1. A PIONEER HALL PUBLICATION. AY 15/16 A YEAR IN MEMORY
REFLECTIONS
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2. REFLECTIONS - 2 - 2015 - 2016
LIFE IN PIONEER HALL
A short introduction by Hall President
Darren How on life in Pioneer Hall
- INTRODUCTIONS -
Pioneer Hall is a special place, one made more special by the
people who live in it. From a myriad of faculties and back-
grounds, you’ll never find a melting pot like that of Pioneer’s.
For the last year, Pioneer Hall is a place in which many of us have come to
know of as home. As residents, we spend the majority of the academic year
in hall, living amongst each other and forging friendships. Pioneer Hall is
our home away from home.
This year has been an amazing journey for us in Pioneer Hall. We have
achieved many firsts this year, from expanding our suite of sports to the
full twenty to having our first carnival, we even won our first medal in
the Hall Olympiad. Together with Crescent Hall, we are the school’s first
exploration into the formal inclusion of residential learning into the hall
system. We have come a long way in this regard, establishing a relation-
ship with Ren Ci with regular visits to their nursing home in Bukit Batok
and the establishing of our third learning space, ‘The Kitchen’. As we come
to the second year of Pioneer Hall’s existence, we look back on the experi-
ences that we have had in this past year.
Pioneer chronicles the many different happenings and events of Pioneer
Hall. It captures a glimpse into the many facets of hall life and commemo-
rates what we have done this past year. As Pioneer Hall’s first official pub-
lication, this book marks an important step for the hall. I hope you enjoy
this book and reminiscing about the past year. It is my pleasure to present
to you, Pioneer.
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3. REFLECTIONS - 3 - 2015 - 2016
WELCOMEAnd thank you for taking the time
to read this publication
—
‘Reflections’, Pioneer Hall’s first ever official publication, would not have been
possible without the support of a great many people, in particular the media
and publicity teams. It’s been one hell of a journey in itself working with each
and every one of you and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did making
this publication happen.
SPECIAL THANKS
Special thanks to everyone who’s supported us throughout the process of the pub-
lication, from our friends, neighbours and subcommittee members. Without you,
none of this would be possible.
The team would also like to extend a word of thanks to our friends in Crescent Hall
for their ideas and suggestions in making this publication better. Thank you all for
making this publication a success.
DANIEL CHAI
Publicity Director - Chai0103@e.ntu.edu.sg
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4. REFLECTIONS - 4 - 2015 - 2016
CONTACT US
PIONEER HALL
Nanyang Technological University
156 Nanyang Crescent,
Singapore 637125
P: +65 6790 5766
E: hall6crespioneer@ntu.edu.sg
W: http://webx.ntu.edu.sg/PioneerHall
—
EDITORIAL
DANIEL CHAI
Publicity Director, Chief Editor
KELVIN TEO
Media Director, Editor
CONTRIBUTORS
Dion Lim, Raynor Wee, Darren How, Ng Xin Yu,
Leonard Ng, Muhd. Mirza, Ng Ping Kee, Aaron Phua,
Deepashini Naidu, Kelvin Teo, Quek Hong Ghwee
PRINT & PRODUCTION
NAZERA BANU
Business Manager
08SPORTS FEATURE
Sports in Pioneer Hall
and the IHG season
01LIFE IN
PIONEER HALL
By Darren How
10SERVING
the COMMUNITY
with Ng Xin Yu
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5. REFLECTIONS - 5 - 2015 - 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
—
Page 1
LIFE IN PIONEER
An introduction on
life in Pioneer by
Hall President Darren How
Page 8 - 9
SPORTS IN PIONEER HALL
A feature on sports in Pioneer Hall
Page 10 - 11
SERVING THE COMMUNITY
A reflection by Ng Xin Yu
—
Page 12 -17
FLYING SOCIAL
On social events and activities in
Pioneer Hall
Page 18 - 19
RECREATIONAL GAMES
A feature on recreational games in
Pioneer Hall
—
Page 20 - 21
CULTURE IN PIONEER HALL
Backstage with one of the liveliest
communities in Pioneer Hall
Page 22 - 23
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Adventure with the special projects
team as they organise the most unique
of events in Pioneer Hall
—
18CULTURE in
PIONEER HALL
Backstage with one of
the liveliest communi-
ties in Pioneer Hall
10FLYING SOCIAL with
AARON and MIRZA
The story behind the
many social events in
Pioneer Hall
20SPECIAL PROJECTS in
PIONEER HALL
Embark on a journey of
fun and adventure
16RECREATIONAL
GAMES in
PIONEER HALL
Recreational games in
Pioneer Hall and the
IHRG season
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6. REFLECTIONS - 6 - 2015 - 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
—
Page 24 - 25
WELFARE IN PIONEER
Why Pioneer residents have the best
welfare
Page 26 - 27
LEARNING IN CRESPION
Discover the dynamic learning envi-
ronment in the CresPion complex
Page 28 -29
BLOCK SUPPERS
With good food and great company,
what more could you want?
