Have you decided on what you want to be?

Career Talk by the Rotarians. 

Participating schools & Rotarians. 

When you're only a year away from being out of school, decisions need to be made and fast. The Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur took this steady task in their stride as they so generously organised a career talk for all form 5's for all schools under their care taking. It was held on the 23rd of March 2013 from 9.00 a.m. till 3.00 p.m. at SMK Aminuddin Baki. SJI had a great number of Interactors who took part and it could be roughly estimated that we had the biggest group present on that day. The talk was divided into slots for well established Rotarians who have accomplished much in their personal fields to give talks. Much of it focused on traditional jobs but towards the end we had an engaging talk on being practical when choosing unconventional jobs. The participants also had the opportunity to attend sessions that focused on a particular career after much of the talk had ended. They had Q & A between the Interactors and Rotarians. 

We took home a better perception on career selection and it proved to have been helpful. We thank SMK Aminnudin Baki and the Rotarians for taking the time to organize this. 

Being a part of Tan Sri L. Krishnan's 'Legacy of Kindness'

Proud to have helped!

For a man who's already inspired so many people with his movies, Tan Sri L. Krishnan goes a step further and touches the heart of the Last, the Lost and the Least which happens to be on of SJI's founding principles. And so during the 2012 year-end holidays, the annual tradition of hosting a Deepavali Open House by this distinguished gentleman took place once again in the Concourse of St. John's. The Interact Club stepped in as in every year  to lend a hand in the preparation and also to help manage the event. Even during the holidays, our Interactors still took the time off to provide service above self. We literally washed  concourse clean and arrange the chairs a day before the event. The open house received many visitors from orphanages and old folks homes. All the Interactors that chipped in felt grateful towards the opportunity in being able to help out as well as enjoyed much of the celebration just as those who attended it. We would like to thank Marcus Han (Former Interactor and Johannian) for making the necessary arrangements in which the event could not be held without and also express sincere gratitude to Tan Sri L. Krishnan for having faith in us especially in preparing for the event. The Festival of Lights clearly can bring a lot of joy!

Smiles of Joy!

A picture with Marcus, Tan Sri L. Krishnan and his wife. 

They could just be posing, who knows?

He has touched the hearts of many. 

One of the biggest events hosted by SJIIC and CBNIC!

The previous post was merely a teaser to maintain the suspense within the minds of our loyal readers. This time it's the real deal. So here it goes, as promised: 

Date: 27th of May 2013
Time: 3.00-6.00 p.m.
Venue: St. John's Institution Main Hall
Ticket Price: RM15. 

Both BOD's dancing to Suit and Tie

  

Principal of SJI addressing the audience

All smiles!

At exactly 2.30 p.m. registration was open and we received a brilliantly engaging crowd of over 750 attendees and they were very uplifting through their constant cheering for every performance staged. Each person received door gifts sponsored by IM4Youth, food vouchers by Mc Donalds Malaysia and were all greeted with Nestle Milo drinks upon registration. The event took off with speeches from the principals of both schools and was later officiated by Rotarian Alex Song Sua Long of the Royal Rotary Club Kuala Lumpur. As part of the Interact Club’s motto ‘Service above Self’ which is to commit and to serve selflessly to the community, we donated RM5000.00 from the proceeds collected to the National Council for the Blind, Malaysia. That being said, the Deputy Executive Director of NCBM, Mr. Moses Choo Siew Cheong who was present to enlighten everyone on how the blind lead their lives.  

Soon after the formal protocol ended, the IU Day was set ablaze with various performances that represented the 60’s and 70’s including a dance number by an up and coming Bboy group called Legit Tigers in which they performed to a mashup of songs from both decades. During the intermission, all attendees walked through an exhibition put up by the International College of Music. As we progressed deeper into the IU, more and more performances took to stage with many exemplifying different aspects of  music.

We had one of Malaysia’s top beatboxers, CO-EX perform in which he successfully played out every genre of music. Not to mention, former Johannian, a pianist Ray Mark who is famously known for his music covers on You-Tube dropped by to do a rendition of many songs from the 2000’s. Another notable performance came from former Showdown finalists, Walawei who joined forces with a dance crew from CBN, Ze Shockin’ to put up a mind-blowing performance filled with back flips and full of energy!

