nazurahhapizcas

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Final CAS Reflection

Reflection Grid

Increased awareness of own strengths and areas for growth

MUN [Creativity]:

As one of the people who helped run the CCA, I found that having the responsibility of a chair meant that I acted as a role model for the other delegates. We were the ones upfront who offered help to those who were confused, constructive feedback for those who had written a resolution or a speech; we also demonstrated how to speak for the debate procedure. I think one of the strengths I have as being a chairperson is that I offer help in an inviting way so people feel comfortable to ask. I related my own experiences and struggles of being a delegate and so I was relatable to those who needed help.

Undertaken new challenges

Chairing, MUN [Creativity, Service]:

After having started MUN for only a year, I wanted to experience leading a debate as a chair. The experience was majorly different from being a delegate, as I had to keep track of procedure, speaking order, and the management of POIs. The challenge for me really was memorising chairing stock phrases, although the more I chaired the more I familiarised myself with them. As a chair, I also have to be able to control the debate atmosphere - one that was encouraged delegates to speak but also to ensure debate was run in proper MUN procedure. For instance, when chairing MY delegates I gave a little more guidance by reminding the delegates now and again about procedure, whereas I could be a little more formal with the older delegates.

Netball [Action]:

When we trained in KL, we trained for 4 hours a day, in 2 hour sessions both at dusk and dawn. Each session was filled with drills which pushed us to our physical limit, which built up both our resilience and stamina. Initially, it was very tiring but I was determined to push through and give my best for each drill. By the end, we had found a rhythm and doing the drills weren’t as tiring anymore.

Planned and initiated activities

House Captain [Service]:

Being part of the Heron council meant being part of the backbone that planned for and organised events. This experience fostered creativity and teamwork among council members, where we put forward ideas for events and cooperated to make them happen. I learnt that communication is absolutely key in a team so that everyone is on board and know what they have to do. I also believe that trust is important in teamwork, where we all trust one another to fulfill our individual roles to produce an outcome we can all be proud of.

MUN CCA [Creativity, Service]:

Each week, we, the self-appointed secretary-generals of the CCA had to ensure reminders were sent to our delegates prior to the CCA to prepare news quizzes, topic reports and resolutions to be used for debate. While this was run quite well, I feel like we could improve by using one whole CCA session to have a proper debate, as opposed to using the first hour to prepare and the second to debate. This would provide a more realistic experience of an actual MUN debate for the delegates.

Netball [Action]:

When we came back from our MSSBD KL trip, there was a recruitment period for new members to join. My team members and I organised drills and activities for those who trialled. We offered guidance when showing the girls how to do the more complicated drills at a good pace so that everyone understoof (much like the girls at SSBJ did).

Worked collaboratively with others

House Captain [Service]:

I had to collaborate and plan for events with both my own house captain and my brother house. I needed to be organised so that these events were run smoothly

MUN (delegate) [Creativity]:

I needed to lobby with others during THIMUN so that we could make a good resolution. During debate, I had to work to get collaborators to support my speech or stance.

Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities

Netball [Action]:

Out of all the sports I partook for the past 2 years, I’d say netball was the one I committed to the most. For MSSBD, I trained 3 times a week for our KL trip, and for JIS netball, I attended the CCA session each week. I aimed to improve my play by being more self-aware of what I was doing; I realised I needed to work on my pacing. When I attack, I run way too fast so my defender catches up to me and so I am no longer free; when I defend, I run too fast ahead of them so they dodge the other way. When I controlled my pacing, I was able to intercept passes and get free much easier. My passes are a lot stronger now as I am able to feed a long ball into the circle with a lot more power and precision. I want to improve on dodging and deception so that I am able to get rid of my defender better. I think I need to work on timing the most so that I can get free.

Engaged with issues of global importance

MUN [Creativity]:

A lot of the backbone of a debate is grounded by the research put behind it. Preparing for conferences as both a delegate and a chair has exposed me to many issues challenging a global scale. I prepared a topic report for the MYMUN 2018 conference concerning the issue of poverty in Southeast Asia. This has created immense disparities in terms of wealth, health, education and access to facilities. This era emphasises the right to equal opportunities, and so I am glad to have participated in a debate where achieving this aim was a central theme.

