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Having dabbled with the pre-Med combination of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Adam changed academic gears, figuring that mass communication made for a compelling choice of study. By then, he'd already had some experience in public relations under his belt, and, if memory serves him well, at 22, he had been more than ready for this new phase as student number 01804455. Last December, there was a feather in Adam's cap: A prestigious 2-month internship writing for supplements produced by the Special Projects Unit in The Straits Times, Singapore's flagship newspaper. There, he wrote for both Recruit [in the classifieds section] and Computer Times, a weekly supplement that comes with The Straits Times. Apart from the occasional contribution to the latter, when time permits, he does freelance writing for Eclipse Computing, a business software company. Clearly, while science intrigues, and career opportunities in the Life Sciences, particularly, are so tempting, Adam would pick writing almost any day. [top ^] Adeline dreams of the day when she can cruise between living in the plush urbanism of her New York City studio apartment and the serenity of her wooden beach house in the Bahamas. She doesn't understand when people say that in order to have it all, you have to be willing to give it all up. But she does understand that it's important for her to have dreams, big fat crazy ones, for without them, well, she'd sleep her life away. At this moment, sleeping is already 1 of her indulgences. Adeline aspires to write for Wallpaper. Survey the sections - interiors, architecture, fashion, entertaining, and travel - and you'll know her pet topics in a nutshell. Adeline, however, never dreamt before entering the Mass Communication course in Ngee Ann that she would end up as a writer. "So what do you want to be next time? A journalist?" someone would ask and Adeline would scrunch her face in mock agony, yelping "No way!" But as fate would have it, she realized how much she enjoyed the process of writing, and the rest as they say, is history. In writing this, the irony of life has just slapped her right in the face. Ouch. Adeline likes bombastic language. She enjoys reading prose that fires at her like bullets, and though she might not comprehend, she finds the use of electronic dictionaries immensely gratifying. She devours books about heroes and of valour, saints and murderers, books detailing good and of evil. She relishes reading about the extremes, the sacred and the vile, because she finds that most people are probably just stuck in the middle - read: ordinary. So even as she dreams about the infinite possibilities in life and seems to be stuck fantasising about medieval times, Adeline knows that the best time to live is now. And where she is now is an editor of UrbanWire. The skies are the limit. In the summer of May/June 2003, Adeline found herself interning at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, where she wrote for the campus paper and an online project chronicling various aspects of Brisbane for Singaporean students. She now writes and designs for the UrbanWire and is plotting her next travel venture to New York City. [top ^] Amy has tried countless times to pull her eyes away from the glaring monitors and her fingers from tapping the keyboards of computers everywhere she goes. Connected to the World Wide Web at the young and impressionable age of 11, it was a natural choice for Amy to have signed on with TheUrbanWire.com as a student designer - after all, who better to undertake the job than someone who has been dwelling in the cyber realms for nearly a decade? Be it playing online multi-player games, involving herself in discussions in various forums and chatting with people from all over the world, Amy is submerged in the world of the internet so much so that some of the strongest friendships she has formed are with various individuals from chat rooms, server games and forums. Because of this unnatural way of making friends, Amy was for some time reclusive and quiet, talking only to a select few. Since signing up for the Mass Communication course at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, however, she has learnt to speak up and at times can be incessantly talkative, shutting up only when… wait, she never shuts up. Amy also has a keen interest in Astronomy, which was cultivated since she was a baby through the never-ending loops of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", the only known lullaby to put her to sleep as a baby (or maybe that's the only song her tone-deaf parents can sing properly). This interest has placed her in a constant bind of irony. For a person who detests Mathematics, she does a pretty good job of calculating complex sums related to the stars and planets. She is also able to spew scientific and historical facts about the subject while discussing literature over a cup of coffee. Ask where a certain constellation can be found and Amy will be able