—
28BLOCK SUPPERS
Good food and great
company, what more
could you want?
24WELFARE in
PIONEER HALL
why Pioneer residents
have the best welfare
26LEARNING in
CRESPION
Discover the dynamic
learning envionment in
the CresPion complex
30PIONEER HALL
COUNCIL
Pioneering new
milestones
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9. REFLECTIONS - 9 - 2015 - 2016
- SPORTS FEATURE -
SPORTS—
“We may not be the best, but we work hard and we play hard. And at the end of
the day, as long as we do our best and have no regrets, that in itself is a victory.”
- Andreas Tan, Assistant Sports Director
While not known as a ‘sports hall’, Pioneer Hall still maintains a strong sports
culture with players practicing or having friendly matches outside their training
schedule. The love for the sport exhibited by our residents and players has led to
improvements when playing against other halls in the IH season 15/16.
The success of Pioneer Hall’s sports culture can be attributed to the leadership and
direction set by our sports directors Aaron and Andreas. Under their leadership,
Pioneer Hall has increased uptake across all sports as well as obtained better train-
ing equipment for players, and better facilitites for residents in the form of free
weights in the gym.
Over the last year, Pioneer Hall has achieved many firsts, from expanding our suite
of sports to the full twenty and even making it to the quarter finals for the sepak
takraw team - a feat for players who had no playing experience in the sport prior
to joining hall.
INTER-HALL SEASON
This year’s Inter-hall season saw a tremendous increase in both uptake among resi-
dents as well as performance. This year, Pioneer Hall participated in all 20 sports
in IHG - an increase of 10 new sports. We also achieved a big improvement in this
year’s IH season, with some of the sports, such as Sepak Takraw, Water Polo, Swim-
ming and Track and Field doing exceptionally well.
SEPAK TAKRAW
Sepak Takraw was easily the best performing sport this IH season. Led by team
manager Hakim, the team worked hard and made it as far to the Quarter Finals,
none of them having had any experience in playing the sport prior to joining hall.
WATER POLO
This current IH season, our Water Polo team made it into the final pool among all 18
halls, the last game before the Quarter Finals, their months of training finally pay-
ing off. With this being the first time Pioneer Hall has participated in Water Polo,
this has been a huge success for everyone.
SWIMMING
Our swimming team made it to two final events this season - the 4 x 50m breast-
stroke (female), and the 4 x 50m individual medley, where our swimmers put up a
good show against other halls and doing Pioneer Hall proud.
TRACK AND FIELD
After months of training and hard work, our runners made it into the top 8 finals
for the 4 x 400m female event, doing Pioneer Hall proud. The represeting team was
made up of: Wan Ling, Nazera, Xin Yi, and Jin Yi.
All in all, Pioneer’s players put up a really good show this IH season and we couldn’t
be prouder of them.
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10. COMMUNITY OUTREACH——
DID YOU KNOW?
For the second semester of AY15/16 Pioneer residents have been paying weekly
visits to Ren Ci nursing home? Headed by Community Services director Ng
Xinyu, residents do their part to make the community a better place.
“FROM A YOUNG AGE, I WAS TAUGHT THAT TO LEAD IS TO SERVE.”
