
'It feels like a gut punch': Yale-NUS students asked to destroy DVDs prior to campus closure, Singapore News
Student associates working at the YNC Library were asked by staff to destroy over 100 DVDs back in April before the college shuts down in June, reported The Straits Times.
Many YNC alumni have taken to social media to show their disappointment in the way National University of Singapore (NUS) has handled the matter.
Speaking to AsiaOne, a 26-year-old graduate from YNC who wanted to be known only as Adam, said that "it feels like a gut punch" and that there has been an obvious "loss of transparency and collaboration" as a result of NUS' recent management of the library.
"Prior to staff movements following the 2021 YNC closure announcement, the Yale-NUS Library's staff worked consultatively with the Yale-NUS community, often seeking opinions from student associates on community-focused events and initiatives," he said, adding that the new leadership seems to have ignored all requests for clarity regarding the attempted disposal of books on May 20.
Chloe, a 25-year-old YNC alumni, also found the incident "absolutely shocking", given that NUS had ample time to plan for the transition considering how the announcement to shut down YNC came in 2021.
"Out of context, the treatment of the books and DVDs was so rushed, it could almost seem like the college closed down last-minute," she said.
"The labour that was channelled into scratching out the DVDs could have been redirected into rehoming the books, or even taking out the RFID tags on the books," said Chloe, expressing that it has been "incredibly disappointing". especially as YNC's last batch of students graduated last week. 'A loss to the learning experience of all students'
In a digital age where most laptops no longer come with built-in DVD readers and the popularity of streaming platforms like YouTube, some would question the impact of such a loss.
Speaking to AsiaOne, Dave Lim, a 31-year-old filmmaker and YNC alumni, begged to differ, saying that "streaming and finding films in a library are significantly different experiences", given that DVDs in an academic library are curated.
Some of the DVDs destroyed were from The Criterion Collection, and also represent films that "people would not have ready access to, even with streaming".
The Criterion Collection is an American home-video distribution company that restores and distributes classic and contemporary films.
"It is a loss to the learning experience of all students, especially in NUS. Much less to be said of the greater community if it had been donated to public libraries," added Lim.
A Literature student from NUS, who requested to remain anonymous, also echoed similar sentiments and said that streaming services "carry such a limited number of actual older content".
"Some of the DVDs might have films that in a few years may never exist in good condition anywhere else," he said.
The value in physical media was also raised, as Adam emphasised the risks of censorship and how entire bodies of work could be eliminated from streaming platforms.
"Physical media is a safeguard against those issues, especially for an academic institute like NUS," he said. Restricted by licensing and copyright regulations: NUS
In response to AsiaOne's queries, Associate Professor Natalie Pang, university librarian at NUS, said the rehoming of DVDs is subject to different considerations to that of books.
"Audiovisual materials are governed by licensing and copyright regulations, which restrict redistribution. We have integrated the DVDs we need into our collection. The DVDs which we were unable to rehome were those which could not be redistributed," said Assoc Prof Pang.
No other details were shared regarding the actual number of DVDs and content destroyed.
A majority of the DVDs destroyed were films, including DVDs from The Criterion Collection. Films from The Criterion Collection are also known to include scholarly essays and documentary content about the respective films and filmmakers.
The incident happened on April 24 and 25, according to a student associate who spoke anonymously to The Straits Times.
During that time, she was instructed to make four cuts on each disc to render them unreadable.
Prior to this incident, NUS sparked public outrage when videos and photos of some 9,000 Yale-NUS books being collected by a recycling company had circulated online.
It was only after feedback and a petition by students that NUS managed to salvage 8,500 books and apologised for the "operational lapse", promising to hold a book donation drive to rehome the books.
