the inkSlingers

Wednesday, 25 November 2015

IS#31:251115(3)

News

Auto-Gate
Project Delays in
Activation

>4

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News

3D Printing
Captures
Attention

Features

Arnold
Schwarzenegger
Shares Keys to
Success

>6

> 10

TU to Address Parking Situation

By DARIUS SHU CHEN KEONG AND TIFFANY MAREE LIM HUEY MIN

semesters to ensure that students

or staff do not take advantage of it.
Registration is free and 30 bays
will be designated for carpooling
at the season parking space near
Block E.
More bays will be allocated when
there are more demand for it.
Chong said those who carpool will
need to renew and re-registered for
a new tag every six months to ensure
the validity of the registration.
Chong added that FEHSSA has
also partnered with TUs Corporate
Social Responsibility to build cycling
lanes around the campus compound
with future plans to extend the
cycling lanes to Sunway and SS15.
Designated dual level bicycle
bays will be built on the side of
the road behind Block E and those
cycling can make use of these new
bays, Chong said.
He added that the back gate
will also be opened from 7.30am
to 9.30am and 4pm to 6.30pm
on weekdays for those cycling
tocampus.
Chong said the aim of this project
is to address the lack of parking
space, reduce carbon footprint and
encourage healthy lifestyle in TU.
The Green Transport Project
will begin from January to March
nextyear.

The traffic congestion and parking situation at Taylors University Lakeside Campus have become worse over
the years.

SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University

(TU) plans to address the
parkingsituation at Lakeside
Campus
through
the
Green
TransportProject.
The project promotes transport
sustainability
through
several
initiatives that includes a parking
area at Leisure Commerce Square
(LCS), a new carpooling system and
cycling lanes within TU compound.
Facilities, Environment, Health,
Safety, Security and Administration

(FEHSSA) Senior Sustainability and

Project Manager Edward Chong Eu
Siang said a new shuttle van system
would be implemented to reduce
the parking problem in TU campus.
Taylors Education Group (TEG)
has purchased LCS in Bandar
Sunway six months ago and will
lease out the basement car park to
TU staff and students, Chong said.
Chong said the parking bays
atLCS will be at a flat rate of RM5
per day.

This free shuttle van service will

ferry students and staff between LCS
and TU campus at a pickup interval
of 10 minutes, he added.
He also said a new carpooling
system will be implemented at TU.
A carpool tag will be issued
to each car registered under this
programme and it is only applicable
to a car with two persons and above,
Chong said.
He added that colour-coded
tags will be provided according to

NE W S

November 2015

TU Adds Overnight Study Areas

By TEH WOON YA

the ink

Slingers
Editor
Darius Shu Chen Keong

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SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University

(TU) management opens more
study spaces for students who
stay late or overnight on campus
for revision, discussions and
assignmentpurposes.
According to Academic Services
Scheduling and Academic Resources
Manager Hew Hon Choon, students
can now utilise informal learning
environments such as classrooms,
the Student Life Centre and open
areas in front of library.
All classrooms except for
the lecture theatres will remain
unlocked at night, but we do not
advise students to stay in it with
only few students as it is a waste of
electricity, he said.
Hew said students could make
bookings two days in advance to
stay overnight in computer labs,
classrooms and lecture theatres
through their respective School
Academic Services or online using
the student portal.
Hew added that the classrooms
had a maximum capacity of 40
students per room, while the 24/7
Study Room could fit 60 students.
X-Space was previously open
at night, but we decided to lock
it to prevent any damages on the
expensive equipment, Hew said.

Chia prefers to complete his work at university during night time.

TU Auxiliary Police Sub Inspector

Singaraveloo Renganthan said,
Security guards will conduct
patrols five times a night to ensure
all corridors and staircases are safe
and no outsiders are in campus.
Security guards will be on duty
for the whole night at the walkway
between two blocks at level two, five
and seven, he added.
Singaraveloo said one police will
patrol each block at every hour to
check student identification cards,
and unless they have permission to
use the rooms, the police will ask
students to leave the classrooms
due to safetyconcerns.
He said, We will only allow the
students to stay in classroom when

24/7 study room and other formal

learning spaces are fully occupied.
I would encourage students who
stay late to study at places equipped
with closed-circuit televisions,
and to call the extension numbers
7000 or 5214 during emergencies,
he added.
School of Engineering student
Chia Wei Qian, 22, said, I prefer to
discuss with my group members at
night as it is hard for us to arrange
meetings during the day due to
ourclasses.
School of Biosciences student Lee
Yun Yee, 21, said, I prefer to study
in individual classrooms rather than
the 24/7 study room which is often
smelly and noisy.

TU Staff Unwinds at Fairytale Themed Dinner

By FOONG KAH MEI
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University
(TU) staff mingled with colleagues
from different departments at their
annual Staff Appreciation Dinner
with the theme Once Upon A Time.
Some of the staff members were
very sporting as they took the effort
to dress up in different costumes,
said Organising Chairman and
School of Hospitality, Tourism and
Culinary Arts lecturer Reuben
Suresh Arthur.
Reuben added that 860 staff
attended the dinner and the overall
response was as good as expected.
The weather on that day wasnt
the best but everyone participated
in the games nevertheless, he said.
Taylors Business School lecturer
Robin Theng said, The String
Pull and Strike the Rat game
booths were my favourites in the
MedievalVillage.
Theng said the highlight of the
event for her were the games where
participants challenged and cheered
for one another.
Normally I would dress up for the
event but this year I did not because

Staff lining up at the bread station to sample a variety of breads and

dips. Photo Credit: Darius Shu Chen Keong

I had to rush back for the event from

a training programme, Theng said.
Students who were helping out
with the dinner were also dressed
as different fictional characters such
as Harry Potter andShrek.
School of Design senior lecturer
Sabariah Ahmad Khan said she liked
dressing up for the dinner as it is her
only opportunity to do so.
It does not matter if I did not win
because the main point was that

I get to be a different character for

just one night, said Sabariah, who
dressed as the Red Queen from Alice
in Wonderland.
Sabariah said she really enjoyed
catching up with friends and the
lucky draw where she won a fourday, three-night trip toKrabi.
On expectations for next years
dinner, she said, I hope we get to
see something different or perhaps
some change in activities.

November 2015

NEWS

Recent Toll Hike Frustrates TU Students

By LYANA ROSALINI MOHD YUNUS
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University
(TU) students responded negatively
to the recent toll hike that
were implemented by the Malaysian
government on 15 October,
which affected 17 intracity highways.
School of Education student
Lum Kit May, 21, said she
felt
displeased
with
the
recent toll hike and believed that it
would further contribute to the wide
economic gap amongst working
class citizens.
Beside additional transportation
costs,
businessmen
take
advantage
of
the
situation
to increase the price of their
products and consumers will have
to spend more, Lum said.

Taylors Business School student

Zaahir Dawood Mohammad Sadiq,
25, said the Goods and Services
Tax (GST) and the toll hike will
lead to an increase in petrol prices
along with an increase in pricing

for everyday expenses, food and

beverage outlets.
This
spiral
effect
from
GST and toll hike will impact
citizens
and
have
them
resort to staying at home

Among the affected highways is Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP).

rather than going out, Zaahir

Dawood
said,
adding
that
the authorities did not fully justify
the increase in toll rates.
However,
School
of
Communication student David Teoh
Qi-en, 22, said his dissatisfaction
was more directed at the
incompetency of Malaysias public
transportation system and its slow
progress in improvements.
I am not ignorant about
my surroundings and the economy
of this country, neither am I fine
about the matter but politics
have disappointed us in many
ways that it has made me
jaded and this development is
not unexpected, he said.

