the inkSlingers

Thursday, 1 October 2015

IS#29:011015(1)

News

Connecting
People With
Chess Sessions
>3

For internal circulation only

News

Feature

Victory for
Taylorians
Shi Ma

Life Lessons
to learn from
Marvels
Daredevil
>7

>4

TU Students Donate Books to Pupils

By LEE TING
SUBANG JAYA: Seven School of
Education (SOED) students are
organising a book donation drive
for SK Kampung Lindungan pupils
until8 October.
Diploma in Education (Primary)
student Lye Shu Zhen, 19, and
her team decided that they would
collect books and donate them to the
children as part of their Community
Service Initiative work.
The group of children I worked
with could not even spell or do
simple calculation properly at nine
years old, Lye said.
She added that Literacyand
Numerical
Screening
(LINUS)
children are those who fall below a
certain grade after taking the LINUS
test which identifies their level of
literacy and numeracy skills.
Despite what level they are
at, they are hopeful and have big
dreams, Lye said.
Lye added that this book
donation initiative is one step
towards helping these children in
achievingtheirdreams.
SOED students have previously
carried out literacy workshops with
the pupils, the most recent one being
My Big Book Project.
Lye said, The workshop helps
build childrens confidence in their

SOED students Lim Kai Shuen, 19 (left), and Lye documenting the books that have been donated.

abilities, teaches them to enjoy

learning and also increases their
literacy and numeracy abilities in
Bahasa Malaysia and English.
SOED Senior Lecturer and
Associate Dean of Postgraduate,
Research and Innovation Dr Cheah
SwiEe commended her students

effort for working within their

limited resources to run the project.
I am positive that the project will
create meaning to my students, both
as a person and a student teacher,
Dr Cheah said.
Dr Cheah added that SOED
is currently responding to the

schools request for on a long-term

programme to help develop literacy
skills among the children.
Future plans are discussed
to ensure that these children
will continue to benefit from
SOED
students
involvement,
she said.

Muhammad said, I have always

been taught by my favourite
teachers that self-reflection is one
of the most essential steps in the
learningprocess.
The message-writing on the
installation board activity was the
highlight of the exhibition, which
attracted over 400 visitors.
A total of 345 messages have
been written and hung onto the
installation board during the
exhibition from 4 to 9 September.

School of Education student Lum

Kit May, 21, said, It is definitely
crucial to pause and reflect on our
journey because one would need
to think about how far one has
travelled and what one had picked
up along theway.
If I do not take the time to
ponder on the happenings in my life,
then I would have been going
through the motions of life
without
learning
anything
newatall.

When Lum was asked about

the message she wrote on
the installation board, she said,
Life does not travel in a straight line
and you build the paths by yourself.
Enjoy the journey and when we
live our lives, the journey we
pursue should be the one
were excited about.
Held at Centre of Design and
Architecture Gallery, the exhibition
also showcased SABD final semester
students final-year project.

Architecture Exhibition Gives TU Students Time to Pause

By OW JI JING
SUBANG
JAYA:
School
of
Architecture, Building and Design
(SABD)
final-year
students
encouraged Taylors University
community to pause and reflect on
their lives by writing messages to
their past or futureselves.
We want to remind visitors to
look at what they have achieved
and think of what they aspire to be
next, said Pause: An Architecture
Exhibition organising chairman
Muhammad Haziq Ariffin, 21.

NE W S

October 2015

Students Underuse TUs JomPAY

By TEH WOON YA

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SUBANG
JAYA:
JomPAY,
an
innovative Internet and mobile
banking payment service in Taylors
University (TU), received only about
160 transactions from students
since its announcement on the
student portal in August.
Taylors Business School student
Tey Ying Ying, 18, said, I decided
not to utilise JomPAY due to my
uncertainty towards the security
and stability of this system since it
is still new.
Most students prefer to make their
payment using previous methods
such as direct bank-in, online
banking, interbank transfer,over
the counter and cheque drop-off.
My parents prefer to pay my
tuition fees by cheque drop-off as
they are used to it and felt that it
is safe and efficient, said School of
Architecture, Building and Design
student Lim Su Ying, 21.
I think the management could
issue a letter or send an email to
students and parents explaining
how this system works in detail,
she added.

Su Ying checking out JomPAY website for the first time.

TU Chief Cashier Lim Pei Ean
encouraged more students to utilise
JomPAY as there are some limitations
to the previous paymentmethods.
Only certain banks are allowed in
the previous online banking system;
while making payment over the
counter requires students to wait in
a long queue, Pei Ean said.
According to Pei Ean, students
will be able to benefit from this
new payment method as it would
standardise all payment systems and

reduce congestion at the payment

counter in Student Central.
The management does not
plan to further promote the use of
JomPAY as it was well-explained
on the student portal, and it is not
environmentally friendly to issue
letters to students, Pei Ean said.
JomPAY is initiated by Bank
Negara using current or saving
account of 42 banks, which allows
students to pay their tuition fees
securely through eight simple steps.

