Home Gallery Alumni Juniors About February/March 2010
A Time For Celebration
A Note From the Editor

While I was standing on duty at office staircases during lunch just two weeks ago, I had a very sudden, very shocking epiphany.

It went somewhat along the lines of, “Oh man, everyone who’s coming up the stairs who isn’t a teacher is younger than me!”

I must confess, I felt rather old. I mean, all my juniors were nodding and smiling and asking for permission to go to the toilet from me, and it felt as if I were some sort of teacher or student counselor or a big figure of authority. Now that really packed a punch (rather like Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes) as the realization that I had to sit for SPM this year dawned - finally.

So, as you can see, school life hasn’t quite sunk in properly for me yet - and it’s February already. Here I am, still pining desperately for holidays like the Na’vi people pine for E’wa.

If you’re not getting my movie references here, then you most definitely are missing out on something. Go check out our Review section for reviews on Pixar’s ‘Up’ and ‘Panoramal Activities’ and watch out for our Avatar and Sherlock Holmes reviews, which are coming soon. Recent movies have been a blast, as you will find out from our movie reviewers.

Besides that, we have an overview of cricket and a football season review up in the sports section, with more to come. Expect a great number of football articles, as our writers hype up the upcoming football tournaments. Some of our fresh new form 1 members have written about the new students and their new experiences in form 1, while some of our older members have written about the Golden Globes, Global warming, and about Jazeman Jaafar, who paid a visit to us in January for a short assembly.

Altogether, January has been busy but February brings the promise of swimming gala, and so our dedicated writers will bring news of champions this month. Updates will be different this year as articles will go online individually as they are written instead of all at once, and the newsletter has a few new sections coming up - so do visit us from time to time to have a look-see.

In the meantime, if you do have any queries or comments (which are much appreciated), do approach me or contact me at leeyuexiu10@cempaka.edu.my. My team of writers and I are glad to serve. We wish you all a happy and prosperous Chinese New year, and also since it falls on the same day as Valentines Day, Happy Valentines day to all!

 
Goodbye Primary, Hello Secondary
By Amanda Lee, Form 1 Cempaka
The next day, when I got ready, it felt weird to wear the new stiff-collared shirt with the long grey skirt instead of the bright yellow uniform. I stared dreamily outside the window with my eyes half-closed as we drove to school, the destination we had traveled to probably more than a thousand times.
 
Chinese New Year Assembly
By Wong Sher Lynn, Form 2 Cempaka
It started off with primary students with reddish coloured Cheong-Sams assembled around the foyer singing, cheering, clapping and creating a very, very joyous atmosphere to welcome our beloved Datin Freida, the founder of Cempaka Schools.
 
Cempaka Freshers and Monday Blues
By Vanisha Ann a/p Victor, Form 2 Cempaka
A school uniform should be smart, comfortable and one should be proud to be seen in it. Tyen Yee quipped, “ It is so cool to be able to leave your blouse out. ” On the other hand, Samantha said that the blazer keeps her warm in the cold classrooms.
 
 
ON THE FRONT
The Barclays Premier League At A Glance In Mid Season
By Kanendra Kumar, Form 4 Science 1
A huge embarrassment so far has been Liverpool. This is what happens when your whole team relies on only two players in a squad of eleven. After Torres and Gerard had gotten their injuries, Liverpool is just a normal team anyone could beat.
67th Annual Golden Globe Awards
By Jamie Kok, Form 2 Cempaka
This year’s Golden Globes however, had a dangerously humourous twist to it with British comedian Ricky Gervais hosting the show. On screen, we see the guests of the show acceding to gales of laughter from mischievous Gervais’ s jokes.
Lady Gaga: Live In Macao
By Alexis Lee, Form 4 Science 1
When the lights dimmed, there was a stupendous cheer, but it wasn’t Lady Gaga who stepped onto the stage to perform. It was a group of male dancers, part of the supporting act before the real concert actually started. They ended their dances to a round of applause and was followed immediately by an amazing beat-boxing performance.
Linkin Park: Live In Macao
By Alexis Lee, Form 4 Science 1
Next to me sat a quiet-looking girl, a little older than me I supposed, texting on her handphone in Mandarin. Well, that had me at a loss for conversation, because even with my Chinese heritage I knew only a dismal amount of Mandarin, definitely not enough to strike a conversation. However, when she caught me looking at her, she grinned at me and I grinned back for no apparent reason whatsoever. See? I told you, rock concerts have the power bring the world together.
 
COLUMNS
Cricket For Dummies
By Varun Nadkarni, Year 10 Cempaka
What is cricket? The answer is simple - Cricket is a bat-and-ball game in which two teams of eleven players, commonly known as XIs, compete with each other on a large field, which is usually oval-shaped. In the middle of this field is a pitch. This sounds a bit confusing, especially for you footballers out there, because a pitch usually refers to a field
Global Warming
By Jamie Kok, Form 2 Cempaka
It seems like the nature is going crazy, all kinds of unusual catastrophes are happening. Global warming causes not only more flooding, but also more droughts. Lake Chad was once one of the largest lakes in the world in 1963; it has now dried up to almost nothing.
A Cup of Tea
By Dhanashree Ashwin, Year 8 Cempaka
The word “Tea” is derived from many languages but very famously from the “Chinese-Amoy” dialect, “Cha”. Tea goes back to 4,700 years ago, when Emperor Shen Nung discovered that tea made a very refreshing drink when a few tea leaves fell into his cup of boiling water.
Reviews
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins’ - Review
By Andrea Chan, Form 4 Science 1
The story follows a strong female protagonist named Katniss Everdeen, aged 16. She lives in District 12, the mining district as well as the poorest of all 12 districts. When her younger sister’s name is called during the Reaping (the event in which the 2 tributes, a boy and a girl, are chosen by lottery), she steps up to take her sister’s place..
Star Trek - Review
By Jamie Kok, Form 2 Cem and Jared Kok, Form 5 Sc 1 - Class of 2009
Much of the cheesy charm and spineless jokes of the past films have been sacrificed in this more action-oriented entry. But hey, there’s still lots of precious gems to discover. After viewing the film, fans are likely to be left feeling an ultimate sense of nostalgia for a future that will now never happen.
Paranormal Activity - Movie Review
By Aishah Nadhirah, Form 2 Terra
Now on paper, the synopsis of the movie sounds awful and you'd be thinking, "Bah, it can't be that scary." But trust me - and the other thousands of viewers, mind you - when I say it is. Of course, this movie doesn't make sense once you think it through, but it doesn't matter because you will definitely be shaken up after watching the movie.
 
WORD OF THE WEEK
Magnanimous
  • adjective \mag-NAN-uh-mus\
    showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit
  • showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind
    Example Sentence:
    Rather than gloat about her victory in the race, Michelle chose to be magnanimous and congratulated her opponents on their strong showings.
THE INVERTED COMMAS
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
 
– Albert Einstein.
RIDDLE ME THIS
Six glasses are in a row. The first three are full of juice; the second three are empty. By moving only one glass, can you arrange them so empty and full glasses alternate?
 
Answer
Pour the juice from the second glass into the fifth glass.

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