"When the Japanese lost the war and surrendered, British soldiers returned to Singapore, and schools prepared for their re-opening. As transport to and out of Singapore had not resumed fully, the chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr Lim Keng Lian, was still in Chongqing, while Mdm Liew, who had stayed in Cameron Highlands for safety, had not returned to Singapore. Thus, a group of alumni came forward and decided to establish an alumni association and worked together to accelerate the re-opening of the school. On 7 October, the alumni association held the inaugural meeting and more than a hundred alumni turned up to discuss plans for their alma mater to resume operations as swiftly as possible. The alumni association was established under these circumstances. 

Source: Nanyang Schools Alumni Association and Nanyang Schools (2017). Nanyang Centenary: A Vision Celebrated. p.30

,A total of 255 students responded in which 82.7% indicated that they use slang daily in their everyday language. When asked what they enjoy about using slang terms in their conversations, many explained how slang is a powerful tool for self-expression that allows them to be understood, appear relatable and build more intimate connections with their peers. Slang also helps them in their daily lives by providing a convenient way for them to convey the meaning of many words as one, and can even be used to lighten the mood of a tense conversation due to its lighthearted tone. 

Lim Jiaqi from Class 206 weighs in on the results:

I think the popular terms, particularly the English ones, are an accurate indication of the slang terms we use daily. To me, slang is not just a trendy mode of communication but also serves to convey certain ideas more concisely. This really helps in this fast-paced information age where the need to convey more information while capturing the essence of the situation, whilst expressing our opinion, is crucial.

For example, the slang, "situationship" gives a more precise context to two people in a relationship who are dating, yet not considered an official couple. This demonstrates how slang has become an essential tool in popularising new ideas and concepts and indicating societal shifts in the way we express ourselves. Slang also has the added advantage of allowing us to provide our views about a specific matter more subtly. 

Unfortunately, the use of slang has its drawbacks, one of which is the cultural misappropriation of certain terms with their vastly different meanings across different contexts. After reading more about the history of many popular slang terms, I realised while some slangs such as "GOAT" are modern-day inventions of the canon, many of them have their roots tied to the culture of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE)- a form of African American speech (or dialect) that distinguishes itself from standard English with its unique grammatical structure, semantics and syntax. 

Although the history of AAVE is not clear, this dialect has made their way onto social media platforms and have been popularised by influencers; often resulting in its misuse with its incorporation in Gen Z slang. In an article I read from The Washington Post, an African American interviewee said that the widespread use of words from her dialect have caused them to lost their meaning because people use the words incorrectly. She also mentions that slang words such as "slay" and "cap" take on slightly different meanings in the context of AAVE, and these words have been used by people who do not fully grasp the meaning.

In another example, the word "spaz" is extremely offensive in mainstream English and can be seen as offensive to the epileptic community. Yet, certain speakers of AAVE do not consider this a slur word. I think the key here is to continue to educate ourselves about the history of everyday slang words and its association with cultural appropriation and to always remain alert, sensitive, and responsive to other people's cultural practices and behaviour.