CCA in the Spotlight – Floorball

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Interviewee: Louis Lee (18-A2) , Michael Ng (18-O3)

Interviewer: Jacey Teoh

1. What is an average CCA session like?

Louis: It’s pretty tiring, especially after having a long day and training sessions are quite intense especially since most of the team are new and we have to up our standard to compete in the A divisions next year. But our coach trains us a lot in many aspects of the game so we can improve as soon as possible.

Michael: The average floorball session is exciting, fast-paced and filled with camaraderie. Despite the physically demanding nature of the CCA, it is ultimately each and every member who make every training a fulfilling session.

 

2. What made you decide to join your current CCA?

Louis: I was in floorball back in Cat High, and since my coach is coaching here in EJ, why not continue.

Michael: I decided to join the CCA after seeing the confluence of fun and energetic dedication that my seniors put into every training session. That is definitely a culture that will be carried on through many batches of students to come.

 

3. What is one essential quality a person must possess to join this CCA?

Louis: I feel like one really important aspect is teamwork. Floorball is really a team sport and communication and bonding is very impt in order to play as a team. To go far having the team behind your back is especially important, and also bonding off the court would give the chemistry in the court.

Michael: To join the floorball team, all you would need is the fiery passion to be willing to give the team your very best.

 

4. What do you think was the highlight for your CCA last year?

Louis: Last year in the ‘A’ divisions we got top 6, although it’s quite an amazing feat for a team that was only established for 2 years, but it was really quite a regret for most of us as we all knew that we could have gone further in the competition, but we would come back stronger next year!

Michael: The highlight of my floorball CCA experience thus far is the ‘A’ divisions which were played over a few weeks. After hours of training, we played well dynamically as a team – fighting our way into top 6 in the division. This was my first ‘A’ div experience and stepping and winning on court was a truly special feeling.

 

CCA trainings are from 5.15pm to 7.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a morning run at 7.15am every Friday. In the ‘A’ divs, we achieved top 6 out of a competitive field of 15 JCs.

 

Interested to know more about them? Head on down to their practices to find out more about them!

1. What is an average CCA session like?
   Brian:

We start off with warm up, then we proceed to start with simple drills as a little bit more of a warm up. We then move to more complex drill to practice our technique. We then usually practice our game plan and match strategies, or we play a game.

 

2. What made you decide to join your current CCA?
   Brian: I love the sport itself, where it is of such a highly competitive and thrilling nature, as well as the satisfaction of playing
   
   3. What is one essential quality as person must possess to join this CCA?
   Brian: we look of course for skill, but also the attitude to want to improve and one that is humble. Not one that doesn’t take cca seriously or talks bad about others

 

4. What do you think was the highlight for your CCA last year?

Brian: It was definitely the A divisions that left a deep impression.

5. 
   CCA information (Timing, achievements, etc)
   Tuesday and Thursday – 5-7pm

CCA in the Spotlight – Dance

Interviewee: Gisele

1. 
   What is an average CCA session like?
   Gisele: It’s really fun despite it being challenging. The people in my CCA are also very friendly.

 

2.                                                                                                                                                   What made you decide to join your current CCA?
   Gisele: I love and am very passionate about dance!
   
3.                                                                                                                                                 What do you enjoy most about your CCA?
   Gisele: DANCING! and my friends & instructors make me feel even happier during the sessions.
4. 
   What is one essential quality as person must possess to join this CCA?
   Gisele: People who love to challenge themselves even if they cannot really dance because passion and attitude is the most important in dance. Determination as well! As long as you’re interested in dancing & willing to learn!
5. 
   CCA information (Timing, achievements, etc)
   Tuesday- 5.00 – 8.00pm
   Wednesday – 6.00 – 8.00pm

DISTINCTION (SYF 2017)

Not forgetting a significant milestone for Dance, their concert which happened on the 19th of May, where the Indoor Sports Hall was transformed into a performance space for the first ever dance concert, Momento, Chapter 1 – The First Breath.

