the ridge

ridgeonline.wordpress.com February 2009

A Cause for Everyone

Even you can lend a
helping hand Page 20

Windows 7: An
Improvement over
Vista? Page 40

Free tickets to Arts

Festival ‘09! Page 34

MICA (P) 218/01/2008

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 contents 01

ISIS
16 Homemakers Don’t Make History
18 Isis - God of Simplicity
20 A Cause for Everyone
24 Film Reel - Freedom, The Very Nature of Man
26 It’s All Blues
28 SinTV
30 Handle With Care

NEWS
06 Four Going on Five
08 NUS Muslim Society’s Gaza Donation Drive
10 NUS New Chief Artist Meets Student Media
for First Time
12 NUS Office of Financial Aid: What you need
to know

OUTSPOKEN
32 NUS Deviants

WIRED
36 Tech Buzz
38 CES Roundup
40 Windows 7: Brand new Windows or just
another Vista Service Pack?

REGULARS
04 Two Cent Saloon
05 Photo Story
14 Borders Book Review
22 Canvas
24 Film Reel - Slave Movies
42 World Sports Feed
design Samyuktha

photo sxc.hu
 02 editorial

For eternity, it seems, the month of February will be defined by its 14th day.

Valentines itself, perpetually dotted with women receiving gifts, cards, chocolates, roses,
proposals (indecent or otherwise) and much more, is perhaps one of the more estrogen
overloaded, female centric days.

the ridge, decided to reflect this slant by dedicating our current issue to the Egyptian goddess
Isis, the ideal mother and wife along with being the goddess for maidens. Outspoken reflects on
the roles of mothers and wives in today’s hectic work oriented world [16-17].

With Isis also being the patron of the downtrodden, Lifestyle looks at small efforts and changes
we all can make in order to help those less fortunate [20-21]. The rest of her many attributes are
explored in our theme section [15-31]

Another worthy cause covered by our news team, is the charity and aid efforts organized by
NUS students to help the victims of the recent violence in Gaza [08-09].

Wired gets a hold of Windows 7 Beta and brings you the scoops on whether it is an
improvement on vista [40-41] along with providing coverage of CES ’09 [38-39].

Finally, the ridge is giving out 5 pairs of free passes to Monique Copper who will be performing
at ArtsFest ’09. Please visit our website ridgeonline.wordpress.com for more details on how to
enter the contest.

For any other enquiries, the email remains ridgechiefeditor@nus.edu.sg.

Hurrairah bin Sohail

Chief Editor
design Samyuktha
 isis 03

Chief Editor
Hurrairah bin Sohail

Executive Editor
(Online)
Hannah Yan

Webmaster
Ho Yi Jian

News
Jason Hau & Lynette Lim

Outspoken
Kokila Annamalai

Lifestyle
Arzish Baaquie

Transmedia
Hurrairah bin Sohail

Wired
Gurmesh Singh

Sports
Suhas Bhat

Creative Director
Claryce Lum

Head of Creative Team:

Design
Samyuktha Santhanam

Head of Creative Team:

Photography
Adi Yoga

Copyeditor
Suhas Bhat

Head of Marketing & PR

Samyuktha Santhanam

Secretary
Sowmya Gopi

Treasurer
Dennis Phua
photo sxc.hu
 04 news
Two Cent Saloon
text Jason Hau | jasonhau@nus.edu.sg
Recently
XXXXXXXXXX there have been discussions in Singapore
regarding education and whether exams are the best
indicators for a well rounded education. Why not
apply this discussion to the National University of
Singapore?
In my last column for the January issue of the ridge,
I commented that there are many NUS students who
are oblivious to the world around them, choosing to
solely bury themselves within their own topics and
neglecting the real world.
Examinations have long been the key determinant of
how much a student has learnt of the topic at hand.
Yet, with only a 13-week semester, I really wonder
how much is and can be absorbed.
The length of a semester is not the only ingredient in
the mix of education. The effort each individual puts
in, or lack thereof, is also vital.
I recently asked a fellow NUS undergraduate what she
does every day, since she appeared to be swamped
with work and overloaded.
Her reply was a chilling, “I spend my days streaming
videos online and blog-hopping.”
So what we as students usually find ourselves in is
the frantic “mugging” that takes place during Reading
Week, when we cram information into our brains,
(hopefully) stored for the exams and proceed to forget
it all once they are over.
Indeed, the NUS libraries are well known to be jam
packed towards the end of the semester, and core texts
notoriously hard to get hold of, with so many leaving
their ‘educating’ to the last minute.
design Hurrairah bin Sohail
04 05 News.indd 2
Could we then see it as the fault of the syllabi? Perhaps
if it were structured properly, with both lecturer and
student doing their own parts, there would be no need
for a week to do nothing but your readings.
In this sense, non-examinable modules would
probably work better in the provision of a ‘better’
education.
In such modules, grades are given for consistent work
throughout the entire semester, and students generally
have to apply their newly acquired knowledge in more
ways than simply putting pen to paper.
I have personally always enjoyed non-examinable
modules more.
It is not because the workload is lighter, which
in reality is usually the very opposite, with non-
examinable modules having a heavier workload
throughout the entire semester.
The fact of the matter is, spreading the assessment
throughout the semester ensures that we are truly
learning, and not simply memorizing formulae and
facts, and finally regurgitating these information
memorized for just one day and one paper.
In recent news reports, it has been reported that the
Ministry of Education are already planning to scrape
examinations for Primary 1 and 2 students, a clear
indication of a more holistic and less examination-
focused education.
Why should this ideal apply for us as university
students?
After all, is it not the grade that matters, but what you
take out from your time in university?
2/4/2009 10:58:39 PM
 news 05

A Thousand Words ...

text Lynette Lim l lynette_lim@nus.edu.sg photo Jason Hau | jasonhau@nus.edu.sg

As we move plunge full on into the semester, things are getting heated up.

Piles of readings are slowly burying us under while we fight to get on top of them. We have
got seemingly endless project meetings, and tutorials to complete. Then there are other non-
curricular activities, and attending to our slowly fading social lives.

Yet as we blind ourselves in the midst of the hustle and bustle, we are missing the simple
pleasures in life.

The sight of a furry, busy tailed creature scampering up a tree during the lunch rush hour can
bring that smile to your face and that spring to your step that you never knew you had been
missing.

Slow down, put your life on hold, do not end up missing the simple joys of life passing you by
design Hurrairah bin Sohail

every day.

“A chance to breathe while sitting at a red light. You look around, reflecting on your life... You
break the mould when running through the tolls - speeding through your whole life.”
Jonny Lang, “Red Light”

04 05 News.indd 3 2/5/2009 2:31:08 AM

 06 news
Four Going On Five
This article is a follow-up to the ‘Level-4000 FASS modules to carry
5 MC from next academic year’ article which was published in the
January 2009 issue of the ridge. We dig in deeper into the issue,
seeking to explain the unanswered questions posed in the last article.
text Chrissy Poon | yoke.xi@nus.edu.sg Lynette Lim | lynette_lim@nus.edu.sg Lee Meixian | meixian@nus.edu.sg
From Academic Year 2009/2010, all Level-4000
modules in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
(FASS) will be amended to carry five modular credits
instead of the current four.
Many FASS students expressed concern, with attitudes
ranging from disgruntlement due to the sudden
change, to qualms of unresolved CORS technical
matters.
FASS dialogue session to address issue
According to Associate Professor John Richardson,
Vice-Dean of FASS, the purpose of this policy change
is so that students will have to do fewer modules in
order to graduate.
This is aimed at benefiting Honours students, helping
“with the focused in-depth study that is characteristic
of the Honours programme”.
This would allow students to concentrate and focus,
and to provide them with “a better education and time
to think and digest”.
“The policy has been carefully thought through and is
being introduced for sound educational reasons,” he
said.
“The implementation is something we have put much
thought into. At present, I am convinced we have
found the best way of introducing the new policy.”
That being said, he expressed that arguments “based
on principle and those concerning the student
design Felicia Ong
population as a whole” from students would always be
welcome.
In light of this, a dialogue session was scheduled
for FASS students on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 4 p.m. in
Lecture Theatre 14. (Please check our online portal @
ridgeonline.wordpress.com for the coverage of
the dialogue session.)
“We will set out the rationale for the change, and
its implementation. We will also address students’
questions,” said Prof Richardson.
“Addressing students’ concerns is at the forefront of
our thoughts,” he added.
Non-FASS students about the five MC Lvl-4000
modules
Amongst non-FASS students who are aware of this
situation, the consensus was generally positive.
Nevertheless, students were more hesitant to push for
the implementation of this policy in their respective
faculties.
Third-year computer engineering student, Dhawal J.
Shah said, “I have no strong inclination that this be
implemented in my faculty.”
“In Engineering, we have to fulfil a certain number of
breadth and depth modules. Having five MCs for a level
four module won’t really help us”.
Abhinav Sharma, a second-year electrical engineering
student also expressed his reluctance to implement
this policy in his faculty.
“Reducing level 2000/3000 modules [in Engineering]

