Digest Hello everyone! This will be the *last issue* of the Kaya & Toast Times from the *33rd ICSS ExCo*. I genuinely hope that you have enjoyed reading this newsletter, as much as I have enjoyed writing it. On behalf of the 33rd, I would like to thank everyone for supporting us during our term. It has definitely been our pleasure serving the society. We concluded our *Annual General Meeting* on 16th Mar 2016 last week, where the 33rd gave everyone a review of the past year in ICSS before officially stepping down. We then proceeded to elect the *34th ICSS ExCo*, and the results of the elections are as follows: *President:* Ong Si Ci *Vice-President:* He Junrui *Treasurer:* Ng Jun Da *Secretary:* Tay Hui Chiang *Major Event Officer:* Jasper Ng *Events Officers:* Goh Yan Tong, Tan Yuan Rong *Sports Officer:* Tin Jing Jie *Liaisons Officer:* Nathanael Tan We would like to congratulate them for being voted in, thank them for stepping up to continue the proud legacy of ICSS, and wish them all the best in their coming term as ExCo. The rest of this issue will be the farewell and thank you messages from everyone in the 33rd. It will be a really long read (probably the longest in the history of the Kaya & Toast Times), but I guess it might be an entertaining read for all of you who are bored over the Easter break? Finally, I hope everyone has fun during their Easter break, be it travelling in Europe or chilling in London. It has been a tough term, so do take the time to enjoy your well-deserved break! And now, let your inbox explode (with the length of this issue LOL). Your faithful Secretary, Ben Chin (: P.S. Don't forget to turn your clocks 1h ahead - daylight saving is finally back! :D Content 1. Final Address by President <#m_17540082820755309_1>, Wanqing <#m_17540082820755309_1> 2. Final Address by Vice-President, Ben Ng <#m_17540082820755309_2> 3. Final Address by Secretary, Ben Chin <#m_17540082820755309_3> 4. Final Address by Treasurer, Wei <#m_17540082820755309_4> Jie <#m_17540082820755309_4> 5. Final Address by Major Event Officer, Nicholas <#m_17540082820755309_5> 6. Final Address by Events Officer, Wei Yan <#m_17540082820755309_6> 7. Final Address by Events Officer, Gao Ming <#m_17540082820755309_7> 8. Final Address by Sports Officer, Paxton <#m_17540082820755309_8> 9. Final Address by Liaisons Officer, Ivan <#m_17540082820755309_9> 1. Final Address by President, Wanqing Dear all, Our term has finally come to an end, yet it hardly feels like the journey is over. As I sieved through the documents to pass down to the new President, Si Ci, it felt like reliving the times we spent as the 33rd Exco once again. I went through the grand plans we had, the thoughts behind every event we planned and the difficult decisions we had to make during our term. I looked back at it all and I am assured that we have done our best to serve you -- with the sincerest hearts, we gave our all to this place we call home. To the 33rd exco, really, thank you so so much. During our journey together, you all were the ones who forgave my mistakes and gave me the chance to learn how to be your president. You guys were also the ones who tolerated my OMG-outoftheworld-ideas like the hairwash dance, all those #jwqt moments, and spams. Most importantly, you all were the ones who never lost- faith in me and gave me all the support in the world to see this journey through. When it came to Singsoc, our hearts beat as one. You lent me your strength to build the home I envisioned ICSS to be, with dedication and passion. I cannot be more thankful for every single one of you. *@Beng*: Thank you for being the stable support I always needed. When it came to making decisions, you never failed to impart me with your wisdom and bring me back to earth again after I have thrown out the weirdest suggestions. When I was discouraged from making poor decisions, you were there to remind me that my time here was a learning journey and to guide me back on track. You make fun of me a lot but it eventually became clear that you always had faith in me as the president and would be there for me whenever I needed your help. You also single-handedly dealt with the crazy load of ski trip admin work, and I cannot be more thankful :D Loyalty is a two-way street, and you have definitely earned my loyalty to you as a friend :) Thank you Beng, for everything. I couldn't have done this without you. *@Gaoming*: Before both of us got into exco, I used to think you were very scary. I was quite worried about how we were going to work together, but these worries proved to be unfounded. When it came to planning events, you always have almost everything already mapped out in your head. You sacrificed all your army leave for sojourn, just to make sure you were there to see the whole event through. You also made sure that the welfare of the team is well taken care of, even if it meant taking money out of your own pocket to do so. Whenever there was any singsoc issue to be resolved or when any exco member was in trouble, I know for sure you would definitely be there, regardless of any upcoming deadlines you had or other prior plans you made, to offer your help in whichever way possible. You brought back the christmas party, and the overwhelming positive turnout should be the best reward out of it all. I have always been very appreciative of your dedication as the Events Officer, so when people talk about the events you are in charge of, I always can't help but talk about how upz you are :) Thank you gaoming, I am just so thankful you came into 33rd ^^ *@Weiyan*: You make fun of me the most in exco and you reject 99% of anything that I suggest. But other than that, you were honestly an awesome event officer :) You had a 10-weeks long internship back in summer, but you have never once compromised UKBound because of that. You were replying emails and calling up sponsors even while at work, and although there were issues that cropped up along the way, you took them in your stride. During meetings, you always offered the practical perspective to things and could predict how the masses are likely to react to what we have planned for them with rather high accuracy, so your inputs were very valuable in guiding the decision making process. You and Gaoming were a powerhouse duo, and I am so thankful you came into 33rd too :) *@Nic*: We had the greatest Major Event in ICSS history, and you were the reason why. Everyone recognises your contribution to Major Event, but I would like to thank you not only for your heart and soul poured into making Major Event the most amazing it can be, but also for the dedication even in every other event we had. In summer, you decided not to take up a teaching internship so as to free up time for Sojourn and UKBound. You went the extra mile in handling any UKBound matters when Weiyan couldn't make it. We avoided taxing you with other responsibilities beyond Major Event, but even so you still asked to help us as long as you had the capacity to. You taught me important lessons on self-sacrifice. You were quietly passionate and your love for singsoc showed in so many ways. Thank you nic, you are amazing :) *@Weijie*: I always bully