BTS Love Yourself Tour: Singapore

The internationally famous South Korean boy group, BTS, had hit the stage

again in Singapore’s National Stadium on

19th January. Their fans had travelled from as far as Europe just to watch this once-in-a-life-time concert in 2019.

Concert-goers arrived as early as 6:00 am, a day before the event, just to ensure that their places in the stadium were the closest to the stage. More than eighty of them even slept over-night outside the stadium.

Fans had spent more than $1000 on BTS merchandise such as “Love Yourself” T-shirts, speakers, notebooks and more. The item that was most popular at the booths was the Army Bomb which is the official light stick for the boy band. Fans waved their light sticks at BTS’ concerts to show their support for the boys.

BTS began with their newest song, “Idol” to hype up their 55,000 fans who were both seated and standing at the stadium. In addition to that, streamers and confetti rained from the sides and top of the stadium, not to mention the fireworks.

Watching them was an emotional experience. The concert had impacted many people and the lyrics touched many hearts. Besides their handsome looks, amazing songs and fantastic choreography, the message of their album was what really drew the concert-goers.

As indicated in the theme of their tour, BTS hoped that their fans would love themselves as they are special. They also thanked their fans for their unwavering support.

Written by: Maxinne (2B)

EXPLORE ORANGES

Many people enjoy eating oranges. However, what do we know about oranges? Do you know that oranges can improve your heart’s condition and even protect you from cancer? Well, there are many more interesting facts about oranges!

Oranges are natural skin bleachers. The vitamin C that orange peels contain helps to lighten dark spots and blemishes on the skin. Simply rub the peel right onto your skin or mash it into a paste instead. It works as a body scrub. Just wrap up some orange peels in gauze pads and rub them on your skin while showering. The scrub will brighten your skin and give it a great smell.

Decorate your house with orange candles. Simply add finely shredded pieces of orange peels to the wax and other ingredients to bless your home with the fruity fragrance!

In case you are hungry, orange peels can tame your hunger too! Dip some candied orange peels in chocolate and you will surely love its tangerine tastes.

Source:

http://diyforlife.com/11-creative-ways-use-orange-peels-everyday/

Written by: Shi Jiaxuan (2E)

SPIDERS COULD EAT ALL OF US!

A recent study by European scientists Martin Nyffeler and Klaus Birkhofer concluded that spiders eat about 440 million to 880 million tons of prey per year, which is equivalent to the total weight of all humans on earth.

The study noted that there are 45,000 identified species of spiders, hence far, with a combined weight of around 25 million metric tons.

The study also showed that while there is an average of 131 spiders per square meter around the globe, under perfect environmental conditions, the density can get up to 1000 spiders per square meter!

Nyffeler and Birkhofer used two methods in their attempt to find out the amount of food consumed by spiders.

Firstly, they used existing data to estimate their consumption patterns and they found that spiders eat around 10 percent of their body weight on a daily basis. That amount sums up to a range of between 460 million and 700 million metric tons of prey per year!

The second method involved data from various sources in which scientists counted the number of insects that spiders actually consumed. This led to a total of between 395 million and 805 million metric tons.

Source: https://globalnews.ca/news/3341294/spiders-consumption-study/

Written by :Shi Jiaxuan (2 E)

ARCTIC EVENTS WILL HAVE A HUGE IMPACT

ON SINGAPORE

“Whatever takes place in the Arctic, whether it is the melting of more ice or a new trade route, there will be a strong impact on Singapore,” said the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Sam Tan. He told The Strait Times in an e-mail interview before yesterday’s opening of a discussion on Arctic issues in Tromso, Norway, “Melting polar ice caps pose a threat not just to the surrounding regions, but to low-lying islands such as Singapore.” As a tiny, maritime nation at the crossroads of one of the most demanding shipping lanes in the world,

Singapore is keen on participating in the opening of the Northern Sea Route for global shipping. The journey from the Arctic region can be made via a new path which is currently opened for a few months for ships in the Arctic region. On the assumption that it opens all year round, this path cuts 30 percent off travelling time via the regular Suez Canal-Malacca Strait option and this would have global shipping implications, especially for Singapore. Ms Hema Nadarajah, a citizen of Singapore doctoral candidate studying global affiliations at the University of British Columbia’s department of Political Science, also said that the adjustments would carry more opportunities than disruption to the maritime industry in Singapore. Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/arctic-events-will-have-big-impact-on-singapore-sam-tan

Written By: Yeow Li Xuan(2G)

Wonders of drinking

Green Tea Green Tea is often being lauded for the many

benefits it gives. Some even deem it to be a miracle

drink that prevents cancer. Here are more facts about

how drinking green tea is an advantage.