is not wise as it might create anomalies in
accreditation issues,” he said.
“Whereas in Arts, I think it is a good move, as students
can acquire deeper knowledge in their chosen major.”
This view was shared by fourth-year computing
student, Low Yong Sheng.
“Most of our Level-4000 modules are extensions of
Level-3000 modules. Implementing it in Computing
would bring no changes since the number of modules
would still be the same because of the prerequisites.”
Science students, on the other hand, were more
receptive to the idea.
Chua Hui Xiang, a first-year statistics student said,
“In Science, Level 3000 and Level 4000 modules
are similar. Implementing this policy will be able to
accelerate our graduation”.
First-year applied mathematics student, Johnson Gan,
was also for the policy implementation in Science.
“Math has many majors such as Calculus and Linear
Algebra. One would still have to take basic Level-1000
modules, but with five MC Level-4000 modules, I
would need to complete fewer modules to fulfil my
required MCs.”
Implementation in Faculty of Engineering (FOE) and
Faculty of Science (FOS)?
Each NUS faculty has a different curriculum feature
to cater to the education of students of the individual
faculty.
Despite the positive remarks expressed by science
students, it would be unlikely that the Faculty of
Science (FOS) will implement this policy in the near
future.
According to the Undergraduate Programmes Office
of FOS, Science students already have a flexible
curriculum structure where they are free to read
approved graduate Level-5000/6000 modules to
satisfy their Honours requirements.
This flexibility also allows science students to read
up to 16 MCs of research-based modules through the
news 07
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme in
Science (UROPS).
Similarly, for the Faculty of Engineering, research-
based modules generally carry more than 4MCs.
Ashraf Kassim, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of
Engineering, said, “Most modules in the upper two
years of study involve design, or project type modules.
These modules are typically more than 4MCs and
some are done over two academic semesters.”
Implementation of this policy would thus be
unnecessary in the two faculties due to their existing
structures that already address this issue of in-depth
studies for Honours students.
Thus, it appears that FASS will remain as the only
faculty in NUS to have this unique scheme for the near
future.
With the 2007 cohort being the first batch to
experience the entire system, (the 2006 cohort’s
breadth module requirements remain unchanged at
16MCs) we shall only see the result two years from
now.
With the University Town and its proposed “tailored
educational structure” also scheduled to begin
operations by then, the NUS of 2011 may very well be
a very different educational institution from what it is
today.
 08 news

NUS Muslim Society’s Gaza

Donation Drive
text & photo Aminurashid Juma’at | u0500245@nus.edu.sg

The National University of Singapore’s Muslim
Society (NUSMS) is currently running a donation drive
for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.
In collaboration with Mercy Relief Singapore and with
the approval of the NUS Office of Student Affairs, the
NUSMS set out to hold the donation drive at various
locations around Kent Ridge Campus.
This student led initiative was held as a response to
the conflict between Palestinians and Israel that has
seen about 1,300 Palestinians dead, 5300 injured with
34 per cent of them children.
However, knowing that donating a dollar or two would
go a long way in helping Palestinians who depend
on foreign aid for survival, she was able to put her
nervousness aside.
She also believes that charitable efforts should not be
restricted to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza but also
to other troubled regions the world over be it man
made or natural.
The Director of the World Food Programme, Daly
Belgasmi, remarked in a news briefing in New York
that Gaza’s food supply chain has collapsed.

About a third of the Palestinian dead and wounded

were civilians while amongst the 13 Israelis who had
died, three were civilians.

The NUSMS’ initiative is in tandem with similar

donation drives island wide by students in the
Nanyang Technological University as well as various
religious groups such as the Singapore Buddhist
Federation, Hindu Endowments Fund, National
Council of Churches of Singapore and The Catholic
Archdiocese of Singapore.

The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon,

has called for a $613 million dollar appeal to help Gaza
recover after the Israeli offensive.

Gadisti, a second year Life Sciences student and a

booth volunteer initially felt shy about having to go out
to ask for donations.

Members (of NUS Muslim Society)

felt that they need to go beyond
emotional discourses and that
it was pertinent to translate
concern into action
-
design Carol Lim

Many basic food items such as cooking gas, fuel
and bakeries have seen their prices beginning to
rise, adding to the plight of the Palestinians whose
unemployment rate has reached 70 percent.
Answering the to the UN’s Emergency Appeal for Gaza,
Singapore’s Foreign Ministry has pledged US$50,000
to support international efforts in helping Gaza. This
is on top of donations of more than US$100,000 raised
by local communities in Singapore.
Ms Nani Iryanni, a second year business major
and treasurer for NUSMS told The Ridge that the
political and philosophical discussions amongst
undergraduates on the NUSMS Yahoo Groups sparked
activist fervour.
Members felt that they need to go beyond emotional
discourses and that it was pertinent to translate
concern into action.
Ms Nani explains that monetary donations and
volunteers are needed to help the donation drive a
success.
news 09
photo deviantart.com
The lack of manpower and cost of logistics on the
other hand does not permit the NUSMS to accept food
and clothes as donations.
It came out as a pleasant surprise to her that the effort
has galvanized non-active members of the society
to pitch in their time and hopes that the rest of the
student population would help as well.
So far, there has been a healthy response from the
student body, drawing questions and donations as
well.
Ashiq, a second year Psychology major, did not give
any second thought about chipping in a coin into the
box.
He says that it is sad to see political conflicts that cause
social convulsions on the ground but as students, we
should do what we can in our capacities to help those
suffering as fellow human beings.
Mercy Relief will be sending two teams to Cairo and
Jerusalem to work together with the Egyptian and
Palestinian Red Crescent and the UN Relief & Works
Agency (UNRWA).
The money will be used to provide food, water, shelter,
health care and other assistance food, water, shelter,
health care and other assistance to the Palestinian
Territories.
The three-week assault on the Gaza strip has left some
Palestinian towns totally destroyed, electricity and
water infrastructure damaged and sewage pouring
onto the streets.
For more information, please visit the NUSMS Official
Blog Site: www.nusms.blogspot.com
 10 news

NUS New Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, the new President of the
National University of Singapore (NUS), met members
of the NUS student media for the very first time in a

Chief Artist press conference held on Jan. 19, 2009.

Prof Tan broadly highlighted his vision regarding the

Meets Student future of the University and answered a number of

questions from the group.

Media For “NUS is a highly respected research institution

internationally,” said Prof Tan, “we need to maintain

First Time
and steepen the growth we have achieved over the
past 10 years and aim to be one of the top universities
in the world.”

text Jason Hau | jasonhau@nus.edu.sg

With this statement, the first brushstrokes appeared
on the NUS canvas.

As the press conference, organized by the Office of

Corporate Relations, progressed, more details became
apparent regarding the direction of NUS for the future.

It was clear that the upcoming University Town, or

U-Town for short, was to be a key component of the
new NUS.

“U-Town will help us build up a diverse learning

culture, where students will learn as a group and grow
together,” Prof Tan explained.

All too often in our current system, new friendships

are formed at the beginning of a new semester, only
to drift apart and lost completely by the end of the
semester.

There is no real “class” to speak off, unlike what

Singaporeans have had in previous education
institutes such as junior colleges and secondary
schools.

This makes it difficult to form enduring friendships in

university now.

According to Prof Tan, this is a point that U-Town will

address.

By having the same group of students take modules

design Hurrairah bin Sohail

together for up to a year, there will be a greater chance

to forge long-lasting bonds among both international
and local students.

Prof Tan also hopes that students in U-Town will also
be able to “gain global and cross-cultural energy” from
their time there.
The close proximity of U-Town to research institutes
such as one set up by the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology will allow for increased exposure of
students to these researchers, which also raises the
possibility of joint degrees with them.
This research environment was a point that Prof Tan
felt was important towards the growth of NUS.
An issue then developed over whether strong
researchers or good teachers were more desirable for
an institution like NUS.
Many students have had the experience of having
lecturers who were brilliant researchers and
experienced academics, but rather lacking when it
comes to lecturing a large group.
However, Prof Tan had a ready explanation regarding
this issue.
“By building up Centres of Excellence in areas such
as Quantum Technology and Cancer research, we
will be able to develop and draw in top notch faculty
members,” said Prof Tan.
These faculty members will then be able to act as “role
models that can inspire” NUS students into achieving
their goals.
“Being inspired is as important as being taught. The
discussions will also be more cutting edge and up-to-
date,” explained Prof Tan.
The projected date for U-Town to take in her first batch
of students is 2011, two years from now.
Nonetheless, pilot tests are being carried out now
among selected students across the university to test
out whether the specially tailored courses are viable.
This, Prof Tan explains, will ensure that the staff will
have had experience and be ready by 2011.
Prof Tan also touched on the importance of keeping
and expanding the NUS Alumni network.
news 11
The newly upgraded Shaw Foundation Alumni House
was cited as an avenue for alumni members to help
current undergraduates create and maintain useful
contacts.
By keeping alumni members “informed and engaged”,
he hopes that a “positive spiral” will be created, where
alumni members will create opportunities for students
who will then act the same way when they graduate.
He was pleased to announce that despite these
troubling times, the amount of donations given by the
alumni had doubled, thus proving the strong links
that NUS has been able to maintain with her former
students.
Prof Tan then assured the gathered journalists that
NUS has not been too adversely affected by the current
economic meltdown.
With most of NUS’ funding coming direct from
the government, financial assistance will “not be
compromised and will receive continual support.”
A new Office of Financial Aid has also been established
to help students who may be in financial need. (See
next story)
The amount of financial aid available to students has
been increased, with the number of bursaries offered
increased and the qualifying threshold lowered.
In order to fund this aid, Prof Tan explained that NUS
will conduct more fundraising exercises.
There will also be more streamlining to gain greater
utilities savings.
An example of the effect of utilities savings is the
raising of temperatures of air condition units to 25
degrees last semester.
According to Prof Tan, this has helped the university
save a lot in costs.
With the school’s financial position strong and
U-Town looking to bring a new, vibrant side to NUS,
it seems like this painting will be a bright and vivid
masterpiece.
 12 news
NUS Office of Financial Aid:
What you need to know
text Chin Mei Kuan | mk.chin@nus.edu.sg
photo http://commons.wikimedia.org
On Feb. 1, 2009, the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) at
the National University of Singapore (NUS) was born.
Previously known as the Student Financial Aid Unit
(SFAU), the OFA is an expansion of its predecessor.
In addition to overseeing all matters regarding student
financial aid, OFA, which comes under the Office of
Admissions, has also taken up the role of handling all
matters pertaining to scholarships.
According to Ms. Autumn Ong, manager of OFA, the
establishment of OFA is part of plans “to optimise the
University’s efforts to provide financial assistance to
students”.
Financial assistance offered exists in the form of
design Felicia Ong
bursaries, loans and work-study assistance.
“NUS is committed to a needs-blind merit-based
admission policy that ensures no deserving student
should be denied admission or the opportunity to
complete their studies because of financial difficulty,”
said Ms. Ong.
In line with this commitment, the SFAU has changed
and introduced a few financial aid packages prior to,
and in response to the economic downturn.
The financial aid packages – The new and the
enhanced
Following a review of the University’s financial aid
packages in early 2008, the SFAU enhanced them, with
the new packages being implemented in AY08/09.
In addition, to further address the financial difficulties
 news 13

