I was a student in RI when there was no RJC. The year was 1981 and I was in Sec 1. There was a 2-year pre-university programme in the school. I still remember that the school year was dominated by talk of the impending the separation of school in 1982. Despite vocal opposition from many old boys and many romantics in the school, RI was split. The pre-university students were shipped off to paterson road and RJC was born. In those initial years of separation, the relationship between RI and RJC was very close. For many RI boys, RJC was the natural destination for A levels. Throughout my 4 years in RI, I remember maintaining close ties with the chaps in RJC. ECA groups were firmly linked. I went to RJC in 1985 with no separation of identity in my mind. The culture was the same. The Rafflesian Spirit was unmistikably indivisible. It was still the same school for me.
The merger of the two schools is the completion of a cycle. I'm sure many students from that time would gladly welcome the merger.
I understand your concern about the loss of the separate identities that the two schools have built up over the years. I guess our sentiments are bound to differ because of our different experiences vis a vis our alma mater.
Auspicium Melioris Aevi

p.s. I remember the that secondary school boys in RI enjoyed the presence of girls in the pre-university classes. We were not monks in a monastery. :-)
subra | Homepage | 15/10/08 - 3:56 pm | #

but, I do have a problem with the name: RI(S) and RI(JC).
Why can't it be just RI as it used to be when it was a single school
subra | Homepage | 15/10/08 - 3:59 pm | #

MERDEKA
the fell bat | 15/10/08 - 11:35 pm | #

I was from RJC but not RI.

I feel nothing for RI as I was not a member of either RGS/RI that meant I was never on the "in" crowd. In addition, my class then in Arts faculty had only 5 guys and 13 gals and among the guys I was the only non-RI. Talk about being "out" of the "in" clique.

I'm sure there are benefits to merger (which escape me) to stakeholders that actually have a say in this issue but as an RJC alumni and a Singaporean, I feel sad each time another small fragment of my life history dissolves leaving me with memories and little else of past places, institutions and history.

Auspicium Meliorius Aevi.

Is there truly hope for a better age if I cannot remember the past ages?
Panzer | Homepage | 17/10/08 - 1:43 pm | #

Some of the worthiest people I know from RJC came from another bloodline. Purebloods like us are far from always being the best. The halfbloods often do better all round. And I'm not even saying anything yet about the Muggle-borns -- I know so many who rock much better than many of my fellow purebloods, that the flaw in Hogwarts becoming more insular just cannot escape me. The through-train program was bad enough, reduced the proportion of Muggle-born intake. Now with this merger... what are they thinking?! I wonder if there are some hidden corporate reasons for this. Sigh... things were better when Dumbledore was Headmaster.
the fell bat | 18/10/08 - 12:06 am | #