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The waves crashed onto the shore as the palm trees swayed gently in the breeze. Changi beach was consumed in tranquillity as usual. However, it was no ordinary Saturday. At nine in the morning, cyclists whizzed by whilst others jogged with their necks cranked towards a pavilion buzzing with excited campers. Little did they know that they were witnessing the first-ever SIM Psychology Society orientation and bonding camp.
3rd August 2019 marks the date of Camp Novus, aptly titled as it represents a new step taken by SIM Psychology Society’s executive committee (EXCO) to promote a more cohesive and united group of members. “Novus” means “new” in Latin and it’s the root word for “innovation”. Hence, it truly embodies the novelty of this pioneer day camp.
Apart from being the CCA’s first-ever camp, the unique camp theme pays homage to both famous and infamous figures of Psychology. The names of the psychologists were adopted as house titles and are embodied by the respective camp housemasters.
(From left to right) HMs played by Alita, Natasha, Ying Jie, Edward, Raphel, and KC
The houses are Freud, Skinner, Pavlov, Ainsworth, Rogers, and Erikson. These names have a special place in the hearts of Psychology majors as we distinctly recall the interesting experiments and theories championed by these eminent Psychologists. As SIM Psychology Society is open to SIM GE students of all majors, non-psychology majors had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the big names in Psychology, making the camp even more educational.
The day camp activities were stemmed from the premise of a murder mystery. All six housemasters were a part of a bigger organisation called, THE MINISTRY. However, THE MINISTRY has banned emotions across all six houses of Psychology. Of course, that did not last long. Afterall, to human is to emote. All it took was the chief housemaster to crack a smile. Instantly, THE MINISTRY stepped in to wipe the smile off his face. Frustrated with THE MINISTRY’s strict anti-emotions movement, the chief housemaster gathered his fellow housemasters to bring human emotions back to THE MINISTRY and psychology.
However, before the meeting could begin, the chief housemaster was killed in the very room. This left all the housemasters and THE MINISTRY members in shock and confusion. The organisation members (campers) are tasked to find the killer. Each camp game is designed to provide the participants with hints and clues to reveal the killer’s identity. As such, with the succession of each game, the campers inched closer and closer to discovering the murderer and his or her intent.
The day camp was filled with fun games designed to encourage the campers to work as a team and build camaraderie. One of the games had the campers line up in a row with a cup in hand. The goal was to deliver as much water as possible to fill the bucket situated behind the last camper. It sounds easy. But, it isn’t. For starters, the young undergraduates were not allowed to face their members when pouring the water from one cup to another. And secondly, they had to pour the water by lifting the cups above their heads. Did I also mention the cups were pierced and thus speckled with holes of all sizes? What entailed was a lot of laughter and a refreshing shower for the campers — perfect for the hot sweltering day.
Another game required the campers to work as a team to complete a series of tricky group and individual poses. The enthusiastic campers had fun choosing and acting out their poses. Here are some picture-perfect moments from the game.
After various games, ice breaker sessions and food breaks, the campers were treated to a skit performed by the housemasters to reveal the murderer. Spoiler alert – it was housemaster Pavlov. The accused housemaster gathered his team members and declared war against the rest of the houses. War went down in the form of a water fight – again, perfect for the sunny day. The campers were instructed to protect their housemasters and were armed with newspaper and masking tape as body armour. This led to an impromptu fashion show boasting the intriguing and interesting newspaper apparel designs.
A second plot twist arose after the first water war adjourned. Second spoiler alert — Pavlov was only used as a pawn in the murder and the real mastermind was THE MINISTRY leaders. Upon receiving the news, the campers geared up again with newspaper and masking tape to take down the “real murderer” in a second water fight.
After a long string of engaging games and bonding sessions, the day camp came to an end. The organizing committee was properly introduced and thanked. The committee also selected six best campers, one from each house. Finally, the most enthusiastic house was awarded the best house award. After the campers were dismissed, groups of campers carried on their conversations with their newly made friends. This was an especially heartwarming moment as it demonstrates how the camp was truly successful in bringing the members together.
The camp was joined by Jana Chua (left lady in blue) and Charlotte Ang (right lady in blue)
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