of students, a new loan, the NUS Cash Assist Loan, was
introduced.
This new loan was implemented to ensure that
Singaporean undergraduates would not require any
family contribution for the payment of their school
fees.
Under the loan, undergraduates who are permanent
residents of Singapore will require only “minimal
family contribution for their studies in NUS,” said Ms.
Ong.
She also said that there was a new financial aid
scheme by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in the
pipeline.
Financial aid application period brought forward
Apart from the MOE initiative, students seeking
financial assistance should also note that the
application period for financial aid has been brought
forward by one month.
The application period starts from 1 February this
year, instead of March like in previous years.
Ms. Ong explained that the decision to bring forward
the application period was made “in response to the
economic downturn.”
The application period will start from 1 February to 1
April 2009.

Introduced to help students whose families face “NUS remains committed to the principle that no
photo trekkyandy from flickr.com

financial difficulties during the economic downturn,
the Short-Term Study Assistance Scheme (SSAS) will
enhance existing financial assistance schemes for
students in autonomous universities, according to Ms.
Ong.
“NUS will be working out the details of this new
initiative with MOE as to how it can best benefit our
students,” she added.
deserving student should be denied admission or
the opportunity to complete their studies because of
financial difficulty,” said Ms. Ong.
“The NUS Office of Financial Aid will continue to
review the financial aid schemes to ensure that
financial aid is appropriately and adequately provided
to needy students,” she added.

Students who want to find out more about the various financial aid and scholarship opportunities that NUS offers
can do so at the Office of Financial Aid.

Students can also visit the financial aid website (www.nus.edu.sg/financialaid), for information on financial aid
schemes and scholarships, and how to apply for them. They may also email financialaid@nus.edu.sg or contact the
Helpline at 65162870.

Office of Financial Aid

(within the Office of Admissions)
University Hall, Tan Chin Tuan Wing
Lower Ground, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Road
Singapore 119077
 14 transmedia

A Long Way Gone

This is the first first-hand account of how wars are fought: by children,
on drugs, with AK-47s. In more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide,
there are an estimated 300 000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah was one
of them.
text Christel Geralyn Gomes | goddess.gomes@gmail.com

A Long Way Gone is a bleeding true-life account of
Ishmael Beah’s life as a child soldier. Sierra Leone’s
civil war of the 1990s ravages both land and lives,
forcing a nation of children to experience and
partake in unspeakable inhumanity.
In safe, sunny Singapore, tucked in a clean campus,
with all of life’s luxuries, many of us cannot
even begin to imagine the nightmare of war. It is
inevitable that a certain experiential disconnection
might exist in the reading of it, but I would
recommend the novel all the same.
His account of post-war healing is nothing less than
remarkable. It is no less astonishing that anyone
could come out of it all with sanity and humanity
intact.
If you ask me, everyone in the world should
read this book. And to borrow from the words of
Washington Post’s Carolyn See, “Not just because
it contains an amazing story, or because it’s our
moral, bleeding-heart duty, or because it’s clearly
written. We should read it to learn about the world
and about what it means to be human.”

The novel opens to a 12 year old Beah, joyous and

creative, with a passion for hip-hop and a love for
life. The glimpse into this part of his life is fleeting
– a dozen pages in, the madness begins and Beah is
watching a mother rock her bullet-pierced baby.

You’d think that’s bad enough but the real terror

begins when the rebels who massacred his
family and village decide to recruit – forcefully or
otherwise – young men to fight for their cause.
There begins the fear-wrought and unending run
for his life.
photo www.shopcardsandgifts.unicefusa.org

Eventually, Beah finds shelter in a village protected

by the national army. But as days pass and fewer
and fewer soldiers return, all the boys and men
are compelled to take arms and fight as well. Thus
begins his dehumanisation.

Beah’s memoir is breathtakingly painful, honest,

raw and haunting. It is a tale of unspeakable
violence told with surprising clarity, through
compassionate eyes. The language in the novel is
simple but compelling. Beah manages to humanise
design fabian kong

brutality and show us how even good people

sometimes do terrible things.
Isis (ỉs.t or ȝs.t)
Isis is one of the most important and central of all
Egyptian deities.

Married to Osiris, who she resurrected back from the

dead multiple times, Isis was worshipped as the ideal
wife and mother as well as the patron of nature and
magic.

Giving birth to Horus who later became the main

God of the Egyptian religion, Isis is said to be one
from whom all beginnings arise.

In fact it was believed that the Nile flooded and

made the land fertile ensuring a good harvest
every year because of the tears she shed for her
dead husband.

Isis was also acknowledged as a friend of slaves,

sinners, artisans, the downtrodden, as well
as listening to the prayers of the wealthy,
maidens, aristocrats and rulers.
 16 isis
Homemakers Don’t Make History
Boys rule, girls drool…if they don’t work.
text Kokila Annamalai | kokila.annamalai@gmail.com
Everything in our official literature and our
society’s perspectives will have us believe that
the ideal, successful woman is one who manages
to be a good wife, mother and worker. Our
politicians reiterate that well-educated women
should contribute to rearing economically
lucrative members of tomorrow’s society while
being productive elements of Singapore’s current
workforce. But even extended childcare leave
policies and campaign slogans such as “Children,
life would be empty without them” have not
worked to substantially increase the marriage and
fertility rate in the country.
The government finds the educated woman’s
reluctance to marry and have children problematic,
mainly because of Uncle Harry’s preoccupation
with eugenics. To the contrary, though, a significant
portion of society champions the independent,
career-oriented woman – the woman who makes
no compromises, the woman who is too talented,
too capable, to be a homemaker. Men find her
unattainably desirable, and women idealize her
position and the power it attracts. She is their
torch-bearer, as she symbolizes the catching up
women have done to men in the economy. She is
the woman who can take care of herself, who does
not need to depend on a man, who is her own
person. Her identity does not come from being
someone’s wife or someone’s mother, but from
being herself.
design fabian kong
photo amandapandamonium.deviantart.com
“Equality is not only the
opportunity to perform the
roles that we were once
deemed unsuitable for;
equality is the freedom to
choose to perform the same
roles we used to and receive
due acknowledgment for it.”
Studies have shown that in our society, tertiary-
educated women in professional positions are
quickest to reject marriage and homemaking roles.
Women who have “made it” are too good to be
mere homemakers. The role of the homemaker
is for poor, uneducated women. The government
encourages women from such backgrounds to stay
at home with their children full-time. “It is alright,
the economy can do without you”, is the clear
message they are sent.
This situation brings us to the question of what
gender equality and feminism mean to us. It
appears that proponents of egalitarianism have not
instated that women should be considered equals
to men and given credit for the roles they play in
society. Rather gender equality has come to mean
that women who are good enough to be on a level
playing field with men are those women who have
been able to take on professional roles on top of
their traditional roles, or those women who have
rejected their traditional roles in pursuit of their
careers. Men, however, are not expected to perform
the dual role of worker and homemaker to be
considered successful.
It seems laughable that this is what we call
equality; because now, the woman who embraces
the role of the homemaker is not only inferior
 isis 17

It is a huge achievement for society that today women

can be doctors, CEOs and members of parliament.
Feminists have fought long and hard for such progress
in thought and practice, and there is a lot to be proud
of. However, equality is not only the opportunity
to perform the roles that we were once deemed
unsuitable for; equality is also the freedom to choose
to perform the same roles we used to and receive due
acknowledgment for it.
photo wikimedia.org