TU to Build a Man-made Island as Bird Sanctuary

By KELLY CHENG CHIALI AND FARAH NADHIRAH MUHAMMAD KHAIRUN
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University
(TU) Facilities, Environment, Health,
Safety and Security Administration
(FEHSSA) will be building a bird
sanctuary island on the lake by the
beginning of next year.
FEHSSA Senior Sustainability
and Projects Manager Edward
Chong Eu Siang said, TU is
conveniently situated under the bird
migratingpath.
So, this gives us a great
opportunity to create a bird
sanctuary island for migrating birds

to stop by or to make a permanent

home for them, he added.
Chong added that the island
would be about 30m by 60m in size
and will be situated at the far end of
the lake, opposite the staff carpark.
He added that the floating manmade island will be attached to the
banks of the lake to prevent it from
moving about on the lake.
He said a suspended wooden
bridge will also be constructed
to allow people to walk over to
theisland.

Besides the migrating birds

that will come and go, TU will also
purchase some flightless birds in
pairs to be placed on the land and
on the island itself, he said.
We will also plant some trees on
the island to make it look livelier,
he added.
He said, We will organise weekly
guided tours on the island for people
to learn more about the bird species
and trees.
Chong said benches will be
provided on the river bank for

students to relax and take pictures

of the island.
He added that a landscape
gardener and security guard will be
assigned to upkeep and maintain
the security of the island.
Chong said, The estimated cost
is about RM30,000, which will
be fully-funded by the Revision
EnergyPartners company.
The technical drawing phase of
the bird sanctuary will begin in
January next year and the project is
expected to be completed by April.

TU Students Offer Lower Priced Goods through FeedOn! Alpha

By TEH WOON YA
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University
(TU) students initiated Facebook
page FeedOn! Alpha last month to
sell surplus groceries at a lower
price with the aim of reducing food
wastage in Malaysia.
Founder of FeedOn! Alpha
Duncan Tsen Ken Sang said FeedOn!
Alpha sold mislabelled products,
near expiry but edible goods and
promotional items that could not be
sold in grocery shops.
Tsen said, The Facebook page
serves as a test-run for the FeedOn!
app to build up the FeedOn! brand
name and to iron out logistics issues
that might occur during transfer
of products from suppliers to
thecustomers.
Tsen added that TU students can
place their orders on the Facebook
page and collect their items at the
stated date, time and venue.

School of Communication student Cheong Sin Hwa, 21, checking

FeedOn! Alpha for the first time.

The responses were great, with

a total income of RM313 during
the first week after the page is
launched, he said.
Tsen said, The misconception
that we sell expired products to
consumers is not true.
The team consisted of School of
Computing and IT student Tsen,

21, and his partners, School of

Architecture, Building and Design
students Chin Khang Wei, 19, and
Chan Yi Qin, 20.
FeedOn! app will be launched
officially in December if everything
goes smoothly, Tsen said.
He added, We might provide local
delivery services in the near future.

School of Engineering student

Vinosyah Palaniandy, 20, said, Ive
bought foods from the page because
I think that FeedOn! Alpha is a great
movement to end world hunger.
School of Hospitality, Tourism
and Culinary Arts student Yuan
Fengyuan, 18, said, Im satisfied
with the services provided and
items bought were edible without
deterioration in quality in terms of
its taste and texture.
Dean of SOCIT Professor Dr Hiew
Pang Leang said, Im proud that
Duncan has applied his knowledge
by utilising the latest technology to
help the people in need and reduce
food wastage.
This is the behaviour that we
wish to see from our students
tomaterialise ideas and bring it to
life rather than purely learning for
academic purposes, he added.

NE W S

November 2015

Auto-Gate Project Faces Technical Issues

TUCSI to Organise Talent

Time Competition

By TEH WOON YA
SUBANG JAYA: Activation of Taylors
University (TU) library auto-gates
has been delayed since June due to
technical problems.
Chief Librarian Jefrina Jamaluddin
said, System Integrator (an external
party) has faced technical issues
which deferred the implementation
of the speed gates system.
The System Integrator has
been working with the equipment
supplier and system developer to
resolve these issues, she said.
Jefrina added that the project
team has provided assistance to the
vendors to ensure that the autogates could be facilitated soon.
We will also subsequently
perform acceptance testing on the
system and announce a go-live date
to the campus community, she said.
Jefrina was quoted in The
InkSlingers April issue as saying that
themain purpose for installing the
auto-gates is to ensure the safety
ofTU community by prohibiting
outsiders from entering the library.

IN BRIEF

TU management installed auto-gates in library but they are yet to be

activated due to technical problem.

Students library privileges such

as resources and seating could also
be protected, she added.
American
Degree
Transfer
Programme student Seshan Kumar
Gopala Krishnan, 18, said, I agree
with the auto-gates in library as it
is unfair when students from other
universities can use our facilities
that we paid for.
TU management should inform
students about the reasons behind
delaying the implementation to
avoid misunderstanding, he added.

SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University

Community Service Initiatives
(TUCSI) is collaborating with
Refuge for the Refugees (RFTR)
for their fund-raising Talent Time
competition that will be held in
April next year.
President of TUCSI Ong Eunis
said the theme of the competition
is Lumire, which also means light
in French.
Participants will be expected to
perform their talents of dancing,
singing and other activities under
the spotlight, Ong said.
Ong added that the competition
is one of TUCSI fund-raising
initiatives to raise funds for future
community service projects.

Seshan
Kumar
said
TU
management might have a hard
time managing complaints after
theimplementation
of
autogates, especially from students
who neverbring their student
identification card.
Taylors Business School student
Mission X: Racing
Rachel Lee Ruo Ying, 19, said, I
hopethat TU management will for Charity
consider having a trial period for the SUBANG JAYA: The Mission X
CharityRace will be held on 28
auto-gates so that students could SUBANG
JAYA:
get used to it and bring their card November from 2pm to 8pm at
Taylors University (TU) to raise
next time.
funds for theNational Cancer
Society Malaysia (NCSM).
Students Should Seek Help if Stressed, Says Befrienders KL
School
of
Communication
student and Sponsorship Manager
By SACHA MALLI GERARD CHRISTOPHER
Alexis Hii Wei Xin, 21, said the
SUBANG JAYA: Students facing Befrienders KL gets 55 calls a day
race consists of five stations with
examinations have higher stress which is a very high number. This
physical and mental challenges.
levels and might need more mental shows that our service is greatly
We decided to spice it up a little
and emotional support to maintain needed and welcomed by many
by focusing on challenges instead
overall health, said Befrienders people in distress, Lim saidat
of just a run, Hii said.
Outreach Director Kevin Lim.
the Break The Silence talk held on
Organising Chairperson Audrey
According to Lim, people aged 2 November at Taylors University
Septian, 20, said there will be a
15 to 20 years old are considered Lakeside Campus..
bazaar as well as a speech by a
at a higher risk of feeling alone, Befrienders KL is a support group
representative from NCSM.
depressed and unmotivated, with that operates 24/7; they can be
Registration booth is available at
one of the main factors being the contacted by phone or email and
Student Life Centre foyer from 16
pressure they feel during their face-to-face appointments.
to 18 and 23 to 27 November.
studypursuits.
All information will be kept
It is important to talk about private and confidential.
Xmas Event to Bring
your difficulties and not keep things
Students Together
bottled up, said Lim, adding that Contact Befrienders KL via:
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University
he encouraged students facing Phone: +(6) 03- 7956 8145
Student
Councils
Campus
dilemmas to seek help, whether Address: 95, Jalan Templer,
Integration is organising Christmas
from family, friends, Taylors 46000, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Miracle on 18 December from 7pm
University (TU) counsellors or Email: sam@befrienders.org.my
to 9pm at the Amphitheatre of
Lim presenting his talk in TU.
Befrienders themselves.
Taylors University.
The event aims to integrate
students
and
strengthen
relationships between the student
By FARAH NADHIRAH MUHAMMAD KHAIRUN
body and university students.
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University beside Old Town White Coffee The timers would be activated Campus Integration Director
(TU)
Facilities,
Environment, and X-Space classroom D3.08 from 6am and turned off at 7pm Carmen Chia, 20, said there will
Health, Safety, Security and in December.
every day. However, the common be a photo booth, games, asnow
Administration (FEHSSA) plans to Chong said this approach is called corridor lights which use minimal challenge and gift exchange session.
change the current switches for building automation whereby it is electrical energy will still be Participants are encouraged to
wear red, green or white colours as
air-conditioning systems and lights a system that turn switches on or switched on after 7pm, he said.
to motion sensor switches.
off automatically.
Chong said, To keep the lights a dress code.
FEHSSA Senior Sustainability The purpose is to minimise on after 7pm, one just have to move Tickets are up for sale at RM10
and Project Manager Edward Chong energy used after office hours and to their hand or head and when the per entry in front of the Student
Eu Siang said a pilot test would be reduce the electricity bill up to 80% motion sensor detects movement it Life Centre on 1 and 2 December
from 10am to 3pm.
carried out at the Academic Suite a month, he added.
will turn the electricity back on.