you, but you must understand that I am giving you the chance to shine like the star in the night sky :D Thank you so much for choosing to step up to the role of treasurer, and for being so dedicated throughout the time you were with us. You could always put down every other thing you had on hand whenever I had to settle any treasurer things with you. You learnt all the procedures diligently and you always cleared your to-do-list very efficiently. When anyone in exco suggested to spend a bit more money than necessary, you would get all worked up and make the whole exco laugh. Beyond being a treasurer, you were also always there to ask me if there was anything you could help me offload so that I could clear my own to-do-list and I cannot be more thankful ^^ Thanks to you, the 33rd exco gained back everything we have once lost and more. Thank you Weijie, better late than never :) *@Ivan*: You were the worrier of our exco, and it was good to have you to draw out the worst case scenario and prepare the team for these situations. I know it was difficult handling Retrospect, but see how far you have come! All the work you and your team have put in away from the limelight to make this yearbook come true will be rewarded by the happiness that people feel when they receive their copy of the final publication. When you look back, I am sure you would realise how it was all worth it in the end. Thank you Ivan, without you I cannot imagine how Retrospect would have been. *@Paxton*: You have always been very efficient with any task that was given to you, evident from how smoothly kitkat and hyde park picnic went. It was very unfortunate that we had issues with the court bookings, but you still tried your best to organise inter-uni sports competitions. Although sports officer was not your first choice position, you still did your job as a sports officer with dedication and I find that very admirable. Thank you Pax, for never giving up. *@Benchin*: Sigh, you are way too busy with chem eng. It would have been nice if you could have been around more, but we understand that you have many other heavy commitments. I am really glad how you still pressed on despite your busy schedule to do your singsoc work to the best of your abilities and added your unique personal touch to The Kaya and Toast Times. I hope that at the end of your journey, you found your reason once again, and I am glad to have known you as a great friend. (: Thank you Ben, for making the decision to continue to serve. Other than exco, I would like to leave a note to the 34ths! *@34th Exco*: To care and love for this family cannot be a more rewarding job (: Always hold onto the reason why you have decided to take up the post in the first place, and never settle for anything less. I am so glad you all are trying out so many different new things in your term and I am excited for everything you have in store for ICSS! All the best, and remember to be there for each other through thick and thin. Whenever you all need that extra push, the 33rds will always be here for you. (: Lastly, here are some special groups of people I would like to thank! *@Ashley, Hongrui, Clive*: for enriching my learning journey, for your words of wisdom and for your unwavering faith in me; *@Daren*: for being the most supportive and understanding non-exco housemate, especially when you cook for me even though I dropped out of my cooking duties; *@Year 2 Chemists*: for being there for me, for the encouragements and care and concern you guys have showered me with; *@Supper buddies*: for being my pillars of support when I was at my lowest; *@Music Team*: for the late night chats talking nonsense and for asking about me when I am stressed. To end off, *@ICSS*: thank you for coming into my life. You are a gift to me, and I would hold you dear and cherish you forever. May ICSS always be *The Home Away from Home*. Yours sincerely, Wan Qing 2. Final Address by Vice-President, Ben Ng Many people will tell the year 1s running in the annual elections that singsoc takes up alot of time but what I can say is that through this opportunity, I've been blessed by you, the community and the family that I've had the pleasure of serving over the past year. To all of you who have been such a big part of the year: The seniors who give again from the bottom of their hearts. The addicks who carry all 69kg of me. The people in Pro-pro-Props who have been my weekly dose of peacefulness and give me nothing to worry about except how to paint in straight lines or why the grapes aren't yet finished at 9.30pm. My housies who have been the most supportive bunch and keep me in the pink of health. The people who made the biggest card I've ever received. The people who defend Ancients with me to keep me sane throughout the year. The busy friends who have made sacrifices to serve alongside us. Thank you for being the fuel that has driven me through the year and for making it all worthwhile. To the 33rd, it has been a helluva ride this past year and the memories almost seem like episodes in a tv series. The one where we fought mosquitoes and feasting on macs in Sentosa. The one with the 812897503241 trips to Utown. The one with the major event. The one where Ivan had one job. The one with all the talk of unfriending a certain someone. Like the characters in Friends we've been through our ups and downs and even though sometimes it felt like we were stuck in second gear, I've never had regrets about being with you guys on this journey. I'm sure that the sacrifices made and effort that you guys have given has been an inspiration to many of the people whose lives you've touched throughout the past year. 34th, it's your time to step up to the plate and I've absolute confidence that you'll do an even better job than your predecessors. We really believe that you guys have the potential to do so much more as an exco and remember always, to serve with humility and unselfishness. You know what they say about loyalty and streets. So with that, thanks again everyone! 3. Final Address by Secretary, Ben Chin Hello everyone! This will be my final issue of The Kaya & Toast Times as the Secretary of the 33rd ICSS ExCo. Sending out this newsletter every fortnight has been my pleasure, although I have always wondered if anyone is reading what I’m typing. After all, I don’t get a read receipt or double blue tick. However, I was very heartened by all your messages on that huge card we received, because I found out that people actually bothered reading this, liked the new design, and enjoyed the small snippets of travel information. Thank you to those who left the encouraging messages, to those who designed the cards and coordinated the efforts, and to all of you who have bothered to read The Kaya & Toast Times that has really become a part of me. Apart from writing the newsletter, most of the Secretary’s work is really behind the scenes. The only exception was PDT, and I hope that it managed to give the freshers a lasting first impression of the ICSS family, and also allayed the fears that your parents may have had. After 6 months here, I’m sure you’ve come to realise – with us around, what’s there to be afraid