“I think that KE VII can do very well in certain sports, and overall, I think we are going to do much better than we were for the past few years. “ - Dominic 

IHG is COMINGGG! This is the time of year when sweat, training and persistence pays off as the different halls face off in sports as varied as Hockey, Basketball, Swimming, Sepak Takraw and Touch Rugby. What should KEVIIans remember at this time and why is it so important to turn up to cheer? Here is the exclusive interview with Dominic, our Sports Secretary for the year 06/07.

First of all, a big congrats on your appointment as the new Sports Secretary of KEVII! How are you coping with your new position so far?

I’m trying my best to balance both my studies and the responsibilities of being a sports secretary. It has been busy but fulfilling I guess. I am definitely a more focused person than I ever was in my university life down here. I am delighted and honoured to serve in the hall in this capacity and to be with my fellow JCRC mates. They’re a great bunch of people and very understanding people who have given me a free hand to carry out the necessary reforms to build a strong foundation for KE VII sports. Things have become better, but there is definitely much more room for improvement.

Walking down memory lane, are there any lessons learnt from KEVII’s past experience in the IHG? Any funny stories or good memories?

I think it is that we should prepare adequately in terms of trainings and tactics, and most importantly, believe that we have what it takes to do well. Support from fellow KEVIIans will definitely spur our sportsmen and women to do better.

Importantly, remember to tell referees not to send off players who are out of the playing field. We had someone who was not playing on the field ‘sent off’. Talk about professionalism. That has to be the epitome of it.

What do you think of the team that KEVII has as a whole for the upcoming IHG? I think that many sports teams in KE VII have the potential to do well, some even can mount very strong title challenges. We are very fortunate to have an enthusiastic and talented freshmen batch who now form the very backbone of many of our sports teams. Combined with the seniors, we are looking at pretty decent teams that will definitely cause the other halls some problems, if not many, in their pursuit for Inter Hall Games glory. We are definitely ready to give the other halls the biggest surprise in recent years.

 What is the biggest challenge we will be facing in the IHG?

Ourselves. We’ve got to start to believe in ourselves, to believe that we can match up to the other teams, and better them. Our sports teams have got to believe strongly that they can do that and bring glory to the hall. We’ve got the ability, now it is down to the trainings and, more importantly, how much desire we have on the field. Some freshmen have shown us the way in this respect, and I hope the seniors will forget bad memories of previous Inter Hall Games and lead our teams to glory - and that all those not playing will be die hard KE fans! What is your target for KEVII in the IHG? How well do you think KEVII will do?

I said during the campaign, I am looking for a modest improvement from last to 5th. Definitely achievable if everyone does their part. I think it KE VII can do very well in certain sports like I’ve said above, and overall, I think we are going to do much better than we were for the past few years. Ultimately, how much better KE VII will do will be down to each and every player, and each and every supporter who is there to root for our KE VII sportsmen and sportswomen.

How important are the Hall cheers and KEVII support for our IHG team? 

KEVII support will definitely be a big boost for our players and it will make it more intimidating for our opponents. Cheering is a clear sign of moral support for lads and lasses on the field and besides, it contributes to the great IHG atmosphere. So, everyone, please come down and give your utmost and undying support.

Last but not least, any advice/encouragement for our KEVII IHG sportsmen and sportswomen?

Train hard, enjoy your sports, make new friends, and most importantly, BELIEVE.

- Interview by G 

Hall play 06/07, “Letters From The Frontier”, seems very promising.  Both cast and crew are working hard to put together a play that will set emotions soaring next year.  Trixie, the producer of this year’s Hall play, gives us some insights on progress so far and on her own perception of things, in an interview given to the KEVII Publication team. (NB: This interview was conducted in November 2006.)

Please give a brief introduction of yourself. 
I was part of Hall Play last year as the Assistant Producer. Initially, I was only planning to join Hall Play for CCA points.  I never knew I would go this far. (laughs!)

 What factors pushed you to apply for the position of producer of hall play?

Being part of Hall Play last year gave me the passion to keep Hall Play going. I would like to do a better Hall Play and hopefully it will be a fulfilling experience not to be missed by anyone! Lastly, with the experience of last year’s hall play as well as this year’s Hall Play, I believe I play a part in passing on the knowledge to the newcomers.

How was the experience of hall play last year?

There are both good and bad experiences from last year’s Hall Play. I got to know lots of people and this widened my social network. I had lots of fun working with the seniors as well as the girls from Andrew and Grace Home, our beneficiary. However, there are always obstacles and things don’t always go our way. I was new then and I did mistakes along the way. Things were very rushed last year with lots of unexpected “bombs”, but, thank goodness, we managed to pull it through.

Any lessons that you learnt from being part of hall play last year and that are helping you to manage the group now?

Definitely! The first thing I knew I had to do is to instill teamwork among my Steering Committee members. Without the team working together, things won’t go far. We have around 100 members in Hall Play and it is not possible for me to manage all of them by myself.  