Did you know that drinking green tea can actually

make you smarter? Research proved that the

caffeine and L-Theatine (a type of amino acid) in green

tea work together to boost brain function which

includes productivity and memory work.

In addition to making one smarter, green tea can also

reduce bad breath. The catechins in green tea lower the risk of infections by

terminating bacteria and preventing virus, leading to improvements in dental health.

They also reduce calories and bad breath.

Green tea might also be helpful in making one slim. This is because green tea

increases the burning of fats and improves the metabolic rates in

human-controlled trials. Do note that this may not apply to some people.

Overall, green tea might be the solution to being smarter, reducing bad breath and

losing weight. With all these benefits, it is no wonder green tea is one of the most

widely consumed drinks in the world!

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-

tea#section1

Written by: Joanne Choo(4H)

Release of the GCE ‘O’ Level Results

14 January was the day when the 2018 GCE ‘O’ level results were released. The atmosphere in the hall was tense as our seniors waited with bated breath for their results.

At 2.30pm the results were finally released and much to everyone’s joy and delight, the batch of 2018 had done us proud again, performing above the national average quite significantly.

When we interviewed Shayann who took the examination last year, she sounded really relieved and happy with the unexpected results as she had not studied hard enough at the start of Secondary 4, especially for her English, Mathematics and Science. Thanks to advice from her teachers, she realised that she could not neglect these subjects. Hence, she started to put in more effort. With consistent practice, immense effort and support from her teachers, parents and friends, she was able to achieve her target of 4 distinctions! All her hard work had finally paid off. It was a very rewarding experience. She admitted though that she was struggling with the lack of self-discipline, but got over it with the help and emotional support of her parents.

Wise Lim, another ‘O’ Level student in the batch of 2017, said “I was never a student who achieved distinctions. Most of the time I failed my tests, however what motivated me to press on was the endless support and faith that my parents, teachers and tuition teachers had in me. My ‘O’ Level journey would not have been this successful if not for their support which made me aim even higher even though I was uncertain if I would be able to achieve those goals. However, I exceeded my expectations and proudly stand by this quote “If you aim higher than you expect, you can reach higher than you dream” by Richard Brenson.

She has some advice for all the SJC girls who will be taking your O level examination this year. First and foremost, she wishes one and all the very best. The following is what she wants to say to you.

“Do not procrastinate. Time will not wait for you. It definitely will be challenging but all of your hard work will pay off. Trust me. Do make sure to take some time off and do not skip your meals!”

“Secondly, seek help from teachers who are always ready to make themselves available. SJC teachers are very helpful and always encouraged me throughout my secondary four journey. They were very willing to stay back after school, even till 8pm to 9pm, during night study sessions to help me clarify my doubts. Do not feel shy to ask for help, many teachers in the school are really nice and will help you.”

The batch of 2018 has truly done well. Many were contented with their hard-earned results. The teachers who had put in so much effort in making sure the students scored were also rewarded with the bright smiles of the students and the satisfaction of being able to help them reach their full potential. There were even students who got eight distinctions! I am sure that they had put in their best effort as well.

Many students lacked self confidence, and constantly believed that they could not achieve stellar results. However, they were mistaken as most of them were eligible for JC and 99% were eligible for Polytechnic. Performing beyond their expectations gave them confidence and confirm the belief that everything is possible with hard work and effort.

Written by: Tiffany (2A), Xuan Ying (2A), Maxinne (2B), Vaishnavi, Mignon (2E), Marissa (4H), Shi Min (2F), Meha (3E)