having information that will help them understand customer behaviour, they can also review their sales performance. This sort of information is crucial to businesses, and especially so for hands-on learning, where students get to experience what the retail industry is using,” says Business School lecturer Mr Kenneth Wong, who supervises the students running SPELL.

The store will also tap on Skype and live cameras to allow real-time remote teaching and student assessment by lecturers from SP’s Dover campus. Previously, lecturers used a simple closed-circuit television (CCTV) system to monitor activities in SPELL from campus. With the new cameras and Skype system, lecturers can provide the students with real-time instruction and observation without having to leave their offices.

SPELL is one of the hallmarks of SP’s Entrepreneurship Programme, an option offered to third-year students taking the DBA course. Besides gaining work experience in SPELL, students in the programme – all 38 of them – are required to set up and commercialise their business ideas as their final year practicum. The budding entrepreneurs are free to explore any profitable idea – their start-ups range from selling faux leather accessories to forming a Japanese-themed convenience store that sells affordable and uncommon products for students on-the-go.

Inspired by his father’s experiences as an entrepreneur, final-year Diploma in Business Administration student Bryan Lee decided to take up entrepreneurship in SP. He now runs a business called Moostry with three other students, selling faux leather accessories such as laptop sleeves and pencil cases.

Final-year DBA student Bryan Lee runs a business called Moostry with three other students, selling faux leather accessories such as laptop sleeves and pencil cases. Bryan chose to participate in the Business School’s Entrepreneurship programme with inspiration from his father, who owns local bakery chain Barcook Bakery. Explaining his team’s business idea, he says: “We came up with Moostry as we wanted to cater to students. My group mates and I found that laptop sleeves in Singapore are usually priced rather high, that’s why we decided to sell sleeves that are more affordable. Our products are made of faux leather so they would be less expensive.”

Plenty of hard work goes into running a start-up, however. Running a business is never smooth and the students encounter challenges each step of the way. Bryan shares on his experience: “We sometimes face difficulties meeting customers’ demands. First of all, we’re a small start-up and we have little capital. As a result, we wouldn’t be able to buy many products of one design. We wanted to have a greater variety of products, so can only afford one or two of each design. If a customer wants to buy more for their friends, we’re unable to provide for them.”

Pressure is needed to turn coal into diamonds, however, and the students find themselves emerging a little wiser with each problem they face. Hui Min, who runs fashion apparel store T.A.M. with three other group members, shares that the most important skill they have picked up from starting their own business is learning how to solve problems. “While running our business and working in SPELL, we encountered different situations and problems. Sometimes we can’t approach anyone for help so we have to handle the problems ourselves,” she says. Despite occasional setbacks, the girls are doing well – mentored by Singapore fashion icon and owner of popular clothing label KLARRA Beatrice Tan, T.A.M.’s bags and hand-made clutches are selling well.

Her team mate, DBA student Sim Shi Rong, agrees that such hurdles are part and parcel of running a business, adding that this is how they grow from the experience. “I think that taking the Entrepreneurship option sums up everything I’ve learned in my first and second year in DBA. For example, we can now come up with our own marketing campaigns for our business ventures. I like how the programme provides students with the rare opportunity to run our own business. When we start pumping our own money into the business and watch it grow, it’s just a different experience altogether. It’s very real,” she adds.

Students are placed in charge of all business operations for SPELL, such as merchandising and product sourcing, inventory management and manpower scheduling. They also receive guidance from their wise lecturers.

Visit spellverve.com to check out SPELL’s catalogue of clothes. You can also visit talkingaboutme.co for Hui Min and Shi Rong’s chic fashion accessories as well as moostry.com to look at Bryan’s classy selection of laptop sleeves, watches and pencil cases.

Both Jun Kiat and Clarence, who are from the Diploma in Energy Systems and Management (DESM) course and Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (DEEE) course respectively were also the only polytechnic students to receive the EIS this year.

SP Buzz had a chat with both students to discover their passion for Engineering and their experiences in SP.

Can you share with us how you developed an interest in Engineering?
Jun Kiat (JK): I always had a strong interest in Mathematics and realised that it is also applicable to Engineering. Upon understanding what SP Engineering had to offer, I realised that engineering courses can be fun as I get a good mix of theory and hands-on work such as soldering and learning to design and print things using a 3D printer.
How did you select your current course out of more than 10 SP Engineering courses?