of really? Of course, the entire ExCo is involved in planning every event for all of you, and tiring as it may have been, I am always heartened to see the smiles on your faces and the bonds that all of us have made. Being in the ExCo has been a great experience, and while it has been tough at many points, I don’t regret doing this. Precisely because being in the ExCo is arduous, I have many people to thank, for without them I wouldn’t have been able to survive the past year. To the *33rd ExCo*: THANK YOU for being the best bunch to work with. We’re always so energetic and retarded and fun when we’re together, but at the same time creative and efficient and passionate in our work. Free from politics and always supportive of each other, I’m genuinely proud to have been part of this team. In particular, *Wanqing*: You’re the best president that we could ever ask for - your passion for ICSS is infectious and motivates us to press on. The start was tough, but eventually I found my reason, and I hope I haven’t let you down. Thank you for always being so accommodating with my busy schedule, and for trusting me and giving me the freedom to do secretarial work with my own flair. Thank you also for all those chats we had, they are precious memories I won’t forget. *Ben Ng*: I’m always very happy to see you around because your presence is always calming and reassuring. I’m always in awe of the way you make everyone feel so included, and the loyalty with which you treat your friends. Thanks for being such an awesome VP, for tanking so much stuff when everyone got so tired to bother, for opening up your house as an ICSS store so much that I really feel bad, and for putting in so much effort into ICSS without any complaints. *Nic*: Thanks for all the hard work in planning ME16. It was definitely not easy, but you did so much selflessly and humbly, it is really admirable. I always enjoy chatting with you, especially when it comes to sharing your passion about ME, it always makes me recall my time as director. *Gao Ming*: Thank you for all the amazing events you have planned so successfully. More so, thank you for being the other dance TA. Thanks for tanking Wednesdays for me when I couldn’t make it, and for all the sacrifices you made. It was really easy working with you, and I loved seeing the dance team enjoy dance, bond with each other and wallop all the welfare we buy. *Weiyan*: Thanks for always being the retarded one to liven the atmosphere, for always being so practical in your suggestions during meetings, and for planning all our events so well despite the difficulty of it all. As usual, see you around for the next 8 years LOL. *Paxton*: I’m really thankful to have got to know you better over the past year, both as a fellow ExCo member and as a friend. Thanks for always being so efficient when it comes to my stuff – I know you always submit it early but I somehow always never realise it and still chase you for it. It has been fun talking cock with you outside of ExCo too. Catch up soon! (: *Ivan*: Thank you for doing such a great job with Retrospect and for always giving me so much stuff to write in minutes because you talk so much in meetings. Haha kidding, I know that’s because you genuinely feel for ICSS and want the best for the society. All the best with Artsoc! *Weijie*: Thank you so much for stepping up to fill the role of Treasurer and our 9th ExCo member midway during the term, for without you our ExCo would not be complete. Thanks for always being so proactive in doing ICSS stuff, especially at a time when all of us were so fatigued. You are really meticulous and could find a career doing accounts (although you will probably be driven mad LOL). To my successor, *Hui Chiang*: I’m really glad that you decided to step up and take over the role of Secretary, because I’m convinced from your motivations to run that you will definitely do your best. Keep in mind that genuine passion you have for ICSS, especially when the going gets tough, and I’m sure you will more than pull through. I’ve told you before that it will be difficult, but I haven’t really said this – it will definitely be rewarding. I may be away in Year 3, but don’t forget I’m always a text away, ready to provide any help you may need. (: To *Skinny Love*: It has been great fun dancing with all of you, starting out as lousy newbies and eventually “graduating” in Juliet’s eyes. I will never forget all the times we munched on welfare and shared about our lives, struggled with the lifts and moves and complained so much (but hey, hardship bonds people right?), practised so hard and got so nervous before every rehearsal. Skinny Love will always be a special song to me, and I am thankful to have you guys. To *Chem Eng*: Balancing Chem Eng and ExCo this year was very tough, and if not for all of your support I would not have been able to make it through the many deadlines and crazy amount of content. Thank you for being my family here in Imperial, and I am genuinely grateful to be part of this tight and fun batch. In particular, *Kezheng*: Thanks for being such a close friend. It is always nice to see you in school every day, and it was great working with you over labs. Thank you for all the retarded moments, for all the help that you so selflessly give to us when it comes to studies, for the awesome food that you cook and share with us. Here’s to a great year in CMU together! *Michelle*: Thanks for being such a great housemate and friend. Work is slightly less painful when there’s company and drama to watch and desserts to eat. Lamenting about life with you and making fun of you have provided good distractions from the exhaustion of it all. I’m glad that you’re also coming to CMU, and cheers to a great year there! *Myint Myint*: I am genuinely thankful for the opportunity to get to know you better as my housemate this year as well as a friend. All those outings where we go out for good food and all the times where we make fun of your English, have been a great relief from our stressful life. Press on in Year 3 without us around, we’ll be back soon! *Ryan*: I really never mean it when I said I’m sick of seeing you 6 times a week. In fact, I always look forward to seeing you around in school or at church. Thanks for being such a great friend that I can confide in, I always enjoy all our conversations, serious or not. I am so grateful to have met you from MOT and become your coursemate (: I’ll really miss you when I go to CMU! To my housemates, *Rachel* and *Choon Huat*: You guys deserve a special mention in this newsletter! Thanks for always being so supportive of whatever I do, for accommodating my busy schedules when it comes to dinners, for your amazing cooking that never fails to brighten up a horrible day, for listening to me complain about stuff and always standing on my side. I am genuinely thankful that you guys are my housemates and I’ll be so sad when this year ends! To some of my best friends in ICSS, *Xiang, xiao GURL, #manch, Kianch, Collin etc.