Written by Su Rui, Y2, Information Engineering and Media

We could barely see anything from where we stood onstage, waving at the audience as the red curtains were drawn close at the end of the performance. The applause and cheers of support from our family, our friends and faculty members, resounding in our ears. Our own cheer of unison rising up from behind the curtains. That was the moment that made me think inside, “This was worth it.” 

USPresents is an annual theatre production which is written, produced, and coordinated by NTU-USP students. This year’s play, titled “World of Misfits”, was set in a futuristic world rife with discrimination, where Misfits are at odds with Hyborgs who have enhancement augments. The story follows Misper, a Misfit lawyer who fights for Misfit rights against the sinister Reinheart Corporations to reclaim justice in an unequal society.

Misper (Sophia, left) questions Martin (Zi Xuan, right) in court for his experimentations on her brother Jasper (Dason, middle). 

I had the opportunity of being the producer of this year’s USPresents, which meant stepping up and out of my comfort zone into an area I was completely unfamiliar with. By signing up to be the producer, I wanted to gain leadership experience and try things that I had never done before. It was a huge leap of faith. I wasn’t alone in my journey, however; all of us started out inexperienced and unsure of ourselves, only knowing that we wanted to achieve a common dream – a theatre production that we could all be proud of. 

My experience in USPresents taught me many things about being a leader. Firstly, a leader needs to be courageous. For me, it wasn’t just about having the courage to flag out issues and resolve them, it was also about being brave enough to rely on and place my faith in the rest of the committee. I used to think leaders were lonely people, because they have to hold so much responsibility in a way that everyone else cannot fathom. I was afraid of being that lonely person, at first. Yet I was blessed with an extremely dedicated committee that never stopped giving their full effort and supporting one another, including myself. They placed their trust in me and in turn, I placed my trust in them. 

The stagies subcommittee and the cast setting up for a scene. 

I’ve also learnt how to give encouragement more readily, especially when things are going rough. There is no project or committee out there that would say they have not run into challenges along the way. We will always run into challenges as a team, as a committee and within ourselves most of all. The trick is to share these challenges and face them head on together. I have learnt to encourage the people around me, to stay optimistic amidst the challenges. We learnt, as a committee, to encourage one another. As a result, we were able to push ourselves forward, beyond what we were individually capable of. 

Wen Xuan (left) and Hajaani (right) help Caitlin (middle) with her makeup. 

The growth that I witnessed as a leader was truly remarkable on hindsight. Over the span of eight months I was able to see the script develop, the actors growing confident in themselves and their abilities, the costumes and props coming together and integrating seamlessly into the production, the publicity materials going through countless refinement to reach incomparable quality. I am incredibly proud to say that I witnessed the growth of my peers, and I am so grateful to all of them for remaining resilient throughout. 

My time in USPresents wasn’t long, but I’ve made many memories that I will hold close to me for a very long time. I’ve managed to grow closer to the people around me in the USPham, and I will always remember the moment we saw everything come together and come alive onstage. The journey for growth is one that never ceases, and my journey in USPresents was truly an experience that was worth it in the end.  

The USPresents’23-24 committee (I’m directly in the centre of the second row!) 

The Main Committee of USPresents’23-24: (Clockwise from back, left) Xin Yi (Stage), Cheng Hao (Costumes), Zi Yuan (Publicity), Jia Xuan (Stage), Josh (Scriptwriter), Amanda (Financial Controller), Myself (Producer), Xinyue (Director) 

The Top4 of USPresents’23-24: (From left) Xinyue, Amanda, Myself, Josh

Written by Eugenie (Y1, ECPP) 😊

Throughout my primary to tertiary school experience, it seemed like anything and everything I did was geared towards one specific goal: to get good grades to enter a good university. Then, in the blink of an eye, the momentous A-level exam was over, and I was overcome with a sense of uncertainty on how I should choose my future path. The decision of which university to go to was a tough one to make, and I had to juggle between many considerations like university culture, hall life and academic rigour. Ultimately, I chose to enrol in NTU’s Economics & Public Policy and Global Affairs Double Major programme, as well as the NTU-University Scholars Programme (NTU-USP).

The two programmes sounded like a lot to handle at once, but I was attracted by the promise of interdisciplinary learning and the close-knit community that NTU-USP offered. To me, it was an opportunity that I felt I could not pass up. I wanted to have my cake and eat it too! When university finally started, as I expected, it was tough to manage my studies amidst the hustle and bustle of university life. During Orientation, I was bombarded with information.

