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STUDENT publications are great outlets for aspiring writers. However, there is a difference between writing for pleasure and writing for an undergraduate community. A good campus publication must speak to and for the student population.
It should be attuned to undergraduate concerns, discern issues relevant to its readers, and stimulate discussions about student affairs. The Ridge is the most widely circulated publication at NUS but is not something I would follow regularly.
My gripe is with its lack of coherence. Important student issues are sandwiched between a smorgasbord of lifestyle and general interest pieces. Almost anything goes and this dilutes its relevance to me.
Can The Ridge claim to be an authoritative voice for the student population? Frankly, I think not. And I am still waiting for a publication bold enough to claim that mantle. When that happens, I will definitely sit up, pay attention and read.
Jeanne Tai, 22, is an honours student in history at the National University of Singapore.
Don't ignore controversial issues
WHEN I was in National Junior College (NJC), my quarterly college publication, Grayvine, served as a good source of information for college events.
Yet, when news surfaced on online portal Stomp last month about some NJC students using loose language to describe peers from another top school, Grayvine chose to give it a miss. I suppose this was because Grayvine traditionally considers only 'official' school events within its purview, whereas that incident was viewed as gossip material.
I am sure my fellow college mates have a lot to say on this episode, be it clarifying the facts or drawing lessons from it for our juniors. But since they were denied that avenue by our publication, many students moved online to platforms like Stomp to air their views, thereby blowing the matter out of proportion.
I feel this issue could have been resolved more amicably had Grayvine channelled their opinions. I hope Grayvine will be more reflective of students' sentiments in future, and cover even relevant controversial events.
Nicholas Lim, 20, has a place to read business at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
Helping me to keep in touch
EVERY three weeks on Mondays, I stand by newsstands in school to await the arrival of my campus newspaper, The Nanyang Chronicle, fresh off the presses.
Some criticise the publication for dated story ideas and unexciting news angles. But for a student-initiated publication with no budget to speak of, I give it some credit for the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. I know this because I was part of the production team from November 2007 to April last year.
Every issue gives me a sense of what my peers have been up to, whether they were rubbing shoulders with the prime minister or trying out a tom yum cocktail at Odeon Towers. I get a good idea of what the average student is thinking without actually having to know them.
Thumbing through it also validates my personal grouses about school. Writers' columns reassure me that I'm not overreacting to particular issues that non-NTU students cannot empathise with.
Who else is in a better position to complain about shuttle bus services and canteen food than fellow school mates?
Estelle Low, 22, is a final-year journalism student at NTU.
Think hard about business model
I WAS editor of my campus magazine, Blurt!, from March 2007 to March last year, and am an avid reader of student publications.
What vexes me is the lack of investigative journalism by passionate writers who feel for the issues that concern students and are willing to push the boundaries.
What renders our situation more difficult is the smaller pool of journalistic talent in a predominantly business school like SMU, and constant competition with other student clubs for talent. We do not give out CCA points for their efforts too.
What I suggest is a business model to pay them for contributions and reward their risk-taking. This means earning revenue from advertisers and sponsors, and moving away from school funding.
To deliver on the stories that matter, student publications have to think hard about their business models.
Kenny Tan, 23, is a final-year economics student at the Singapore Management University (SMU).
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
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