The profile that comes to mind once the term

‘homemaker’ is mentioned is one of a woman who is
lowly educated, traditional and unworldly, amongst
others. These notions have to be dispelled for women
to enjoy true freedom. We will be trapped in a society
where men and women will never be equals as long as
to men, but also inferior to other women who roles that are traditionally associated with femininity
have chosen to work. This must be considered as are considered secondary to roles traditionally
degeneration rather than as progress, as we have associated with masculinity. Liberation of women in
failed to fight for equal treatment and recognition the true sense of the term will come about only when
for the roles women played, but rather, women they can proudly claim that they are homemakers
have left those very roles behind to achieve equal and be appreciated for that, without any judgment on
status. their qualifications or achievements that render them
inferior to women in the workforce.
Populist images of success that are created by the
government and the market pervade our notions
of what productivity and contribution to society is.
Mothers and wives are invaluable members of any
family, community or nation. They are non-profit
workers in society who are a step above non-profit
organizations, as they do not receive admiration
by society or national awards for their selfless
service and giving of themselves. They should not photo sniffels.deviantart.com
have to do any more than that to be perceived as
being on the same plane as professional women.
Homemakers are unpaid workers, and it is very
plausible that they are equally or exceedingly
efficient in their roles when compared to working
women. Working in the market should not be a
requirement for these women to be viewed as
successful.
 18 isis
Isis - God of Simplicity
text Juliet Huang | juliethuang@nus.edu.sg
There have been fervent talks of doom and gloom
brought about by the recession. In light of the current
situation, everything needs to be scaled down. Job
expectations are the first to come to mind.
Recent career talks have reiterated the same
advice, that it is time for students to manage their
expectations.
Perhaps this same statement can be used on expectant
girlfriends or boyfriends this Valentine’s Day, in
the form of a reminder to cut back on the flowers,
chocolates, or cuddly soft toys.
Still, this does not mean that Valentine’s Day should be
let gone in vain. Instead, the recession gives us all the
more reasons to celebrate it.
As economies start to slow down, and unemployment
steadily increases, our happiness index is in danger of
quick decline.
As people lose their jobs, or are faced with a fear of
doing so, moral levels dip to a low. People turn to vices
to numb themselves from the crisis talk around them.
In such times, we need assurance and optimism from
the people around us that things will recover as long
as we persevere.
design Felicia Ong
We need uplifting reminders that even recessions have
to eventually end, as all things shall pass.
As Valentine’s Day draws near, take it as a personal
mission to still spread some love around. This should
not merely be to your spouse, your girlfriend or
boyfriend, but should extend to your loved ones
around you.
There are many in need - your friends who are
graduating and live in fear of not being able to find a
job, your parents who hold closed door conferences on
what happens if the retrenchment does affect them, or
simply those less well-off than you.
We can do this in small ways, because a little usually
goes a long way. Take a leaf from the book of Isis, who
was well-known for being a serial “multi-tasker”.
In Greek mythology, Isis is one of the most well-known
goddesses.
She is worshipped as a perfect model for all mothers
and wives. As legends go, Isis wanted to preserve her
assassinated brother-husband, Osiris, so much that
she hid his body after his death so nobody could try to
corrupt it.
 isis 19

However, his body was found by his enemies and
recast into 14 different places. Isis carried back his
remains piece by piece, and in the process, became
impregnated by Osiris’s remains.
Touched by her kindness and perseverance, Ra, the
King of the Gods, decided to bestow on her a whole
host of magical powers and so she became the “Mother
Goddess”. With her powers, she granted abundance
and wealth to her own citizens and lands.
Give your parents a massage after work. Write them a
letter to thank them for bringing you up.
The possibilities are endless if you are willing to
spread the love.
The story of Isis, God of Simplicity, rather than a mere
love story, reminds us to persevere even in the face of
adversity, because your acts of love might just be the
essential twist in an otherwise sad tale.

Isis is also known as the Goddess of Simplicity because

she was said to control the waters of river Nile and
water was a symbol for all the basic necessities in life.
She is worshipped as one from whom all beginnings
sprang.

Indeed, this Valentine’s Day, keep celebrations simple

but sweet: be creative!

Bake cupcakes for lunch. Write short, sweet post-its

and stuck them in your friend’s bag. Pack a picnic
basket for you and your beloved.
20 isis

A Cause for Everyone

Isis, the Egyptian Goddess worshipped as the ideal mother and wife,
is also, among other things, known as the friend of the downtrodden.
lifestyle the ridge brings you five lifestyle choices you can make
to emulate the example set by her.

text Samyuktha Santhanam | samyuktha.trisha@gmail.com

Today’s society is structured in
such a manner that an individual

has little time but to think
about himself, his wants and his
needs. The mass media, in its
propaganda of capitalist values
and individualism, does little to
help alleviate this pattern.
However what is truly amazing is
that despite all of this, there are
still many people out there who
dedicate their lives to altruistic
goals and work tirelessly to
achieve them. And indeed, we
can all try and make a difference
in our own small way. Which is
why, taking into consideration
your hectic routine, lifestyle the
ridge shows you options you can
consider adopting to give a hand
to those around you. Additionally,
for your benefit, we also rate them
in terms of ease of incorporation
into your lifestyle.
Number of
+++++
The easiest choice to adopt is to purchase merchandise
that supports a cause or promotes fair business ethics.
In this way, not only do you get your fix of retail therapy,
but you have also contributed to making the world a
better place.
When you’re buying cosmetics, buy products that are
not tested on animals. Although we are not taking sides
on the arguments revolving around the necessity for
animal testing, why cause harm to a life if you can help
it, right?
Another cause we find worth supporting is Fair Trade,
which ensures that producers in third world countries
get a reasonable deal on the products that they are
selling, instead of being forced to sell it at extremely
cheap prices. In the same vein, organic food ensures
that the food has been farmed in an environmentally-
friendly manner. It is also healthier as it does not make
use of chemicals and pesticides.

+
Although these options are a little pricier than normal,
what is only a difference of a few dollars to us makes
a significant difference to the livelihood of third world
producers, who are otherwise often exploited by the
= corporates.
Ease of incorporation
 isis h

++++
For those of you who are not queasy at the thought Brands that support Fair Trade
Marks and Spencers
of sitting with a needle stuck in your arm for about
10-15 minutes, blood donation is an admirable way Van Houten
of giving back to society. Ben & Jerry's

350 units of blood are needed each day in Singapore Brands that support No Animal Testing
to save lives. Seeing that your body replaces the Estée Lauder
volume of donated blood within a couple of hours, Revlon
and that blood donation in Singapore is a highly Himalaya
regulated and an extremely safe process, it is a
relatively small sacrifice for anyone of us to make. Blood donation
Blood Donation Drive
by NUS Red Cross Chapter

+++
17th to 20th Feb
10am to 4pm at MPSH 4

Bloodbank@HSA
Blood Services Group
If shopping or needles are not up your alley, there Health Sciences Authority
is always the easy way out of making monetary (opp. Outram Park MRT)
donations to a worthwhile charity. 11 Outram Road
Singapore 169078
There are scores of them around and a simple
Google search will reveal within seconds the For a list of upcoming blood donation
options available to you. From there, you are drives, visit http://www.donorweb.org/
free to choose any one that captures your fancy. singapore-bloodmobiles/
Take a peek at the information bar on the side for
suggestions of charities we feel are worthwhile Charities
supporting. Of course, it goes without saying that Amnesty International
our list is by no means exhaustive. Red Cross
UNICEF
UNIFEM
Action for AIDS, Singapore

++
Beyond Social Services
Mercy Relief

Orphanages
Singapore Children's Society
The well-beaten track (at least from our secondary Darul Ihsan Orphanage
school days) is one of volunteering at the nearby
orphanage, old-age home or perhaps even a halfway Old age homes
house. This involves a little more commitment Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home
on your part when compared to the other SWAMI Home
options. However, you are guaranteed to have the
satisfaction of having directly touched a life. If you Halfway House
are able to set aside some time on a regular basis Singapore Prison Service
for this, hats off to you. We wholeheartedly approve.
 22 canvas
design lee wanyu

Cool Dip
Shen Shifa | Year 2 | FASS CNM
 canvas 23

Ying Zheng | Year 4 | Faculty of Engineering

send your contributions to ridge.canvas@gmail.com

 24 isis

Freedom, The Very Nature of Man

‘He will break loose his chains. He

will decimate his enemies. He will
try and try and try, against all odds,
against all prejudices, to get home.’
photo fondosescritorio.net | geocities.com/Hollywood | sylviagarza.files.wordpress.com | movieweb.com

—John Quincy Adams, Amistad

text Tay Huizhen |benediction.jay@gmail.com

“Freedom, the very nature of Man”, utters Anthony

Hopkins with great conviction as John Quincy Adams
in Amistad. Such a statement rings true, particularly to
the unjustly imprisoned and oppressed, who decide to
revolt and rebel for a better tomorrow. Unbeknownst to
them, Isis was pvrobably providing her blessings along
the way.

More commonly remembered as the dutiful and

devoted wife in the myth of Isis and Osiris, Isis is also
a great goddess in her own right. According to ancient
Egyptian mythology, Isis is friend of slaves and even
led the downtrodden to redemption. The following
films are a reminder of the triumph of the human spirit
under the most oppressive conditions and its undying
quest to be free.

Prince of Egypt (1998) is the animated epic of

the biblical tale of Moses, the Red Sea and the Ten
Commandments. While the film did not have strong
results at the box office, it is still an endearing family
movie for many. Its lush, vivid animation makes for a
visual feast and its potentv story-telling is inspirited
by song and music, including the unforgettable Mariah
Carey-Whitney Houston duet, ‘There Can Be Miracles’.
With its soaring and uplifting melody, warbled by
diva powerhouses, the notion of emancipation and
design lee wanyu