TU Plans to Implement Motion Sensor Switches

November 2015

NEWS

Sticket App Receives Top Award at TechFest

By YEONG XIU HUI

SUBANG JAYA: Sticket, the work
of four Taylors University (TU)
students, was chosen as the best
mobile application among the five
presented during Post-ImagineHack
at TechFest 2015.
Sticket is a digitalised version of
the coupon-based public parking
payment system in Malaysia, with
several features such as advance
payment and real time top-ups
included for users convenience.
The application was chosen
alongside four others at the end
of Imagine Hack in September, to
undergo further development before
being pitched to a panel of judges,
which included representatives
from IBM and Cyberview.
Stickets
development
team
consisted of School of Computing
and IT (SOCIT) students Ahmad
Shahid Nassir Rogers, 21, Bryan Lee

Kar Meng, 20, Gareth Teoh Jia Lok,

21 and School of Communication
student Matthew Chan Kuok
Han, 20.
Agents of Tech (AOT) President
Janice Chau Sian Lu, was the
organising
chairperson
of
ImagineHack, said,Sticket won
because the team demonstrated a

strong technological background

that was able to support their idea.
Chau added that the competition
evaluated applications based on
concept, technology and execution,
impact and innovation as well as
commercial viability.
Team leader Ahmad Shahid
said the idea of Sticket emerged

SOCIT Deputy Dean Dr Raja Kumar Murugesan (left) presenting the

mock cheque of RM1,500 to (from right) Chan, Lee, Teoh and Ahmad
Shahid. Photo Credit: Darius Shu Chen Keong

from personal experience with the

inconvenience and hassle that came
with the current public parking
payment system.
We carried out a survey with 109
local drivers, with 91% agreeing that
the current system was inconvenient
and 71% were discouraged from
purchasing parking tickets as a
result, Ahmad Shahid said.
Despite
winning
RM1,500
and a place in the IBM Global
Entrepreneurship
programme,
Ahmad Shahid said the team has
yet to finalise future plans for the
application, as the team treated this
as a learning experience.
Sticket team member Chan said,
From this experience, I learnt that
the most important thing you need
is confidence when you take up any
task, because if you have confidence,
all other things will fall in place.

TU Students Volunteer for Treehouse Wins ECOWorld

Recruitment Video Contest
Refugee Food Drive
By LEE TING

By AU HUI SHAN
SUBANG JAYA: Nineteen volunteers
from Taylors University Community
Service Initiatives (TUCSI) took
part in a food drive to distribute
packaged meals and dry foods to
help 10 Burmese families.
President of TUCSI Ong Eunis,
21, said the purpose of the event
was to supply food for the Myanmar
refugees as well as to get to know
and provide the support and care
they need.
Ong said, The volunteers served
the families food and had the
precious opportunity to bond with
the refugees by playing a game
called tangled up and taught the
children drawing and origami.
Ong added that the kids
were immersed in the origami
anddrawing sessions.
TUCSI volunteer Tan Jit Yiing, 21,
also taught the refugee children to
dance Gangnam Style.
It was such a joy to see the kids
enjoying themselves as they were
happily dancing without any care in
the world, Tan said.
TUCSI volunteer Ng Shir Li, 19,
said it was a good opportunity for
her to take part in this meaningful
food drive event, in order to broaden
her horizon.
Ng said, Seeing the difficult life
the refugees face due to financial
instability and food shortage; Im
grateful with the life I have now.

TUCSI volunteer Lai Xie Vern,

18, said, Although we had some
language barrier during the
activities, it did not stop us from
having fun and connecting with one
and another.
The refugee adults and children
were very friendly, approachable
and supportive among their
community, Lai said.
They taught us some basics of
their native language, Burmese,
such as the different greetings and
numbers, Lai added.
Organised by Refuge for the
Refugees (RFTR) in collaboration
with TUCSI, the event is a bi-monthly
activity carried out in PJ Section
(PJS) 17, a housing area where the
Burmese families stay.
Ong said this food drive is a
smaller-scale event conducted for
interested TUCSI volunteers only
during a recruitment drive through
their Facebook page.
Ong added that the priority of
participating food drive this time
was only given to TUCSI volunteers
only, however, they are excited to
open application to other students
for a larger scale event in the
near future.
Along with our mission, this is
to instil civic-mindedness in the
Taylors community and inspire
more people to be involved in
community service, Ong said.

(From left) Low, Yeo, Nik Sharmine Afina, Norlyana, Wong and Khoo
are excited to win the recruitment video contest.

SUBANG JAYA: A team of Taylors

University School of Communication
broadcasting students won the
ECOWorld
recruitment
video
contest, bringing home RM5,000
and an opportunity to work with
ECOWorld for the reproduction of
the video for officialuse.
Treehouse Productions, which
comprised producer Norlyana
Mohamad Termidzi, 21, Nik
Sharmine Afina Shaharin, 21, Japhia
Wong Jie Ern, 21, Ethel Khoo Sie
Xuan, 21, Melissa Yeo Mei Yin, 22,
and Low Aw Yian, 25, found their
win to be quite a surprise.
We did not expect to win at all,
Norlyana said.
Norlyana
said
the
video
represented
themselves
and
Generation-Y in terms of being fun
and quirky.
They
(ECOWorld)
want
Generation-Y recruits, so we did a

video that was kind of fun for us and

would also appeal to our generation,
Norlyana said.
ECOWorld CEO Datuk Chang
Khim Wah said it was a hard
decision because students wanted
an out-of-the-box thinking video
while still taking into consideration
a corporate image.
With the level of enthusiasm
shown by every team, I think all
the students here will do well as
life is more than just studying,
Chang said.
Chang said with the opportunity
to do a project with ECOWorld,
students should make full use and
get something out of it.
Taylors University is an exciting
education institution and ECOWorld
is a growing development company,
so the synergy is good and we will
find other ways to collaborate and
work together again, he said.