Clarence: I have cousins who are Engineers and have always been intrigued by their job and the challenges offered. It sounded like a good fit for my interest and passion and hence I decided to enrol in an Engineering diploma course.

How did you select your current course out of more than 10 SP Engineering courses?
JK: I selected the DESM course as it covers my interest in Engineering as well as the environment. I am pumped by the fact that I will be able to design and possibly come up with innovative energy solutions that will not harm the environment.

Clarence: The DEEE course had 11 specialisations which ranged from aerospace to computer engineering. I decided to specialise in the Electronic Engineering option which I am passionate about.

After two years in SP, how would you describe your experience so far?
JK: The passionate lecturers who go beyond their call of duty has been an eye opener so far. I will never forget how my lecturers are willing to go the extra mile to counsel us and offer us advice, especially during the exam period when everyone is stressed out.

Clarence: The more than 120 CCAs and six food courts ensured that life here is never boring. It has been a really enjoyable time for me so far and is very different from life in a secondary school.

What are your aspirations and thoughts on being awarded the EIS?
JK: It is an honour to be awarded this scholarship as a stable power source is vital to the community. I hope to develop an innovative energy solution that aims to meet this need while keeping the environment clean.

Clarence: Since young, I have always wanted to pursue a career in the Power sector as it is a meaningful job. The scholarship has motivated me to do better in my studies.
Congratulations once again to JK and Clarence.

Diploma in Nautical Studies alumnus and Second Officer Zachary Loh

When Diploma in Nautical Studies (DNS) alumnus Zachary Loh graduated five years ago, he didn’t imagine that he will be salvaging a World War II ship off the remote tropical island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. Neither did he imagine that he will be the first Singaporean to step foot on the island where French Emperor Napolean was imprisoned after the Battle of Waterloo.

An open mind was how Zachary approached the DNS course after enrolling in it after his ‘O’ levels. His firm decision came from a week-long attachment to the Singapore Maritime Academy during his secondary school days. Zachary mused, “The poly education system gave me the freedom to pursue activities such as CCAs beyond studying for my diploma. The Poly Marina, high-tech simulators and other cool facilities awed me as you don’t get to see these in a secondary school. You could say my sense of adventure was nurtured in SP. However, I had no idea of where I will sail to or what to expect once I started working the day after my national service!”

Over the years, Zachary’s passion for the maritime industry bloomed as he was struck by the incredible life a seafarer led. From making important decisions to operating heavy machinery and driving massive ships, every new exposure slowly awakened the maritime passion within him.

The on-the-job training he received combined with the skills and knowledge he picked up from the DNS course also meant that Second Officer Zachary could forgo further studies for the time being. Zachary said, “To be honest, this is a tough industry and one really has to put up with the daily challenges that are thrown at you as you climb up the ranks. However, the maritime industry is also one where career progression is dependent on one’s skills and experience. If you are eager to learn and face the challenges, you will see your skills deepen and with the right job experience, you can earn more than a degree holder.”

Zachary hard at work operating the crane at Cape Town, South Africa with Table Mountain in the background

Some of the skills that Zachary picked up as part of his job include the maintenance of various equipment such as radio sets and medical tools on board the vessel. Zachary is also in charge of planning the passage of the vessel he is on from point A to B and he is also the medical officer on board his vessel!

Despite filling multiple roles on board a vessel and the challenge of being away from home for long stretches (months) at times, Zachary firmly believes that he is on the right path and has no hesitation sharing the following advice with prospective students: “Don’t go into the maritime industry if you’re half-hearted. This is an industry that emphasises intelligence, perseverance, creativity and skills over paper qualifications. The passionate lecturers at the Singapore Maritime Academy can only guide you along in nurturing your passion. It also helps to have the support of your family and friends but what’s next is entirely up to you.”

Double rainbow over James Bay at St.Helena

Close up view of the shoreline of St.Helena from James Bay

Zachary standing in front of the house where Napoleon died in

Photo Credits to Zachary Loh

A rewarding trip to Malang, Indonesia

Diploma in Architecture student Benedict Ng (second from right) and his friends were immersed in a different culture during their homestay experience in Malang, Indonesia.

When SP student Benedict Ng first heard of the opportunity to go to an ASEAN country to do community work, he jumped at the chance in hopes of acquiring better leadership and people skills. The second-year Diploma in Architecture student signed up for SP’s Learning Express (LeX) programme, and soon ventured to Malang, Indonesia, where he – along with a group of other SP students and a few staff – were tasked to help a troubled Indonesian farmer produce more vegetable saplings.

