Yesterday, the New Paper had reported that orientation camps were increasingly sexual, and that “a decade on, nothing has changed“. While sounding alarmingly like the imminent collapse of our entire moral system, the truth is, everything keeps changing.

From less responsible OGLs and a system that sees new leaders being elected every year, the legacy of planning an orientation camp is hardly one that can be owned by an individual or a group for a long period of time. As such, the errors made in orientation camps are rarely learned before the next camp is planned.

The truth is, many seniors lack the interest to be an orientation group leader (OGL), or a councillor. These roles are often seen as a “ra-ra” activity rather than a prestigious, hands-on leadership role where you are put in charge of “orientating” freshmen.

Here are some responses that actually try to get to the root of the problem:

1) Camp-Goers Are Too Afraid To Voice Out In Fear of Being Ostracised

Being uncomfortable is the start of becoming comfortable, but set a clear boundary for yourself. Although it’s difficult to anticipate activities, it should be easy to know what you’re comfortable enough with.

The same should apply for the OGLs and councillors, who sometimes “disturb” the freshmen during the camps. Discomfort should be already part of the activity (like talking to someone else blindfolded), and not induced for the fun of it.

2) Anonymous, “Whistle-Blowing” Confessions Bring Eyeballs, But Solve Little To No Problems

What I like to call the “Gawker problem”, The New Paper’s report definitely provoked the NUS office of student affairs (OSA) into public action, but was it needed? Bringing attention and eyeballs to what would otherwise be an internal problem victimises both the perpetrator and the victim by publicly naming and shaming them both.

Instead of going to a local tabloid with a racy storyline, why not approach the official student body with names and testimonials instead? That would solve problems instead of going about it in a roundabout way.

3) Leaders and Camp-goers Are Both Not Claiming Responsibility For Their Actions

It’s definitely easier to shift the blame to others and play the victim, but it’s important to know that peer pressure should not be the end-all to the problems in an orientation camp. Responsibility means being able to admit what has been done was wrong, instead of creating a narrative in your head and justifying your own mistakes.

The outburst everyone is now hearing is only a symptom of a larger problem. Simply put, much more thought and maturity needs to be put into organising a good orientation camp without resorting to cheap methods of inducing discomfort and “fun”.

4) The Public Situation Is Currently More Of A Power Struggle Than Anything

Being heard isn’t the same as knowing what the problem exactly is. Everyone has a vague idea of the problem: Some activities and forfeits camp-goers are peer-pressured to do are too sexual and this has been a continuous trend.

This vagueness discounts the reality of an echo-chamber situation: good camps are kept under wraps and the bad stuff are what constantly gets media attention. In truth, in any student-organised camp, it’s probably difficult to plan everything out due to inexperience.

5) Everything Is Being Blown Out Of Proportion

Why so serious? It’s just an orientation camp. There are no values at stake here, just some young adults making foolish mistakes and having the occasional regret.

Although it’s an ideal to make camp a safe and fun experience, camp-goers ultimately have the power to decide what they do. OGLs and the like pressuring them to act otherwise is definitely wrong, and that’s definitely a change that camps should start with.

UPDATE: NUS’s statement to Straits Times: “We do not condone any behaviour or activity that denigrates the dignity of individuals, and that has sexual connotations. Our students, particularly freshmen, must feel safe and secure at all times during orientation. If they decide to opt out of an activity, their wishes must be respected.”

They have also said that NUS staff will be at the orientation camps throughout. That really sucks to hear.

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Hawkers at Tekka Food Centre in Little India are protesting against a further restriction of their liquor-sale operation hours, saying it will drastically affect their takings.

According to a notice they reportedly received from the police, from Aug 1, affected hawkers will have their operating hours for the sale of liquor cut from 6am to 11.59pm to 6am to 6pm on Sundays.

Several hawkers told Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao in a report yesterday that sales on Sunday nights are substantial for their businesses and even those who sell only food are worried that crowds may thin.

One hawker, 44-year-old He Yueying, told Wanbao that hawkers received a letter last Friday confirming that the operating hours for the sale of liquor will be revised to about six hours earlier than the current end-time of 11.59pm.

According to Ms He, most of the customers there are foreign workers, and as they rest on Sundays, it is the best time for hawkers to generate more sales.

She added that 60 per cent of her monthly earnings comes from Sundays.

Another hawker, Mr Lu, said there are usually not many customers at the hawker centre, and that Sundays are the days which pull in business.

Wanbao understands that only Tekka Food Centre liquor sellers are affected by this new change, and that other coffee shops and convenience stores nearby have not received the same notice.

The new move affects not only liquor sellers but also food sellers, who say that their customers usually have liquor along with their meals.

Noodle seller Li Xuehua, 51, who sells ban mian to customers in the morning and fried chicken to foreign workers at night, who eat it with liquor, said the new rule would be a blow to business.

Western stall hawker Mr Guo, 60, added that customers will not patronise the food centre on Sunday nights if alcohol is not permitted to be sold.

He hopes that the authorities will increase security instead of further restricting liquor-sale hours.

Rowdy patrons as alcohol flows at Tekka hawker centre on weekends

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The New Paper

Consumption of liquor in public places was restricted daily from 10.30pm to 7am from April 1 last year under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act (LCA).

Geylang and Little India were designated as Liquor Control Zones, with additional restrictions on consumption of liquor in public places from 7am on Saturdays to 7am on Mondays, and from 7pm on eves of public holidays to 7am the day after the public holiday.

However, there are different trading hour categories for establishments such as beer houses, liquor retail stores and eateries.

A police spokesman told My Paper yesterday that they have received “positive feedback from community partners and residents” that measures under the LCA have been “effective in maintaining public order and preventing disamenities in most neighbourhoods”.

However, the police added that they have also “received feedback on the congregation of alcohol drinkers at Tekka Food Centre on Sunday evenings”.

“The large congregations of drinkers within confined areas pose law and order risks. This will also impact other patrons who visit the centre for dinner,” said the spokesman.

The new restriction will affect 10 liquor licensees at Tekka Food Centre.

The spokesman acknowledged receiving “representations from some of the affected liquor licensees” while one official appeal has been lodged with the Liquor Appeal Board.

Read also: Debunking the myths of the Liquor Control Bill 

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