NG XIN YU IS A FIRST YEAR COMMUNICATIONS STUDENT AT THE WEE KIM WEE SCHOOL OF
SOCIAL SCIENCES. SHE HOPES TO ONE DAY USE HER SKILLS TO HELP THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
PIONEER HALL’S FIRST COMMUNITY OUTREACH
NG XINYU
Community services Director
Heading down week after week is more than a commitment, it’s a calling. People ask me from time to
time why I even bother making the trip down. “They have people taking care of them there, people who
are better trained and equipped to help them.” some tell me. But I do not listen, these old folks may have
caretakers, but they don’t have family. The occasional visits from volunteers are about all some of these
folks have. It’s an almost bittersweet feeling each time I go down. I make friends, talk to them, listen to
their stories. There’s a lot to learn from someone who’s been around for the better part of the last century
and I enjoy every moment. I appreciate the effort of the other volunteers too. Some may turn up once,
others a couple of times, and then there are the regulars, people like Recreation Games Director Joseph
and Financial Secretary Shen Juin. But no matter the frequency, they all bring something home with
them. A moment. A moment of good. And it’s something I encourage each and every resident to take part
in, at some part of your hall stay. Life is more than simply studying and attending hall events, sometimes,
it’s the little things that matter, and I do hope to see many more residents coming forward and helping
out in the years to come.
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13. REFLECTIONS-13-2015-2016
- FEATURE -
FLYING SOCIAL
THE SOCIAL
TEAM—
NOBODY DOES SOCIAL in PIONEER HALL LIKE SOCIAL
DIRECTORS AARON AND MIRZA
Social events are the heart of hall life and over the course of the year Pioneer
Hall has played host to many. Headed by social directors Aaron and Mirza, the
social team plans many events throughout the year. These events give residents
a platform to interact, bond and make new friends, making hall life all the more
interesting.
From Halloween to Valentines day, the efforts of the social team make life in Pio-
neer Hall an interesting one. Many residents consider social events to be a much
welcomed break from their studies and usually head down with their friends after
their classes. These events are what make life in Pioneer Hall what it is.
HELLOWEEN, a joint hall affair
Co-organised by Halls 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, Crescevnt and Pioneer, Helloween featured a
large number of activities for residents to participate in. From nostaligic carni-
val games with a spooky twist to haunted houses with scary ‘ghosts’, Helloween
brought together residents across halls for a chance to bond and interact. Featur-
ing performances by jam bands and dance groups, Helloween was truly a night to
remember.
VALENTINES DAY
Valentines Day was yet another event organised by the Social team. Featuring
performances by the jam bands and the acapella group, The Valentines Day event
featured nostalgic love songs and pretty lights creating a comfortable atmosphere
for residents. The event also featured booths selling roses and gift cards.
by DANIEL CHAI
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14. REFLECTIONS-14-2015-2016
- FEATURE -
FLYING SOCIAL
THE SOCIAL
TEAM—
“WE ORGANISE EVENTS THAT WE WANT TO ATTEND
OURSELVES.” - ASST. SOCIAL DIRECTOR MIRZA
Organising an event is no mean feat, imagine coming up with events all year
round! Social Directors Aaron and Mirza, along with the social team at Pioneer
Hall are responsible for events all year round making life in Pioneer Hall what it
is. With all their effort, there’s never a boring moment in Pioneer Hall.
SUBCOMMITTEE BONDING DAY
Held at Sentosa, the subcommittee bonding day was a chance for subcommittee
members to get to know each other. The event featured team building games at
the beach before ending off with a group dinner at VivoCity.
WELCOME DINNERS
The start of each semester plays host to a welcome dinner, an opportunity for
new residents and students to get to know each other. These events are informal,
creating a relaxed environment for residents to get to know each other. Over the
course of the last academic year, Pioneer Hall played host to 2 welcome dinners,
both of which were well attended.