Over the course of two weeks, Benedict got to experience a warm and hospitable homestay with the farmer, Pak Wahyudi, and his family. Immersed in an entirely different culture, Benedict got a peek into the lives of the local villagers. There was little of the technology we urban folks are familiar with – the villagers boiled water without the use of an electrical kettle, collected water from a well, and bred cows in their backyard as a source of income.

The students visited Indonesian farmer Pak Wahyudi’s farm, where he plants cucumbers and breeds catfish. The villagers in Malang have little of the technology we urban folks are familiar with.

“I came to appreciate the privileges that we get back in Singapore. Back home, we would always take things for granted and we even start to complain when things don’t go the way we want it to. In Malang, the locals taught us the simple act of humility and how to appreciate the simple pleasures in life,” says Benedict, who felt humbled by the experience.

Giving back to the local community

The students used Design Thinking tools to devise a unique and targeted solution for Pak Wahyudi’s farming problems.

Determined to give back to the community, Benedict and his groupmates wanted to help Pak Wahyudi – who is in his 50s and suffers from chronic back pain due to the laborious work – utilise his space efficiently to grow vegetable saplings. Using Design Thinking tools to create an innovative solution, the students introduced to Pak Wahyudi the concept of vertical farming. They proposed that the elderly farmer plant upwards to save lateral space and increase production, which also meant he need not bend down to pull weeds. Presented with a simple yet well-designed prototype of the vertical farm, Pak Wahyudi happily accepted the students’ proposal.

Benedict recalls the moment: “At first, we were very nervous as we didn’t know whether Bapak even liked the idea or not. However, when Bapak showed interest in the idea and started contributing to it, our frowns instantly turned into smiles. It was indeed a very heart-warming moment and it was definitely something that will stay with me.”

Taking students’ learning beyond the classroom

Benedict’s rewarding trip to Malang is an example of the LeX programme, where student participants from SP would take an Overseas Social Innovation Project module as part of their curriculum. To complete the project, students will have opportunities to learn a local lingo and live in the community through homestay. Led by facilitators from SP and their ASEAN counterparts, the students will apply the Design Thinking methodology to gain a deep understanding of the needs of the overseas local community. The insights gathered by the students will help them co-create purposeful and sustainable ideas to tackle challenges faced by the community.

LeX is one of three key programmes SP has rolled out to deepen the students’ knowledge of ASEAN issues and to foster warmer relationships with ASEAN neighbours. The other two programmes include GoServe, where students get to embark on overseas community service projects in both ASEAN and non-ASEAN countries, as well as the Youth Model ASEAN Conference (YMAC), a simulation of an ASEAN conference which brings together students from ASEAN member states.

SP clinched the inaugural ASEAN People’s Award in recognition of the polytechnic’s efforts to foster warmer relationships with ASEAN neighbours. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Communications and Information.

SP’s efforts to foster warmer relationships with ASEAN neighbours through such meaningful programmes were rewarded when the school clinched the inaugural ASEAN People’s Award in October this year. The award recognises organisations that have contributed towards ASEAN’s community-building efforts, and only one winner is chosen from each ASEAN nation.

Besides Malang, SP students have recently journeyed to many other ASEAN countries under the LeX programme and lent a helping hand to the local community.

Cagayan de Oro, The Philippines

SP students spent some time to bond with the children at Balay Canossa Orphange and learn about the problems they are facing.

A group of SP students as well as staff journeyed to Cagayan de Oro, where they teamed up with the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) to lend aid to the Balay Canossa Orphanage. Realising that the orphanage is in need of financial aid and greater outreach, the team proposed, among other ideas, a charity run that can help raise funds as well as an eco-garden that can provide the children with enough fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet. MUST also provided volunteers to give the children free tuition in subjects like English, Science and Mathematics.

Mr Mario Lajarca, a lecturer from SP’s School of Communication, Arts and Social Sciences and one of the facilitators for the trip, shares on his experience: “LeX has proven to me once again that learning is indeed beyond the classroom. The students learned to care for the community and picked up important values such as empathy and generosity.”

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The Yogyakarta team designed and constructed a stirring machine that is powered by kinetic energy from running water.

