Victoria is tops in ST news contest
NPS International takes silver, while RI takes bronze; Victoria last won the national competition in 2006
Published on Dec 18, 2011
By Sheryl Quek
The victor: Victoria.
It was a sweet victory for the school. The last time it won The Straits Times National Schools Newspaper Competition was in 2006, but in subsequent years, it had made it to the finals but failed to clinch the title.
The contest gets students to battle it out as aspiring newshounds.
At The Straits Times' first inter-school prom, called the U18 Locked IN Party, to celebrate the win last night were the Victoria team and 11 schoolmates. Also present were more than 200 students from 30 schools.
Tengku Sharil, 15, a second-time participant in the contest and editor of the Victoria team, did not expect the win. He said: 'We were really surprised. We expected to get silver, or less, because in the past years... we've always taken second prize.'
The lads walked away with a cash prize of $3,000 and a trophy, as well as a Straits Times internship each.
There to present the prizes to the winners was Ms Serene Goh, editor of The Straits Times' school magazines IN and Little Red Dot, who said the Victoria team scored well in all judging categories. 'The judges all had their favourites, but Victoria emerged with the best score overall. I'm so happy for them winning this. It must be especially sweet after so many years.'
Last year's champion NPS International School took the silver award and $2,000, while Raffles Institution claimed the bronze and $1,000.
Other winners were CHIJ Katong Convent, which took the Merit and Best Writing awards, and first-time finalist Compassvale Secondary School, which took the Best Design award.
The party, held in The Warehouse auditorium at *Scape, was jointly organised by media social enterprise group Grid MMS and The Straits Times.
The programme featured talents from Grid MMS, including 19-year-old singer Kamsani Jumahat.
Highlights included street dancing, costumed characters such as Darth Vader and free airbrush tattooing. A flash mob led by Grid MMS dancers set the crowd dancing to the tune of Beyonce's Move Your Body. Teens dressed themselves to the theme of 'jailhouse rock' in black-and-white striped outfits, and had a blast chomping on free hotdogs, popcorn and nachos, and slurping on mocktails.
Loh Zi Harn, 16, a Secondary 4 student from Evergreen Secondary School, said: 'This is more happening than our school prom, which was formal. I think this party is more fun.'
For her creative interpretation of the prom theme, Evergreen Secondary 3 student Guo Si Ping, 16, took the Best Dressed INmate title and a $100 shopping voucher. She came dressed in a black-and-white striped top, polka dot skirt, blue wig and shin-high boots - items from her wardrobe.
'I wasn't prepared actually. I just grabbed whatever stripy piece of clothing I had from my wardrobe,' she said.
For being the best sport at the party, Ivan Koh, 17, from the School of the Arts took the title of Best Behaved INmate and a $100 shopping voucher.
For correctly predicting the winner of the newspaper competition in an offshoot Facebook contest, Hayat Zailan, 15, took home a Canon digital camera and a $50 shopping voucher.
The inter-school party is the first of its kind organised by The Straits Times for secondary school readers of IN.
Grid MMS chief executive Philip Wu, 43, said: 'It was a meaningful experience organising this event with The Straits Times because we managed to bring together teens who are academically inclined with those who are talented in other areas, such as dancing and singing.'
Ms Goh said the outreach effort aimed to showcase teen talent featured in the magazine year-round and create an event for some good, clean fun.
'Being a teen in Singapore can be pretty pressurised in terms of academics, but I believe we can also celebrate how diverse and rich youth culture is. It's just wonderful to see everyone loosen up and have a good time after their exams.'
To subscribe to The Straits Times' IN, contact Mr David Tan on 6319-1005 or e-mail
[email protected]
The winning Victoria School team members (clockwise from bottom right) Tengku Sharil, Yew Wei An, Patrick Seet and Stanley Low, all 15. -- ST PHOTO: TED CHEN