Black Holes and Revelations Subheader
Rafflesian Identity
The popular and persistent notion of Rafflesian elitism, reinforced in the public consciousness by episodes like one Rafflesian calling someone‘ one of many wretched, undermotivated, overassuming leeches’ and telling him to‘ get out of( her) elite, uncaring face’ in a public forum, has dogged Rafflesians for many years. While we are confident that Rafflesians strive to act with humility in their daily lives, we also have to acknowledge that Raffles is a bubble, and there is probably a cultural disconnect we have to overcome, especially for students who spend six years in the Raffles schools.
Confessions to voice their concerns about the increasing corporatisation of RI, especially with regards to how the school markets itself to others.
A common complaint shared by quite a number of confessions is that Raffles breeds a toxic, elitist attitude. Bluntly worded confessions such as:‘ To the guy / girl who posted“ I find the single digit acceptance rate among Rafflesians for Harvard, Yale and Princeton depressing”, as a Rafflesian from JAE, I find this so sickening because it just shows how ignorant kids who have been living in the elite society since young are of the world out there’ have sparked meaningful online discussion on the prevalence of elitist mindsets in RI.
While it certainly must be noted that a vast majority of Rafflesians are actively aware of the advantaged school environment they enjoy, it is very thought-provoking to observe the subconscious biases and assumptions which some Rafflesians hold being revealed online. As a storied institution with a strong history of excellence and a campus populated by many of the top students in the nation, it comes as little surprise that the constructed reality perceived by some Rafflesians is not always congruent with the actual situation on the ground. In an environment with a staggeringly high college admission rate and where stellar GCE A-Level Examination results are produced each year, it is admittedly easy to view the rest of Singapore through such a privileged, tinted lens.
Rafflesian Times
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