Announcements
ab last supper!
Writer: Ginny Quek
Editor: Ong Qing Liang
AB Block had its last supper for the semester on Monday and it was very aptly named ”The Last Supper”. There was no Halloween theme involved which seemed to be the main theme that most of the other blocks were revolving around so it was a refreshing change! Although I suppose some might argue that it might make the supper seem too mundane. However, any lack of theme was soon made up for by the feast that was spread out in front of our eyes.
ab block head, eddie, declaring the supper open!
tasty nuggets!
golden brown hashbrowns
ice cream!
There was indeed a wide variety of food available, and in abundant quantities too! Just to name a few dishes, there was pasta, potato salad, fried finger food, prata sausage (which was really tasty!), sandwiches as well as jelly and fruits for dessert to complete the scrumptious menu! The AB block committee had truly outdone themselves this time round.The amount of effort that must have been put in by the block committee to prepare all this food must have been huge, judging by the quality of the food! Here’s a sneak peak at what went on behind the scenes!
power of teamwork - 8 hands to open 1 can!
why the potato salad ended up looking up like mashed potato
super pro watermelon cutter
oops!
However, owing to the fact that many of the residents were busy with the photoshoot and numerous CCA trainings that were ongoing at the same time, the turnout was lesser than expected. But still, there was a good turnout with about two-third of the residents coming down to enjoy the supper. We also had some unexpected guests from CD block whom we warmly welcomed. After all, we’re all from the East Wing family! 
food makes ppl happy!
more happy faces!
After the supper, there was still some food left so we shared the love with the Hallplay set builders and photo committee people who had been hard at work the whole night to thank them for their efforts. The gesture was definitely very well-received and both groups welcomed the treat with open arms (or rather, mouths). All in all, it was a heart-warming and cosy supper which was an excellent way to end off the activities of Semester 1! Now, everybody will be settling in to mug so good luck to all and have fun preparing for the finals! 
cd dessert night!
Writer: Ashish
Editor: Ong Qing Liang
CD Dessert Night took place on a cool, Tuesday night, kicking off at 10pm. Many CD blockers came down, all dressed in their new CD block shirts for this year. Amidst the sea of yellow, you could just make out the colourful sweets that the block committee had provided the gathering with. Leaving no effort wanting, the block committee presented an extravagant menu for all to indulge in. The premiun selection for the evening included the following palatable items; soursop drink, chocolate cream puffs, jelly, Sara Lee cheesecake, raspberry cakes and ice cream! However, the star dishes of the night were undisputedbly Jordan’s “extra creamy” salad and banana with melted chocolate.
food!
more food!
These last 2 dishes, though popular, required a lot of effort from the block committee. It took over an hour for Jordan just to make his special salad.! Even though I pestered the chef for details regarding his recipe, he would not budge. In the end, the only info I managed to dig out was that the salad is a mixture of fruits cocktail, peaches, nata de coco, grapes, banana and coconut with cream.
The story behind the banana topped with chocolate is also quite interesting. According to a reliable source, the guys first attempted to melt the chocolate but unfortunately, they used a wrong method to melt it and the chocolate actually turned lumpy! 
The chocolate seemed destined for the dustbin when Nicholas, the vice block head, wanted to throw it away, thinking that it was spoilt. However, by a miraculous stroke of luck (or rather, due to the greedy taste buds of some), the chocolate was saved from the dustbin when some of the cooks tasted it and actually liked it! I guess CD blockers can only thank their lucky stars as had the dish been thrown away, a great culinary experience would have been denied to all!!
ice cream murder!
past and present block heads
The event culminated at 11pm, with all blockers having satisfied the sweet tooth in them. It was a refreshing experience seeing so many blockers turn up to de-stress and hang out with fellow blockers. Thank you CD block committee for such a wonderful evening!
cd block!
Written by: Adrian Chia
Photos by: Adrian Chia
Congratulations to the 11th Xing Qing Rong Ji (XQRJ) Organising Committee and the Rag & Flag Committee 2008/09 for winning the prestigious awards!
11th XQRJ
Aik Leong representing the Rag & Flag Committee
On 30th October 2009, the NUS Student Achievement Award Ceremony was held at the Heng Mui Keng Auditorium. An annual event aimed at giving recognition to exceptional individual students or student groups who have made noteworthy contributions to activities outside of their academic curriculum and brought honour to the University, it was certainly a glorious feat for KEVII Hall to be represented by the two committees above. XQRJ received the award under the Arts and Culture category – a recognition to their long-running accomplishments in bringing cultural and dynamic vibrancy to the University. On the other hand, the Rag & Flag Committee was honoured under the Community Projects’ category for its unwavering support of the NUSSU Rag & Flag.