[[nid:718245]]
dana.leong@asiaone.com

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Nylon
17 hours ago
- Nylon
Interview with world-renowned photographer, Steve McCurry on being a visual storyteller and documenting the human experience
By Adele Chan Stepping into the vibrant and often poignant world of American photographer, Steve McCurry is far more than just pictures and exhibitions of them; he's a storyteller and documenter of places, people and situations. And with much of his work, it's true what they say — a picture is worth a thousand words. His most iconic photo is the portrait of the 'Afghan Girl' that graced the cover of National Geographic magazine in June 1985. He took it in December 1984 near Peshawar, Pakistan, during the Soviet-Afghan War, and this image has been famously named, 'the most recognised photograph' in the history of the magazine that published it. I had the privilege of meeting with him in Wetzlar during Leica's 100th Anniversary event celebrations in June, and we spoke about his extraordinary craft of photography, the gear he uses, and what's he up to now. Steve McCurry with Sunil Kaul and Laxmi Kaul. Photo taken by Dr Chua Yang. Adele: How did you get into photography? Steve: I was always interested in art. Then when I was 12, I saw a Life magazine with a story about the monsoon — the Indian monsoon — and I was intrigued. I thought that that's incredible. I'd love to see that myself, and I'd like to go to India. It seemed like a really fun place. And then when I was 19, I went to live in Europe for a year and I was kind of just travelling. After that year in Europe, I thought to myself, whatever I do in my life, I want to travel. So I went back to school, and I'm was kind of searching for something to do. And then I thought, well, filmmaking would be a good way to achieve this. So I started studying filmmaking. And in the process of studying filmmaking, I rediscovered photography and decided that it was a way that I could travel, create some art, and hopefully make a living. Following which, I worked in a newspaper and then saved my money, went to India, and spent two years there. So that was the beginning, but I thought that I wanted to have a life of travel and creativity. And so it was that kind of the journey, and Asia was first on my list, although I had travelled in Africa, Europe and Central America. The trip to Asia, as I previously said, was two years; and then the two years turned into five, and then 10, and wow… I kept going back. I was everywhere in Asia; I went to every country, with the exception of, I would say, Brunei. I just was very attracted to that part of the world. And here we are. Adele: How does someone make a living out of photography, especially in the beginning of their career? Steve: Well, that's a really difficult question, and I'm not sure how much of this you want to include, because it's the raw truth, the naked truth; the ugly truth is that it takes a lot of work, and a lot of people aren't prepared for that, or don't want to do it, and that's okay. I mean, actually, it might be better to have a comfortable life, work nine-to-five, go home and relax. That's very attractive, because that's more predictable. Whereas photography, not only are you working all the time, there's no guarantees about anything, and even if you work really hard, still, there's no guarantee. So it's really scary in a way. And I'm not sure if this is true, but I think maybe it's even more difficult now than it was when I started. But it was never easy. For me, I was willing to work as hard as I needed to, and to get to where I wanted to go. And so there's a lot of sacrifice and struggle; there's pain and disappointment and rejection, but I just was willing. I just wanted to push ahead with persistence, and if you Google persistence, there's a poem or something that sums up everything you want to know about photography. [NYLON: We've reached out to McCurry's team to get the quote he was referring to. Will update this space.] Steve McCurry in Wetzlar for Leica's 100th Anniversary event. Photo taken by Dr Chua Yang. Adele: What have you been up to lately? Steve: Right now, I'm working on a couple of books. I'm actually in the process of working with the design, the layout and all that, but I'm also adding to those books; as in I'm continuing to produce more pictures for the books. There are also some exhibitions that I'm working on [NYLON: The Leica Galleries in Melbourne and Sydney are presenting McCurry's work through the end of October 2025. Discover more at this link.] Steve: The most important project I have is my eight-year-old daughter. That's a serious project; yes project, time and all that effort. But as far as the work goes, I would say, the exhibitions, the books, and some workshops I do. I this year I will have done like seven; one in Myanmar, two in Italy, two in Tokyo, and two in Australia. Steve McCurry in Wetzlar for Leica's 100th Anniversary event. Photo taken by Ng Choon Jen. Adele: Do you have any places or activities