He exposes 'degrading' practices
Tip-off from NUS student sparked national debate about overly sexualised orientation
One e-mail to The New Paper led to a heated national debate about a university orientation gone overboard.
On July 21, a first-year student at the National University of Singapore, who wished to remain anonymous, was so appalled at the degrading experiences faced by female students during orientation activities that he notified the paper.
"I wanted to bring this to light because my friends and I didn't feel comfortable with the way things were," he said.
In the e-mail, he expressed concerns about the overly sexualised activities at a Faculty of Arts and Social Science camp.
"The freshies were made to recite rapey (sic) cheers and cheers revolving around sexual activity terminology.
After the first article was published in TNP on July 26, Singaporean netizens were quick to express their outrage at the nature of the activities.
Netizens commented that "the organisers lost their values", with some even saying that "those who participate have no sense of shame".
There was a ripple effect after a second article was published on July 27, leading to statements from NUS as well as from Members of Parliament.
Vietnamese food chain Wrap & Roll withdrew its sponsorship.
A spokesman for another sponsor, video gaming cafe Saint Games, said they would observe the situation and review its sponsorship.
Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung also came out to condemn the "reprehensible" sexualised activities in the orientation camps.
The NUS scandal opened up a national discussion about the nature of orientation activities on campuses.
Another hotline caller, Madam Gin Tan, 31, notified the paper at around 11.25am on Tuesday about a fallen tree that crushed a car at Block 117, Serangoon North Avenue One.
Madam Tan, who is self-employed, lives a few blocks from the scene.
"I wanted to bring awareness to all town councils that such accidents may happen in any open carpark during rainy weather," she said.
Like many of the residents, she was worried about the older trees that were at a greater risk of falling.
As a result of her call, TNP was able to arrive at the scene and reach out to the car owner, Mrs Leong Shock Ping. The report was published on July 28.
For sharing their stories, each hotline caller will receive a $100 KFC voucher.
We value and appreciate your calls and e-mails, so keep them coming.
You can call us at 1800-733-4455, SMS or MMS 9477-8899 or e-mail us at tnp@sph.com.sg
The freshies were made to recite rapey (sic) cheers and cheers revolving around sexual activity terminology.
- A first-year student at the National University of Singapore, who wrote in to expose the shameful practices during orientation activities
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now