Considered the ethical implications of their actions

MUN [Creativity]:

Undertaking a country’s stance on an issue requires a certain level of sensitivity when representing an argument.

House Captain [Service]:

When we planned for the movie night, we initially wanted to have the event take place at night. However, we decided to have it after school instead in consideration of middle school kids staying up too late and parents picking kids up on time.

Reflection Questions

Creativity: MUN

1. What did the activity mean to me?  Should others do this activity?  Why?

The MUN programme has been an outlet for me to realise the ongoings of the international community and the issues that concern it. Brunei is currently on the cusp of change (as are many countries in Asia), and the increase of networks in globalisation has definitely boosted the need for international cooperation. I think the MUN is empowering, and allows many young people to realise they are able to enact change.

2. What have I learned about important “global” issues?  What are my views/feelings on these issues?  What have I done to address them?

The MUN programme has definitely exposed me to many political issues concerning international relations between member states of the UN. One focus we debated on the recent THIMUN trip was the issue of organised crime. I learnt that the issue is prevalent among HIC and LIC nations alike, and that globalisation has exacerbated the rate and scale of crime because it involves interactions across many actors around the world. For instance, an LIC country such as Cambodia could be a source of human trafficking, lax border controls in Thailand enable a swift transit, maritime and land trade routes allow for efficient transport to China. An issue so complex in nature cannot be halted by simply imprisoning offenders involved because organised crime prevails solely because it is a network comprised of many interconnected features. Debating on such pressing matters has made me appreciate the importance of diplomacy in tackling global issues that threaten everyone.

Action: Netball

1. What did I plan to do?  What were my goals?  

My main goal in netball was to become more aware of my surroundings in game so that I am able to make better decisions in my play. I think I have slowly started to achieve this goal, as I am now more tactical on court. When it is time for defense, I don’t just chase after the player I am meant to mark, I shadow them and also look ahead to see where the next pass would be. This has enabled me to make interceptions. In the future, I would really like to learn how to dodge more efficiently, so that I am able to be free for passes.

2. What was my biggest challenge?

As my main target is to become a more rounded, tactical player, I think my biggest challenge is self-criticism. Constructive self-evaluation is always valuable to identify areas for improvement, but this can sometimes lead to negative thoughts. Having a clear mind is needed to move forward, and so it is important to be fair and forgiving on oneself and to avoid being too harsh.

Service: House Captain

1. How did I interact with others? What did I learn about myself and others?  

I learnt the way people plan and organise for things is different. There are people who like to plan for things early, and others who do so closer to the actual date. I think doing things early helps a lot because it gives room for in case anything major happens, albeit doing things closer to the date also has its benefits. For one, everyone is always really busy and so if we plan something out and have a good plan then we can do things efficiently. I’ve been able to be flexible to both ways depending on the situation. I think either one works if we just have a solid idea of what we will do.

2. How do I see myself developing as a result of this activity?

One of the biggest things being a house captain has taught me is organisational skills. I have developed an appreciation for the timeline before an event during the planning stages. It has made me realise that everyone works at different stages when we organise an activity, and so sometimes things take longer, and other times we can get things done very quickly. This has made me learn that successful teamwork lies on trust and being considerate on one another. 

Final note:

I’m done now. Thank you for reading my CAS blog :D 

[nazurahhapizcas]

Football Funday 2018

This year marks my final football funday, after having participated in it for the past 6 years. This time round, our team was called “Shishter Snappedt”. We ended up coming 1st place! Since we as a team have played with each other for so long, our team-play was very cohesive; we already had set positions we were comfortable in playing with. One thing I really enjoyed from this event was the sportsmanship! The U19 girls teams were incredibly supportive of each other, and that was the most magical part of Football Funday this year.

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Heron Karaoke and Just Dance

The Heron Karaoke and Just Dance is the first of its kind - an event designed for us all to wind-down and relax after a very long, 15-week term… except it was the last thing from chill. I had not anticipated how hyped and energised the girls would be!