FAREWELL DINNER
The farewell dinner was the final social event of the academic year. Organised by
both the welfare and social teams, the event featured a series of performances as
well as refreshments for residents - the perfect way for a last get together before
finals.
by DANIEL CHAI
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16. REFLECTIONS - 16 - 2015 - 2016
16DANCING with
THE STARS
Pioneer Hall’s DD
takes you on a star
studded journey
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17. REFLECTIONS - 17 - 2015 - 2016
Last year’s DD was held at Hotel Rendez-
vous and featured a sumptuous dinner, fol-
lowed by performance segments by pageant
contestants selected from the different ori-
entation groups (OGs) during the FOC. Dur-
ing the event, various orientation groups
came up with banners and posters support-
ing the pageantees from their respective
groups with some going as far as to print
almost life sized cutouts of the pageantees.
“A TRULY SPECTACULAR AFFAIR”
Themed “The Oscars”, Pioneer Hall’s DD
was a star studded affair with residents
dressed to the nines for the red carpet event.
Some OGs even turned up in group cos-
tumes, showing their solidarity and undying
support for their pageantees.
The DD also featured a competition seg-
ment with personality awards given out for
most humorous, charismatic and positive
(sunshine) residents. There were games for
the best dressed participants and many priz-
es to be won.
The event also featured a photobooth with
props by sponsors ‘Snap Square’. Many resi-
dents spent the night queuing up and pos-
ing for photos, with many memories being
made that night.
“IT’S A GREAT WAY TO REUNITE WITH THE OG POST-
FOC. I THINK EVERYONE HAD A GREAT TIME THAT
NIGHT”. - WIZARDS GL KAHMUN LEONG
The night ended with a final performance by
pageant contestants before the crowning of
the hall king and queen commenced. Fabian
Leong from ‘Starlords’ and Victoria Chang
from ‘Pirates’ were crowned Hall King and
Queen respectively while the title of Hall
Prince went to Dylan Ang from ‘Jedis’ and
Lynn Ong from ‘Wizards’ respectively. Oth-
er pageantees however, did not walk away
empty handed as prizes such as Mr. and Ms.
Congeniality and Mr. and Ms. Personality
being given out.
“BEING PART OF THE PAGEANT REALLY GOT ME TO STEP
OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE AND MAKE SO MANY NEW
FRIENDS.” - DION LIM, PAGEANTEE
Organising the event was no mean feat, but
the DD committee worked tirelessly over
the past academic year to organise the per-
fect event, planning everything from food to
prizes.
“PLANNING THE EVENT WAS DIFFICULT BUT SEEING
THE FACES OF THE RESIDENTS MADE ALL THE EFFORT
WORTH IT.” - ZHENG HUI JUN, DND FINANCIAL SECRETARY
On the whole, both pageantees and residents
alike had a ball of a time, with residents
staying till well after the event had ended.
With the comfortable atmosphere and good
company, the Pioneer DD presents resi-
dents with a platform to get together, and a
chance to mingle and get to know both their
neighbours and hall mates better. With good
food and excellent company, it’s no wonder
the DD is easily one of the most looked for-
ward events of the academic year.
DANCING WITH THE STARS
- DINNER DANCE -
One of the two biggest, and most anticipated events of the academic year, the other be-
ing the freshmen orientation camp (FOC), the annual dinner and dance (DD) is a grand
affair, with residents dressing their best for a night of good company and music.
by DANIEL CHAI
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18. REFLECTIONS - 18 - 2015 - 2016
RECREATIONAL GAMES—
Pioneer Hall’s recreational games rooms are al-
most always filled with constant chatter and good
company. This is in part due to the presence of
its recreational games directors Ping Kee and Jo-
seph - two exceptional individuals who are full
of life and incredibly passionate in what they do.
Through the course of the year, they have im-
proved training conditions through the acquisi-
tion of new equipment and facilities for the recre-
ational games room.
The bond the recreational games directors share
with their players has yielded results in the IH sea-
son 15/16. With Pioneer Hall improving by a total
of 5 ranks this IH season - a result of both direc-
tors’ and players dedication and hard work.
“THE PLAYERS HAVE IMPROVED TREMENDOUSLY THIS IHRG
SEASON BECAUSE OF THEIR HARD WORK AND EFFORT.”
