H1N1 at Monash Sunway Campus
Posted on: October 14, 2009
by: Neneng Retna Kurnia
Monash Sunway Campus, the latest update of H1N1 is receding.
Jasbir Singh, Risk Manager of OHS (Occupational Health and Safety Department) says the H1N1 flu is not really a serious problem at the Monash Sunway Campus anymore.
Jasbir Singh in his office
Within Monash, a student and a member of staff were reported to have contracted the virus this August. They have since recovered while Monash officials have quarantined all the students who were in the same classes, and the colleagues who were in contact with the staff. Singh confirms that none of them have come down with the virus.
Since the nationwide outbreak, Monash has been following the Ministry of Health’s guidelines.
Measures include mass communication modes such as broadcasting emails, putting information on the web, notices and signs around the campus. OHS has also been distributing hand sanitizers and face masks.
Moreover, an emergency hotline has been set up for H1N1 related enquires and emergency help. Monash will provide assistance for students and staffs who need help. Singh says, “Monash students are never alone”.
Compulsory temperature scanning at every entrance has also been set up to detect any signs of fever. This action is very useful in some points for precautionary, for both students and staffs.
In addition, Yeong Yung Lin, a Science student and President of MUSA (Monash University Student Association), says that there is only minimum concern of H1N1 in Monash population. He thinks that H1N1 is more rampant on children and old people.
Lin says that MUSA has also contributed to help OHS in spreading out the information to students. Other preventive measures that MUSA supported are disinfecting places in the campus, and distributing face mask and hand sanitizers which is from OHS.
Lin believes that the mass emails have been useful to students, “but whether the students are following the procedures or not is uncertain”. He also says that the temperature scanning has not really been effective, but what Monash has done in practicing personal hygiene is good.
While the effectiveness of the scanners is debatable, Singh asserts what Monash is doing to manage this pandemic is effective for the Monash community.
Singh says the cleaning crews have started using special chemicals to cleanse counter tops, door handles, lift buttons, and any other things people might touch often. They cleanse twice a day. Filters have also been inserted into air conditioners for cleaner air. “That’s the best we can do,” Singh says.
However, one of the local media has pointed out differences between the symptoms of H1N1 and common cold. Common cold rarely comes with headache while H1N1 prominently comes with headache. Fatigue is very mild for common cold, while for H1N1, fatigue can last up 2-3 weeks. Importantly, common cold rarely also comes with fever, but H1N1 characteristically has high fever at (38° C) lasts 3-4 days.
The Government and media in Malaysia too have reported that H1N1 cases have dropped and there are no new reported death cases. However, the Government still encourages the public to practice a healthy lifestyle.
a hand sanitizer and a box of face mask are available at the scanning temperature table
H1N1 Guideliness
One of students who is wearing mask
Everyone must be scanned before entering the University
Working Students at Monash
Posted on: October 14, 2009
By Abeer Yusuf
Sunway, Selangor- A random survey conducted online confirms the case of working students in Monash. Out of the 41 participants of the survey, 85 percent were non-working students, but most professed to have friends who were working students.
Dr Yeoh Seng Guan, senior lecturer in the School of Arts and Social Sciences pins the trend down to the students’ necessity.
“A number of factors are involved- but what remains the motivating factor is that these students work because they have to, not because they want to.
They may need the money to pay for their pocket expenses or to help custodians with fees. Alternatively, they may want to build up their portfolios.”
For students Shangari Subramaniam, 21 and Tang Eu Jin, 22, it was the calling that mattered more than anything else.
Subramaniam, a scholarship student who juggles both school and work, spends 42 hours studying and 28 hours performing every week. While she claims it is hard to do both and sacrifices sleep in order to compensate for lost time, the need to act is much greater.
“It’s all for the feeling you get when you’re on stage. And if you know that you’re good at something, you know you have to do it. I know that I have talent, so I am obviously going to take advantage of it. No matter where I am in life, whatever I’m doing, I will always have the time to act.”
