Hey guys!

Now that the past's the past, let's concentrate on the present.

We all know the audis are next next week, Tuesday, GET EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO COME. The teachers are planning who-knows-what [;D], LOL. But anyway, we came up with some ideas to suggest to teachers.

Basically, what we look for debate is content, structure, and style.

-Content: crossfire in which we're supposed to guide them towards the points they're supposed to be getting out.
--Like how js puts it- 'what's the first thing that comes to mind when they say...' 'This is a very DUH thing' 'Even before that!'
--provided by Yingchen and me LOL
--I was cracking up.

-Style: I'm thinking of having prepared speeches for them to read off. No biggie, let's just pick something off the internet.
--I remember last year they asked us to write a speech on abortion. I thought mine was good! Until Carissa said it sucked.
--But then the funny thing was, almost no one had prepared their speeches, and they were all borrowing pages from mine and picking information out.

-Structure: Maybe we could give them some points and ask them to plot out a speech.

-Funn stuff. MAKE THEM SING OUT SONGS. Testing them on confidence as well ;D

ahh, PLEASE PLEASE bring in more GUYS. So far there's only girls. Not that it's too bad a thing. GIRL POWER ;D

Ok I'm getting lamer by the second.

Better stop crapping.

xxdenise.

I always take charge of the housekeeping matters in this blog.

Anyway, first things first. Sec1-ers.
For yesterday's CCY Spar, Carissa invited some Sec2s while a 109 student, Hazel called me and brought a gaggle of friends interested. Two boys escaped when we reached the classroom 'cos seeing Ms Kali, they thought they were not supposed to be there. One girl walked away 'cos she wasn't actually interested, just accompanying her friends. CCY was late, so the three Sec2s and one Sec1 went off early. At least Hazel and Audrey stayed.

This year's influx is pretty promising-a lot of them have debating experience, in tuition or in primary school. And apparently we made a good impression during CCA Extravaganza, guys-a lot are quite interested in learning.

There's a glitch, though-auditions. Actually, on Monday, Carissa dragged me out of math [almost literally] just so we can walk into classrooms and advertise. It's comforting to know a lot are interested to join. Albeit they have experience and are eager and our so-very-welcoming arms, we still have to audition them so that they can understand the pressures of having a second CCA. It's kinda weird-we should accept everyone, still, Edlind did drop out 'cos she has band and piano.

Secondly-JGes Prelim 2. We're receiving the motion early Friday morning and we're holding a discussion meeting on that day, I think. Tentative. Perhaps it's gonna be an online one. But if it's face-to-face, I'd be late-I have Library. I'll try to leave early though.

Thirdly-CCY Spar. It was quite crappish-Honestly I think it was the second worst debate I sat for. Worst was Debate Camp. I'll leave the debrief to someone else, just a slight mentioning.

Last but not least, U-14. We need to settle the SEC1s first then js can audition them in, and maybe we can survive JGes. I don't think so though, without Yingchen and Carissa who can I turn to? I haven't gotten independency yet!

xxdenise.

crap. crap. crap.

The field trip's off. Apparently some members hate Palau Ubin.

Z. I thought it was a great suggestion! We could all go there and BOND and take pictures! (:

But now it's off.

Ahh.

xxdenise.

anyway people-

js's releasing the motion Monday 7pm, so we can research and tweak our brains a bit, to save time on Tuesday itself. We're still given at most half an hour to discuss and write speeches, same for Chung Cheng. K? So people, buck up tomorrow and do some kickin' research.

and ohya, on a side note, can we have a sorta celebration after JGes? I want to go Palau Ubin, and I'm using a debate field trip as an excuse :D

Main reason: The view is SPLENDID. I went there today and regretted not bringing my camera along. Though it's low in the extreme on battery. But the scenery was so splendid; honestly my heart was shattering into a million pieces.

I recall Junsheng's interested in photography-actually, ms kali and I are too. Though I'm not sure if this is gonna be something 'official'. ANYONE IN?

xxdenise.

Okay GREAT, so apparently we don't have any sec 1s coming in at all at the moment.

For those of you who missed out, according to the words of the big one up there, it seems to be the case that the CCA application forms never catered to helping 2nd CCAs recruit members at all. No administrative work pertaining to the allocations of members to 2nd CCAs had ever been done.

