How fast kids ‘grow’ up these days. When the 20 quarter-finalists of Campus SuperStar were plucked from their plebeian student lives to become future idols more than a week ago, they looked so utterly wholesome and fresh-faced that I have to keep my hands from pinching those chubby cheeks.   But I didn’t have to restrain myself at the programme’s press conference yesterday; the contestants had on such thick layers of foundation and blusher that no way was I going to accomplish my deed without leaving behind a copious amount of goo on my fingers!   After the make-up, the metamorphosis from geeky to trendy became almost complete after the contestants were sent down to Monsoon hair salon in Bugis for a swanky new hairstyle earlier this week. All that’s left now is to get them some fashionable threads for their TV performance beginning Jan 2, 2006.   (Photo: From left, Clara Tan, Koh Bee Kwee)

From left: Ng Yang Ce, Geraldine See, Choo Siew Ping	From left: Ng Chee Yang, Alejandro Hou, Ho Chee Mun, Samuel Tan	From left: Hong Yuyang, Kenneth Lim, Adriano Huang

Campus Transformations Yvonne Chua from Tanjong Katong Girls’ School (Victoria Junior College in 2006) had one of the most prominent transformations. The 16-year-old formerly had long hair reaching to her chest but that was chopped off on Wednesday to shoulder length. Gone as well was her fringe. “The stylist asked me if I wanted to have a short fringe. I was still thinking about the matter when he snipped it off! Now I look like Emily the Strange (a comic book and fashion apparel character) but I think I’ll like it eventually,” the now Kate Ong-lookalike said. (Photo: From left, Yvonne Chua, Teresa Tseng, Ng Imm Khim)

The twins Sheena (on the left) and Shermaine Goh (right) have made it possible for the public to recognize them now. Sheena, older by ‘one to three minutes’, from St Andrew’s Junior College, now has shorter hair than sis Shermaine, and if your ears are sharp enough, you can sound them apart from their voices too!   “Our voices are similar but there are some differences too. Mine has a higher pitch while Shermaine’s voice is groovier.” explained Sheena.   “We are also trying to distinguish ourselves by going different ways musically too,” Shermaine added.   With both of them in the competition, the two girls laughed that mum and dad must vote equally for them!

Campus Spotlight   Olinda Cho she’s not, but 17-year-old Geraldine See stands out from the rest of the female contestants just as much with her pants-loving ways. She even wears pants to school (ITE College West, Clementi Campus)!   “I’ve already told the stylists that I don’t want to wear skirts. I haven’t worn one in two years, since I left secondary school! Why? Because I play basketball every day and I can’t be wearing a skirt during the game. Unless it’s a big or formal event that requires me to wear a skirt, I’ll still go for casual jeans,” the pretty dimpled-face girl said.   Don’t be expecting the student to ‘succumb’ to pressure and don a skirt for the competition like Olinda did too. Geraldine (or Dean, as her fan posters read) asserted that she wants to stick to her own style, “I really don’t like skirts… I feel very self-conscious in them, having to watch the way I stand and behave. It’s not me at all. I wouldn’t mind wearing tight-fitting tops though, but no lace please!” The style that fit her best, she added, is hip-hop fashion.

Her sartorial insistence doesn’t make Geraldine a stubborn girl though; she claims she has already changed a lot for the competition! “I never wear make-up because I have very sensitive skin and my face would itch. I have no choice here, so this is already a big step forward for me! Plus this is the first time in all my 17 years that I’ve plucked my eyebrows!” she laughed.   Campus SuperStar isn’t Geraldine’s first brush with fame; she nearly became a contracted artiste two years ago! The music school that she was with then wanted to sign her on but her father disapproved as she had her ‘O’ Levels exams then. “I have no regrets and neither do I blame my father because I know he has my best intentions at heart. If I had released an album then, I might not even be able to study in ITE because my grades aren’t good,” she said.   Alejandro Hou from Bendemeer Secondary School has a name as foreign and exotic as his background. His parents are from China and he was born in Peru. He returned to Guangzhou, China when he was three years old and came to Singapore to study at age 8.   The 15-year-old boy, who stressed that he’s a foreigner, not a permanent resident, didn’t sound very confident of himself. “My voice isn’t as good as the rest of the contestants, but my mum (who’s working in Singapore) knows that I’m in this competition and she’ll surely vote for me,” he said.

 

Campus Camaraderie   No bitching among the 20 contestants yet and everyone’s been really nice, the twins told us. So chummy are they that they even organized ‘excursions’ to karaoke operator K-Box to sing and practice! Isn’t it expensive? I asked. “Student privileges, $13 only!” Sheena giggled.   After the press conference ended with ‘seniors’ Tan Wei Lian, Kelly Poon, Hong Junyang and Chew Sin Huey performing their Christmas medley and the Campus contestants spraying a frenetic flurry of ‘snow’ and streamers, the kids were seen gaily helping each other remove errant confetti from their hair. Everyone now: Aww…

Project SuperStart alums Chew Sin Huey, Tan Wei Lian, Kelly Poon, Hong Junyang and Sugianto came to support the young ones.	Sin Huey just had an operation to remove the mole at her left eyelid! "It was an inauspicious mole," she said. (See the small plaster there?)	Y.E.S 93.3FM DJs Lin Peifen and Dasmond Koh - the host of the press conference and Campus SuperStar respectively.

 

Geraldine has 11 ear piercings altogether: six on her left and five on her right, including an especially huge one that's 5mm in diameter!! Screams from the younger girls erupted when they saw the piercing, but the gung-ho big sis quickly laughed it off and assured them "It's not painful at all!"

The Fan Entourage

A Tanjong Katong Girls' School doll issued by the school was brought along to support Yvonne. Isn't it cute?!			Mr Security Guard, deeply affected by the fans' raucous screams.

Campus SuperStar (competition round) will be shown ‘live’ on Channel U from Jan 2, 2006, every Monday at 8pm. The result show will be at a delayed telecast time at 11.30pm on the same day.

Viewers hold 70% of the voting rights via SMS and Telepoll while the remaining 30% is controlled by the judges.