We had a pretty good turnout - a range of girls from the Middle Years and a lot from the busy Sixth Formers. Initially, people were shy to come up to sing or dance but it was not until we played a-ha’s ‘Take On Me’ when everyone started feeling more confident. By the time we played ‘Dancing Queen’, we had EVERYONE come up to dance (even the legend Anth Mckay) and sing. You really can’t go wrong with a classic. I think this is one of the most successful events we had this term because everyone really genuinely enjoyed themselves.

As we were a lot more experienced in planning events, this one was not so difficult for us to plan out. We were very coordinated within our council in terms of job allocation, and we communicated well with our house master to make sure the administrative tasks were sorted. I think one of the reasons this event was successful was because everyone on our team was determined to fill their role, and took on the initiative in areas they thought needed improvement. We even made a ‘Professional Heron Chat’ with our housemaster to iron out fine details over the weekend. #committed. Over the course of the term, our team definitely became stronger as we learnt to trust each other more. I think it was a really good event to end with; I am so lucky to have worked with these girls on such amazing team projects over this term.

[nazurahhapizcas]

RUGBY FUNDAY 2018

This year’s rugby funday I played as a member of the ‘Untouchables’ (haha get it, cuz its ‘touch’ rugby and were the un’touch’ables haha very funny). Anyways, the event played out in the morning of December 9th 2018, and we came 2nd place overall. This was a huge improvement from last year! I was really proud of what we accomplished together. Our teamwork and strategies became more coherent as the day progressed. We reflected after each match on some slip-ups we faced in a very constructive way, which not only allowed for improvement in terms of play, but also in terms of teamwork. As a wing, my main task was to free up space on my end, so that when I received a pass, I could sneak-sneak through and score a try. This was quite effective when we played one of the teams, when myself and our link did sneaky stuff and got through. What wasn’t very effective on my end was when I had the ball and moved sideways instead of forwards. I feel like moving sideways is only effective if you dodge well or if you coordinate a play with your teammates prior. Given the opportunity, I would really like to train for and play more touch rugby. It was definitely an event I enjoyed a lot, and I could not have asked for a better team to end my final Touch Rugby Funday with.

[nazurahhapizcas]

THIMUN 2018

THIMUN 2018 marks my final MUN conference. The event was a bit sentimental, as I met some of the friends I had met exactly a year ago from THIMUN 2017, whilst making many more new ones. I also had to say a bittersweet farewell to the end of my high school MUN career. It was nonetheless, a cherishable experience.

This conference has really taught me the value of researching topics in-depth to be able to debate on them well. I found the topics we did this time around more challenging compared to last year’s, particularly as they covered many other subtopics under them. We addressed the issue of organized crime as a threat to international peace and security, the regulation of private paramilitary groups in conflict areas, the question of LAWS (Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems), and the question of cybersecurity. The resolutions we debated on were very well-researched making them difficult to oppose. The delegates in my committee were incredibly passionate about their topics, which made for some fiesty arguments.

One a more emotional note, the friendships you make at MUN are the sort that I think will last a really long time. Everyone leaves MUN with a heavy heart wishing that it lasted longer just so we could spend more time together. To all the friends I have made from THIMUN, thank you so much for making my MUN experience one that I will never forget. And to that, I declare my time with MUN as closed.

[nazurahhapizcas]

Netball Matches

During our CCA, our coaches kindly invited over local teams for us to compete with. To my delight, the other team comprised of people I have trained with before! It was nice to see the netball community from both school and outside come together for some healthy, competitive netball.

We were allocated into teams prior to the opposition’s arrival based on our positions. However as the matches stretched on, more people had to leave; we found ourselves having to switch sides for consecutive matches. I found this really enjoyable because I liked playing with both teams. As we were in a competitive environment, we had to play more strategically in order to deliver the ball cleanly and efficiently. Our team synergy allowed for some lovely passes down the court and into the circle. It was an overall enjoyable event; I appreciate any chance we get to play competitively as it really allows us to test our skills and see which areas we need to improve in.

[nazurahhapizcas]

Sweron WOC

The War of Colours event was an event we planned to bring both houses closer together to integrate. We were determined to deliver an enjoyable event for everyone to have fun. Learning from our previous experiences, there was better coordination from both houses in the planning of the event. We split the tasks up evenly between both houses; our side organised the venue and forms, the boys organised getting a supply of coloured powder. I think this has made our team a lot stronger.