In the IH 15/16 season, Pioneer Hall participated
in a large number of recreational games includ-
ing - Chess, Wei Qi, Carrom, Darts, Othello, Chi-
nese Chess, Snooker, Contract Bridge, Boggle, and
Scrabble.
Pioneer Hall performed very well in the recre-
ational games area during the IH season 15/16.
This was largely in part due to the constant sup-
port of the residents as well as the hard work
and determination of the players. The team also
received support from resident mentors such as
Vincent Du and Oak Yannapol, emerging Silver for
international Chess and making it to the quarter
finals for Wei Qi.
- RECREATIONAL GAMES -
Since its induction in 2015, Pioneer Hall’s recreational games community has been getting better
and better. With new players joining in its second year, the recreational games community is as
lively as, if not livelier, than ever.
INTERNATIONAL CHESS
Pioneer Hall did exceptionally well in the
International Chess tournaments this IH
season, this has been largely due to the
guidance of resident mentor, PhD student
Oak Yannopol, Pioneer Hall made it into
the finals for Chess, taking home the silver
medal.
A WELL DESERVED RESULT
Throughout the year, the Chess team worked
incredibly hard, submitting ‘homework’ to
Yannapol outside of training schedules - this
eventually led to the team clinching the 1st
runner up in the chess tournament.
“I have high hopes for the players next sea-
son, there’s a lot of potential around here,
I think we can make it to the top 10 next
year!” says recreational games director Ping
Kee with a laugh. With the amount of effort
and passion present among the players, this
dream might just become a reality next IH
season.
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20. REFLECTIONS - 20 - 2015 - 2016
CULTURE IN PIONEER HALL
—
Jam band Rubber Souls featuring guest singer Xerxes
- CULTURAL COMMUNITY -
20CULTURE of
PIONEER HALL
Jam band, dance and
acapella add colour to
the Pioneer community
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21. REFLECTIONS - 21 - 2015 - 2016
- CULTURAL COMMUNITY -
Over the last year, Pioneer Hall’s cultural wing
has made significant leaps with our dance crew
PARAD18M bring pride to Pioneer Hall. Fuelled
by their camaraderie and their passion for expres-
sion, our dance crew PARAD18M are living proof
that going together will ultimately lead to achiev-
ing much more than we could have done alone.
This Hall Olympiad season, PARAD18M competed
in the annual Hall Olympiad Closing Ceremony,
the biggest dance competition in NTU, climbing
up the ranks to 9th place, a tremendous leap from
16th place last year
“THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST PASSIONATE AND COMMIT-
TED PEOPLE IN NTU.” - LEONARD, CULTURAL DIRECTOR
Pioneer Hall also excels in its acapella and jam
band groups with the latter being recognised
among the top hall bands in NTU. This year, jam
band Rubber Soul represented Pioneer Hall in
FUSE, NTU’s joint hall music festival, performing
alongside bands such as Sabby and the Cats, NTU’s
leading alternative rock group. Led by leader Lu
Junde, the band was an amalgamation of mem-
bers across all three jam bands in Pioneer Hall.
For many of the members, this was their first time
front of a large inter-hall crowd. FUSE was defi-
nitely something they’d remember in the years to
come.
CULTURAL NIGHT
In addition to FUSE, the Cultural Community holds
an annual cultural night. One of the key events
every year, Pioneer Hall’s cultural night features
joint perfromances by the 3 cultural groups: jam
band, dance and acapella. Combined with the
handing out of exam welfare packs, this year’s cul-
tural night was a welcome treat for all residents
and many stayed the night. With good music and
great company, the turnout for this year’s cultural
night was the biggest yet - the event was certainly
a huge success for the cultural team in Pioneer
Hall.
CULTURE—
The cultural community in Pioneer Hall is made up of 3 groups, the dancers from PARAD18M, the
various Jam Bands and the acapella group, the latter being introduced by resident Hidaya Alatas
in the AY15/16. Headed by Cultural Director Leonard, the cultural community is by far one of the
most active in Pioneer Hall.
