Students turn old papers, toilet rolls into...
The New Paper 7 Feb 08;
OLD newspapers, rolls of toilet paper and tetra-pak cartons are not your usual Chinese New Year symbols of luck.
However, 520 students from Nan Hua High School and Singapore Polytechnic decided to have fun with them anyway in the run-up to the annual festival.
They transformed 100kg of newspaper, 40 toilet-paper rolls and 20,000 Tetra Paks into the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, each measuring between 90cm and 120cm high.
The event, organised by the South West Community Development Council, was the grand finale of a week-long series of activities called Youth Hands-On! that started on 28 Jan and ended on 3 Feb.
The focus was on the environment, hence the use of those items.
TETRA PAK 'CLOTHES'
When The New Paper caught up with the students from Nan Hua on 1 Feb outside Lam Soon Community Centre in Choa Chu Kang, they were busy 'clothing' their animal figures with bits of Tetra Paks.
The students worked within an enclosure - a 'zodiac festive village' - where all the 12 animals were placed.
The red carpeting and Chinese lanterns hanging from the rooftop added to the cheerylook.
'It looks so cute,' 14-year-old Ong Hui Qi said as she dressed up a 'pig' with her group of friends.
Her team-mate Lydia Pang, 14, added: 'I always thought that pigs were dirty, but now, with the coat that we're making for it, it's looking so nice.'
Even Nan Hua's vice-principal, Mr Michael Lau, 46, said the 'colourful' Tetra Paks made 'unique and attractive clothing'.
Bryan Foo, 14, said: 'We are not too much into art and craft, but it's fun sitting together and dressing up the rooster.'
Of course, this being the Year of the Rat, the work that got the most attention was the rat.
And Evelyn Lim, Melody Chi, Sheryl Khoo and Rachel Lee, all 14, who were tailoring the rat figurine's outfit, found that their animal's large girth meant more work.
Melody said: 'People may be admiring the features of this rat, but it requires a lot of hard work to dress it up.'
The event also taught the students a thing or two about the Chinese culture and the significance of the 12 animals.
For Linda Ji, 14, it was an 'interesting and exciting' way to learn more about her own culture.
Sarah Sultan, 14, said that it was fun to read the 'forecast' for each animal for 2008.
'I hope it's a good year for the rooster,' she said with agrin.
Almost all the students from Nan Hua were born in the Year of the Rooster.
Member of Parliament for Hong Kah GRC Zaqy Mohamad, who was at the event, said that the activity was a 'twist' from 'the usual Chinese New Year celebrations'.
Organising committee member Ms Ong Wei Lin, 22, was happy with the results.
'Although the animals were made by Singapore Polytechnic and Nan Hua students, most schools in the South West district helped in collecting the newspapers and toilet rolls,' she said.