This is also the first SOC club to

collaborate with the Shine Award
Centre (SAC), Wong said.
He said SAC will work together
with the club in providing free
emceeing training for members.
SAC is currently trying to invite
people from different sectors to
assist in training and carrying
out workshops for members,
Wongsaid.
He added that students who
join the club will be able to benefit
greatly through the developed
structured
programme
where

members are placed in actual events

and workshops to gain experience.
Members that have undergone
training with us will be placed
in charity or NGO events to train
themselves in front of a crowd,
Wong said.
Emceeing is not only about
having the ability to speak, but also
the skills to present yourself in front
of a large crowd, he added.
Membership
is free and no
specificskills in emceeing is
required.The club is open for
registration until 11 November.

HSC staff requested my friend

to buy me some bread as they
suspected that the dizziness was
caused by lack of energy, Loh said.
Sime Darby Medical Centre
diagnostician Tee Ser Ee agreed that
breakfast is important.
Tee said, Breakfast is crucial in
breaking the overnight starving
period in our bodies, as our stomach
is expecting to burn calories stored
to maintainenergy.
Our
body
absorbs
more
effectively in the morning, thus
having breakfast could reduce the
risk of illness, Tee added.
However, students stated that
they are not eating breakfast for

reasons, such as lack of time, reduced

expenses and weightmanagement.
In response, Wu recommended
students to always prepare biscuits,
energy bar or bread in their bags
which are affordable and convenient.
Besides that, Wu said, To be slim,
students should reduce the amount
of food instead of not eating at all.
She added, Students are adults,
thus it depends on whether they
want to look after their health or
continue skipping breakfast.
HSC offers free professional
medical and health care services
such
as
health
education
and illness prevention to the
Taylorscommunity.

New MC Club Opens its Doors to Students

By LAW CHENG JING
SUBANG
JAYA:
School
of
Communication has established
the MC Club to address the
declining number of emceesin
TaylorsUniversity.
The club was formed with the
main objective of training potential
members into well-rounded and
capable event emcees, said
club president and co-founder
Christopher Wong Poh Fai, 20.
He said the club will look into
improving soft skills and instilling
confidence in members to unlock
their true potential.

TU Students Advised Not to Skip Breakfast

By TEH WOON YA
SUBANG JAYA: Increased number
of ill students visited the Health
Services Centre (HSC) due to not
having breakfast.
HSC nurse Jenny Wu Su Mei said
students, who were sent to the
centre recently, were experiencing
dizziness or have fainted because
they skippedbreakfast.
Wu said students should never
skip their first meal as it allows them
to carry out their daily routines and
to kick start their bodysystem.
Taylors Business School student
Loh You Chin, 21, was one of the
students who was brought to HSC
when he complained of dizziness in
the midst of class.

October 2015

NEWS

TU Chess Club Revives Outdoor Chess Session

By TAN YONG LOKE
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University
Chess Club (TUCC) has revived their
free-for-all outdoor chess sessions
outside Taylors Library.
The session is held on Tuesdays
and Thursdays from 1pm to 4pm.
This is our strategy to bring in
chess players from our university to
join our club, said TUCC President
Jonathan Augustine, 20.
Jonathan said the first outdoor
chess session was held on 3
September last year.
The idea came from lecturers of
School of Engineering Mohammad
Taghi Hajibei and Dr Abdulkareem
Shafiq
who
are
passionate
aboutchess, he added.

According to Jonathan, TUCC

received much support from
passersby in last years sessions and
was able to identify many skillful
players, some even represented
theuniversity.
This activity is beneficial because
I usually only play chess on my
phone which is against a bot, said
School of Engineering student Bae
Keon Woo, 18.
Bae added, Playing a physical
game with people also helps improve
my gameplay.
School of Architecture Building
and Design student Enoch Wong
Shen Han, 20, said, It is a good way
to spend our break-time.

Taylors University students enjoying a round of chess outside Taylors

Library.

