Gill Sans MT
Higher Learning
Higher Learning
Increasing Stress in SMU Students
We interview University Counsellor Timothy Hsi to find out why
MICHAEL NG WAI TING
Q: Is it true that student stress levels
in SMU are on the rise?
A: There have been various reports that
students are complaining that school
life has been very tough for them. Local
exchange students from NUS and
NTU have also expressed that SMU
student life is much tougher than they
are used to.
There are more cases of students with
stress issues, insomnia and depression.
This might lead to secondary issues like
break down in relationships, mental issues,
or in some cases suicidal tendencies.
In fact in this term alone, there have been
62% more students going for counseling
assistance than the whole of the previous
academic year.
“ There have been 62%
more students
going for counseling
assistance than the
whole of the previous
”
academic year
Q: Could you explain the rise in
counseling assistance?
A: It is still not known what is the true
cause to this increase. There could be a
rise in the students requiring aid, or that
students have become more open to the
concept of seeking counseling help, or
even a combination of both. As of now, it
Page 16 • Issue 4 • The Blue and Gold
is difficult to isolate one from the other.
Students could also be facing issues
that do not originate from school.
After all, most students in SMU are
at the age where they undergo various
psychological and emotional changes.
Q: Has there been any
research done to determine
the underlying issues in SMU?
A: As of now no research has been
conducted to determine the causes.
However, it is observed that students in
business-oriented schools (like SMU)
seem to be relatively more driven than
students from other schools. Business
Georgia
students on average are more highly
PHOTO: PEER HELPERs
strung; they work very hard and face
immense pressures. This trend has been
observed in other business schools like
Harvard or Wharton. It has been observed
that these students are much more self-
driven and carry a different mindset from
the rest of the students in other schools.
As of now, the only information available
to us is through students sharing their
own anecdotal experiences. In SMU,
there is a need to carry out a proper
research to find out the underlying causes.
And only then, the university is able to
respond with right information and data.
Q: SMU has a Wellness Center. What
role does it play in all this?
A: The Wellness Center is like a “7 Eleven”
for students who need a break, face
emotional or psychological issues. The
wellness center is manned by the SMU Peer
Helpers who assist their fellow students
through talk therapy. We want students to
feel at ease and be more open talking to the
peer helpers about their issues. Our peer
helpers on the other hand, will provide a
good listening ear and provide support
when it is needed. In fact, we encourage
Resilience, Love Yourself and Just Relax.
Each
weeks
event
this
occurred
term,
every
promoting
different theme each time round.
two
a
Our events had helped to create awareness
within the student body, and we have been
seeing more students going to the SMU
Wellness Center.
Q: What plans do the SMU Peer
Helpers have for the next term?
A: Watch out for the emailers and booths
this coming term! I’m sure the Peer
Helpers will be at their best organizing
events which raises our awareness to
positive mental health.
“
There have been 62%
more students
going for counseling
assistance than the
whole of the previous
”
academic year
students to even talk to anyone - friends,
peer helpers, or even staff. We certainly do
not want students to bottle it up and keep
it to themselves.
Q: So what have the SMU Peer
Helpers been up to for the past term?
A: In previous years, our focus was mainly
on raising awareness using the concept of
Total Wellness. However, the focus this
term was on raising awareness of mental
health –titled “Treasuring Your Mind”.
Six events were organized - Making
Friends, Be Active, -Be Happy, Building
The Blue and Gold • Issue 4 • Page 17
 Gill Sans Pro Neu Helvetica

Worldscope

Worldscope J. Walter Thompson - Job haven?

Student shares his internship experience at a leading advertising agency
Good Tidings for the New Year NIVEDITA VENKATEISH

To work out of necessity is

JWT had its share of “Wacky Ad people”
who skulked around all day fiddling on
their computers, only to yield the most
The current financial crisis has been described as the mother of all crises in the modern world. Will commonplace. To work for impressive ad campaigns on dead line
day. There were others, however, who
passion is rare. Neo Sans
2009 herald new hope? chose to sit at tables and brainstorm over

“
The workings of a fiscal injection can be broken
The promise of the layman down as such – National income of a country
being able to breathe easy is put as C + G + I + (X-M). The government’s
may not take place that injection signifies an increase in G and thus,
an overall increase in NI. The increase is aimed
quickly if the banks at spurring increase in national output, which
are slow to react to the affects employment and inflation. A very simple
This is the mantra that almost all
employees at J. Walter Thompson (JWT)
emulate and is something I came to value
most in my 8 week long internship at the
second largest ad firm in the world.
Being a novice to both advertising as well
endless cups of coffee. My fellow interns
and I chose a novice way of going up
to the Recreational Room and thinking
over some Pool.
No matter what your strategy, it was
the end result that mattered and in that
aspect, JWT showed no compromise. Any ad