The first piece was their SYF piece, City in Shroud, for which they clinched a Distinction. Choreographed by their dance instructor, Mr Dan Kwoh, the piece was about climate crisis and used dance as their media form to inspire change. As the pioneering batch of dancers, they soldiered on this intense road and managed to emerge victorious. With the upbeat rhythm and sharp movement, the dancers put their heart and soul to tell the story and really send across their response to this pressing global concern through his unique form.

The next piece was performed by the J1, Metanoia. The piece was about self-improvement and shows their hopes and dreams for EJ dance. It proved that they could rise above through obstacles through the adventure of their lives and can emerge triumphant. This piece was a perfect representation of modern pop culture and with their beaming faces, we could tell that they were really enjoying themselves through this dance.

The next piece, entitled Cloud 9, was a piece by the J2s. It portrayed the spirit of EJ dance and the cohesiveness as one dance family. The message was even though the hustle and bustle of life we should not forget the joy, liberation and euphoria in the little things. Wong Zann Yee from 17-O1 attended the dance concert and she really enjoyed the atmosphere of passion and love that all the dancers had, and the joy they brought to the audience through their dancing.

The crowd favourite was the choreography to the well-known song, The Greatest Showman, where it was an uplifting performance and garnered loud cheers from the audience. Amelia Quek from 18-E6, said, “I thoroughly enjoyed the greatest showman choreography and how the dancers were all smiling and really enjoying the dance, which made the audience feel really hyped too. You can really tell how hard they worked from the tight choreography.”

Following that, was a urban piece choreographed by Zhi Neng, Silence. The message put across was the isolation by everyone and the conflicts we all face, such as adults trying to make ends meet and students having high expectations of themselves, but no one is really ever alone. Through this dance, the frustrations and internal conflict is portrayed along with the comradery and collectiveness of individuals coming together as one.

Next, Rise Up, a lyrical piece was performed by the J2s, displaying the amount of details and painstaking work put into the dance. It portrays a journey of the J2 dancers who have risen up against the odds and forged a path for the dance team. They bore the unspoken responsibilities of pioneers and had to remain resilient in trying times. This piece encapsulates their dream and embodiment of what what they want to pass on to juniors. Albeit uncertainties and difficulties, without obstacles, they would not know their own strengths and the power as a team and come together and rise above.

The finale piece entitled Bienvenue a Eunoia, was the piece they performed during College Grand Opening. The dancers were dressed as waiters and chefs, decked in crisp uniforms.

All in all, the quick costume changes was impressive and the ability to transform the mundane indoor sports hall to a venue with well-studded lights, well-decorated chairs and mats and fairylights, was truly amazing.

“Everything was confusing, almost foreign as most of us had never even met each other before, much less train or really just dance together. It was filled with trepidation, filled with laughter, sadness, anger and generally exhaustion and long days with the constant complaining for the performance to be over, which when it did end, let us realise we craved the thing we all so seemingly disliked. As a new batch/full crew of dancers we didn’t much know our strengths just yet and we often had trouble deciding/agreeing on actions to be taken like costumes buying. Communication at first was reserved and not very fluent between people but we managed to quickly form something beautiful as a batch and grew close together. The final full-dress rehearsal was my most satisfying moment. When I managed to see the entire crew come together and make something out of near nothing, realising we’ve really come far despite being so new, and that all our fears really didn’t matter that much in the end as long as we danced not just for ourselves, but each and every single person on that stage.”

~Bing Hong, EJ Dancer~

 

CCA in the Spotlight – Choir

What was your first impression of the CCA?
Qing Fong: When I first met the choir, they were very formal and attentive and yet, still friendly towards the juniors.

Charissa: The people in the CCA seemed really serious about what they are doing. The CCA looked decent but I was overwhelmed by the very formal behaviour of the members.
What made you decide to join your current CCA?
Qing Fong: Honestly I thought that joining the choir would be fun and learning how to sing would be neat 🙂

Charissa: I joined it as I have experience in my secondary school.
What do you enjoy most about your CCA?
Qing Fong: I enjoy the fact that I can goof around and have fun with my section mates. They make choir practices very fun.