on your bucket list? Steve: There are a couple of countries where I always wanted to visit. I always wanted to go to Iran, but now, that's a problem. I've worked in most countries; if you drew a line from Vietnam to Portugal, I've worked in all those countries, just not Iran. I've been trying to go to Iran for a long time, but that's okay. If it happens, it happens. I worked in Pakistan and Afghanistan and Turkey… and then I thought North Korea would be an interesting place. I've never been there, but that's also difficult for obvious reasons. Adele: Do you feel like your style of storytelling has evolved? Steve: Well, I'm not trying to work on a particular style or signature look. I think that you just go out and observe the world in your own way. I don't know that my storytelling has changed. Well, I hope I see better. I hope I can identify light and composition better, and I would hope that I can relate better with people. But I think that if I'm walking down the street or driving on the road, I'm just relying on my curiosity and sense of observation for what I see and what I feel is interesting. I think with experience, we've seen so many pictures of so many things that the bar keeps getting raised higher and higher. Not that I've seen everything, but I've seen a lot, and I've seen other photographers' work. So I keep thinking, well, I don't want to do that thing, because it's been photographed better. Adele: Finally, let's talk about the Leica gear that you famously use. Steve: I'm using the Leica SL3 and I have one lens — it's a 24 to 90. So I use that lens for… I would say 98% of all my work. Wow… I should get other lenses. I think I have a 15 or 16 to 35, and I have a 100 to 400 but they're kind of specialty lenses, for certain things. And when you need it, well then, it's great to have it. You don't need it all the time, but when the situation calls for it. When I was shooting film, most of my work was with prime lenses; but I haven't used a prime lens in years and years. The quality of the Zooms now are better than they were years ago, for sure. Maybe the prime lenses are slightly sharper than my Zoom, but the lenses are so good, I don't care. Adele: Is there a particular focal distance you use when you're shooting portraits? Steve: Probably 90. It depends on the situation right? If it's sort of an environmental portrait, then it probably doesn't matter, because I could even shoot potentially at a 24. You have to be careful of the distortion and all that with the wide angle, but if you're back far enough, then 24 could be a great solution. But I would say, if I'm working in much closer, I'd probably go to a 90 maximum. I would love to go to 135 — that'd be great, but that would be heavy. In the old days when I was on the street, I had two cameras, and I had a lot of film. I'd probably even have a third lens, but now, one camera, a couple batteries, cards, done. I also used to wear that photo vest with film and that was weighing me down; but now it's just kind of minimal… streamlined. The main point really is that if you're out for a session in the morning, and then you're out for another session in the afternoon, say, from three to dark, you need to be agile and comfortable, and you still need to have a high energy level, absolutely. And if you have a lot of stuff, you start to slow down and it's tiring. If you're light and agile, just pair your shoes, and boom… you can work right until the end of the day. Fantastic. Steve McCurry in Wetzlar for Leica's 100th Anniversary event. Photo taken by Ng Choon Jen. Discover more about Steve McCurry and his work on his official website at and follow him on Instagram @stevemccurryofficial. Check out Leica cameras and lenses at Portrait photo of Steve McCurry taken by Adele Chan.


AsiaOne
a day ago
- AsiaOne
Pamela Anderson, reportedly dating Liam Neeson, says he puts her at ease during The Naked Gun filming, Entertainment News
Pamela Anderson has hailed Liam Neeson for putting her at ease during the filming of The Naked Gun reboot. The former Baywatch actress, 58, has been widely reported to be in a relationship with Schindler's List star Liam, 73, and she has now spoken to the New York Times to praise her co-star him for helping ease her nerves as they shot the cop comedy reboot. She said: "He has so much charm and so much charisma that you kind of just fall into it. "I can't explain it because I've never experienced it before." The new Naked Gun film marks a reboot of the classic American crime spoof franchise originally made famous by Leslie Nielsen. Liam takes on the lead role as detective Frank Drebin Jr, while Pamela plays his love interest, Beth — a woman convinced her brother has been murdered, launching the pair on an absurd adventure across Los Angeles. Pamela added she "still felt unsure of herself at times during filming", but said Liam's calm presence on set kept her grounded. She said he told her "You're doing great" during shooting. Pamela added: "To do comedy, it gives you a lot of energy when you're in