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Head Boy ’ s Column
Head Boy ’ s Column
by Isaac Leong
Rafflesian Times
12
# YORO
It was back in 2011 when my friend and I were at the 10th year gathering dinner of a batch of old Rafflesians . We were helping out with the sale of Raffles Merchandise when this man , looking slightly drunk , came up and told us to treasure our time at Raffles . It wasn ’ t surprising why he said that to us junior Rafflesians back then , since the occasion must have been full of fond distant memories for him , but it did make both of us think about the way we spent our time in school and whether we were making these moments count .
Looking back at this encounter , my friend conceived the term YORO ( You ’ re Only in Raffles Once ) to sum up his advice . We first shared this at our Student Leaders Camp last year when we talked about making the Rafflesian experience memorable for our peers and juniors . We came out with various plans — from encouraging CCAs to put emphasis on the process of training hard as a team , instead of only focusing on winning medals ; to initiatives , like the fortnightly TGIF events , that encourage students to take some time out of their busy school life to bond with their friends . These plans have been a success thanks to the hard work of many student leaders , but it is still up to us to create meaning and fulfillment from our Raffles experiences .
Perhaps , we are becoming increasingly indifferent to matters in school and caught up with our own world of work — it ’ s not uncommon after all to find those who see their GPA ( Grade Point Average ) as the only thing to work for in RI . But the Rafflesian experience is so much more than that , and it is up to the individual to decide the kind of memories and experiences to bring away after six years at Raffles .
My first three-and-a-half years have been special — not because of big achievements and events , but because of the great people and small things that have come to define my memory of Raffles . Whether it is supporting my classmates for inter-class soccer , or doing wild ( and sometimes insane ) things together with them , these experiences are what I look back fondly to . However , with the pressure of school work , I cannot be sure whether it ’ s the fun or
But the Rafflesian experience is so much more than that , and it is up to the individual to decide the kind of memories and experiences to bring away after six years at Raffles .