Telematch:
It was my first time being
in Telematch and I had no idea what to expect as I knew it would be different
from what I had seen last year. We had no trainings beforehand as it was
impossible to entirely predict what it would be like on the actual day and so I
felt slightly nervous as to what to expect as well as whether I would be able
to perform well in the activity that was required. I remember going in to the
competition feeling apprehensive as our school did not clinch any award for Telematch
last year and so as much as we wanted our school to get a spot in top 3, there
were reservations. As a group, we aimed for top 5 before the first round
started and then were pleasantly surprised when we emerged first and second for
the first two rounds respectively. The seniors were encouraging as we began
every round, strategizing and reminding us constantly that what was important
was that we tried our best. Each round we raised our goals higher. We made some
mistakes along the way when it came to the last part of the first round, but we
learnt from it and made sure not to make the same mistake subsequently.
Finally, we eventually emerged 2nd overall! On the whole, the entire experience
of being in Telematch was short but meaningful. I learnt to deal with some
competition pressure as the rest of the schools were very adept at every aspect
of it; and to focus on what I was doing instead of worrying about what might happen.
Cooperation, confidence and encouragement from each other in our group was
important, and we certainly did have fun throughout the entire experience and
that, I feel, is one of the main objectives of EDD. 2nd place was definitely
unexpected and it goes to show that we’re capable of much more than we think.
Performance:
For our EDD performance
this year, we had three dances (namely to the songs Lost Boy by Ruth B, Monster
by EXO and Whistle by Blackpink) and our storyline was related to the theme
“Dear Future, Here We Come” as we time travelled to realise the importance of
teamwork and cooperation. We started practice two weeks before the actual day,
and we were initially unsure how to dance as we were also quite rigid in our
movement at first. We were first taught the contemporary dance to Lost Boy. Our
senior, Claire taught us the dance step by step and we followed her slowly,
repeating the steps again and again. However, we realised that we forgot some
of the moves the following week due to the lack of practice. Though Claire had
to reteach us some moves, we got hold of the whole dance at the end of the day.
Something memorable would be learning the dance for Whistle as we only learnt
the difficult dance two days prior to the competition, where Chen Wei and Tasha
taught us the steps too. Although it was rushed and we took quite long to
perfect the moves, we managed to pull it off nicely given the short time and
that was quite satisfying. While our dance moves were not completely perfect,
we tried our best and our actual performance on stage was quite a success, as
the practices paid off and there were almost no glitches. We felt that it was
quite a feat and even though we did not achieve the top winning spots, we were
really happy to have put up a great performance as seniors told us we had improved
from the first time we practised. The whole experience in the EDD Performance
Committee was really memorable and there were many great memories like shopping
together for a suitable top, the multiple dance practices as well as the
successful performance on the day itself. We will definitely remember this EDD
Mini Gadgeting:
When I first was part of
the Mini Gadgeting Committee, I was rather stressed and nervous as it was
something relatively new to me and I was unsure of what to do. Fortunately,
there were quite a few training sessions for us to practice our gadgets and I
felt that it really helped me a lot; particularly in understanding and
familiarising myself with what I was supposed to do. However, we always 拆-ed the mini gadgets we built during the training sessions
after we were done, which was pretty saddening because it seemed as if all that
you had been working on for the past two hours and above, amounted to seemingly
nothing in the end. Moreover, it was not easy to work with sticks and strings
that we were unfamiliar with, coupled with the much needed concentration to
complete the mini gadgets. Yet, with each training
session, I was better associated with what Mini Gadgeting was all about.
Thereafter, I soon realised that all the training sessions did not go down the
drain, for I felt that although we were somewhat nervous on the day of the
competition, we were prepared and familiar with the building of our gadgets.
Besides, we were also well aware that we would need to work fast and allocate
our time wisely, so as to complete our gadgets within the specified time.
Throughout the 1.5 hours on the actual day, I was pretty anxious as I was
unsure whether our gadgets would turn out the way we wanted it to, and I was
curious as to find out what gadgets other schools had intended to build.
Finally, when we were done with our mini gadgets, I felt a sense of
accomplishment, mixed with a tinge of relief that we managed to do it,
together.
