Publication: Lianhe Wanbao
Date: 9 November 2010
Source: LianHe WanBao © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
Translation:
Some netizens have posted comments that at SMU if one does not have a car, own branded goods, an iPhone or an iPad, one would be ostracised. Still others say it is a school for the elites. But not all agree. Some others have pointed out that it is not a question of what you have but how you interact with others that determine if one will be accepted. On these incidents, SMU has noted that they are more of an anomaly than a norm.
SMU Dean of Students Assoc Prof Low Aik Meng says, “SMU emphasises an education not just of the mind, but also one which stresses values and character building. All freshmen undergo the Freshman Teambuilding Camp where the SMU Circle Values – Commitment, Integrity, Responsibility, Collegiality, Leadership and Excellence – are instilled in them.
Among numerous ways through which we develop our students is the emphasis on giving back to the community. All students complete at least 80 hours of community service. By the time they graduate, more than half would have exceeded the 80 hours requirement, serving between 120 and 500 hours or more per individual.”
(Article appropriated for criticism/review. Copyright not infringed on defense of fair use, under the Copyright Act - Chapter 63, Section 36, "fair dealing for purposes of criticism and review", which states that "a fair dealing with a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work, shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the work if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of that work or of another work, and a sufficient acknowledgment of the work is made.")
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First of all, does anyone realise that what the SMU Dean just said was totally irrelevant to the topic? I find this a problem with older people who have been bureaucratised for too long. They become incapable of thinking, just throwing out the company line to try and make it sound like a statement for every single situation that comes their way. He sounds more like he is trying to sell the values of his school than answering the question.
A problem is not an avenue for you to make a sales pitch. Answer the question that is being asked. For a dean, you make me wonder if you learnt anything at all in primary school. I believe the question is, "How can SMU assist students in finding project partners for projects," not "how does SMU build character in its students." It is akin to being asked the question "Name me the first three letters of the alphabet" and going "1, 2, 3."
As for the students who are complaining, it really depends on who you want to hang out with in SMU. If you want to hang out with the people who have business connections or the "in" crowd (i.e. the rich), obviously you'll be ostracised if you are not rich. That is the reality everywhere, and it is hardly something new or unexpected. In fact, if anything, it is a lot less blatant here. Try studying in the States where they don't even bother to hide that you need certain "credentials" to get accepted into exclusive clubs and fraternities. And to be fair, not all rich people are pricks.
If you want to hang out with other people who are more like you, you will find them everywhere, if you bother to look. No matter where you go, people who own cars before the age of 25 are always the minority. I guess it kind of sucks that you can't join in their supper parties and secret alcohol-fueled orgies that are closed to you because you don't have a car, but well, that's life. Go find a convenience store, drink cheap alcohol and then go grind yourself silly on the dancefloor of Zouk with other smashed 19 year olds.
If you're really hung up about owning branded goods, my friendly neighbourhood shopping mall Eastpoint is having a sale of branded sneakers. Some of them cost just 30 bucks. I wouldn't buy them because they look awful but hell, they're branded. Buy them and you will now gain entry into the club for SMU elites, even if you are wearing ratty 10-dollar pasar malam berms. Doesn't sound like such a bad tradeoff now does it? I think it becomes apparent here that maybe branded goods are not exactly the problem here, the person is.
It is not unusual that our society loves money though. There is really nothing else for Singaporeans to do but to earn money. We don't have choices, like we can't exactly retire on a farm if we feel that we don't need any more money. Even our government loves nothing more than creating more money for itself. Look at how they always trumpet stellar GDP growth, although I really wonder why we need such great GDP growth numbers if it means nothing for the average guy here.
The biggest surprise for all our graduates is just beginning though. I think in a few years time, most are going to get a nasty shock when they realise that having a degree does not earn you enough to get a flat, a car, and start a family here. Not at the rate the cost of living is skyrocketing into the stratosphere here.