The Anniversary Special: 20 Years Of Chronicle

Lester Chiew
Chief Editor, 2004
Technology Risk Manager, GE Capital

What were some of the biggest stories The Chronicle covered during your time?

Somehow the one I remember best is when we reported that McDonald’s was coming to NTU. Present-day students probably would not know this, but before the Golden Arches came to NTU in 2004, we had to get our fries fix from a very popular Western food stall in Canteen A.

What was it like working for The Chronicle at that time? Any memorable moments?

My time at The Chronicle was by far the most memorable time of my university life. Looking out for stories, interacting with both students and faculty, editing and re-editing stories, laying pages, countless overnight stays in the freezing Chronicle Room during production week — all these remain fresh in my mind and close to my heart.

Estelle Low (left), Miaw Aw Hui Min (Right)
Lifestyle Editors, 2008
Estelle – Fitness and Food Writer, Shape Magazine | Miak – International Policy Officer, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

What were some of the biggest stories The Chronicle covered during your time?

The first story that comes to our mind was the issue where we got five male undergraduates from different faculties to undergo a makeover, with a budget of $200 and a time constraint of two hours to shop and dress up at Far East Plaza. That took a lot of planning and logistics but it was well worth it to see grungy-looking NTU lads being transformed into drool-worthy hunks — at least on paper.

What was it like working for The Chronicle at that time? Any memorable moments?

Truth be told, it was hardship going through a three-week production cycle non-stop for close to one and a half semesters and having to balance it with other pressing commitments. However in retrospect, the days spent in The Chronicle were sweet and unforgettable.

There’s never a tinge of regret from us for being part of the awesome Chronicle team. So whenever we reminisce about our Chronicle days, the very first memory that would inadvertently pop up would be the unique smell of the Chronicle room, the image of dishevelled looks and the feeling of brains being turned to mush after spending consecutive nights rushing out articles.

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Shereen Naaz Charles Syariff
Chief Editor, 2009
English Literature and English Language Teacher, Blogger at The Alternative Food Blog

What were some of the biggest stories The Chronicle covered during your time?

During my time in Chronicle, the biggest stories covered included the introduction of the new Provost Bertil Andersson, the 2010 Ministerial Forum as well as David Widjaja’s death.

What was it like working for The Chronicle at that time? Any memorable moments?

 Chronicle was the highlight of my university life. I still maintain that my best years of university were spent in the lab at WKWSCI. I was a literature undergraduate working in a room full of communication students, and I often felt that I had to work doubly hard in order to earn my position on the team. From the pitching of story ideas to the actual production night, I don’t think anyone truly knows how much goes on behind the scenes. There were long hours involved in the production of the paper, sleepless nights, and as an editor, a lot of reworking stories and rushing to beat the printing deadlines.

However, as with every production night, I think what I always looked forward to was meeting with the team, enjoying meals together and making late night orders for pizza to keep us going through the night.

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Agung Santoso Ongko
Chief Editor, 2010
Communications and Public Affairs intern, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat

What were some of the biggest stories The Chronicle covered during your time?

We published a story about the historic General Election in 2011, arguably the hottest electoral battle in Singapore’s recent history. It was a great opportunity for us because an NIE lecturer and a final-year NTU student ended up actually running to become MPs, and quite a number of other students were involved in either reporting on the election or supporting the campaigns.

Another story was the Japan earthquake, and the efforts of various members of the NTU community to lend a helping hand. I remember that a few NTU students were in Japan during the incident, and felt the tremors first hand. One of them shared his experience and even a few photographs of the chaos and confusion with us.

What was it like working for The Chronicle at that time? Any memorable moments?

Working for The Chronicle then was intense, and I don’t think it could ever be anything less. We really pushed our limits every time; I remember staying awake for about 32 hours straight to make sure that every single page was in order before sending it over to the printer. And I couldn’t have done it without the insanely motivated team.

I think we are fortunate to have the spacious Newsplex now, but there was something about working in that odd room on the third floor, with its jumble of rusty, clunky metal cabinets and poorly arranged desks; old, musty sofa; and harsh fluorescent lighting, that stays with you. We got sleepy and agitated and enthused in such close proximity with each other that we became a family.