*: Thanks for being in my life and providing a listening ear when I needed it the most. I always treasure the fun we have and the times we spend together. Here’s to many more years of friendship! For the last time, Your faithful Secretary, Ben Chin (: 4. Final Address by Treasurer, Wei Jie As someone who came in halfway, it was really confusing as I didn’t know a lot of the details that were going on. So I would like to thank everyone for helping me get up to speed. It was a fulfilling experience being part of the team generating ideas and seeing through the organisation of events that has brought our society closer together. It was great seeing how everyone enjoyed the events and made new friends throughout this time! Here is a thank you message to people who have made great contributions to Singsoc this year. *Wan Qing* Wan Qing!! You have the passion for the society, and it shows through your actions and words. Despite the stressful times, you always told me that you loved Singsoc as it feels like you are looking after a family. Even with your responsibilities as a President, you are always on the ground and make an effort to connect with the people. In addition to all this, you have done a lot of behind the scenes work such as the action plan for the actual day of Major Event, elections matters, sponsorships and others. The amount of sponsorship that we got this year is thanks to you! Also, thanks for always motivating the team along the way! Having been the treasurer for just a few months, I don’t know how you managed being the President with the additional financial responsibilities during the first half as we both know the difficulty of managing finances and securing sponsorships. Nevertheless, I’m sure you have had a fulfilling time all this while (you even miss being the President). To the times where we cleared our to-do-lists! It was fun working with you all this while! *Wei Yan* Hey Wei Yan! Many people don’t see how much work goes behind the scenes during the organisation of Singsoc events. The smooth running of the many events throughout the year shows the thought and consideration you give to the details of event organisation. Being involved in the various events, I have come to understand the amount of time and effort that goes into planning and preparation during the period leading up to the actual event. But there were fun times as well! I remember the last time for ME appreciation dinner, our short trip to local Sainsbury ended up as getting a whole trolley worth of snacks and drinks. It’s great living in the same house as you as we can help each other out with our EXCO stuff and coursework, especially labs :P. I appreciate your help and advice with EXCO stuff throughout this time such as food ordering and planning, and thanks for telling me to rest. Hope you have enjoyed your time in EXCO! Let’s go find a new house! *Paxton* Hi Paxton! LOL it’s funny how our conversation always starts off as “How’s life?”, “Life is good”. Sports is a great way to bring people together, so thanks for ensuring the smooth running of the weekly sessions and organising the numerous sports events whether among universities or within ourselves. I need to thank you for helping me with the finances the night before AGM. I went crazy when the numbers were right. Also, the design of the back cover of the ME notebooks was brilliant! I felt really satisfied when I saw the notebooks. Thanks for helping me with random stuff along the way! Hope you have enjoyed being in EXCO! *Nicholas* Hey Nic! Major Event 2016 was a great success thanks to you! More importantly, you have gone the extra mile to bring everyone closer together throughout the ME journey. Thanks for always being on the ground despite the amount of time and effort you dedicate to planning and preparation on the large scale. Not everyone has the capability to motivate and lead such a large team of 121 people consistently over such a long period of time. I have enjoyed working with you all this while and appreciate all your help along the way despite your busy schedule. Hope you have enjoyed leading Major Event 2016 and your time in EXCO!! *Ben Chin* Hey Ben! Thanks for doing the various admin work for Singsoc, especially collating a lot of stuff that everyone does. The KNTT newsletters had a great design thanks to you! I appreciate that you gave me more time during the busy periods to finish up my part despite your own committments. It was great working with you throughout this time. Hope you have enjoyed your time in EXCO! *Beng* Hey Beng!! LOL because of you now a lot of people call me Chee. It has always been interesting talking to you about various stuff. Thanks for all the advice and help that you have given me throughout this time. You have a lot of experience in organisation and working with people, and I have learnt a great deal from you. I appreciate the help that you have given me throughout this time despite your own responsibilities. Thanks for always voicing out your opinion despite receiving disagreement from others. I appreciate the constant support you give to us throughout this while in addition to your own responsibilities. And of course ski trip went smoothly thanks to all your hard work! Love the Vitasoy when I came to your house. To being in props for two years, and hope you have enjoyed your time in EXCO! *Ivan* Hey Ivan!! Somehow we always end up doing random stuff together like the Yu Sheng for ME rehearsal or registration for CNY dinner. The Yu Sheng idea was great! Thanks for helping with the front cover of the ME notebooks despite your other responsibilities. It was a simple yet aesthetic design, and I was really happy when I first saw the notebooks. This year is especially tough for you because of retrospect. Getting your retrospect team to work but at the same time make them enjoy the process is definitely not easy, so I understand why you feel frustrated at times. The design of retrospect is brilliant, so stick till the end as I’m sure you’ll be satisfied with the end result! Hope you have enjoyed your time in EXCO! *Gao Ming* Hey Gao Ming! The first time I worked with you was for Christmas Party. It was fun getting all the materials and doing the packaging for the gifts. Having gone through the various events, I have come to appreciate the challenges of event organisation. Not only is having a clear overview for the event important, but also the planning and execution of the details. Thanks for being so proactive whether in organising events or coming up with ideas. You always voice your opinion and contribute to the discussions whenever you had an idea in mind. I appreciate your help along the way despite your own commitments. It was great working with you, and hope you have enjoyed your time in EXCO! *To the props team* Even though I came into props midway, you all were easy-going and approachable, and I loved working on the props together with everyone. It was interesting getting to know each of you through our weekly sessions. Hope you all enjoyed being in props and part of Major Event despite the exhausting times where we ended late in the night. And thanks for the card! *To my predecessors Maung Thet, Tan Wei Jie and my successor Jun Da* Thanks for guiding me through the various financial technicalities and helping me in general with EXCO matters. We all