Take 5 Issue 33

Issue no. 33 OCTOBER 2014 26th jcrc edition

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Editor’s Note

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ver the past year, we have seen celebrations, shed tears of joy and sweats of hardship to bleeding the Fivers blood as we resonate to the heartbeat as one hall 5. All these moments captured and immortalised as photographs and words, all to be part of the legacy of Hall 5. It is high time we conclude this long but eventful and vibrant year with the welcoming of the new Fivers, to commemorating the Hall’s 26th birthday, to celebrating our achievements in Dinner and Dance, and lastly reliving our childhood at Reloaded. Relish in the moments again and relive the times as we bring to you the last issue by the 26th JCRC. Lee Kok Hong

People Publisher Hall of Residence 5 26th JCRC Editor Lee Kok Hong Assistant Editor Chia Yun Zhu Photographers Fann Lim Jeremy Tan Lee Kok Hong Design Jamie Koh Contributors Nicole Loh Lee Kai Lin Lee Kok Hong

Feedback Please send your feedback to KLEE015@e.ntu.edu.sg

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“The Freshmen Welcome Ceremony concluded on a high note. The night had come to an end, but a wonderful semester together for all Fivers had just begun. ”

Welcome Home to Hall V

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he green and orange blocks of Hall V buzzed with excitement on the first night of the new semester. Unhindered by the temporary closure of the Multi-Purpose Hall, Fivers came together on the 12th of August for the annual Freshmen Welcome Ceremony.

Nicholas Foo, 26th JCRC President, kicked off the event by warmly welcoming everybody back to school. He talked about Hall 5 being a home to come back to daily as students go through new phases and new beginnings. He challenged fivers to break boundaries and make university life as fulfilling as possible. “You will not remember your hours of cramming but what you will always remember are the fun and crazy things you do together”, said Nicholas.

Prof. Eddie, another familiar face in Hall V, then addressed the residents. The senior hall fellow was pleased to see Hall V traditions being handed down from batch to batch. He hoped that the annual grand finale of Hall V Orientation Camp (HAVOC) – a water fest among seniors and juniors – would be preserved. Prof Eddie encouraged the freshmen to take part in hall activities as much as possible, lauding it as good practice for the workplace where human relations is key in succeeding. He also emphasized on the importance of discipline in a university setting, where independence reigns and structure must be self-imposed.

This year, the JCRC had also invited a special speaker from the Student Wellbeing Centre (SWC) of NTU. Student Counselor Kelly Cheong very kindly touched on how to deal with the pressures of tertiary education. A point she brought up was to always prioritize well. Her advice was to keep a checklist of important things to do and to break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable components.

Kelly also acknowledged the difficulties of living with someone else. She urged residents to be receptive and willing to compromise with their roommates. Kelly ended her talk on a reassuring note, reminding students that the support staff at the SWC would always be available to help them.

A crucial part of the annual Freshmen Welcome Ceremony is the introduction of the different committees. Gerald Ng, Resident Secretary of the 26th JCRC, kicked it off by explaining the different JCRC portfolios. Next to speak were Celestine Ng and Chng Zhi Rong, producers of Quintsical Productions (QP) 22. The pair stressed on QP’s originality, with the music, script and props being made from scratch. Novitria Fajar Ilmayani, on the other hand, advised freshmen to step out of their comfort zones and join Quindanze. She said: “You’ve gotta dance like nobody’s watching.” Meji Jitmahanirun and Dominic Koh then gave a rousing account of their experience with Twenty-one Young Hearts (TYH), Hall V’s community service initiative. Quoting Mother Teresa, Meji said:

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“Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love”.

Following this, Mervyn Chiang and Ang Wan Ting took center stage as the new chairs of HAVOC. They began by thanking the committee of HAVOC ’14 for a job well done, followed by showing a heartwarming photograph montage of their journey this past year. Huang Weilun and Goh Bengfong, who were in charge of the 2014 Dinner and Dance (D&D) committee, then came forward to introduce DND portfolios. The pair also called for Fivers to register for DND 2014: Reelity to Reality.

Team Vikings, fresh from their second placing at HOCC 2014, then shared a moving account of how they became a winning cheer squad. Members of the team testified on the pride they felt at being part of something great. The Vikings had also prepared an inspiring video documenting their journey, from their first training session right up to their winning performance.

