Aaron Ng

Congrats to those who made it past the elections. You have been given the mandate to represent the students, and make sure that you do not disappoint those who have put their faith and trust in you.

Savour the moment of victory. You have earned it.

For those who didn’t get in, you will not be left out. Once a part of Red&Black, always a part of Red&Black.

I hate to do this, but I’m withdrawing from elections.

It’s an ultimatum that was handed down to me. Either one or the other. And, as much as my heart feels for Arts Club, I still have to withdraw.

Firstly, there cannot be a compromise at all that I hold a position on the paper as well as the club. The appearance of conflict of interest is something that the paper takes very seriously, and undermining the objectivity of the paper is as good as destroying it.

Secondly, I did agree to commit to the newspaper for a year, and that came before I agreed to commit to Arts Club. I still strongly feel that I can contribute to both, and I should. However, since the chronological order is such that I agreed to the paper first, logically it follows that the paper has higher priority.

Lastly, I’m taking a course in newsroom management and this paper is a part of it. As an editor, I have to deal with content. If I don’t touch content, I can’t produce articles, and that means I can’t be properly graded.

All said, basically, I don’t have much of a choice. My last chance to do something for students by being an office bearer is gone. I will never be an undergraduate again. Perhaps I can achieve something through the newspaper. However, what I can achieve for the newspaper will not be the same as what I can achieve with Arts Club.

This is something that only active Arts Club members will understand. I came into NUS, and everything that I am today started with Arts Club. The club gave me the opportunity to enter student politics, the opportunity to learn the workings of NUS. Without Arts Club, there will be no Aaron of today.

I merely wanted to go back and end off the way I started. So much has happened in my 3 years here, and I just want to end my undergraduate life the way I started it: with fond memories of my time in Arts Club.

Heaven is cruel indeed.

I’m not one who is easily down, but right now I’m feeling rather down.

It’s no fault of anyone really, but it’s just upsetting that I have to be forced to make a choice. I know there it’s a conflict of interest to be an office bearer and a reporter, but in my current context, I really want to be able to do both.

I feel alot for the Observer, because the people there have the fire in the belly, and they are so idealistic. Idealists feed off other idealists, and that’s what I’ve been thriving on since Observer started. I was glad to be able to use my extensive knowledge and experience gained from student politics in NUS to help steer Observer into being a relevant newspaper for NUS students.

However, while I can report for the Observer and write highly insightful and critical pieces, there really is a limit to the maximum effect that can be achieved. It may cause commotion, and sometimes chaos, but it is unlikely to change things much. Maybe a really good piece can throw some badly managed organisations into complete chaos, but as I was reminded by someone, who is there to pick up the pieces, and who knows how to pick up the pieces?

The best chance of moving things forward for students is to go back into student politics and engineer changes from within. Granted, the chances are not exactly fantastic, but not going in means no chance of changing things at all. However, to go in would mean that I am part of “them”. If I become part of “them” and be a reporter at the same time, it is unavoidable that some people would wag their tongues and cry conflict of interest.

Honestly, sometimes I really wonder why is it that I know so much. And I wonder why isn’t there someone else to do the job. Best of all, I wonder why do I even care so much. Should I hate myself for being like this? I don’t know. I’m too tired to think.

I just realised that next Friday is Teacher’s day. It’s been a really long while since I’ve had any form of Teacher’s Day celebrations, or since I’ve gone back to visit my teachers.

I feel kind of bad, really. Been wanting to go back to my old schools, especially my primary school. It’s been a good 12 years since I finished primary school. But, I think the best memories of teachers belonged to my primary school. I remember how caring they were towards me and my classmates, even though there were a number of us (including me) who were so naughty. I still remember sitting on the cold hard floor outside classroom every other week because I forgot to do my homework!

Well, back then, I remember that I didn’t really like to be sent out of class, or to have my exercises thrown out of the door (if you think that it’s incredible that my teachers did that, you are probably a later product of the Singapore education system). Looking back, I think it’s incredible how I was once like that. I think I’m alot better than back then, although I am no religious fanatic over meeting assignment submission deadlines (I do slip up once in a while. After all, I’m still human, and I’m glad that I’m one).

And looking at myself now, it just seems so amazing that 12 years had passed just like that. A couple of my teachers are still teaching in my primary school, although the number had dropped drastically. I think I should make the effort to go back. After all, those were the teachers who made it possible for me to enter a premier secondary school, and I went on to enter a premier junior college and now, doing my honours at NUS. It’s been a while since I visited them, and I think I ought to give them a nice surprise.

The only problem is how to come back in time for class.

I’ve completed my first ever internship and now am back to school again!

I was at the Institute of Mental Health for almost 3 months, and how fast time passed! Maybe it seemed exceptionally fast because I really liked the place.

I suppose the biggest fear (or the most irritating thing) of an internship for the intern is to end up being treated as cheap, unskilled labour. I’ve heard of horror stories of interns becoming coffee runners and labourers. Thankfully, my colleagues at IMH didn’t accord me any “special” treatment. I’m very thankful that they treat me just like any other staff. I’m also thankful to have been put through the different aspects of corporate communications, from being in the office to outside of office! Although this is only my first (and probably my last) internship, I can confidently say that this internship is everything that an intern can possibly hope for. I’m glad to have been given the chance to join them and I’ll fondly remember the people who made it possible.

Now I am back in school again, and it feels nice to be back, although it means lots of assignments and dealines to be met again. I’m doing my honours year, so that means I have an honours thesis on my hands too! Looks like two busy semesters ahead. And, I’m filling out application for Masters. Yes, I want to be a permanent student!