NE W S

November 2015

3D Printing Booth Amazes Visitors

By DARIUS SHU CHEN KEONG
SUBANG JAYA: The 3D Printing
Booth by Triplaxis, a private
business company started by two
Taylors University (TU) students,
amazed visitors at TechFest 2015,
on 29 October at Lakeside Campus.
The crowd responded better
than I expected as they were
overwhelmed and fascinated by
it, said School of Computing and
IT student Lim Jan Chian, 26, the
business development director and
co-founder of Triplaxis.
Lim said he was happy to see
many people were interested in
the booth, with some recording the
printing process in action with their
mobile phones.
Its a great eye-opener to have
this displayed at TechFest and Im
sure people have seen 3D printing
over the internet but not the physical

machine in action, said Lim, adding

that TechFest was the best place to
showcase 3D printing technology to
the studentcommunity.
Lim said he knew 3D printers
were costly and therefore wanted to
provide the service to people who
could not afford the printer.
The 3D Printing will revolutionise
ourcountrysmanufacturing
industry, Lim said.
School of Engineering student
Winston Lim Lik Khai, 19, said, As
we often do prototypes for projects,
3D printing would help us in
moulding what we want.
This would benefit us a lot due to
the detailed accuracy of 3D printing,
which is crucial for us when building
different types of prototypes.
Taylors College A-Levels student
Sim Yi Xuan, 19, said, I would love

to use custom designing with 3D

printing technology to send gifts to
my friends and family.
Sim added that he was amazed
that the business was started by

rain and haze to have polluted the

lake water.
He added that his team is still
investigating other possible causes
of pollution.
A polluted lake spells harm for
marine life such as Japanese Carps
and tortoises, including our ducks
and geese, Chong said.
It would be a shame if the lake
becomes so dirty one day that the
fishes in it die, he added.
He added, The pollutant in the
lake will affect the nearby Klang
River since our lake flows into it.
Chong added that the lake
water circulates to the manmadewaterfall at the university.
Chong said TU management will
remediate the lake by building a

constructed wetland where the

current man-made waterfall will be
modified to be less steep and aquatic
plants such as water hyacinth and
water lily will be planted.
He said the gradual incline of the
waterfall slows thewater flow and
allows time for the aquatic plants to
filter out the water, a process also
known as aquaponics.
The plants foster the necessary
conditions for microorganisms to
remove pollutants from the water,
he said.
Chong said the lake remediation
project will begin January next year.
Universiti Utara Malaysia Adjunct
Professor Anthony Wong Kim Hooi
said that this is a good case study for
bioscience students.

He added that the small engine

dynamometer will allow him to
obtain the performance curve of
engines running on petroleum or
diesel when it has been modified.
After I have gathered all the
information that is needed, I will
tabulate all the results into a graph
which will be compared to the
information from other compressed
air engines, Naresh said.
He added that after the
information has been tabulated
correctly, he will further modify

his own compressed air engine to

achieve maximum efficiency.
Technical Officer from TU School
of Engineering Ahmad Hassan
Mohd Som said the small engine
dynamometer is used to calculate
the revolutions per minute, torque,
and horse power while adding any
amount of weight to any engine
connected to the device.
The temperature of the engine oil,
air intake, exhaust manifold, cylinder
head, eddy current and ambient can
be monitored separately, he added.

university students because it can

be very challenging.
He was interested in the
technology tomake gifts that was
on display at the booth.

Students at TechFest admiring the 3D printing technology.

Lake to Undergo Remediation for Poor Water Quality

By KELLY CHENG CHIALI
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors Universitys
5.5 acre man-made lake will undergo
remediation using constructed
treatment wetlands method.
Facilities, Environment, Health,
Safety, Security and Administration
(FEHSSA) Senior Sustainability and
Projects Manager Edward Chong Eu
Siang said, On certain days some
parts of the lake is green due to algae
growth from eutrophication, which
means excess nutrient in the water.
According to the Trend of Toxic
Ammonia and Nitrate Concentration
report, the high level of ammonia
and heavy metals in the lake has
been found to have exceeded the
healthy range.
Chong said, Our preliminary
investigation suggests rubbish, acid

Student Builds First Compressed Air Engine

By ABEL KHOR JU YI
SUBANG JAYA: A Taylors University
(TU) engineering student will be the
first person in Malaysia to modify an
engine to run on compressed air.
The new small engine dynometer
acquired by School of Engineering
enabled Naresh Jeyapalan, 22, to
work on his latest project Building
and Testing Compressed Air
DrivenEngine.
The school has allocated a
fixed budget for me to purchase
a motorbike engine that can be
modified, Naresh said.

They can now apply what they

have learnt in textbooks and see real
life examples, he said.
School of Biosciences lecturer
Dr Teoh Ming Li will include lake
studies in her students final-year
project next year.
Dr Teoh said they will collect and
identify the microalgae in the lake.
Dr Teoh, who is part of the lake
remediation project, said, We
could include lake activities to raise
awareness of the importance of the
lake among students and staff.
She said TU management might
as well take full advantage of the
lake since it is already there.
This is why we need to keep the
lake clean so that we can explore
more possibilities with it, she said.

November 2015

FE AT U R E S

Are You Game Enough to Take the Heat?

By FOONG KAH MEI
Malaysians are known for their
love of all that is spicy. Here are
some of the most tongue-numbing
spicy food challenges in our country
that everyone can try to satisfy their
fiery appetite. Be prepared to get
your adrenaline pumping!
The 9-1-1 Pizza Challenge
Owned by Michael Helfman,
Mikeys Original New York Pizza
serves a variety of hot and hearty
pizzas to their hungry customers.
The 9-1-1 Pizza Challenge requires
challengers to finish a whole 18inch 911, Call-The-Fire-Department
Pizza under 40 minutes.
Those who succeed will be
immortalised on their Wall of Fame
and earn themselves RM500 cash.
This self-proclaimed spiciest
pizza in Asia is sprinkled with
Cayenne
pepper,
chopped
Habaneros, Thai chillies and covered
with a layer of ghost pepper powder.
Address: 17, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar
Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
The Chilli Rush Challenge
Heat-seekers will discover the
line between good spicy and crazy
spicy as they scorch their taste buds
at Chilli Rush.
The restaurants specialty hot
wings are served in different levels
of spiciness, from CR1 to CR10.

Their level 11 hot wings are a force

to be reckon with.
These wings give customers a
tongue-numbing spiciness that
persists on the palate and burns
slowly in the stomach.
Challengers are required to finish
a dozen level 11 hot wings under
two minutes to be honoured on the
Chilli Rush Wall of Fame.
Address: 93-G, Block H, Jaya One, No
72A, Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling
Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan

One Fire Challenge

If you have an appetite for the
Korean taste then head to The Street
Caf for this next challenge that will
leave your tongue swelling from the
first bite.
A Korean street food restaurant
that serves authentic Korean food
like Ramyun and Ddokboki, this
place has its own surprise in store
for their customers scoff down an
entire pot of spicy Ramyun in less
than eight minutes.

School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts student Lee Ji Hao, 20,
takes on the Fire Noodle Challenge with added ingredients of cheese,
milk and ham.

