Memories...
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
ON TROY, ARTS CLUB ALUMNI & A TAXI DREAM
I had a lot of random thoughts to say. So here goes.
A few nights ago, i had this ultimate weird dream. I dreamt that my China FP prof Prof Lee Lai To told me that he didnt have enough money. So everyday after finish teaching his seminar classes in school, he ll go and work part time as a taxi driver.
And then he ll bring some of his essays, ISMs, and Honours Theses to mark in his cab when he's like waiting along those long queues at the taxi stands....
I guess i was so shocked by the dream that i immediately woke up.
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I watched parts of the movie Troy on vcd just now. Bought it for only $6.90 (clearance sale) last week heh.
Act, i watched it before oredi la, but basket, I cried when i watched it just now la.
How embarrassing.
No, act I didnt like exactly cry. I teared la, at the part when the honourable Hector (Eric Bana) was killed by Achilles (Brad Pitt) in front of his wife, baby, brother, dad (the king), soldiers etc. And then his whole body was dragged away on a chariot by a very pissed off Achilles.
Wah lan, esp the part when his wife broke down as Achilles plunged his sword into Hector. I see oredi heart pain man.
Earlier on, he also said this life code which he lives by:
"Honour the gods, love your woman, and defend your country".
Very interesting.
And then I teared again when Hector's dad- the king, went to beg Achilles to return Hector's corpse so that he can give him a proper and honourable burial.
Gee.
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Finally, while I was showering just now, I was thinking about setting up an official Arts Club Alumni now that i m graduating soon.
I thought about how the various seniors including those from 22nd MC donated almost $600 during our 26th MC term in office for Rag & Flag. That amount of money really helped us a lot then.
And the reason why Bizad keeps winning Rag & Flag in the past was because they had such strong support, funding, & network from their alumni. I ll never forget what Steve (the Bizad President during my term) told me then. He said that his Bizad raggers were eating Bengawan Solo pastries sponsored by their alumni for the entire Rag period, so much that they eat until xian oredi.
The point is that I think its time Arts Club set up a strong official alumni, so that we can help future batches of office bearers. Help doesnt have to be physically participating in Arts Club events or activities. It can be in the form of money, sponsorship, venue booking, network contacts, logistical booking, welfare, Rag resources, or even things like career guidance.
And alumni support will definitely come in handy during high-cost events such as ISIS Charity Gala Dinner, FOP, Thank-You Dinner, and even ROP Camp.
The Deanery is very much concentrating on building up the Arts Faculty Alumni, so really, things are in our own hands.
Make no mistake about it. The Alumni does not, and SHOULD not interfere in the workings of whichever current MC in office. But it can be there to support the Club should there be a need. In fact, I think the Arts Club Alumni Committee or Board, should it be formed, doesnt even have to meet up much for official meetings. Perhaps once every 3 months for OMs. Coz everybody ll be busy working then oredi.
1st OM could be held after a new MC steps up into office and come up with the list of events/ projects that they want to hold for their term ahead. The Alumni Board can then review the list together and decide which projects they can support specifically. That ll probably be around September.
2nd OM could be held during the December period, during the 1st term holidaes for the MC. Board ll again review how they can support the traditionally busy 2nd semester for Arts Club events. Would also be good for the Alumni Board to get to noe some of the new MC members during the traditional MC chalet bbq.
3rd OM could be held in early April period, after most of the current MC's FOP coms are settled and directions are set. By then, planning for projects like Rag and Flag should have been functional, and the Alumni Board can again set aside the financial support needed for the entire FOP, or think of how to help the Club for FOP.
4th OM, which is the last one for the year, can perhaps be set in July, before O Week, n Flag, Rag Day.
Each official board term could be 2 years. Following which, the Board members have to stand for simple elections. During each Alumni OM, hopefully the current term Arts Club President and FOP Chairperson can be there to voice their concerns, and be the integral link between the MC in office and the Alumni.
The President's role as the middle-man is thus extremely crucial. Becoz if he/she bochup the Alumni or refuses to work for better relations, it is likely that he/she cannot in turn request for substantial support from the Alumni. Jianghao made this point very clear to me when I talked to him a few years ago about this.
