Lighthouse News FOR THE LOVE OF WORD

Editor’s Note Welcome, Bedok View, to our second edition! You didn’t think you have seen and heard the last of us, did you?

In this edition, you can look forward to more students’ contributions as well as articles featuring how we celebrated Hari Raya Puasa and gave a tribute to our wonderful Teachers, amongst others! There is also a challenge for you to take up, lots of jokes, poems to tug at your heart strings and puzzles to solve.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your tremendous support for our first stab at journalism and give a special shout-out to one of our readers, Tay Shi Fong of class 4E3 who wrote to us with compliments, feedback and questions! Thank you, Shi Fong! This is indeed the true spirit of journalism; writing to relate, to connect and to inspire. Of course, we also take it upon ourselves to write to entertain you, keep you updated about current affairs as well as give you a platform to air your grievances and share your stories and views.

So, write in. We’d love to hear your feedback. Tell us that we’re doing a good job or tell us how to improve. Tell us what you want to see in our newsletter or simply write in with questions, compliments or even contribute your own articles, poems, essays, games or comics! Better yet, join our team!

Happy reading,

Mrs Yasmin Messoussi

BV Celebrates

Hari Raya Puasa 2

Teachers’ Day 4

In-Focus

Success Story of a BV-an 6

History

Nelson Mandela; A Force to Be

Reckoned With 9

Featured Articles

Your Guide to Staying Focused 13

Overcoming Fear 14

Get to Know Our Energy Messiah? 14

Book Lounge 15

Two-Sentence Horror Stories 16

KEEP IN TOUCH! We welcome your ideas, views and contributions. Drop us a note at bv.pubteam@gmail.com

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Lighthouse News is a publication of the Publications Team of Bedok View Secondary School. All rights reserved. ©2013 by Bedok View Secondary School. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.

Bedok View Secondary School

The Fasting Month of Ramadan By Angel Luah Zi Xuan (3E3), Zeha Bte Hassim (1E1) and T S Mohamed Kassim (2E2)

What is Ramdan? Every year, Muslims all over the world begin fasting from sunrise to sunset every day during the most blessed month in the Islamic tradition, known as Ramadan. The word ‘Ramadan’ comes from the Arabic root Ramida or ar-ramad, which means scorching heat or dryness. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. These pillars are five practices that are compulsory for all Muslims.

Ramadan celebrates God's mercy by which God sends a guiding light in the form of the Muslim’s Holy Book (known as the Qur'an) that leads human life towards the path of good and virtue and protects the human soul from evil and vice.

Why fast? Muslims show their gratitude to God during Ramadan as a way of coming closer to God and developing a deep inner awareness of God's presence in their lives. Fasting also provides the opportunity for families to bond as they break their fast together. In addition, fasting enables one to remember the needy and the hungry, allowing Muslims to have an insight into the plight of those who are less-fortunate. As hunger and thirst cause one to realise that if it were not for God's mercy and Sustenance, one would be in a most difficult and undesirable state of affairs, fasting, therefore, enables Muslims to develop a deeper appreciation of God’s mercy.

What Happens during Ramadan? For Muslims, the month of Ramadan is devoted to worship, doing charitable deeds and carrying out acts of compassion. To purify one’s body and soul, Muslims practice abstinence from food, drink and sexual intimacy during the day. When the sun sets, families and friends often gather to break their fast before congregating for evening prayers. Also, the streets of Geylang Serai and Kampong Glam come alive with performances and street bazaars. Ramadan usually lasts for 29-30 days, depending on the visual sightings of the crescent moon.

Hari Raya Puasa Hari Raya Puasa is a joyous Islamic festival which celebrates the end of Ramadan. Hari Raya Puasa occurs on the first day of the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar when one can see the new moon.

A festive good time where teachers and students rocked our hall and entertained us with their dancing and good

sportsmanship

The Costumes Traditional Malay costume for men is called the 'baju Melayu'. It is a loose tunic, worn over trousers and often accompanied with a 'samping', a sarong which is wrapped around a man's hips. It is usually accompanied with a 'songkok' worn on one’s head. Malay women wear the 'baju kurung', which is a knee-length blouse worn over a long skirt. Often, a scarf or shawl is worn with this. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of traditional costumes for the women. There are the Mini Baju Kurung, which is a baju kurung with a different cutting and the baju Kebaya, which is a button-up tunic worn with a skirt.