to point it to you almost immediately and she can also single-handedly set up a telescope (a laborious task that usually takes 2 people to do). After all, who ever said that girls can't play with boys' toys? The fiercely independent Amy depends a lot on PYXIA, her IBM laptop which she bought for the purposes of her Year 3 work in general. As the semester progressed, however, Pyxia’s hard disk began to fill up with files and folders – all belonging to TheUrbanwire.com. Amy suspects that it is all an elaborate plan to keep her fixated to the screen and tapping on the keys of Pyxia. As you can now easily guess, Pyxia spends more time displaying the pages on TheUrbanwire.com than any other site as Amy happens to be the monthly uploader of the E-zine as well. Next to lecturer-in-charge Robin Yee, Amy spends the most time working on keeping TheUrbanWire.com in a "linked" condition – for your reading pleasure. [top ^] Carol Liu Jiawen considers it an absolute privilege to be appointed editor for a third time. Prior to this, she was editor for her newspaper project and sub-editor for her magazine project - both equally unexpected appointments - during her 2nd year in Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Mass Communication course. She feels that she has since gained the momentum, skills and passion to face the challenges of being in a team tasked to run UrbanWire.com and to master the techniques of good journalism. This 18-year-old former Methodist Girls' School student hopes to build both a beefy portfolio and enough credibility, while working on this e-zine, to graduate in style come July 2004. She aspires to eventually be a professional journalist. When not busy looking for or writing stories, you'd find Carol indulging herself in Egyptology, The Sims and looking after her 2 rabbits, 4 turtles, and 30 over fishes at home. [top ^] I love writing, hence my foray into online journalism. However, one thing I did not count on was the possibility of my tutor's constant intervention, prowling our forum at all hours, dispensing advice and anger via messages posted. And there I was thinking, "Hey, working online is cool, I don't have to face my tutor that often." Well, I was wrong. Darnedest darn. I forgot all about the 24/7 reach of the Internet. In any case, it still hasn't dampened my love for writing, or ability to perform under pressure. After all, I grew up in Singapore. A place where people seem to thrive under stress, and spend the wee hours of the morning seated in front of a computer doing work, just as my tutor, fellow editors and I are doing. And I do foresee many, many more nights of this occurrence, staring at my laptop and a full page (or more) of red edit marks. Totally demoralising, I must admit, after all the praise our team recently got for our journalism internship in one of Australia's best universities. But hey, how else do you expect me to learn effectively? I love it. (Well, it does help that my favourite colour happens to be red.) [top ^] Daniel is an ordinary guy, with an unremarkable name to match. He eats, sleeps, bathes, plays hard, tries to work as hard, and eats some more. There's completely nothing newsworthy or scandalous about Daniel, and he wonders which bored person is even taking the time to read this. But considering how you've gone this far, you may be interested to know that this ordinary guy is waiting for something extraordinary to happen. So if you are a government agent recruiting members for an elite covert organisation, some mad biochemist on the verge of a scientific breakthrough requiring human guinea pigs, or even a terrorist looking for suicide bombers, email him at danz_the1@yahoo.com. And he will contact you either to sign up or score a scoop for UrbanWire.com. [top ^] "Fantasies inspire me. I'm easily distracted, because I'm a dreamer. In my world, the skies are always blue, the rainbow never disappears, and all our dreams come true. That is also why I'm always quiet around my friends, because nothing beats a moment alone in a world so enticing. I'm constantly enthralled by the splendid and alluring kingdom I create," I once told a friend. "Then you should write! Do you? Write what you imagine. Or capture it somehow. Compose music, drawing, painting.... the whole palette of colours and their canvases.... then it becomes more than just a fleeting moment. It's not the exact replica, but it’s the gateway back to reminiscing that fantasy. The canvas you 'drew' on takes you back to the memory.... you mind goes the rest of the way," he replied. I’d love to paint my world; my ambition previously, was to be paid to dream. Sadly, I have no talent in art, unlike my father who can draw and paint, beautifully. I still wonder these days what it feels like to capture the moment.... in colours I can only think about. And so I write. It may not be the most beautiful way, but I write to express myself. I write to remember. I write, most of all, because I want to tell a story. I write here now – I am Esther, nobody extraordinary, just Esther, who’s