Challengers who succeed will

receive a lifetime membership for
free drinks and be remembered on
their Wall of Fame.
Address: No. 28, Jalan USJ SS15/8,
Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan
Fire Noodle Challenge
If you do not feel like traveling far
then why not try this one instead
with friends or family in the comfort
of your home?
This food fad has taken the
world by storm when people
started uploading YouTube videos
of themselves taking on one of
South Koreas spiciest ramens the
Flaming Chicken Fried Noodles.
Some accepted and dominated
the challenge while others lost their
tongues to the fires of these ramen
noodles. There are even those who
went as far as to add their own crazy
twists into their noodles extra
chilli powder and chili peppers. You
can even watch videos on how you
can cook variation of the noodles.
So what are you waiting for?
If you have the tendency to torture
yourself in the most delicious
way possible then try out these
challenges yourself! Just be ready
to put your senses to the test and
let your tummy take on a flaming
pounding or two!

Beyond Fandom: Unfolding the Realm of Fanfiction

By NADYA SULAIMAN
Everyone has doubts about
fanfiction. Fanfiction allows freedom
to explore ideas for any fandom, but
this sometimes leads to weird and
uncomfortable stories.
People
new
to
fanfiction
might instantly develop negative
perceptions regarding fanfiction,
but not all creative expression
is cringeworthy.
It is time to debunk the four
most common misconceptions that
people have towards fanfiction.
Fanfiction is not real writing
Did you know that Fifty Shades
of Grey started out as a Twilight
fanfiction? The author E.L. James
reworked her fanfiction into an
original story, turning it into the
now international bestselling series.
All forms of writing, fanfiction
included, is literature. Poor
grammar, bad storytelling and other
lack of literary skill may happen
but fanfiction writing still allows
writers to express creative freedom
in anonymity.
Fanfiction writers are fans who
use the basis of someone elses

creative universe to explore their

own ideas.
Even if littered with grammatical
errors and plot holes, fanfiction has
helped in terms of literacy amongst
regular readers. After a good amount
of time reading stories, they come to
learn the differences between good
and bad grammar.
Fanfiction also have BETAs who
act as editors to a writers story,
correcting and improving on any
given fanfiction.
Fanfiction incurs copyright issues
It is not plagiarism of course.
The retelling of a story has been
humankinds favourite past time.
The fairytales we know today
are completely different from the
original and are arguably fanfiction
too. Little Red Riding Hood may be a
fairytale now complete with a happy
ending but it once was a cautionary
tale with an entirely different ending
the wolf ends up eating Little Red.
Normally, the use of original
works is prohibited but writers are
protected by the Fair Use Clause.
As long as the works are used fairly

or more accurately, for educational

and commentary purposes, then
fanfiction is perfectly legal.
In fine print, parodies of such
works are acceptable, which is why
writing fanfiction is still allowed
today. A good word of warning,
fanfiction is best not to be published
for commercial use.
Fanfiction readers and writers
are teens
Nonsense! Anyone can read and
write fanfiction. Teenagers are not
the only ones who have an active
imagination to boot.
While certain fanfictions may
seem like they are written by
immature teens, you would be
surprised to know that a good
majority of fanfiction writers are
actually in their 30s.
Writers are hesitant to reveal
their age for fear of judgement and
also because their poor grasp in
language has lead people to assume
that fanfiction writers are teenagers.
Fanfiction is erotica/slash/smut
Fanfiction is just porn in words,
most would say. Contrary to popular

belief, thats only part of the story.

Erotica is just a very big sub-genre
in the world of fanfiction.
Homoerotic
reinterpretations
are ridiculously popular in almost
comedic heights. From tragic love
stories between Spock and Captain
Kirk to the romantic trysts of
Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson,
stories get more and more eccentric.
Just because this particular subtopic is considered disturbing to
most people, it shouldnt dismiss
the merit of the community that
produces it. While there almost a
ridiculous number of sex-fuelled
fanfiction, there are some profound
and touching stories, even dark and
foreboding ones.
There is plenty of intrigue,
mystery and suspense, romance,
comedy and adventure. Writers
have an aim to satisfy curiosity
the What if questions that original
stories fail to answer. Some fandoms
have no conclusive endings. Show
cancellations and constant cliffhangers leave fans frustrated and the
need to know what happensnext.

FE ATUR ES

November 2015

Inside an Introverts Introversion

By LYANA ROSALINI MOHD YUNUS
Quiet individuals are often called
introverts. The word introvert
is mistakenly used to mean lone
rangers who are shy and do not like
to communicate.
Time after time introverts are
misunderstood in society and if
common stereotypes have anything
to say on this, it is that quiet
individuals are usually socially
awkward loners who abhor large
crowds and would run away at the
sight of others.
When it comes to categorising
a person, identifying an introvert
goes beyond just a shy individual.
According to Carl King, author of 10
Myths About Introverts, a commonly
believed myth is that introverts do
not like to talk.
However, King explained that
this assumption is not true. While
introverts may find small talk
difficult, thus resort to silence
when it comes to chit-chatting, it is
relatively simple to get them talking.
Just approach them with a topic of
interest to theminstead.
With regards to this particular
misconception, I am of the opinion
that introverts are just more cautious
communicators. They would prefer
to listen before they talk, choosing
words carefully and only speaking
when there is a need to.

My sister faces this issue on

a regular basis, with strangers
often assuming she is anti-social,
unapproachable or a plain snob.
Relatives would usually label her as
the quiet one amongst my siblings
and would always compare us in
term of friendliness.
This stems from a lack of
understanding about my sister, a
typical introvert. She only talks
when the topic is of her interest and
expertise. She dislikes small talk but
appreciates factual and informative
conversations. Try talking to her
about the human anatomy, she can
go on for days!
As quoted by Chicago Lawyer
magazine
columnist
Christina

Martini, Introverts are quiet but

this does not mean that they do not
have anything to say.
Introverts may not be keen on
talking. However, this does not mean
that they do not have an opinion.
My takeaway on this is that when it
comes to communicating, introverts
would usually gather data first
before forging out their opinions.
Introverts feel that it is best to
deliberate before commenting on an
issue and giving their say.
Another famously, erroneously
attributed trait for introverts is their
shyness, but if you ask me being shy
has nothing to do with introversion.
Introverts are not afraid of
approaching or communicating with

While mingling with others is easy for some, introverts often struggle
to fit in large crowds. Photo Credit: nbcnews.com

people. However, introverts often

need a reason to interact. Introverts
do not interact just for the sake of it.
A writer from Lifestyle website,
Scott Christ shared in his article
that among other famously known
misconceptions,
people
think
introverts always want to be alone.
Even though it is true to some
extent as introverts do enjoy quiet
time alone such as reading or selfreflecting, they can also get lonely
if they do not have anyone to
share their thoughts, experiences
anddiscoveries with.
I once dated a classmate who was
deemed as the ultimate introvert.
He shared with me that he prefers
spending his free time alone. Even
though spending time with friends
was entertaining, a day out with a
crowd will usually tire him out. He
will then turn to gaming for hours on
end at home to replenish his energy.
Introverts look for sincere and
authentic connections with people,
usually either one-on-one or in a
small group of friends. They do
often enjoy the company of others,
especially if the individuals share
common interests.
So the next time you see a quiet
person and you feel like talking to
them, just strike up a conversation.
and say hi!