Charissa: I like that I can learn more about singing techniques and I enjoy performing in a group.
What is one essential quality a person must possess to join this CCA?
Qing Fong: Determination. It doesn’t seem like it but anyone from a performing art would know that practices can get very intense and tiring. One must always be prepared to spend a lot of time practicing, which is really mentally exhausting if your CCA is serious.

Charissa: People who are experienced in music.

 

CCA in the Spotlight – Tennis

Brighton Yip

What is an average CCA session like?

A weekly affair, we would all gather at the courts on Wednesdays and Thursday, loud and zestful as we change into our sportswear. We would chit chatting about the events that had happened during the day. Test, scoldings, anything that goes. We would leave for the courts when the other CCAs start setting up their training avenue and leave when the sun goes down or when the tennis ball is hardly visible from the gloom.
On court, training was hardly ever stringent. We played matches, carried out fundamental drills but most importantly, banter each others mistakes. Balls went missing, strings snapped, but the one thing that stayed present throughout was everyone’s laughter, and that I would say separates us from the rest of the CCAs.

What do you enjoy most about your CCA?

Just being on court with my teammates is what I enjoy most. It’s the time of the day where we forget all our worries, and play the sport we love. Our coaches taught us to play the game, but what we learned was to love the game.

As seniors, what is your CCA looking out for in prospective members?

Though we may have missed out on any silverware this year, and do hope that the succeeding batches have the ability to claim the trophy, what we are truly looking out for is members that will learn to love tennis. Only then would they have the passion, determination and tenacity to train hard for what they want to achieve.

What do you think was the highlight for your CCA last year?

Being one game away from the semifinals and proving doubters wrong about who were were. We were a new school, unheard of and even look down upon, with no history of anything, we created history by being the first CCA team to reach quarters, only to fall short by one game to the school that eventually placed third. This achievement solidified the unity and chemistry within the team – to trust one another and work together for better results in the next year. Love means nothing to us, because we don’t give up till the very last ball has been hit.

 

Megan Elizabeth Ong

What is an average CCA session like?

Training sessions with the guys and the girls are worlds apart. With the girls, we do our best to make the most out of our training, being serious where we should but also having a few laughs and mid-training gossip sessions during breaks. With the guys, it often feel like you’re teleported to a wet market, where banter is the exclusive dialect, but they use it as a tool to spur each other on and push themselves to be their best.

What do you enjoy most about your CCA?

More than just CCA mates, we celebrate our successes together and carry our shared losses as one TEAM. Even when things don’t look in our favor, our girls never lose faith and support each other through it all, continually lifting each other up. Tennis may seem like an individual game, which even I have always had the impression of in my decade of playing the sport. However, this past year-and-a-half changed my perspective and taught me to play not just in a team, but FOR a team.

As seniors, what is your CCA looking out for in prospective members?

We want people with a keen interest in the sport, diligence and resilience to spur them on when trainings get tough, and most importantly, a sense of commitment — to the CCA and to themselves — to drive them to persistently train hard and aim to maximize their potential.

What do you think was the highlight for your CCA last year?

For me it would probably be our tennis BBQ. During training sessions, we’re split into our respective teams at different time slots so we don’t get to interact with each other much. The BBQ was probably the first time our entire CCA managed to come together and I think it was a rather pivotal moment for us. It set the foundation as we welcomed our J1s this year and came together as one full tennis CCA. Being a captain of this amazing team has been such a surreal experience for me, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of EJ tennis.

CCA in the Spotlight – Track and Field

Photo credit:Tan De-Reng

Interviewee: Ullekha

1. What is an average CCA session like?

We start our CCA session at 5.30, We warm up and do drills till 6,  After which we get into our divisions and do the workouts coach has for us.

2. What do you enjoy most about your CCA?

The people. Running can be very tough and tiring if you are alone, but the people you train with, who make you laugh and talk about what happens in school, are the ones who make the toughest trainings bearable. I also love the feeling of completing a really tough workout

3. As seniors, what is your CCA looking out for in prospective members?

Commitment and dedication to push through even the toughest trainings!

4. What do you think was the highlight for your CCA last year?

There were many! Our VIA at the Rainbow Centre was really fun, and every race we complete is also a fond memory.

