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Meet Vivien Wee ! She is a year 1 student in Nanyang Polytechnic, studying Mass Media Management. She got into NYP through the Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) before she finished her O levels! If you are considering applying for EAE, why not hear from Vivien herself? 1. Tell us more about yourself and why did you choose to join NYP through EAE? I was a Normal Academic student from Beatty Secondary School and I completed my O levels in 2016. I was in the National Cadet Corp (Air) in secondary school. Since young, my friends and family have been telling me about NYP. My closest cousin, uncle, and my secondary school seniors and friends were from NYP. Personally, I feel that NYP is like a family. NYPians are accepting of people and will not judge others based on looks, disability, studies and family background. NYP has this family warmth and I feel loved by my peers in NYP. Additionally, NYP is conveniently located near Yio Chu Kang MRT station, which is 5 stations away from my home. So i...

Though the falls of Douglas are striking and dramatic, there are many more falls on the North Fork as it makes its descent into the Blackwater Canyon. Indeed, an intriguing entry in Philip Pendleton Kennedy�s Blackwater Chronicle led me to look for one of them. In Kennedy�s description of his scramble down the North Fork below Douglas Falls, he wrote: �This level of the stream, however . . .  leads you to a second large fall, a clear pitch again of some forty feet.� When I read that, my eyes widened. A second large fall as high as Douglas? I had neither read of these falls in any modern travel guides nor seen photographs of them. Was Kennedy exaggerating�merely caught up in the thrall of the cascades?  Kennedy Falls Following in the Footsteps I had to find out, and the only way to do so was to follow in his footsteps. With the help of some kayakers who ran the North Fork, I found the falls. I�ll call them Kennedy Falls after Philip Pendleton Kennedy, the man who first wrote of...

�Perhaps in all this broad land of ours, whose wonders are not yet half revealed, no scene more beautifully grand ever broke on the eye of poet or painter, historian or forester. The Blackwater here evidently breaks its way sheer down through one of the ribs of the backbone of the Alleganies. The chasm through which the river forces itself thus headlong tumultuous down, is just wide enough to contain the actual breadth of the stream. On either side, the mountains rise up, almost a perpendicular ascent, to the height of some six hundred feet. They are covered down their sides, to the very edge of the river, with the noblest of firs and hemlocks . . .� Douglas Falls The Blackwater Chronicle Philip Pendleton Kennedy penned those words in 1852 in a colorful account called The Blackwater Chronicle: A Narrative of and Expedition into the Land of Canaan. And who could blame him for waxing poetic. He was leading a party of fellow adventurers into a raw and relatively unexplored region of West ...

The Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park is one of the most photographed sights in West Virginia drawing more than 200,000 people every year. You�ll find pictures of the mill at Babcock on calendars, postcards, magazines, and travel brochures. Most of the visitors to Babcock have a camera in their hands wanting to take home their own photos of this West Virginia icon. In photographing the Babcock Mill and the Glade Creek Falls for the last 15 years, I�ve learned that many points of view (pov) can be found to capture the falls and the mill, but generally most people settle for two traditional views. View from the Rocks at the End of Stairs For their first shot of the falls and the mill, most people traditionally take the stairs behind the lodge down to the pond and shoot from the rocks at the end of the stairs. From this pov both the falls and mill are close and produce good composition. View from Sewell Road Opposite the Dam Another traditional point of view is to walk down Sew...

If you like waterfalls, you�ll love the Big Branch Trail of the New River Gorge. Depending upon how you count them, you�ll see six or seven waterfalls in the space of � mile. For the sheer joy of seeing water descend over rock, the Big Branch Trail is hard to beat. I won�t describe all the waterfalls in this blog, but we�ll take a look at most of them. Big Branch Falls Trailhead The trailhead is about 4 miles from Hinton on the River Road�the road that takes you to Sandstone Falls. Look for the trailhead across the road from the Brooks Falls overlook. Starting at the trailhead, take the left-hand fork, which after about 500 feet of woodland walking leads to the streambed of Big Branch. At this point the trail crosses Big Branch for the first of four times. Since this stream doesn�t have a large watershed, it�s generally a trickle in summer and fall. But in winter and spring, it�s full enough that you should plan to get your boots wet when crossing. First Waterfall First Waterfall Befo...

Since spring is here, some tips on the art of wildflower photography might be appropriate. Let me begin by saying that I am only expressing my opinions about the subject. In my view, the qualities of a good wildflower photograph are those that: exalt the beauty, uniqueness, and character of a wildflower as seen and felt by the photographer in its natural setting. Delving deeper into the art of wildflower photography, I believe a good image employs the wildflower as a means of evoking emotions, provoking thoughts, and inviting the observer to explore the nature of self and the world. In this blog, I would like to share eight images that illustrate my approach to the art of wildflower photography. Purple Fringed Orchid Focus on the unique:   This image of a purple-fringed orchid highlights the intricate fringes of the orchid. By taking a profile view of the flower head and by eliminating any background detail that would distract or obscure the blossom, the fine structure of the fring...

Hey there freshmen! Welcome to Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP)! NYP will be your home for the next three years and you will definitely enjoy yourself here! Be prepared to gain important knowledge, meet new friends and learn more about the world. To help you out, here is a quick guide that includes important information and some campus tips. Without further ado, let�s get started! 1) LAPTOP ROADSHOW 2017 Every year, there will be a laptop roadshow in NYP for all students and staff. If you do not have a laptop, you are encouraged to purchase one as there will be e-learning assignments and project work to be done throughout your three years.         The roadshow will feature devices at special prices for students. TIP! Do your research on the laptops� specifications before purchasing. You can view the models available by clicking this link .  Laptop Roadshow details: Date: Mon, Apr 17 �  Sat, Apr 22 Time: 9am to 6pm (Monday to Friday), 9am to 3pm (Saturday) Venue: ...