2010 KS Bull Issue 1

Raffl es Institution | ksbull volume 1 | 2010 One of the most effective communicators of this era must be US President Barack Obama. Campaign speeches aside, his rhetoric on healthcare reform, sustainable development and the need for strong fundamentals such as education is persuasive and thoughtfully conveyed. The author of a recent biography on him relayed how Obama’s rich cultural background has enabled him to be an Everyman, someone who can relate to a wide cross section of the community and connect across cultures. He may speak the language of the elite from top US Colleges like Harvard, but he can strike a chord with those who come from the midwest, because of his mother and his modest upbringing. Google “Video of Will Smith Interview with Barack Obama” and listen to Obama’s argument on the need to expand our “moral imagination” and how nations should collaborate rather than compete in a world of limited resources. What Obama did – very effortlessly – was to use a number of cross-cultural references and weave in succinct narratives that foreground the plight of the villagers halfway round the world. To quote Obama, “One of the critical ingredients of any effort for peace is my ability to stand in your shoes and see through your eyes, and constantly imagine what it’s like, being a mother in Bangladesh right now... if the waters are rising because of climate change...”. How do we write persuasive and convincing essays? Listen to some of Obama’s speeches and writing and you will get useful tips on how the use of statistics and facts, interwoven with personal stories and conveyed with cross-cultural sensitivity, can strike a chord with listeners, viewers and readers. Read this issue of KS Bull and weigh what it is that makes one argument more persuasive than another. Enjoy. Lim Lai Cheng (Mrs) Principal, Raffl es Institution Message from the Principal @XxpokesxX

Raffl es Institution | ksbull volume 1 | 2010 Message from the Principal GP Promotion Examination 2009 Consider the value of play. [Sarah Chong Xin, 10S030] Consider the value of play. [Li Yiling Eden, 10S03Q] “There is no lack of policy in environmental conservation; it is the people who lack conscience and sensitivity.” How far is this true? [Nigel Fong Jie Ming, 10S03O] “There is no lack of policy in environmental conservation; it is the people who lack conscience and sensitivity.” How far is this true? [Kee Ae Ra, 10S03K] “There is no lack of policy in environmental conservation; it is the people who lack conscience and sensitivity.” How far is this true? [Jaclyn Chong Shu Yeen, 10S03L] “Science cannot stop while ethics catches up.” (Elvin Stackman) What is your view? [Ashish Xiangyi Kumar, 10A01A] How far would you say that singlehood has been hugely underrated? [Eunice Teo Swee Lin, 10A01B] Are the Arts a luxury we should dispense with, especially in diffi cult economic conditions? [Xiao Yi Fei, 10A01B] Is political corruption an inevitable condi