Oh No! Our Attention Span is Decreasing

By DARIUS SHU CHEN KEONG
How many times have people
of our generation lose focus when
something does not seem to interest
them? Yes, our attention span
is dying and it is taking a toll on
ourlives.
As university students, there is
a constant need for concentration.
The attention span is so short that
even during lectures, it is easy to
lose focus after a while. This is the
same during group discussions or
revising. It is difficult to keep focus
as people are constantly distracted
by their gadgets.
Technology has been one of
the causes of this and because of
the overload in information that
bombards us, we easily lose interest
in things that does not capture
ourattention.
When people spend too much
time communicating with their
devices rather than face to face, their
ability to concentrate during real life
interactions greatly decreases.

The increase in visual-based

content on the Internet does not
help either. Videos plastered on
Facebook shows increasing demand
for more interactive content rather
than mere words on the news feed
as our attention span continues to
shrink. All these have been rewiring
our brains.
Consultant Psychiatrist at Pantai
Hospital Dr Brian Ho Kong Wai said,
Technology has simplified our life
as it makes everything easier but it
cuts short the way we interact with
the world.
Dr Ho added that the reason
attention span is shorter for todays
generation is because everybody
wants immediate gratification.
The
traditional
way
of
communicating and focusing has
been cut short due to the digital
lifestyle we are living in, Dr Ho said.
He advocated for self-control over
usage of technology and learning
to appreciate things around us, in

order to help restore our declining

attention span.
We have to be mindful and aware
about our usage in technology and
not to forget about the basic things
in life such as human relationship
and interactions as these are the
reasons that help us in psychological
attention, Dr Ho said.
Dr Ho added that if we are easily
distracted and cannot concentrate,
our productivity drops.
School of Pharmacy student Chen
Seat Theng, 22, said, Nowadays,
Im easily distracted during lecture
times and with us having very short
attention span, we often missed out
on important notes from lecturers.
Chen added that she and her
friends easily get bored on certain
topics and hence she prefers
interactive content that can help
keep herfocus.
School of Hospitality student
Mukund Rai, 24, said, Gen Y minds
are very indecisive about their

interests and therefore this will be

reflected in their attention span.
Mukund added that he prefers
visual-based content on social
media because when individuals
scroll their news feed and something
interesting appears, they will first
watch it before reading its content.
The digital generation are
becoming more efficient when it
comes to doing less. With this short
burst of attention, our generation
are only capable of having the
highest attention at the beginning of
an activity or task but slowly start to
lose interest as time goes by.
What we should start doing now
is to realise this and take the right
precaution to increase our attention
span again.
Humans have lived in the age
before technology whereby our
attention span was once high,
therefore there is no reason why
we are not able to attain such high
attention span again.

November 2015

FE AT U R E S

How a Hug Transformed My Family Life

By OW JI JING
I came from a distant family. We
lived under the same roof, but our
hearts are miles apart. We did not
know the importance of showing
appreciation towards each other, nor
did we know how to show affection.
In fact, we could barely communicate
properly with oneanother.
My mum used to be a hottempered person. She will get
annoyed at the smallest things; like
when we did not fold our blankets.
You can already imagine how often
she gets annoyed every day.
My young sister particularly
did not like that; she would talk
back loudly and sometimes even
shout. When that happens, my dad
would be reading his newspaper,
pretending not to hear anything.
That left my brother and I confused
and unsure of what to do. It stayed
that way for years and we have
grown to ignore it.
Earlier this year, the arguments
have gotten worse. It would normally
end up with sister slamming the
door and mum crying alone in the
guest room. She will then cry herself
to sleep and then wake up the next

morning pretending that everything

is alright. We will not even talk
about it.
I sincerely thought the situation
was toxic for the family, but I could
not find the courage to talk to them.
One day, I attended an interreligious forum, where they talked
about ways to lessen the tension
between different religious groups.
The speaker said, Go back to your
family, give them a hug and tell them
you love them.
He said we are not capable of
loving others if we cannot first love
our family. He also explained the
benefits of showing affection, on
how it is therapeutic and it could
repair and strengthen relationships.
The morning after, I decided to
do something differently. Instead of
just leaving to university without
even saying goodbye, I went to my
mum, gave her a hug and said I love
you, mum.
That was the first time I showed
affection to my mum in a long time.
It was also one of the most awkward
moments that I had in 21 years of
my life. She did not say anything, but

I could clearly see a bright smile on

her face.
After repeating it for a week, my
mum became the most joyful person.
The arguments that I used to hear
turned into mild ones, and eventually
evolved into warmreminders.
Few days later, I repeated the
same method to dad. I got more
comfortable talking to him and

We live in a generation where

repetitive music is considered ideal.
Vulgarity and swearing have become
a norm and most songs nowadays
associate with situations of partying
in a club such as LMFAOs Party
Rock Anthem or Black Eyed Peas I
Got A Feeling; hatred and cheating
on relationships songs such as Charli
XCXs Break The Rules or Ariana
Grandes Problem.
I feel that the lyrics of songs
during the era of the 70s and 80s
relate towards the theme of positive
love and togetherness.

The music in that era has become

a classic with their meaningful lyrics.
Bands such as ABBA, The Beatles, Bee
Gees and Aerosmith became famous
during the 70s and 80s because of
their in-depth songwriting. Today,
it is almost impossible to avoid
autotune and various synthesisers
to the instruments.
Music videos today tend to focus
on sexual themes with many rap
videos empowering the gangsta
image such as Drakes Worst Behavior
and Kanye Wests No Church in Wild.
Sadly, the encouragement to embrace
violence, vulgarity and elements of
sex with a certain perception to the
role of the African-American people
will only continue to degrade the
mindset of our generation.
I believe there are singers with
great songwriting talent but who
are prohibited by their record label
to write their own songs. The record
label prefers to hire an expert to
write songs for the singers as these
experts are deemed to know what
appeal to the public.
Therefore, the contents of most
songs are very similar and these
songs are just another product of
the ever evolving pop culture.

started to discuss the issue about

mum, followed by my brother and
sister. We agreed that we should
treat mum with more love and care.
Ever since then, my mum has
never shed a tear. My house has
become a happier place to live in.
My house has finally become
myhome and that is how a hug
transformed my family life.

Hug is a good way to express appreciation towards the family.

Our Self-Centered Music of Generation Y

By DARIUS SHU CHEN KEONG
Pop music has evolved into a
very narcissistic industry and they
literally feed the public on what to
listen rather than focusing on the
authenticity of the music. Majority
of lyrics today no longer has its
depth and lacking good content.
Is the industry implying that our
generation is more narcissistic in
attitude through its lyrics?
Listening to my favourite songs,
most lyrics nowadays seemed to
emphasis on individuality such as I
and me showing how self-centered
we have become these days.

School of Communication student Siau Yeu Jiun, 21, enjoying pop music.

What makes our generation listen

to pop music when there are more
genres to explore?
For me, it is an undeniable fact
that we are constantly bombarded
repeatedly with the same music
onour television, radio and
streaming services. Maybe it is
just anotherway to fit in with
thecrowd because it would be
easier to communicate with like
minded people.
There is no end to pop culture.
Music is no longer just for
entertainment but has become
a money-making machine. The
influence is big and it moves people
everywhere around the world
physically and mentally.
What we Gen Y can do is to
get out of our comfort zone and
explorenew music from the young
talents, who gets lesser attention in
our media nowadays.
Expand your music genres beyond
pop music and try to listen to songs
that brings positivity to your lives.
Take a look at your parents
old records or tapes because you
never know that what you may find
could change the way you listen to
musicforever.