Shangari, bottom left, performing in Kaki Blue
The actor, who has done stage shows like Kaki Blue and Sybil, manages by studying on buses while travelling to shows and studying right before rehearsals begin.
Tang Eu Jin, stage name Jin Hackman, performing
Tang, on the other hand, an award-winning rapper and final year Arts student doesn’t find the situation difficult to manage, but concedes that organisation is necessary. “I organise myself by using a NetBook to stay on top of things. I make a to-do list about everything I need to do, or I’ll be all over the place. Sometimes I use it to do my essays right before I go on stage.”
While this development may seem a big step for Monash, Australian students find it surprising that so many students here don’t work.
James Skerett, an Arts student on exchange here says, “For us it’s abnormal to not work while studying, while here it’s the opposite”. Sarah Marcius, also on exchange, confirms this, saying “It’s weird for us to not have to work. I see students here as slackers and spoilt.”
Dr Yeoh acknowledges this difference in system and admits that the dominant system in Asia dictates that parents be in charge of taking care of their childrens’ education needs, while in Australia, parents let go of this responsibility at an early age.
“Time isn’t money here. Time here is childhood prolonged.”
Marcius agrees saying that her parents can’t afford to contribute to her living expenses while Skerett claims, “I took up a job as a telemarketer only because my parents wouldn’t pay for my pocket money”.
Communications Lecturer, Dr Yeoh Seng Guan
On why this trend is picking up here in Asia, Dr Yeoh cites privatisation of education as the main reason.
“Privatisation of education has increased university fees by a great margin. Despite savings and insurance policies, parents can no longer afford to pay for private liberal Western education on their own. There are also fewer scholarships to go around.
On top of that, in today’s world just having a degree doesn’t cut it. One needs to have an edge above the others, proof that they can do better than all the other applicants at a job interview and work experience always shows nicely on a fresh graduate’s CV.”
To support the students, Dr Yeoh believes the administration can change it’s stance from a head-count based, physical presence system to one where students are offered more flexibility- offering options such as videoconferencing, e-mails, DVDs, and Blackboard in place of compulsory attendance. “After all, if there is a demand for such a service, it only serves the University’s profit objective to provide for customers.”
But flexibility or not, for all working students, studies remain the first priority. Attending regular classes is a must for Skerett, while Subramaniam cuts down on performances during exam time. Tang also doesn’t take up any media appearances when faced with a major assignment or exams.
“At the end of the day, working outside university is a handicap. There’s always an ulterior motive behind it- career, money, free time, something,” says Skerett.
Below is an audio slideshow of the interview with Tang Eu Jin:
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Monash Ball 2009: Vogue
Posted on: October 13, 2009
By Joo Hoi Kang
Bandar Sunway– Monash University’s biggest event of the year, Monash Ball 2009 Vogue was held at Sunway Resort Hotel Grand Ballroom on 25 September 2009.
The publicity of the event started a month before.
Brochures and posters placed throughout the Monash Sunway Campus. E-mails and Facebook invitations sent out to Monash students.
The ticket booth opened outside the MUSA Lounge. The early birds enabled to grab the tickets at a price of Rm 80, cheaper than normal price of Rm 120.
Free dance classes were offered to attendees, organized by Executive Committee. The dance classes were an hour and a half long and offered four times before the ball throughout September.
The event
The theme of this year’s festivities was Vogue and drew approximately 1,000 guests.
Unlike the previous ones, this year’s Ball stacked with famous celebrities like Henry Golding and Sarah Lian as emcees and featured various performances from Diplomats of Drum to musicians like Ray Cheong Trio and Reshmonu.
Sarah Lian and Henry Golding emceeing during the Ball
Kelvin Tan, the Activities Chairperson said “it can be one of the best and most grand balls among colleges and universities in this area because of our engagement of famous celebrities’ performances.”
The event started after 7 p.m. lasted until midnight.
The Ball opened later than expected due to minor glitches. “At certain times of the event, there were major hiccups, but we tried out very best to cover it up so the audiences wouldn’t notice it. Behind the scenes, there were a lot of problems going on which was stressful but thrilling” said Kelvin.
