Events

On 9th October 2017, Earthlink held its annual Extraordinary General Meeting to elect a new group of leaders to its ranks. The different portfolios available are as follows: Honorary General Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Camp & Welfare, Campaign Management, Events Executive Overseas, Logistics, Publications, Publicity, Recycling, and Webmaster. It is crucial that attendees to this event paid close attention to what each candidate represents as well as their future plans within the role, as this batch of leaders will determine and shape Earthlink’s path ahead for the academic year 2017/2018.
After registration, the event began with the opening ceremony, where the president gave a welcome speech to the attendees. It was then followed by an explanation of the voting rules. Each candidate had 3 minutes for their speech, in which they had to describe their background, past experience (if any), and goals if they were to be elected. A question and answer session followed after each candidate was done with their speech.
Running for the portfolio of Honorary General Secretary was Lin Yan Ni (Kolyn). She was previously the Camp Director in Earthlink for AY 16/17 and Acting Honorary General Secretary for AY 17/18. If elected, she would ensure that minutes for various meetings will be taken down accurately, such that clear information can then be passed down to the various portfolio directors. She would also ensure that Earthlink’s vast archives are properly kept for future references as well as ensuring that PDPA policies are strictly complied to.
Running for the portfolio of Honorary Treasurer was Ariel Foo Fang Chin. She was previously the deputy Camp Director in Earthlink for AY 16/17 and Acting Honorary Treasurer for AY 17/18. She also has a Diploma in Accountancy from Singapore Polytechnic. If elected, she would strive to ensure effective monitoring and reporting of funds and would guide the Main Committee in adhering to financial Standard Operating Procedures.
Running for the portfolio of Camp & Welfare Director was Tan Yun Ann. He was previously the Camp and Welfare program coordinator for AY 15/16, Camp Secretary for AY 16/17, and the Internal Affairs and Performance director for the 7th Council of International Council of Malaysian Scholars and Associates (SG). If elected, he plans to have more workshops and sharing sessions, as well as more events like Earthlink Environmental Camp, Earthlink Night, and Earthlink Bonding Day.
Running for the portfolio of Campaign Management Director was Antonio Tjeng Chao Wei. He was previous NTU Earthlink’s Campaign Management Liaison Officer as well as the President for the Fudan International School Environmental Club. He has several campaign ideas which he would strive to implement if elected. They include “Ditch Da Disposables” and “Green Monday”. He also wants to tackle the issue of food waste in NTU.
Running for the portfolio of Events Executive (Overseas) Director is Quah Wee Keong Benson. He was previously the Business Manager of SCBE Convocation Club as was a participant in a SCBE OCIP. If elected, he plans to have recruitment drives and canvassing events in both semesters 1 and 2, meeting and bonding activities, a trip during the summer break of AY 17/18, as well as a local CIP activity in semester 2.
Running for the portfolio of Logistics is Tan Zi Qi. She was previously a welfare sub-committee member in the CEE club, as participated as well as facilitated in events organised by the CEE club. If elected, she would strive to maintain the various Earthlink logistical items as well as ensure that effective logistical support is provided for various events.
Running for the portfolio of Publications is Letitia Koh Rui Xin. She was previously a sub-committee member in Earthlink’s Publications portfolio in AY 16/17, and was a sub-committee member in the Welfare Services Club’s Publications and Publicity Portfolio in AY 15/16. If elected, she would ensure that timely information is provided about Earthlink events on Earthlink’s Facebook page, and that every event has at least 1 writer and 2 photographers. Her goal would be to communicate the aims and efforts of Earthlink NTU to the NTU community and the public at large in order to inspire them to engage in environmentally friendly behaviours.
Running for the portfolio of Publicity is Tan Ying Shi. She was previously the Deputy Director of Earthlink’s Publicity portfolio in AY 16/17. If elected, she aims to reduced NTU Earthlink’s carbon footprint by slowly moving Earthlink towards a more digital future.
Running for the portfolio of Recycling is Jonathan Seow Jun Nyap. He was previously President of the Welfare and Charity Keen Youth in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. He was also the Organising Chairperson of the Illuminate Science Fair 2016. If elected, he aims to revamp the initiative of waste reduction by demonstrating the benefits of effective waste reduction.
