中文戏剧迎新会

Written by: Guo Zihe

Edited by: Mao Yinan

一年一度的KE中文戏剧招新又开始了，经过三天紧张的面试，Chinese Drama的steering comm从百余名面试者中选拔出了70位新成员。借着刚刚面试过后的热情与对未来活动的期待，中文戏剧的迎新活动于2011年9月17日下午在Com Hall隆重举办。

Chinese Drama 招新海报

迎新会一开始就十分热闹，中文戏剧的工作人员将所有到场的新生随即分成几组，在每组OGL的带领下，每一组展开了自己组的ice breaker小游戏。这些游戏虽然简单，但在场所有的新老成员都玩儿的乐在其中，就这样迎新会在轻松愉快的气氛中开始了。

Ice Breaker小游戏欢乐多

很快，迎新活动的气氛持续升温，进入了第二阶段——station game。

在这个环节中，中文戏剧的每个部门，都会用自己部门独特的方式为各组组织有趣的益智游戏。例如，音效组通过调换不同的背景音乐音效，让每个组随机编出一个故事；市场部与宣传组让各个组选择特殊的主题亲身拍摄海报图纸，从而争取把自己的海报推销出去；美工组让大家根据不同的卡通电影，借助现有的材料把某个组员打扮成原版的卡通人物；道具组更加直入主题，让新生们动手实践，用一些对大家很陌生的机器和工具把本是毫无生气的木板做成精美实用的道具……

某组在市场宣传组用6个男生拍摄的以《少女时代》为主题的海报。

这些看似简单的游戏不仅可以让组员们发挥自己的才能，体验团队工作的乐趣，更是让新生们加深对每个部门工作的了解与体验，从而为以后的工作分配打下基础。

开心愉快的Station game之后就到了迎新会最激动人心的环节——Talent Show。在这个环节中，每个组要在有限的时间内排练出一部精彩的十分钟短剧。导演的唯一要求是：结局既要在意料之外，也在情理之中。

一个小时的时间，剧本，台词，道具，舞台效果……一切的准备工作都要在一个小时之内安排得井井有条。很快，新生们便开始把刚才station game获得的经验和技能运用到接下来的表演当中。道具的彩绘，服装的搭配，灯光的调控，声音的配合……三场几乎即兴的演出就这样，即将呈现在我们面前。

在满怀期待的企盼中，精彩的final performance开始了。三组的风格迥然不同但却都那么扣人心弦。

第一组：一个女孩儿不顾父亲的阻挠自己的男朋友结婚，然而一场激烈的争吵之后却揭开了一个惊天秘密：五年前，女孩儿因为车祸失了忆，前男友的悉心呵护让她把男友误认成了爸爸，现在她所谓的“爸爸”为了她的幸福放手把她交给了另一个男人。

第一组“父女”深情表演

第二组：故事发生在一个名为“按摩店”实为“淫秽场所”的店铺，警察们搜查多次却苦于没有证据查封此地。男警“大谯”挑唆一直不被领导看好的女警“小程”去按摩店做卧底，从而为警局立功。不曾想到，“小程”就这样沦陷在了那个非法按摩店里。其实，这一切阴谋的幕后主使就是那个男警——大谯。

第二组“风月场所”搞笑表演

第三组：爱慕虚荣的女孩儿婷婷一直追求昂贵的名牌商品。然而并不富裕的家庭和窝囊的男友都无法满足她。一个偶然的机会她来到了一家名为“梦想成真”商店，在这里，每个人都用自己身体的器官换来自己的想要的商品。女孩儿被眼前的场景吓得落荒而逃，然而噩梦没有褪去，她的脸上留下了永久的印记。

第三组“恐怖场景”惊悚表演

演出过后，学长学姐们掌声不断。他们由衷地赞叹新生们精彩的演出。导演郭丛对大家卖力的演出给予了很高的评价，她说：“看了大家在如此有限时间内准备的这么精彩的演出，我们更应该有信心让我们今年的final production更上一层楼！”

导演郭丛总结性发言，表扬新生们的精彩演出

在丛导振奋人心的讲话后，几个小时的中文戏剧迎新会圆满地结束了。这次迎新会不仅拉近了新老成员们彼此之间的关系，也为之后的工作打下了坚实的基础。许多新成员都在走出会场的时候说，加入CD这个组织让他们感到很开心很有意义，迎新会让他们充满了动力来做好以后的工作。

