Dear All Singapore Stuff,

With regards to the recent furore over the exposure of sexualized orientation games at NUS, I would like to point out that it is not only happening at NUS. While other universities and polytechnics aren't as extreme yet, their orientation camps can easily go that way.

I have attached some photos of an orientation camp at NTU that happened a couple of years ago. The photos show a muscular guy wearing nothing but skimpy swimming briefs sitting down to a girl wearing a sports bra that shows her cleavage.


Even if there is a swimming component, why are there girls wearing bikinis and sports bras on the school campus? Can't they wear a modest swimsuit instead? Why is there so much focus on who is hot and who is not? Orientation is supposed to be about building bonds of friendship, not getting into a boy-girl relationship and ogling each other's body.

You may call us prudes but let me ask this question. Are the orientation camp organizers even aware that they are driving away conservative students from coming to orientation camps? Why is the school orientation organizer discriminating against conservatives? Furthermore, girls who do not have a hot body are discouraged from attending because they are self-conscious and do not feel comfortable being half-naked around their male peers.

It is also very insensitive because Muslim and Christian parents may not want their daughters to be skimpily dressed and engaging in promiscuous behaviour at an orientation camp. It is outrageous to have put so much effort into educating your daughter to grow into a woman of good character, only to end up with her studying at a 'good' school whose culture promotes slutty behaviour.

The undertone of the orientation camps at the universities is very sexual. The orientation camps are almost dating events. There's a lot of focus on sexual tension. People are told to write secret pal letters to someone of the opposite gender and there are activities that involve a guy and girl passing an object by mouth or taking bites out of the same food. There are half-naked guys carrying girls. Honestly, I won't be surprised if there are even shops selling condoms on campus!

I hope the Ministry of Education will work with the universities to abolish such promiscuous games at school orientation camps. There should be code of conduct and rules against immodest attire at orientation camps. Let the focus be on building friendships and accepting each other, regardless of whether one is sexy or not. Besides a good university education, it is also important to cultivate the right moral values in our young men and women, who are the future of Singapore.

Charissa

A.S.S. Contributor