A Day Immersed in the English Language

The sixth annual English Language Event held recently was a feast for lovers of the English language. The highlights were a Public Speaking Competition Finals and the Essay Writing Competition. It was open to secondary school students, jointly organised by Sunway University College and The Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia and held at Sunway University College.

The Public Speaking Competition attracted 173 Form 4 and Form 5 secondary students early this year. In April, they attended a Public Speaking training session “Be an Effective Speaker” by Mrs Jagjit Singh. 6 finalists were selected from a preliminary round. During the finals, three judges, from the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia, Datin Shalini Ganendra, President; Ms Elizabeth Lee, Vice-President (and Executive Director of Sunway University College) and Dr Scotti Albrecht viewed the 6 finalists who each gave an impressive and sometimes amusing four minute presentation on “Tomorrow”.

Mahendra A/L Karythan from SMK Seksyen 9, Shah Alam emerged the champion. The first runner up was Avinaash Sunbramanian from SMK Damansara Jaya. Both Candice Lee from SMK Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam and Jasmine Jasnani from SMK Seafield, tied in second runner up place.

75 students from 25 schools took part in the Essay Writing competition. Students had one hour to attempt one essay question out of five questions. All scripts were marked by Sunway University College lecturers from the English Language Department, University Compulsory Unit and A-Level programme who ascertained the best six essays. The eight judges from the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia selected the champion, first runner-up, second runner-up and three consolations from these top essays.

The essay writing champion was Grace Kiew Sze Ern from SMK (P) Sri Aman who answered question no. 4, “What do you think are the greatest challenges that will be faced by your generation?” The first runner up was Anton Wong Shaun Ming from SMK Seafield and the second runner-up was Shahnon Lau Chen-Yuen from SMK Subang Utama. The Chief Judge was Mrs Margaret Hall said “The standard of the essays was exceedingly high but we found that the content, language and flow of thought of the champion’s essay stood out from the others”.

About 1000 students of Forms 3, 4 and 5 from 26 top schools around the Klang Valley, Seremban and Ipoh attended the event. Alumni’s from the two prestigious universities spoke to students. Mr. Chacko Vadaketh and Mr. Andrew Caie spoke on Effective Oral Communication Skills (separately). Mr. Syed Tariq and Mr. Mark Disney each gave their version of Effective Writing Skills and Mr. Walter Jones delivered Application Procedures and Entry Requirements into Oxford & Cambridge University.

The questions for the Essay Writing Competition were set by Mr. Stephen Hall, Director of the Language and Compulsory Subjects and Mrs Ruma Lopes, Director of the Australian Matriculation, a pre-University programme at Sunway University College.

Prizes for the Champions of the two competitions received RM300 cash, a trophy for the school and an individual trophy each. The First and Second Runners-Up received RM 200 and RM100 respectively as well as individual trophies. All the prize and consolation winners received Certificates of Commendation from the Oxford & Cambridge Society of Malaysia.

Students Turn Property Magnates for a Day

Aspiring entrepreneurial students from Sunway University College (Sunway) had a brief taste of what it was like to be high-rolling property magnates during the second Sunway Apprentice Challenge recently. The Challenge, organised by Sunway and sponsored by Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad (Alliance Bank), pits pre-university students, Team EDGE, against undergraduate students, Team FUXION, in a larger-than-life trading board game of Saidina, Malaysia’s version of Monopoly.

“We believe that good talent should be allowed to creatively explore and experience various scenarios via simulations of real-life environment with all its challenges and obstacles. The Sunway Apprenticeship Challenge also enables us to impart the Bank’s values of creativity, conviction, resilience, integrity and caring during each exercise to the participants,” said Datuk Bridget Lai, Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad and Director of Alliance Financial Group Berhad.

Ms Elizabeth Lee, Executive Director of Sunway University College added “The Saidina challenge presents a variety of learning points as we wanted to reach our students and deliver important corporate life lessons in a fun and challenging way. Partnering Alliance Bank, a strong proponent of entrepreneurship, is indeed a strategic move that will help us achieve this objective”.

The Sunway Apprentice Challenge aims to expose students to the world of entrepreneurship and leadership by introducing a series of real-life work experiences in a performance-rewards environment. The exercise was inspired by Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice” reality show that helps to identify students who have an outstanding calibre in business.