An Overnight Adventure: Knights’ Cycling 2011

Written by: Ng Wee Yang

Edited by: Celine Yeap

Friendship, food and fatigue. These are the words that describe the memorable annual event of  night cycling. This year’s night cycling, or “Knights’ Cycling”, was the concluding event organised by KEWOC (King Edward VII Welcoming and Orientation Committee) and took place on the night of 9^th September, 2011. Over 150 Keviians signed up for this event, including both freshmen and seniors. For the newly inaugurated Red Knights (i.e. freshmen), it was the chance to experience hall life to its fullest. As for the seniors, it was the opportunity to relive the memories of previous years’ overnight adventures along East Coast Park and to escape the hustle and bustle of university life.

Knights' Cycling 2011

It all began at the dining hall at 8 pm. There was an atmosphere of enthusiasm and excitement as I stepped into the midst of a flurry of paperwork, group attendance taking and the distribution of Night Cycling t-shirts. Anticipation and eagerness was what was written and on the faces of all participants. A new experience, I was looking forward to cycling long distance with my friends. After attendance was efficiently taken and T-shirts distributed, we were whisked away to the well known East Coast Park (ECP) by a fleet of shuttle buses at around 8:45 pm.

Gathering in the dining hall before departure!

Cycling began at East Coast Park at around 9:30 pm. Once there, we were greeted by a gentle sea breeze. To me, East Coast Park held a special place in my memory as this was where I had my first military exercise. We gathered at the bicycle rental shop and were welcomed by rows upon rows of bicycles; the sight of which lifted our spirits high with anticipation. After picking up our bicycles and testing their quality, we headed out in groups of 10 for our first destination: Changi Village, a food haven for soon-to-be hungry Keviians!

Our mode of transport for the night: the humble bicycle

Our traverse across ECP on our way to Changi Village was filled with a variety of sights. We passed by the SAF ferry terminal, an iconic landmark for all Singaporean men. A favourite was also cycling pass the Changi airport runway where we were able to see, hear and feel firsthand, the explosive take-off of planes as they departed. After an hour long journey, we finally arrived (hungry and tired) at Changi Village where we ordered a feast of foods, including the famous Nasi Lemak!

Fuelling up with supper at a hawker centre!

Having replenished the energy lost with food and drinks, we cycled onto our next destination: Simpang Bedok via Tampines. On our way there, we could no longer deny the effects of muscle fatigue and lack of sleep slowly catching up with us. Nevertheless, with mutual encouragement and priceless bonding time, we pressed on ahead. The importance of fellowship never seemed so rewarding. How fortunate we Keviians are to have each other as friends!

Simpang Bedok, as many would testify is an enclave of one of the hidden Singapore’ best foods. As my group arrived, we were greeted by the courteous and friendly boss of an eatery who gave us advice on what specialities to try amidst the maze of hawker stores. As we filled our stomachs yet again to our hearts content, we passed the time chit-chatting and keeping our minds off the lack of sleep (although some of my friends couldn’t resist the temptation to doze off!). At around 4:30am, we began the journey back to East Coast Park.

A bunch of exhausted but happy "knights"

By the time we reached East Coast Park, exhaustion overwhelmed many of us. The sight of Keviians falling asleep on any surface we could find, be it the sandy beach of the benches, was a common sight. Some of us chose to forego sleep, in the hopes of watching the sunrise at dawn, but only to be disappointed to see no more than a cloudy sky. Time passed quickly and before we knew it, the buses had arrived to bring us back to hall, a hot shower and our comfortable beds upon which we fell asleep in the blink of an eye.

The sight Keviians falling asleep on any surface possible was a common one

Knights’ Cycling 2011 was a memorable event that I’m sure all participants and organisers would remember, even when they leave hall. Many thanks to KEWOC and the volunteers who made the event a success! May all the participants remember the bonds forged and strengthened and friendships they have made literally, overnight.

Photo credits to: KE Vision and Chen Kok Pun

DESTINY: MANY WORLDS, ONE STORY | KEVII HALL ORIENTATION 2010

A big hello to all our incoming freshmen!