At 4.45pm, a few XQRJ members, all very smartly dressed, were spotted outside the Main Lounge, eagerly waiting for their other colleagues to arrive. The mood was clearly a celebratory and cheerful one, as it was also their gathering after a long time since they last got together as a committee. When they reached the venue, it was already teeming with many student leaders, award winners and guests. After a rather long wait, the event finally got underway with the arrival of NUS President, Prof. Tan Chorh Chuan, who was the Guest of Honour. In his speech, Prof. Tan highlighted the importance of participating in co-curricular activities, which make one’s eduction much more holistic and complete. Several notable individuals who attained highly acclaimed prizes in international competitions were also given special mention.
The award presentation proceeded next and various student groups and individuals took turns to receive their awards from the President. It was definitely a jubilant moment for the award recipients as the beaming smiles on their faces clearly showed their sense of accomplishment. What followed next certainly made everyone even happier, as they were treated to a buffet dinner! Over the food and drinks, many individuals also took the opportunity to network with one another. However, more importantly it was the perfect occasion to capture all the glam and glory in the form of photos!
Receiving the award from Prof. Tan
A shot with Hall Master
Yummy!!
According to Aik Leong, “passion” and “dedication” were the two most important elements for a committee’s success. Be it Rag or Flag, “[when] it came down to the grind, the sweat and toil of every single member, who sacrificed their vacation to give their all to the cause, was the key factor in the success”. Similarly in XQRJ, their achievement would not have been possible without all the hard work put in. Once again, congratulations to the two committees and hopefully, KEVII Hall will continue to be represented in next year’s edition of the ceremony!
CD Halloween Night
Writer: Ng Sze Hwee
Photos: Zhang Jiyuan
Editor: Ong Qing Liang
It was a dark, hazy and serene night. Everything seemed exceptionally peaceful, seemingly serving as a prelude to the gloomy forecast for the night. What you are going to see is not for the faint-hearted definitely. Are you ready?
Sadako pays a visit to CD
Sadako and her friends
The creatures started their haunting at around 8.30pm, creeping along the corridors of CD, knocking on blockers’ doors and scaring the wits out of unsuspecting blockers who opened the door. Toilet-goers were not spared either. The monsters hid outside the toilets, pouncing on exiting toilet-goers. Well, luckily the victims had already relieved themselves. Otherwise, I guess the uncle will have a hard time cleaning up the results of uncontrolled bladder action the following day. The responses were varied and priceless—Some were so scared that they slammed the door after giving a high-pitched “Ahhhhh”; some stoned while looking at the enthusiastic monsters, while some laughed with them. The scaring continued as the block committee members went randomly down CD block to look for more potential victims.
As the clock struck 10pm, another scream was heard. “HALLOWEEN… CD Halloween!!!!” It was a call for the blockers to go down to the lounge for supper.
The lounge was intricately decorated with dangling bats and spooky music filled the room, creating the perfect eerie atmosphere. When everyone had arrived, the night started with the first game: ”The Word Search Puzzle” . Blockers were split into different groups and competed to complete the search for 20 over words in a pile of jumbled up words and letters. I must admit this was one of the hardest word search puzzles I had ever come across. However, with our unwavering determination and strong team work, my team emerged champion! And, we won 2 puppets!
CD blockers engrossed in the word search
Sweet victory!
Next up, we had some food. However, the amount of food was unusually little this time round. As we were wondering why there was so little food, Terence announced the start of the next game: “The Bid For Food”. All of us were divided into 2 teams (A and B), with ) and had to bid for 7 items with the “Halloween bills” ($100 each) pasted on our doors. Team A, having brought down all their “Halloween bills”, naturally had more spending power. The 7 items were unknown to us but a clue was given as to what they could be. The identity of the item was only revealed after the bid was final and the catch was: the team who won the bid had to FINISH ALL the food, regardless of what the food was or how bad (or good) it tasted. And here’s the menu for the night…
Item 1: Dragon’s poo. Something sweet.
Final bid: $200
Winning team: Team A
What it was: Cupcakes with M&M’s chocolate! Yummy!
Dragon's Poo!
Item 2: Vampire’s blood
Final bid: $200
Winning team: Team B
What it was: Tomato juice
Team B sharing the Vampire's Blood
Item 3: Rancid goo
Final bid: $700 (Note: this made team B even poorer)
Winning team: Team B
What it was: Super sour Jelly! (haha! )
Cringing face
Item 4: Old scream
Final bid: $1000
Winning team: Team A
What it was: Oreo with the creamy side-up, topped with M&Ms.
Item 5: Blue balls
Final bid $400
Winning team: Team A
What it was: Blue fishballs.
Blue balls
Item 6: Devil’s fruit
Final bid: $200
Winning team: Team A
What it was: Dragon fruit with wasabi (yucky hot…)
Item 7: Witch’s potion
Final bid: $1200
Winning team: Team A (the richer group! Team B lost as they had no more money!)
