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Date Posted: 08:15:34 11/06/02 Wed
Author: Meibao
Subject: Ameicanised NUS from Talkingcock.com

100 Years of ANUS
Posted on Sunday, October 27, 2002
Topic: Local News

by The Cockateer

Singapore's world-class educational institution has kicked off its centennial celebrations by renaming itself the Americanized National University of Singapore (ANUS), simultaneously unveiling the winner of a competition to choose the logo for the anniversary.




At a press conference held today, the Dean of Celebrations and Public Spending, Assoc. Prof. Ho Tor Cheen, explained the symbolism behind the winning design.

The university crest at the base of the design represents that the celebrations are a commemoration of how the university has rooted itself into local society.

However, the university has continued to update itself by being renamed and incorporating this ideology by the inclusion of stars and stripes in its new crest.

The centenary is stylised by a large 1 and two 0s. The 1 is extended and semi-reflected to form an arrow which points forward symbolising progress, and coloured in the official ANUS colours to represent the dual achievements of both the academic and corporate aspects of ANUS.

The two 0s in the official colours symbolise the years of foundation and accumulated experience as the base from which ANUS's progress will spring forth, and are loosely joined to form the infinity symbol, representing that ANUS will continue to progress beyond 100 years, until infinity.

Also at the press conference was the head of the varsity's Office of American Duplication, Ms Kar-Bon Koh Pee, who announced that in conjunction with the new logo, all vestiges of the university that were not in line with current practices in the top Ivy League colleges will either be abolished or renamed appropriately.

The latest was last week's decision to rename tutorials as "discussion groups", since there are no tutorials in US colleges. To curb potential confusion, the university would reflect the new nomenclature as "Discussion Groups (previously known as Tutorials)" throughout all official correspondence.

Plans are also in place to rename all halls of residence Fraternity Houses, for example, Yusof Hall would become Yusof Kapha Gamma, whilst Stamford Hall would become Stamford Alpha Theta.

But Ms Kar-Bon stressed that authoritarian rules would be introduced to allay fears of an influx of the decadent lifestyles associated with American frat houses which were unsuitable for our fragile Asian culture.

"Sort of like ordering a cheeseburger without any cheese," she quipped.

Critics of the moves have commented that it would benefit the varsity more if a revamp was not merely cosmetic, but addressed undergraduates' complaints of being inhibited and babysat like schoolchildren rather than treated as adults, but Ms Kar-Bon replied stoically that since the university has been renamed, being anal-retentive was part of its new corporate image.

However, some changes have been aimed at "making life more interesting for undergraduates", for example, by introducing an auction system whereby undergrads would have to use credits to bid the modules they needed to graduate. All modules would be put up for auction and the more popular ones would be given low quotas to make things more exciting. Unsuccessful bidders would then have to try again and again in following semesters.

Prof Ho ended the press conference by giving a preview of ANUS's plans for a grand celebration. The campus will be continuously lit round-the-clock by glittering and sparkly overhanging streetlights until December 2005, with an annual grand fiesta involving fireworks displays, musical fountains, laser shows and giant spotlights.

In a gesture of goodwill, the university will also renovate all the existing old halls of residence just before they are torn down at the end of next year.

When queried about the immense cost of funding these celebratory events, Prof Ho dismissed the concerns. "The university has enough means to raise funds for this necessary expenditure. Besides, the lights use energy-saving bulbs."

In an unrelated development, undergraduate tuition fees will be increased this academic year by a further 10% to cover "increased operating costs", the university administration announced in fineprint on a discreet notice outside the Office of Finance & Fines.

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