“Here’s some tips to win in the STARS war!”

“Have you signed up for Hall Orientation?”

“Which clubs are you joining?” 

It felt as if everything hit me like a truck, and I was lost in a maze of confusion. Every turn that I took led me to even more worries about not just my first year, but also how the rest of my university life would pan out; overseas exchange programmes, internships, extracurricular activities, and the list keeps going! All these concerns seemed so imminent when I constantly overheard my peers discussing and sounding so certain about their plans, whilst I could not give a definitive answer when someone asked me where I would like to go on exchange, or which internship opportunities I was looking out for.

Orientation quickly came to an end. Yet, I still had not found my footing. While I had a good time socialising with others, I didn’t feel like I had found my group of friends; friends that I could call when I am bored, friends I could lean on when I need help and friends I could reach out to for a listening ear. The glorified impression I had of university came crumbling down. It was not nearly as fun as I had thought. Instead, I found myself feeling quite lonely…

Of course, there were many social events I could attend to find my go-to group. However, there are only so many hours in a day. Attending these events often meant less time for myself, my family or my studies. The rigour of academic work was catching up to me and slowly, I realised that I had grossly underestimated the demands of university. 

Before I knew it, two semesters had flashed by, and I am finally reaching the end of my first year in university. Reflecting on my journey thus far, I realised that the incoming freshmen may face the very same challenges I had to tackle. Don’t get me wrong – university is still hard. However, if you are struggling like me, I promise that things will get better.

One year of university has taught me many valuable lessons. Firstly, feeling overwhelmed or intimidated at the start of university is totally natural. It’s completely okay to not know what you want to do, and it is likely that many others feel the same way you do. I came to this realisation as I spoke with my NTU-USP friends and seniors who confided that they went through the same issues. I felt so relieved to hear that I was not alone when I struggled to transition into this new phase of my life. 

Before I started the academic year, NTU-USP paired me with a senior buddy, Glendon, who is in the same major as me. Whenever I was in doubt, I reached out to him, and he gave me tips on which key events to look out for and the possible opportunities that NTU-USP has for me. To top it off, the handbook compiled by the NTU-USP Freshmen Orientation Committee for the freshmen batch was such a lifesaver, it helped me navigate through my first few weeks in university.

While orientation is a great starting point, don’t sweat if you haven’t found your group of people. Second lesson I learnt: you have to be patient; they exist, and you’ll meet them one day. NTU-USP organises many activities that allow you to expand your social circle. We had a Back-to-School event in the first week of school where we got to dress up as Disney characters! I had a lot of fun playing trivia with my friends, and I got the chance to get to know more NTU-USP friends and seniors.

As my batchmates grew closer together, we started hanging out more, like having meals, playing games, and working on assignments together. Even now, the friends that I have formed strong bonds with are mostly from NTU-USP. It’s really comforting to have people who I can turn to share my thoughts and go through the university experience together. 

My third lesson: university is hard, but the challenge is fulfilling! One of the hardest challenges I faced was during the Travel Overseas Programme for Scholars (TOPS). This is an NTU-USP core module that provided an opportunity for me to collaborate with friends from different majors and delve into qualitative research through interdisciplinary means. For my group’s research project, we decided to investigate the driving forces behind plastic waste in Sapa, Vietnam. We faced many challenges in Sapa, like the mountainous terrain, language barriers, and cultural differences with the locals. Despite the obstacles, we managed to collect data, interview stakeholders, write our research report, and prepare our Mixed Media Deliverable to present our findings. This reflected our perseverance, and I am so proud of our achievements.

Fourth lesson, university is a time for you to explore! University is a safe place for you to make mistakes. If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t learn. I joined the Arts, Culture and Social Affairs (ACSA) subcommittee in the NTU-USP Club which has allowed me to learn event planning skill sets and enhance my appreciation of the arts like crocheting and origami. With the guaranteed hall stay for my first year by NTU-USP, I have also explored my various interests in dance and recreational games through hall CCAs including Pioneer’s very own dance club Parad18m, contract bridge and darts.

Furthermore, I expanded my social circle when I played for contract bridge in the Inter-Hall Recreational Games (IHRG) by meeting like-minded friends.