BV’s Celebration On the 7th of August, BV commemorated Hari Raya Puasa and National Day together as they both fell a few days apart from each other. A combined concert was needless to say, a very enjoyable event. The Hari Raya Celebration summarized the significance of this Islamic event. Mr Naz, our discipline master, was one of the teachers-in-charge of the performance. He also performed a Malay dance with other teachers and students who were sporting enough to volunteer for our enjoyment. Mr Naz faced many difficulties while putting the performance together, such as limited time, shortage of manpower, settling the cost of trainers and decorations and most importantly, upholding the personality of a discipline master. He also added that this was his first ever dance performance. It was surprised to find out that BV has not had a Malay dance performance in 7 years! Despite all the difficulties Mr Naz faced while putting together this concert, he felt that the concert had gone well and was very well-received by the audience. He has thoroughly enjoyed dancing and thought that the concert was a must-have. Mr Naz is currently considering the feasibility of having a Malay club to showcase the Malay culture. He is also considering collaborating with the Tamil and Chinese teachers from the Mother Tongue Department to perform together for any one cultural event. This is something we can all look forward to with bated breaths!

This festive occasion is greeted with great joy. The young will ask for forgiveness from their elders and everyone will put on new clothes. Plenty of traditional Malay delicacies are served during this festive season. Houses are thoroughly cleaned and decorated with the lighting of colourful bulbs that adorn the windows to welcome the angels which are believed to be visiting the earth during the seven days preceding the festival. The celebration lasts for a month and is concentrated in the first three days.

The Secondary 2 English Language SDL (Self-Directed Learning) Project this year

focused on teaching the students some journalistic skills. Here is one article

prepared by one of the students. F.A.M.E. By Dillon Phee (2E1) F.A.M.E. (Festival of Arts, Music and Exercise) is a festival celebrated in Bedok View Secondary School every year. This year, 12 July commemorated Youth Day in Singapore. Bedok View students came together as one to enjoy this festival. On that day, there weren’t any lessons and it was just pure fun and excitement. In the morning, we were given a list of all the exciting activities that were in store for us. Before we knew it, one activity led to another and by the end of the day we were flushed from all the laughter and running about! F.A.M.E. in Bedok View is a unique event that is highly anticipated every year. This is because it is made up of different components. There was a Mass Dance for the whole school choreographed by students from Modern Dance. These students led the dance and were there to teach us the steps. They used the song called, ‘Party Rock’. Many, including teachers, were hesitant to dance at first and were standing around awkwardly. However, everyone soon warmed up, abandoned their inhibitions and started to dance. It was then that the Mass Dance became really enjoyable. There were also mini games and challenges set up at different booths and stations. To name a few, there were wrestling at the station called the Wrestling Clinic at the hall and dancing at the Dance Clinic in the D&T studio.

There were other booths set up by both art teachers and students. The art booths and exhibitions were placed around the parade square to showcase students’ amazing masterpieces. Many were left in awe, with their jaws dropping as they admired these masterpieces. Some students indulged in painting their faces and hands too.

In addition, there were inter-class games such as basketball for my level. My classmates took part and challenged many other classes which had many skilled players. It was very intense! We cheered for our players till our throats were parched. Surprisingly, my team even came in second! We were definitely very proud of our team members.

Finally, it was time for the long-awaited show – BV Superstar. This is a competition of talent, whereby students would compete for the prestigious title of becoming the BV Superstar. All of us gathered back in the hall at 10:30 am to watch the performances and cheer for our friends. There were 2 participants from each level. One of my classmates participated in this competition. This was none other than Ahmed Fudoel (2E1). He sang a song that he dedicated to his late father who had passed away recently. His beautiful rendition of the song tugged at many of our hearts’ strings as we joined him and sang along.

Once he had reached the end of the song, the whole school exploded in applause as it was really touching and it melted our hearts. The judges were impressed by his performance too. It was not surprising that he stood out from the rest and was crowned as our very own BV Superstar.

