FEATURE | LUMEN
7
The inevitable gender divide among the students of the Senior School was especially evident in the first week . On the first day , girls were huddled together at the front of the canteen , talking only amongst themselves .
This divide became less obvious as orientation week progressed . Team building activities , such as dragon boating , treasure hunt and amazing race helped to bring the new cohort of students closer and bridge the apparent gap between genders . An enthusiastic Nicole Gunawan , an SCGS alumnus , enjoyed the unique ' food games '.
" Basically , it involved playing typical orientation games with a twist ; we played captain ' s ball with a head of lettuce . At first , it felt weird getting covered in food but it was all part of the fun ! I don ' t think I ' d play these games again though ."
" It was really funny seeing the girls squeal as they got ketchup on their faces ,” recounted Sherwin Yong , laughing .
It definitely takes a bit of adjustment on our part , but that is to be expected because of the transition we all have had to make from a girls ’ school to a predominantly boys ’ school
Amanda Foo
So far , the consensus amongst the girls of SJI was that the school community is like a family . Many cited the strong school pride and school spirit as the outstanding characteristic of SJI .
“ It definitely takes a bit of adjustment on our part , but that is to be expected because of the transition we all have had to make from a girls ’ school to a predominantly boys ’ school ," said Amanda Foo , formerly of Crescent Girls ’ School .
Added fellow Crescentian Halyn Wynn , “ But it helps that the boys in SJI have been helping us to adjust and settle into our new school , making new friends has been the easiest and most fun part of studying here !”
David Lim , a fifth year student , said , “ Having girls in SJI has added a different perspective to the way we see things . I feel that I ’ ve learnt to be more sensitive ."
Four months into the school year , Nadiah feels more at ease in SJI .
" I ' m just thankful to be part of the Josephian family ".
Additional reporting by : Vishnu Menon , Shaun Sim , Timothy Hue , Matthew Wong and Sean Neubronner
Facing page : The JC 1 girls amidst the boys This page ( top ): The human wash This page ( centre ): Let ' s see who we can push off the chair ! This page ( bottom ): Getting to know you