What it wa: GINGER BEER. Cheers to our victory!
All in all, it was a memorable Halloween party especially as one bottle of ginger beer ‘exploded’, ending the night with a ‘Boomz’. Happy Halloween!
f block halloween supper
Writer: Jonathan Chan
Photos: Kelvin Anggara & Lee Khar Suan
KE Press: “So Cun Zhi, tell KE Press why you organized this event?”
Cun Zhi: “Uh. To enrich the life of F-blockers”
This simple answer from one of F-block’s most well known Block Committee members, in charge of this project, belied the effort and energy put into the production of F-block’s Halloween Supper, as the Monday night event once again allowed the F-blockers to interact and have fun.
On that night, I was studying half-heartedly and keeping an ear out for the sounds which would indicate the start of F-block’s Halloween Supper. Two doors down, Adrian must have been keeping a similar vigil, because we heard a clang and a few crashing noises from the balcony, thought it was some special sound effects that the Block Comm had come up with for the occasion, and so rushed down to the F3 rooftop only to discover preparations were still underway during which someone had dropped a heavy metallic object. An anti-climax to be sure, but it underlined the motor reflex which connects the typical KEVIIan’s stomach and legs.
Sure enough, 20 minutes later, the familiar yells of “F-BLOCK SUUUUUUPPERRRRRR” floated through the night air as Hazel, Mae Yue and company performed their usual laryngeal calisthenics. I pulled on my “Blue Blood” F-block shirt and headed back down the stairs.
A figure with a ghostly white face met me on the F4 fire escape. I blinked at the apparition before the ponytail which flicked around its shoulders identified itself as Jeana who was heading to the pantry. I looked over the railing and watched in slight incredulity at the sight of artificial cobwebs trailing down to the balcony, where numerous white-faced F-block comm members were gathered. The night air was filled with howls, moans and other other-wordly noises as Khar Suan’s laptop and the tracks it contained did its own bit to build up the atmosphere. Hui Shan bounded around, brandishing a paintbrush with white face paint. “Jon Chan! Want paint? MARK! You have no paint! COME HERE!”
Hui Shan wielding her paintbrush
F-blockers enjoying supper
Andy displays a creative design on his face
KE Press: “Tell me something interesting about the supper?”
Cun Zhi: “We had a lot of fun with the face paint. Everyone took turns to draw on each other’s faces, and everyone managed to express their creative side for once. The Halloween games also lah. Some people were made to drink some sick stuff”
The game in question was a modification of the traditional trick or treat. Led by a ghostly and rather vindictive Mae Yue, brave F-blockers stepped up to draw a coupon from a box which would either allow them to gain a free piece of pizza (albeit with painted faces), or drink the afore-mentioned “sick stuff”, itself a mixture of blended carrots, tomatoes and celery. And one by one they did, to the yells and cheers of the watching crowd.
Ching Tze preparing the "sick stuff"
And of course, there was food! Chicken nuggets, sticks of fruit, noodles, the usual potato chips and a fizzy F-block love potion were all up for grabs. The blue-clad F-blockers quickly swept through the line of food, happily eating and talking.
Chin Ee: We also had fun making the watermelon
Cun Zhi: Yea we made a Jack-o-watermelon
Mae Yue: Though one committed suicide
Jack-o-watermelon
Of course, the more intricate decorations had to be acknowledged too. A lovingly-carved pair of Jack-O-Watermelons were made by the block comm, though one took a jump off the balcony and ended up as a squishy red heap at the bottom of F-block. These were put to good use, as evidenced by the Block Comm member depicted below.
The supper wound down to a rousing toast from the massed F-blockers. As everyone let the fizzy juice wash down the food from the night, one had to admit that the night’s activity really fulfilled F-block’s reputation of Fun, Food, and most importantly, Family.
A toast to end the night
Happy F-blockers
By: Wang Liansheng
Photos: Sien Long
It was euphoria for all when the KE Float was awarded “Best Rag Performance” and “Most Environmentally-Friendly Float”. The entire hall was absolutely beaming with pride over such awesome accolades – something we had desired for so long, and finally achieved this year. Months after the hard work, KE Press now turns to the heroes behind the scenes to hear their secrets to success, and find out all the juicy gossip they have to share. For this article, we have Sien Long, from the RAG team.
Thumbs up for KEVII! Sien Long is first from the left.
Q: For our audience, introduce yourself briefly!
A: Hello, the name’s Sien Long, a typical year 2 Food Science & Technology (FST) student who enjoys eating, playing but not mugging =) On top of that, this insomniac loves running, music, milk, and good food. And one thing I’d want to clarify that is its Sien Long and not Hsien Loong, they might sound the same but totally different persons.
Q: So what was the special, critical role you took on in Float?