On the whole, it was a really enjoyable day and I am sure I echo the sentiments of many when I say that F.A.M.E. is one of the events that students of BV really look forward to every year.

5th September was a day to remember for all teachers. This year’s Teachers’ Day was celebrated with a powerful bang! The concert was of epic proportions. I’ll come to that in a moment but let me first highlight the song dedication booth that was set up by the class leaders for the whole week for the pre-celebrations in the canteen. My friends and I really enjoyed listening to the carefully-selected tracks during recess and we took the opportunity to dedicate our favourite songs to our favourite teachers. We took great pleasure in writing our dedications on colored cards that were tied to balloons along the railing outside staff room 2 to brighten up the bridge and hopefully, our teachers’ special week.

Teachers’ Day Celebrations By Muhammad Musaib S/O Ebnuarabi (2E2)

As for the hour-long concert, well, that was made up of performances that showcased the many talents of BV. There were singing and dancing and even yo-yo tricks. The first performance, much of a tribute, was Ilyatunnisa from 3E2, who read out an original poem that she wrote about the many hats teachers wear in their personal and professional capacity. Later on, a group of graduating students from 4E1 paid tribute to their teachers by singing “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz. The performance was truly a heart-warming one that left some of the teachers of the graduating classes sniffling.

Our very own BV Modern Dance CCA rocked the stage with a contemporary and modern dance fusion. They never fail to bring out the wow factor in all of their performances. Then, the boys who won the BV Superstar competition, Ahmed Fudoel (2E1) and Tata (2E2) performed another heart-felt song, entitled, “More Than Words”. They brought many teachers back to their younger days and the performance was once again, very well-received by the enthusiastic, highly-energetic audience. Ex-students even returned to perform for us and show their gratitude to their teachers.

Then, BV Superstar contestants, Andiq (3N5) and Azryl (3E1), performed a magnificent rendition of “Feeling Good” by Michael Buble, with Andiq singing and Azryl on the guitar. The hard-strumming on Azryl’s rock guitar and Andiq’s soothing voice left the audience hungry for more. After that, we took a break from performances to play a game. The game basically involved flashing some images of the belongings of teachers and members of the audience were asked to guess to which teacher do the objects belong to. Apparently, teachers too like stuffed animals.

Up next and for the first time in Bedok View, a yo-yo showcase was performed by Thawir (3E2) and Wee Teng Ee (2E1). The duo kept us holding our breath the whole time they were on stage, performing their incredible stunts. Let’s not forget Syahiran’s memorable performance (4N5). He sang “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith. He modified it and jazzed it up, leaving us dazzled. I personally enjoyed his performance the most. The event came to a close on a solemn note by having the teachers come on stage to recite the Teachers’ Pledge. In a nutshell, this year’s Teachers’ Day was undoubtedly an awesomely epic one. It sure was a “A Blast from the Past!”

From BV, with love <3

Exemplifying our School’s Values By Ms Ong Lay Kheng We constantly hear our teachers refer to our school values, which are R2ISE (Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Service & Excellence) but what kind of a person do these values make? Wesley Goh is a fine example of how applying these values in one’s life may enable one to excel. Let’s learn from his success story as he has recently become the proud recipient of Lee Kuan Yew Award for Outstanding Normal Course Students for 2013.

1) How do you feel about receiving the award? Initially, when I received the news that I was shortlisted for the interview, I was very happy. However, I was also aware that I should not be too hopeful. After all, this is an award that is opened to all students in Singapore and I thought that with the stiff competition, I would stand little chance of winning it. Despite that, I decided to give my best for the interview as being nominated for the award is already a privilege in itself and I wanted to challenge myself to see if I had it in me to get this award. I was thrilled and elated when I received news from that I had been awarded the award. I was glad I had decided to do my best to “fight” for the award instead of giving up although the odds seem to be against me.