5.CCA information

Last year our boys relay team was very close to qualifying for finals and this year we succeeded! Also, many of our athletes qualified for individual events.

Interested to learn more about them? Head on down to the track during their training to find out more!

 

CCA in the Spotlight – Computing and Robotics

Photo credit: Computing and Robotics Club

Interviewee: Ng Wei Han

1. What is an average CCA session like?

Wei Han: Filled with lots of fun and exploration! Last term we embarked on our own projects relating to what we have learnt in the past year. I really look forward to every CCA session because I get to work on something that really interests me, data analytics, and to learn more than I can ever imagine.

2. What do you enjoy most about your CCA?

Wei Han: I really enjoy our CCA Camps! I think we were extremely privileged to be one of the few CCAs to have had 2 CCA camps. These camps have enabled me to get to know my CCA mates better and have made me a much more open person 🙂

3. As seniors, what is your CCA looking out for in prospective members?

Wei Han: Passionate and zealous students who are willing to learn and uphold excellence in character.

4. What do you think was the highlight for your CCA last year?
Wei Han: CCA Camp and Rube Goldberg project

5. CCA information (Timing, achievements, etc)
Wed 3.40-6.45, Fri 3.10-6.15

 

Interviewee: Brenda

1. What is an average CCA session like?

Brenda: Training and competition preparation. We also work on projects and have fun exploring the internet.

2. What do you enjoy most about your CCA?

Brenda: There are lots of learning opportunities, as well as opportunities to conduct workshops to share what we learn to the school. There are also BBQ parties that I look forward to,as well as cool and helpful people I have met during CCA

3. As seniors, what is your CCA looking out for in prospective members?

Brenda: Someone who is enthusiastic about technology, coding and robotics. We are also looking out for people with the willingness to contribute to the school

4. What do you think was the highlight for your CCA last year?

Brenda: There were many highlights but I felt that Technology Day, Deep Dive Day and Unconference Day modules were very successful.

5. CCA information (Timing, achievements, etc)Wed 3:45-6:45
Fri 3:15-6:15
– won awards in competitions such as Tableau and NJRC
– prototyped an electric car as part of MakerSpace 

Are you passionate in STEM related things? Drop by the Computing and Robotics club to find out more about them!

CCA in the Spotlight – Drama

Photo credit: Jayden Sim Hong Kai

Interviewee: Satini Sankeerthana

What is an average CCA session like?
Keerthana: For the first half an hour or so, we do warm-ups which are of a few types namely, vocal, physical and games which require concentration like splat for example. After which, if there are any productions or performances coming up, we split up into our committees and get the work done. If there aren’t any events coming up, then we do group or individual activities like acting or freeze frame and sharings (sometimes) about drama and theater in general so we are equipped with skills about backstage work as well. Lastly, we have a debrief.

What do you enjoy most about your CCA?
Keerthana: Definitely Interacting with people and the synergy among the members! It really hypes me up! And that’s why CCA is one thing I look forward to even on long days as I feel that’s when my energy level automatically shoots up! Also, everyone in Drama is really friendly and we have a lot of funny memories together. I also enjoy playing the games and dancing during warm ups sometimes and most of all acting!

As seniors, what is your CCA looking out for in prospective members?
Keerthana: We look out for people who are committed, responsible and hard working, as we believe that although acting skills or expertise with regards to backstage are important, they can still be learnt and improved over time once you join us, but the right attitude and mindset towards acting or CCA as a whole is really important for our dynamics and in order to get the work done.

What do you think was the highlight for your CCA last year?
Keerthana: OUR VERY FIRST PRODUCTION!! “PEOPLE” It really taught us a lot and there were ups and downs along the journey and I personally have learnt a lot of skills not only pertaining to the sets( I was head of sets) but also life skills such as teamwork and coordination. It was also very exciting as some of us did not have any prior background knowledge or experience, for example, it was some of the actors’ first time on stage and it was my first time doing sets!

CCA information (Timing, achievements, etc)
Wednesdays from 3.30-6.30 and Fridays 3.00-6.00pm.

Do you have a penchant for owning the stage? Think your up for the challenge to embody different characters? Or even manage stage lighting and design? Head over to the drama club and find out more!