Editor's Note

FOR those of you who read our past issue, you must be wondering what this month’s hot-button issue is. Now that Taylor’s has officially acquired university status, there is more pressure for us to become better students; better Taylorians. Carrying the tagline of ‘wisdom’, ‘integrity’, and ‘excellence’, we as Taylor’s students should try to personify these building blocks in all our actions.

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Gone are the days when we used to have role models showing us a good deed or two. These are the days of model-wannabes strutting walkways and corridors.


“With great power comes great responsibility” was a wise quote from Uncle Ben in Spiderman. Looks like some Taylorians need a Spiderman replay to get the message webbed into their heads.

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I paint you a personal picture. It was a usual day at the computer room in the library and it was a few days after I had forgotten my thumb drive in the library and had it stolen.


A guy walked in with his friends and sat next to me. He was surprised to find a thumb drive at his computer, so his friend was curious and said with a smirk “What should we do with this?” Thee other raised his eyebrow slyly and replied, “Take it lah!”


I felt myself boil in anger as my eyes shot to the culprit in plain sight; the thumb drive thief. This type of people that have no shame or concern that other people’s lives might have been in this little stick. And to think that within seconds they could erase years’ amount of hard work, sweat and tears, just for some 2GB!


Being a first-hand victim of these thieves, I walked up and demanded the thumb drive from him and handed it over to the ‘Lost And Found’ department. How low can a person go to take other people’s possessions while living a lavishing comfortable life with everything they could possibly ask for? Moving on to the second picture.


Imagine walking into class finding soda cans and random junk food dispersed under the chairs and tables and you’re wondering whether some sort of party took place. The sad reality is that there was no party but a party of fools.


Why is it such a chore to clean up after yourself? First you’re given the exemption of bringing food into class, which nobody had the privilege of doing in high school. Then you get lazier and decide to just leave the litter where your buttocks are. What’s next? A memo for the maid saying: “Bon appetit”?


I was having a little chat with a restaurant employee as a fellow walked in and asked for a certain snack. ��e lady had told him that they were out of stock and his shocking reply was: “Ha! You don’t want my money? You’ll be losing business for sure,” and walked off.


I wonder who else will be losing business. Not Low Yat Plaza, that’s for sure.


While we were still in our kindergarten uniforms, we learnt how to smile and say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, but it seems it just got harder and harder as time passed by. The facial expressions some people have would make you think they’re reptilian.


Is it the hardest thing in the world to just show a little kindness and consideration to those who work all day at your service?


After working umpteen hours, just a little acknowledgement of their hard work would make their day and ignite a flame of willpower.


Stagnant water breeds mosquitoes. Irresponsible people breed more irresponsible people. Some of the reasons for this behavior can be traced back to upbringing, cultural background, education, and peer selection.


After all, most of us are best at imitating other people’s actions. We see our friends acting a certain way; we follow. We often do what we can to fit in the criteria our friends hold for us.m So, people in general tend to do what society welcomes and does.


When there is a general conception that leaving your leftovers on the restaurant table is a ‘normal’ thing, this act is multiplied and soon it becomes ‘normal’.


For those who have been overseas or even to neighboring Singapore, you’d find that the people are more advanced. It is more common to see people practicing clean habits, and littering is something next to extinction.


You should be the first Taylorian to pick up that empty Milo can at the end of the class and put it into the trash. Be the one, among your friends, to pick up your tray and not leave the leftovers.


Be the one, who, upon encountering an abandoned thumbdrive, returns it to the ‘Lost And Found’ department.


Be the best of who you can be. Responsibility still gets noticed and rewarded.

By: Mariam Abbas (26.10.10)