Wesley was also passionately involved in activities that allowed him to contribute to society. He was always willing to be involved in community service to lend a hand towards helping the less fortunate. As a testimony to his outstanding character, Wesley received the MOE Edusave Character Award in 2012. For his excellent academic performance in the 2012 GCE ‘O’ level examination, Wesley was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Outstanding Normal Course students. The Lee Kuan Yew Award for Outstanding Normal Course Students was presented for the first time in 2004. This year, four awards were presented to top Normal (Academic) course students, based on their GCE ‘O’ level examination results.

Introduction A student of Bedok View Secondary School from 2008 to 2012, Wesley excelled in his academics and had won several prizes since Secondary One. In Secondary One and Secondary Three, he was awarded the Bedok View Scholarship, a scholarship that is given to students who showed the best progress in their cohort. When he was in Secondary Two, he was awarded the Ministry of Education (MOE) Merit Bursary for his outstanding results.

In Bedok View, we Nurture Students, Change Lives and Serve our Nation - Mr Desmond Phoa Teacher-in-charge of

Student Council

2) How has Bedok View Secondary School helped you to give your best, in terms of academic achievement and character development? Bedok View Secondary School has definitely played a big role in my academic achievement and character development. I am very thankful to all the teachers who have taught me when I was in Bedok View. Most importantly, I would like to show my gratitude to my form teacher; Miss Joy Ho. Miss Ho is a caring and teacher who expects only the best from her students. Under her care, my class developed a strong sense of belonging and identity that remained strong even after we have graduated from school.

In Bedok View, other than the conventional classroom teaching, there were many opportunities for students to gain and apply their knowledge beyond the classroom. These take the form of local and overseas learning journeys where experiential learning enable students to have a deeper understanding of what they are learning while cultivating a sense of curiosity for the world at large. In addition, much effort was put in to ensure that the Values in Action (ViA) programmes imbued in us the school values of service, respect and responsibility. For example, activities like newspaper collection taught us to respect and care for the environment while raising funds for the needy students in school. For many of us, working with our satellite partner, Katong Special School also taught us the importance of respect and service as we interact and learn with our counterparts in Katong Special School.

Miss Joy Ho

3) What are your aspirations? I believe in the phrase, ''The sky is the limit” as my aspiration is to be a pilot and soar up high in the sky. I'm currently pursuing my dreams in the Aviation Management and Services course offered by Temasek Polytechnic. I am very happy to be accepted into this prestigious course as it is a highly popular course. Most importantly, I am given the opportunity to pursue a course that I am interested in.

4) What advice do you have for your juniors in Bedok View Secondary School? Like I’ve said earlier, everyone has a dream. Some may start pursuing their dreams at a young age while others may start later. I would like to say that it is never too late to start. Decide on your goal and go for it. Remember that practice makes perfect as it ensures progression and improvement. Do have a balance between studies and fun and give your best in whatever you do. When it’s time for studies, put in your heart and soul; when it’s time for fun, enjoy yourselves and be free of worries. Remember this and you will go far in life.

How to Become a Singaporean in a Jiffy (Part 2) By Chia Li Tin (3E2)

Today I shall tell you about some habits of Singaporeans that you can emulate and imitate. After all, imitation is the best form of flattery

A peculiar habit of Singaporeans is that we love to complain! When McDonalds was no longer providing curry sauce, we complained. Yet, when the curry sauce came back, we complained that it tasted different and how unfair it was to pay 30 cents for the curry sauce. Okay, I admit, I too felt that the 30 cents increment was a little outrageous.

Singaporeans also managed to come up with a way to reserve tables at packed food courts by leaving tissue papers atop the table to ‘chope’ it. ‘Chope’ means to reserve. Ever since the establishment of the website ‘STOMP’, people have become more conscious of their actions like taking up the reserved seats in MRTs. Yet, there are some people who refuse to concede defeat and simply use umbrellas and such to cover their faces to conceal their identity. So even if they are ‘STOMPed’, no one would be able to recognize them. All this advice can help you to become more like a Singaporean. Although you might think all of these as negative points, I think otherwise. We all have our reasons for doing things. We should learn to understand one another and embrace differences. Accommodating others is one thing Singaporeans are great at. It is required to maintain a peaceful and harmonious country and that we have been

successful in achieving. After all, WE ARE UNIQUELY SINGAPOREAN! ♡

A: Your problem here can be easily solved by planning beforehand and prioritizing. Set a

schedule and follow it strictly. This will give you a sense of accomplishment. You will also get

enough rest as the important tasks will either be already done or scheduled at a time that is

appropriate. To help you be more on task, make a to-do list when you feel overwhelmed. Also,

keep post-it-notes to remind yourself of what and when to do certain things throughout the day.