Running for the portfolio of Webmaster is Goh Jia Jing Jeslyn. As a student in the School of Computer Science and Engineering, she has experience in multiple computer languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. If elected, she would improve the interface of Earthlink’s website and maintain it. She would also work on a phone application that aims to help reduce food waste in NTU.
All candidates were unanimously voted to the positions they were running for. The newly elected directors for Earthlink’s 25th Management officially inherit the responsibilities of managing the club for the academic year 2017/2018, marking the start of a brand new chapter of our Earthlink journey.
With that, we are pleased to present our 25th Management Committee:
Honorary General Secretary: Lin Yan Ni, Kolyn
Honorary Treasurer: Ariel Foo Fang Chin
Camp & Welfare Director: Tan Yun Ann (earthlink-cnw@e.ntu.edu.sg)
Campaign Management Director: Antonio Tjeng Chao Wei (earthlink-cmo@e.ntu.edu.sg)
Events Executive (Overseas) Director: Quah Wee Keong Benson (earthlink-envexp@e.ntu.edu.sg)
Logistics Director: Tan Zi Qi (earthlink-logistics@e.ntu.edu.sg)
Publications Director: Letitia Koh Rui Xin (earthlink-publication@e.ntu.edu.sg)
Publicity Director: Tan Ying Shi (earthlink-publicity@e.ntu.edu.sg)
Recycling Director: Jonathan Seow Jun Nyap (earthlink-recycling@e.ntu.edu.sg)
Webmaster: Goh Jia Jing, Jeslyn (earthlink-webmaster@e.ntu.edu.sg)
Once again, congratulations to the newly elected Committee! If you are keen to join the portfolios, please feel free to contact the respective Directors at their emails (beside their names above)! 🙂

Do you know why researchers observe dragonflies when studying wetland ecosystems?
Also, do you know how to differentiate between cranes and herons?
The above are just a few examples of what participants of NTU Earthlink’s first public nature walk – Mangrove Mystery Nature Trail, learnt during the event. The event was held at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve – Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park, on the morning of 7th October 2017.
Sungei Buloh first opened in 1993 as a Nature Park. The area was later upgraded to a Nature Reserve and took on its current name in 2002. In 2003, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve became Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park. The area is now home to 202 hectares of mangroves, mudflats, ponds, and forest, within which countless species of flora and fauna reside with minimal human intervention.
Participants were excited about learning more about the rich biodiversity present in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, as well as observing the various species of flora and fauna in their natural habitat. Everyone was also prepared to brave the early morning sun and unrelenting mosquitoes in order to have a chance to observe and be part of nature at its finest.
After a safety briefing by the event organisers and group photo, participants were split into 4 groups to ensure a better experience when exploring. The guides gave a brief history of the area before setting off on the walk proper. Along the walk, the more knowledgeable participants regularly shared their insights and past experiences with the others, allowing those with less experience to learn more.
The two main areas explored by participants were the bird hides as well as the mangrove boardwalk. Several species of migratory birds were present during our visit, and participants managed to observe them clearly with the help of binoculars. During the mangrove boardwalk section, participants observed the mangrove at high tide.
Let us now review the questions at the very beginning:
“Do you know why researchers observe dragonflies when studying wetland ecosystems?” –
Dragonflies are ideal indicators of wetland health as their larvae develop in water and because they are located relatively low in the food chain. Therefore their presence and health can reveal changes in water ecosystems more quickly than if researchers were to study other organisms.
“Also, do you know how to differentiate between cranes and herons?” –
An easy way to differentiate between cranes and herons is to observe them while they are in flight. Herons curve their necks into a “S” shape and rest it on their bodies while they are flying. Cranes however fly with their necks outstretched.
Let us now take a closer look at mangroves, and why they are so important. Mangroves are useful to both humans and nature in many ways. Firstly, they serve as a form of shoreline protection by acting as a natural barrier to incoming winds and waves, thereby decreasing the intensity at which they hit the shoreline. Mangroves are also able to, as part of the carbon storage mechanism in plants, store up to five times more carbon than an equal area of rainforest. Furthermore, mangrove forests are home to hundreds of species of plants and animals. The roots can serve shelter for many underwater animals, while the forest itself is a food source for other animals. Therefore, in order to protect such a valuable asset, we should contribute to the protection and conservation of mangroves worldwide, starting with our own mangroves right here at home.
If you have unfortunately missed this event, fret not! You can keep a lookout for future nature trails organised by Earthlink 🙂