In Yogyakarta, SP students and facilitators were tasked to help villagers improve the way they produce Dodol Salak, a candy made from a fruit native to Indonesia. The process of making Dodol Salak was time consuming – simply stirring the candy mixture can take up to eight hours – and labour intensive, so the students created a device powered by running water that can help the villagers stir the mixture. They also made improvements to the villagers’ Dodol Salak packaging, which can help boost sales.

Diploma in Business Administration student Justin Tan, who was part of the group that went to Yogyakarta, says: “The LeX programme is a fun and interesting way to teach students about Design Thinking methodology while applying it in an overseas context. By applying Design Thinking, not only will the students benefit from learning the methodology, the villagers whom we helped will also benefit from the prototypes that we have come up with.”

Malang, Indonesia

The team from SP posed for a group photo with their project beneficiary – an Indonesian couple who runs a business selling catfish floss.

During their two-week trip to Malang, Indonesia, students and facilitators from SP helped a local couple, who runs a business selling catfish floss, to improve the way they market and produce their product. To solve the couple’s problems, the team produced two videos – one explains how to use social media to expand the business’ reach, while the other provides insight on the different ways to market the product. The students also created a guide book summarising their ideas, in hopes of keeping the owners motivated and informed on their suggestions.

Diploma in Business Information Technology student Azlinda Bte Jumahat shares on her experience: “The biggest takeaway for me during this trip was not about the project that we did nor the grades that we got for this module. It’s more about the friendship that I’ve forged with both the SP students and our Indonesian buddies. This was a truly life-changing experience for me.”

From being a defiant teenager to becoming a medical student – Amanda Chia is truly an inspiration to those who are determined to change their lives.

Just some five years ago, Amanda was a big girl, literally. Weighing 76kg at her heaviest when she was in secondary three, Amanda was often teased about her weight during gatherings with family and friends. At the same time, she was a rebellious teenager who mixed with bad company and was a constant headache for her teachers.

Like most stories that speak of turning their lives around, Amanda foresaw a bleak with her wayward friends and decided to take action. The turning point came when she befriended a different group of school mates and took up tchoukball as a sport to occupy her time. Her love for chocolates was severed and she lost some 20kg in just months!

From someone who used to fail her Mathematics in secondary two, she became the national top secondary five G.C.E ‘O’ Level student and scored five distinctions! Her achievement was even featured in the national newspapers!

Despite her good grades, she decided the polytechnic education was more suitable for her. Her personal experience with weight issues led her to pursue the Diploma in Nutrition, Health and Wellness at Singapore Polytechnic (SP).

Life at SP was hectic yet fun, and Amanda’s potential truly flourished – she was awarded the Temasek Education Foundation Sunburst Scholarship for her excellent academic achievements. The scholarship sponsors fully her tuition fees plus an additional $500 living allowance per month.

To get first-hand experience with health issues, she took part in various activities such as health screening, blood donation drive and health mapping exercise for senior citizens. During her final year, she was the advisor to the SP’s School of Chemical and Life Sciences’ Food and Nutrition Student Executive Committee. Her overall achievements led to her being named SP Model Student of the Year 2015 and the Outstanding Class Leader Award 2015.

Recognising that she has the ability to help the less fortunate, Amanda founded the SP Sign Language Club. She went through countless sleepless nights to nurture the club from its infancy stage to its current strength of more than 100 members. As President of the club, she spearheaded the development of the entire syllabus for members to learn the silent language.

During her first year in SP, Amanda founded the SP Sign Language Club.

Amanda also learned much from her internship with an organic food manufacturing company. She gained not just a deeper understanding on food and nutrition matters but also how to market products. From conducting baking classes, promoting organic wines, stocktaking to cleaning the shop, Amanda gained invaluable experience during her time there.

The former ‘big girl’ who now sports a healthy figure is now ready for a much bigger challenge. Having gained admission to study medicine at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore, Amanda is now an aspiring doctor. As though being one of a small handful of students who entered medical school via polytechnic route isn’t difficult enough, Amanda holds is possibly the first student with ‘N’ level background to accomplish that.

SP alumni matriculated into NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine this year (from left): Rachel Tan, Shea Ng, Marcus Seah and Amanda Chia.

Graduating with an almost perfect Grade Point Average score of 3.968 out of a possible 4.0, Amanda was also named the valedictorian for her graduation session where she delivered an encouraging speech to her fellow graduands.