something so joyful and silly. Liam has done over 100 movies, and I hope he's inspired to do even more (comedies.)" Liam, known for dramatic and action-heavy roles in the likes of Taken and Batman Begins, also admitted to having doubts about leading a comedy. He told the New York Times: "I don't think of myself as funny-funny, but I love laughing and gagging about." Reflecting on his performance, he added: "I thought I was OK, seriously. I thought I was OK." The Naked Gun franchise began in 1982 with the TV series Police Squad! and expanded into three successful films. A source close to the production has told People Pamela and Liam are "in the early stages" of a relationship, calling it "a budding romance". The insider added: "It's sincere, and it's clear they're smitten with each other." Pamela and Liam pair are currently promoting the film and, according to the source, are "enjoying each other's company" off-screen during the promotional tour. [embed] [[nid:720829]]

Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Ballard actress Maggie Q learnt from Jackie Chan and Tom Cruise's work ethic
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Maggie Q plays a detective who takes over the cold case division at the Los Angeles police department in Ballard. NEW YORK – More than 20 years ago, Hong Kong cinema legend Jackie Chan saw something in a young model-turned-actress named Maggie Q, and decided to sign her to his management company and train her to become an action star. Now, the Asian-American performer is back in the spotlight with her first high-profile role in more than five years, headlining Ballard, an acclaimed police procedural series streaming on Prime Video. And the 46-year-old says witnessing the ferocious work ethic of movie stars such as Chan and her Mission: Impossible III (2006) co-star Tom Cruise continues to shape her professionally today. A spin-off of the cult Bosch crime shows (2014 to 2025), Ballard – which has a 100 per cent critics' rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes – follows Renee Ballard (Q), a detective with a chip on her shoulder who takes over the cold case division at the Los Angeles police department. At a recent screening in New York, Q – whose last major TV roles were the action thriller Nikita (2010 to 2013) and political drama Designated Survivor (2016 to 2019) – says it was an honour to portray a police detective. The source material for the show, the Renee Ballard crime novels by best-selling American author Michael Connelly, were based on a real 30-year female police veteran whom Q spent time with on set every day. 'And there are so many qualities about her that I don't possess, but was able to bring to Ballard – because as a detective, there's a certain amount of not just patience but also fortitude,' says Q, whose full name is Margaret Quigley. Her Vietnamese mother and Irish-Polish American father met during the Vietnam War. Maggie Q in Ballard. PHOTO: PRIME VIDEO 'You have to keep your eye on the prize and it takes years, so you can imagine the dedication. You're talking about a detective who will spend 10, 15 years just trying to bring one family a modicum of peace after something tragic.' Q left her home in Honolulu, Hawaii, in her late teens, and moved to Tokyo and Hong Kong to become a model. She made the leap to acting. Impressed with her turn in Hong Kong action film Gen-Y Cops (2000), Chan gave her bit parts in his American action movies Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Around The World In 80 Days (2004). 'He's one of the hardest workers I've ever seen,' says Q of the 71-year-old, who made his mark in Hollywood with the Rush Hour action comedies (1998 to 2007) and voiced Master Monkey in the Kung Fu Panda animated franchise (2008 to 2016). 'I saw him and went, 'Oh, it takes 1,000 per cent. Not 100 per cent, not 200 per cent. Everything you have.' 'And for my early days, to be able to witness that type of work ethic, I think that cemented something in me, and I'm a hard worker already,' adds the star, who is married to Vietnamese-American former hedge fund manager Curtis Macnguyen, 56. When she took on her first big role in an American film, playing an intelligence agent in the spy thriller Mission: Impossible III, she experienced the same thing with American actor Cruise, 63. 'Same work ethic, and both very successful people. And I got to see very early on what that took,' says Q, who went on to appear in the Divergent science-fiction film trilogy (2014 to 2016). US actress Maggie Q attends the Los Angeles premiere of Prime Video's Ballard in California on July 9. PHOTO: AFP With Cruise, she also got her first close-up look at Hollywood megastardom when she shot her scenes with him. On their first day of filming at the Tiber river in Rome, Italy, 'there must have been at least 5,000 people lining the river just to catch a glimpse of him'. 'I was in a boat with him and I remember thinking, 'My god, the power of a movie star.' I didn't know what a movie star was until that film.'