ESTHER YEO SHU XIAN
The old saying used to go, “There is a silver lining
in every cloud.” For many, it seems like silver
lining disappeared along with the collapse of the
financial industry, which was marked in a huge
way with the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
While it is true that the financial industry was
long in crisis before Lehman Brothers was denied
the lifeline from the Fed, the layman (no pun
intended) felt its impact sharply when a trusted
bank of years suddenly went down and overnight,
the various investments they had with the bank
were rendered worthless. The well-reported anger
of the masses in Asia was only one example of
more to come.
With the election of Barack Obama as the 44th
President of the United States, people are holding
”
government’s proposal.
their breath and waiting to see if the things will
dramatically change when he takes office on 20th
January. Will this coming New Year be a Happy
New Year?
Merry Christmas Came Early
If you have been listening to the wise words of
your parents and the government to save as much
as you can, your Christmas would have been
packed with bargain steals, from the stock market
that is. Citigroup, America’s largest and most well
linked bank in the country and the world, saw its
share price tumble to around US$3 a share. As a
well-known columnist put, with $5, you could buy
one share and still have leftovers for something at
McDonald’s. Friends have been kicking themselves
for not getting the shares, which have since risen
to more than twice the $3. (Then again, it does
not take much to get a share price above $3, right?)
For those who do not have the capital to play the
example can be seen where in times of recession,
a lot of public buildings and facilities suddenly
seem to spring out.
The promise that the various packages bring
vary. The US package aims to restore confidence
to the financial industry and give a little
breathing space for consumers who are mired
in debt. The Chinese one leans to building
more infrastructures, which hopefully can
bring up the standard of living in China.
The layman however may find the promises vague.
It is well-known that fiscal stimulus are bogged
by time lags, which means that the promise of the
layman being able to breathe easy may not take
place that quickly if the banks are slow to react to
the government’s proposal. More infrastructures
such as roads being built may not mean anything
for the man who worries about losing his job at the
factory. It seems that the tidings brought may not
be that good after all.
as interning (this was my first year), JWT
seemed like a daunting place to take baby
steps. In retrospect this fear seems both
unwarranted yet simultaneously very
accurate.
The uniqueness of JWT lies in the
ambience, the people and the climate they
create. If you are looking for a straight
white collared job from 9 to 5 JWT isn’t the
place for you. I came dressed in formals
only to be told every day was Casual
Fridays. The glass building on the outside
certainly misled the amalgamation of
music blaring from every side of the office,
with Led Zep posters vying for attention
with Britney. With high execs sitting cross-
legged on mats in the middle of the office,
it certainly was a far cry from the average
corporate office.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of JWT
would be their work mantra. As a creative
strategy you came up with needed at least
10 alternatives. It should be “different” yet
“thought provoking”.
JWT has a name in the business and they
are unwilling to compromise on it for
anyone or anything. Even as a novice, I was
made to stay till 10pm in order to complete
assignments that my boss thought needed
improvement. Brain Freeze was no longer
a word in my vocab, instead it was replaced
by Work Harder. However working hard
sadly was not a definite quantifier to
results. Often time’s ads which had gone
through rounds of fine tuning went to
the recycle bin thanks to a client’s taste.
This resulted in wiping the slate clean
and starting afresh time and time again,
something that could be very frustrating.
In conclusion, it may have only been a
couple of months of my life at an agency.
But it did serve as an experience of

“
market, there is always the Christmas shopping
to do. With sluggish sales forecasted for the year,
The promise of the layman retailers in Singapore and everywhere else are
being able to breathe easy desperate to get rid of their stock with mega sales
announced. The 100 metre queue at the cashier’s
may not take place that at the Club 21 sale is but a testament to this.
quickly if the banks
Good Tidings We (the government) Bring
are slow to react to the
Wishes for a Happy New Year
The turmoil in the financial industry may have
impacted the lives of many, but the cheering of
a new year should still go on. After all, the day
seems the darkest just before the dawn as cheesy as
it sounds, but it might possibly be that the dawn
of the new year is just what the dark year of 2008
agency, they give every one a shot at
coming up with new ad campaigns. Even if
you start off as a novice, you are given the
opportunity to come and follow up with an
ad. And based on the work you produce,
more and more ads are offered to you.
Hierarchy takes second place to creative
genius and this was something that struck
a lifetime. To work with passion and
dedication on a moderate salary, may not
be the life for most. But for those who love
their work, and I have seen many of those,
JWT certainly is a rewarding place.

”
The news reports have been chocked with reports
government’s proposal. on various governments employing drastic fiscal
measures to stimulate the economy, with the
various injections amounting to billions of dollars.
needs. me as both unique and admirable.
Happy New Year everyone. Coming up with these creative ideas
however depended on numerous factors.

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