“I think deep inside anyone of us, if we realised that what we are doing is not quite right, we will be determined to change. Along the way, my family and church friends were my constant source of support and encouragement. If I didn’t have people like them who constantly spurred me on to follow my passion, I might have not done as well because this journey isn’t an easy one. I am humbled to be offered a place in medical school and will definitely work hard to realise my aspiration to help others in my community,” said Amanda.

Photo courtesy of Resorts World Sentosa

Someone call a ghostbuster! This Halloween, a group of Singapore Polytechnic (SP) students have to mingle with the likes of zombies, wild beasts, stringy-haired ghosts and other ghastly creatures. Strange as it sounds, this actually forms part of their school work.

Under the guidance of a team of make-up artists from Universal Studios Singapore (USS), 41 second year students from the Diploma in Visual Effects and Motion Graphics (DVEMG) are learning how to transform men in the street into a horrifying horde of ghouls, aliens and werebeasts.

As part of a Special Effects module, they went through an intense five days of training with make-up experts to prepare for USS’s Halloween Horror Nights, the theme park’s fifth annual scare-fest which takes place on selected dates from Oct 2 to 31. Working alongside USS staff, the students – the third batch to participate in this kind of work experience – are responsible for the scary looks of 400 actors.

During her training, second year DVEMG student Cherry Eng learned to design convincing and realistic bruises using just the three primary colours – red, blue and yellow.

During the training, the students were taught how to design special effects, such as wounds, scars and bruises, as well as to incorporate prosthetics, like fake scars or limbs, in their make-up. Of the various techniques she has learned, second year DVEMG student Cherry Eng enjoys designing fake bruises the most. “I find it really cool that we can design convincing and realistic bruises by using just red, blue and yellow colours! I’m usually pretty clumsy and get bruised up really easily, so I simply recall how my real bruises look like while designing fake ones,” says Cherry, who does the make-up for a scare actress portraying a red-skinned lizard-woman.

The hardworking Cherry does the make-up for a scare actress portraying a red-skinned lizard-woman.

While many of the students have no prior experience with special effects make-up, they are now able to turn humans into ghouls – complete with realistic, silicon-made prosthetics and wild wigs – in just an hour’s time.

Every event night, the students have merely an hour’s time to transform men into ghouls, and second year DVEMG student Sharlene Wee finds the mad rush challenging at first.

For second year DVEMG student Sharlene Wee, doing all this in such a short time is no mean feat. Describing her training experience, she says: “Starting out, I was very nervous since we have to do up the scare actor’s hair and make-up within an hour. I was slow in the beginning. Our instructor told us that even if their looks are not completed, the scare actors have to be pushed out when the show is due to start.” Despite the steep learning curve, Sharlene overcame the challenge after much practice and says she is now much faster when applying make-up on the scare actors.

Through this experience, the students also learn to step out of their comfort zones as they have to work with strangers. Sharlene, who is assigned to an experienced scare actress, describes her partner as friendly and encouraging. She adds: “All this is fresh to me, so I am careful not to be too rough while applying make-up on her. She is quite friendly however, and tells me that it is okay to use more force when doing so.”

Looks are deceiving – Sharlene’s partner, an experienced scare actress, may look scary with her harpy-like prosthetics, but she is actually friendly.

Accompanying the students throughout their training is DVEMG lecturer Ms Jennifer Ang, who oversees their welfare and makes sure they find time to eat in between hectic schedules. Ms Ang, who is well-acquainted with the make-up artists from USS, says that being involved in the production gives the students valuable work exposure. She adds that they also learn discipline by adhering to workplace rules, such as strict guidelines for work attire. For instance, the girls are not allowed to wear V-neck shirts to protect their modesty.

For the DVEMG students, getting hands-on experience from the Halloween Horror Nights’ production gives them a glimpse of how it is like to be a professional make-up artist for stage productions or movies. Cherry, who intends to pursue a degree overseas upon graduating, says that she can now consider joining a make-up crew for similar productions. Fellow classmate Sharlene adds: “Being in a make-up crew is something new to me, so I believe this experience with USS opens up work opportunities in the future. Hopefully one day I can be a crew member of a Hollywood blockbuster!”

The ‘Beast Club’ area in USS’s Halloween Horror Nights is where some of our students’ living artworks are ‘displayed’. Photo courtesy of Resorts World Sentosa.

Experience your greatest fears come to life at Halloween Horror Nights! Remaining dates for the scare-fest are: October 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, and 31. For more information, visit halloweenhorrornights.com.sg.