very much still a little girl at heart, a dreamer at heart, and someday, hopefully, a writer too. But now I begin that dream, as an editor of Urbanwire. [top ^] From the time Robin Yee realised that he would never be a Broadway headliner or a $300-an-hour shrink, he's inflicted his idiosyncratically tortured prose on readers of national newspaper The Straits Times, best-selling English entertainment magazine 8 Days, and global financial wire services, Bridge News. Since 1997, the professional rolling stone turned his energies to torturing journalism students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and building and an even more varied freelance portfolio of translation, copywriting and online consultancy work. His therapist calls this progress. [top ^] Ronald is a self-confessed himbo (hey, he has the looks!) with an ego even the Queen of England cannot rival. Not trusting the job of his self-portrait to any old hack, the narcissist summons himself to get up close and personal with himself (holy molly!) in order to reveal more about his wonderful personality. In other words, the aspiring and egotistical actor is getting into character. Tell us something we don't know about you Talk about getting into character. Seriously,
tell us more about you. Stop. You are watching too much of The Matrix. Hey, be serious, will you? But… Oh, thank you. It's in the genes. Get out. Please! We have an interview! I already asked. Tell me something about you! That's it. You're forcing me to tell the whole
world that you're… Okay, I think that's enough for readers. Thank you for your time… Oh, nothing, just wanted to say you're…cute. Ronald is now happily settled with his Finding Nemo pet toys and he freelances for LIME and STYLE magazines occasionally. He used to be a wonderful intern (no taping controversies or scandals at the oval office) at 8 DAYS. He is also a radio presenter on his campus radio station, Radio Heatwave, and was a host on his campus television station, CTV. He wants to be a Broadway actor (and Hollywood waiter) in future. [top ^] Written by Melody Tan Amanda is a smart, dependable, adorable friend who's funny as hell. If we were all living in a romantic comedy, she'd be the leading lady with common sense who eventually gets snapped up by an appreciative Prince Charming. If we were in a horror flick, Amanda would outlive everyone else, because she's tougher and more resourceful than blonde Buffy. If we were in a action movie, Amanda would be more of a Jackie Chan and less of a Jean Claude Van Damme. If we were in Lord of the Rings, Amanda would impress all the hobbits by whacking a few Orcs with her own sword, while wearing a Elvish gown. If we were in a Disney cartoon, Amanda would be the sassy heroine with a goofy animal sidekick. If we were in a period romance, Amanda would be a Jane Austen girl with a twinkle in her eye. If we were in a blockbuster weepie, Amanda would cry and then take out some chocolate to make everyone feel better. If we were in a porno film… let's not go there. (Amanda would probably be the one calling the police.) As you can tell, Amanda likes the movies. She's
got an immense pop culture vocabulary and a soft spot for modern-day
romance novels. If I had to put everything I think about Amanda in 2
words, they'll be this: Amanda rocks! Cheryl is one nutcase who sometimes talks to herself.
Educated while donning a white blouse and blue pinafore (read: convent girl), she once aspired to be a nun but was soon deemed too sinful to be one. No doubt, she indulges in sins like consuming huge amounts of brown muddy stuff of epic proportions. Before you get any ideas, her sin is just plain ‘ol chocolate. It never fails to get her on an endorphin high. Cheryl loves to bake and will gamely accept your order of a brownie cake or even cookies any day. After retirement, it is her dream to open a bakery. Not one to give up so easily, she is one helluva dreamer who sometimes just thinks too much. This lady here is just an earnest soul waiting for her big break in the journalistic world. Others may consider her insane but she thinks otherwise. To her, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is hers and hers alone. Never one to throw in the towel when the going gets tough, Cheryl hopes to be a commendable journalist. Her dedication to writing has been evident since she was a kid, writing her own naïve short stories. Despite knowing the tremendous amount of stress a journalist or a Mass Communication student would get, she gets a kick out of that adrenaline rush. Always on the ‘Never Say Die’ mode, she is one tough cookie. An independent woman who hates to be treated like a lady, she is gung-ho about poetry and reads almost anything under the sun. Having fallen in love with London, this blithe spirit plans to root herself there and perhaps live in her own cottage with roses in the garden, and oh, not forgetting an apple tree. Throw in an image of her sitting on the wicker chair sipping English Breakfast Tea in fine delicate china. A sucker for good