Remember that we are all humans and we make mistakes, just make sure to keep trying no

matter what!

Q: I have to do housework, schoolwork, engage in after school activities, attend extra

classes and take part in competitions. I find it very hard to juggle all of them without

making any mistakes. How can I solve my problem? – One Responsibility Too Many

A problem shared is a problem halved.

Write to us for a chance to get your worries off your chest.

If you are having difficulties with friendship, family or school, help is

at hand.

Problem?

Nelson Mandela: A Force to Be Reckoned with By Koh Zi Wei, Ilyatunnisa Bte S M Iqbal and Chia Li Tin (3E2) Who is he? Born on 18 July 1918, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was the first black President of South Africa. He served as the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. His government focused on tackling institutionalised racism, poverty, inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. As President, he established a new constitution and initiated the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses. His administration also introduced measures to encourage land reform, combat poverty and expand healthcare services.

His background Born into the royal family, Mandela attended Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand, where he studied Arts and Law respectively. He became involved in anti-colonial politics and joined the ANC (African National Congress) which he served as its president from 1991 to 1997. Working as a lawyer, he was repeatedly arrested for seditious activities and was prosecuted from 1956 to 1961 but was found not guilty. In 1962, he was arrested, convicted of sabotage and of conspiring to overthrow the government, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial. Mandela spent 27 years in prison. An international campaign lobbied for his release which was granted in 1990. He was elected President and formed a Government of National Unity in an attempt to defuse ethnic tensions.

Also, internationally, he acted as a mediator between Libya and the United Kingdom in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial in 2000, and oversaw military intervention in Lesotho in 1998. Mandela has gained international acclaim for his anti-colonial and anti-apartheid (anti-separateness) stance, and has received over 250 awards, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Soviet Order of Lenin. He is deeply respected in South Africa and is often described as the “father of the nation”.

Mandela has been married three times, has fathered six children, has 17 grandchildren, and a growing number of great-grandchildren. In February 2011, he was briefly hospitalised with a respiratory infection, before being re-hospitalised for a lung infection and gallstone removal in December 2012. Current condition On 8 June 2013, his lung infection worsened, and he was re-hospitalised in Pretoria in a critical yet stable and non-vegetative condition, and was still responding to treatment. At the time of publication, Mandela has been discharged and is back home after long hospital stay. He still remains in critical condition.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” -Nelson Mandela

Home By Kelly Khua (1E2)

Our broken family is so disjointed

I feel lost in my own home

Where did we all go?

What happened to us?

I look at the family portrait on the wall,

Happiness smiles back, taunting me with the past.

But now empty and hollow – eyes stare back,

Telling me to get lost, never return.

My family wears a mask for the world,

No one sees the pain beneath.

Only mirrors can reflect

Who they truly are

I wish for a better life -

One without cruelty or suffering.

Surely my family would not miss me

For I am considered the runt

So I wished for an angel in my hell

To take my life and consume it wholly

No more misery and anger

At least I can become free

Broken By Nicholas Chan (2N6) Like a machine

It broke

Like a fire

It burned

Like thunder

It roared

Like an earthquake

It destroyed

Like life

It ended

My family

Never mended

A heart was broken

A life, gone

And so we mourned

I Sleep I Snore By Timothy Tan (2N5)

I sleep I snore My saliva like waterfall It smudges the walls It drips and falls I sleep I snore My bed is a mess Like my sister’s dress And my mother feels stressed Cleaning up this mess I sleep I snore It’s time for school My floor is a pool Full of my drool

Your Guide to Staying Focused Angel Luah Zi Xuan (3E3)

Have you been studying hard but not producing the results that you want? Have you been trying real hard to concentrate but nothing gets into your brain? Or have you been easily distracted when studying? Did you say yes to any of the above questions? If you did, then let me share with you some tips on how you can perform better! First and foremost, not being able to produce the results you want is not necessarily because you are less smart than other people. The truth is that everyone CAN achieve what they set out to do. It is just a matter of determination and passion that drive you and affect how you achieve your goals. Of course, you also need to employ the correct strategies to achieve these goals. Here are some dos and don’ts.

