Home Gallery Alumni Juniors About Archive August / September 2009 Issue
A Splash of School Life
A Note From the Editor

The eighth month of the year has come and gone, all too quickly. Comparatively, August had seemed a little stagnant, overshadowed by the ominous September examinations that are looming nearer and nearer as I speak. An illusion, I must say! August was no man in the dark! Many events took place in August, namely the finalization of the much awaited First House Cup results, with the last event being the Cempaka iMovie Awards. I urge all readers to check out the special cover on the event by the master of movie-making himself, that is Wong Leong Khim on the ups and downs and what to expect when watching and making a movie!

August had started with a splash, and very Big Splash it was! Much adulation to the Seladangs, the brave bulls who fought through sweat, blood and tears to finally get the coveted chance to jump in last into our swimming pool this year. Congratulations Seladang! We (the rest of the houses) truly salute you, although with slightly bruised egos! Also, good luck to the juniors handling the houses next year! Don’t let us seniors down!

July had ended with Live Right Now, our annual major campaign which was focused on influencing all Malaysians to live a healthy lifestyle, free of smoking, improper eating habits, and other petty tendencies us Malaysians face in our everyday lives (Do click to read the cover of our campaign!). Thus, it would be almost expected of August for Cempakans to be absolutely beaming with health, but oh the irony! The number of those falling sick had increased! Ah, it is the evil work of the H1N1 influenza, the worldwide pandemic, the major hoo-ha of 2009. I strongly urge all readers to take care of yourselves and prepare for the worst, but expect the best out of situations.

Commencements! Ah, the most prestigious night of the year, where deserving students are recognized for their work and contributions to the school. Do read the article on the Annual Commencements, where it would prove to be sentimental to some, and inspirational to others. On a much lighter note, to all Harry Potter fans out there, do read the review on the latest movie based on the Harry Potter franchise and see if you share the same views as our writer, who had given it a rating of 3.5 out of five stars!

As I have mentioned earlier, August started with a bang, and most certainly ended with one too! Covers of the Merdeka Celebrations, the Platinum Expedition, and even the recent Lady Gaga concert in Macau will be awaiting you in the next issue! Do not miss it, dear readers, for we are what we are because of you. If you have any feedback about our newsletter or any inquiries whatsoever, do not hesitate to email me at chengtsiaolin09@cempaka.edu.my.

Thank you, and happy reading!

 

The Cempaka Movie Awards 2009
By Wong Leong Khim, Form 5 Science 1
The inter-house movie competition takes place every year during the months of May and June. Throughout this arduous time frame, students from all four houses compete to produce three, three-minute movies revolving around the same title.
 
PMR Study Skills Camp 2009
By Marlena Zara, Form 3 Cempaka
On the first day, we had Dr Rizal giving us a lecture on steps to approach PMR, the ins and outs on how to overcome an obstacle as we approach this big examination. He also presented us with very useful studying techniques to apply when we hit the books.
 
Hearts To The World
By Khu Chooi Ern, Form 5 Science 2
It all started with the (very scary) auditions, then the (extremely terrifying) callbacks, then the (gruelling) rehearsals, and finally we come to this moment where we realise that we are going to perform in front of a real audience, very soon. Funny, it all seems so very long ago, and I can barely remember what my audition was like.
 
Maths Olympiad 2009
By Jack Jacobs, Form 5 Science 1
After three days of buildup, preparation and panicking, the day of the Inter-house Maths Olympiad had finally arrived. This event has been long anticipated by many, including myself, the so-called captain of the Seladang Maths Olympiad team. One could sense the competitive spirit that’s always displayed at all inter-house events.
 
CAS Bronze Expedition 2009
By Yeoh Hsu Yin, Form 5 Science 1
The first of the Cempaka Awards Scheme (CAS) Expeditions is the Bronze Expedition. This year, the expedition took Cempakans to Saujana Camp in Asahan, Malacca for two days and one night, from Friday, 1 May 2009 to Saturday, 2 May 2009.
 
