Remembering old times, reconnecting with friends

~ Bukit Timah Campus Alumni Reunion and 50th anniversary of Class of 1959 on 8 July 2009

It was a heartwarming afternoon filled with nostalgia at the Bukit Timah Campus (BTC) as alumni who had graduated from the campus convened on 8 July, the day designated for their annual reunion.

Held at the Oei Tiong Ham Building lobby, the reunion saw some 100 alumni coming together to reconnect with friends and reminisce about old times. This year, the event also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Graduating Class of 1959.

The afternoon began with guests streaming in to the melodious strains of singing by talented a cappella group, After 6, made up of NUS alumni, which performed a medley of feel-good tunes like Change in My Life. Despite the wet weather, the atmosphere of warmth was as old friends reunited and mingled over drinks, filling the lobby with excited chatter amidst the music.

After the opening address by Director of the NUS Alumni Office, Associate Professor Teo Choo Soo, and NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, alumni from the Class of 1959 were invited to go on stage for the cake-cutting ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their graduation.

This was followed by a video showcasing the Alumni Complex and an update on the new NUS Society (NUSS) Bukit Timah Guild House by NUSS Membership Director, Ms Jenny Ng. The presentation provided a quick walk down memory lane with pictures showing a brief history of the Guild House, from its earliest form built in 1964 to the most recent one on the campus.

Alumni were then free to catch up with old friends over a delectable reception of hawker fare, including local favourites such as laksa, Hainanese chicken rice and teh tarik.

Alumnus Mr Lau Jun Choy reminisced about the good old days at BTC with his friends from the Class of 1967 and 1968, who were amongst the pioneer batch of graduates to be sent for National Service (NS) under the Enlistment Act. He said: "The biggest significance of this campus is that it got us together to form friendships...which continued on to the army camp for the next three years."

The group clearly had fond memories of their shared experiences at the campus, including being enlisted for the army together prior to graduation and returning to the campus in their army uniforms with botak or shaved heads to try on their graduation gowns.

Ms Koh Mui Keng, from the Class of 1974, likewise had fond recollections of the moments she shared with her friends at the BTC, such as the times spent studying together at the Lee Kong Chian Library and staying back at the ladies' lounge in the Union House to "yak together".

She added: "The best memories of this campus…are the camaraderie of friends...and of being together."

That perhaps aptly sums up the spirit of the driving force behind the BTC Alumni Reunion, and the many more reunions to come.

 
~ Story by Economics undergraduate, Ong Eng Hui

Celebrating the golden anniversary of the Class of 1959 with representatives from the 1959ners were (front row) Dean of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Prof Kishore Mahbubani (left); NUS President, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan (second from left); Deputy President (Administration), Mr Joseph Mullinix (second from right); Director of the NUS Alumni Office, Assoc Prof Teo Choo Soo (right).		Warm camaraderie among (from left) Prof Kishore Mahbubani; Prof Tan Chorh Chuan; Mr Joseph Mullinix; Assoc Prof Teo Choo Soo; and former Member of Parliament, Dr Chiang Hai Ding.		Former biochemistry lecturer, Dr Ellen Wong, shares a joyous moment with her former students, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan (centre) and Assoc Prof Teo Choo Soo.
Circle of friends: BTC alumni catching up and reminiscing about old times.		Good buddies sharing a light moment together.
A cappella group, After 6, performing a medley of feel-good tunes.