To focus, eliminate distractions. These include surfing the net or going on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, as well as other social media platforms. You also need to get away from the television, texts and phone calls. If you allow yourself to get swayed by technology, you will find yourself being unable to complete your work on time or not being able to spend time fruitfully on tasks you mean to accomplish. Stop procrastinating! (Of course, once you are done with your work, you can spend that time surfing the internet and doing whatever you want). To focus, do not snack. This is another thing that distracts you; having the urge to eat when you are studying. You then start to fantasize about gorging on food to fill your stomach. The next thing you realise, you are spending more time with food than your work! The results, as you can imagine, are far from pleasing. Not only do you not perform to your full potential but over time you will find your waistline expanding!

What I would recommend is instead of snacking (which is unhealthy), grab a fruit! It will keep you awake and focused on your work. Also, get plenty of sleep. Sleep early so you are not exhausted in class and therefore, you would be less easily distracted. Now, you are well on the way to maximise your learning. All the best!

Overcoming Fear By Angel Luah Zi Xuan (3E3)

Have you been scared or afraid of something? Do you

ever want to overcome your fears? You've to begin by

asking yourself, what is it that you are actually frightened

of?

All of us face fear, be it in the form of a phobia, a

trauma, or just paranoia, and regardless of the strengths

we have, fear can be tangible or intangible.

When we are gripped with fear, we will more often than

not feel overwhelmed, anxious and find our hearts racing.

It usually happens when we do things out of our comfort

zone.

But what is fear exactly? It is the trigger of adrenaline

when our brain senses danger. It places the brain in

emergency mode; ready to engage in fight or flight.

How can we control our fears?

After much research, let me share with you these few

steps that I have found useful when it comes to controlling

your fears. These are inspired by a book entitled, 'Fear

Being an Exceptional Friend', written by Geoff Thompson.

To start, you need to understand what makes you

experience fear, what is the trigger to the emotion, and

then start taking actions. Before taking action, however,

you need to accept your fears and understand what

trigger them. Then, start to handle one fear at a time. It

does not have to be the hardest fear to tackle. You can

always start with the smallest fear you have and work on it

on a regular basis. You can start with compiling a list of

what is the least scary for you to the most frightening. The

best way out is to confront those fears, one at a time.

One of the ways to confront fear when trying out new

things is to imagine the worst case scenario and tell

yourself that you can handle it. Another way is to talk to

others whom you trust about your fears and get advice

from them. You can also read motivational quotes or

stories that inspire you and spur you on.

Here is one thing to remember; every step you take

counts. Start out with a plan, envision yourself succeeding

and go all out after your goal. Also, remember that

although it is the goal that you are pursuing that drives

you, "the real goal is the journey you take and the

character you develop during the time of commitment and

dedication" - Geoff Thompson.

Antimatter: Our Energy Messiah? By Muhammad Musaib S/O Ebnuarabi (2E2)

Millions of people believe that antimatter

could very well be the ultimate alternative fuel

source for our ever-expanding world

economy. First of all, we should understand

what antimatter really is. You might think that

antimatter, as the name suggests, is the

opposite of matter, right? Wrong! Antimatter

is actually material composed of antiparticles,

which has the same mass as ordinary matter

but has the opposite charge.

So what is so special about antimatter?

What is interesting is that antimatter and

matter combine, and that’s when things get

exciting. As antimatter and matter combine,

they will cancel each other out, producing

pure energy. For example, when a matter

paperclip and an antimatter paperclip come

into contact, the energy released would be

enormous. It is about twenty times as much

energy needed to launch a spaceship up into

orbit. And the best part is that it does not

release any form of pollution; the energy

released by antimatter and ordinary matter is

pure energy.

Sounds way too good to be true, doesn’t

it? Well, there is a great downside to it. The

cost of antimatter. It would cost one hundred

billion dollars to produce just a milligram of

antimatter. Moreover, the means of storing

and creating antimatter would cost billions of

dollars as well.

