All smiles: SMK Sungai Kapar Indah teachers and students posing for a photo to commemorate their success in placing first as the top participating school in the contest.
DESPITE having no prior experience creating Instagram reels, Muhammad Iskandar Abdul Aziz took a chance and submitted an entry for a competition.
His effort paid off when he was recently named the champion of The Star’s Reels of Achievers Recognised 2024 (StarROAR 2024) contest.
“It is unbelievable to be announced as the winner. I had never recorded myself talking in front of a camera before. I struggled with memorising lines and speaking fluently without stuttering,” he told StarEdu.
Upon receiving his prize of Touch ‘n Go (TNG) reload pins worth RM300, the 16-year-old bought himself a new pair of headphones.
“I go to the gym and participate in outdoor sports three to four times a week. Listening to music while working out motivates me,” he shared, adding, “I also saved some credit for later use.”
The SMK Taman Kosas, Selangor, student expressed gratitude to his teacher Nurul Hidayah Zainal, who encouraged him to join the contest, held from Aug 1 to 31.
“This contest was helpful for students wanting to improve their speaking skills and confidence,” he said.
One for the album: SMK Rantau teachers posing with students who participated in the contest. The school placed second among the top participating schools.
Open to students aged 13 to 19, StarROAR 2024, organised as part of The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme, challenged participants to create one-minute reels honouring inspirational individuals featured in The Star newspaper or the Star ePaper between July 1 and Aug 31.
Participants were required to post their reels on Instagram with the hashtag #StarROAR2024 and tag @starbrats.
The top 23 winners were selected based on content, creativity and video popularity.
Prizes included TNG reloads worth RM300, RM200 and RM150 for the top three, with consolation prizes valued at RM50 each. All winners and participants received digital certificates.
Muhammad Iskandar featured 20-year-old Perlis weightlifter Mohd Hafizuddin Roslin in his reel.
“The Sarawak Sukma was ongoing at the time. I found an inspiring highlight about Hafizuddin and decided to share his story,” he said.
Also a first-time reel creator, Pavithra Moganasundaram was thrilled with her second-place win.
“Initially, I was hesitant to upload my video publicly. However, with my parents’ encouragement, I gave it a go.
“I am glad I did, as I gained both a cash reward and a great experience at the same time,” she enthused.
Muhammad Iskandar won the top prize in the contest.
The 16-year-old, who used her prize money for Deepavali shopping and plans to treat her family to a meal, described the contest as an “amazing approach” to unleashing students’ talent and creativity.
“It also promoted the habit of reading the news and keeping up with current issues from around the world,” the SMK Saujana Utama, Selangor, student said.
Like Muhammad Iskandar, Pavithra highlighted an athlete from the Sarawak Sukma in her entry.
“I hadn’t heard of taekwondo exponent Chin Ken Haw before, and felt his story deserved to be shared,” she said.
Strong support
Students were not the only beneficiaries of StarROAR 2024; schools also received prizes.
The top five participating schools – SMK Sungai Kapar Indah in Selangor (champion), SMK Rantau in Negri Sembilan (second place), Kolej Tingkatan Enam Sri Istana in Selangor (third place), SMK Desa Serdang in Selangor (fourth place) and Chung Ling Private High School in Penang (fifth place) – won AEON vouchers worth a combined total of RM2,000.
To qualify, schools had to purchase at least 100 copies of The Star from July 1 to Aug 31. The top five schools with the most student entries were then awarded the prizes.
Form Six English Language teacher Umavathy Govendan, the contest coordinator at SMK Sungai Kapar Indah, said their victory was the result of “a lot of hard work, teamwork and dedication from students, teachers and the school’s top management”.
Her fellow Form Six English Language teachers Illani Muhamed Kamil and Shoba Muniandy also supervised the entries, she shared.
“This win created a strong sense of accomplishment among the students and teachers in charge. It serves as motivation to keep participating in such competitions in the future.
“We plan to buy a smart TV for one of our Form Six classrooms to make teaching and learning more fun. Currently, we have only one classroom with a smart TV. We will have to top up, but the RM600 itself is a huge help in getting this done,” she said.
A screenshot of Pavithra in her reel.
Umavathy noted that the contest had received positive responses from students.
“The fact that it required them to post an Instagram reel was very apt for the current generation. They explored different creative approaches to making the reels.
“Students had the choice to create reels without revealing their faces, so the contest catered well to introverts too,” she said.
She also said the contest, while fun and exciting, adhered to the syllabus and involved English language skills.
“Students had to read articles from The Star, write their scripts, and then speak while creating the reels. The listening skill was also involved when they watched their friends’ reels. So, clearly, all four skills were covered: reading, writing, speaking and listening,” she said.
She added that such contests greatly benefit students, especially those from suburban areas with limited exposure to the English language.
“With such projects, learning is more fun and not confined to the classroom.
“Performing in front of an audience, regardless of the outcome, can help them believe more in their abilities.
“Also, recognitions, like certificates from Star Media Group, can boost students’ morale. We had five students in the top 23, and they were over the moon,” she shared.
Agreeing, English Language teacher Shereenor Sha’ari, who is also the Highly Immersive Programme coordinator at SMK Rantau, said the contest provided a good platform for students to showcase their talent and practise speaking English.
“Students were eager to join the competition; they gave good cooperation in creating the reels,” she said.
She expressed delight at her school’s second-place finish.
“I saw lots of videos submitted for the contest. I thought we didn’t have a chance to win anything.
“We will divide the vouchers among students who made the videos. As the teacher in charge, I will buy a token of appreciation for the students and teachers,” she said.
With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities.
1 Look in today’s newspaper for an inspirational person featured. If you had a chance to ask him or her three questions, what would they be? Brainstorm possible responses to your questions and role-play the interview with a partner.
2 Imagine you have been tasked with organising an English language contest for students at your school. What contest would you suggest, and why? In groups of four, discuss the contest mechanics, including its name, categories, what participants would need to do, and possible prizes. Then, present your proposal to the class.
The Star’s Newspaper-in- Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes the use of English language in primary and secondary schools nationwide.
For Star- NiE enquiries, email starnie@ thestar.com.my.