Overall, it was a very successful event as we had people from both houses engaged in the game, playing with each other. We even had people who missed out requesting a repeat event for later on in the term!  I am excited for what Sweron will come to be in the future, and am glad that we have the common goal of increased integration between both houses. We definitely want to pursue more events such as this one in the future! Also, who doesn't wanna end up looking like a carrot for the next few days?

[nazurahhapizcas]

Leadership Training: Moonlight Session

The Moonlight leadership session is an event designed to train up our leadership skills as house captains. Our first task was to make hamburgers with each other. Amusingly, there was some dispute to how big the burgers should be. We then had to trek through the jungle and cross the scary dark tunnel with half of us blindfolded. I went through blindfolded. It was wet. But not that scary. Probably because I clung onto two people the whole time. I think this was a very valuable experience because the point of the session was to learn to trust your teammates. Then we met up with fire wardens who told us it was too dangerous to keep going because of surrounding forest fires. Guess who had to go through blindfolded again? Sigh.

When we landed at our luxurious campsite (the Sports Complex Car Park - yes, very glam indeed), we settled down and set up our BBQ spot. The point of this exercise was to make use of the different skill-sets each person had to offer. I was grateful for the DofE people who knew how to start a fire. Since we had to wait a while for the coal to get hot, we ate all the Pringles and jammed to some Brockhampton. Then it got to the cooking - the highlight of the evening because we were hungry. It was a really nice experience getting to cook for each other. It is quite an intimate way to build up friendships. Food really does bring you closer together. Overall, this leadership training session taught me you need that cooperation works really well if we are patient and willing to listen to each other. That way, everyone acts as part of a team.

[nazurahhapizcas]

First Day Back 2018

The First Day Back is an event that marks the initiation of the new house council. Getting to work with a new team was exciting, and I was determined to put what I had learnt from last year into motion. We ran 3 rotational activities for Heron: Sheet Volleyball, Drawing and Making Body Shapes, and a chill food session + wind murder (my fave). For the grand finale, we planned for a big Sweron Capture the Flag for the end of the day.

The first time you ever do anything will always be shaky; this was no exception. This event has taught me the value of communication; coming together to understand everyone’s perspectives is important to achieving a common goal. This would allow us to be more organised and have things run more smoothly. We were initially not on the same page when we organised the event, and there was some friction as to who was doing what. However, this was easily overcome because everyone was determined in fulfilling their roles on the actual day.

Overall, I think it was a very successful first day back - the Heron girls thoroughly enjoyed the activities we planned, and the Sweron capture the flag integrated the two houses swimmingly.

[nazurahhapizcas]

Law Attachment at AGC

For the last week of my summer break, I had a weeklong attachment in the Criminal Justice Division (CJD) at the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC). Here, I got to experience what it would be like to be a government lawyer or DPP, Deputy Public Prosecutor.

I learnt the ins and outs of how law works, where prior to my attachment I had no knowledge of. Our supervisors DPP Emily and DPP Azmeena instructed us to follow them and other DPPs around to fully immerse ourselves into the experience of being a lawyer.

I know now how a case is processed, right when an investigation paper (IP) is first handed over to us by the police all the way through to sentencing. I witnessed interviews conducted by DPPs to police officers who submitted  the IPs, sensitive case files (warning: graphic content), prisoners being escorted in and out of court (usually remanded back into prison) to even witnessing a full trial.

I can say that the job is very interesting and can be demanding at times, however the work will never get dull. I think the legal profession would suit me well, as it requires a logical argument and a convincing way of delivery. Though it is not set in stone that I will pursue law, it is definitely a possibility. I think this may be because the job can at times be morally conflicting (because you are dealing with someone’s freedom, their family or even their life), and so there may be some level of doubt.

One valuable lesson I learnt from this attachment was gratitude. I witnessed incredibly pressing cases; corruption, murder, even incestual rape. It made me realize how even in a blessed country with a low crime rate, crime still exists. No matter how horrifically perverted it can be, it still exists. And because of that, I am grateful for this humble abode of peace we live in, because even if it is ”dull” compared to more fabulous lifestyles, it means that we are safe.