New TUSC President Plans to Bring Universities Together Mental Welllness

Campaign 2015 to
By DARIUS SHU CHEN KEONG
Take Place Soon

Lew giving his speech as TUSC

President 2015/2016.
Photo Credit: Ben Lau

SUBANG JAYA: Newly elected

Taylors University Student Council
(TUSC) President Kenny Lew Tze
Hao, 21, wants TU to work together
with Monash University and
SunwayUniversity.
We are so near each other and I
believe with this advantage, better
and stronger plans can be made
between the three, Lew said.
Lew also added, The Campus
Relations team throughout the
years had been doing a great job in
forming an alliance with Monash
and Sunway and I would want this
team to further work on the alliance
to strengthen the bond.
Lew will also focus on ensuring
solidarity of the council itself.
Everyone in the council is equally
important and I believe that each of
them has the potential to contribute
back to Taylors, Lew added.

He also said he sees himself with

the role to move the council along
the right path and bring the council
closer as a family.
Former TUSC President Desmond
Chiah Thong Ling, 22, thanked his
fellow council members and TU
management for giving him the
experience throughout the past year.
I was privileged to have been
given the opportunity to lead and
serve alongside passionate and
dedicated comrades, improving the
life of Taylorians, he said.
He said he was grateful for the
friendships forged and memories
made throughout the year with
theteam.
They are a group of people who
are not afraid to break the limits
and we were able to achieve a rate
of 95.2% of students satisfaction,
Chiah said.

According to Yeo, the debate

club hoped to have more activities
that could positively impact the
TUenvironment.
The debate club also cohosted last years Malaysian
National Intervarsity Debating
Championshipheld in TU.
Hosting championships allowed
TU to promote its Integrated
Debating
Excellence
and
Achievement Scholarship (IDEAS),
an initiative started by Life Skills
Development(LSD).
TU Debaters club advisor Alinder
Kaur Chall said IDEAS allowed
for outstanding debaters to be

supported and to achieve more in

their tertiary education.
Debating not only helps to
improve communication skills but
also helps students to think on
their feet and use their analytical
skills to frame their arguments,
Alinderadded.
Alinder also shared her pride in
TU Debaters for having grown and
shown great potential.
As a team, they have come
together to become a cohesive and
determined group, said Alinder,
adding that the team would one day
become one of the nations strongest
debate team.

By LAW CHENG JING

SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University
Counselling and Psychological
Services Centre will organise the
annual Mental Wellness Campaign
with the theme of Fear Limits You.
The event will take place on 13
October at the Student Life Centre
Foyer from 10am to 3pm.
The aim is to create awareness
amongst TU students and staff that
anxiety can prevent people from
moving forward and may impede
their capability to achieve.
There will be several booths set
up such as advertising, promotions
and games during the campaign.
We intent to print bookmarks
that have words of encouragement
on how to manage and alleviate
anxiety, said Campaign Coordinator
Ching Bee Gaik.

Taylors University Debaters Host First Championship

By YEONG XIU HUI
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University
(TU) Debaters hosted their first high
school debate championship since
the formation of the club in 2013.
TU played host to 40 teams from
various schools in Malaysia as they
competed to be crowned champions
of Taylors University Interschool
Debating Championship (TUIDC)
from 28 to 30 August.
We plan to make TUIDC a yearly
event, saidoutbound President
Elisha Yeo Hui Shien, 21.
Yeo added, It was a tiring process
but our effort felt worthwhile when
I saw the smiles and passion on the
participants faces.

Student Kuberan Hasrajh, 12,

in action during TUIDC finals.

NE W S

October 2015

TUs League of Legends Team Claims Win

By YEONG XIU HUI
SUBANG JAYA: Taylorians Shi Ma
took three consecutive wins in a
best of five to emerge champions of
Garenas Malaysia Campus League.
At the finals held on 5 September
at Orange eSports Stadium, TUs
League of Legends team played
against Chung Ling High Schools
Become The Dust.
The team, consisting of captain
Matthew Chan Kuok-Han, Chan
Ziyang, Emmanuel Lim Sze Hau,
Joseph Saw and Justin Tung Zhun
Xian prepared extensively before
the finals, but were met with little
resistance in clinching the title.
The finals were straightforward
and (they) were the easiest team to
beat, said School of Communications
student Matthew, 20, who added
that the biggest scare was during the
qualifier matches in July.
Matthew noted the teams
overconfidence which led to them
underestimating their opponents,
but the team rallied themselves to
reach the finals.
Despite winning RM2,000 and five
iPad Mini 2s, Matthew commented on
the lack of acknowledgement when
it comes to eSports achievements.

Gaming is not well accepted,

and the perception is so negative,
said Matthew, who has had people
question him on the existence of
his social life upon realising he
wasagamer.
People only tend to realise
(potential) when someone gets good
at it, added Matthew who believed
that the increase in tournaments
being hosted would lead to gamers
receiving recognition for eSports.