know the amount of time and effort it takes to ensure the finances run smoothly in the society. All the best to Jun Da for the upcoming year ahead! I’m sure you’ll learn a lot working with the new EXCO and have a meaningful time. *To everyone else who contributed to Singsoc* I would like to thank everyone else who has contributed to Singsoc. Our society is active and tight-knitted thanks to all the proactive people who organises regular meet-up sessions and events. Hope everyone has had a great time in Singsoc this year! Chee Wei Jie 5. Final Address by Major Event Officer, Nicholas Around this time last year, I told a group of friends I made through Major Event 2015 that I was trying to form a mighty team of Avengers to head the new production for 2016. And a year on, I can't be more thankful for the friends and seniors that came on board for this long and tiring journey! Major Event has and always will be an event led by dedicated and talented individuals!! The success of this year's show really goes out to all of you :) *To the 33rd Exco* Thank you for your tireless support for the event despite the many other events to juggle within our calendar. Many times i don't share what is going on on my side but you guys place your faith and still give your support to all the teams and its clear that each team enjoyed themselves under your 'mothering'. Many times, you guys went out of the way to take care of everyone, burning holes in our wallets to feed the kids, or staying till late hours trying to sort out schedules with the creative team. It was a long 5 months, but thank you for ending the term with your last push. And i know you guys will always stay on to help regardless of exco or not till you graduate! Special mention to Wan qing and Wei Jie for pushing so hard to get sponsorships, sorting out the fine details of the actual day and also managing the ticket sales; you guys really took a big load of everyone's chest by putting in so much effort to find all the opportunities this year. Also to Ivan and Gao Ming for managing and deconflicting the schedulings this year, especially with so many overlaps and teams, such that you had to go down multiple times a week to take care of everyone's needs. On top of that, you were also planning other events, as well as manage retrospect; thank you so much! And a big special mention to Pax for figuring out how to lead the pubs team from scratch coz both of us were a little clueless! You were always one step ahead and had everything ready or sent to our doorsteps fast! *To the Creative Team* Thank you thank you thank you! I can never say thank you enough to all of you. We've really come such a long way and I think before we started, we didn't know how tough and long the hours can be! To Shi Jia, Siow Pin, Timo, Wei Lun and Vanessa, we started a year ago and started brainstorming on such an amazing script, planning to such detail on all the scenarios that might take place, as well recruiting new friends on board to help. In Singapore as well as in London, we met up whenever possible to discuss about the show, and when Sojourn came, we met the other half of the amazing team, as well as all the talented friends who came on board! Aaheli and Stella, haha i think you guys know by now how we've been searching for both of you way before you came to Imperial, and i hope you enjoyed the long journey! I can still remember sitting at one of the huts in Sentosa asking if you guys were willing to come on board! No regrets i hope ^^ Si ci and Synthdi, you guys were always so independent and were able to run your own show the whole way, and i must say, you and your friends really made this year's props one of the most beautiful and elaborate props we've seen in years! Then we met all the songwriters! Darren, Ee juhn, Lincoln, Yan Tong, Yuan Rong, Maurice, we had so many songs this year and i am sure the music, cast and chorale team have many good memories performing to your songs. Special mention and a big thank you to Gabriel our super senior for coming back to write two songs this year despite working back in Singapore. Your songs were beautifully written and garnered pin drop silence after the performance. To the conductors, Maurice, Shang and Hao yang, we all saw how you conducted the music team with such charisma and from the shadows from your lights backstage, even the audience could see the fervor in you guys! To the lovely choreographers, Magdalene, Juliet, Sabrina, Jean and Shayna, we were super ambitious this year with so many dances and i am super thankful that all of you came on board with such positive energy and ideas! I can still remember our first meeting eating korean ice kachang! It's really clear that all the dancers you nurtured love not only the dance, but you guys too:) You all were like mommas to all the teams! *To Seniors* Thank you all seniors who came back to give advice, give support, and help in every way in each team. On the music side, Yi Heng, Hong rui, Klax, Brian, Yi sheng, you guys are always back every year to support and i think you guys can be rest assured that you've nurtured a new generation of musicians to carry on the passion of music. Jeremy Seow for coming back year on year to help with the trailer, which gets better and better with each year! Chuan Khim and Jia hui for answering all my questions over the phone! To Jem, the SUPER SENIOR, thank you, thank you thank you, for always being such a friend, for not just me, but for everyone you meet. You are an amazing person, one who always has the interest of others before yours. And you also have something planned for the next generation even in your absence; your Lights and Sounds guide book will be our source of light! I respect you so so much! *To Jasper* I'll always be here to support you. So don't worry if you ever feel things aren't moving forward smoothly! YOU AND YOUR TEAM WILL MAKE IT :) *To Josh and Eri* you guys had the most lines to remember, and most number of trainings per week, juggling singing, acting and abit of dance haha. Many times, you had to forego many night activities for practices and really, we cannot imagine what My Singapore Girl would have been like without an Augustus and Hannah like you two! BRILLIANT voices and acting :) and i hope you guys enjoyed yourselves despite the many many hours every week! *To Singsoc* I sincerely hope you guys enjoyed the experience despite it being so long! I hope the experience managed to translate into something more:) And to the audience, I hope you found the show enjoyable too! *To my house mates (who probably won't read this)* thank you for taking care of me when i reach home with food and a warm home:) and lastly *To Shayna* this journey would have been tougher without you. Love you :) 6. Final Address by Events Officer, Wei Yan As someone who had no prior experience in events planning, I was initially quite apprehensive upon taking up the position of Events Officer (EO). The awesome work achieved by my predecessors did not make it any easier for me as there were so many expectations to live up to. Throughout my term as EO, there were many instances where I was too drained from all the Singsoc matters