[nazurahhapizcas]

Warrior Fitness

For Term 3, one CCA I took up was Warrior Fitness which is a CCA that aims to train you to become a “warrior”. It largely has to do with more rigorous exercises that require discipline and perseverance. I learnt a lot of new exercises, along with lots of new equipment which I never knew the name of.

I found that over the weeks, I made progress with certain aspects. The exercises I initially found challenging became less so as I put in more practice. Prior to this CCA, I normally train myself with fitness exercises, so I didn’t find any exercise majorly difficult to do. One thing I did but never thought I could do was flip a very large tyre. That was very interesting.

Not only did I develop individually, I learnt a lot from those whom I partnered up with. Having a partner means I have someone to check up on my form to make sure I am doing it properly. It also means we can motivate each other to keep going and to not give up.

[nazurahhapizcas]

Zone Competition: May 2018

Playing for the zone competition this year brought me back memories to when I first started playing netball at JIS. Even with our impromptu training sessions, we all played really well as a team. Coming off strong, we won our first match with a clean sheet of 45-0, followed by 43-3, and our finals saw a score of  52-2. This was the highest score I’ve ever achieved within a netball team and so I was very proud of our team for accomplishing it. I learnt a lot from playing with and observing my team players and hope that from that I can strategise my play and improve.

Our U15s won too, which is pretty jazzy (we got more goals than them though heheh)

[nazurahhapizcas]

Going Zero Waste?

For Earth Week, I got assigned to write under the theme of the environment and our ever increasing amount of waste. So I chose to write about “going zero waste” through the applications of a circular economy. From this article I could not only discuss something I was interested in from class, but I could also develop my skill as a writer. I aimed to be thought-provoking through writing from the assumption that people don’t really care about the environment, and came out with a really sassy article. I definitely played around with being informative and being casual since most opinion articles are like that anyway, and it showed how I felt about the topic. I mainly tried to get across the idea that the Earth is drying because we are selfish and don’t care enough about what we do. Since people are lazy and stubborn, the idea of ‘zero waste’ promotes that a small change in our habits will have big implications on the Earth, and since it takes minimum effort, we should at least try. Limiting the accusatory tone to provoke instead of to attack was probably the biggest challenge for me in writing this article. Nevertheless, I look forward to more assignments in the future where I get to talk more about world issues (which is the whole point of the Wallflower Project, anyways).

Anyway, heres the link to my fantastic article: https://wallflowerjis.wordpress.com/2018/04/26/the-environment-and-our-ever-increasing-amount-of-waste/

[nazurahhapizcas]

MYMUN XV

My second oversees conference thus far was the MYMUN XV conference in KL, hosted by Mont’ Kiara International School. This time however, I applied as a chair instead of a delegate. Initially I was nervous given the fact that I am only new to MUN having started only last year in 2017, and so I was shocked that my application had been accepted; Nazurah Hapiz, Co-President of the General Assembly.

From the experience I can say that it is a lot more chill chairing a conference as opposed to actually participating in it, as I find you only have to follow procedure using the same generic phrases whereas being a delegate requires you to be more creative in what you say. However, being admin chair is a whole different game. This role requires you to tally up every time someone gives a POI, a speech, or an amendment speech, whilst receiving notes from delegates who have submitted amendments to then be displayed up on the powerpoint. I also had to google up any facts the delegates asked for, so I had to pay attention to what was going on in the conference, alongside administrating it. Although I make it sound like a tedious and stressful task, it was also really fun as I had to be organised and efficient enough to keep on top of things. I finally understand what it means to be a teacher struggling to read bad handwriting.

The delegates themselves were lovely. They were all excited and thrilled to speak, and I saw them develop their confidence as the conference continued, from having only a few speakers on the first day to everyone in the room taking part by the last day. I was also really lucky that my committee were still manageable when they became restless by the final day, as other committees experienced really rowdy kids who even swore at each other. Phew.

I also became really close with the Middle Years delegates who came with us, which is nice. And I got a fancy hammer thing with my name on it. I really liked chairing a lot.

