Why do “face-to-face” classes matter when, in fact, we see each other’s faces over Zoom as well? In this piece, Luis contemplates the value of in-person classes and makes a case for heart-to-heart education.
How does it feel like to be stranded overseas while one’s peers have started their semester? As one of the several international students unable to secure entry approval, Shikhar muses on his mixed feelings about the ongoing, long-winded journey back to the college.
But when the world looks on waiting for us to belly-flop headfirst into the great unknown and make it up as we go, who wouldn’t want some predictability?
Vrinda muses about the unpredictable end of her college experience.
There is something melancholic about it though, the Hockney on the wall. All I am left to behold is the white spray—not the spring of the body, not the goggled boy in a swimming cap. Even the yellow diving board is motionless.
Perhaps it is okay to simply acknowledge that I had a good time here, made good memories, learnt important lessons about myself, and developed some nice skills, without having to fit that into a clean narrative arc.
Ting Qi muses on the nature of change in our final article for our Kingfishers Connect Issue. "By letting go of my stuffed toys, maybe I’ll finally have space to develop new skills by replacing them with a drum set, or perhaps another bookshelf."
“We seem to be in a rich cultural vein for endings at the moment, endgames to wars waged infinity and uneasy iron thrones threatening to be filled. Where conclusions can easily be undone with endless prequels, spinoffs and retcons, where do we begin to get the sense of an ending after four breathless years?” With graduation looming, Zhi Hao reflects on his journey home.
It is perfectly acceptable to be unsure of your choice in major after the major declaration exercise in Year 2 Semester 2, but right before graduation? Paul talks about the endless what-ifs that plague his decision despite having had an invaluable experience with his major.
At Yale-NUS it’s almost a rite of passage to freak out about how well your friend seems to be holding up when you’re shivering inside. Truth is, we’re all going along a journey in our own time own pace. Be brave and own it. You’ll get there when you do. Numhom reflects “I want to be honest with you about mine.”
“Now that I’m back and almost done with my final year, I do not want to go home. I want to spend every minute here until security waits at the door for me to pack my bags. It is an almost cruel irony to think at the moment I most want to stay here that this space will be gone.” For our Graduation Issue, Justin meditates on home: the one he has built here, and the one he will return to when he graduates.
“The butteries, courtyards, and sky gardens have given me a repository of memories and experiences that have answered an existential question, and will continue to do so whenever I travel from the familiar to the unfamiliar.” For our Graduation Issue, Chris tells the Class of 2019 what the ‘in-between’ spaces of Yale-NUS taught him about community and belonging.
