The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) held its annual Class Champions and Class Ambassadors Appreciation Dinner on 29 June 2017 at Picnic Singapore, marking the graduation of yet another batch of dedicated Class Champions.

As its name suggests, the purpose of the dinner was a simple one: to recognize and show our appreciation for FASS’ Class Champions, the leaders of the class giving effort for the graduating batch of their respective departments. This tradition exists to ensure that financially needy students will benefit from the same experiences as did the previous batches, and to make an impression on our students of the importance of giving back. Also in attendance were Class Ambassadors; members of the External Relations and Student Life (ERSL) team, including A/P Loy Hui Chieh, Vice Dean, and A/P Phua Chiew Pheng, Assistant Dean; Department Representatives, as well as Mr Chua Sin Chew from the NUS Office of Alumni Relations (OAR).

Armed with a bittersweet awareness that Commencement was quickly approaching, the students’ apprehension at starting a new chapter of their lives was nonetheless overwhelmed by the excitement of the beginnings of something new and rewarding. Teary goodbyes were also precluded, as the end of the students’ journey as Class Champions also marked their assumption of a new role: Class Ambassadors, whose role is preserve friendships and keep in touch with fellow alumnus; ensuring that they lose neither their friendships with each other, nor with the University and the Faculty, as they are kept updated on current happenings and upcoming events.

The atmosphere throughout the night was a lively one, as emcee Khoo Yi Feng kept everyone’s spirits high. As guests mingled over food and drinks, they were also treated to a surprise performance by Class Champion Lara Tay from the Department of English Language and Linguistics, who serenaded the audience with a number of hits that everyone couldn’t help but sing along to. The performance was quickly followed by games and a sharing session, which prompted much laughter from the guests.

The last segment of the night started with a presentation by Mr Chua Sin Chew from OAR, who highlighted the facilitative role that the University could play in organizing gatherings, such as by providing a venue free of charge. He also shared about several upcoming events from NUS Alumni, such as the upcoming Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day, and NUS Day of Service. This was followed by Ms Karen Wong’s presentation on the FASS Mentorship Programme, which encourages alumni who have since accumulated some experience in the working world to give back to FASS by mentoring current students and guiding them forward in charting a successful career path. The night concluded successfully with a lucky draw, as several students got to leave with special FASS mementos to call their own.

FASS would like to again extend our gratitude to our Class Champions and Class Ambassadors for their hard work in coordinating the Class Giving Effort, and for keeping each graduating class in touch with each other, as well as with the school. See you at the next gathering!