Summary draft #1

In the article, “Hotel New World Collapse”, Lim (2009) discussed the events leading up to the collapse of Hotel New World, which was caused by a series of engineering faults and poor building management. Hotel New World was a multi-story building that was constructed in 1971 and was located at Owen Road. According to Lim, the collapse of Hotel New World in 1986 was so devastating that it did not leave any walls and columns standing. After the collapse, rescue teams consisting of both local and foreign specialists were dispatched. Lim states that former president Wee Kim Wee initiated the commencement of the collapse investigation on 22 March 1986. Lim states that according to the investigation report, the primary reason for the collapse “was due to inadequate structural design of the building”. The additional installation on the roof also contributed and accelerated the collapse. The investigation report also mentioned that visible “cracks in the column, wall, and floor” were observed prior to the collapse. Further investigation showed that the team behind the construction consists of unqualified personnel.

Introduction letter

Dear Professor Brad, 

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Chong Chee Hian, Justin. I graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma in Civil Engineering with Business. Currently, I am pursuing a Degree in Civil Engineering at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). 

Since young, I have been fascinated by how superstructures are being built from a piece of land to a high-rise. My father whom is a civil engineer would then explain to me how a building is constructed and would also bring me to his construction site to observe. He would also point out to buildings that he had a hand in constructing. These experiences ignited my passion for civil engineering. Therefore, I have decided to follow my passion and pursue civil engineering. 

A communication weakness that I have is that I have a tendency to stutter during conversations. This may be attributed due to my anxiety. As a result, I often find myself repeating syllables or even entire words when conversing. Despite this, I am still able to engage and enter into conversations with strangers comfortably as a result of some communication skills that I have picked up during my part-time job at a hotel.

Communication is a skill that can never be mastered. However, my goal is to perfect my own form of communication and potentially overcome my stuttering by the end of the communication module. And not to be mocked by my friends for my stuttering. Furthermore, I hope to improve my vocabulary and have an even better grasp of grammar. The above mentioned would greatly boost my confidence and communication skills.

Best regards, 

Justin 

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Commented on Wai Yan's and Thoufeek's letter.