It seems almost surreal that it's July, and here I am again, cheerfully babbling away to you! 

So much has happened since our last issue, and in a comparatively short span of time. Among them are the Silver (Advanced Diving) and Gold expeditions where a number of Cempakans took the opportunity to enjoy themselves, undergo physical exertions for days and yes, take time off away from the wearying routine of classes at school. I must say it certainly is quite a feat, and one that ought to be celebrated, that they managed to proudly wave banners while at the peak of Mount Kinabalu and also possess a certificate proving their diving skills. I must insist on congratulating them for their admirable achievements (which is something you will never witness me having, mark my words) and for your reading pleasure, dear readers, we have an article all about the experience of climbing a mountain. If you need something to ignite that spark in you that urges you to do such strenuous activities, then this just might be it!

This issue, I assure you, does not fall short of our previous ones. In fact, I sincerely believe it's better! This time around, we have, besides the one about the Gold expedition, other school-related articles such as the Silver Kayaking expedition and the Inter-House Maths Olympiad Competition. The latter will be something of interest as it was introduced as one of the competitions that count for the House Cup for the first time this year. If you desire some light reading material, no problem! We aim to please, after all. "Sejarah Frustrations", a detailed and in-depth analysis of students, tickled me greatly, and hopefully the same will go for you. If you intend to give a flower to your special someone, then do read about the different meanings of the colours of roses and present one accordingly. One of our writers has also contrived to dig up the oddest facts and true stories, with the apt title of "It's a Weird, Weird World", and after reading it, I think you will agree with her that is really is! Other articles and reviews are available as well, all equally fascinating and capable of holding your interest for a long, long time.

Before I forget, let me add that we have got our Juniors section up and running. Our young writers from the primary school have shown their flair for writing and I personally feel our secondary writers will possibly be facing stiff competition from them in terms of writing style. Also, we have a gallery where the beautiful photographs our incredibly talented photographers took are displayed for you to view. The Lumen is getting better every issue, don't you think? I feel a burst of pride just thinking about the new sections.

Regretfully, I must end here. My tests are just around the corner, and I can practically see my teachers' faces already if I fail to do well. Ah, studying! How I didn't miss you... (note: this is just a joke on my part, lest my teachers are reading this and are getting ready to deliver a well-deserved lecture to me).

Till next we meet, then, all! If you have any queries or are interested in submitting your work, be it articles, designs, photographs or comics, do drop me an e-mail at
rachelchiah08@cempaka.edu.my.