Let's just ignore how difficult it already is to convince people to try out debating on a very tentative note. If these Sec 1s still need to go through the intimidating process of forcing their way into our CCA through many inconvenient means, then I can say that we need to be really DAMN persuasive to get them to still come in.

Anyway, the immediate problem we have to deal with is that debating is still a 2nd CCA, of course. However, it's unlikely that will change anything for the number of recruits we get this year. So yeah, we need to try to pull up something EXTREMELY persuasive to get them to come in this year and hopefully stay if we're to salvage ourselves for next year's JGes.

Other than that, this is obviously a vicious cycle we're trapped in. Without the manpower we're gonna screw our JGs next year, yet this is gonna further convince the big one to deprive our CCA of the manpower we need.

The way I see it is that if we really don't buck up and make something good out of our JGs this year, we're gonna be hit pretty hard the next when Jun Wei and I leave the CCA, especially if we do not have many new recruits getting in.

I don't mean the pressure, but honestly it seems as though we ABSOLUTELY have to get somewhere in the JGs this year- mainly A DIV. Knowing that, I hope everyone would really strive to give their utmost best. We just cannot afford not to.

Hey guys-

Me again. Can ya'll make me stop spamming the posts by doing it yourselves?

Well anyway, we're having the Chung Cheng spar on Tuesday-apparently Junsheng's deciding the motion. == We're gonna receive it Monday night, so we can do some quick research and brainstorming-we're still gonna have about haf an hour to write cases etc, etc though.

On another note, when we receive the sec 1 list, we have to plan our bonding session. Send in suggestions?

-6-minute introductions [junwei]
-practice speeches [me [lame]]
-wacko, etc, etc [carissa]

ah, I don't have any spirit to start my Geog revision. Feel so lethargic.

xxdenise.

Yingchen's Valentine Poem

Velveting round the corners,
Arrive the mushy and pink.
Love scents tinting the air gleefully,
Enticement, flowers and winks.

Nights of rushing endlessly,
Tending cards for that one girl.
Ignites and bursts of ecstasy,
No merrier when 'yes'es unfurl.

Exuberant planning or letting minds go stray,
Still it's undeniably enjoyable on Valentines Day!

------------------------------------------------
Ohya I have one of my own too.

Mine

Busying around, rushing here and there,
Mind occupied with study and stair,
Calendar pages fly,
soon, Valentine's Day is nigh.

Glances at clock, glances at date,
she cries "Oh, this I hate!"
She's behind schedule.
Runs out the door, grabbing her module.

Of Valentine's she's unaware
But someone else wants to share.
Skids to a stop, pages flying,
There in the doorway her sweetheart is smiling.

"Today you have no work, no rush."
She protests, but he says "Hush."
Flowers, cards and chocolates he produce,
her mouth open and books askew.

"But-I can't just skip," she heads for the door,
and stops-he pulls her, "There's more.
I've taken leave for you-
Today you're mine, and don't be blue."

She hugs him with all her might,
surrendering without a fight.
Tears threatening she fought,
she has found the love she sought.

People we're known for superb English, send in yours!

xxdenise.

Dear Team Nan Hua,

First off, once again, job well done for last night. But let us not rest on our laurels. Gotta keep up the tempo if we are gonna go for the win.

I'd like you guys to read the following article:http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/04/technology/04myspace.php

This article talks about how Myspace (I'm sure you have all heard of this domain) turned over names of its users (who turned out to be child sex offenders) to the authorities. As you read this article, I want you guys to think of a few questions:

1. While we may have successfully fought crime here, what have we compromised in the process, when sites like myspace submit its users' names to the authorities.

2. Do you agree with what has been done here? Why?

3. Where should one draw the line in the privacy vs security debate?

4. What about Singapore? Do Singaporeans really have a right to privacy?

Our next training session will revolve around this issue. So do a bit of homework before you turn up k? See you all on Tuesday!

js.

Alright, what I was planning to type since yesterday was, "YES, WE GOT THROUGH THE FIRST ROUND! I LOVE YOU EVERYONE! YINGCHEN CARISSA JUNWEI JUNSHENG YINGCHANG EVEN EDLIND AND ELIJAH AND YANTING! YES I LOVE DEBATE! THANK YOUUUUUU"

But after reading Yingchen's entry, I feel that maybe I should have a more formal one.

