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
37