A: I was the production manager (PM) of this year’s KEVII Float – KEnovo. I believe the “critical” role in float is not mine but those of each and every KEnovo floater that formed this incredible team, but I do admit that the PM is a special role because you are one of the only 2 who can get the kick of directing the float lorry during Rag Day itself =D
Q: Share with us what you thought was the most outstanding part of Float this year.
A: The most amazing part of this year’s float is basically the tremendous effort of the people behind KEnovo who made this happen. Whether it is ROCKE or the new blood of KEVIIans this year, I would like to thank every form of support you all have given.
Apart from that, I want to give a thumbs up to all KEnovo floaters. We walked out of our comfort zone this year and went all the way with such a daring and impossible float design. We’ve been through times when all the odds were against us, from a lag of 2 weeks behind production schedule to even lorry battery failure. I still remember this quote of a senior, “everyday in the morning when I enter the tentage, I see a different float”. I’ve seen my team conjure up countless miracles which brought us back on schedule especially the construction of Willy himself during the final few weeks of production.
Introducing the workers behind the scenes
Q: Time to confess, what was the most unforgettable snippet of event that happened during Rag? Any person left an indelible mark in your life? =)
A: The most unforgettable moment for me and every single KEnovo floater is when we marched our float gloriously into SRC on mounting night with our KE Chant deafening all the other Halls and Faculties. I believe those who were present on mounting night itself will definitely remember that moment for a lifetime.
P.S. : And the number of McD Deliverys we had =p
Q: What words of wisdom would you offer those interested to take on the time-consuming yet extremely rewarding Float next year? Any suggestions for next year’s theme or design?
A: If you want it, go all the way! It is not just a time when you don’t have to worry about studies and commit fully to a hall CCA, not just the time that you are upfront on the battlefield for your hall, but also a time to enjoy and make many friends of a lifetime. 
But always remember, dare to dream and don’t constrain yourself to the traditions of KE7, be bold in your design and carry on that “New Beginning” that KEnovo has brought
Q: Was it tough juggling work and hall activities for you? How was it possible for you to overcome all these problems?
A: Not as tough as one could imagine, some activities towards the end of semester 2, but other than that all I had to manage was the home sickness throughout the holidays. Thanks to all the support of friends and family, I survived =D
Q: Describe the days of post-float – Is it all back to studies and no more fun?
A: Definitely NO =p Though everyone is back to the normal semester life, we still get together often for birthday celebrations and gossip around on the potential couples of KEnovo haha. But its still amazing when you walk around hall and realize that even after float, those comrades who went through all the hardship with you are still alive, kicking, and fighting on for our Hall.
Q: Lastly, what’s up for you in the days to come?
A: Studies… and my other family – XQRJ of course =)
“Float is not just an activity, It is a way of life!”
“Once a floater, always a floater!”
Sien Long
PM KEnovo
Indeed, Sien Long has provided rare insights not only on being the Production Manager of KEnovo, but also several very interesting snippets on being a resident in KEVII. Now, who’s up for the job next year?
Internal Culture Night 2009
By: Akhilesh Narayan
Photos: Cao Ying and Zhou Shuo
Nine cultural groups, one night and an escape into the world of diverse cultures present in King Edward VII Hall. The 22nd of October 2009 was a night filled with a variety of dances and songs, a drama, a movie and a very gripping display of martial arts, all of which gave shape to KE’s Internal Cultural Night. The emcees for the night were Asher and Lisa, who had a small skit of their own before every performance. They did not allow the audience to feel dull at any moment, while the stage crew propped the stage up for the next cultural group. The night was inaugurated by F Block Resident Fellow, Dr. Seow Teck Keong who announced to the audience that there was something extra special about this particular ICN.
There was a small opening ceremony which consisted of dancers, colourful curtains and very sensual and soothing music. It was just the right thing to calm everyone down before the burst of energy that would grip the entire Hall in the next few hours. And just as the calm music subsided and the dancers faded away, the KE Titans burst into the Comm Hall from what seemed to be literally every entrance. The cheerleaders in red and black brought along with them a thunderous applause and an immense amount of KE spirit as they charged towards the front of the Hall. This was the first ever performance by the KE Titans (Cheerleading Squad of KE) and boy, did they lift everyone’s spirits.
The opening ceremony dance
Go Titans!
This was followed by five songs that were composed by KEVIIANs themselves from Xinyao. The first song ‘Broken’ was in English, while the others ‘Shi Shu’, ‘Que Shui De Xln Qing’, ‘Zui Ling ‘Long’ and You ‘Zi Yin’ were in Chinese. Xinyao’s performance contained a variety of music ranging from archaic tunes to modern ones. Their compositions were very delicate and contained a lot of heart in them. This was followed by a tale of love in the form of some very different dancing styles in the first dance performance titled ‘Love Affair’. There were graceful and elegant moves happening on stage, behind stage and along the sides of the stage in this performance and they all received deafening appreciation from the audience.