Surrounded by a supportive community, I am now more courageous and daring to try out new things and occupy myself with commitments other than academics. I really appreciate the fact that many clubs here are open to people without experience and they create a safe space for members to learn, which removes the barrier of prerequisites and encourages me to pursue what I truly like. Personally, I’m pleasantly surprised at how many new things I have tried, particularly my greater engagement with different forms of art. Recently, I have decided to also try out something completely new to me, which is participating as the ensemble cast for USPresents, NTU-USP’s very own annual theatre production.

Although the academic year is coming to a close, there are still so many upcoming events that NTU-USP has in store for us, and I’m excited to see what other novel opportunities I may pick up and what I will have learnt by the end of my first year. Looking up to my seniors in NTU-USP, I envision myself as a Year 2 being more academically oriented, but still striving to achieve a work-life balance by taking up greater responsibilities such as progressing from a member to a subcommittee member in the recreational games that I’m playing now.

I am sure university will have its up and downs and that my second, third and fourth year will present new challenges that put me out of my comfort zone. However, with the skills I’ve learnt this year and the supportive community I have found, I am confident I can tackle these challenges like a champion!

Written by Caitlin, Y2 ACBS

The best decision I made in my second year of university was acting in NTU-USPresents. NTU-USPresents is an annual theatre production helmed by NTU-USP scholars We produce original theatre works with talented NTU-USPians playing pivotal roles, covering everything from scriptwriting to directing to performing. During our rehearsals, the directors oversaw stage directions and the execution of lines, the stage managers ensured that all the props were where they needed to be before each scene, and the lights and audio technicians always synced technical cues with the stage.

Production crew hard at work!

In 2023, NTU-USPresents produced World of Misfits, which portrayed a dystopian world split between the augmented Hyborgs (Humans and Cyborgs in short) and the lower-class Misfits (typical Humans who cannot wield augments). This play discusses the class divide that is so deeply entrenched in our society. I had the opportunity to act as Cecilia Reinheart, a money-minded and cold-blooded antagonist in the production. As the main antagonist in the production, I felt the responsibility to bring depth and complexity to the character, ensuring that the audience empathised and understood Cecilia’s main motivations.

Me on stage!

Rehearsals were definitely physically and mentally demanding, but experiencing NTU-USPresents with my friends made the process a whole lot more enjoyable! I will miss the little giggles during improvisations, the smiles we gave each other during warm-ups, and all the inside jokes we shared during rehearsals.

All smiles! The cast of NTU-USPresents: World of Misfits.

After my fruitful experience in NTU-USPresents, I signed up for SP0041: DEEP Drama, which is an NTU-USP elective that exposes us to various productions by Prof Geraldine Song and other playwrights. The aim of this module is to cultivate a deeper understanding about audiences in Singapore and Hong Kong. We even got the chance to practise what we learnt by visiting Hong Kong to experience its theatre scene (more on that soon!).

Prof Geraldine is our very own NTU-USP faculty member who is also a playwright and director. It was insightful to study her works because we could connect these stories to our understanding of her as a faculty member who interacts with us students closely.

For the first few weeks of school, we analysed plays from various roles, ranging from production, casting, to backstage crew. Being a part of the crew, as opposed to the cast, is a whole new experience that allowed me to broaden my understanding of theatre. Once, we analysed Prof Geraldine’s play The Ugly Singaporeans in class. In this play, there are scenes where animals and humans that co-exist and interact. A question discussed was how we can distinguish the animals from the humans, especially if the animals are highly personified.

Furthermore, having classmates from different faculties added a unique depth to our learning. As a business major, I contributed to class discussions by approaching stage production in a pragmatic manner. Budget was a primary concern of mine when thinking about how to produce a play. For example, how elaborate can our stage on set be if we are constrained by funds? My friends from more creative fields like Communication Studies were always able to think of ideas that gave our narratives colour. I also appreciated the systematic approach some of my friends in more analytical fields like engineering brought to the table. Their background in quantitative thinking made breaking abstract concepts down a simple task for them.

Then, the time for our long-awaited trip to Hong Kong came!

While I was in Hong Kong, I observed that people tend to walk, eat, and speak fast. Professor Saiu Octavian-Ion from Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) pointed out, youth in Hong Kong are also very connected to the digital world such that a stereotypical Hong Kong youth would walk to class quickly with their eyes glued to the screen. From my viewpoint, as the internet and social media is highly pervasive in Hong Kong, I thought about how social media can be used to engage theatre audiences. It could be used to create hype around an event, or to include interactive elements in the production for better audience engagement and an immersive experience.

