Assorted Rants 2
Saturday, April 25, 2009 9:56 PM
School
NOTE: The objectives I state are purely deduction. And they're probably correct, too.
For this rant I'm assuming we're talking about the current school windbreaker, and as I understand it, this rule still applies even though the new one isn't on sale yet.
Also, by jackets, I mean the zip-up type, not the pullovers or sweaters which don't have zips.
No outside jackets rule
Objective(s) of rule
1. To prevent students looking too outrageous
2. Give students a sense of uniformity
Can you think of any others? Because I don't see much point to this rule, really.
Personal recommendation
Allow all brands of jackets as long as they are dark-coloured or white and only have brand logos - in these colours - on them (i.e. no fanciful graphic designs). Personally I would love if they allowed all colours, however I understand if the school wants us to look toned-down and not have too much competition in terms of being fashionable in schools.
Shooting them down one by one
1. To prevent students looking too outrageous.
1. Allow the suggested above - Because why not? What's there to lose?
a) Why not? It's not outrageous. It's not bad. It's certainly not image damaging.
You heard what I said, no graphical designs except for anything with brand logos. For example, a black jacket with an Adidas logo on the right side of the chest and three white stripes down the sides. Why can't this kind of jacket be allowed? It doesn't attract unwanted attention (unwanted meaning from perverts and such). It doesn't make the school look bad (if you think it does, tell me why). It may make you look rich if you wear some really upmarket brand, but that's about it.
b) Not good enough at keeping you warm.
We all know what windbreakers are meant for, and they're thin outer coats designed to resist wind chill and light rain. So if you feel really cold in an air-conditioned room, windbreakers aren't going to warm you up as well as your comfy (banned) jacket at home will. Or what if you're stuck in heavy rain? Windbreakers aren't going to help, my friend. In other words, you're banned from keeping yourself warm enough to be comfortable.
So you argue we aren't in extreme cold situations all the time; that doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared. Because they happen, especially during the monsoon season.
c) Why shed money for something else?
I'll bet some people (if not most) already had jackets of their own back home before coming to Crescent. These are probably cotton or waterproof jackets with nice, proper insulation. And because these probably keep you warmer than windbreakers will, why shed money for something that is less effective? You are effectively buying a second piece of outerwear that does the job no better (or even worse) than what you originally had. This is frustrating especially if your parents are really stingy like mine.
2. To give students a sense of uniformity.
2. Uniformity shnuniformity.
a) Not so sure about this objective, but if it's true, then I'd like to give my opinion here because I cannot state any facts. This is plainly my view from here on in. To me, wearing a school uniform doesn't mean alot. As I see it, it's just a form of identification; to tell that I come from, that I belong to, that I am property of Crescent.
It does not make me feel that I belong in Crescent, no, not my uniform; it is my friends and my classmates that do.
I may not wear the same thing my mother does everyday, or my brothers, but I feel that my family is mine, and I belong in it. I believe that what a person wears does not matter when you're talking about feeling like you belong; or at least it is only a small part of the feeling. It is how people treat you, and how you treat them that make you feel warm, feel at home, or comfortable in your surroundings.
I don't need the whole Singapore population to wear the same T-Shirt to make me to feel patriotic; to make me feel that I belong, make me feel that I am Singaporean. It's more of a feeling, a sensation. It's not what I see, not what I wear, not material things that influence how I feel about my country.
What if you migrated? What if in a country everyone wore togas, and after a day you decided to get one so as not to stand out? You may have blended in, but what if they were cold toward you, they thought you were arrogant, selfish? What if they avoided you all the time? Would you feel like you belonged,despite being in a toga?
You can agree, and you can disagree, ultimately there's no 100% objective view, so feel free to oppose me, and tell me why.
Coming up next...
Shoe colour rule
Objective(s) of rule
Saturday, April 25, 2009 9:56 PM
School
NOTE: The objectives I state are purely deduction. And they're probably correct, too.
For this rant I'm assuming we're talking about the current school windbreaker, and as I understand it, this rule still applies even though the new one isn't on sale yet.
Also, by jackets, I mean the zip-up type, not the pullovers or sweaters which don't have zips.
No outside jackets rule
Objective(s) of rule
1. To prevent students looking too outrageous
2. Give students a sense of uniformity
Can you think of any others? Because I don't see much point to this rule, really.
Personal recommendation
Allow all brands of jackets as long as they are dark-coloured or white and only have brand logos - in these colours - on them (i.e. no fanciful graphic designs). Personally I would love if they allowed all colours, however I understand if the school wants us to look toned-down and not have too much competition in terms of being fashionable in schools.
Shooting them down one by one
1. To prevent students looking too outrageous.
1. Allow the suggested above - Because why not? What's there to lose?
a) Why not? It's not outrageous. It's not bad. It's certainly not image damaging.
You heard what I said, no graphical designs except for anything with brand logos. For example, a black jacket with an Adidas logo on the right side of the chest and three white stripes down the sides. Why can't this kind of jacket be allowed? It doesn't attract unwanted attention (unwanted meaning from perverts and such). It doesn't make the school look bad (if you think it does, tell me why). It may make you look rich if you wear some really upmarket brand, but that's about it.
b) Not good enough at keeping you warm.
We all know what windbreakers are meant for, and they're thin outer coats designed to resist wind chill and light rain. So if you feel really cold in an air-conditioned room, windbreakers aren't going to warm you up as well as your comfy (banned) jacket at home will. Or what if you're stuck in heavy rain? Windbreakers aren't going to help, my friend. In other words, you're banned from keeping yourself warm enough to be comfortable.
So you argue we aren't in extreme cold situations all the time; that doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared. Because they happen, especially during the monsoon season.
c) Why shed money for something else?
I'll bet some people (if not most) already had jackets of their own back home before coming to Crescent. These are probably cotton or waterproof jackets with nice, proper insulation. And because these probably keep you warmer than windbreakers will, why shed money for something that is less effective? You are effectively buying a second piece of outerwear that does the job no better (or even worse) than what you originally had. This is frustrating especially if your parents are really stingy like mine.
2. To give students a sense of uniformity.
2. Uniformity shnuniformity.
a) Not so sure about this objective, but if it's true, then I'd like to give my opinion here because I cannot state any facts. This is plainly my view from here on in. To me, wearing a school uniform doesn't mean alot. As I see it, it's just a form of identification; to tell that I come from, that I belong to, that I am property of Crescent.
It does not make me feel that I belong in Crescent, no, not my uniform; it is my friends and my classmates that do.
I may not wear the same thing my mother does everyday, or my brothers, but I feel that my family is mine, and I belong in it. I believe that what a person wears does not matter when you're talking about feeling like you belong; or at least it is only a small part of the feeling. It is how people treat you, and how you treat them that make you feel warm, feel at home, or comfortable in your surroundings.
I don't need the whole Singapore population to wear the same T-Shirt to make me to feel patriotic; to make me feel that I belong, make me feel that I am Singaporean. It's more of a feeling, a sensation. It's not what I see, not what I wear, not material things that influence how I feel about my country.
What if you migrated? What if in a country everyone wore togas, and after a day you decided to get one so as not to stand out? You may have blended in, but what if they were cold toward you, they thought you were arrogant, selfish? What if they avoided you all the time? Would you feel like you belonged,despite being in a toga?
You can agree, and you can disagree, ultimately there's no 100% objective view, so feel free to oppose me, and tell me why.
Coming up next...
Shoe colour rule
Objective(s) of rule