and felt like giving up. However, there were also many times where I saw the happy, satisfied faces of the attendees of the various events we organised and this never failed to remind me why I decided to run in the very first place: to create a “Home away from home”, which has been and always will be the vision of Singsoc. Finally, no matter how elaborate and detailed the planning, none of this would have come to fruition without some very important people whom I would like to personally thank in this short and heartfelt message of mine. These are the people who have made my ExCo journey that much more bearable and enjoyable. To the *33rd ExCo*: *Wan Qing* Compared to most people who lead by command, you are very different in that you lead by the heart. I think that is your strongest point and why you suit the role of a president. Thanks for all the countless times that you have helped me during the planning and execution of UKBound, be it the sourcing for contestants, settling the finances etc. We never ever felt the absence of a treasurer because you were dealing with all the finances before Wei Jie took over so kudos to you for doubling up as a treasurer and president. Although we sometimes don’t seem appreciative of the things you do or are unsupportive of your overly-idealistic ideas, you have been integral in moulding the 33rd to what we are today as well as the Singsoc community. Personally, I think that you have done an amazing (is there any other word in the dictionary more amazing than amazing to describe this??) job as a president and it has been a pleasure serving under you. *Wei Jie* Hey Chee, thanks for deciding to run for the position of treasurer a second time and doing such a good job as treasurer. During the short 5 months of your term, you have definitely contributed to Singsoc as much as we did and you really helped to lighten our burdens. Of course, thanks for always helping me in Physics especially during times when I was lagging behind in my work due to Singsoc commitments. Sadly for you, you are still stuck with me for at least the next one year or so so let’s look forward to seeing each other every single day for the next 365 days :D:D You don’t CHEE.. Bye Wei Jie!! *Nic* Hey Nic! Firstly, thank you for making ME the most amazing one yet and I am sure you know that it wouldn’t have been possible without you. Other than ME, I really want to thank you for helping me oversee the trainings for UKBound especially during the period that I couldn’t make it due to my internship commitments and for stepping up to be one of the photographers for the photoshoot as well. Thanks also for always selflessly supporting us in all the Singsoc events (such as mass-producing the assorted fruits dessert that is damn nice?!!!) and although you are always silently supporting us in the background, your actions speak volumes about who you are as a person and of your capability. Of course, thanks for bringing an additional pair of hands and legs to the family :p *Ben Chin* Hey Ben! Thanks for meticulously taking down the minutes for each and every meeting without fail. Also, the revamping of the entire newsletter from the old KNT to the newly-designed KNTT was definitely not an easy feat but you managed to pull it off! PDT was also very well-organised and I am sure this is something that all the freshers would agree with. Thanks for helping out in all the events and I look forward to seeing you for the next 8 years :p *Ivan * Hey Ivan-toxic! Having to helm Retrospect, your term as a LO was definitely much tougher compared to previous years but I think that you have executed your primary roles and responsibilities well. You have also done a great job in assembling the Retrospect team as well as overseeing the entire publication. The beautiful design of and high demand for Retrospect are both testament to the blood, sweat and tears that you have put into this project. Aside from Retrospect, thanks for always giving an alternative viewpoint during meetings and allowing us to see things from another perspective. Hope that Retrospect will be settled asap so that you can finally ORD~ (from Singsoc ExCo but sadly not from RSAF) *Paxton* Hey AeonLustre! Although Singsoc sports this year was very different compared to previous years with Ethos being block-booked almost 90% of the time, I think that you have done a very good job this year as Sports Officer through the organisation of the many inter-university friendlies this year. Thanks for helping me with the printing of photos for SFP as well as settling the slides and the crowd games for UKBound. Although these things don’t seem like much, helping me settle them really freed me up so that I could focus on the other aspects of the events planning. *Gao Ming* Hey E1! I think out of everyone in the ExCo, only you know how shag our job truly is (duh cause you are an EO too Ahlol). Anyway, thanks for always being a very strong support and helping me whenever I needed help in the events headed by me. As I can’t focus on every single minute detail while overseeing the entire event, I could always count on you to help me to tie up any loose ends and help ensure that the event ran smoothly. Sojourn was AMAZING and although I did help you with some of the planning in the initial stages, it was mostly still all your hard work that made Sojourn such a success. Although we do have differing views from time to time, you have really been a joy to work with and I have really learned a lot from you. If I had a choice, I would still choose you to be my other half (wth so cheesy). Thanks for all your hard work for the past 1 year and now it’s time for us to rest ya! *Beng* Ah Beng ah.. I just want to say that you are one of the most important people in the ExCo to me, both as a brother and a support. Thanks for going down to every single UKBound training session even when you had no obligation to. I will always remember the times where we would take a cab from Bishan MRT to your house and then to UTown cause we were just too shag plus there were too many things that we had to carry. And how could I forget the giant cauldron that we made from a pink laundry basket, newspaper, masking tape and black paint? In Dota 2, you are a support but in real life, you are a tank. Thanks for always doing all the sai kang no matter how shitty it is and for converting your own bedroom that is already so tiny into a Singsoc storeroom (you even had to remove your own table to make more room for your own things). It was definitely a pleasure working alongside you throughout this year and I really learned a lot from you. Thanks for everything broski! To my *CAST* team: Initially, when it was decided that I was to be the team admin (TA) for the CAST team, I was quite reluctant as I felt that I would not be able to contribute much since I did not have much experience in acting. However, you guys have been super retarded and adorable and it has been an extremely enjoyable experience taking care of you guys. I will definitely miss those times when I turned up for cast trainings with a bag of food and saw your faces light up. Ohhyah how could I forget our KFC buffet with 