A Love Affair
Beautiful singing...
The next performance was by Chinese Drama- ‘An Unexpected Valentine’s Day’. How bad can your Valentine’s Day be? Well the answer to that was provided by the very simple yet deep play. The protagonist gets thrown out of a bus because he gives up his seat to an apparently pregnant lady, he nearly gets beaten up by a hooligan for trying to look after the hooligan’s bicycle, he loses his girlfriend when he runs behind a woman to get his money back and he gets yelled at by a mother when he tries to lift a little girl’s (Dr. Seow Teck Keong’s daughter) spirits. Pretty bad, right? But the silver lining for the protagonist was when then little girl came running back and gave him her balloon. A small gesture of gratefulness can mean a lot. That was the moral of this story.
I want my money back...
Go Andy!
A Cappella has always given a very tranquil and blissful performance. There are no fancy gimmicks, just good old fashion beautiful music. They performed two songs which were very contrasting in nature showing the versatility of the group. ‘If’ and ‘Fire’, the two performances, displayed how music can in fact change the entire mood of a place. The most mesmerising fact about their performance was that they made it look effortless. Pop music has always been very peppy and dance inducing. The audience snapped their fingers and tapped their feet along with the dancers in their second performance of the night titled, ‘Those Pop Songs’. There was a praiseworthy moonwalk from either side of the stage that looked perfect. There was again a lot of energy in the dancers as they danced to these old, but popular numbers.
The harmonious voices of A Cappella
Fire indeed!
Looking good!
A short break for light refreshments and then we had the lucky draw prize winners announced. Then the KE band was welcomed with a thunderous applause. Six songs later the crowd was left begging for more. ‘Free Loop’, ‘Careless Whisper’ (by Seether), ‘Paralyser’, ‘Geek in the Pink’, ‘September’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ was the selection the band went with to turn the Comm Hall into a concert ground. There were mobile phones being raised in the air, people singing along and a lot of cheering, solos on the drums and guitar and loud rock music in everyone’s ears. There were no drugs and no sex, but the band rocked and rolled their way into the night.
Craig singing Careless Whisper
Look at him go...
The hooting after the band’s performance subsided, as the lights went off and the theme of Mission Impossible paved the way for ELnD’s movie ‘Camp KE’. The recession, Jack Sparrow, Super-man and Harry Potter brought themselves onto the screen along with NS. This was supposed to be an intense comedy, but due to the lack of subtitles, many of the funnier parts remained unnoticed. Despite this there was a roar of laughter from the audience when Gavin’s ahem… ‘R-rated’ scene came. Wonder what was so funny about that?
The third dance performance called ‘Haunting Dreams’ was a very unique one. As the name suggests, it had a very eerie feel to it. The music, the dancers, the costumes and the lighting all contributed to the effect of the song. The abstractness in this dance contrasted with the next dance performance called ‘Crazy Little Thing’. There were hats, girls in colourful clothes, guys in white shirts and jeans, glitter, light and a lot of colour that highlighted the excellence of the dancers. It was a fitting finale to the DansDemonz performance.
Haunting everyone's dreams...
Woah, so much colour!
Men in black and women in white, but the music was perfected to a point beyond perfection. The KE Choir sung three songs- ‘Solerum’, ‘Lux Aurumque’ and ‘Pasigin’. While the first two songs were slow and soothing, the third was full of life and jumpy. There were a number of loud cheers from the audience, as the choir got ready to perform.
The KE Choir!
The final performance for ICN 2009 was by Wushu. The Wushu team put up a very well choreographed display of the martial art. The thunderous beats in the background, the war cries, the clanging of swords, the acrobatics of the Wushu team, the different coloured costumes, all lead to one ultimate thing- the end of KE’s ICN. The fight which involved the girl in a purple costume and a hat definitely stole the show.
Is he flying?
Thus, ICN 2009 came to an end. It was a month of hard work put in by all the cultural groups, no doubt, but many people tend to ignore the enormous amount of work put in by the people behind the curtains. The people handling the lights, the sounds, the stage, the decorations, the marketing, the publicity and the logistics would have spent many sleepless nights trying to co-ordinate with the different culture groups. The Culture Comm did a splendid job in making ICN a success and they deserve a huge round of applause…
The Cultural Group Heads
Good job Culture Comm!
Gavin and Priscillia!
After Dusk Party
Editor: Pearly Neo
Editor’s Note: Two writers were dispatched to the ADP, in hopes of obtaining two different points of view (hopefully one who would feel overwhelming fear, and another who wouldn’t)…but it appears that the ADP was indeed a smashing success, as both writers (both big strong guys, I might add. XD) have admitted to feeling fear to some degree! Good work on the ADP GH folk! Hope everyone enjoys reading the articles!
