Touching hearts and minds
The faculty canteens were dotted with heart-shaped balloons in various colours
In the run-up to Valentine's Day, Kent Ridge Campus is abuzz with student-led romantic initiatives which carry an underlying meaning of giving back to the community and forging new friendships.
The NUS Mountaineering Club, for example, is offering customisable gifts such as teddy bears and roses as part of its Make Love Real' event, while the Science Club is taking a "sweeter route by selling rainbow coloured cakes and popsicles and donating the sale proceeds towards helping migrant workers in Singapore. NUS Outdoor Activities Club, on the other hand, is injecting some thrill with its ‘Tidal Love' event which encourages adventure-seekers to try their hand at stand-up paddling and kayaking while making new friends.
The NUS Students' Union (NUSSU) has hopped onto the love bandwagon with the return of its popular Project Cupid event on 10 and 12 February. The activities facilitated interaction between undergraduates from different backgrounds, helping them to forge meaningful and lasting friendships. Another event by NUSSU'Appreciation Day on 17 February aims to spread the messages of love and gratitude with the Gift Messenger. Booths were set up around campus on 11 and 12 February for students to make special declarations of gratitude with free balloons, roses and personalised notes, all of which will be delivered to the recipient on Appreciation Day. NUSSU has even roped in the NUS Piano Ensemble to assist with song dedications.
Tembusu College staged a concert on 12 February, where musicians serenaded the crowd with acoustic instruments and the violin, while a photo booth captured memories of the event. Cang Yuan Synergy, a group of nursing students who provide healthcare services to the Cang Yuan community in China, set up a booth at the Science canteen to sell balloons, cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts and flowers to support this community.
From left: Nursing students Laura Huang, Charlene Teo, Toh Zhi Qi, Chow Fong Mei and Thor Jia Yi ride on Valentine's Day to help the community in Cang Yuan, China
Taking in the flurry of activities for Valentine's Day, Year Four Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences student Lok Jian Wen struck a thought-provoking note when he said: "If we truly care and want to show affection for our loved ones, we should treat every day as a Valentine's Day as opposed to a single day of the year.