10

FE ATUR ES

November 2015

Life Lessons from Successful Leaders

By TEH WOON YA
Recently, I had been given a great
opportunity to attend the Global
Transformation Forum which was
held from 21 to 22 October.
The forum brought world-class
leaders and opinion leaders across
the globe onto one stage to share
how socio-economic transformation
could
effectively
shape
the
global environment.
All the speakers were insightful
and inspiring in their speeches,
which motivated me to transform
myself and make changes for a
better future.
Here are some of my main key
learning outcomes.
Keys to success
Former Governor of California,
actor and bodybuilder Arnold
Schwarzenegger shared secrets on
how he transformed himself into a
successful person.
First step is to set a vision and
follow the vision throughout the
journey. An individual must be able
to think big and aim for higher
achievement. We should ignore the
naysayers and take out the no.
Schwarzenegger said, Everyone
said that its impossible for me to
become a government leader in
America. Yet, I tried my best and
ignored all the comments and I have
succeeded in the end.

The next key is to forget plan B.

You need 100% of attention for the
initial plan. Never be afraid of failure
and never give up! A winner is one
who will get up after they have
fallen, he added.
Lastly, he encouraged many to
leave their mark on the world by
giving back to the community, state
and country.
Leadership and teamwork to
drive transformation
AirAsia Group Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) Tan Sri Tony
Fernandes said, I would not achieve
what I have achieved now without a
fantastic team with similar mission
and passion.
He shared that companies tend
to focus on external stakeholders,
but in fact, internal branding and
relationships are more important.
Fernandes shared, I have reduced
the gap between myself and my staff,
offered rewards and training as well
as communicated with them on a
regular basis.
Performance
Management
Delivery Unit CEO Datuk Sri Idris
Jala has identified the types of
leadership that can lead to a
successfultransformation.
We need leaders who will pursue
the impossible and are willing to
try something new. Leaders must

Datuk Sri Idris Jala (left) and Schwarzenegger taking a wefie with the
crowd. Photo Credit: Global Transformation Forum

anchor on their true north (life

mission), he said.
Idris added that leaders should be
able to work hands-on operationally
by being involved in planning and
coming up withsolutions.
Play your role in making changes
Social commentator and activist
Kiran Bedi said cultural values and
lessons taught in school will shape
how an individual views society.
Her parents have often empowered
her by telling her that no one
canprevent her from choosing to
be exceptional. The media should

beaccurate in selling solutions

rather than selling problems to
thepublic.
Bedi said, We are empowered to
empower. The future depends on
what you do today, not yesterday
or tomorrow. You must always push
the negative thoughts away and take
in the positive thoughts.
We are the future pillars of society,
it is time for us to re-evaluate and
improve ourselves to develop a
better and more sustainable society.
If is not us then who? If is not now
then when?

and some of the Chinese will

believe that three people in one
photograph represents the three
incense sticks. As a way to pay
respects to their ancestors, incense
sticks are symbolic to death and
such disrespect in the form of a
photograph could lead to ill will.

Indians say, teen tighada kaa,

bighada, which translates to three
is unlucky, anything above two will
gets difficult to handle.
You should not open umbrella
inside the house
It is said that if you open an
umbrella indoors, the bad luck will
rain upon you. One explanation
is that umbrellas were used as
protection from the sun and if you
open an umbrella indoors, you will
make the Sun God angry.
The Chinese believe that evil
spirits hide underneath umbrellas
to hide from the sun. If you open an
umbrella indoors, evil spirits would
be unleashed into your house.
Besides that, the Malays also
believe that if a child opens an
umbrella inside the house, a snake
will come out from the umbrella.
For Indians, they believe that
when an umbrella is opened inside
the house, it will accidentally injure
people and break an object, so it is
considered as bad luck.

5 Superstitions We May Overlook in Our Lives

By YAP YING YING
Malaysians live with many
different races, languages and
religions. As a consequence, we grow
to blindly believe insuperstitions.
There are many different stories
for where these rules have most
likely originated - both logical and
illogical. Believe it or not, these
beliefs are still present today, passed
down through the generations.
You should not give shoes or
clocks as gifts
Some people say that giving
shoes may represent the want to
send someone away or to end a
relationship. If you are giving a
watch or clock as a gift, it is basically
saying that you are putting time into
a relationship. In Cantonese and in
Mandarin, give a clock is in a way, a
saying for attending a funeral.
You should not cut your nails
atnight
The Malays believe that if you cut
nails at night, you will die young. This
reasoning came about from back
in the old days where there was no

electricity. Those who cut their nails

at night could accidentally cut their
fingers, resulting in bloody fingers.
Another belief is that spirits will
eat the nails and will eventually take
on your form and appearance.
However, Indians believe that
night spirits will awaken and attack
those who cut their nails at night.
You should not pat or touch a
gamblers shoulder
According to the Chinese, there
are three lights or flames on a
person, which are located on the
forehead and on each side of the
shoulders. If you are patting or
touching a gamblers shoulders,
it may extinguish that flame, thus
bringing bad luck to thegambler.
Three people should not be taken
in one photograph
Some say that the person
standing in between two others in a
photograph of three people will be
the first to die.
The Chinese burn three incense
sticks for worship or prayer,

Some people believe that cutting

nails at night will bring bad luck.
Photo Credit: es.paperblog.com

FE AT U R E S

November 2015

11

Should You Let Your Sign Define You?

By FOONG KAH MEI
Horoscopes, also known as
zodiac signs, give us an insight into
how the time or the moment of
an individuals birth influences a
personspersonality as well as how
we perceive things around us.
Each sign is different and
unique in their own way and some
individuals tend to behave according
to theirsigns.
However, how far of an extent
should we allow our horoscopes to
define our identity?
Writers Winona Dimeo-Ediger
and Katelyn Kollinzas in thefrisky
website commented regardless of
how accurate your personality is
compared to your sign, it is important
to know that not everyone share the
same traits as their zodiac sign.
For example, a person can be calm
and patient even when they are born
under the signof Aries, which are
often described to be reckless and
impulsive. The same can be said for
other signs like Capricorns. They are

often said to be ambitious but they

can also be laidback in life.
According
to
AstrologyNumerology writer Michael McClain,
to understand a persons behaviour
better, we need to take into account
the positions of our sun sign and
moon sign in our birth chart.
Our sun sign represent our basic
identity. It is a way of learning
who we want to be. It represents
our conscious mind and our will
to live whereas our moon sign are
the representation of our deepest
personal needs - the way we make
ourselves feel safe and how we
instinctively respond to a problem.
Alwaysastrology website stated for
some individuals, their personality
is driven more by their moon sign
and the way they behave can be the
total opposite of their sun sign.
Despite its lack of reliability,
what are the reasons that make
horoscopes so popular
among
readers and enthusiasts alike?