The After-Dusk Party (Writer 1’s POV)
By: Wang Liansheng
In short, the ADP was bloody good. Who would have thought that an event purely managed by the GH Block Comm would garner such a large turnout?
To be honest, when I first heard about the After-Dusk Party, there were reservations about it. For one, being the ever cynic that I am (and I assume many others were), I was wondering if this would degenerate into one-super-lame event meant only for the blockers.
I was wrong.
The event was executed to a pretty large scale. Prior to the event, facebook videos publicizing the event caught my attention. They were short, yet successfully sent chills down my spine every time I watched them. Suddenly, I had friends who asked me about the event, and even friends from my faculty (which resides in a faraway island known as the BTC) wanted to come down in support of the event. During the event, there would be a band performing, themed food and drinks available, and of course the main attraction of the night – A Haunted House. The stairway leading up to the Haunted House was not spared too – It was decorated with cut-outs of bats, ‘Blood’ was splattered on the floor, and it was gruesome.
Was I missing something here? What had been promised in the After-Dusk Party that was so enticing?
So I took up the challenge, and volunteered myself to cover the event.
Sadly, the start of the night was slow. The turn out was slightly dismal, and I wasn’t particularly interested to cover the event. I thought, “Maybe all the effort isn’t paying off.” Only a few turned up around 7.30pm, and they seemed to be supporting friends, rather than genuinely interested in the party.
I left disappointed, and came back around 9pm after meeting up with a couple of friends. I had decided to give the party another chance.
And indeed, it was a risk well taken.
9pm was the time when dusk finally came, and the night became grotesquely dark. It was a signal for the party to REALLY begin.
The queue now at the Communal Hall where it has been transformed into a Haunted House was long. Everyone was in their groups, chit-chatting prior to entering the Haunted House. It had become a social event where people were excited about the event, and discussing about it with much anticipation.
Finally it was time for the writer to enter the Haunted House (thanks to GH Block Comm for the lovely complimentary ticket!). Somewhat, I was glad I had a friend with me because I was genuinely afraid the first instance I stepped into the Communal Hall.
We were first led into the hall by a freakishly scary patient. (Kudos to Yu Wei for being in character, haha!)
Prior to entering the maze, we were treated to snippets of horror movies, and the shrill screams of many others who had entered the maze. For a moment, it was scary because the entire atmosphere had set the game for the night.
Then we entered the maze. It was walking through sections of stations where a different story unfolded before us. There was a psycho doctor with an eyeball, cadavers lying on tables, a pregnant lady with another sicko doctor, two small children in a living room, and many more.In between sections, there were crazily narrow walkways with black cloth draped on two sides. I have to say: I really had apprehensions walking through.
Featuring a few 'friends' of the After Dusk Party...
To be honest (and maintaining that male ego) I wasn’t pretty much petrified until the children part where in the midst of leaving that section of the communal hall, someone grabbed my leg from beneath. There was an instant shock and fear perpetuating through. Once again, kudos to whoever that was – A classic yet timeless scaring technique.
Before we left the communal hall, we were made to search through photographs of a woman with her face punched in. The photos were… not particularly good for your appetite.
Finally, we left the Communal Hall in the midst of all the screaming (either from participants or the Block Comm-ers themselves) and decided to walk down to the Meeting Room for some refreshments to calm ourselves down.
The meeting room was not spared in adapting to the theme too – Paper cut-outs of bats were hanging from the ceiling, the dishes were named and created appropriately to suit the theme. It was definitely an event well planned – and achieved much success in injecting life into a dark, solemn Friday night.
Looks like the guests of the Haunted Mansion aren't that afraid of the ghosts lurking around! Bet they had an awesome time too!
The After Dusk Party is a new experiment that achieved its spark of brilliance in some instances. For a cynic who professes to be one brave soul, it has been one hell of a ride – and an interesting twist to an otherwise boring Friday night. I eagerly anticipate a bigger and scarier After Dusk Party next year!
The After-Dusk Party (Writer 2’s POV)
By: Jason Lun Leung
Over the past few weeks, everyone’s anticipation of the After Dusk Party had been steadily growing, and finally, 16th October arrived.
It all started quite well, with the steps leading to the Comm. Hall being smeared with blood marks and lined up with bats. The waiting area in front was darkened and glowing ominously. The crowd that had gathered in front of the entrance was quite eclectic. No doubt helped by the ambiance created, they were chatting nervously: some were already having second thoughts about going in, while others were just encouraging themselves and bragging how they would need a lot more than that to be scared. As they were ushered in in pairs, the After Dusk Party started with the tour of the Haunted Hospital.
Before going in the tour proper, you were made to wait and watch some horror clips. These few minutes really got people in the right frame of mind, especially with the screams from those who had already gone in being heard loud and clear and the hanging body you could see dangling from the ceiling. When the moment came, you got called in, and then, after bracing yourselves, you took a deep breath and stepped into the dark labyrinth.