struggling to be free could not be delivered more

fervently.
 “
A reminder of the triumph of the human
spirit under the most oppressive conditions
and its undying quest to be free.
Isis is also patron goddess of sailors, but those
onboard the Amistad (1997), as the ship in the film
is called, are African slaves. Based on a true story of
a mutiny on board a slave ship travelling from Cuba
to the United States in 1839, Amistad is but another
testament to Spielberg’s fluid and straightforward
artistry. The inhumane conditions by which the slaves
are subject to are served straight to audiences like a
head on a platter, and as Cinque (Djimon Hounsou)
is no longer able to tolerate the injustice, he leads
a mutiny to take control of the ship. The courtroom
scene, in which John Quincy Adams (Anthony
Hopkins) pleads a case on the behalf of the imprisoned
slaves, is cinematic rhetoric at its understated best.
While the above films centre on the notion of the great
slave masses rising up in collective revolt, there is also,
as often, the tale of the lone hero who fights for justice
against all odds.
The film that shot Russell Crowe to A-list status is
Gladiator (2000). A drama of the injustice done
to one man and his righteous vengeance is all very
common in Hollywood. But what set Gladiator apart
are the amazing fight scenes and its hauntingly
beautiful soundtrack ‘Now We Are Free’ by Lisa
Gerrard and Hans Zimmer, which elegantly echoes
the protagonist’s anguish. A delicious power struggle
forms the dominant strand of the narrative, of which
bears heavy resemblance to that of the following film.
‘Colossal’ best sums it up. Clocking in at a staggering
three and a half hours and garnering a whopping
eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Ben-
Hur (1959) was the ‘Incredible Hulk’ of movies during
its time. It is also one of those films that, solely based
on their cinematic breakthrough and heavyweight
scale of production alone, are automatically allocated
a mark of prestige and hall-of-fame status. Judah
Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is the morally-charged
protagonist of the film, and he seeks for revenge when
betrayed by trusted childhood friend Messala (Stephen
Boyd) who condemns him to slavery in the galleys.
Impressive sets and a memorable chariot race scene
render this an authentic period piece.
isis 25
”
Togas and desert settings aside, a film set in a more
contemporary era would be the heart-warming
adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer-prize winning
novel, The Colour Purple (1985). As a young,
uneducated black girl growing up in the 1900s,
enslaved by her own father and separated from her
sister, ‘the only somebody in the world who loved her’,
Celie’s (Whoopi Goldberg) tale is one of optimism and
beautiful strength and that empowers one to weather
through life’s harsh realities. She drifts through life
a lonesome but happy wanderer, mesmerized by big
town sights with wide-eyed wonder and learning
what it is like to love life and be a woman from the
flamboyant femininity of the blues singer Shug Avery
(Margaret Avery).
The stellar cast powerfully portrays the tragedy of
racially-segregated America and ideas of female
empowerment, and in doing so, is adequately faithful
to the novel. Celie’s emancipation scene that is
poignantly set during a luncheon with relatives is a
compelling image as she defiantly voices her pent-up
frustration and decades of resentment. An incensed
Albert (Danny Glover), in a moment of jittery rage and
desperation to retaliate, verbally abuses her to set up
mock dominance, ‘You’re Black. You’re poor. You’re
ugly. You’re a woman. You’re nothing at all’.
Relishing in the choking emotions of the riveting final
scene should wipe out the Kleenex. As Celie reunites
with her children and her sister Nettie (Akosua
Busia), and when the two old women play again their
childhood hand games in the field with the setting
sun as a backdrop, the ending to this story is a happy,
heartfelt one.
 26 isis ‘
It s All
Isis is referred to as “one from
whom all beginnings arose”. the
ridge takes a look at the evolution

Blues
of the blues, the root of almost all
today’s popular music.
While it would be presumptuous to say that the
blues is the origin of all music, it is not wholly untrue
to say that most popular music is in some way or form, text Hurrairah bin Sohail | hurrairah@gmail.com
derived from this form of music.

The blues take their name from the “Blue Devils”,

which was a phrase used to imply feelings of sadness,
melancholy and moroseness. While the exact origins
of the blues are not known, it is established that it was
brought to America by the African slaves.

The music sung in the fields by the workers, the lyrical

themes touching on spirituality, freedom, redemption,
and the simple rhythm and beat were all appropriated
by the blues. It became one of the few forms of creative
expression the slaves had.

Most popular around the Mississippi Delta area, it was

from a plantation nearby that the blues got their first
icon, Robert Johnson. The story goes that Johnson sold
his soul to the Devil in exchange for blues fame. With
his pioneering work, Robert Johnson is known as the
Grandfather of Rock ‘n Roll.

Following and influenced by Johnson were

Muddy Waters and Woody Guthrie, both of whom
consolidated the blues as an essential part of American
folklore and an essential part of music.

As the years progressed the blues started breaking

down into its early genres, Gospel and Country. But
the interchangeability of both these titles, for what
was essentially the same music, was displayed most by
Johnny Cash who was classified as both.

However, it was another artist on Sun records who

took the blues and turned them into pop music.
The prowess and technique of the old blues legends
were replaced by a pretty face, hip swings and pelvic
thrusts; the tempo which had always been slow was
sped up, and this was how Elvis Presley began his
design Hurrairah bin Sohail

journey to become “The King”.

Eventually, when the folksy, artsy country singer

Bob Dylan went electric with his song “Like a Rolling

photo media.kickstatic.com
 isis 27

Stone”, the blues became an avenue of limitless

possibilities. At the same time, blues guitar was
launched into the stratosphere by Jimi Hendrix and
his pyrotechnics, signalling the everything-goes-blues
attitude which would be adopted as the default from
then onwards.

In fact, from the classic era of rock ‘n roll, anybody who was a somebody; from
John Lennon of The Beatles, to Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones, to Eric
Clapton; was a blues aficionado. The entire golden era of popular music from
the ‘60s was directly influenced by the blues.

Further down the line, Led Zeppelin started doing heavier, darker
interpretations of the blues which inspired the metal genre. Jazz musicians
like Miles Davis used the blues note and the sevenths characteristic of the
blues to give their music added feel and dimension.

The philosophy of the blues was also directly mirrored

by grunge, which stripped away music to its bare
bones, distortion and feral emotions. One of music’s
watershed moments in the ‘90s was watching Kurt
Cobain hunched over his Martin D-18E howling
Ledbelly’s ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’.

If we look at popular music today, the chord

progressions, riffs and licks that we see are still
borrowed from the history of blues music that
preceded it. Most of alternative / soft rock can directly
trace its roots back to the blues.

Furthermore, current chart toppers like Justin

Timberlake owe the blues a debt of gratitude.
Songs like ‘Lovestoned’, ‘What Goes Around Comes
Around’ and ‘Cry Me A River’, when stripped of their
excessive instrumentation, are musically, lyrically and
thematically blues songs at heart. There is a reason
RnB is called rhythm and bass.

And with songs like ‘Bleeding Love’ by Leona Lewis

and ‘Mercy’ by Duffy being huge hits on charts,
television channels and radio stations, it seems that
the blues are still as appreciated as they ever were.

While the blues in their true “literal” form might not

be as popular or widely listened-to today, it seems that
an art form which prioritised the expression of the
individual, improvisation and emotion can never truly
not be heard.

Call it Country, Gospel, Motown, Jazz, Funk, Pop, RnB

or Hip Hop, it is all Blues to me.
 28 isis
Lesto odo odolore modolesectet er autem nos adiat lam, vel ex et,
conullaore mod (calibri 15pt italic, line height 18pt)
text Writers Name | email address photo Ridge Photographer’s Name (calibri 8pt bold/regular, line height 11pt)
text Shahirah Mohamed Ansari | shahirah_@nus.edu.sg
We live in a world of reality television and decadent
drama. Television shows like The Hills, Jackass, Gossip
Girl and 90210 hardly reflect reality, or impart any
valuable moral or intellectual knowledge, but their
popularity lies in the fact that they fulfill a basic
human desire: voyeurism.
So what if we can’t afford to live in Upper East Side
penthouses or in Beverly Hills mansions? So what if
our faces aren’t immaculately made-up and our hair
perfectly coiffed? So what if we are clad in Topshop
and Forever 21, and not Oscar de la Renta or Diane
von Furstenberg? We derive vicarious pleasure from
simply watching fictional characters live out our
wildest aspirations.
design Adi Yoga Sidi Prabawa
photo sxc.hu
These shows, with their requisite 20-something-year-
old actors oozing sex appeal depicting fifteen- and
sixteen-year-olds, often prominently feature sex,
booze, and even drugs. This sends a clear message
to impressionable viewers—sin is in. Discerning
audiences in our age group will be able to clearly
differentiate between what they can and cannot do,
but for tweens and teens, who form a significant
portion of the shows’ fan base, this line may be
blurred.
This trend of teen television shows pushing the limit
and horrifying parents is not new. The themes of sex,
drinks and drugs were also extensively explored in
other highly popular teen drama series of yesteryear,
 isis 29

such as The OC, Popular and Beverly Hills: 90210, the
predecessor of today’s 90210.
Neither are these shows confined to just teenage
audiences. Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle are
examples of two shows that have tried to appease
the entertainment needs of a generation weaned into
womanhood by the wildly popular Sex and the City.
Despite combining Sex and the City’s winning formula
of sex, fashion and self-indulgent girl-talk, these
imitations lack the introspective quality inherent in
their antecedent, resulting in a contrived shallowness
that can get unbearable.
So what makes these “trashy” shows so enticing and
enjoyable?: the voyeuristic quality of being able to
experience the unrealistic or unattainable. Television
being long recognized as an outlet of escape from the
drudgery of the quotidian, the popularity of shows
with strong visual aesthetics, and that verge on
fantastical, is somewhat predictable. In bleak times
such as this, people will be looking to television,
more than ever, to provide them with laughter,
entertainment, and even hope.