The overseas competitive scene

is huge, and Malaysias is also
growing, said Matthew, adding that
he hoped eSports will become a
recognisableachievement.
Taylors Business School student
Lim, 20, said he was reluctant to join
the tournament due to his parents
disapproval, a result of eSports
negative perception.
However,
TU Life Skills
Development Manager Janaronson

Nagarajah said it was possible for

eSports to become a recognised
achievement if it added value to
students learning process.
If eSports can be a platform
where players learn teamwork,
coordination, interpersonal skills
and such, then why not? said
Janaronson, who clarified that
eSports had to be proven as a
means of enhancing students
softskilllsfirst.

Taylorians Shi Ma are crowned champions of Malaysian Campus League.

Photo Credit: Garena League of Legends

Latest Fashion Trend Matches

TU Dress Code Policy
By TIFFANY MAREE LIM HUEY MIN
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University
female students have been abiding
by the dress code due to the latest
fashion trend of jeans, t-shirts
andsneakers.
Previous trends had students
wearing crop tops and shorts, which
violates the dress code policy.
Taylors Business School student
Elisa Thang Xinyi, 21, said casual
tees and jeans would never get old.
Loose t-shirts definitely trump
crop tops as they are comfortable
yet simple, so why not? Thang said.
Student Central Executive Edna
Ruran Purait said, I see more
students putting on cardigans, and
that is okay with us.
Edna said TU would not
want
inappropriate
dressing
to attract unwanted attention
towardsstudents.
Limiting skin exposure of The current trend of long jeans
female students would also help and casual t-shirts caters to TUs
to protect them from harm, dress code policy.
she added.
To know more about TUs dress the front desk of Student Central
code policy, refer to the student at Block A, Level 2 or downloaded
handbook which can be found on through the Taylors Online portals.

TU Plans to Release
TIMeS Phone App
By DARIUS SHU CHEN KEONG
SUBANG JAYA: Taylors University
management plans to release an
app for Taylors Integrated Moodle
e-Learning System (TIMeS) to
increase its efficiency for lecturers
and students.
Yun
Mei
Ling,
Learning
Management Administrator of
eLearning Academy (eLA), said,
There are plans to release a TIMeS
app in the near future but its still in
the testing phase and its important
that we get feedback from students
to cater their needs.
However, we cannot add our own
features because TIMeS is based on
an open education platform called
Moodle, she said.
Yun said there is an alternative
way for students to receive new
announcements from their lecturers.
Lecturers can send notifications
to students in TIMeS through news
forum and students can change
the default Taylors email to their
personal one for easier notification
purposes, Yun added.

There are also other features that

lecturers wished TIMeS could add.
Dr Nor Shaipah Abdul Wahab,
lecturer of Taylors Business School
said, TIMeS is lacking in volume
space during submission and when
files get too huge they need to find
other methods of uploading.
She added that she would use
Facebook groups but they are
informal therefore she prefers using
TIMeS due to its formality as a
university platform, which is easier
to track and record students work.
School of Architecture, Building
and Design student, Amanda Lee Chia
Shan, 20, said, A TIMeS app would
be easier to get announcements and
uploads from lecturers.
Lee added that the layout for
TIMeS could be improved for better
user-friendliness in the near future.
However,
Taylors
Business
School student Tee Wei Keat, 22,
said, I still prefer Facebook groups
for communication, as TIMeS is used
for information only.

October 2015

FE AT U R E S

Experience Sharing through Global Exchange

By SACHA MALLI GERARD CHRISTOPHER
Todays society demands us to be
better than our peers. Obtaining just
a degree is not enough to get you
that dream job anymore.
One of the ways students can
increase their sellability is by
learning more about the world
outside their comfort zones. What
better way to achieve this than to
join exchangeprogrammes?
Taylors University School of
Engineering student Yim Hoe Yen,
22, went to Taiwan for an internship
programme with AIESEC.
I worked in a power distribution
company called CHEM, Yim said. I
was the youngest person there at
the time.
One of the biggest things
he had toovercome was the
languagebarrier.
They speak Taiwanese Chinese,
which is a mix of Hokkien and
Mandarin, said Yim. I only spoke
broken Mandarin but I took it as a
challenge to learn the new language.
Yim was able to speak and
understand many idioms and native
sayings because of the kindness
shown by the people there.
Yim has become more aware of
his surroundings now.
In a local company, I would not
need much time to adapt to the

Yim (right) in Taiwan with his hosts. Photo Credit: Yim Hoe Yen

environment, Yim said. But in

an entirely new country, the office
culture is very different so I made
it a point to observe everything
around me very closely.
The exchange also allowed him to
experience Taiwan like no other.
On weekends and holidays, my
hosts would take me to interesting
places that a foreigner would never
learn of over the internet, Yim said,
citing examples like the Dragon
Boat Festival that happens during
summer, and a cross country trip
through various smalltowns.
Yim
experienced
much
more than he bargained for
when he signed upforthis
internshipprogrammeabroad.