Despite antimatter having so much power

due to the cost of creating and using it, many

scientists and corporations are still

considering antimatter as a fuel choice. The

scientists at CERN, the European

Organization for Nuclear Research. a very

well-known and leading science, are actually

creating antimatter in minute amounts. Many

scientists and other leading corporations in

particle physics and quantum physics are

also debating whether antimatter should be

harnessed as a fuel source or be treated as a

neglected phenomenon. This brings to mind

one question; is antimatter our energy

messiah? Only time will tell.

This book is the brainchild of Eoin Colfer, who also wrote titles such as the Artemis Fowl series and stand-alone books such as The Wish List. Like his other titles, this book does

not fail to deliver.

Under the watchful attention of the guards,

Conor makes plans for his escape. He buys his

way around the prison, making multiple contacts

and in the end, manages to escape. After his

escape, he then resides in the old Martello tower

that he and Victor had originally used for building

experimental flying machines and starts to make

plans to go to America and start life anew. Here,

he meets up with Linus Wynter and learns of

Bonvillian’s plan to poison the now Queen

Isabella and Conor’s parents, and attempts to

foil his plans.

Book: Airman By Aaron Tang (3E2)

Synopsis:

Set in 1878, on the Saltee Islands off the coast of Ireland, little Conor

Broekhart, our protagonist, ventures off with Princess Isabella in search of

some entertainment. The young heir to the throne has already developed a

superior attitude to our little hero, being a year younger and also of royal

blood. Conor, on the other hand, is the son of the Captain of the wall guard

who is the closest friend of the king. As they wander off in search of the king,

the tower they were playing in was set alight, causing them to flee to the

parapet. Here, Conor, with quick thinking, uses the large castle flag as a

parachute, thus, saving both him and the Princess. For his heroic actions he

is awarded the title of Sir Conor Broekhart.

This attracts the attention of one of the king’s oldest friends who was

brought in to tutor Isabella and together, Conor and Victor Vigny, a

Frenchman, race to build the world’s first flying machine. However, Hugo

Bonvillian, one of the king’s subjects has concocted a dastardly plot to take

over the throne and manages to kill the king and frame Victor for the murder.

Conor, on the other hand, has witnessed the act and made a bid to expose it

but was knocked unconscious, only to awaken on a steamship that was

heading to Little Saltee, the smaller island notorious for its prison. He was told

that he was framed for the murder of the king.

Rating: 5/5

The bottom line:

This book is fast paced and punchy and really reaches out and grabs your attention. It makes you feel

the emotions that the characters experience as they are accurately depicted and I feel that the author has

done really well in creating the dark and mysterious atmosphere that shrouds the story. The author also

releases the information sparingly, leaving most of the information to the last chapter, therefore maintaining

suspense and gripping the reader to the very end.

This really leaves you hungry for more. Trust me when I say that you will not want to put this book done

before you finish it! The writer describes each character, especially Conor, in a way that shrouds him in

mystery and yet helps the readers to get a very insightful impression of the overall storyline. Definitely one

of the best reads of the decade!

Two-Sentence Horror Stories

Reddit, a social news website, recently asked their users, "What's the best horror story you can come up with in two sentences?" And their responses were terrifying! Who knew we could be so scared by such small stories? It's absolutely brilliant and here are a few of our favourites.

I begin tucking him into bed and he tells me, “Daddy check for monsters under my bed.” I look underneath for his amusement and see him, another him, under the bed, staring back at me quivering and whispering, “Daddy there’s somebody on my bed.” – justAnotherMuffledVo

The doctors told the amputee he might experience a phantom limb from time to time. Nobody prepared him for the moments though, when he felt cold fingers brush across his phantom hand. – Gagege

I woke up to hear knocking on glass. At first, I though it was the window until I heard it come from the mirror again. – therealhatman

What an absolutely fantastic writing exercise. There's tons more over at AskReddit, though we're not sure if the blinking reflection can be topped. *Shudder*.