[nazurahhapizcas]

Touch Rugby Funday

This year’s t.rugby funday, our team was allocated “New Zealand” as our team name. The focus of the event was to play touch rugby in a tournament that encouraged fun and competitive spirit, and I truly believe our team accomplished that. As most of my teammates have been previously involved in the touch rugby CCA, I quickly learned new skills and tactics from them. I learnt that touch rugby has positions for each of the 6 players in a team and that co-operating with each other within this structure was important. As I am more of a runner, I was appointed the link or wing positions, though there is a slight difference between the two. I saw the significance the link has in setting up a try, as I could have either went in and tried to score myself, or diverge the defenders away from my wing so I could pass to her enabling her to score the try. I really enjoyed this year’s funday as I got to know more about the sport and had fun along the way.

[nazurahhapizcas]

Training at BJSS, Malaysia

For the term 2 break, I went on a training trip under the MSSBD Netball Team to prepare for the upcoming ASEAN School Games (ASG) at the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This gave us the opportunity to train with the Malaysian National Team, Coach Kon Lee at the Bukit Jalil Sports School where we trained with her students, who among them played for the 2017 SEA games where Malaysia finished first. Having trained with such talented netball players under a strict coach, it was truly an honour for me to have gone on this trip to learn and refine my skills.

Everyday we trained twice, once at the break of dawn and another time at dusk. Initially we all found the training brutal, challenging us both physically and mentally. It exhausted our stamina and fitness to complete each drill, which constantly called to test our endurance. Where roughly each set of drills contained 5 alternations of exercises done 10 times each, it was a test of the mind as well as physique, training us to push ourselves to complete the task. The first day was especially tough as the coach managed to include suicide runs in each drill. Fitness was something we all improved on throughout the week. We were all taught new skills ranging from technique and technical passes to footwork, repeating and repeating them until we mastered it. We even learnt how to pass with our left hand accurately.

Although the coaches oversaw the entire training routine, it was the BJSS students who actually helped us learn each technique. Each Bruneian player was paired with a Malaysian player, and this mix ensured all of us to bond and get to know each other, as well as allowing for one to one training. With any slight imperfection, they were taught to repeat until they got it right, and so whenever we made a mistake, they kindly corrected us until we understood how the method was executed. It was with their patience that I learnt all the intricacies of each technique and I am greatly thankful for that. Despite going through such a tough training routine, the girls put up such a supportive atmosphere for learning, never getting upset if we made a mistake and correcting us constructively instead. As the days passed my confidence grew as I became more used to their style of training.

Outside of netball however, my Malay skills grew (and surprisingly, my Malaysian Malay) since the spoken language of their court was predominantly Malay. I loved how they assimilated the Malay culture into their training referring to older players as Kaka and younger ones as Adik. I felt more comfortable with the girls as we grew closer as friends.

Overall the entire trip was memorable and one I truly value. Not only did I learn new things, I also acquired new friendships and even retouched with my Malay roots.

[nazurahhapizcas]

Horse Riding Reflection

Horse riding this term was definitely interesting. Within the 3 months of me riding, I managed to learn a variety of techniques including walking, trotting, cantering and jumping. Of course there is definitely room for improvement and practise to perfect a skill, however I am proud at how far I’ve come in learning riding.

There is definitely a communication skill between the rider and horse, as riding involves the rider controlling the horse, not the other way around. There have been numerous accounts where I have just allowed the horse to do what it wants, such as if my technique in steering the horse was not working. Balance is key in controlling the horse, and this stability comes from posture in the legs, not from the hands on the reins. I still need to practise the posture of keeping the heels down to keep the body upright, as I sometimes pull the reins to balance, which totally confuses the horse hence it doesn’t fully follow my command. I also need to learn to trust the horse and to follow its body movements such as in the jump and the canter so that we move as one body and I don’t fall off. In the jump for instance, I have to assume the jump position (which involves getting up and leaning forward) as my horse jumps and then sitting back down when he lands - timing is key so that we both don’t get hurt. In the canter, (I am still quite new to it), the horse moves faster than in the trot, and so when his body moves up and down, I have to relax and follow his movements. The fear of falling off is something that prevents me from doing well in these skills, though it is something I can hopefully learn to do with more practise.

I think horse riding has been an enjoyable experience and it is definitely a sport that has major differences with most other sports I take part in, in that it involves communication with a horse.