School of Biosciences student

Choo Hang Jie, 21, went for a six-week
global community development
programme to Thailand in January.
The Province of Sisaket is a rural
town southeast of Thailand and a
nine-hour bus ride from Bangkok.
Choos job, along with 26 other
participants, was to teach rural
primary and secondary school
students to read and write in English.
To prepare themselves, they
attended a seminar that gave them
an idea of what to expect on their
journey and also a few useful Thai
phrases for their daily usage.
Choo said, The memories from
this experience are things that I will
hold on to forever.

Holistic Learning Through Volunteerism

Choo lived with a local Thai family

and was treated just like their own
son. They went out of their way to
make him feel welcomed within
their household and made sure he
was comfortable at all times.
According to Choo, teaching
primary students is very much
different from teaching secondary
students. But they taught him the
value of selflessness and kindness,
despite the language barrier.
On weekends, Choo travelled to
neighbouring small towns with his
host family and sometimes with
other exchange participants.
These are places normal tourists
would not see, said Choo.
Choo is inspired by his experience
in Thailand as he quotes an old
Chinese proverb that says To
give is a hundredfold better than
toreceive.
I hope to go back there one day to
see my students and how much they
havegrown, Choo said. Maybe
within the next two years, by then
they should be out of school.
Exchanges help build character
too. Like Yim and Choo, we should
all aspire to be able to one day leave
our comfort zones and venture out
into the world, making new paths
for the people who comeafter us.

By KELLY CHENG CHIALI

Volunteerism is often associated
to be a noble act. On hindsight,
volunteers are perceived to be selfsacrificial individuals who hold up
the ethos of service aboveoneself.
This is true, but there is also
another side to volunteerism that
not many are aware of. Volunteerism
is an important and increasingly
popular mechanism for young
people to bring about positive
change in their community and
society as a whole.
Youths can be the key agents
for social change and are capable
of providing the energy, creative
ideas
and
determination
to
drive innovation and ideological
reformation forward.
Youths long to be part of the
society and to be respected for
their contributions. They also
want to be given a platform to
play an activerole in improving
theircountries.
Volunteerism can be a good
platform for youths to play an active
role in improving their countries. It
complements formal education in

teaching soft skills that are hard to

be imparted in classroom learning
such as leadership, negotiation and
communication skills.
You might wonder why bother
with volunteering when you can
just apply for paid internships to
sharpen the so-called highly sought
after soft skills.
The truth is, the very notion of
working just as hard as paid workers
without a salary is what makes
volunteers desirable employees.
Volunteers get to improve their
professionalism, under sometimes
harsh conditions, while championing
a social cause. This is something
unique that only can be offered
by volunteering.
ASEAN
Youth
Volunteer
Programme (AYVP) Facilitator
Ket Monny Vathna, 23, said,
Volunteering is difficult. To get a
job done within a tight deadline is
tough, and to do it without pay, that
is even more difficult. But I choose
to do itanyway.
Ket said he is able to sharpen his
skills as a communications officer in

AYVP volunteers explaining to a Cambodian villager on how to use a

ceramic water filter.

the field he is passionate in, which is

environmental conservation.
In May, Ket volunteered to
be a press coordinator in the
Wild Honey Festival which aims

to raise awareness about the

importance of wild bees.
It is through the service
for othersthat we can truly
findourselves, Ket said.

FE ATUR ES

October 2015

Oops! Did Not Know That Makes You Uneasy!

By OW JI JING
Have you ever encountered a
situation where people make you
feel uncomfortable but you never
had the chance to tell him or her?
At times it is those small gestures
that allow people to remember you.
Here are some examples of
unintentional uneasiness:
Voicing out opinions boldly
They are the ones who just need
to express their thoughts boldly
without even thinking about how it
might affect those around them.
This causes peers with different
point of view to feel uneasy.
Unconsciously
cutting
off
others who are speaking at
themoment
Imagine when you are telling
your friend an exciting story and
someone interrupted and started
telling theirs instead.
This shows a persons upbringing,
whether lack of it or not.
This will also leave the
the interupted person in an
awkwardsituation.
Hence, we should listen and allow
others to finish their story before we
start to tell ours.
Speaking in native languages in
multicultural group
This happens frequently in an
intercultural environment.
School Of Communication student
Pranjal Jain, 23, said, I understand
that my friends are very comfortable

School of Architecture, Building and Design student Chia Sue Hwa, 19, playing on her phone while having
her meal.

talking to their other friends in their

mother tongue.
However, sometimes it does
make me feel left out, because I could
not participate in the conversation,
Pranjal added.
When one starts playing with
phone while having a meal
Have you ever been in a group
dinner where everyone is just
glued to their phones and no one
isspeaking?

