Class magazines

An old school friend has formed a new chat group on the whatsapp social media platform to bring together as many of our former classmates from Form Four Science One at Penang Free School in 1969. This was the year of exceptional music festivals like Woodstock. This was the year when we were hit by the grave 13th May racial disturbances. Of course, this was also the year when Man stepped on the moon.

Form Four is always a honeymoon for all pupils, regardless of their vintage year. Relieved of the pressures of the first government examinations in our lives, the Lower Certificate of Education in Form Three, we had the freedom to explore all the mysteries of life and the long-lasting bonds of friendship that went with the exploration. In School, we were already seen as among the Seniors. Soon, but not too soon, we would be in Form Five. Even the teachers began viewing us in a different light, no longer from the brattish classes of Lower Secondary. But in truth, we could still be mischievous as ever. Perhaps only in a slightly more matured manner.

A feature of Penang Free School life in the 1960s and 1970s was that when you were in Form Four, you were expected to let your creative juices flow. Each class was expected to come out with a class magazine. Thus, wholeheartedly, the Science and the Arts classes competed with publishing their own class magazines. The tradition had begun in 1958 when the Form Four Science class of that year came out with their magazine called Sputnik. 

Today, Sputnik is the name of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by the Russians but in 1957, it was the name of a series of three Earth satellites that the Soviet Union had launched into space. The first Sputnik satellite was launched on 4 October 1957. It worked for three weeks and then fell back into the atmosphere on 4 January 1958.

Sadly, this tradition has stopped at the Free School. My friends who studied there in the 1990s said that during their time, none of the Form Four classes were publishing their own class magazines. I don't know why exactly this happened or when it happened, but it is sad to lose this tradition. Even the school newsletters stopped publishing a very long time ago. 

But back in 1969, the class kept the tradition going by producing a magazine. I wasn't involved in its production at all except to suggest Silhouette as its name, one of many thrown in by my classmates, but never expecting it to be accepted at all. There were two reasons why I was fond of this name. The first was because Silhouettes was the title of a pop song by Herman's Hermits and I kind of liked their songs at that time. I continued hearing it on the radio. And second, I was somehow obsessed with the -oue- in the word. A string of three consecutive vowels. Wow! There aren't many that I know of. Pirouette. Denouement. Silhouette. Also, manoeuvre, but this last one is a -oeu-. Still a string of three consecutive vowels, though. But I'm digressing.

This image from Lim Siang Jin

The cover was designed by Yeo Guan Khim. He had seen a picture of Rodin's The Thinker and had the inspiration to draw a picture after it. The picture too was accepted by the magazine committee. A few days ago I told Guan Khim that back in 1969, I never knew who Rodin was. Haven't heard of the name, let alone seen any picture of his The Thinker. Why on earth would he draw a picture of a man seated on a toilet bowl?! Of course, I know better now. But we had a good laugh over it.

We weren't the only Form Four class to have a magazine. The fellas in Four Science Two called theirs Triennial as it was their third issue. The Form 4A class called theirs Insight. If I remember correctly, even the Four Science Three might have had a magazine too but if so, I cannot recall the title. Maybe I should add that the Form 2A boys in 1968 had also had their class magazine called Unique. Yes, the tradition of class magazines go back a long way and it is so regrettable that it has ended.