Initiations for a brave, new normal
It is the end of the summer holidays, and SMU is gearing up for a brand new academic semester.
On campus however, things appear starkly amiss.
There are no sweat-drenched young men and women in coloured t-shirts running about on a definitive mission. Neither are there pit-stops with instruction-bellowing station-masters – not even beneath the Bodhi tree. In fact, the unmistakable scent of youth that usually permeates the basement concourse this time of year is strikingly absent.
Save for a handful of essential workers going about their routines, and the odd staff scurrying to and from our IT Help Centre with laptop in hand, the SMU campus seems unusually quiet.
But log into the university’s cyberspace and it is a whole different world. Smiles, laughter and excited banter – hallmarks of SMU’s signature Freshmen Orientation and CCA fiesta, VIVACE – have innocuously made their way there.
As a sign of this extraordinary time, these 2020 instalments to welcome SMU’s 21st batch of freshmen to the University were virtually transformed.
SMOOmanji from scratch
Over two four-day runs in late July, FOMO (or Freshmen Orientation Moves Online) witnessed more than 1900 newly-matriculated undergraduates take part in their very first official SMU event. This was an impressive 80% attendance of a cohort of more than 2400.
Led by 206 very able senior student facilitators, freshmen were divided into four clans and then further to approximately 12-member teams where they participated in ice-breakers, games, sharing sessions, interactive webinars, and a mass dance – performed together, while physically apart.
But the route to FOMO was an uphill challenge. Planning took nearly four months, and with no previous format or success formula to emulate, the 20 organising students and handful of Office of Student Life staff mentors had to rely on past personal virtual experiences and their creativity to determine the event’s structure, programme and daily activities.
Said FOMO Chairperson and Year 2 Lee Kong Chian School of Business student Megan Lim: “It was definitely not easy as the planning process had to start from scratch. At the same time, we had to maintain the essence of Freshmen Orientation, which is to integrate freshmen into SMU, and ensure they gain a supportive network of friends.”
The lack of physical team meetings also negated the benefits of face-to-face interactions and this initially affected communication, group ideation and information flow. The team also had to propose the infrastructure for an enticing website with an equally interactive user-interface to further engage freshmen. But at the core of it all, the question on almost everybody’s minds was “would these online activities be sufficiently engaging for freshmen?” Based on that, the team went through a lengthy process of brainstorming, whittling ideas and fine-tuning before they eventually settled on an over-arching storyline with a headliner activity to take participants through the entire orientation experience: SMOOmanji Quest.
With a primary mission to restore light to a darkened garden paradise (a parallel to the gloom cast by Covid-19), SMOOmanji Quest required participants to go through a series of innovative challenges such as raiding their home fridges for “team rations”, “passing” lit mobile phones from one Webex window to the next, and performing a mass dance, among many others. The premise of SMU’s CIRCLE Values were also weaved into many of these activities to introduce freshmen to the University’s core values. At the end of the day, scores were awarded to determine the champion team and clan.
Breath of fresh air
Any worries and doubts of FOMO’s engagement value were put to rest once the event began on 21 July. After a virtual “flag-off” message by SMU President Prof Lily Kong, who expressed full confidence in this generation’s “resilience, creativity and resourcefulness to thrive” no matter the situation, freshmen lapped up the activities from the get go and their enthusiasm was evident even from computer screens. Student facilitators described group members as “totally on the ball” and game for all activities. Participants were even unperturbed by some inquisitive family members - especially younger siblings who popped into screens now and then, curious to find out what their elder brothers or sisters were up to.
As freshmen donned the FOMO t-shirts and gave their all in the challenges – some went the extra mile and injected artistic creativity to their team challenges, while others unabashedly showcased nifty dance moves in the finale “Liberation” mass dance segment - the FOMO student organising committee and supervising staff knew that their efforts and initial sleepless nights spent wracking brains to create a memorable virtual orientation experience handsomely paid off.
Director Office of Student Life, Jimmy Ye, was full of praise for the newbies, describing them as “a breath of fresh air”. For him, it was their “collective vibe of cheer” that stood out.
“While we were initially concerned that freshmen would be subdued and generally sceptical of attempts to engage them online, they proved us so wrong; they were enthusiastic, open and most positive to our offerings,” he said.
During Run 2, one team even had the privileged company of ‘celebrity’ participants when former Minister of Education Ong Ye Kung, SMU Provost Professor Timothy Clark, Dean of Students Professor Paulin Straughan and Jimmy gatecrashed and joined the fun in one of the segments.
Many freshmen were grateful that an orientation – albeit virtual - was organised for them, despite the many challenges posed by Covid-19. They not only lauded the programme but highlighted that the pockets of free-and-easy sessions gave them opportunities to chat and bond with one another, and learn about SMU life through their facilitators’ personal insights. Some even recognised subtle advantages of an online orientation versus a physical one.
Said Ng Wei Ting, freshman from Lee Kong Chian School of Business: “Considering that it’s the first online orientation ever, the organisers did an outstanding job! One great thing about it being online is that it prevents cliques from forming so everyone gets to be friends with everyone!”
For Carran Boey, freshman from School of Economics, FOMO shot way past her expectations.
“The whole camp was very enriching and engaging. The facilitators put in great effort and it was very evident throughout. Even though it was an online camp, it is probably one of the best camps I've attended!” she gushed.
Destination: VIVACE 2020
At SMU’s online mega CCA fair, VIVACE, held on 13 and 14 August, the experience was just as novel: visitors were invited to embark on a two-day, all-inclusive VIVACE vacation via a colourful neon website. To make the voyage even more inclusive, VIVACE online was conceived with all SMU students in mind - both undergraduates and postgraduates.
Over both days, 8800 visitors from 25 countries chalked up more than 90,000 unique page views – an impressive record for VIVACE’s maiden online instalment. Visitors were greeted by an enticing, interactive game-interface, where they could navigate, visit and ‘holiday’ on seven unique islands – a treat during this period of impossible-travel. Each island was specially decked out and cleverly named to symbolise the various CCA constituent bodies, which SMU’s over 150 CCAs clubs fall under.
A click on each island led visitors to a treasure chest of resources - fast facts, reviews, FAQs, and a multi-media gallery – much like a comprehensive travel brochure.
Activities all day long
Back on the landing page, two ‘tour guide’ emcees from SMU Broadcast and Entertainment directed visitors to roundtable interviews with CCA student leaders, energetic showcases, CCA chat rooms, and exciting game segments. Director OSL Jimmy Ye also dropped in on both days to dispense insightful advice such as how to seek out suitable CCAs, and the advantages of CCA participation in cultivating personal development.
Those who wanted more action could depart on a ‘cruise’ to collect goodies, ‘climb’ a VIVACE Wall to post selfies and win prizes, or enroll in real-time CCA try-outs with fellow peers, under the guidance of student instructors.
VIVACE Chairperson Gayathri Ghandi - into her second year at the School of Social Sciences - and her team of 38 student organisers, were both ecstatic and humbled at the event’s outcome. Considering that this was the University’s first virtual VIVACE ever produced, the event seemed like an SMU staple, with its superbly-designed website and seamless segue between activities.
Gayathri, who is also SMUSA Event Deputy Director, recalled: “Many times we encountered roadblocks, but because our team shared a vision, we worked hard together to overcome various obstacles. I’m very honoured and gratified that we were successful in producing such a fun and meaningful VIVACE!”
Watch these videos for a recap of the experiences: