Fiesta on the Green

A guest posing with LiNUS, the NUS mascot

University Town (UTown) Green was transformed into a sea of smiling faces as alumni and their families, students and staff turned out for the annual Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day (KRAFD) on 17 August. More than 4,000 guests thronged the campus to reconnect with their alma mater, making the event the largest NUS homecoming so far.

Is Professor Lee still teaching? When is the next class reunion? When is the next round of NUS Lifelong Learners courses? Such chatter was overheard as former students flocked to faculty booths to catch up. There were activities and surprises at every corner — from an animal kindness awareness drive by NUS People Ending Animal Cruelty and Exploitation (NUS PEACE) which set up a kennel with cute animals for guests to play with — to a wandering magician played by Year 1 NUS Business student Markus Ng.

Ms Dong (5th from left), Prof Tan (6th from left) and Office of Alumni Relations Director Mr Bernard Toh (7th from left) taking a group photo with the attendees on the UTown Green

The highlight of the evening was a mesmerising performance by singer and actress Ms Joanna Dong, an NUS Arts and Social Sciences alumna from the Class of 2004. Between jazzy renditions of “Liàn qū 1990” and “We Are Young”, Ms Dong spoke fondly of her days as an NUS undergraduate. She also interacted with guests at the NUS Centre for the Arts booth after her show. 

The NUS Alumni Indian Ensemble, NUS Dance Synergy, NUS Silat, NUS Chinese Society Geyao and Impromp-3 alumni singers also treated the guests to lively performances. The stage shows closed on a high note with an appearance by NUS alumnus Bunz and other members of the cast from the film “So Bright 2”.

Guests enjoying the games and activities at UTown

Various technologies championed at NUS were also showcased at the event, such as robotics and Virtual Reality demonstrations by NUS Engineering and the NUSmart Shuttle autonomous vehicle. In his speech, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye elaborated on the University’s smart campus aspirations — for example, drones doing deliveries, robots patrolling the grounds and apps for real-time bus arrival timings.

The Nasi Padang team assembling their winning creation for the culinary competition

The event also commemorated Singapore’s Bicentennial with an exhibition by NUS Museum on “Objects of Our Memory and Heritage” and a friendly culinary competition for canteen vendors tasked with showcasing their stalls’ signature dishes arranged to form the numeral “200”. The Nasi Padang team comprising Mr Alson Ng from NUS Engineering’s E2 Cafeteria and Ms Hosnul Hotimah who operates at The Frontier at NUS Science took home the bragging rights. Participants got to enjoy the food shortly after the judges cast their votes.

As stars appeared in the darkening sky, guests settled down on the Green to watch “Smallfoot”, an animated film — a perfect ending for the day.  

By Office of Alumni Relations