Your Challenge! (should you choose to accept it)

Write your own and email us @

bv.pubteam@gmail.com

My Little BV By Stella Suseno (3E3)

Puns A pun is a joke based on one word that has two meanings,

or two words that sound alike but have different meanings.

See if you can get the pun in the following jokes.

1. A baker stopped making donuts after he got tired of the hole thing.

2. A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

3. Do you know why it’s easy for a hunter to find a leopard? Because a

leopard is always spotted.

4. Don’t expect to eat something fancy when you’re flying because it’s

plane food.

5. In the room the curtains were drawn, but the rest of the furniture was

real.

6. The dead batteries were given out free of charge.

7. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

8. What do you get from a pampered cow? Spoiled milk.

9. What does a spy do when he gets cold? He goes undercover.

10.Why are rivers always rich? Because they have two banks.

Word Search

Elements of Short Stories Can you find the English words hidden in the word search puzzle below? Mark off the words as you find them.

Sudoku Sudoku is easy to play and the rules are simple. Fill in the blanks so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain one instance of each of the numbers 1 through 9.

plot

short story

conflict

allusion

resolution

mood

protagonist

tone

fiction

biography

surprise ending

theme

symbol

rising action

characterization

falling action

Irony

climax

flashback

flat character

narrator

suspense

setting

prose

first person

exposition

autobiography

motivation

third person

point of view

character

rounded character

antagonist

foreshadowing

That Singlish Slang By Stella Suseno (3E3)

Lighthouse News is brought to you by:

The Publications Team Chief Editor Mrs Yasmin Messoussi Associate Editors Stella Suseno (3E3)

Ilyatunnisa bte Shaik Mohammad Iqbal (3E2)

News Editors Angel Luah Zi Xuan (3E3)

Joey Tan Xiang Lei (3E2)

Contributors Aaron Tang (3E2)

Angel Luah Zi Xuan (3E3)

Chia Li Tin (3E2 Dillon Phee (2E1)

Ilyatunnisa bte Shaik Mohammad Iqbal (3E2)

Joyce Lee (3E2)

Kelly Khua (1E2)

Koh Zi Wei (3E2)

Muhammad Musaib S/O Ebnuarabi (2E2)

Nicholas Chan (2N6)

Timothy Tan (2N5)

T S Mohamed Kassim (2E2)

Yan Yun Hao (2E3)

Zeha Bte Hassim (1E1)

Special Contributors Ms Ong Lay Kheng Graphic Designer Stella Suseno (3E3)

Layout & Design Mrs Yasmin Messoussi

Photo Credits

We would like to acknowledge the following

sites where we obtained some of our pictures:

Page 5: 2 Thumbs up: http://beedesign.org/wp-

content/plugins/RSSPoster_PRO/cache/8dba5_election-

facebook-likes-2.jpg

Page 7 Nelson Mandela (top): http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-

dHdykSG973c/T_94vDg3WkI/AAAAAAAAAyw/xQqce1Wb

Ho4/s640/Nelson+Mandela++Quotes_www.ActivatingThou

ghts.blogspot+%283%29.jpg

Nelson Mandela (bottom):

http://thedesigntabloid.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/nelson

-mandela-46664-the-design-tabloid-21.jpg

Page 8 Broken home:

http://baitijannati.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/broken-

home.jpg

Snoring comic:

http://www.gagful.com/uploads/2012_2/1329916548_sleep

_drool_gag.jpg

Page 9 Illustration by Stephen Gammell from Truly Scary Stories

To Tell in the Dark.

Page 10 Distracted:

http://fromtassel2hustle.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/distra

ctions2.gif

Page 11 Book cover: http://www.trappedbymonsters.com/wp-

content/uploads/2009/02/airman.jpg

Page 13 Wordsearch:

http://www.armoredpenguin.com/wordsearch/Data/best/fict

ion/short.stories.01.html

Sudako:

http://www.puzzles.ca/sudoku_puzzles/sudoku_medium_1

35.html

Stick man with magnifying glass:

http://blog.extreme-advice.com/wp-

content/uploads/2012/12/Search.jpg

Pun comic:

http://themockdock.com/2012/05/21/i-know-its-groan-

inducing-but-i-love-puns/