A Year In Review: The Turnstiles Saga

Who would ever thought that the construction of two turnstiles in our campus would stir such a huge debate?! The turnstile saga remains in my college diary as the most controversial-yet-funny experience I had to go through during my stay in TPJC. It was crazy!



















It all started when one of the students, Zizie Zuzantie, decided to set up a fresh forum thread for Tpjcians to share their views on the new turnstiles and suggestions to improve them. What started out to be a noble cause turned awry when students began to (mercilessly) attack the college administration for implementing the new security system. Our student councillors were not spared at all - a few students questioned if the student councillors are taking their suggestions seriously. Most of them lamented about the inconvenience caused by the turnstiles. One teacher even joined the discussion to evaluate the suggestions provided by the students.

Well, that was not the worst that was yet to happen. On 15th July 2008 at exactly 10.09pm, a young man by the name of Ong Ding Yi suddenly threw a grenade in the Photoshare claiming the lives of more than eight students (virtually). Like a hero villain who emerged from nowhere, he began firing at the college administration and attendants for errr...everything related to the turnstiles. Several students such as Visakan, Mohamad Rizwan, Chua Wei Qing and Muhammad Khairy tried to save our dear aunties but Ding Yi's sharp and fiery words murdered them instantly. Of course, the man with the biggest ego 'won'.

Below is one of the missiles that hit Visakan:

Ong Ding Yi (07S32) Fri 18 Jul 2008 4:47 pm
"This was taken after GP remedial. Wonder where are the "responsible" (as usual) aunties to help us open e gates"

notice that this was the original comment made. so where have ill-treated and disrespected come into the picture? hello?
Yes i may hav used "responsible", but i did not direct it to ALL and said that at ALL times they are. But its a fact that usually they are.

Two simple questions. WHERE are they. and WHAT can they do to alleviate this situation. I din say stuff like. WTF aunties are #$^!#@% jus bcos they nv open the gate for us. And if u even bother to notice properly. When i mentioned problem abt the artificial field, i am not targetting them FYI. I jus meant maybe they had to go help the cleaners. Which comes to another problem of the pros and cons of the artificial field, where does the benefits rly outweigh the losses, or the future cost and side effects. But again, thats another issue.

Secondly, it is an UNDISPUTED FACT, that there are ppl like these amongst our attendants. So you mean by EARNING LOW WAGES, you can show attitude? cmon. live with it.

So you do acknowledge the fact that they treat us badly. This picture is posted so that the school admin or to whom it may concern can actually do something about this. No policy or implementation is perfect, there are definitely weak links, and by installing the turnstile, this is one of them. Also, if there is a need to treat them badly in return, do u even think i need to post on photoshare?
cmon la, there are like 10000001 ways to treat them badly through everyday life. So whats the point of "treating them badly" here (if it is to u) when it doesn even have any impact.

notice, I repeat again. This picture is posted so that the school admin or to whom it may concern can actually do something about this. and that NO policy or implementation is perfect.

Lastly, if u noticed. I only stated MM Lee as an example to show that it DOESNT mean that if u think u can do a job better than ppl, u shld take over the job, and not as a way to show that i forgive him, or i do not forgive our attendants, or wadsoever. And that it is nonsensical to actually link MM Lee to forgiving. cuz you're totally missing the point.

As months went by, the intensity of the debate began to subside. It was clearly just a case of how long we would get used to the new system. The turnstiles saga was so widely debated - in TPJC.net as well as personal blogs by Tpjcians - that our vice-Principal, Mr Tan, decided to clarify the matter to the whole student population during one of the morning assemblies.

What a saga...