Silver Diving Expedition 2009
By Goh Mei Jing, Form 4 Science 1
All the trouble it took us to get there was forgotten as soon as we had a peek at the sea. In my honest opinion, I had never in my life before seen water so clear. It was out of this world. I never thought that I would be as enthralled as I was about seawater! Forget the seawater momentarily; the beach at Pulau Redang was simply mesmerizing.
 
Annual Commencements 2009
By Alexis Lee, Form 4 Science 1
The second half of the year always brings along the solemn promise of final exams and the Annual Commencements ceremony that is when rewards are given to deserving young Cempakans, former Cempakans, and teachers.
 
ON THE FRONT
The Growth And Change Of The English Language
By Jamie Kok and Wong Sher Lynn, Form 1 Terra
Once a language is no longer capable of growth and change, it dies out. Languages that are no longer used then, are no longer growing. Languages like Ancient Greek and Latin are examples of this.
For The Football Fanatics
By Judah Chew Ju Jinn, Form 4 Science 1
The truth is, Malaysians are crazy about football. The global appeal of football is at its peak in Asia. For the 09/10 premier league season, it is estimated that the matches will be beamed into 575 million homes. That alone is a small amount, considering that in each home, there is more than one viewer.
Gone Too Soon: Michael Joseph Jackson
By Sharifah Samira Albana, Form 5 Science 1
Procrastination has always been a good old friend of mine. Yet sometimes (most of the time), it has been a deadly enemy. He attacks when I’m most vulnerable when I’m facing the powerful army of the ‘homework’ kingdom and ‘studying’ city.
COLUMNS
The Best Things In Life
By Mithrra Kuladeva, Form 3 Cempaka
She was clad in a yellow sundress with matching shoes and her usual scent of spring. She hadn’t changed one bit; Lyla was still the same old girl with lustrous eyes and a smile that warmed your heart. We’ve been best friends since the seventh grade and my dear friend was still as hyper as she was three years ago.
Heartless
By Chin Siew May, Form 3 Cempaka
I look at her now, lying motionless on her hospital bed. It’s the first time I’ve visited her in nearly a decade, and so neither of us recognizes the other. “She’s dying,” her parents told me, tears in their eyes.
Tracks
Chin Siew May, Form 3 Cempaka
I had started out with nine of my closest peers, full of anticipation and excitement of the great adventure about to unfurl before us. How naive we were! We simply were not ready for such a demanding expedition. The temperature rose unnervingly. The weaker links among us couldn’t take it and soon succumbed to the incessant desert heat.
Reviews
Harry Potter & The Half-blood Prince
By Amanda Choong, Form 5 Science 2
The new sixth instalment of the Harry Potter movie franchise can be described in a word – WOW. Perhaps not the best effort to sticking with the book, but Harry Potter & The Half-blood Prince definitely blew Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix (the fifth movie and a clear disappointment) up, up and away.
True Blood TV Series Review
By Sandra Tan, Form 5 Science 2
The acting is of an A class standard with Ana Paquin winning the Golden Globe for Best Performing Actress 2009 and a well-deserved award at that. Their ability to portray their characters so naturally especially Sookie with her Southwestern accent.
WORD OF THE WEEK
Effulgent
  • adjective (poetic/literary)
    Shining brightly; radiant
    – (of a person or their expression) emanating joy or goodness
  • ORIGIN mid 18th century from Latin effulgent- ‘shining brightly,’ from the verb effulgere, from ex- ‘out’ + fulgere ‘to shine.’
THE INVERTED COMMAS
Be open to learn new lessons even if they contradict the lessons you learned yesterday.
 
– Ellen Degeneres in Elle.
RIDDLE ME THIS
The person who makes it has no need for it. The person who purchases it does not use it. The person who does use it does not know he or she is. What is it?.
 
a coffin