Despite all this, these shows enjoy high ratings in the

U.S. and a significant following in Singapore as well;
while intelligent, witty, and slightly more family-
friendly television shows such as Gilmore Girls and
Pushing Daisies have a less expansive fan base. The
latter recently faced the axe in the U.S. due to poor
ratings.
 30 isis
Handle With Care
Carina explores what happens to children in Singapore when their
family’s supply of money, safety and love runs short.
text Carina Cassandra L. Calugcug
When I did a quick internet search on the state of
orphans in Singapore, I wondered why it revealed
very little substantial information.
After an interview with Anne (not her real name),
who has worked in a children’s home before, I
realized why I was getting precious little. ”There
are not really many orphans in Singapore, so
orphanages are uncommon, “Anne says. “What we
do have are children’s homes.”
But if there are not many cases of orphans who
have no other family, who then, are the children in
these homes? Anne reveals that most of the kids
come from troubled families—children for whom
the family is no longer a safe place. Some are those
whose parents or guardians are incapable of taking
care of them; some are abandoned children. Others
are those who are beyond parental control or have
had a run-in with the law.
u deviantart.com
design Toan
When child abuse cases are reported (physical
and sexual abuse, neglect, and emotional and
psychological abuse), the Ministry of Community
Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the
leading agency against child abuse, conducts
investigations. After deliberation, MCYS places
the children in a care programme.
In some cases, the children are placed into
homes run by religious institutions. Some stay
for months, others for years. The few orphans in
these homes usually stay as residents, but may
eventually move on to other institutions so that
they are with their respective age groups.
The services that institutions offer differ,
depending on the different age groups and
problem areas that each home focuses on. Some
provide educational services, enrichment
courses in music and art, and self-help skills
 isis 31

development, amongst many others. Homes most institutions prefer volunteers who can
that cater to troubled teens and to teenage commit for an extended period of time. Anne
pregnancies have rehabilitation programmes and also believes that there is still much room
crisis pregnancy units, respectively. for improvement in creating awareness on
the plight of abused and neglected children
A service common to all these institutions in Singapore and cultivating the spirit of
is individual and parental counseling. These volunteerism in the society.
counseling services aim to help the child integrate
back with the family, as well as educate the
parents about the child’s needs. But while their
services vary in detail and implementation, these
organizations share a common mission—to
provide a protective environment for children and
to show them that every child is wanted.

Anne acknowledges that working in a children’s

home can be physically and emotionally taxing.
The load is compounded when the children act
up and show behavioral problems. Anne believes
that the only way to help them heal is to really
love them, as many of them have been deeply hurt
in their homes. “We need to have a high level of
acceptance and a low level of expectation”, she
says.

The homes get many volunteers, including

students, but Anne comments that most of them
are ad-hoc visits. While these, too, are welcome,

“We need to have

a high level of
acceptance and a low
level of expectation.”
deviantart.com
u
 32 outspoken
NUS Deviants
An exposé on the eccentricities of NUS students
text Mallika | mallika.d@gmail.com
In NUS, deviance is the norm and
normality is deviant. Instead of
walking up a flight of stairs, we
all cram into one greenhouse
handicap elevator to take us up
one storey. Why bother with
simple things like staircases when
you can wait in line and get into
an elevator where you can literally
smell the sweat on each other?
NUS students redefine and value
comfort.
The limited number of discussion
rooms in the central library has
never stood in the way of our
students. There are only about
eight rooms, and they are usually
occupied. So instead of finding
design Toan
another comfortable place to
discuss group projects, several
students cram into those phone
booths where you go to talk on
your mobile phone to avoid making
a noise in the deathly silence of the
6th floor. Here you have about five
people squeezing into a tiny 2m
x 1.5m cubicle whispering about
their projects as they sit piled up
one on top of another. Creative, is
it not?
Some of our students are also
too attached to campus to leave,
literally. Either they are taking on
the night-watch duty at the central
forum for the bazaars or they fall
asleep in the department room
photo deviantart.com
while working on assignments,
rushing a last-minute deadline. One
male student, sleeping over in the
Playroom at Communications and
New Media, literally made himself
a personalized cozy corner with his
toothbrush, pillow and alarm clock.
Besides being dedicated, NUS
students are highly competitive. So
much so that when working on a
research project where everyone
has the same topic, students
actually find relevant books and
hide them all over the Central
Library. Working together and
pooling resources might be the
conventional approach, but NUS
students innovate to get ahead,

leaving the rest behind. We do
apologize to the librarians who
have to clean up after us.
Down at the ‘Dungeon’, we witness
outright rebellion from our
daredevil smokers. The ‘Dungeon’
is a part of the NUS jurisdiction,
and hence smoking is banned there
as well, but students continue to
smoke right in front of the “No
Smoking” sign. It has also come to
my notice that NUS rooftops are
also popular hot spots for smokers.
On top of that (excuse the pun),
rooftops cater to passionate lovers
and their make-out sessions as
well. Steamy!
And then, there are the less
outright violations of norms. Take
for example the never-ending line
at the Yong Tau Fu stall at The
Deck. As I was observing on a
hot sunny day at noon, a student
stood in the first line, picked her
ingredients, gave it to the person
at the stall and instead of getting
into the second line, she surprised
me by walking over to the drinks
stall and buying a drink. She then
went back to her table of friends to
“We may not stage protests,
shoot at random college mates or
walk around campus will full-body
tattoos, but we have found our
own niche in deviance.”
outspoken 33
join in the conversation and just
as it was her turn to pay and pick
up her food at the Yong Tau Fu
stall, she ran back to the second
line. Might as well squeeze in some
time to socialize while waiting for
your food, right? After all, the Yong
Tau Fu stall line is eternally long
and time is of immense value at
NUS.
Students sending SMS to their
friends two seats away during
lecture is another cause for
amusement. “Lect so boring lah,”
“I knw man!Wat u doing later?wnt
2 get din?” The way we see it, our
phones are still on silent so “can
lah!”
Who said Singaporeans are
conformists? NUS students are
unique in the real sense of the
word. So if you see any of us
putting up tents on campus or
spending precious time displacing
sought-out books in the library,
do not be surprised. We may not
stage protests, shoot at random
college mates or walk around
campus will full-body tattoos, but
we have found our own niche in
deviance.
 NAF CALENDAR

27 Feb 09 28 Feb 09 1 Mar 09 6 Mar 09 7 Ma

State of Emergency
Variance Antonym – A Double Bill by NUS Ilsa Tari,
Dance by T.H.E Dance Company
UCC Hall, 8pm
by Kiran Kumar & Michael Wong
UCC Dance Studio, 8pm
NUS Electronic Music
Lab & Shaun Koh
UCC Theatre, 8pm

Live! – For This Cycle

UCC Theatre Foyer, 7pm
Live! – You an
Live! – In Finite Flight UCC Theatr
Treat Her Like A Lady! The Little Mouth Organ UCC Theatre Foyer, 7pm
by NUS Jazz Band by NUS Harmonica Orchestra
UCC Theatre, 8pm UCC Courtyard, 7pm
Music Music for Healing
by Dr M. Harre Harren
by NUS Chin
UCC H
From Ravel to Joplin UCC Dance Studio
by NUS Piano Ensemble Workshop: 6 – 7.30pm
UCC Theatre Foyer, 8pm Concert: 8pm The Extinc
by Lins
UCC Theatre
The Extinction Room 8pm, 8.45
by Linsey Pollak
Live! – Resonance UCC Theatre Green Room
UCC Theatre Foyer, 7pm 8pm, 8.45pm, 9.30pm

Literary / Project Wishing Tree

27 Feb – 15 Mar 09
Rhapsody on an
Equatorial Evening Tree Duet by spell#7
Theatre UCC Foyer NUS Football Field
7.30pm – 12am
UCC Theatre, 8pm

FlatLand by Ladd Ehlinger Jr.

LT 27 (NUS Faculty of Science)
Stories from 2pm
Our Sunny Homeland Voices of a Distant Star The Singing Revolution
Screenings by Edwin
UCC Theatre
by Makoto Shinkai
LT 27 A Narmada Diary
codirected by
James and Maureen Tusty
Green Room (NUS Faculty of Science) by Anand Patwardhan UCC Courtyard, 8pm Energy Crossr
8pm 4pm & Simantini Dhuru Need to Ch
UCC Theatre Green Room by Christop
8pm UCC Cou

NUS Arts Festival 2009 Open Art Show Constructed Landscapes:

Visual Arts Nature, Man Included
27 Feb – 15 Mar 09
Faculty of Science 80th Anniversary Exhibition
27 Feb – 15 Mar 09
Suite Two and Level Two Foyer, UCC
Singapore in Southeast Asia
23 Dec 08 – Dec 09
NUS Museum NUS Museum

Life as a S
Professi
by Prof P
LT 31 (NUS Fac
Science Buskers @ Science 4pm
Demo Lab
Science Demo Lab (NUS Liminal Zones: People & Space
Faculty of Science, S16-02-01) A Photography Talk 3D Art with F
10am – 12pm & 1 – 3pm by Shannon Castleman Chemistry F
Celadon Room, NUS Museum (NUS Faculty of S
Workshops DIN!
6.30 – 7.30pm 10 – 11am, 12 –

& Others By MLuM

27 Feb – 15 Mar 09
Various parts of UCC
The Art o
Science Buskers @ Science Chemistry Inorg
Demo Lab (NUS Faculty of
Science Demo Lab (NUS 10 – 11am, 12 –
Faculty of Science, S16-02-01)
10am – 12pm
1 – 3pm & 4 – 6pm Explore the Nan
Physics SEM
(NUS Faculty of S
10am – 12pm, 1 –
Talk by Prof Jocelyn Bell
LT 27 (NUS Faculty of Science) Feeding th
6pm LS L
(NUS Faculty of S
10 – 11am, 12 –