Excuetive Committee members organizing the Ball
As the doors opened, the guests and VIPs entered and light show and Diplomats of Drum, a performance with mixture of instruments like Scottish bagpipes, Australian didgeridoo, Malay Gendang, the Indian Dhol and the Sitar commenced.
Diplomats of Drum performing with mixture of instruments
Emcees introduced, followed by the speech from Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor, MUSA President, Organising Chairperson and Malaysian comedian Andrew Netto.
Meanwhile, the dinner was served. Western set included prawns, salad and wanton as appetizer, grilled chicken with vegetables as main course and ice cream and sugar snap as dessert. Vegetarian set was available too.
Dinner being served
Attendees having dinner
The highlight of the event, Mr. and Ms. Monash nominees presented a fashion show and had a Q&A session. Gerrit Poel and Hanie Hidayah were selected as Mr. and Ms. Monash this year, beating rest of the competitive candidates.
Ms. and Mr. Monash walking together
Hanie said “it was actually very surprising because I didn’t expect it at all. All in all, I’m very happy to be Ms. Monash. I worked hard for it.”
Lucky draw session included many prizes like Omnia phone, a printer and iPod Shuffle. Kenneth Leong, an attendee said “it was the most exciting moment in the event because the prizes were excellent.”
Opening of dance floor by Ray Cheong Trio and Mr. and Ms. Monash prompted attendees to also participate.
Ms. Monash- Hanie having a great time with her friends
Esther, the first runner up in One in a Million sang, followed by Reshmonu, the winner of AIM 2004 for Best Male Vocals.
Reshmonu on the stage
“The whole event was pretty good, better than last year’s. I was very content by the effort student committees put in to this event by bringing properly spoken emcees and performers” Kenneth said.
However, Brandon Goh, another attendee said “it was below average. The whole processes were roughly the same. It was a very predictable flow. Also, the theme didn’t bring any effect to the event.”
For this event, Secret and Campus Plus sponsored and teamed up with many partners like JK Risk Management, Guess and Sony Music.
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Monash Talent Night
Posted on: October 11, 2009
By Lisa J. Ariffin
At a Glance
Sunway, Petaling Jaya – Monash Talent Night was held on August 28, 2009 in search of the university’s outstanding talents. The event was held in Monash University, Sunway campus, and was a sold-out success with all 350 seats in Auditorium 2 filled. The competition saw 9 dazzling performances in total, with acts ranging from dancers, to singers and even a stand-up comedian who did a terrific impersonation of the late Michael Jackson.
Both the committee members and participants played a part in ensuring the night went smoothly. Much preparation was put into auditions and rehearsals and the results was spectacular.
The contestants gave their best and kept the audience entertained for 3 hours. However, as this was a competition, a winner had to be announced. The awesome dance act, Freakee Boogiez proved to be the best act of the night and walked away with first prize. Stand-up comedian and Michael Jackson impersonator, Gajen Nad, took home second prize and third prize went to the musical group, Vanishing Act. The other contestants were not left out and each received a consolation prize.
Audition
Auditions were held in late Semester One and early Semester Two to give equal chances to students of Monash University 2009, both old and new. Colourful flyers were posted around campus to attract students’ attention. The audition was held in Audi 2, the same venue as the competition.
Students interested were asked to call up committee members to set a time. There was no specifications regarding the acts and any form of talent was welcomed.
During the audition, the acts were recorded on video to be judged by selected committee members from MUSA (Monash University Student Association) and MPAC (Monash Performing Arts Club). A number of committee members were also present during the audition to brief participants on selection of contestants.
Finalists were informed through the phone after the second audition. This gave them roughly a month to prepare for the big night!
Rehearsals
Two rehearsals were held prior to the event night – one, a week before the event and one the night before. The first rehearsal was a sound check to ensure music and microphones were in order. The latter rehearsal was a full-dress rehearsal which reflected the event night closely.
What I wore!