We’ll be having our Orientation Camp from the 27th to 31st July 2010. Organised by our beloved KEWOC (King Edward VII Hall Welcoming and Orientation Committee), the camp is for those who are up for some fun and excitement :D  This, is your first step to becoming a KEVIIan: take this chance to experience what Hall Life is all about!

Come join us from the 27th to 31st July 2010 to have a fun time with the KEVIIan community!

Our Official KEWOC 2010 Website

Check out/Join our FB group for updates: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=137998232887729#!/group.php?gid=137998232887729

Destiny has brought you to this Hall. Where you will go from here?
The power lies in your hands.

Freshmen, do contact your assigned buddies or write to us at kewoc1011@yahoo.com.sg if you have any enquiries!

Important dates:
20th July – 23rd July: Welcoming Week
27th July – 31st July: KEWOC Orientation
24th July – 29th July: NUS Registration (please refer to the Freshmen Guide for your registration date)
29th July: CORS Bidding (Round 1C)
2nd Aug: Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony
3rd Aug: Flag Day
6th Aug: Rag Day

ROCKE Leaders Interviews: Louis

By: Jason Lun Leung

Photos: Louis Lim

Louis with his big killer smile...

First of all, why KEWOC?

I was in KEWOC the year before, as a publicity member, and I had thoroughly enjoyed it. I love getting in touch with the freshmen and serving them. I especially think of the foreigners who come to Singapore for their studies and are still disorientated. KEWOC gives me the opportunity to make their crucial first few days here more enjoyable, and less of a hassle.

This actually does not need to consist of any grand actions, and one of the best memories I have is of the freshmen coming to say how much they appreciated KEWOC members being there to help with moving their luggage. This quite simple gesture is a perfect illustration of how KEWOC allows me to help the freshmen in a way that is truly fulfilling.

KEWOC is a very fun committee to join. The activities and games were all a real pleasure, and, for this, my entire crew must take credit. They really did a great job. =D

Another thing I find interesting is how those crucial first days in hall can shape the freshmen’s whole hall stay, and, as KEWOC, I get to influence those to a great extent. With school and the heavy workload, students can get in a routine very easily, so, orientation is one of those rare periods when they are truly open-minded and free enough to make friends.

How did you get to this year’s theme? What was your inspiration?

Voyage. Ken Juin, my programmes head, and I came up with this idea. It does sound a bit cliché, but it truly is a fact of life. It suits the orientation time so well, in so many different ways. This is a way of acknowledging how, at this point in time, KE has the occasion to be an impactful moment for great change in the freshmen’s life. As freshmen, we all have had very different paths, and we will most probably go very different ways in the future also. Yet, at this precise moment, our roads crossed in this KEVII hall, and the KEWOC team was there to make sure that this convergence was fun as much as it is meaningful.

A plus point was that voyage was in line with this year’s float theme. Flag also joined in and this is how this year, the major committees got to have ship-related logos. Nice bonus.

How do you feel about the whole KEWOC experience, now that it is over?

I would have to concede it is a mixed feeling. One part of me heaves a long sigh of relief. KEWOC is really draining some times, and I do feel happy that it all finished without any major problems. The other part of me still longs for the times that I had with our people: laughing at each other, doing silly things, getting high at not sleeping! J Ultimately, my heartfelt thanks must go to my committee people, whom without them, this year’s orientation will not come into existence.

...and another one...

Could you share some of the difficulties encountered with us?

Without doubt, the red tape is the major hassle. Getting all our plans approved by OSA, OSHE and SCRC was very difficult. They have lots of guidelines and rules that people would not really imagine, and complying with all of them is quite a feat. But thankfully, after revisions and reviews, we managed to pull it off, ensuring that there are no ragging elements in the orientation.

The scheduling was quite problematic also, with this year’s orientation clashing with the matriculation fairs. On top of that, because our programme is not compulsory, which leaves us dependent on the freshmen being willing to join in of their own free will. This is quite stressful, but then, when they do come in numbers, it really is a great joy and victory for us KEWOC people.

Describe one moment that stands out during the pre- orientation week period.

The dry runs for all the games! Not only are the games themselves very fun but this is also when we get to bond as a team and learn more about each other. Thinking back about it, it’s amazing how far we have come, from those first days when it was still a little awkward to the end when we were all having fun.