Like I said previously, Hall Play was very rushed last year. Having an idea of Hall Play’s working period helps me in preparing our main schedule and to identify the priorities of each task, so as not to rush everything at the very last minute.

How do you find the hall play team (production and cast) this year as compared to last year?

I find that the Hall Play team this year is very efficient. The cast managed to memorize their scripts and stage crews knew their cues by the 1st half of the Full Run in October! Everyone is very cooperative, be it on the operation or the production side. The Steering Committee coordinated well with the members, especially during the sales of moon cakes period. All of them came and helped out at the booth.  However, compared to last year, the sense of belonging to Hall Play is not entirely felt by each and every member yet. I wish to work on that more.

 Any innovations that are being brought to hall play this year?
This year Hall Play has an original script. It has been a few years since the last time Hall Play did an original script. 

Apart from that, we are bringing the cast out to perform in the public through the ‘CLAP’ program organized by the Central Community Development Council Singapore on 16th December 2006. We are expecting a crowd of 500 – 1000 people which we target to reach out to.

How are the preparations for hall play going so far?

Things are following according to schedule except for a few departments due to some unavoidable circumstances. Do look out for the tickets by mid-November! Our publicity materials are on the way and the first badge of flyers and bookmarks will be out by early December. On the administration side, we are in the midst of liaising with OSA for the standard procedure. As for the Production site, we have already finished building the sets and we are in the middle of painting and decorating it. The crews will be fixing their cues soon for the 2nd half of the script.

 Any difficulties or problems that are being encountered?

Each Hall Play will have its own difficulties and problems. This year, we are facing problems in finding some huge fat grants to support our play. But I believe money will not come so soon. Currently, we are trying to cut down our expenditure to minimize the deficits. The Steering Committee complained of not having enough money to spend. Sorry guys. (Laughs)

 Another common problem we face this year is to gel every Hall Play members together. The committee is huge, thus it is no surprise that some Hall Play members may not even know each other. Perhaps we could have a Hall Play day where every member will wear the Hall Play shirt for that particular day. We are still working on that.

 What is your personal goal and expectations for hall play?
Personally, apart from bringing Hall Play to greater heights, my goal is to make Hall Play a memorable experience for each and every one of my members. I hope all of them will have fun in Hall Play and pick up some skills along the way.

Lastly, can we have a brief synopsis of the story that will be played by hall play this year? What type of story is it and what can the audience expects from it?

This year’s production will focus on an integral part of human history – conflict and war- and the absurdity of it all.

Our war story is told through the eyes of a young man – Joseph Chen, and his letters to a young woman he has never met, Miss Victoria. Through the letters, we see how Joseph eventually falls in love with Victoria and how they eventually meet, which will be a surprise ending for the audience. 

The war will be played out through a series of flashbacks, and the audience will be introduced to a whole ensemble of interesting characters as well, from apathetic soldiers to a loud and boisterous soldier called Donny.

The play will rely heavily on multimedia, specifically music and videos, which will serve to complement, rather than to overshadow, the performers.

- Interview by SL

With a burning passion for drama productions, Wai Kit has taken up the position of Production Manager for hall play this year. Let’s hear what he has to say about his experience in hallplay and how he has be coping with his position of heavy responsibility!

How are you coping as the production manager for hallplay?

I’m doing well=] Everything on the production side is currently running smoothly, all thanks to all my fellow department heads and assistants this year. They are really a productive and efficient bunch. Some of them have previous experience in their area of work and some don’t, but all their efforts so far were really significant to me and definitely lessen my burden a lot.
 
What motivated you to be the production manager?

I have a passion for drama productions and I guess Hallplay is a place where I can really try out my skills and learn new things. For me, I’ve been an actor and a director before and hence trying something new such as production managing seemed like a way to explore new ground. Production managing encompasses and demands a wide scope of knowledge and skills, both on the technical and administrative side. So I see this as an opportunity to really learn much more about drama production, especially when handling things with a higher and more general perspective. 
 
What were some good/funny memories of last year’s hallplay?

Last year I was one of the cast members for “Fame”. Most of the memorable things, whether happy or sad, came from the whole “cast experience”. Many things happened and I can’t really pinpoint a particularly funny or memorable event. But one thing I enjoyed the most was rehearsing together with Shahzad and Hui Zhi. Hui Zhi was rather new in terms of acting but boy can she really dance! I was serious during rehearsals most of the time while Shahzad had always been the joker, the one that sparked laughter among the 3 of us. So I guess we complement each other. Haha… I still remember how Shaz made his funny moves during dance rehearsals and, not to mention, breaking the drama boxes! I truly enjoyed every single moment of it. 
 
What are your plans for this year’s production?

Plans? Hmmm…. That sounds like a big word to me. Why don’t I talk about simple goals instead?

