As The College of Alice & Peter Tan (CAPT) welcomed its tenth batch of first-year students, the planning committees of CAPT’s Orientation Programme worked tirelessly to craft an exciting and fulfilling series of events for over 230 incoming freshmen amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Get the scoop on how we pulled off Freshman Orientation Camp 2021 and Community Engagement Day.
Freshman Orientation Camp 2021 (FOC’21), 28-30 July 2021, Zoom
“The toughest challenge was dealing with the feeling of uncertainty leading to the camp and adapting to the many changes that were thrown at us on a short notice. In July alone, our camp went from online, hybrid mode and eventually back to online” commented Hui Wen, Project Director of CAPT’s FOC’21.
This marked the second year that CAPT’s FOC was conducted online. In fact, FOC’21 was planned by students who experienced CAPT’s first e-FOC. “Our O-Comm doesn’t have memories of going to West Coast Park or playing with holi powder which are traditional CAPT FOC activities. FOC’21 was more so inspired by our personal experiences during our first year in CAPT,” added Hui Wen.
The theme for FOC’21 is “Kairos”, focusing on the importance of seizing every opportunity and treasuring each moment. “We hope that both freshmen and seniors can forge stronger bonds with one another, take away fun memories and learn more about CAPT and what it means to be a CAPTain,” said Hui Wen.
“As we go on through the semesters, I hope everyone can find ways to socialise and make the best of our campus experience. These two years in CAPT can be some of the most fulfilling as long as we strive to make the best of it. I hope that all CAPTains will treasure every fleeting moment in their time here and make the best of their experiences,” added Hui Wen.
Community Engagement Day (CE Day), 29 July 2021
CAPTains also had a meaningful experience during CE Day where they could better understand CAPT’s distinguishing ethos of community engagement. This year, CAPTains participated in 15 trials with 18 community partners to learn about communities that are less visible. These community partners included Bollywood Adventures, Crunchy Teeth Bakery and Prison Fellowship Singapore, who provided CAPTains with the unique opportunity to challenge their preconceived notions about certain communities and develop informed perspectives on the issues that they face.
One trail was “Munching into Hawker Culture” on 29 July at 11.30am, where students engaged with four different hawker shops to better understand and appreciate local food culture. Students could also hear about their passion, experiences and drive. Each freshman also received a DIY Ang Ku Kueh kit where they learnt to make Ang Ku Kueh during a virtual tutorial by 146 Ang Ku Kueh! This is one of many trails to allow CAPTains to explore a range of social causes and groups, while encouraging them to actively participate and learn more about these communities during their time in CAPT.
“In the long term, we hope through active participation and servant leadership, CAPTains will develop a sense of empathy to engage with these communities in long-term projects,” shared Svarrupa, Project Director of CE Day.
Collectively, these two Orientation events have spring boarded freshmen to various opportunities that CAPT has to offer while exploring different causes and communities. “We hope that this will inspire them to actively participate and learn more about these communities during their time in CAPT,” said Svarrupa.
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Teo Kai Ting, Year 2, Political Science
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