A  tribute  to Michael Jackson was also done when Johannian, Sheeran Raj, 17 did a very passionate dance to the song, Smooth Criminal. The event was topped with a little musical twist when the St. John’s Institution Naval Cadet Band put up an ecstatic display of tunes using bagpipes and percussions. The IU Day ended with a fashion show in which the Interactors dressed up as various legendary music icons including KISS and The Beatles.

As part of edifying the audience, we had our interactors do short presentations for every decade before the performances by highlighting the mega-impacts that came about in that particular decade from the music inspired then which included talking about what that particular decade of music focused on, the kind of genre’s that took off then and the music icons that remain till today.

The Joint International Understanding Day remains to be a great showing of co-operation between the two giant schools. It was a day where new friendships were formed and in which all attendees found greater meaning in one of the most integral pieces that influence our lives. We must thank all our sponsors for their generosity and in supporting us. The success of this event lays on the shoulders of many who believed in it from the beginning.

CBN Rubber Dolls!

We'll let you describe this one

Very impressed faces.

*Pictures by Ravin Shanmugarajan, for more pictures check out our FB Page : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Interact-Club-of-StJohns-Institution-KL/526291240746725

SJI & CBN Joint International Understanding Day 2013 : The Evolution of Music

It happens to be one of the biggest events hosted yearly by the Interact Club of SJI but this time round it was so big we had to combine forces with the Interact Club of CBN to pull off a Joint International Understanding Day themed the Evolution of Music. We had previously combined together in 2010 and after the success of that IU, it was no doubt that Bukit Nanas was going to feel another wave of ground-moving, sky-shaking, air-frizzling sheer of awesomeness.  And so this is how it all went:

2 months prior to the actual event, Pn. Pamela, teacher-advisor of the Interact Club of CBN took the lead and proposed to have both schools do a combined IU Day. Since then, both Interact Clubs were made to work hard with various challenges presenting itself in the most unexpected ways what more with exams going on full steam during that period of time. It took the best of time management skills from both sides. Meetings had to go on a weekly basis to ensure the smooth flow of everything, money had to be brought in, in the form of sponsorship and support of various bodies what more trust had to be gained.

2 weeks before the event, publicity was on a high with the FB Event page up, there was no stopping in the promotion of our Joint IU Day. The FB Page of ICSJI was filled with posts and promotional frenzy with tickets being  reserved like hot cakes. Our nerves were literally evolving as fast as the music of today's decade. We were expecting the worst but were preparing for the best!

Fast forward to 4 days till the actual IU Day and we saw both clubs actually turning up with fully armed teams ready to decorate the hall. We had the parents of the IU Director of CBN, Neryysa Azlan, who came forward with a mind-blowing idea of creating an evolution within an evolution. And so the hall was decorated beginning with the 60's from the main door of the hall right up to the stage where it was to be the 2000's. Clearly exhaustion was lurking in the corner of our minds but judging by the dedication and tears from both sides, it showed very explicitly that we had great perseverance and fighting spirit especially coming from our teacher advisors.

We had 3 rehearsal sessions that were used to gauge each performance and to ensure the whole event fell into it's time limit. During this period of time, everyone sort of developed a common bond with each other through the laughs and tears especially since most of the BOD meetings were really emotionless in a way.

And so the big day arrived!

But before that, the ICSJI would like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors and those brought in by the ICCBN for supporting us be it in monetary value or in other forms. We are very appreciative towards all your contributions. Secondly, we express our sincere gratitude to the Interact Club of CBN for being very patient with us from SJI and for putting up with all our expectations and finally to our most beloved and respected teachers who gave more then their guidance but poured their hearts into the success of the Joint IU Day. This is because of all of you who believed in us from the very beginning.

One more advertisement before we get to the real deal. The Evolution of Music was chosen firstly to take a break from focusing on countries in all our other IU Days. We wanted something different. And then music came about. Seeing how music serves to be a remedy and as a comforter of many of our emotions and thoughts, we felt it was best for us to take a quantum leap forward, to explore what lay behind this integral piece of our lives. Clearly with that inspiration we were set to have all the attendees get inspired just as well by showing how societies and cultures got influenced by music, how great icons came about and how global waves were erupted just by a song. We wanted to paint a bigger picture of music, hence an evolution.

To know what actually happened, check our next post out. This was a mere teaser.