53 pieces of chicken?! Lastly, thanks for the ‘KFC Thank you’ card that you guys made for me, I really appreciate it! (Sang ju, you should consider a second career as an artist :p) It has been a pleasure being your TA and I hope that you guys will always treasure the memories and bonds forged during your times in ME. To my predecessors, *Lincoln* and *Sameer*: Hey Lincoln and Sam! Thanks for all the invaluable advice that you have provided throughout my entire term as EO as well as your responsiveness in providing assistance whenever we needed them. Thanks for coming back to help out in both Sojourn and UKBound even though you are not really obligated to. I hope that GM and I have not let you down and so happy to finally be able to join the ranks of the ORD personnel. Now it’s time to watch Yuan Rong and Yan Tong suffer MUHAHAHAHAHA To my successors, *Yuan Rong* (Sojourn Officer) and *Yan Tong* (UKBound Officer): Hiiii guys! Kongrats on getting elected as EOs! Being an EO is definitely very shag and there are bound to be many obstacles that crop up along the way. However, upon completion of each successful event, you will definitely feel that all the time and effort that you have put in are worthwhile. It's very easy to get burnt out after chionging for the first few months in summer (Sojourn and UKBound in particular) and sort of lose the motivation to go the extra mile for the society. There might also be times when you are so caught up with organising fun and exciting events that you forget why we even organise events in the first place. Nevertheless, if you never lose sight of your vision and end-goal, I am sure that you will find that it is all worth it in the end. All the best and feel free to look for GM if you guys need any help! (kidding lah can come find me also :p) To my grand-ancestors, *Ting Wei* and *Zhen Yi*: Thanks for being such great OGLs and continuing to contribute back to Singsoc in one way or another. You guys truly exemplify the spirit of continuity and are one of the reasons why I even chose to run in the first place. Although you guys are no longer in Imperial, your spirits live on in ICSS and I am sure that future generations will continue to build upon the legacy that you have left behind, to make ICSS a “Home away from home”. Last but not least, thank you *Singsoc* for giving me the opportunity to serve you. It has been a rewarding term and if I had a choice, I would definitely choose to serve you all again. Thanks for all your support and encouragement over the past year and I hope that you guys will continue to do the same for the 34th ExCo. Just an ordinary Singsoc member, Tan Wei Yan 7. Final Address by Events Officer, Gao Ming Words aren't enough to describe how thankful I am to have been elected as an Events Officer of the 33rd ExCo. I'm thankful for having been given the chance to be put in a position to organise so many events for IC SingSoc, to have so much support during these events, and to fulfill my wish of making SingSoc events appealing and inclusive such that we can really be a home away from home. There are countless people I have to thank, starting with *Sameer and Lincoln* for inspiring me to run for the position way back when, for guiding Weiyan and I along the way and always acting as a silent support. Special mention to <b>Siming</b> for pushing me to run for the position when I initially never intended to, and the <b>32nd Exco and all past ExCos</b> for having been the mentors to show the way to us, the 33rd. To *Weiyan*, my other EO bro. To be honest I thought you were quite the cockster during our times in Dance Team last year, but as we spent time tanking shit together whilst planning for Sojourn and UKBound, I realised that there's no one else I would have wanted by my side to tank shit together with. Of course to the entire *33rd ExCo: Ma'am Wanqing, Beng, Nic, Bench, Ivan T, Paxton, Weijie, Jiaxi* for having been through thick and thin with me. We may have been individuals with different motivations and expectations when we first formed the 33rd, but during our term together I'm sure the unforgettable memories have given us something to smile about looking back, and now that we've ORDed, that means I can properly organise socials now. No excuses, time to get rekt! To *Scooby-Doo *and the *SG Aeronauts *for being my first groups of friends here in Imperial when I thought I'd have none, and for always supporting me during my time here. I always feel super thankful to see your smiles during SingSoc events, and even outside of SingSoc. Hope to see you guys around soon! I can't not thank the *Alcohouse: Shaunneh, Abhi and Georgie* for dealing with my late nights, providing me nutrition that I dont get from frozen food meals, and being my anti-work outlet. Sorry I'm such a slob around the house, I swear it's SingSoc's fault cos I'm too busy to help out at home. And also the* Addicks* for carrying me in CS and life in general. Now that Beng and I have stepped down, we can properly work on the road to first. The dream continues! *Team Sojourn* for everything Sojourn. I've said it before but I'll say it again, without you guys, there would have been no sojourn. To the OGHs for being the fun and life of Collide, to the OGLs for being the korkors and jiejies to the Freshers, to all committee members for being so selfless such that we could fulfill the mission of introducting the Freshers into the SingSoc family, and of course to the Freshers for motivating me to do the best I can to give you the best orientation possible. To *ME 2015 Dance Team* and *ME 2016 Dance Team*, for being my first exposure to dance and letting me try something I've always been interested in but never dared to do. I hope you guys have enjoyed Major Event as much as I always did, and I hope to see familiar faces in subsequent Major Event Dance Teams! To a few unsung heroes who I know wouldn't want to be named but I'll name anyway, *Jemong, Ck, Gabriel Wee, Hongrui, Qingqing, Nat Tan and still others* (sorry if I've forgotten to name you guys). I'm not sure if you guys ever notice, but for every plan, we still need hands and legs to put these plans into action. There'll always be the dirty jobs, the heavy lifting to be done which often go unnoticed, but I notice this, and I'm eternally grateful to these heroes who never hesitate to lend a hand to help. And one thing I hope to say is that as we go about our daily lives, try to pay more attention and look out for these people, and just offer a smile or a simple word of thanks, because that's often enough to make them feel like what they do is worth it. And to a special someone for making me happy whenever I'm not (: To the 34th, I wish you guys all the best and I'll give my support to SingSoc as long as I'm able to! The journey won't be easy, but you will have each other and the rest of us as support! For the last time, Your cool Events Officer, Gao Ming 8. Final Address by Sports Officer, Paxton As I reflect on all the events that the 33rd organised, I can recall the tough times but only the happy and fun memories remain vivid in my mind. The past year in Exco has been an extremely exciting and fulfilling