Mini
LS L
Origami + Maths (NUS Faculty of S
NUS Museum, 4 – 6pm 10 – 11am, 12 –

Forum: Construc
Post-co
Contempora
NUS Muse

08 FEBRUARY ’09 – APRIL’09


7 Mar 09
Live! – You and Whose Army?
UCC Theatre Foyer, 7pm
Allure
by NUS Chinese Orchestra
UCC Hall, 8pm
The Extinction Room
by Linsey Pollak
UCC Theatre Green Room
8pm, 8.45pm, 9.30pm
Energy Crossroads: A Burning
Need to Change Course
by Christophe Fauchere
UCC Courtyard, 8pm
ucted Landscapes:
ore in Southeast Asia Past-Present: Craft Communities of North India
Dec 08 – Dec 09
NUS Museum
Life as a Sanctioned
Professional Killer
by Prof Peter KL Ng
LT 31 (NUS Faculty of Science),
4pm (Talk)
ce
3D Art with Food Additives
Chemistry FST Laboratory
m (NUS Faculty of Science, S3 Level 6)
10 – 11am, 12 – 1pm and 2 – 3pm
The Art of Chemistry
Chemistry Inorganic Laboratory
(NUS Faculty of Science, S5-4-10)
10 – 11am, 12 – 1pm and 2 – 3pm
Explore the Nanoworld @ SEM Lab
Physics SEM laboratory
(NUS Faculty of Science S13-01-03)
10am – 12pm, 1 – 3pm and 4 – 6pm
Feeding the Barnacles
LS Lab 7
(NUS Faculty of Science S2 Level 3)
10 – 11am, 12 – 1pm and 2 – 3pm
Mini Blooms
LS Lab 7
(NUS Faculty of Science S2 Level 3)
10 – 11am, 12 – 1pm and 2 – 3pm
Forum: Constructed Landscapes:
Post-colonial and
Contemporary Singapore
NUS Museum, 2 – 4pm
NAF CALENDAR
Find outa the
Answer simpleart of being
question at green!
ridgeonline.wordpress.com
Featuring 3 weekends of over 60 exciting
and stand
festival a chance to covering
programmes win drama,
free tickets
dance, music, toliterary
Monique
and visual arts!
Copper’s performance Water
www.nus.edu.sg/cfa
Keep this calendar as a reminder of your favourite NAF shows!
8 Mar 09 13 Mar 09 14 Mar 09 15 Mar 09
Vriksha Tabula Rasa
by NUS Indian Dance by MiDEA Lab, Philip Tan, Andreas Dewanto & Dr Sow Chorng Haur
UCC Theatre, 8pm UCC Theatre Green Room, 8pm
Live! – Anjana & Greg Live! – Charlotte Cheng
UCC Theatre Foyer, 7pm
UCC Theatre Foyer, 7pm
Elementalism
UCC Courtyard, 5pm
Live! – s.p.o.n.g.e
UCC Theatre Foyer, 7pm
Live! – Anjana & Greg
UCC Theatre Foyer, 7pm
A New Season – Celebrating
Press Any Key
by G.A.M.E. 30 Melodious Years
A Different View by NUS Symphony Orchestra
UCC Dance Studio, 8pm by Cosmic Armchair Swing Shift by I-Sis Trio
UCC Hall, 8pm
A Dance
UCC Different View
Studio, 8pm UCC Dance Studio, 8pm
The Extinction Room
by Linsey Pollak byGuitar
Let’s Play Cosmic Armchair
– Impressions of Japan
UCC Theatre Green Room UCC Dance
by NUS Studio,
Guitar 8pm
Ensemble Water by Monique Copper
8pm, 8.45pm, 9.30pm UCC Courtyard, 8pm UCC Theatre, 8pm
Sun Day
by NUS Stage and
NUS Chinese Drama
UCC Theatre, 8pm
The Horse Thief
by Tian Zhuang Zhuang
UCC Dance Studio, 8pm
Looking for Alibrandi
by Kate Woods
UCC Sulte One, 8pm
Sculpting Life: The Ng Eng Teng Collection Ways of Seeing Chinese Art
16 Feb – 26 Apr 09 Ongoing Ongoing
NUS Museum NUS Museum NUS Museum
Painting with the Scientists
NUS Museum, 4 – 6pm
Art and Nature
Workshop for Kids
by Janice Chin and Arron Teo
NUS Museum, 2 – 4pm
Walking Tour at Palmer
Explore the Nanoworld @ SEM Lab & Telok Ayer Area
Physics SEM laboratory 4 – 6pm
(NUS Faculty of Science S13-01-03)
10am – 12pm, 1 – 3pm
Selling of Papeterie
Falling to Earth
UCC Foyer, 6 – 8pm
Talk on Land Art
Feeding the Barnacles by Twardzik Ching Chor Leng Selling of Papeterie
LS Lab 7 Celadon Room, NUS Museum UCC Foyer, 6 – 8pm
(NUS Faculty of Science S2 Level 3) 6.30 – 7.30pm
10 – 11am, 12 – 1pm and 2 – 3pm
Food Fiesta
by NUSSU SAVE
UCC Courtyard, 5pm onwards
Mini Blooms Selling of Papeterie
LS Lab 7
(NUS Faculty of Science S2 Level 3) UCC Foyer, 6 – 8pm
10 – 11am, 12 – 1pm and 2 – 3pm
Information correct at time of print. For updates, please visit www.nus.edu.sg/cfa
FEBRUARY ’09 – APRIL’09 09
 36 wired

Tech Buzz
text Gurmesh Singh | gurmesh@nus.edu.sg

the ridge takes a look at what

has been creating a buzz in the tech world of late.

Microsoft acknowledges Firefox exists

Microsoft has released an add-on for Mozilla Firefox which allows you to search using Microsoft Live Search.
It offers suggestions to any term that you may key into the search box. Unfortunately, Firefox already has Google
search integrated into it, which basically provides the same functionality. Microsoft has been trying to claim
a bigger share of the search market from Yahoo and more importantly, Google. Also, Microsoft seems to be
acknowledging the fact that Firefox is steadily gaining a sizeable share of the browser market. However, it may
just be a case of too little too late from Microsoft. Still, if you find yourself with a bit of time to kill (highly unlikely
if you’re a student), you may just want to Live Search instead of Googling, just for the fun of it.

Google joins fight for net neutrality

With Internet Service Providers (ISPs) throttling BitTorrent traffic and often not being open about it, Google
has decided to lend a hand in shaming them so that customers can make an informed choice. Google has helped
launch Measurement Lab (M-Lab) which will collaborate with New America Foundation’s Open Technology
Institute and PlanetLab Consortium to help users check if their ISP is indeed interfering or throttling their
BitTorrent traffic. One of the tools available is the Glasnost application which has been developed by the Max
design Adi Yoga Sidi Prabawa

Planck Institute. The Java applet monitors upload and download speed via BitTorrent comparing it with the
regular download speed. Google has offered 36 servers in 12 locations as well as network connectivity for the
tools hosted on M-lab to help in the fight for net neutrality. After all, the technology behind BitTorrent is very
much legal. It is what you download that may infringe on copyright laws.
 wired 37
Gmail now available for use while offline

Gmail users can rejoice for the fact that Gmail is now available with an
offline mode. Should you not be connected to the Internet for whatever
reason, you will still be able to read and organize messages. This is done
via Google Gears which will have to be downloaded to enjoy offline
support for Gmail. While in offline mode, Gmail uses data stored on your
hard drive to allow you to continue working in Gmail. Messages will be
automatically sent once you obtain Internet connectivity.

Wikipedia to have more checks

Wikipedia, the site where you can find information on just about
anything may be about to see a change in the way information is added
to it. Almost all entries are free to be updated by anyone at any time, with
the changes being reflected almost immediately. However, the founder of
Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, has proposed a new system whereby updates
would have to go through editorial approval before they can be added.
This of course, has its downsides as it would take a lot of manpower to
monitor and approve changes. Also, updates would probably be only
published days or weeks later. This of course, would not be good for
Wikipedia, which prides itself in being relatively up-to-date. As a result,
there have been Wikipedia editors who disagree with such a proposal.
The call for change comes after the Wiki pages of United States Senators
Robert Byrd and Edward Kennedy were edited to give the impression that
they had both passed way. This is unlikely to be the first incidence of false
information making it to Wikipedia but the fact that this time it involves
high ranking politicians may have been what triggered the proposal for
such a change.

Obama sets another presidential first

President Obama has won his battle to keep his beloved BlackBerry
and use it to email in the White House. Due to the sensitive nature of his
job, there have been many security concerns regarding Obama using his
handheld to access his email. There will be compromises though, in that
photo tech2.in.com

he will be able to be in touch with limited number of people such as senior

staff and small group of friends. Given the fact that neither George W Bush
nor Bill Clinton used e-mail during their respective tenures in the White
House would mean that Obama would be the first one to do so.

Facebook reaches 150 million users

Just two months after attaining 120 million users, Facebook has been
able to hit 150 million active users. The announcement was made by
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the start of the year. If
the current growth rate for Facebook users is sustained, it could hit 200
million users before Zuckerberg even celebrates his 25th birthday this
year. This is indeed impressive for an idea (or copy of an idea, depending
on who you talk to) that took flight from a dorm room in Harvard in 2004.
 38 wired

CES Roundup
the ridge rounds up the gadgets and technology that have caught
our eye from the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
in Las Vegas. text Gurmesh Singh | gurmesh@nus.edu.sg

Palm Pre
With almost every other phone manufacturer entering the smartphone
market, Palm has been suffering in terms of bringing out new phones
that are a cut above the rest. That may all change will the Palm Pre. The
slider phone has a touch screen but also includes a gesture bar located
under the screen to allow for easier navigation. It comes with a 3.1
inch capacitive LCD multi-touch screen, full QWERTY keyboard, 8GB of
storage, 3.5mm headphone jack and a 3MP camera.

photo apcmag.com
Sony Vaio P
Sony unveiled the Vaio P, to presumably compete with all
the other netbooks that are out in the market right now.
However, they are quite insistent that we call the Vaio P
an ultraportable rather than a netbook. Well, whatever
it may be known as, it certainly is a beautiful thing to
behold, as are most Sony laptops or notebooks. The 8
inch ultraportable has a 1600 x 768 resolution with LED
backlit and comes with 2GB of ram so that it can run vista
coupled with a 1.33Ghz Atom processor. It also features
an instant-on OS which is actually the Sony Cross Media photo i.gizmodo.com
Bar (XMB) also used in many other Sony products.