This year, I wish to create a well-disciplined and efficient environment among all Hallplay members, especially the production side, because these are the people who will actually shape the actual performance that night and I believe instilling proper working attitudes now would go a long way. Besides that, I want to make Hallplay a vibrant CCA that many will be looking forward to joining year after year. Of course, I also hope that all effort put into this production will result in a blast and many will remember this year’s “Letters from the Frontline” as the play that really made a difference. 
 
What are the challenges you face as the production manager?

Money! Nothing speaks more in a production than funding itself. Without ample funding, all ideas, dreams and visions of the whole production would never be realized. As a production manager, I have to keep to our budget very carefully. Since our budget is limited, there are times when I have to weigh the pros and cons of various actions or decisions, sometimes I have to make painful sacrifices. Production managing is not just about managing funds but also people. Good communication skills and trying to bring across your ideas, views and demands also stands as a challenge. But this is all part and parcel of production managing I guess. Another challenge that I face personally would be having to pick up all the skills and tackle all jobs of a production manager because I’m fairly new to this area.

 - Interview by P

We took a bit of time off from catching up with the sports captains to ask Eng Seng, the head of XQRJ committee this year, how the mammoth task of organising the national songwriting competition is going. Each year, the heavy workload of maintaining the professional standards of the competition is shared by a small team of dedicated members, a quarter the size of the people that Hall Play has to work with! We are very impressed.

What is your expectation from your team members for this year? Up to now how do you rate their performance? (From 0 to 10, with 10 means ‘perfect’)

10!

Compare this year to last year, which batch do you think is better? In the terms of the bonding among team members? And in terms of the work being done?

In terms of bonding among team members: I dare say this batch is a better
in terms of work done: well, both batches did quite well, but I am sure there are still areas to be explored for improvement.

I heard that this year XQRJ has recruited 2 more members compared to last year, from 24 to 26. Why are you expanding the team? Will you ever consider recruiting even more, like hall play, which has 100 plus people?

We actually recruited 4 more so this year we have expanded from 24 to 28.
We feel that with our members being so active this year as to join so many CCAs besides XQRJ, we don’t want to burn them out, which is why we decided to spread their workload to more people. However, our strong internal bonding is one thing that we as XQRJians are most proud of and it is easiest achieved in a smaller comm.

I heard that you complained to your members that last year when you were only a member, you were “bullied” by your boss, but this year as a head, you are still bullied by your members to do a lot of work~ Is that true? And what is the major difference you think between a member and a leader?

Not really true. If given a chance I would rather do everything together with my members. But as a leader, you need to know when to step out of the circle at times, in order to see the big picture of the whole comm, to set the direction you want and direct your fellow members.

I noticed that every year among all the XQRJ members, female members are always much more than male members? Is it a “tradition”? Or there are some other reasons? Is it because all the three heads are guys?

We too want more guys in the comm. Just that, this year the proportion of male freshmen:female freshmen is unequal. We have more gals than guys, of course we end up with more females in XQRJ.

As we all know, XQRJ has cost you a lot of time. Is your personal life affected? For example, your study, and…dating time?

Ya. Definitely, in one way or another. My social circle is wider, knowing people from NUSSU to OSA, from Publishing House to Artistes. Although my studies might be affected from my busy life, my health deteriorated from countless sessions of burning midnight oil, it is worth it when we all share the fruit of joy after our Grand Final next year 27 Jan 2007. It is precisely the fact that we have been through all these hardships and enjoyment together that makes me treasure XQRJ most.

Can you please name one thing you like best and one thing you hate most in XQRJ.
I would say my members. They are bright, lively and one of my greatest enjoyments is watching them growing up, picking up new skills and making new friends day by day. They have enlivened my life.
Hmm.. there is nothing I hate about XQRJ.

Ok, the last question. What do you want to say to your members? (note from the editor: unfortunately we were only able to publish this inverview after the exams!)
Stay strong. Exam is just around the corner, study hard and study smart. After the exam, we shall “CHIONG” for XQRJ again. You guys have done a great job thus far. XQRJ is not only an arena for the song-writers to showcast their talents, it is also a platform for you all to explore and unleash your hidden talents. Give in your very best and I will ensure you a fruitful XQRJ year. You guys are the best!

- Interview by JZ

 “Our spirit is generally very strong..” - Wen Jun

The mild-mannered and gentlemanly Wen Jun: a quiet-looking student by day, KE’s hard-hitting table tennis captain by night! Here he shares with our interviewer the experience of being a sports captain.

“I’m basically trying my best to help train the team and improve our results in the coming IHG. There’s not much to cope with other than trying to improve on the team’s skills. As a table tennis team member last year as well, I think that although we lack the skills to beat the other teams, our spirit is generally very strong. I would say that the things I’ve learnt will be passed on to the team members and I would want them to at least get into the semi finals. Being part of KE VII, I would hope that we can do better in sports than in previous years, but I really don’t know how well we’ll fare this year.

The recent JCRC implementation of the holiday-stay is a good start but more can be done to encourage the sportsmen in hall. Having KEVIIans to come down and cheer is definitely good, but it helps more if the hall spirit in general is very good.”

 - Interview by DS