On the Kowloon City Walking Trail

In HKMU, Prof Octavian also taught us about festivals all over the world. Festivals are a celebration of human spirit and it is the best opportunity for people to come together and bond over a shared passion. This prompted me to think: How can we stage a production and engage an audience such that it has impacts similar to that of festivals? Can theatre productions also bring people with similar interests together?

During our Hong Kong trip, we also visited Avenue of Stars, Mongkok, and Causeway Bay, and enjoyed local delicacies like dim sum and roast goose. A visit to Disneyland added excitement, while strolling through the streets offered a firsthand cultural experience. There is truly no better way to learn about a country than to be there ourselves!

A night out in Mongkok – exploring Ladies Market and enjoying Dim Sum!

Taking in the views of the skyline of Hong Kong.

It’s always a fun time in Disneyland!

In the last few weeks of DEEP Drama, we will be going on field visits to a few production houses around Singapore. I am most excited to learn from Stella Kon herself, an esteemed Singaporean playwright, who uses the performing arts as a tool to empower the marginalised community in Singapore. The main project deliverable for DEEP Drama is to come up with a proposal for a play of our choice. My team and I will be brainstorming ideas for The Ugly Singaporeans and how each of us can contribute as a producer/director, costumes/props manager, sounds/lighting manager and a member of the cast. I hope to develop a proposal for The Ugly Singaporeans that effectively conveys the importance of biodiversity conservation, as I draw upon knowledge gained over the past 8 weeks and collaborate with my team members from different faculties.

I have really been enjoying the DEEP Drama course and this has helped me gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of theatre and its audience in both Singapore and in Hong Kong. I have also found a group of people in NTU-USP with shared interests in plays and theatre production. I now know who I can ask when finding companions to watch or discuss plays with!

Last week, alongside my fellow NTU-USP peers, I embarked on a transformative journey that led me to the 11th University Scholars Leaders Symposium at the United Nations Headquarters in Bangkok. It was a much-needed pause from the whirlwind of exchange programmes and work commitments that had consumed my past year, allowing me to reflect, once again, upon the significance of community service.  

Amidst a sea of insightful voices, one speaker’s words struck a resounding chord within me. “The act of volunteering itself is not innately destructive. It is the act of volunteerism that when used as a tool for supremacy, pity, othering self-interest; it creates psychological, mental, spiritual, and physical harm to those on the receiving end of the service,” said Breauna Doraus. This triggered a profound reflection on the nuances of community service and the power dynamics often intertwined within. 

Indeed, I have previously witnessed this very phenomenon of the savior complex subtly weaving its way into well-intentioned acts of service. It’s the assumption that we know what’s best for others, that our help is a beacon of salvation in their lives. It’s an attitude that, however unintentionally, creates a rift between the giver and the receiver, diminishing the individuality and agency of those whom we aim to support.  

People are not your projects. What I took away from Doraus was to reframe what volunteering or service meant – Instead of thinking “what you are saving this person from”, think instead about “what barriers are you breaking down for these people” ; what obstacles can you help dismantle. This transformational shift requires us to step back, to acknowledge that those we serve are not passive recipients of our benevolence. Instead, they are active participants in their own journey, deserving of respect, dignity, and the opportunity to collaborate in crafting their own narrative. It simultaneously necessitates an introspective examination of our motives, ensuring that our actions are driven by a sincere desire for positive change, devoid of perpetuating power imbalances. 

Now if you find yourself presented with the opportunity to volunteer under the University Scholars Programme, perhaps with SSP or at FOP CIP, I implore you to reflect more deeply upon this. Consider how your actions can contribute to meaningful service, contemplate the intentions of your actions, and reflect on the lasting impacts that your action may bring. 

As university scholars, potential future leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers, I believe we have the power to reshape the narrative surrounding the act of service. So let us, as mindful individuals, approach service with a genuine heart and a drive to empower, to uplift, and to make a difference. 

Last but not least, I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to NTU-USP for affording me the privilege of attending this eye-opening symposium, which not only broadened my perspective on service but also instilled a renewed commitment to making a positive impact. 🙂  

Submission by: 

Koh Rei Min Ashley, Year 4, CS