food, she reminisces about her days in Brisbane where she was doing an internship at the University of Queensland. Brisbane, to her, is truly a food paradise. The sunshine state impressed her so much that she is now a walking endorsement for what is better known as ‘down under’. [top ^] Still wondering why she is in a journalism class; yet Dawn is already in a love-hate relationship with UrbanWire. To her, going online seems like the best medium to reach a wide range of readers. It also allows writers to be creative and flexible in presenting stories to readers. In an e-zine, a story is not restricted to be told using only words but also with images or sounds or even both. (Ahh yes, now she is starting to recall why she joined U.W.) Well, although she has got red markings on her articles multiple times, she is still in a learning process and working hard to cultivate her love for journalism. She has a passion for design and likes to think she has the creativity for anything from advertising to T-shirt designing. Quiet she may be, but trying to draw her out more might be a mistake for some. For from a whispering soul, she is capable of transforming to an egotistic brat. Always raving about getting into extreme sports and trying daredevil stunts, she is someone you’ll LOVE to sa-bo [sabotage] in programmes like Who Dares Win and Fear Factor. Useful fact - Throw her a bar of chocolate anytime and you’ve succeeded in bribing her. On the 9th day of February in 1982, disaster struck the world. This day, the world witnessed the unveiling of a being so crappy, so corny that cornflakes would only be called flakes in comparison. He is known as Mervyn. Fast forward to 21 years later, Mervyn has developed a liking for laughing at himself, laughing at others and laughing at others who like to laugh at him. The other thing you might like to know is that, Mervyn loves television production. He’s worked as a production assistant in national broadcaster MediaCorp. He loves to watch all sorts of comedies (his source of corniness) and he loves to play music. A bassist for local band Moren Tea Estate, he is often seen as the crazy one on stage. However, somewhere in the 21 years of nonsense, Mervyn has found a place for seriousness. A seriousness for God. Mervyn loves his God, serves actively in church, and hopes to be a missionary one day. He has also written for the church magazine. Mervyn would like to state that he still loves laughing, and is laughing to himself as he is writing this. My favourite animal is a pig. And pigs are supposed to be lazy and dirty. Although I’m proud to say I’m not dirty, I’m also unashamed to admit that I can be quite lazy. Of course, when I have assignments to complete, I’ll try to give my all. But if there’s nothing to do, that’s when I turn into a hard-core slob. Online journalism is really a test of my determination and a gauge for me on performing under pressure. If I can produce something fairly acceptable in the end, then I’ll consider myself to have succeeded. So far, it’s been busy, busy, busy all the way, but the satisfaction of seeing the articles being posted online is something that I’ll never trade off for. Guess what? For a slob like me, I aspire to be a news anchor one day. TV journalism is what I hunger for but why online journalism then? It’s because I feel that I should start from the beginning, and learn how to write well. When I’ve mastered my writing, only then can I be qualified to read it out. What’s the use of reading when I don’t know what I’m reading and how it was arrived at? Anyway, there’s so much more for me to learn and I’ll continue to do so. Even when I leave this team, I’ll never forget the experiences I had in UrbanWire, good or bad. [top ^] Appearing no taller or longer than her name, Roxanne is affectionately known to many in and out school as “rox” or “roxie”. Permanently infected with pox (at least to her),
rox appears to be on a caffeine-high 24/7 and does not regain sanity
till bedtime. In school, she can be spotted hopping from one place to another or simply enjoying the company of her dear friends. When it comes to work, rox is annoyingly slow but
a strong cup of coffee is an instant remedy. When time permits, she looks forward to shopping
sprees, diving in Malaysia, a tennis game, or sitting down at Starbucks
with a cup of hot latte and a good read. rox will be interning at the Inter-Press Services a wire agency based in Bangkok from November to December this year. She is not only grateful for this overseas attachment to help her explore the journalism industry, but also ecstatic that she can then embark on endless shopping sprees in Chatuchak Weekend Market. On her coming birthday [Oct 5] this chilli padi [small but fiery chilli] will be making a wish for better parking skills.
Glo·ri·a (glôr-, glr-) : Glory in Latin. So if you need to know more, email her. But don't hold your breath for a reply. And the reason should be quite obvious...! enjoy reading UrbanWire! [top ^] |
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