The game featured a 20 feet by 20 feet life-size board complete with houses, hotels, dice and decision cards. The team members bought land whenever they could and bid against each other in auction creating sparks of excitement during the game. The key learning outcomes for the participants were of strategy planning, financial decision-making, risk and returns, market analysis. Most importantly, participants had to learn to work as a team to overcome the obstacles.

Each team of five had a consultant who observed the game and decides to offer ‘consultant advice’. All players had a strategy plan before the game and were not allowed to discuss their moves during the game. Team FUXION, who amassed the highest “wealth” among the two teams was declared the winner.

Rebecca Ng (19), a second year ACCA student and Team FUXION’s leader, said “The second Challenge was certainly interesting as it tested us on our strategy skills, and allowed us to understand and bond with our teammates. However, I believe that the element of luck was on our side and gave us a winning edge. We are definitely happy that we won this round!”

Team FUXION also won the first challenge during the first Sunway Apprentice Challenge held in March this year, where teams prepared and presented a marketing strategy proposal for Sunway University College’s Student Services Department. The winners were rewarded with dinner with Joel Neoh, the young entrepreneur who won the NTV7’s “The Firm”, Malaysia’s first corporate reality television programme.

In the next and final challenge hosted by Alliance Bank, participants will be presented with actual business case studies. They will have to race against the clock and demonstrate skills of time management, strategic leadership and problem-solving. There will be a new twist added to the Challenge.

Winners of this second Sunway Apprentice Challenge won a total of RM1,700 worth of prizes including a Saidina Travel set, Italiannies Restaurant dining voucher, Nike and MPH Bookstore vouchers for each person.

Bringing Venezuela to Malaysian Students

Sunway University College (Sunway) students experienced Venezuela when students of the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Management (SHTLM) participated in Venezuelan Week at Sunway. This event commemorated Venezuela’s Independence Day and a wide selection of cultural activities were held across Kuala Lumpur.

Sunway University College (Sunway) students experienced Venezuela when students of the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Management (SHTLM) participated in Venezuelan Week at Sunway. This event commemorated Venezuela’s Independence Day and a wide selection of cultural activities were held across Kuala Lumpur.

About 40 hospitality students and their lecturers prepared, cooked and served a Venezuelan lunch for guests and media during the opening ceremony under the supervision of Chef Edgar and Chef Mariana.

Chef Edgar Leal and his wife, Mariana Montero De Castro, a French-trained pastry chef held a cooking workshop the day before at the School’s preparation kitchen. Chef Edgar, who studied the culinary arts in New York, is a world-renown celebrity Chef who was the first Venezuelan to prepare a dinner at the James Beard Foundation House in New York City. He owns “Cacao” a restaurant in Miami that specialises in Venezuelan and South American cuisine.

During the opening, guests viewed a unique Photo Exhibition “Holga & Diana” by Vladimir Marcano and Esso Alvarez in which 40 black and white images of nature produced by two low cost cameras, popular during the eighties, were used. A Venezuelan Salsa Band “Pecheche y su Melao” was in attendance and had the audience doing the salsa to the beat of its mesmerizing Latin music. Tourism students of the SHTLM were involved in the planning and organisation of the event. The Opening Ceremony was graced by the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, His Excellency Manuel Antonio Guzman Hernandez.

 

The finale was a Venezuelan Promotion Lunch at the School’s Dining Room@Sunway restaurant, a fine dining training restaurant. The students served mouth watering Venezuelan favourites such as chicken with arepa chips, rice and black beans, a tasty beef with a mechado sauce, fried plantains (bananas) and a Grand Saman chocolate mousse dome which were all prepared by the students and staff of the SHTLM.

Elizabeth Lee, the Executive Director of Sunway University College said “Through this event today which showcases Venezuelan cuisine, music and art, there will be greater cross-cultural understanding between Malaysia and Venezuela. As an educational institution, we are thrilled to be a platform for cultural exchange among our younger generation and the Venezuelan people”. Hospitality and Tourism students of the SHTLM were awarded marks for their work which will be counted towards their final marks in their programme.