All in all, I feel that East Division Day has been a great experience for me and I have learnt and gained much from this experience, taking for example the need to put in full concentration in anything that you're doing. If I were given another chance, I would definitely take part in Mini Gadgeting again!
Art:
I was part of the Art com
for this year’s East Division Day. With this being the second time I
participated in EDD and the first time we had an Art competition, I had little
knowledge of how things will be carried out. When we first got to together to
discuss our ideas, things didn't go that well, as it was quite hard to think of
a suitable idea to suit the theme. We had certain agreements, and disagreements
too. Luckily, we managed to come up with an idea that matched the theme well.
We did make adjustments here and there, making it more futuristic, as that was
our goal. The training and preparations for the actual competition was tough.
We did not quite manage to complete our art piece for most of the sessions.
However, due to these failures, we were able to improve our methods and on the
actual day, we completed the art, with time to spare too! The trainings were
really useful and through them, we have become better in drawing and were able
to complete the artwork more efficiently with each attempt. Personally, I was
not that nervous on the actual day, as I felt that what mattered more was to
enjoy ourselves, even if we have the goal of winning. On an overall scale, the
whole process from planning to completing the artwork was really enjoyable. I picked up a few skills here and there. With
this competition being my first participation in an art competition, I would
say it went really well.
Toy Making:
EDD was interesting and
fun as the various ideas for not only toymaking, but also other segments of the
programme on the day was fulfilling as I got to see others' view on various
topics, such as their ideas for the future and trying to relate to the audience
with pokemon go for the dance competition. Preparing for the competition was
interesting and exciting as I had to think of ideas within a time limit, and
ideas for making the futuristic-themed toy had to be linked to the future. Making
the futuristic toy on the spot was thrilling as there was a time limit, and
made more fulfilling as we pulled through despite the difficulties there were.
There were doubts in the period before the results were announced, with the
uncertainty of whether I would be able to perform well the next day, the
uncertainty if I would be able to cut the support for the 'rocket' properly,
and last but not least, the uncertainty of whether we would clinch any spot or
trophy for this toymaking competition. There were difficulties we had to face
too. These problems we had to face included not being able to pierce through
the seal of the glue at the start, being late to start making the toy due to
having to go to the toilet, the 'doll' not sinking when we pushed the bottle
which increased our anxiety levels, the toothpicks at the top of the bottle
being messy, the glue not going to dry up in time, and the straws being
difficult to glue on. There were worries too, such as "What if our toy
cannot make it as it is individually appealing as compared to the other
groups'?" which popped up after we finished the toy. In the end, it's not
really the outcome, but the journey that matters, with the people and
experiences known better and gained invaluable.
Fashion:
I was in the Fashion Committee
for EDD and it was a really fun experience! We had to find recycled materials
around school to build our costume. The materials we collected were used
plastic cups from the drink stall, bottle caps, cardboard, used shuttlecocks,
garbage bags, newspaper and aluminium foil. Our design was a dress with
slippers and a cape and a headdress. The bottom half of the dress was a woven
skirt made from newspaper and aluminium foil and the top half was made from a
garbage bag, while the cape was made from a rubbish bag and some cups which
were cut into half. The headdress was made from cardboard, bottle caps and the
used shuttlecocks we found, and the slippers were made from cardboard and
bottle caps. To bring everything
together, we used masking tape and 白绳. However, we had to make
the costumes on the actual day itself hence the trainings went to collecting
the materials and cleaning them and practising making the costume so that we
could be prepared for any mishaps and allocate the duration needed for each
specific part of the costume. We also had to practise doing the makeup which
included bright and vibrant eyeshadow, emphasizing the design. On the actual
day, we were prepared to make our costumes and had all the necessary materials,
but the organisers shortened the time given for us to make the costume.
Thankfully, we were ultimately able to complete the costume on time as we
worked efficiently. The guides who volunteered to come to watch also cheered us
on during the costume making and the presentation of the costume, hence we all
felt very encouraged, especially myself as I was the one presenting and wearing
the costume so I really appreciated the boost of confidence they gave me. In
the end, although we didn't win, but we still felt a sense of achievement as we
did our best and gave it our all. Being in the fashion committee was overall a
really enjoyable experience, as I had really nice and fun seniors in the committee
to guide me along. Definitely enjoyed EDD this year!
Published by:
Chen Wei
Secretary of the 48th Batch
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