Growing up in a family of sailing enthusiasts – including a father who is a former windsurfer, had Audrey Yong starting young when it came to windsurfing. Her determination to do well has earned her numerous awards such as the Summer Youth Olympic 2010 Games (bronze for Girl’s Techno 293), SEA Games 2011 (silver for RSX Women windsurfing) and the recent SEA Games 2015 (gold for RSX Women windsurfing). Her most recent medal was also Singapore’s first for windsurfing since 1989.

The journey to pursue her passion in windsurfing has not been completely smooth-sailing. She sacrificed time with family and friends and struggled with her studies. “Balancing between training and full-time studies is difficult. Training on weekends will not let me achieve the level of competency that I want, but following the strict training schedule will require me to take time off from school. I am usually not in school and it became very difficult for me to pass as the results are heavily dependent on the course work,” recollects Audrey, who deferred school to participate in sporting competitions and events shortly after being accepted to SP Design School in 2011.

But Audrey does not regret her decision to withdraw from school for competitions. In fact, her frequent overseas travels sparked off her interest in the hotel industry and set her on a different academic path – SP’s Diploma in Hotel and Leisure Facilities Management (DHLFM).

When asked about her switch to a totally different course, Audrey explains, “Of all the courses offered, I find DHLFM the most relevant and interesting. After travelling to different places with my teammates and coach, and staying in various hotels and apartments, I was fascinated by how hotels and other accommodations operate. On top of that, it is easier to catch up with lessons as some assessments can be rescheduled and the notes provide ample information for me to complete the coursework. For design courses, it’s about physically being in class for tutorials. Every project requires lots of practice and time in order to score good grades.”

With the support and understanding from SP and her lecturers, her poly journey is now more manageable. Despite missing classes and deferring school for half a year each in 2014 and 2015, she managed to complete her modules with an excellent cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.782 out of a possible 4.0. She attributes this partly to the generous help from her lecturers and her personal tutor Ms Carol Tan. “My personal tutor whom I have known since year 2 has been very helpful in many ways,” shares Audrey, who also holds a scholarship from Marina Bay Sands (MBS). “She coordinates my scholarship together with Mr Wong Kum Kit (DHLFM lecturer). I also sought advice from her for my final-year project even though she was not the lecturer-in-charge.” On her part, she also tries to do her best in school so that her lecturers will not worry for her.

Ironically, with her bubbly and friendly personality, Audrey does not socialise much and usually goes straight home after school. However, she treasures her time with her two best friends – Jerome Heng and Angela Chew, who were her year 1 and 2 course mates and have been supporting her by following her windsurfing competitions online and providing encouragement. They would also arrange time to meet up every time she returns to Singapore.

After clinching her first gold at the SEA Games, Audrey is now taking a short break and will be shifting her focus to her six-month internship programme starting this October.

With the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics coming up, she faces a tough decision on whether to participate in the competition or to focus entirely on her internship.

“The Olympics is almost every athlete’s dream and my coach has asked me to give it a try. However, the training and competition schedule clashes with my internship in MBS. MBS has been really accommodating by offering to plan my work schedule according to the competition schedule, and will also give me time-off if required. But I have not decided yet,” says Audrey.

Whether or not she will bask in the glory of the Olympics, the hospitality industry will certainly shine with a gem like Audrey.

DMAT’s energetic course chair, Mr Michael Spicer (Front row, centre), with his group of talented final-year DMAT students who helped prepare the evening’s programme line-up and logistics.

About 300 guests, including DMAT students, alumni and lecturers, gathered at The Hall on 5^th September for a vivacious homecoming reunion. The highlight of the event: a mini-concert featuring performances by former and current students from every DMAT cohort, including established musicians.

Violinist and DMAT graduate Wong Ay Shyuan (centre), better known as V’bel, performed with her band members (Melvin, Gabriel, Nicholas and Joon Lei) at the DMAT 10th Anniversary party.

A particularly heart-pumping act that night was violinist Wong Ay Shyuan and her band, who performed a fusion of orchestral and classical rock music. Ay Shyuan, also known as V’bel, was the first artiste to release two singles under SPear, a record label started by DMAT. Her debut songs, ‘The Ledge’ and ‘Resurrection’, were launched in 2013, alongside other SPear artistes. She will be releasing a new song titled ‘Rage The Song’ soon, so stay tuned!