STELLA ECCELLENTE
While the dancers from PARAD18M duelled it out
in HOCC, our musicians were hard at work prac-
ticing for Stella Eccellente 2016, an annual hall
cluster band competition that sees musicians from
Halls 4, 5, 6 and Pioneer Hall showcasing their ren-
dition of popular songs in the Hall Idol and Band
categories. In line with this year’s theme, “Home
Is Where The Art Is”, the audience were treated to
our musicians’ take of songs written by local art-
ists. Representing Pioneer Hall was Aaron Phua in
the Hall Idol category, and our founding band 18
Shades of Grey in the Band category.
CULTURE IN PIONEER HALL
With many advances over the AY15/16, the cultur-
al community has great things in store for them.
The community is a tightly knit one with a strong
core, possessing some of the best and most dedi-
cated performers in NTU. Great things are expect-
ed of the cultural community in the years to come.
PARAD18M dancers performing for Cultural Night
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22. REFLECTIONS - 22 - 2015 - 2016
There’s always something special about about spe-
cial projects. What sets special projects apart from
other hall activities is the sheer uniqueness of it
all. The special projects team works tirelessly to
come up with and organise events that are both
fun and unique for residents.
Over the last year, the special projects team or-
ganised many fun and interesting events includ-
ing food hunts and a mini carnival within hall
premises. In addition to organizing these events,
the special projects team is in charge of managing
and organising the freshmen orientation camp -
the biggest event of the year.
A FUN AND EXCITING TEAM TO WORK WITH
Outside of work, the special projects team is a fun
and diverse one with many team members being
heavily involved in other aspects of hall life in-
cluding sports, media and cultural activities.
“They’re some of the most fun and interesting
people you’ll ever meet, especially the ones on the
FOC committee! They’re doing so many things, I
sometimes wonder how they even manage!” says
Special Projects Director Shen Yang when asked
about his subcommittee.
At the time of this article, the preparation for the
freshmen orientation camp for the AY16/17 is well
underway with committee members working tire-
lessly to create the best possible camp for the in-
coming freshmen.
FUN
CREATIVE
EXCITING
SPECIAL
PROJECTS
READY FOR
An Adventure?—
Adventure is what special projects is all about. Headed by special projects director Shen Yang,
the special projects team comes up with the most exciting and innovative events to give residents
events and activities that go beyond special.
- SPECIAL PROJECTS -
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23. REFLECTIONS - 23 - 2015 - 2016
23SPECIAL PROJECTS in
PIONEER HALL
Unique events and
activities to add colour
to hall life
UNIQUE EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Among the number of events and activities
planned by the special projects team are the sup-
per hop and the carnival.
SUPPER HOP
The first Special Project of the academic year, resi-
dents took buses all around Singapore hunting for
the very best dishes Singapore has to offer. From
Al-azhar to Rochor, residents had a great time
hunting for food and eating their hearts out. Most
came for the food but stayed for the company.
BLAST TO THE PAST
Pioneer Hall’s first ever carnival - ‘Blast to the
Past’ took place one weekend in semester 2. Fea-
turing old school games, snacks and even a dunk-
ing machine. The event was a great getaway from
studying for our residents. Many residents stayed
back over the weekend for a day of fun getting to
know each other over games and popcorn.
A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE: CAMP REVOLUT18N
Pioneer Hall’s first ever freshmen orientation
camp was a blockbuster production, pun intend-
ed. 5 orientation groups, their namesakes hailing
from famous blockbusters were put together over
the course of a week. The freshmen orientation
camp was a great experience for the freshmen,
getting them acquainted with their neighbours ,
hall mates and seniors. In addition, it was a great
bonding activity for the seniors (themselves hav-
ing no prior camp) and many forged close bonds
during the camp.
A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE
The 5 day camp was held over the summer holi-
days, and featured confidence building activities,
team bonding games and interaction sessions with
hall mates. The camp also featured wet games and
a beach day, all of which were greatly enjoyed by
seniors and freshmen alike. After 5 days of fun,
the camp ended with a bang, with orientation
groups heading continuing with a final bonding
celebration.
