Dear readers,
In 700 days, RI will be celebrating its Bicentennial. It will be an occasion to take stock of the school’s long history, and to ask ourselves what other stories about this community – of students and staff; of dreamers, doers and yes, doubters – have yet to be told. We are fortunate that much of that history has been collected in numerous artefacts, publications, and records that are housed, both physically and virtually, in the Raffles Archives and Museum (RAM).
As alumni with a strong passion for history and storytelling, we knew that the RAM’s extensive collections contain many fascinating stories from RI’s history. that deserve a wider audience. As we count down to the Bicentennial, we have gathered other like-minded peers, including current students, to help us with the telling.
The RI at 200 History Series, of which the four articles published today mark the start, is organised around the theme of “History of RI and History through RI.” Naturally, the essays will tell the history of RI, through stories about its artefacts, campuses, and people. But more than that, the essays will also illuminate history through RI, telling stories that unravel larger threads in the history of education or of Singapore’s development more generally.
What we have here at launch is just a small selection, and we are hard at work with our writers on adding more stories to the series. If you feel inspired by what you have read, we invite you to contribute to the conversation with your own essay as well. Please do not hesitate to reach out to join the conversation, through Mrs Cheryl Yap (HOD, Alumni Relations and Archives).
Solidarity and Hope: The First Year by Theophilus Kwek (Class of 2012)
Decolonising RI by Chua Jun Yan (Class of 2013)
Girls in RI: 1800s to 1930s by Clarice Chee (Class of 2022)
Singapore’s First (Failed) School Merger: The Star-Crossed Union of the Anglo-Chinese College and the Singapore Institution by Eugene Lim (Class of 2013)
There is so much out there, and while we know we cannot cover it all, we are excited to start digging. We hope you will enjoy reading.
Jun Yan, Sean, Shanzhi, Theophilus
The Editorial Team