The Event
The event committee was present at Auditorium 2 since afternoon to ensure the venue was well set-up. The microphones, back-up tracks and light settings were tested for the last time to guarantee everything ran smoothly during the competition later that night.
Dinner was provided for both the committee and participants before the start of the event.
Dinner was provided in the teacher's lounge.
Yummy!
The auditorium was open to members of the audience at around 7. 30 p.m. Contestants were placed in Auditorium 1 while waiting for their turn to perform.
It was a good atmosphere in Auditorium 1 because although the participants were competing against each other, they were still interacting jovially and assisting each other with their respective routines.
Fellow participant, Jeffrey Tan from Vanishing act, and I before our respective acts.
The night was filled with fun and entertainment as the contestants took the stage to perform their respective routines.
Me, during my performance.
Special guest act, Urban Groove kept the audience entertained during intermission with their dance moves. Consequently, a lucky draw was held and the owner of the lucky ticket walked away with an attractive prize. The audience was also treated to a spectacular performance by recording artist and Monash student, Jin Hackman followed by a rhythmic gymnast act before the results were announced.
Me and the very talented and extremely friendly Jin Hackman.
Crowd favourite dance act, Freakee Boogiez was crowned winners that night, taking home first prize. Another crowd favourite, Gajen Nad, a stand-up comedian and Michael Jackson impersonator was first runner up. Five-piece band, Vanishing act, wooed the judges with their soothing music and emerged second-runner up.
Winners, Freakee Boogiez.
First runner-up, Gajen Nad.
Third-place winners, Vanishing act.
Interviews
Vincent Chua, fellow participant and one- third of winning act Freakee Boogiez, and I met during the first rehearsal. He has agreed to the following interview.
Vincent Chua
Vincent Chua
1. What sparked your interest in dancing and have you been doing it for long?
It all happened when i watched the movie “storm the yard” the dancers there was doing crazy moves and I was so impressed and it got me hooked on it since then… I’ve been dancing close to 3 years now …
2. Freakee Boogiez consist of three members. How did you guys meet? And what made you decide to form this amazing dance act?
Yea well I first met (fellow dance partner) Luke the “crazy clown” in Sunway UC during my dance rehearsals beginning of last year and Rudy the “mime” when Luke asked us to perform for his campaigning party last year. Then after that we joined this street dance studio called Urban Groove which brought us closer. Well the dance was a lot of hard work and a lot of brain storming we actually spent one whole week just listening to songs and blasting out ideas from each other n there it was a routine.
3. Emerging winner during the Monash Talent Night, how often did the group meet up for practice? Did it, in any way, affect your studies?
Well honestly speaking we only started dancing three weeks before the talent night itself so it was kind of last minute and an intense rehearsals so we actually meet up almost every night in Urban Groove studio to practice and choreograph. Well it did kind of affect a little my studies but I managed to catch up and still get back on track.
4. Were you aiming for a specific ‘theme’?
We were aiming for the theme circus , so that’s why there are three characters – a mime, a clown, a visitor.
5. Does the group have any plans for the future?
In fact yes! Freakee Boogiez is actually a sub group from our original crew, ” Bionic Funk”. Bionic Funk consist of other members from other colleges and we’re all getting ready to go for an international dance competition in Penang this coming December and who knows we might even go to UK championship in years to come.
Gajen Nad and I met backstage during the first rehearsal. The multi- talented comedian and dancer has agreed to the following interview.
Gajen Nad
Gajen Nad
1. How old were you went you first started dancing? Have you always been a Michael Jackson impersonator?
Twelve years old! Performed for my primary school after UPSR.
Not really, I only started impersonating Michael Jackson after my audition. I went to my audition as a comedian and after I performed I was asked ‘What else do u like to do?’. I answered ‘ I like dancing. In fact I actually thought of dancing Michael Jackson for this audition but then again dancing is pretty common, that’s why I did a stand up comedy’ after that they asked me to do a spontaneous dance of MJ and hinted to me that I should do both comedy and MJ dance.