Camp Revolut18n 2016 main committee
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24. 25WELFARE in
PIONEER HALL
Showing care for
our residents
WELFARE in PIONEER HALL
Welfare Director Deepa (pictured)
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25. REFLECTIONS - 25 - 2015 - 2016
In Pioneer Hall, there’s no such thing as too
much welfare. Be it sports or recreational
games, whenever Pioneer Hall is out in the
field, the welfare team is always there in the
stands cheering them on. Armed with re-
freshments procured by the business man-
agers and bringing the loudest of cheers, it
is impossible to miss the Pioneer Hall’s sup-
porters on the field.
Headed by Welfare Director Deepa, the wel-
fare team, along with the Business Manager
Nazera, Pioneer Hall’s unsung heroes go
out of their way to provide residents with
little treats all year round, supporting them
in every possible way. From welcome back
mooncakes to exam welfare packs, teams
work tirelessly behind the scenes to provide
the best for residents.
MAKING LIFE BETTER, ONE PACK AT A TIME
Residents have responded positively to the
welfare provided, with some hailing the
welfare packs as a welcome boost during
the exam periods. These welfare packs are
the result of the hard work of the business
managers, who liaise with sponsors all year
round to help acquire a great many items
for residents.
GOING BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY
Both Deepa and Nazera’s roles go beyond
the obtaining and distribution of goodies
for residents. Over the academic year, both
have initiated events and activities for resi-
dents. Under Nazera’s initiative, residents
had access to a 3 week fitness workshop, to
encourage a healthy lifestyle teaching resi-
dents fun exercises such as Zumba, cardio
dance and kickboxing.
On Deepa’s end, the welfare team spear-
headed the subcommittee appreciation
night, held towards the end of the second
semester, subcommittee members were in-
vited for an appreciation dinner. Located at
Top Deck, the event featured games, prizes
and performances from main committee
members - a simple thank you to subcom-
mittee members for their hard work over
the academic year.
A DESIRE TO MAKE LIFE IN PIONEER HALL BETTER
Out of work, both Deepa and Nazera are
very approachable individuals, their desire
to make Pioneer Hall a better place show-
ing. In her own time, Deepa has worked
with Publicity Director Daniel to design and
pin helpful notices for residents around
the hall should they require assistance, she
also takes the time to get to know residents
all over through her involvement in vari-
ous sports and hall activities. Nazera is also
heavily involved in hall activities and goes
for regular runs with her friends and neigh-
bours, fostering a sense of cameraderie dur-
ing their weekly runs around NTU.
Pioneer Hall would certainly be less without
these two exceptional individuals and their
dedicated teams.
Tasked with the wellbeing of residents in Pioneer hall, the welfare team and business
managers are the unsung heroes, working to make life better for all residents. Their hard
work and effort is what spurs residents on, and making hall life all the more enjoyable.
WELFARE—
Business manager Nazera (pictured)
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27. REFLECTIONS - 27 - 2015 - 2016
One unique aspect of the CresPion halls lies
in its approach to learning. Designed to be a
dynamic learning community, Pioneer Hall,
along with neighbours Crescent Hall, boasts
learning facilities such as the Studio, Work-
shop and Kitchen, catering to the different
learning needs and interests of residents.
“A UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCE”
Helmed by Academic Services directors
Peishan (Crescent) and Zeqing (Pioneer),
The halls hold monthly learning seminars
and workshops for residents ranging from
woodworking to leadership workshops.
Residents are also encouraged initiate learn-
ing workshops. This has led to workshops
such as the doodle art workshop and the
photoshop masterclass being organised by
students.
The academic services team gives students
a chance to explore areas of interests out-
side their curriculum and discover their
strengths and talents. In addition, the skills
and knowledge they learn from the many
workshops and seminars may prove useful
in both their student and working life.
“GREAT THINGS IN STORE”
With a sizeable number of students coming
forward to propose events, academic servic-
es director Zeqing believes that the upcom-
ing academic year will be an interesting one
for residents in both Crescent and Pioneer
Halls. “We’ve got a great many ideas here in
the CresPion Halls and so many hidden tal-
ents here, I’m sure that the next year will be
an exciting one!” says Zeqing.
