Family fun on Kent Ridge
About 5,800 people gathered for the Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day
Members of the extended NUS family thronged University Town (UTown) for a laidback afternoon of fun on Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day on 15 August. About 5,800 people NUS alumni, students, staff and their families enjoyed a series of exciting activities including a catwalk show by NUS students and an outdoor screening of animated movie Big Hero 6.
Guest-of-Honour NUS Chairman Mr Wong Ngit Liong graced the event together with President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan; Deputy President (Administration) Mr Joseph Mullinix; and Associate Professor Victor Savage, Director of the Office of Alumni Relations, which organised the annual gathering.
One of the day's highlights was a cook-off between five campus eateries: Astons at UTown, Yong Tau Foo from The Deck, Hwang's Korean Restaurant at UTown, Ayam Penyet from The Frontier and Reedz Café at the Mochtar Riady Building. They did their best to impress in the "Best Food on Campus Contest, with the title of Overall Winner going to Ayam Penyet.
Ayam Penyet at The Frontier was crowned Overall Winner of the Best Food on Campus Contest
A bouncy castle, face-painting and balloon-sculpting, as well as roving stilt-walkers whose outfits glowed with fluorescent LED lights, entertained kids of all ages.
Ms Daphne Chia, who works at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, was with her 9-year-old daughter Cheyenne and 10-year-old niece Grace, waiting in line for a balloon tiara. The girls had had their hands painted with intricate designs at the face-painting station.
Ms Chia said, "I brought them to UTown to enjoy the facilities. There's a very big space here for children to run around, to play Frisbee.
Guests were also entertained with performances by celebrity NUS alumni, Mr Tay Ping Hui and Ms Cheryl Wee, and the Eusoff and Temasek hall bands.
Earlier that afternoon, about 150 veteran staff gathered for the NUS Pioneer Generation Staff Hi-tea at UTown's Spice Table. Both current and retired staff who had clocked at least 10 years of continuous service reminisced about the past over curry puffs and nyonya kueh. Among those who carved out time for the occasion were Singaporean poet NUS Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo and two former staff members who had joined NUS' predecessor institution in the 1940s, Mr Nadesan and Mr Daani bin Suradi.
Prof Tan bid a warm welcome to the high tea guests, acknowledging them as "the people who have really built the University and enabled it to come the very far distance it has travelled, particularly over the last 50 years.
"We have many, many things that we can be satisfied with, that we can be proud of on this SG50 celebration and NUS 110th anniversary. But it's also very important for us to remember that the University got here, to its position, because of the contributions of the people of the University, he added.
Prof Tan (centre) mingling with veteran staff at the NUS Pioneer Generation Staff Hi-tea
Former Director at the NUS Office of the President Mr E Sukumar found the high tea both meaningful and memorable for him and his former colleagues.
"NUS has gone to great lengths to show its appreciation and recognise our efforts. I was touched by the warm hospitality and graciousness that was evident all round, said Mr Sukumar, who had been at NUS for 32 years.
Mr Cheang Cheng San, who was a Laboratory Technician at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine for five decades, was back on campus with his former colleagues. According to Mr Cheang, he and his co-workers sometimes visit the pathology laboratory, where they used to work, when they are at the nearby National University Hospital for medical check-ups or to visit friends and relatives.
"They're just like a family. We get along well. That's one reason why I stayed on. You know each other very well, said Mr Cheang.