Describe one such moment during the orientation week itself.

I was extremely pleased when I saw the freshmen cheer so enthusiastically among their tribes. Up to that point, KEWOC is mostly about planning and advance work. Orientation week is when we get to know how productive our efforts have been. As such, the cheers are tangible proof that our work has achieved its goal.

Ultimately, KEWOC aims to make the freshmen acculturated into KE, develop a strong hall sense and make friends with all those new people they meet. When I saw the freshmen being so enthusiastic, I really felt proud and happy. It truly makes you forget the difficulties you have been through to get to this point.

Tell us about one memorable moment from post orientation week.

Obviously, post orientation week, I was just relieved that all was over. By that time, I was very tired and had to settle my sleep debts. But one thing I remember fondly is seeing how people miss KEWOC. Here, I am talking about how the committee members will still go to the KEWOC room. It’s something we do not usually realise, but KEWOC does grow on us, and when it’s all over, we miss it. After spending so much time together planning and discussing in that room over those many weeks, we do bond together as a team, which is why we have this ‘something-is-missing’ feeling in the first days after it ends.

But aside from that, we also have to move on. And for KEWOC, that means helping float and flag people, who by then, are steadying themselves for their critical phase. I am extremely glad that this year’s ROCKE committee have done such a good job!

One thing you would do differently, if you were given the chance.

I think I would recruit more girls. Having too many guys is not good for the group dynamics. Haha.

...and whaddaya know? There's another one! =D

Do you have any advice to give to the next committee?

More girls. Haha.

But seriously, KEWOC is a very fulfilling job. Like most of those, it is very taxing at times, but the rewards are seriously worth it. While the completion of task is important, the welfare of people is of higher priority. Care for people and show them you sincerely value them. Learn to love your people. They will love you back. This is something that I have learnt. =D

Mid Autumn Festival A la Dim Sum

Writer: Adrian Chia
Photos by:  Kelvin Anggara

To talk about dim sum during Mid-Autumn Festival is like to talk about scoring goals in tennis. While in tennis you score aces instead of goals, you hardly hear people mentioning ‘dim sum’ in the same breath as ‘Mid-Autumn Festival’. Instead, mooncake, lanterns and the big round moon should be the main features of the festival. But this year, the Mid-Autumn Festival was truly about dim sum. Wait a second, did I just put the two terms in the same sentence? No mistake there, because this year’s celebration was really in essence, a Dim-Sum event.

At about 7pm, a group of people claiming to be the leaders of the Dim Sum clan assembled at the E4 kitchenette. After a short discussion, they started getting themselves busy with baking powder, flour, eggs, chicken wings, char siew sauce and the oven. It took a while before it became apparent they were not making xiao long baos, chee cheong funs or siew mais. They were actually preparing supper for their dearest Dim Sum clan members!

As dark clouds thickened overhead and the clock struck nine, the Dim Sums began to converge in the Communal Hall. To prevent the Dim Sums from turning cold, some energizers were played to break the ice. Scenes of them sticking stinky feet at one another, greeting each other in a silly sissy manner and rubbing their noses on particular red shirts were observed. Perhaps a secret art for preparing the delicacies?

Sticking their feet together

Silly and sissy greetings :)

How to greet another person in Christmas Island :)

Supper was served after that. On the menu were chicken wings and barley drink. Conspicuously absent were traditional items like mooncakes and Chinese tea. For those interested, check out this website which briefly tells the stories of Mid-Autumn Festival and why mooncakes are significantly special on this occasion!

Barley and chicken wings :)

The next phase of operation involved a route march from KEVII Hall to the SRC Field, with everyone carrying a standard gear of a paper lantern. To add to the tactical difficulty, the full moon was too shy to be seen as it was shrouded in thick, dark clouds. Along the way, there was much chatter and singing, and pit stops were made to replenish ammunition – in the form of candles, as well as to get into formation to be exposed to the flashlights of the camera from time to time. At the field, much to the disappointment of the group, the moon still failed to show up, but solace was sought in the form of chats, songs and cookies. One particular cookie was noteworthy for its its mutated size and shape, for it looked more like an oversized pizza! On the return trip, more lanterns were reduced to ashes after lighting up in fireballs.