This has now become a common

practice - we can see it anytime
atanywhere.
If you really need to answer a
phone call or reply messages quickly,
do excuse yourself.
Being unintentionally racists
There was once when I saw a
local student who was studying in
thelibrary.
Three Nigerians then came and
sat at a table next to the student. He

quickly packed his bags and moved

to another table at far end.
Does any of the things mentioned
above sound familiar?
If so, you probably should
be more aware of how these
actions can actually lead to
onesunpleasantness.
To
avoid
any
unnessary
misunderstandings, you should
remind any of your friends who
behaves in any of these manner.

The pressure of trying to fit in was

getting to him and he felt like he just
did not belong.
I was so lost. That was until I told
my parents about how I felt. They
brought me to the hospital to seek
help, Hakim said.
The overwhelming need to cry
The need to cry over the smallest
things becomes inevitable and
beyond your control.
Guys may have the tendency
of becoming aggressive such
as punching a wall or raging
atsomeone.
The solution?
Wong
described
depression
as, losing the mental ability to
differentiate between the lies and
the truth. The worse part is that the
lies come from your own head and
in your head, you are all alone.
What helped her was music and
the support of others. Wongs friend

taught her to stand on her own two

feet and reminded her that only she
has the power to get herself out of
her depression.
Thereafter, things started to turn
around for Wong. She did voluntary
work and realised that the darkness
was gone.
Hakim said to get help immediately
is extremelyimperative.
Its not something that can be
solved on your own, all it takes
is for you to speak to someone
who understands your situation,
headded.
If you find it hard to speak to
a friend, or even your parents,
the CPSC offers help at Block A,
Level 2, Monday to Friday from
8amto6pm.

Depression - Do Not Let It Consume Your Mind

By FARAH NADHIRAH MUHAMMAD KHAIRUN
Depression is a serious matter
and people who are suffering from it
should not feel embarrassed of what
they are going through.
The advancement of technology
has taken its toll on the true meaning
of depression.
Self-diagnosis
has
become
common amongst students.
According to Taylors University
Counselling
and
Psychological
Services Centre (CPSC) counsellor,
Sutha Balakrishnan, the symptoms
of depression differ depending on
the person.
The most common symptoms of
depression would be:
Changes in daily habits
Sleeping
pattern
changes
drastically, either insomnia or
hypersomnia is experienced.
Another change in daily habits is
a severe change in eating pattern,
with sharp gain or loss in appetite.

Fatigue
The feeling of extreme tiredness
takes over, turning your hobbies into
something dreadful. Your hobbies
no longer calm you down.
Changes in your physique
Time spent to manage yourself
will be reduced.
Sarah Wong Yi Wen, 20, suffered
from depression in 2013. She
started becoming more conscious
about her weight and developed a
bad eating habit. Because of this, she
experienced drastic weight loss.
Loss of self-esteem
From someone who had high
confidence, those who suffer from
depression might lose it and not be
able to speak to people normally.
School of Architecture, Building
and Design student Hakim Abdullah,
22, suffered from depression at the
age of 19. He thought it was just a
passing phase but he was wrong.

Contact CPSC at:

03- 5629 5022/5024/5025/6791

Email: counsellor.lsc@taylors.edu.my

October 2015

FE AT U R E S

Daredevil Life Lessons to Learn

By LEE TING

The Marvel universe is a vast and

interesting one. With over 7,000
characters, we are bored of the
mainstream characters - the rich,
the intelligent, the enhanced and
theGods.
So why not put the spotlight
on someone new, someone like a
blindvigilante?
On 10 April, an entire season of
Daredevil was released onNetflix
which have had Marvel fans
roaringin delight.
Despite practicing law and
ensuring justice by the criminal
justice system in the day, Matt
Murdocks night time endeavours
makes him a man with no laws as
he takes matters into his own hands.
His lack of sight has heightened
his other senses, something that
sets him apart from his more wellknowncounterparts.
Now, we would like to say that we
have learned something through all
the shows that we have watched be it
patriotism, perseverance, humility,
patience or loyalty.
So what else can Daredevil teach
us that we have yet to learn in the
past Marvel movies and series?