LG Watch Phone
The LG GD910 watch phone not only looks pretty cool
but actually has some useful functions as well. 3G,
Bluetooth, speech recognition and videoconferencing
are just some of the features available on this watch
phone. There is also a touchscreen for making calls
design Hurrairah bin Sohail

photo phonenews.com

although you would probably need very small fingers

to use the inevitably small screen. Still this gadget
looks very cool. So cool, even James Bond would be
begging Q to get him one.

38 39 Wired.indd 2 2/8/2009 1:37:07 AM

 wired 39
EEE Keyboard
Asus showed off its Eee Keyboard, which is essentially
a fully functional PC in the form of a keyboard with
a touchcreen located on the right-hand side. It also
features wireless HDMI allowing you to potentially

photo gizmodo.com
connect up to any big screen TV turning it into your very
own monitor. It looks so advanced that it is unlikely to
be hitting shelves any time soon but when it does, it will
definitely revolutionize the idea of what a home theater
PC should look like.

Dell Mini 10
Dell decided to use CES to show
off their latest netbook, the Mini
10.It offers some rather good
functionality with a 1.6GHz Atom
processor, 3G, GPS and 802.11n wifi.
It also has a10 inch, 720p display,
a TV tuner and multituch trackpad,
similar to that found on the latest
Macbooks. photo blog.laptopmag.com
photo blog.laptopmag.com

Samsung P3 PMP
Samsung introduced its latest portable media player the
P3. It has a 3 inch WQVGA screen with haptic feedback. No
surprises that this is aimed to be competing with the likes of
the iPod Touch. One of the interesting features of the player
is the stereo Bluetooth allowing wireless connectivity with
external Bluetooth capable speakers. It also has radio and voice
photo gizmodo.com

recording capabilities. It comes with 8, 16 or 32GB of flash

memory.

Sony Cybershot G3
Sony unveiled theirs and indeed the world’s first
wi-fi enabled camera, complete with a built in
browser. The camera features are not bad as well.
10 megapixels with 4X optical zoom, 4GB internal
memory and a 3.5 inch touchscreen. Intelligent Scene
photo gizm
odo.com Recognition, Face Detection and Smile Shutter are
some of the other features available in the camera.

38 39 Wired.indd 3 2/8/2009 1:37:07 AM

 40 wired

Windows 7: Brand new Windo

Service Pack?
This month the ridge takes a look at the new Windows 7 Beta to catch
a glimpse of Microsoft’s next big offering.
text &photo Mazyiar Saleem | mazyiar@gmail.com

Microsoft released the first
public beta of Windows 7 to the
general public in early January. I
can tell you upfront that if you’re
already a fan of Vista, you’ll
actually love it even more. Even
if you don’t really like Vista that
much, take heart because the
makers of Windows 7 have re-
evaluated pretty much everything
about Vista, and made changes
small and large across the board.
This results in a better Windows,
no matter which way you look at it.
to the Mac OS X Dock, the taskbar now
has huge icons that serve as shortcuts
to open programs and also show
currently opened programs. You can also
move the icons around, which is quite
useful. In Vista, we saw thumbnail-size
previews of windows when the mouse
was hovered over an application in
the Taskbar; but you could
only really see one
preview at a

The first thing you will notice

is the new interface. There is a
whole lot of glass, even more
than Vista, and the taskbar is
much more translucent. You’ll
also notice that the sidebar that
was quite a nuisance is also gone.
Similar to Vista though, you can
still add gadgets to your desktop
and position them to your liking.
The gadgets are slightly less of a
performance hog, but not much
else has really changed.
The most noticeable thing though
is the new Taskbar. Somewhat akin
design Suhas Bhat
time.
In Windows
7, thumbnails for
multiple windows appear
onscreen simultaneously, arranged
side-by-side in a translucent strip.
Hovering over a specific thumbnail
brings up a full-size preview of
the window, and windows can
also be closed directly from the
thumbnails. You can also middle-
click the taskbar icon to open
new windows or middle-click the
thumbnails to close windows.
The
system
tray, with its
myriad of notifications,
and the plethora of icons taking
up precious space on the taskbar,
has always been a source of great
irritation to users. Windows 7
finally brings us some tools to
help manage the mess. For each
application, you can configure
individually whether or not to

New taskbar with preview of open windows ‘Snapping’ a window to the left half of the screen
 wired 41

indows or just another Vista

display its icon and notifications.
The overflow area (where the
hidden icons go) hasn’t changed
much, but now pops up instead of
extending the system tray – which
is an improvement in my opinion.
You can also move around icons
in the system tray now just
like the taskbar.

At the far right

of the new

Jump list for windows explorer

Another new feature revised, and now includes 4 levels

called Aero Snap allows that the user can specify – making
you to dock windows by it a bit more tolerable.
dragging them to screen edges.
So dragging to the left or right The biggest question on everyone’s
edges maximises a window to mind though is whether Windows
half the screen on that side, and 7 introduces the much-needed
dragging to the top maximises performance improvements
it to the whole screen. Shaking over Vista. Although I haven’t
a window will cause all other been able to run any actual tests
Taskbar
windows to get minimised, and yet, preliminary usage would
is a little
doing it again will cause them to suggest that there is definitely an
rectangle of
come back up. improvement. Throughout the
what looks like OS, windows open faster, apps
unused space. Hovering
A new feature to help you work seem to launch more quickly,
your mouse over it activates
more efficiently is Jump Lists. This and the overall interface seems
a feature called AeroPeek,
adds a handy submenu to many snappier than it was with my Vista
which makes all your windows
applications, so you can see items installation on the same machine.
transparent, allowing you to see
that you recently worked with Start up and shutdown times seem
your desktop behind them. This is
in a given app, or look at further to be quicker too. However, in
especially useful for viewing your
options you have for starting terms of actual usage, Windows
on-screen gadgets. Clicking the
new documents or accessing 7 is fairly unexceptional in the
rectangle acts like the old ‘Show
often-used features. This works sense that while it has some nice
Desktop’ button, minimising all
both for items in the taskbar, and improvements over Windows
your windows when clicked on
those pinned to the start menu. Vista, none of them are particularly
once, and then restoring them
The immensely annoying User major changes.
when you click again.
Account Control has also been
 42 sports
World Sports Feed
With January just ending, the world of sports has been abuzz with
activity. Sports the ridge takes a look back and what has gone down
since 2009 started.
text Suhas Bhat | suhasbhat1988@gmail.com
The January transfer window, despite promising
much at the start, was relatively quiet. An atrocious
bid of £108 million for AC Milan’s playmaker Kaka by
Manchester City grabbed much of the headlines but
inevitably, the move failed to pass. The Spurs were the
other team active but in a time of financial uncertainty,
many teams chose to keep their players and focus
on improving their performances. Unless they were
Barcelona who have hauled a record 50 points by the
halfway point of the season and the Primera Liga title
is theirs to lose. Liverpool have stuttered and failed to
hold onto their pole position at the start of the year
with new World Club Champions Manchester United
usurping them at the top. Hoffenheim’s adventure
appears to be severely compromised with the injury of
their star striker Ibisevic.
42 43 Sports.indd 2
India cancelled its tour of Pakistan amidst security
concerns costing the two countries a potential $65
million. Pakistan did not play a single Test match in
2008 and this has affected the team adversely with the
Pakistani selectors choosing to replace Shoaib Malik
with Younus Khan after Malik’s team lost dismally in
the final match of the three ODI series held in Pakistan.
A two Test Series between West Indies (hosts) and
England, a 5 ODI series between Australia (hosts) and
New Zealand a 5 ODI series between Kenya (hosts)
and Zimbabwe and a 5 ODI series between Sri Lanka
(hosts) and India are all scheduled for February.
Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble earning him a
shot at fighting for the WWE, World Heavyweight or
ECW Championship at Wrestlemania XXV (April 5,
2009) defeating other notable performers such as the
Undertaker, Big Show & Triple H. Edge defeated Jeff
Hardy with the help of Jeff’s brother Matt (who earlier
lost to Jack Swagger in the ECW Championship match)
to win the WWE Championship while John Cena
retained his World Heavyweight Championship against
JBL despite the interference of Shawn Michaels.
2/8/2009 3:56:38 PM
 sports 43

Super Bowl XLIII was held on February 1 and was between Pittsburgh Steelers & Arizona Cardinals with the
Steelers defeating the Cardinals 27-23. Winning the Vince Lombardi trophy gave the Steelers the record for the
most (6) Super Bowl wins. Kurt Warner’s (Cardinals) resurgence as a 37 year old quarterback surprised many
over the season but Steelers’ receiver Santonio Holmes was awarded the Most Valuable Player award. With just
over two minutes remaining in the game, the Cardinals had gained a 3 point lead and in the dying seconds of the
game, Santonio Holmes received a 6 yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger to seal the win at Tampa Bay, Florida.

Another Federer-Nadal matchup was seen at the Australian Open Men’s Singles’ Final. World no 1 Nadal won
the Men’s singles title (his first in Australia) after a gruelling five set match lasting 4 hours 23 minutes. Serena
Williams defeated Dinara Safina of Russia for her 10th career singles Grand Slam claiming the no. 1 spot in the
ATP rankings. The Extreme Heat Policy was applied as players, at times, had to play in temperatures as high as
43 degrees.

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