2. How often do you practice your dance moves?
I practise almost every week while listening to my ipod.
3. Prior to the competition, did your practice in any way, affect your studies?
Yes it did because three of my mid semesters were just few days after the talent night. *laughs*
4. You also did a stand-up routine, what is your main passion?
I have many passions and aims in life. Number one is working in an automotive industry. I’m a car enthusiast!Number two is business. Number three is becoming an actor!! If i plan to take this path, I’ll take my first step by going to Mumbai and getting enrolled into one of the acting schools there. Then, I’ll work hard and make my name in Bollywood. Then, I’ll move to Hollywood and if it’s a success I’ll finally move to Hong Kong to act in a chinese movie. Sounds huge however I seriously believe it’s possible. No actor has done this before. Consistency is definitely needed.
I met David Hwi during the first rehearsal and he has agreed to the following interview.
David Hwi
David Hwi
1. In what way were you involved in organizing Monash Talent Night? And HOW did you get involved?
My role in the Monash Talent Night was as the Assistant Treasurer and Back Stage Manager. As this is a joint collaboration between MUSA & MPAC, I represented MPAC’s financial interest in this event. Basically, to ensure that our club will reap a profit from this event. As the Back Stage Manager, I had to ensure all the contestants were present and appear as scheduled.
I got involved because of my past experience in the previous two MPAC’s year end event such as 2007 Talent Time and 2008 Year End Production. I think that did play a part in ensuring the event planning went smoothly.
2. How long did preparations for the competition take?
Well, the preparations took place months back! A lot of initial planning had to be carried out before the auditions and the contestants came into the picture. The event had to go on in stages an as the event drew closer, more frequent meetings were arranged to made sure everything was in order.
3. Audition – What were you looking for in contestants and how were they chosen? Were the decisions tough?
As the name suggest, we are looking for Talents! Talents include all sorts of acts and gimmicks and special skills that the contestants might have to display. It can include anything from dancing, singing, to magic tricks, rapping or anything that others usually cannot do! As long as you have something that will leave the audience in awe, then come join us! We try to limit the number of singers and dancers for this event as this is not a singing or dancing competition.
Contestants were chosen based on a score sheet that were graded during the auditions. Weighted criteria were used to evaluate the participants as well. Well, certain decisions were tough but we all were done in fairness and for the better of the event.
4. Were there sponsors to the event and how did the committee find them?
This, you have to ask from the Sponsorship Team led by Michelle. But mostly, a proposal had to be given to the companies regarding our event and liaise with them regarding the different forms of sponsorship which could be cash, products, gifts or even vouchers.
5. The night was a great success and much effort was put in to ensure the night went smoothly. Did this anyhow, get in the way of your studies?
Well, meetings and discussion did take on many hours not forgetting nearing the event where more time and effort was needed to ensure everything was on track. I wouldn’t say it got in my way of my studies as I personally enjoy being involved in such activities and I definitely had fun! It was also a great opportunity to make new friends and be part of such a great event!
Rachel Tan and William Soh were kind enough to answer a question about the judges.
1. Who were the judges that night? And how were they chosen?
Rachel Tan
Rachel Tan
The judges for that night: Mr. Benjamin McKay, Ms Sherlyn and Ms Regina
I currently do not have their full names and position. They were chosen according to their experience. Sherlyn has been a vocal teacher and has been through hundred of competition while Ms Regina was a former national gymnast. As for Mr. Benjamin, he was chosen to represent Monash (as Talent Night was an on campus event), experienced in film and arts critic.
William Soh
William Soh
There were three judges who I can only remember. El Regina, 1998’s gold medal winner Commonwealth for gymnastic. Another one is a singing teacher while the last one is one of the school of Arts’ lecturers (Benjamin McKay).
El Regina was chosen by Rachel, I suppose while the singing teacher was proposed by one of our committee members. We checked her qualifications out and found it okay, so yeah. The lecturer on the other hand, was also chosen by Rachel because apparently he has done lots of judging in competitions like this.
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