With that, the Freshmen Welcome Ceremony concluded on a high note. The night had come to an end, but a wonderful semester together for all Fivers had just begun. Hall V residents slowly made their way back to their rooms, bidding goodnight to the neighbours they would be seeing for the next year.

Nicole Loh

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TAKE 5

Throwback Twenty-Six

Hall Five’s 26th anniversary celebration was a retro-rewind party held at the scenic setting of Hort Park. Our hall was established in the late 80’s, and it’s always been a thrill for residents to recreate that era with whatever vintage inspirations strike us – from polka dots and suspenders to headbands and big glasses.

The old school theme for the evening was nailed right down to the spectacular stage backdrop – a projected image of shop houses, with each signboard representing a different committee. From ‘HAVOC’ to ‘TYH’, it looked like Hall Five was a street along Chinatown with offerings as colourful and exciting as our storefronts.

Emcees Meji Jitmahanirun and Nicholas Foo kicked off the birthday festivities by inviting our Senior Hall Fellow Professor

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“twenty-six generations of students have lived, laughed and loved in these same four blocks” Eddie to address us. He took time to honour the various achievements of our hall – such as being the first to produce plays with original scripts, and our cheerleading team being second to (n)one.

The lights dimmed and our jam band took to the stage to bring us on some sonic time travel. Their songs of choice, ‘Superman (It’s Not Easy)’, and ‘Closing Time’ took the nostalgia in the room to a new level.

The night ended with a series of generous giveaways, with some Fivers getting to return to hall with a new fridge or oven awaiting them. Prizes were also awarded to the best-dressed (Ti Jia Yi) and to the

pair of roommates with the most creative #Hall5BestRoomie video, which turned out to be Sherlyn Ng and Nerin Koh, for their sweet displays of roomie love.

We rode back to NTU that night knowing a little more about Hall Five. Maybe it was the fascinating montage of old photos that was screened, or the sudden realisation that twenty-six generations of students have lived, laughed and loved in these same four blocks – but this writer, at least, went back appreciating her home away from home a little more.

Lee Kai Lin

Reelity to Reality

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ovies came to life at Hall V’s Dinner and Dance (D&D) this year. Held at The Holiday Inn Atrium on 6th September 2014, this year’s D&D event was themed Reelity to Reality.

Fivers came dressed to the nines, ready for a night of good fun, great food and better company. The event kicked off with the two emcees fabulously sashaying down the catwalk. Nicholas Eng and Kamini Manivannan from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information certainly got the room warmed up.

As is customary at Hall V events, senior hall fellow Prof Eddie, gave the opening speech. So endearing was he that the emcees subsequently referred to him as “cute”.

Up next was what everyone had been waiting for: the showcase of the pageant contestants. The contestants strolled up in pairs for an introduction in the following order F1 & M1, Leshia and Sree; F2 & M2, Zainab and Amos; F3 & M3, Megan and Yong Kian; F4 & M4, Sara and Bryan and F5 & M5, Jeanette and Osama.

The pageant contestants had their first catwalk of the night, followed by short interviews by the emcees. Each pair was charming in their own way and got the audience chuckling with their candid answers.

ble but the latter eventually emerged as champions.

Continuing with the main highlight of D&D, F1 and M1 then showcased their video as well as their performance. Playing Mr and Mrs Smith were Sree and Leshia.

The duo put on a performance intended to depict the turmoil of romance. The pair certainly put up a good show, singing and dancing their way into the judges’ hearts.

F2 and M2 then strut their stuff onstage, bringing to life Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games. Zainab and Amos upped the temperature of the room with their badass poses and sexy dance moves.

“The night and its glittering glamour faded quickly, but Fivers went home with memories to last a lifetime.”

In their Titanic video, F3 and M3 they played Jack and Rose and got the room laughing. Megan and Yong Kian’s performance was sweet and charming. The multi-talented pair wowed with both their singing and dancing.

Their appetites whetted, the audience was then treated to a performance by the ballroom dancers from NTU Dancesport. The four dancers paired up and put on a fiery, passionate couple of numbers. Fivers were kept entertained as they enjoyed the first few courses of the night’s meal.

F4 and M4 certainly looked the parts of Mary Jane and Peter Parker from Spiderman. Sara and Bryan spun a web of intrigue as they revealed that their performance was going to be a little different.