Okay..thanks to Yingchen, our VERYVERYVERY BEST speaker, for being you, and to Carissa, who was DEFINITELY an ice princess this round. Yes thank YOU Junwei for tracking the third speaker's speech when I had no idea what she was talking about [=.=], THANKS junsheng for helping us GREATLY, and predict POIs, and going online for so long on Sunday to help us refine our substantive, thanks Yingchnag for timing and sitting through our discussions, teachers Mss Kali & Rani for providing the Ideation Room and Mac's...

To describe yesterday...

I excused myself conveniently at 3.30pm from the library [thanks for your note Ms Kali] and went home to shower, and Carissa went too, after she finished her homework or something. Sorry Yingchen, I was held up with hair. Cos the plaits I tie on myself are pretty terrible, and my mom wasn't there to help me tie scorpion, so in the end I asked my maid to do an imitation of scorpion. She kept on tying different lengths and she kept on trying until, in the end, I just left it as it was before dashing out. =.=

Yeah, ate Mac's then...JUNSHENG I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT I ONLYONLYONLY ATE THE MCCHICKEN AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE, NO COKE, NO FRIES. I hate then anyway. I don't eat Mac's, much. I was trying to be an ice-cold Barbie and did quite well. The panic hadn't really caught up.

Then we practiced for the 'chers...I had a bad case of impending sore throat, which was luckily saved by loadsa water and Yingchen's Strepsils...And ah, practiced POIs. It was really funny sia! Cos I'm not used to Junwei POI-ing the first time, and started on the laughs. Later it was cos I POIed him-on my left-with my right hand, and EVERYONE broke out in laughter. But I managed it in the end.

Then we went downstairs, and had a heck of a time preparing a case "THBT the opposition had stolen our fast food!" HAHAHAH! And hell, Yingchen was "we come in peace" with Martian-and Yingchang was laughing his head off-exactly like a witch.


On the bus, we gossiped a bit-forgetting that two teachers were present, but then we serious-ed down and began going over our case, in handphonelight-mine was the strongest, HAH! Well, anyway, we reached, and when I saw people from other school in blazers and them talking in accents, I panicked. I could feel butterflies in my stomach and was VERY glad I hadn't eaten much that day. [For some reason my appetite slacked that day.]

Later I asked junsheng for refination of my POIs, and he added a few even ifs. Luckily, I only received and took one POI, which was the maid, slavery? thing.

Ohkay, there wasn't much later, except for ice pricess and Kwok making grand entrances...and the second speaker cried, I think. I'm beginning to regret my hysteria when the verdict was announced. Laughing uncontrollably was not good when the opposition was unstable. And I rolled my eyes once when Junsheng told me to write down the point on competitiveness- to show that this was a point we knew. Well, we DID prepare for it. The opp must have thought I was a b*tch. Oh dear.

and it was tremendously funny when Junsheng's friend the adjudicator-whom we met at MJC as well-came up and said his debate was shit. "Ladies and Gentlemen, today we tell you that foreign workers are SLAVES!!!! and since slavery was abolished, we should abolish foreign workers as wel!!"

Me and Carissa were having stitches.

Tonight (Or yesterday since I'm writing this at 1am) marks the night we start our JGs experience off on a great note.

Sure, our performance may not have been perfect, but it was nonetheless more than enough to let us breeze through this round. Granted, we all have our own flaws(like how I'm too used to saying 'experties' as a sort of fake plural form and my messed reply speech), but that did not stop us from clinching a unanimous victory from all the adjudicators collectively as a team, did it?

Not to say that all our debating matches will continue to be a bed of roses, but when I said that Evergreen would regret drawing us as their opponents, I'm damn glad we fulfilled this by giving them the hell we are capable of giving. I'm not trying to be pompous or anything, but hey, the message sent is that nobody can expect to trifle with us and get away with it.

The road to perfection is an arduous one, but should we ever lose heart in our capabilities, at the end of the day we just have to remember that we are not exactly step overs either and we can punch pretty hard, further supported by our determination to improve ourselves.

So yeah, a big round of cheers to the fact that the Nan Hua High School debating team is truly a force to be reckoned with and may we continue to fuel this fiery momentum to our very bests.

Yingchen