The ghosts all ready to go out and do some proper scaring...But what could be behind that cloth?...
The whole tour was quite eerie. The black drapes were perfect for people to jump and grab you, and when that did not happen, you were still scared, because you could never be sure what was lying in wait on the other side. At some point, you just did not know what to do anymore. Scared by the corpse area, you just rushed through, thinking that being done with it as fast as possible might be a good idea… only to get so terrified by the next walking zombie that you just could not move forward any more. Brrr…
Like all good events, this one was a compelling act that took all of your attention while it lasted, and then left you wanting more. You just went through the pregnant woman scene, the mirror scene, the tunnel and all the other creepy areas, before ending up looking for the picture of a dead body. At the end of the tour, you had already been so impressed that you were half expecting them to have something left for you. I remember going through the door at the back of the Comm. Hall checking if there was somebody waiting to pounce on me as I stepped out, and then chuckling nervously when I realised that it was truly over.
What else would it be, but even more of them!
By that time, you were so caught up discussing how your tour had been with the others that you had already forgotten that the GH Block Comm actually had more in store: the food and the band. And this was no minor feat either. They had been meticulous enough to come up with witch fingers, RIP sandwiches and other dishes suited up for this night of mayhem.
The band was performing at the BBQ pit area, covering Metallica, Evanescence and Michael Jackson, to the delight of everyone there. The events of the night all made perfect conversation starters and with this, concluded a marvellous night for everyone who had come down.
After Dusk Party was successful in bringing down people for a night of scares and giving them good memories that they will be talking about for weeks on. Congratulations to the GH Block Comm, who came up with a new idea and successfully put up this show which broke away from the routine of usual hall events and was, overall, very entertaining. It was a welcome change and the organisation was really good. Good job!
Gripes of the KE resident
Writers: Garrick Liw & Lee Lin Hui
Editor: Benjamin Lim
Most of you were excited when your application for KE7 Hall was successful, knowing that you could expect months of fun and excitement accompanied by, unfortunately, mental and physical torture from CCAs and studying late into the night (or should I say early into the morning?). What was the first thing you felt when you set foot into KE7? Happiness? Sadness? We are willing to bet most of you experienced a shock looking up at KE7 from the PGP Bus Terminal, with PGP behind you.
Yes! It’s the flight of steps you have to conquer even before you become inaugurated as a member of the KE7 family. For the vertical marathon enthusiast among you, here is a compilation on the number of steps one has to surmount (or descend) on some of the more common journeys made in hall:
1) PGP to Dining Hall – 121 steps
2) E Block Level 1 to E Block level 8 – 139 steps
3) Shepherd’s Path – 87 steps
4) Block A to Block D – 108 steps
5) Block H to Block E – 105 steps
6) Multi purpose Court to Squash Court- 160 steps
What does this mean for you and me? Well, a normal walk from Dining Hall after your breakfast to the Faculty of Science via the Shepherd’s Path would take 186 steps. Compare this to a 10-storey HDB flat that has 144 steps. Is it any wonder then that we feel exhausted after each day in school? Consider the steps a poor D blocker has to ascend if he forgets to bring something for his training at the multi purpose court and imagine how much of a workout the conscientious E8 blocker has to go through everyday just to have a meal or get to school!
~~Stairway to Heaven~~
Aaah More stairs!?
But maybe the number of stairs had something to do with the age of our hall. We are pretty sure not all seniors here know how old the KE7 building is: we are acutally turning 21 this year! None of us would have expected that our second home would be as old as we are. Among students here, KE7 is well known for its old exterior, especially when compared to the modern, condominium-like façade of PGP. Since KE7 is reaching 21, we should take this opportunity to vote for an entire facelift!
Wonder what it was like during puberty...
Perhaps as a consequence of its significant age (and the lack of design expertise at the time it was built), KE7 is also well known for being a death trap when it rains cats and dogs (which is all too often here in Singapore). Almost every pavement in KE7 will be flooded when it rains. Notice we used the word “flooded”, and not “wet”. But this is no mere exaggeration, just have a look at the evidence we collected below after a recent downpour! With water deep enough for ducks to swim in, even the PGP bus terminal could have formed a manmade pond.
Make sure you buy slippers with soles!
This could lead to a tragic ending…
Quack! Quack!
Going down water-logged steps may not be a concern when you’re taking your time, but making a dash for a bus down 121 slip-inducing tiles can prove to be life-threatening! If you have similar experiences, you are not alone; feel free to join the facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=88574485194. =D
By: Yap Juin Shiong
Editor: Pearly Neo
Wee Lee, Head of KE Flag Committee 2009
This year’s NUS Flag Day 2009 saw residents of King Edward VII (KE) making their way in full force to various parts of Singapore in a throng of yellow shirts emblazoned with the rag and flag design. The sole purpose: to raise funds for Community Chest on the behalf of 20 needy beneficiaries, who would eventually benefit from the $443,000 collected that day. The collection for KE was overseen by a single man, who is gifted of that very rare attribute that most people spend their entire life trying to acquire- the ability to effectively lead a group of people and organize them into a team working towards a single aim.