An official Arts Club Alumni can also help in maintaining ties between the various graduated batches, and in maintaining some form of roots to Arts Club. It can also be a good networking opportunity just like that of NUSS, as most of the graduates ll prob be working in various industries.
Again, it has to be emphasized that the Alumni should very much work behind the scenes and should not overtly interfere with the workings of the MC in office. In fact, there is really not much actual "physical" work to be done. From what I know, many alumni associations do things like steamboat dinner, golfing, cycling, and Karaoke heh heh. The key thing is to be there for Arts Club when the Club needs or approaches us for help.
And most importantly, the Alumni should strive to be an inclusive instead of an exclusive association. Non-MC members who care for Arts Club would be most welcome!!!!
Instutionalizing this Alumni ll be very important. I think i ll go and find friends like Song Kwang, Aaron, for advice, as well as support from older seniors like Jianghao, Jane, Ridhwan etc. Song Kwang has extensive experience in setting up alumnis, Aaron has great experience in drafting Constitutions, (which the Alumni ll need 1) and Jianghao was the last President to have expressed an interest in this. We were talking about it when I was still year2, and hopefully, once I graduate, something can be worked out.
I would also love to consult Prof Chng and Prof Straughan for their opinions on this issue, and hopefully get their support for forming the alumni.
We need to do something concrete really. Year after year, many Arts Club seniors graduate and the links with the Club are lost, esp if a new President neglects Alumni ties.
And if we really want to win Rag & Flag for Arts Faculty, or make substantial improvements (eg. push from Bronze Award to Gold Award for Flag), then I think we need to be humble and really learn from what Bizad and Science have been doing in the past in engaging their Alumnis.
I have absolutely no doubt that the support from potential Alumni (Esp financially!!!) will help future batches of Arts Club members. But first, the mindset and background needs to be set up 1st.
Graduated seniors need to understand that joining the Alumni will not take up much of their time, while juniors in office need to understand that the Alumni ll not interfere in their running of the Club, and that they cannot solely rely on the Alumni for support or sponsorship. In the sense that they also need to do their part to prove their management mettle and seek better ties with the Alumni Board.
I believe that many current, graduating, and graduated seniors genuinely care for Arts Club. For the memories and friendship that the Club has brought for them during their days in NUS and Arts Fac. The problem is that becoz of a lack of institutionalization and passivity from various sectors, many seniors do not know how to contribute back to the Club. Or they dun see or feel the need to anymore.
I am hopeful that an alumni can be the 1st step towards bridging this gap.
And frankly, I am sick of seeing how year after year, our Arts Raggers put in so much effort and hard work, and end up being heartbroken and crying when the results are announced.
I noe that winning isnt everything, but the fact is that something can be done to improve this situation. And if that hope and channel is there, it means that we shouldnt stop trying.
... I dun want future generations to go thru what some of us have to go thru. That sense of helplessness, dispair, heartbreak and disappointment, noeing that u lost Rag not because of a lack of effort and drive compared to the other faculties, but becoz of a lack of resources.
And frankly, if no one from Arts start thinking about this or doing this, then I think we ll see the same story and similiar scenes again and again, come the end of Rag Day. I noe juniors like Applie, Kenneth, Michelle, Jeremyirons, Evelyn, and many others ll go back to help Rag. I also noe mc members from 28th like Naga, Samuel, Hwee Guang, Xinyu and many others ll give their best to Rag as well.
But do u noe that I am so scared to go back Rag Day in Aug this year, and see the same scenes happen again?
I am hopeful that an alumni can help in this. Granted, it ll take time for the alumni to be established to pool their resources together for the Club, and for results to be seen, as well as for the networks and alumni membership to grow.
But we have to start somewhere for the future. We are oredi lagging behind Bizad, Science Fac, and possibly SDE in this aspect. And let us not forget that while Arts Rag is improving over the years, the other faculties are doing so as well.
1 day, I am hopeful and I believe we will see Arts Fac winning the overall Rag and Flag Challenge Shield at the Padang. But 1st, we need to take the various steps to reach there.
An official Arts Club Alumni is 1 of these first steps.