Equipped with the lanterns

Marching towards SRC

Pit stop :)

All smiles =D

Upon reaching back in hall, there was one last surprise in store – a belated birthday celebration for Cui Shan. Amusingly, all the matches were used up during the road march that none were left to light the birthday candles! Nonetheless the frozen cheese cake more than made up for the minor blip!

And then the Dim Sums went to bed.

Wishing everyone a belated 中秋节快乐! (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!) =D

Orientation (II) – Block Day!

Writer: Yap Juin Shiong
Editor: Janice Fan

To foster feelings of friendship and camaraderie between people in the block, a “block day” was held the following morning  after the Orientation Camp. Basically, Block Day involved a one-day trip to Sentosa for the KEVIIans in their respective blocks, after a morning of breakfast and mini-IBG.

Upon reaching Sentosa, teams were encouraged to play Captain’s Ball with various objects, such as a toilet roll, a banana, and a toy snake, all of which were consequently joyfully mangled and annihilated by the various teams as they vied for points with the other blocks.

playing with a snake!

 

and with a toilet roll!

Many others played tug of war, Frisbee or relaxed on the luxuriant golden sand as they played yet another round of icebreaker games.

pulling with all their might!

Yet even more took advantage of the proximity of the beach and went to sing songs and play games while half immersed in the cool seawater.

having fun in the sea :P

Eventually, as night fell, the various blocks separated for dinner at various locations around Singapore, while people recalled the feelings, friendships, and experiences each had gone through, and the personal voyage each had made from the start of the orientation till its conclusion :)

CD!

F Block!

 

Orientation 2009 – Voyage

Writer: Yap Juin Shiong
Editor: Janice Fan

On the 24^th of July, King Edward VII Hall (KE7) had its orientation camp to acquaint freshmen entering this year with the hall as well as with others entering for their first time. The theme for this year’s orientation as thought up by the King Edward Welcoming and Orientation Committee (KEWOC) was “Voyage”, and represented both the trip that freshmen have made from their home countries, as well as the personal journeys that each would make while participating in the orientation camp, and living life in KE7.

This year, the theme had a noticeably ‘pirate’ touch to it (complete with costumed KEWOC members), and freshmen were split up into three different rival pirate clans- ATAS, Dim Sum, and Fishermen. As the orientation got underway, each group was tasked with decorating a unique flag with a multitude of designs to represent their group. The flags, reminders of the ancient practice of Roman standards intended to boost morale and for identification purposes, were to be a rallying point for each individual team over the course of the subsequent five days.

After the designs were skilfully laid to cloth in the communal hall, clans then engaged in a series of icebreakers on a team level, and with many people hailing from places both near (Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines to name a few) and slightly further away (Mauritius!), there was no lack of cultural diversity amongst all who were gathered together. Yet that very same day, the bonds of friendship were first forged as both Orientation Group Leaders (OGLs) and freshmen engaged in games such as “Polar Bear” and “Murderer”.

Following the screening of the orientation video after the icebreakers, a tiring round of station games ensued between different clans in the afternoon, during which groups battled to be the first to collect the first piece of a treasure map leading to the ultimate treasure- Davy Jones’ Heart! Completing the various stations, however, was no easy feat and required both brains and brawn as teams battled to complete tasks such as running around counting the total number of steps in KE’s block F, hunting for symbols around the hall and translating them to letters, and solving mathematical problems while finding a hidden treasure chest which required the answer as the key. Eventually, when all teams reached the final station, the exhausted clans were led back to the communal hall for their first taste of SP (Secret Pal/Special Partner) activities, where they were blindfolded and paired up to talk with another freshman.

First Taste of Secret Pal- the girls are anxious!

 

Poor girls getting tricked by OGLs!

The night only ended when clans were ushered to the tennis courts and treated to a rousing speech by the Pirate King himself before heading back to their rooms to retire for the night.

the pirate king!

The second day of the camp saw freshmen waking up to a day of designing and painting their “ship”, a cardboard model which would be held up by two people and which would represent their individual groups. Creatively painted and hardily constructed ships were the highlight of the morning as groups competed to create the most visually captivating ships with recycled materials.

hard at work!