The pageant couple speed-painted for their segment, impressing everyone with a painting of Spiderman drawn on the spot.

Keeping the excitement going, the emcees hosted a fun round of Treasure Hunt.

Competing against each other, tables rallied together to locate specific items like heels, socks and rings. It was a close call between the VIP table and a seniors’ ta-

Hall V’s very own James Bond and Bond girl then took center stage. F5 and M5, Jeanette and Osama, put up a fusion performance. Combining Korean songs and Bollywood dances, their segment was certainly a multi-cultural one.

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The pageant contestants then took a short breather. The audience witnessed a magician’s performance while their meal resumed.

Up next were the second couple catwalk as well as pageant-audience interaction games. The pageant girls and boys certainly knew how to work the room, coercing others to complete tasks like taking off their shirts or doing the chicken dance.

Before the much-anticipated results were announced, HAVOC and D&D chairmen took the stage. Mervyn and Wei Lun addressed their respective committees in short speeches.

Then it was time for the moment of truththe prize-giving ceremony. After hours of training for the performance that night, the pageants were crowned with the following titles, with Yong Kian and Leshia earning the title of Mr and Ms Popular, Osama and Zainab being Mr and Ms Personality and Sree and Megan being crowned Hollywood Prince and Princess.

As tradition goes, the reigning of Pageant Queen and King were invited for a final walk before handing over their titles. As last year’s Hall King - Clement Tng - was unable to attend, the Hall Prince took his place. Iris Seah and Shaun Wu walked down the runway, sashes and tiaras in hand for the grand crowning. As Fivers held their breath, Osama and Zainab were crowned Hollywood King and Queen for the coming year. The audience broke out in enthusiastic cheering for the pair - both of whom won double sashes.

Hall V’s Dinner and Dance 2014 came to an end as Fivers gathered around taking pictures with each other. The night in its glittering glamour was fading quickly, but Fivers went home with memories to last a lifetime.

Nicole Loh

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Relive, Remember, Reloaded to go and claim the battlefield. Each match was played team vs team, and the team with the least amount of revivals in a match will be concluded the winner.

The order of battle was set such that every team will be able to take on 2 other teams.

The battlefield seemed to come alive the moment each match started,with the players darting around, proning on the grass with a gun in their hands. Various elements and artefacts on the battlefield (upslopes, forested areas, abandoned van) were used effectively as camouflage and hiding areas to the teams’ advantage.

“every single Fiver giving their all and fighting fiercely for their team”

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ow does it feel like to have a day where everyone can relive their childhood fantasies of running about and shooting with guns….. as players of laser tag games? The day started off early in the morning, with Fivers gathering together at the hall’s amphitheater, all wearing shirts that said “Shoot ‘em up”. Fivers were split into different teams, each headed by a JCRC member. Team by team, everyone got onto the chartered buses and headed towards Sentosa, where the laser tag activity was hosted by Combat Skirmish.

Despite the sweltering hot weather, everyone trudged up the slopes of Sentosa enthusiastically to where Combat Skirmish is situated at: Fort Siloso, while the golden rays of the sun shined through the clouds, promising an exciting day ahead.

After a short briefing by the Combat Skirmish instructors, the teams were all ready

Very soon into the game, it was every team for themselves, and by tapping into their creative sides, various tactics were smartly employed. The interesting list of tactics included: players hiding behind non-playing Fivers while sniping at their opponents, camping in the bushes to avoid confrontational open fire with their opponents, teammates, who had lost all their lives using themselves as a shield for their fellow team players. It was sight to behold, seeing every single Fiver giving their all and fighting fiercely for their team, yet having fun and reliving their childhood, it truly reflected the Fiver spirit that all Fivers should be proud of.

As this was the last event organised by the 26th JCRC, Vice-President, Jaymond Yang decided to conclude the event with a finale match between the 26th and upcoming 27th JCRC. It was indeed a bittersweet moment as the members of the 26th JCRC work hand in hand again as a committee for the last time. The chemistry they shared and the rapport they have built in the past one year’s journey was promptly exhibited in the game as they took on their friendly match with the incoming 27th JCRC before stepping down as JCRC members.

Finally, the event concluded with the announcement of the top 3 winning teams and prizes were given out. Every single Fiver returned as a satisfied winner in their own right, having remembering and reliving their childhood days. This is indeed a promising Saturday morning well spent.

Lee Kok Hong

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