Written by: Radhika Gupta
Edited by: Celine Koh
Photos by: Jung Min
Cosied up in the Premier Scholars’ Programme Lounge, NTU-USP students gathered to attend the first UScreenPlays screening of 2019 last week. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the organising members from the Arts, Culture and Social subcommittee selected ‘The Blind Side’, a movie celebrating familial love, strength and kindness, and wrapped up the ‘Angel and Mortal’ initiative with a bang.
Based on a true story, ‘The Blind Side’ follows the journey of Michael Oher, a young African-American boy who fights against all odds to become one of America’s best college football players despite his impoverished background. With the help of the very determined Leigh-Anne Tuohy, played by Sandra Bullock, Michael Oher discovers not only his penchant for football, but also a family he can count on.
When asked about the movie, Year 1 Communications Studies student Audria Low said, “The Blind Side was a beautiful, touching story about how familial love shapes lives and I’m glad we watched it instead of a run-of-the-mill rom-com this Valentine’s season! It was a timely reminder that love comes in all forms, shapes and sizes.”
As with all UScreenPlays events, our scholars engaged in a thought-provoking discussion about the film. Led by Year 1 NTU-USP students Desiree Ng and Chloe Sie, our scholars delved into topics of inequality, privilege and empowerment, and how such themes are also very relevant to Singapore.
The ‘Angel and Mortal’ initiative organised by Special Projects also saw an exciting finale. Huddled tightly in a circle with their eyes closed, event organisers Jessa Gan and Cho Jung Min captivated our scholars with a story that ultimately led to the big reveal. New friendships were forged as the angels and mortals took the time to thank each other., Event organisers then gave a shout-out to the most creative gift ideas – one of which was a personalised crossword puzzle!
A participant of the initiative, Year 2 Psychology student Joshua Lai, said, “The Angel and Mortal event truly showcased the familial love that exists in our NTU-USP community. Through this event, I was able to forge a meaningful friendship with my mortal too!”
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, the night ended off with a circle of affirmation, where our scholars took turns to thank and validate one another’s strengths. After all, Valentine’s Day is more than just about celebrating romantic love; it is also about cherishing and celebrating our many friendships, both old and new.
It is safe to say that Valentine’s Day brought our NTU-USP community closer together, judging from the heart-warming support this event received. We hope that everyone had a great Valentine’s Day too!