It is the clever man who plays

the fool. Madame Gao
Let us start with Madame Gao.
She is what you would personify as
a crocodile in still water. She may
appear calm on the surface, but
underneath it all lies one dangerous
woman. A master in trading
illegal substances, Madame Gaos
statement shows that in order for
you to succeed, sometimes you need
to withhold yourself.
Why? As it is, a clever man who
openly flaunts the fact that he is
clever will be an easy target. Fools,
on the other hand, are generally
underestimated and left to their
owndevices.
Youve got to feel whats
not there as much as what is.
-MattMurdock
The Daredevil himself shows
us that we need to stop and listen
to our surroundings every once
in a while. His heightened sense
of hearing allows him to see
everything around him like sonar. In
this day and age, we tend to look and
not see the world we live in. We keep
searching for perfection, even if it is
in front of us.

Daredevil is one of the best TV series in 2015 as listed by The Rolling

Stones magazine. Photo Credit: ET Online

A woman who can be bought

is not worth having at all.
WilsonFisk
Fisk is a highly troubled Kingpin
with well-set principles. Though he
may be ruthless to the people who
betrayed him, he has no problem
showing his affections to those he
keeps in his company.
His quote is so straightforward
that you cannot even begin to argue
the basis of it.
If the one you like can be bought
with material possessions, then who
is to say that they would not jump

ship the next time someone buys

them something bigger and better?
Some fights just get you
bloody. Silvio, mobster
Another mobster in the Daredevil
world, Silvio reminds us that we
ought to choose our battles wisely.
Sometimes we win and sometimes
we lose. The key is to make the battle
worth the effort.
Though there are many other life
lessons in Daredevil, these are the
few that stood out the most. Perhaps
the new season next year will have
more lessons in store forus.

Personality - A Complex Mechanism

By FOONG KAH MEI

Every personality is a spectrum

that acts as a scale to measure
extroversion and introversion,
said Taylors University Counselling
and Psychological Services Centre
Counsellor Evan Kok Choon Foong.
I am sure many are familiar with
extroversion and introversion but
did you know that another category
exists for individuals who fall in the
middle of the spectrum?
Many of us lean towards one way
or the other but there are some
of us who are quite balanced with
thesetwo traits.
These middle ground people are
the ambiverts, Kok added.
Each personality has their own
set of traits that sets them apart
from one another.
Introverts listen carefully and
think of the right words to say
before speaking. They do not
appreciate being pushed to meet
new people and may have difficulties
expressingthemselves.
Extroverts recharge their energy
by interacting with as many
individuals as they can, ideally
in a large group. They are able to
express their thoughts freely but
may sometimes come off as lacking
of substance.

Personality is a personal perspective and no two are the same.

Photo Credit: agsalesworks
Ambiverts however possess
characteristics that are able to
balance out the weaknesses of
thesetwo extremes.
They are more intuitive than
extroverts in knowing when
their input is required, and more
approachable than introverts in
socialsituations.
These people are able to connect
and communicate with ease as well
as take the time to listen to what
others have to say.
Kok added that ambiverts are the
jack of all trades but master of none
due of their flexibility in adapting

to different environments. The way

these people function in their daily
lives is different in that they recharge
their energy levels with a mixture of
solitude and social interaction.
The downsideof it is that it
creates a disturbance within the
ambiverts themselves. They feel
conflicted that even though they
may be categorised as either an
introvert or an extrovert in a test,
they dont quite relate to the set of
traits mentioned by the category
that they belong to.
However, Kok believes that the
human personality is not a clear

black-and-white matter. It is a
complex mechanism that cannot
be measured with just a test to
determine who you are.
Kok said we have to take into
account that the human personality
is affected by multiple factors. This
includes different upbringing, the
way you look at things and the words
that are being said to you.
We wear different hats in
different situations, he said.
The willingness to engage with
another person can besituational.
A stressful setting can make even
extreme extroverts uncomfortable.
This aspect can vary a persons
personality from time to time.
It can be unfair to label someone
as an introvert just because they are
being quiet. There is a possibility
that the person might be having a
rough day and is not in the mood to
talk to anyone.
Ambiversion is just one of many
personality traits. Regardless of
which tendency you exhibit more,
we should highlight its strengths
and apply the benefits. If we are
ableto embrace the differences
between these personality traits,
effective communication can be
achievedeasily.

FE ATUR ES

October 2015

Healthier Lives Begin With A Race

By LEE TING
What do you think of when you
hear health and fitness?
Eating bland food? Going to the
gym for hours every day?
For me, it is just a matter of eating
moderately and incorporating little
exercises into my daily routines.
I am far from the typical gym
junkie or a health freak. I dislike
running to the core and I have a
soft spot for French fries. So it came
as a surprise to my friends and
family when I signed up for Viper
Challenges King of the Mountain
obstacle race.
The Instigator
After watching previous aftermovies I wanted to feel how the
participants felt when they crossed
the finishing line. I wanted to
challenge myself in ways that I
normally would not.
The thing with the Viper Challenge
was that preparation for the race
itself is supposed to be vigorous. I
am supposed to be running, doing
reps of chin ups and work my core
muscles every day.
Instead, I carried on with my
life thinking, Well, the race is in
September. I still have time before
I really need to get moving. Time
passed and suddenly, the race was
in two months.
I needed to step up my game.
Having a Balance
The first step to making my life
easier was having mealpreps.

