Vintage Vogue: An Orientation Party Filled With Groovy Tunes and Even Groovier Performances | By Zuhaa Siddiqi
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| Illustration by Micheal Lim Zhen Ping |
After seemingly endless days of insufferable heat and humidity you could drown in, the clouds gather round and blow calm winds as Taylors University welcomes fresh faces into a new chapter of their life. The atmosphere is ripe with anticipation as more than 500 pairs of eyes scan their surroundings, trying to process new faces, wondering if the next person they see would befriend them in due time. ‘Dancing Queen’ plays in the background as the MC introduces themselves and announces the games that are about to be played. The tension dissipates as laughter fills the air. Everyone is getting comfortable now.
There is no doubt that starting university is a nerve-wracking step into maturity. Whether it be moving away from the tender care of your parents, living alone for the first time, or just the thought of meeting new people, we all have our anxieties to face. That is why this year’s Vintage Vogue Orientation party helped students ease into this next step in their lives. The project manager for the event, Jia Xuan, and the assistant project managers, Sherlyn and Tan Homng Chim, worked endlessly to make sure the night was perfect. They described the atmosphere of the night as “full of excitement” as people began to pile in. Students from all different walks of life gathered in the Grand Hall whilst performers practised anxiously behind the curtain.
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| Photos by Taylors Orientation Leaders |
With inspiring performances from the Music Club, a magical symphony from Taylors Symphony Orchestra, and electric dances from K-Generation, everything blends together for the perfect introduction to what can be expected from Taylor University’s excellent alumni. It’s a source of inspiration, a guarantee that our studies will not hold us back from pursuing our passions. Music blasts in the background as performers execute perfect, practised moves to the beat. Singers pour their hearts out. Talent oozes from the stage as the audience sits back, awestruck.
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| Photos by Taylors Orientation Leaders |
When everything calms down, hoards of students gather round for the main event: dinner! A university student’s one weakness: free food. Chatter starts among peers, no doubt endless praises for the performances, as they hunker down to enjoy their meals.
After studying in Malaysia for only one semester, I had become accustomed to the tradition of complaining about traffic. This year’s turnout sparked that very tradition as I found myself swimming through oceans of new students trying to get to lectures on time. Casual conversation among friends led to the conclusion that there were a lot more students for this intake than any previous. When asked, the Orientation Leaders, Jia Xuan and Sherlyn, shared the sentiment, expressing how the turnout for international students was larger this semester than previous. They said that they had an expected capacity of around 500 people. However, after the entry limit was crossed, a substantial line was still formed outside the door. The reason for this, Jia communicated, was most likely due to students not reserving their spot with the RSVP QR codes provided by the team.
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| Photos by Taylors Orientation Leaders |
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| Photos by Taylors Orientation Leaders |
RSVP’s are necessary for the Orientation Leaders as they provide an approximation of the turnout for such events. When people fail to reserve their spot but attend regardless, it makes it difficult to accommodate everyone. As such, the orientation leaders advised that new students should look out for the orientation Instagram account, @orientation.tlc, for orientation events and make sure to reserve their spot so as to not miss out. Reservations also make preparation all the more easier for our leaders that work so hard to provide us with such groovy events!
Outside of events, the greatest advice that anyone can give students is to just put yourself out there. Yes, you’ve probably heard it a thousand times, but there's a reason why these things are repeated: because they work! Chances are, you are just as shy as the next person, and making the first move towards friendship seldom goes unrewarded. Oftentimes, we find that we are living our lives inside our heads more than we are in reality. As such, we must stop being so critical of ourselves and simply enjoy the moment as it is brought to us. Having friends to soften the difficult workloads is always a must during these formative years. So go out there and get yourself some nifty friends to pass the time with!
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