POSSIBILITY OF POTENTIAL ELECTIVES
According to Senior Faculty in Residence
Dr. Sze, the learning in the CresPion com-
plex goes beyond that of mere events and
workshops. The creation of the 3 learning
facilities, the Kitchen, Studio and Workshop
gives rise to the possibility of projects being
academic credit worthy, contributing to stu-
dents’ academic requirements. While plans
for such a development are still underway,
this may be something we could potentially
see in the next few years.
CRESPION AS A MODEL FOR OTHER HALLS
Being the first halls to integrate learning
into hall life, the Crescent and Pioneer Halls
are a model for other halls, with plans to
integrate learning into hall life and culture
underway. Through the success of the learn-
ing environment in CresPion, other halls
will have an example to follow going beyond
the traditional hall cultures mere gatherings
and social events.
With much in store for the CresPion halls
over the upcoming academic year, it goes
beyond a doubt that the next year will defi-
nitely be an exciting one.
LEARNING IN CRESPION
- LEARNING IN CRESPION -
A unique community, Crescent and Pioneer Halls integrate learning into aspects of Hall
life, creating a dynamic learning environment for residents all year round. Headed by
Pioneer academic services director Zeqing and Crescent academic services director Pei
Shan, residents have access to a wide variety of learning seminars and workshops.
by DANIEL CHAI
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28. REFLECTIONS - 28 - 2015 - 2016
28BLOCK SUPPERS
Good people and better
company
GOOD FOOD, BETTER COMPANY
Yet another event to look forward to in Pioneer
Hall are the block suppers. Organised by the block
representatives, under the direction of Vice Presi-
dent Amanda Wong, the block suppers are held
once every semester.
A BONDING EXPERIENCE
The block suppers give residents the opportu-
nity to get to know their neighbours and residen-
tial mentors. These events are lively affairs and
well deserved breaks within the hectic univer-
sity schedules. With the block suppers, residents
throughout the block have a platform to get to
know each other outside of their busy schedules.
New friendships are often made over good food
and great company company and the supper of-
ten stretches late into the night, almost as if school
didn’t exist the next day. The block suppers are
also a great opportunity for the professors to get
to know the residents making block suppers a
healthy addition to the hall environment making
hall life all the more interesting.
A SMALL TASTE OF PIONEER
The block suppers are perhaps among the most
anticipated events organized by the Block Rep-
resentatives. However, the block representatives
also organise many other events which serve as
opportunities for residents to socialise and bond.
Other events and activities such as ‘Angel and
Mortal’, and the ‘Exam welfare delivery’ work to-
wards creating a more close-knitted and vibrant
community in Pioneer Hall.
Block representatives and Vice-president Amanda Wong (centre)
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30. REFLECTIONS - 30 - 2015 - 2016
30TOGETHER AS ONE
Pioneer Hall 2nd Council
(Pictured)
Brought together by a common goal of serving residents at
large, the Pioneer Hall council tasks itself with the organisation
hall events and activities to help make Pioneer Hall a more vi-
brant community. They work throughout the year to organise
events and ensure the welfare of residents throughout Pioneer
Hall. A cohesive team, the 2nd Pioneer Hall council led Pioneer
Hall to achieve a number of milestones during its term, from
organising its first ever carnival to its very silver medal in the
IHRG season 15/16.
HALL COUNCIL
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2ND PIONEER HALL COUNCIL (from left to right)
FIRST ROW: Tan Shenyang (Special Projects), Muhd Mirza (Assistant
Social), Ng Xinyu (Community Services), Aaron Phua (Sports), Leonard Ng
(Cultural)
SECOND ROW: Kong Zeqing (Academic Services), Daniel Chai (Publicity),
Amanda Wong (Vice-president), Michelle Tan (Honorary General
Secretary), Kelvin Teo (Media)
THIRD ROW: Aaron Soh (Social), Darren How (President), Nazera Banu
(Business Manager), Lee Shen Juin (Financial Controller), Deepashini
Naidu (Welfare), Joseph Seah (Assistant Recreational Games), Ng Ping Kee
(Recreational Games), Andreas Tan (Assistant Sports)
31TOGETHER AS ONE
Pioneer Hall 2nd Council
(Pictured)
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