Written by: Shermaine Lim
No man is an island. It goes without saying that synergy is an essential consideration when the 23 committees of NTUSU come together and work towards the fulfilment of its broader objectives. The Students’ Union regularly hosts events that necessitate the combined efforts of multiple parties. This includes the recent Fun Fiesta, a sprawling festival that brought together three committees and drew an attendance of at least 5000 students, and the annual NTUSU Bonding Day, held on 10th December 2018. Organised by NTUSU’s Human Resource Committee, it gathered the committee members comprising the Students’ Union – also known as the Ussociates.
To foster bonding with members from other committees, Ussociates were allocated to their respective groups, such that each had a diverse distribution of all portfolios. Members of the Executive Committee served as the group leaders, facilitating the activities designed to foster camaraderie among members.
After get-to-know-you sessions within their respective groups, a mass ice-breaker session followed after. First up was ‘Immortals’, where all players started off as ‘eggs’. By winning a scissors-paper-stone match with another player, one could hatch into a ‘chick’, before spectacularly developing into ‘chicken’ and then ‘phoenix’, before finally ascending the ranks as the legendary Immortal. Alas, if one lost the match, they were demoted to the previous rank and have to look for their respective counterparts of the same status to win them at scissors-paper-stone.
The next activity was ‘Animal Farm’, where Ussociates were blindfolded and instructed to locate members of their ‘own species’, using only sounds made by the animals they were assigned to. It sounded simple enough – except how do you replicate the sounds of a dragonfly or an octopus? The result was, as expected, hilarious, a mad buzz of blindfolded individuals knocking into one another shouting unintelligible gibberish. A few rounds of Station Games followed, being unique reinventions of familiar games featuring a variety of props. ‘Telephone Plasticine’, as the name suggests, was a cross between the game of Telephone and the activity of moulding plasticine. Unsurprisingly, in most times the plasticine ended up pressed into a specific shape. ‘What Did You Say?’ was arguably one of the most hilarious, where two participants were made to converse while listening to loud music on the earpiece.
Chairperson of the Human Resource Committee Rayna Sow said, “The activities were planned to ensure that Ussociates could step out of their everyday routines into a safe environment for them to bond and forge new friendships.”
This was echoed by Johnathan, the chairperson of the Welfare Initiatives Committee, who said that the games helped to “initiate a sense of community among the Ussociates from different committees”. Groups then moved on to Versus Games, where groups played against one another in games such as ‘Giant Tic Tac Toe’, in which participants had to physically fling huge Xs and Os in comical fashion onto a large grid plastered on the floor. A slight variation of dodgeball was also carried out, requiring participants to channel their athletic ability and their dancing skills alongside their music.
The highlight of the Bonding Day was the mass search game, a scavenger hunt spanning the entirety of The Arc. All members were challenged to find objects such as spoons and cards that were hidden within the facilities, which could be converted into points. However, players had to tie their hand with a partner before they could roam around the building.
To sum up the entire bonding session, there was a prize-giving ceremony to commend Ussociates for their enthusiasm and hard work. Teams were collectively awarded CapitaLand vouchers; commotion and excitement sparkled through the crowd as the teams were individually highlighted.
So, why does the integration of our student committees matter to NTUSU? By providing an avenue for Ussociates to interact and work together as a collective, the NTUSU community can continue to develop and grow in strength through their strengthened bonds. This, in turn, will provide the unity allowing NTUSU to serve our student population better.
Want to be part of our boisterous family? Join us as a Student Ambassador for the upcoming NTU Open House 2019 at our Recruitment Drive to be held in January! For more details, contact us at su-oh@e.ntu.edu.sg or check your school email. 😀
Image credit: NTUSU Corporate Communications
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