year, definitely a key highlight of my undergraduate experience. I am really grateful for this opportunity and appreciate everyone who has helped me throughout my journey. *To the Sports Reps* – Thank you for all the hard work you all have put in to organise sessions for everyone. I know that it is tough for some sports to have sessions as frequently as before due to the changes in the Ethos booking system. However, you all still tried your best to organise as much as possible. It has been a really great time working with you all and you guys are the reason why sports is such a significant part of ICSS. Thanks so much for all your cooperation and support! *To ME2016 Pubs Team* – Working behind the scenes most of the time, people may not have seen you in action but many definitely have been awed by the amazing work you produced. Thank you for all your sacrifices, time and effort! *To the 33rd Exco* – We joked around quite a lot but I know that we can be serious and get the job done when it comes down to business. It was all those jokes that made the meetings and event planning much more entertaining. It is really amazing how we manage to resolve all the problems that come along the way and finish this journey together. Thanks for being such a wonderful team to work with and for all the great memories. *To JJ and the 34th* – Thank you for stepping up to take over us. It is really heartening to see all of you willing to take up this heavy responsibility and have the passion to serve the ICSS community. The journey ahead will not be easy but it will definitely be a satisfying one. Looking forward to the exciting events in the year ahead! *To ICSS *– Thank you for all your support in all our events, especially WSG, Notts, the various sports sessions throughout the terms and all the small friendlies/competitions. The smiles on your faces in these events really made all the effort that we put in worth it. You all are the reason why I even run for Exco in the first place. Thank you everyone! Signing off for the last time, Your chill Sports Officer, Paxton 9. Final Address by Liaisons Officer, Ivan Just recently, Facebook posted a memory - the picture of us 33rd right after AGM, together with our predecessors in the combined Exco picture. Just looking at it made me realise - what a year it has been! And, another sure-fire way to feel nostalgic would be to look through your old files. Recently, because of Retrospect, I happened to look at the Sotong Guide I made this year - and it really felt as if it were just yesterday that I was taking my laptop off to Paris and chionging the Sotong Guide during every ounce of spare time I had there. Fast forward to AGM, and watching the 34th take the stage, it finally struck me that it has all come to end, and it is time for the next talented bunch to take over the responsibility of leading the society to greater heights - that of course, once you have all gotten your hands on a copy of Retrospect. My term has also been much different from most of my predecessors as well, with Retrospect being a major part of me throughout my term. Just ask anyone what they associate me with - and their first thoughts would probably be Retrospect. This is how intertwined my life has been with Retrospect, but like I said in my manifesto a year ago - I was willing to take up this responsibility and I am thankful that all of you gave me your mandate to serve you as the Liaisons Officer a year ago. Of course, without these people, my journey would not have been such a great one: To Team Retrospect, thank you guys for turning thoughts and ideas of mine into reality. It was never going to be an easy journey, but look how far we have come! The published books is in our sights! WOOHOO~~ I daresay, this will be the best Retrospect ever thanks to all of you! From the editors continuously asking people for their writeups to the designers constantly conceptualising on how to make the book awesome, and the photographers who were photographing every aspect of your lives - the events and your cohort photos... I could never ever express enough gratitude to you guys for going on this journey along with me. To the Chorale Team of ME 2016, thank you for letting me be your TA-that-doesn't-give-food-but-still-the-best-nonetheless! Although I did not take the stage with you guys on the 27th of Feb, I hope that I was able to make your ME journey a great one! When I saw you guys took the stage and sang You're Meant to Be, tears really welled up in my eyes, and it was really really the best rendition I had ever heard EVER. It really made me feel like a proud parent watching my kids perform - really, you guys are so talented, it kills me HAHA. And additional thanks to the TCTM people - sorry I burden for acapella but I am glad you guys were still willing to go on stage with me to "carry" me LOL. To Green OG, thank you guys for the great Sojourn experience (and beyond). I have to say, this term had been a fantastic one thanks to you guys - for meeting up ever so frequently and talking cock and making fun of Murfei... HAHA. I hope you guys will continue to stay strong as an OG, even after next year's Sojourn, and continue to meet up more often! To the 33rd, while we began as strangers on this journey, I am glad that we have became better friends and saw through all of these together - from Sojourn to UKBound to Major Event... ORD LO! But, I would like to thank you guys nonetheless for putting up for my panic attacks over unimportant things and sometimes rationalising things to me to allow me to see the other side of things and making me understand from another point of view. To all my other friends, thank you for making this journey ever much better, and encouraging me during times when I feel like giving up on everything. You guys built my mental strength and gave me sources of leisure - FIFA, dinner sessions, talking cock, holidays etc. I cannot express how appreciative I am to have all of you in my life. Finally, to Nat and the 34th, thank you for stepping up to serve. Singsoc is very very different from other societies, and I don't think you will ever find anything any more challenging than this in any other societies (maybe except Union itself), but I am sure all of you will do a great job - perhaps even outdoing us! Nat, with your ideas and attitude, I cannot express how glad I am that you are taking over the reins from me - I am certain you will be able to contribute beyond your LO role and together with the rest of 34th, achieve better things with Singsoc! For the last time, CHEERS! Your 33rd Liaisons Officer, Ivan Tee Imperial College Singapore Society Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom To unsubscribe from this newsletter, click here <http://union.us9.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=d91a1cb130f12317830464586&id=cbb7ca8a79&e=030d49d029&c=7f4802945c> . To unsubscribe completely from the ICSS mailing list, click here <http://union.us9.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=d91a1cb130f12317830464586&id=b99cb1787f&e=030d49d029> . [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=monkey_rewards&aid=d91a1cb130f12317830464586&afl=1>