A writer from elephantjournal

Phillip J Watt said the new
generation is open to any forms of
connection with the unknown. Many
yearn to discover themselves and
their future. This in turn, intrigues
people to know more about their
zodiac sign.
Horoscope enthusiasts worldwide
gather on social media to share
stories related to their respective
signs. New information obtained
about themselves acts as a stepping

Video gaming can be an addiction,

but just as you do not claim that every
sommelier is addicted to alcohol,
you similarly cannot assume that
every eSports athlete is addicted to
video games.
Another common misconception
towards video gamers are their
apparent lack of direction in life. A
frequently touted cliche points to
video gamers being antisocial and
unable to form social relations.
Such an observation stems from
the lack of deeper evaluation into
the situation.
Yes, video gaming undoubtedly
leads you to stay in a room facing

a screen, communicating within

digital contexts. This however, does
not mean video gaming makes you
an antisocial person.
Soren Bjerg, a famous LOL player
in North America, wrote about his
personal experience of how he used
video gaming as an escape from
being harassed and bullied by his
peers in real life.
After joining a professional video
gaming team,
Bjerg opened up
and became more sociable as he
interacted with teammates and fans
from around the world.
There may be a correlation
between a tendency to be less

Our sun and moon signs correlate

to shape our personality. Photo
Credit: sasstrology.com

stone in unravelling a side of them

that they have yet to realise.
Psychologist
Bertram
Forer
connects
the
popularity
of
horoscopes with the Barnum
Effect, which is the tendency to
accept certain vague or worthless
information as true and attribute it
to themselves.
Perhaps many view horoscopes
as an appealing illusion to feel
defined and therefore more easily
understood by others.
I think horoscopes are a fun and
interesting way to get to know
someone new.
However, one should be mindful
not to judge someone solely based
on that. Everyone has a story to tell
and it would be unfair not to take into
consideration other aspects of their
life. If we do not like being judged in
that manner, I believe others would
not be too fond of it as well.
After all, we are all pink on
the inside.

What Did You Say about Video Gaming?

By YEONG XIU HUI
The competitive video gaming
industry, also known as electronic
sports (eSports), is expected to give
out over 50million United States
Dollar (RM214million) in prize
money this year.
Major
tournaments
with
multiplayer online battle arena
(MOBA) games
like
Dota 2
and League of Legends (LOL)
have witnessed live viewership
counts peaking at over 20 million
spectators, selling out stadiums
and streaming games online to an
international audience.
Yet comments about the futility
of playing video games and the
negative perception towards those
who admit enjoying video gaming
doggedly persist.
So let us set the record straight
about some of the common
misconceptions
towards
the
professional video gaming industry.
Professional video gamers, or
eSports athletes, are not video
gaming addicts. While the world
loves to bring up occurence of
unfortunate incidents in cybercafes
involving video gaming binges,
professional video gamers are
exactly like physical sports athletes
- they know when to stop and when
to step back in order to maintain
their top form.

SK Telecom T1, champions of LOL Worlds Championship 2015, wins

one million US Dollar (RM4.35 million). Photo Credit: The Score eSports

sociable and video gaming, but this

does not mean there is a causation.
Professional video gamers will often
testify that video gaming boosted
their confidence and gave them
hope when they needed it the most.
And finally, video gamers have
had an uphill battle to climb in
proving that video gaming required
the ability to develop valuable soft
skills in life.
MOBA games require quick
reflexes and the ability to work well
in a team. Just as not all physical
sports require the exact skill set,
video games similarly will differ in
its play styles but they are still very
much capable of developing skills
that society values.
In MOBA games, players have
to not only coordinate their
movements, but also have counter
steps in order to win. In competitive
gameplay, seemingly small mistakes
could snowball into a heavy loss.
In the end, everything that is
so-called negative about video
gaming must be taken in the proper
context. If someone tries to say
thatprofessional video gamers
have no future, they should know
that thisyears The International,
a major Dota 2 tournament, had
a prize pool that totalled over
18million Dollar (RM77million).

theinkSlingers

FEATURES
November 2015

Life Values Volunteerism Had Taught Me

By OW JI JING
I have always been inspired by the
stories of people who volunteer to
help victims in catastrophic areas. I
always hoped to do the same.
In November 2013, Typhoon
Haiyan hit the Philippines badly.
Without a second thought, my
friend and I decided to join a twoweek volunteering programme in
the Philippines to help the victims
to rebuild their houses.
We thought it will be an exotic
adventure, but little did we know
it would teach us some valuable
lifevalues.
Generosity
We were assigned to Fatima
Village, a small and poor fishing
village, in Kalibo. Some of the
villagers did not even have a pair of
shoes, but they gave so much despite
how little they possessed.
My host family offered us to sleep
on the only bed they had and they
slept on the floor instead. Besides
that, they will bring us coffee and
snacks every morning that cost

them a bomb. They even offered to

help us wash our clothes and shoes.
I am deeply touched by their
generosity. I also felt ashamed, for
being selfish in giving, despite having
so much more back in Malaysia.
Family-like community
After a week of building houses,
I had infected wounds due to the

unhygienic
environment.
One
evening, a young boy noticed it and
to my surprise, the whole village
knew about it the next morning.
Once they knew about it, a group of
them put herbs on my wounds and
even checked on me consistently.
They treated a stranger like me
astheir family and that made me

felt at home, even when I am far

away from home.
Disconnect
with
the
world occasionally
Throughout the two weeks, we
were asked to cut off from any form
of media so that we could focus on
our mission and spend more time
with the villagers.
It was difficult at first, but I learnt
to love it eventually. We did a lot of
things with the villagers. We went
fishing in the ocean, climbed trees
to pluck coconuts and even played
hide-and-seek with the kids.
It made me realised how much
I have missed out in my life back
home. After coming back to
Malaysia, I constantly remind myself
to spend more quality time with my
lovedones.
I flew to the Philippines with the
intention of giving, but I received
and learnt so many valuable life
values. The experience changed me
and I could never thank God enough
for this opportunity.

the sarong in which he made it into

a knee-length skirt.
During Christmas celebration
with his family, alcohol was served
but they specially made me a
separate non-alcoholic ice-cream.
The best part that caught me off
guard was during the presentsexchange session. His mother gave
me a scrupulously hand-crafted
snowman that she made from shells
of nuts and twigs.
Religiously speaking, I became
more intrigued about my religion
because I wanted to be able to
answer every question correctly and
not simply by what I think is right.
My family whom at first would
subconsciously
stereotype
Malaysian races and call them by
race, blatantly shouting out that
Chinese! or that Indian! are now
more cautious of their words.
Our relationship came to an end
recently this year however it was
not due to our cultural and religious

differences, but it was because of

our personal issues.
However, the experience had
completely changed my perception
towards interracial relationships.
Ever
since
my
previous
involvement,
I am more open
towards the idea of being in an
interracial relationship . Currently I
am dating a Chinese man and we are
having good progress.

When it comes to interracial

relationships, it does not matter
what colour your skin is or whether
you choose to use a chopstick or
hands to eat with.
What matters most are the love
you both have for each other, the
willingness to make sacrifices
into making it works and the
commitment to the relationship
that is what will make it or break it.

Partners in crime, Rosh (left) and Ganji (right), who plucked coconuts
together with the writer.

Rojak Kind of Love Interracial Relationships

By LYANA ROSALINI MOHD YUNUS
Interracial relationships are
not
uncommon
these
days,
especially amongst 21st-century
youths. However, we still project
a contemptuous attitude towards
it and deeming it impossible to
beachieved.
I am a Malay Muslim and initially
my perception towards an interracial
relationships was always little to no
chance at all.
It was until the beginning of last
year which led me into a relationship
with an Atheist who is half-Chinese,
half-Austrian.
I had the chance of attending
Chinese weddings and he had the
opportunity of learning my mothers
daging masak hitam secret recipe
for Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
It was amusing how nervous and
awkward he was at greeting my
father with a salam - a hand gesture
used as a Muslim greeting.
The best part was seeing him
trying to figure out on how to wear

Interracial relationships can be an enlightment if one is brave enough

to pursue it. Photo Credit: interracialmarriageandfamily.com