Recently, reporters from KEPress were able to coax this charismatic gentleman, Wee Lee, the head of KE Flag Committee 2009, into taking some time off his busy schedule to share his thoughts about Flag Day and hall life.
Q: Congratulations on organizing everything so perfectly! What are your thoughts on this year’s Rag and Flag?
A: This year was a fantastic year, especially because we won the Best Float and everyone I know is proud of it!!!
Q: That’s why KE is the best! Any interesting experiences to share about preparation for flag?
A: Yup, Johan keep molesting me. Just joking! It was great to see everyone’s passion and spirit into working for the final day to make sure everything went smoothly.
Q: Well, it must have been quite stressful! Why did you choose to be flag head then?
A: Because there was no head towards the end of the semester and being the previous Flag head I felt that it was a pity if no one were to lead it. So I told myself, “why not”?
Q: Wow! Being such an experienced person, what advice can you give on how to improve next year’s Flag Day? Do share some tips with the next potential Head of Flag Committee!
A: By asking the alumni to help. Halls like Sheares and KR have a very huge alumni base. Imagine if we have 500 alumni who donate $50, we will have $25,000 and definitely there are more than 500 alumni who have graduated from KE7. Imagine how much we can collect from them.
Q: Excellent advice! Let’s move on to hall life. As a senior, I’m sure you must have felt that KE has become your home away from home.
A: Yup, definitely!
Q: Well, so far, are there any changes you would desperately like to see in KE?
What I feel is that KE has a lot of potential to be one of the greatest hall and the alumni plays an important role, hence, I would like to see a more active alumni committee this year.
Q: What do you like about KE Hall? What is your most memorable experience of KE?
A: I like KE because it is quiet, it is near science, it is home of the squash champions and it has a kind of serenity around it. One memorable experience would probably be running for presidency when I was in year 2; it was quite an exciting period and a fruitful event.
Q: Having had the honour to interview you, I’d like to know more about the man himself. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a person?
A: I feel that I am a team player and a very motivated person. My weakness is that I am sometimes too optimistic at times.
Q: Being so motivated, you must be a really busy person! What do you do in your spare time?
A: Well, I guess normal stuff like going to the movies with my girlfriend and playing squash. I also like to play soccer and basketball.
Q: Which Junior College (JC) were you from? Do you feel that university life is anything like JC life?
A: I was from Nanyang JC. To me, University life would most probably be like JC if I was not staying in hall. You go to school, you hang out in the canteen and you go back home. Nothing special.
Q: Well, university life is also definitely about the academics too! Which course are you in? What do you like most about your course?
A: I am taking life science. What I like about it is that it is very interesting and the subject never fails to amaze me with topics ranging from viruses to human DNA.
Q: Any tips on studying?
A: I would be a wrong person to ask! Cause I feel I study very hard but I just can’t seem to score. Maybe I am self-delusional that I study hard, haha! But from what I observe from others, probably consistency is the key, no matter how busy you are, always take some time to review the day lectures.
Q: Now, a question which is on everyone’s mind- Which canteen do you think is the nicest in NUS, and why?
A: Hmm… Probably science, because it has a great variety and also it has Megabytes, which can be quite a treat after eating 2-3 weeks of canteen food. I usually eat Claypot Beancurd, it is a must try. I always feel very satisfied after eating it. Haha!
Q: I’ll be sure to try out the claypot beancurd next time I visit! Thank you so much for your time! Any last words of advice to fellow residents?
A: Enjoy hall life while you can and these will be the stories that you will tell your children when you have your own kids!
Hello all KEVIIans!
In case you haven’t realized, the noticeboard along the Comm Hall has been revamped, and is now eagerly waiting for your contributions!
What you should look out for on the noticeboard:
1. exPRESSions - For all KE residents to doodle on the Post-Its
2. Caption Capture – Every week, there will be a picture put up and KE residents can participate in the competition of giving the funniest caption to the picture! (Prizes will come in later, I think)
4. Thought of the Week – A quotable quote to set KE resident’s minds thinking!
5. Word puzzle – Another competition for KE resident’s to get them cracking their heads on what the puzzle means. Answer for the week’s puzzle will be revealed in the following week.
5. De-stress Pillow - Um, the name says it all – it’s for you to de-stress! You can punch it, kick it, squeeze it… you get the idea.
6. PRESSing matters – Section for other CCAs to post up their posters/publicity material.
Recent Comments