The writer slicing potatoes, carrots and capsicums for a vegetable roast
that makes for a healthy snack or side dish. Photo Credit: Bashirul Khan

Not only is it much healthier; it

also saves you money and time.
In meal preps, you control the
quantity of food intake and quality
of the food.
Counting calories is foreign to
me, so I kept to stuff I knew such
as pasta, baked chicken, roasted
or blanched vegetables and even
mashed cauliflower!
The key of it all is to set an amount
you will eat at each meal so that you
do not overeat. If I have the need
to munch, I go for nuts or honey
glazedberries.
The best part of meal preps is that
you only need to spend a maximum
of five hours a week to do groceries,

prepare the food and individually

pack them.
Then you do not even need to
touch the stove or oven and do heavy
kitchen cleaning until the next week!
To be fair, I do not believe that you
should be so hard on yourself. Yes,
you have a particular diet to follow,
but that does not mean you cannot
try new cafes once in a while. It is all
about the balance.
The Work
Just eating healthy was not
enough for me, so I began some
lightexercises.
I believe that gyms can be rather
unnecessary when it comes to
working out.

heavy traffic, tedious assignments

and tight deadlines, but I resisted.
When that happened, I just smiled
and listened to them without adding
more negativity to the conversation.
There were also times when
gossip-y conversations made me feel
uncomfortable, I just walkedaway
from them.
After a few days, I became more
aware of my own emotions. Besides
that, I also realised what are the
things that would affect my emotions
the most, such as tiredness, stress
and hunger. Thus, I strived to
adjust my lifestyle to avoid feeling
these emotions. This definitely
made it easier to go through with
thechallenge.
Things were still under control
until the fifth day, when various
areas of my commitments - studies,
work, family and extracurricular
activities - required my attention

simultaneously. To add on to
that, I was extremely tired after a
10kmjog.
I felt annoyed and was about
to lose my temper. Fortunately,
my friend showed up at the right
moment by sending me a much
needed motivational message.

As long as you have the

basic equipment, you can work
outanywhere.
Have you tried stir frying almost
six cups of rice on top of the other
ingredients? That itself is an arm
work out on its own!
I would do a few dumbbell curls
or sit-ups while watching TV instead
of munching.
This way, the arms are getting
a work out, you are getting your
daily dose of TV and your mind is
far from getting that bag of chips
inthecupboard.
These are the little steps that can
bring you further.
You will not end up doing this
on your own. Keep it up and your
friends will be motivated as well.
As of today, two of my friends have
sought my help in preparing their
meal prep.
Trust me when I say this: it
getseasier.
Soon
enough
you
will
automatically reject food that you
know is bad for you. There is no
need to slave yourself over machines
at gyms that you cannot afford.
There is no starving yourself in the
processeither.
You are at the beginning. You just
want to be healthy.
All I am saying is that eating
healthy and doing mini exercises is
just a start towards a healthier life.
I know it was for me.

My Experience Surviving No-Complain Week

By OW JI JING
Recently, I stumbled upon a
self-help book called Secrets of the
Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker.
In it, Eker explained how
complaining does not help you or the
people around you, except making
yourself feel better temporarily. He
challenges readers not to complain
for seven days and see how it would
transform their lives.
Thousands of people have tried
this challenge and the outcome has
been extremely positive.
So, I decided to try it out to see
how it could change mine too!
On the first day, I reminded myself
to avoid complaining so I wrote No
complaints, thank God instead on
the palm of my hand.
For the next few days, it was quite
manageable. I did not complain
about anything, even in my mind.
There were a few occasions where
my friends would complain about the

Say no to complaining. Photo

Credit: free-stock-illustration.com

I wrote that message on a paper

and placed it by my laptop. It helped
to keep myself together until I
finished the assignments at hand.
After a week of not complaining,
my friends said I have become
more approachable and cheerful,
someone they preferred to hang out
with. On the other hand, I felt more
peaceful and happy.
I realised that even when
unfortunate incidents were to
happen to me, I would not get
affected easily. I sincerely think this
challenge is beneficial to everyone.
It does not only allow you to have
a positive outlook in life, but it also
helps you become a happier person
who would bring positivity to the
people around you.
I strongly encourage all of you to
take up this challenge and watch
this experience transform your
whole life.