Working under the aegis of the Chee Cheong Fun flag (Don’t you think the words read “Porn Lord”??? :P)

finally finished!

 Following that, an important and particularly indispensable lecture about the CORS system of bidding was given to freshmen. Thankfully, this helped to shed light on a topic arguably more confusing than any module ever taken in NUS! Finally, in the afternoon, the campus station games began, which saw freshmen troop through the entire campus, visiting sites such as the faculty of science and Prince George’s Park Residences (PGPR), following blood trails deep into the night and hunting high and low in pitch black darkness all over the university grounds for clues to solve a mystery-themed treasure hunt.

BLOOD...

just one of the many station games!

success! :D

The game ended late in the night and saw most freshmen heading back to bed, wearybut satisfied that their group had explained the mystery reasonably well with the clues they had found. A small group of students, however, excited by the prospect of further exploration and famished by the gruelling and intensely vigorous activities, headed straight for the (in)famous 24-hour prata stall in the vicinity of NUS for a snack late into the night, only heading back at the unearthly hour of 4 am. Though everyone agreed that it ranked as one of the craziest things they had ever done during the entire orientation camp, spirits were high as everyone made their way back to the university, tired but sated.
 

 The morning of the third day was devoted to various talks given by the venerable Master of KE7, and the leader of KEWOC, after which groups were taught the various cheers and songs sung in KE7. All teams, however, were looking forward to the highlight of the camp in the afternoon- a trip to West Coast Park and war games between each team that would last for an entire day. In this event, clans were tasked to destroy each others’ newspaper wrapped hula hoops by throwing water bombs through them; however, unknown to clan Dim Sum, rival clans Fishermen and ATAS had covertly made a pact to destroy Dim Sum first. However, to their credit, Dim Sum defended well against the onslaught, and the alliance eventually crumbled as both clans turned on each other in frustration. Dim Sum eventually emerged as winner of the first round as their shield was well defended by people of exceptional height, while ATAS and Fishermen took the opportunity to attack each other’s undefended shields. In the second round, where clans had to wrap their clan leaders up in toilet paper (à la mummy) and throw water bombs at other clans’ delicately wrapped mummies, Fishermen eventually emerged the clear winner due to the agility of their clan leader in avoiding water bombs. The night drew to a close with a barbeque dinner for all the clans and another round of SP activities, where more exotic activities were performed by freshmen with their secret pal, such as feeding M&Ms to each other, or drawing out their partners’ faces out on paper while they were blindfolded. After a series of campfire songs (sans campfire), the freshmen were guided back to their rooms to rest for the final day.

On the last day, everyone was given ample time to rest from the previous night’s activities until the afternoon, when goodie bags containing the orientation shirt, as well as an ample supply of coffee (among other things), were given to each person, recognising the long hours they would put in during school term. Also, the various groups were lead through the Tunnel, a walk through the history of KE7 and a reminder of how strong the bonds are between the fraternity of KEVIIans. As groups were ushered out of the Tunnel, people were also given the chance to practice and perfect the mass dance before it was danced for the last time that night. Little did they know that the greatest surprise lay not in SP revelation, which was to take place later that night, but in the fact that they eventually had to perform the mass dance with their SP! The initial awkwardness was quickly overcome, and soon couples were tapping daintily around the dining hall in perfect time, before sitting down to a candlelit dinner specially prepared by KEWOC for the couples.

talking excitedly with their SPs!

Davy Jones’ Heart being utterly crushed by the vengeful Musa!

The night concluded with clans and teams disbanding to form their various block groups after undergoing an ancient, timeless, and secret ceremony (the details of which cannot be printed here!) that every freshmen who has been in KE7 has gone through. As people departed with feelings of nostalgia, the night marked the official end of the orientation camp…

Photos by: Chen Kok Pun

KEVII Night Cycling 2009

More details about the event will be provided soon :)

Orientation 2009 – VOYAGE – Trailer

An Orientation Trailer produced by a group of Students from King Edward VII Hall, NUS. This movie was inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, and all Copyrights Reserved to Walt Disney Pictures. Please show your support by linking it and provide constructive comments. And stay tuned for more NGs and Video Bloopers from us :)

Orientation begins July 24th 2009. Seniors do come and join us!