For us freshmen, we ended off a week of orientation activities with NUS Rag Day. Since its commencement, Rag Day usually occurred within the university campus. This year, however, NUS Rag Day took on a new twist, and was held at the Padang, as one of the National Day celebratory events.
Admittedly, before O (Orientation) Week, we didn't have a clue as to what Rag Day was. Seniors told us that Rag Day has been a long-standing tradition in the university since 1958; akin to a mini Chingay Parade where floats are displayed and performances showcased to the public.
What differentiates Rag Day from the Chingay Parade, however, is the use of scrap materials to construct floats and create costumes.
Floats are built from unwanted, flimsy trash to become impressively mechanised floats, while the performers splash on body paint and adorn costumes (some self-made) made of cloth, trash bags and/or cardboard.
This winning combination results in a splendid performance that leaves the audience in awe.
NUS Rag Day took off on a bigger scale this year. For the first time, it was held outside of campus, and students weren't the only ones at the Padang.
The President and ministers such as Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports and Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, and Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health, were invited to be part of this event.
As Rag Day was held in conjunction with National Day, it was of no surprise that there were many foreign faces around.
There were tourists who sat on the spectators' stand, using the program booklets to shield their heads from the blazing sun, while they watched in amusement as the lot of NUS students cheered till their voices were hoarse.
And what's an event like this without the media? Channel NewsAsia and 93.3FM came along to take photographs, interview students and eventually, broadcast the event.
What impressed us the most was the fact that the floats could actually move. Aeroplanes had spinning propellers and there was a beautiful phoenix that could spread its gargantuan wings.
Perhaps this would be of little significance to the seasoned Rag goer; however to freshies like us, the motorised contraptions were indeed something to marvel at. Even the smoke that spewed at timed intervals garnered a few "Wah"s from the spectators.
Although it was difficult to keep track of all the performances, a notable mention would be the performance put up by Sheares Hall which won Best Float Presentation, Best Float Design and Overall Champion for Halls of Residence.
Sheares' dome shaped float opened up to reveal a dragon with fiery blinking eyes. As the sounds of "Space Jam" blasted from the speakers, it was hard to imagine where the performers got their energy from, as the rest of us baked under the sun.
Another float display which took our breath away was the one by the Faculty of Science. Its float had a huge golden deity that could move. Towards the end of the performance, the head of the golden deity actually spun around to reveal an angry expression. This took the audience by surprise and they responded with a resounding applause.
The intricate construction of the deity made it tough to tell that it was originally made from scrap materials. At the end of the day, the faculty bagged four prizes, two of which were the Best Float Presentation and the Best Float Design for Faculty Clubs.
The spectators had their fair share of limelight as well. An essential part of the Rag experience would definitely be sweating it out in the sun, cheering your heart out for your own Hall or Faculty. Despite having to do cheers (complete with actions) that did not make sense half the time, there was a sense of camaraderie with our seniors as we cheered for our affiliations.
For those who wanted to get into the heat (pun intended) of the action, standing on the grass patch in front of the stage was an option that many freshies - including us - took. Of course, getting a better view had its price as we stood under the scorching sun. It was anything but comfortable as students squeezed with one another (some sitting, some standing, some in between) in an attempt to get a good view of the performances.
Rag Day started our university experience with a blast. We were proud to be part of this unique NUS tradition, and will certainly be anticipating it next year.
"Discover Our Passion, Witness Our Spirit" indeed. HOOKED
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Written by joshuatj on 2007-09-04 14:34:50
"Sheares' dome shaped float opened up to reveal a dragon with fiery blinking eyes."
You sure Sheares' dome open up and reveal a dragon with fiery blinking eyes??
I thought the dragon with fiery blinking eyes should be TemasekHall.
Sheares' is suppose to be a pumpkin and a horse. | Written by Guest on 2008-12-02 02:10:19
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