DMAT graduate and SPear artiste Beth Yap, is now a full-time musician who goes by the stage name “bittymacbeth”.

Fellow SPear artiste Betty Yap, now a full-time musician, also performed the guitar to wild applause. Upon her graduation in 2013 as DMAT’g Gold Medallist, the one-woman-band – who goes by the stage name bittymacbeth – previously worked as an assistant soundman for Mediacorp and is currently in the midst of producing an album.

Mr Michael Spicer performed a ballad with his students to raving applause.

Even DMAT course chair Mr Michael Spicer, who was hurrying about and ensuring the event went smoothly, found time to perform a piano-based ballad with two of his students. This wasn’t the first time he did it – he also performed the flute with his students during the launch of SPearat Resorts World Sentosa two years back.

Following the reunion event, SP Buzz caught up with Mr Spicer to find out more about DMAT’s decade-old success story and how the course came to be.

Let’s start from the beginning – what gave you the idea for a music course?

Mr Spicer: A former SP lecturer, Mr Timothy Teo, and I were having coffee in Food Court 6, when he brought up the idea of setting up a music course. I agreed to think about it, and we put the idea together and proposed it. After he left SP, a few other lecturers and I structured the course and got it pass the Ministry of Education’s requirements. It took quite a long time, actually. Once we had the course running, we didn’t know what sort of response we were going to get from ‘O’ Level students. We later realised a lot of people wanted to join the course, and since then the course has constantly been oversubscribed!

What makes the DMAT course so special?

Mr Spicer: Our course is the only one that really focuses on both the music and audio technology fields. Our students are trained to excel in an ever-changing music industry because at the end of the day, DMAT creates problem solvers. So our students can always find a way to succeed even as the industry changes.

How is the demand like for musically-trained students?

Mr Spicer: As long audio or media is being produced, we need people who can do post-production work for audio or create music and sound effects. One thing we’ve noticed in recent years, especially with the advent of the two integrated resorts, is that there is more demand for live music as well as supporting infrastructure in terms of production and event management. That’s where you need people with a background in music and audio technology, as they have the skills to be good in the business.

What’s next for DMAT?

Mr Spicer: We’re continuously renewing the course, and we’re always trying to make the course as relevant for the actual industry needs as we can. So the next thing on our list is a big review of the course, but we’ll still be maintaining our general aim of producing useful musical professionals for the media industry. We are looking at the changing industry landscape and thinking about how we can optimally prepare the students for that.

How did you decide on SP’s DEEE course?

Binita: Since primary school, I already had a passion for maths and physics and knew that my future will be in these fields. The DEEE is thus a perfect course for me to pursue my interests. The flexible curriculum also allows me to choose a specialisation from 11 options ranging from biomedical, aerospace or robotics.

How would you encourage more females to take up Engineering?

Binita: I don’t get why people think girls have nothing to do in an engineering course. That’s really sad, because we all have the same brain. I might even have a better brain than the boys. However, girls will need to be mentally strong because there will be distractions from the guys or you might be looked down upon just because you are a girl. If you enjoy it though, engineering is a very fun experience and you won’t know unless you give it a try.

Looks like you are having fun and getting along well with the boys?

Binita: It takes two hands to clap and I guess it is about being friendly and respecting each other. If I were alone, the boys would ask me to join them and I never felt any negativity hanging out with them.

Any fun interests or hobbies outside of lessons?

Binita: As the Vice President of SP Comperes, the school’s emcee club, I am invited to host many school events such as the recent SP Scholarship Award Ceremony in July. I also devote my free time to helping the less fortunate as well.

Wow, that sounds like a handful. How do you cope with all your activities?

Binita: It’s all about time-management and prioritising activities. One of the requirements of a scholar is not just being good in academics, you have to be good in CCAs, leadership roles, and community service as well. It’s all part of the package of a holistic education.

What will you remember most when you leave SP?

Binita: I will always remember my awesome lecturers for being supportive and for encouraging me to improve myself and letting my talents shine. I realised that people here value your talents and if you are good at something, they will help you. I am also grateful for SP’s beautiful campus and dedicated lab facilities that allow me to work on my Final Year Project at any time.

Binita, it looks like you are really rocking your course and teaching the guys a thing or two.

If you are passionate about Maths, Science or Engineering like Binita, check out the different SP Engineering courses available here. With SP Engineering, you can change your world!