SLI’23: The New Horizon
By Wang Ray Kit and Pendyala Sreshti (23S63)
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From within dark, dusty storerooms, stacks of chairs were hauled, dragged, and laid out in meticulous rows. The rehearsal began, and seemed infinitely long. Countless steps were trudged up and down the aisle, in and out of the hall. The combined sweat and effort of the CCA Leaders (CCALs) and Student Council (SC) members of Victoria Junior College. Yet, everything felt worth it for the sheer joy and pride in your Chairperson’s eyes as they handed over their torch to you.
Leaders reciting the oath. Photo taken by Lee Seungwon, 23S32
Being the first major school event taken up by CCALs and SC members, the leaders were inevitably met with obstacles. For Tan Wei Qing Evelyn from 23S36, Vice-Chairperson of Drama, one of the biggest challenges faced was learning to work with no major interventions from the teachers. In certain moments of doubt, the only way to figure things out was through trial and error. A similar sentiment was shared by Wu Zuxin Josie from 23A12, a member of the Adhoc committee, who quickly realised the decision-making all laid on the shoulders of the new leaders, granting them an unprecedented amount of autonomy over the event. While this responsibility was certainly daunting at first, it also made the final result all the more meaningful.
Loic Lee from 23A12, Chairperson of Art Club, had to juggle several responsibilities while studying for weighted assessments, one of which was designing the investiture program cover. Even on the nights before his Mathematics and General Paper exams, he was still being asked to alter his designs. Though the process was far more gruelling and long-drawn than he had anticipated, his desire to “give back to the school in any way [he] could” kept him going.
Loic’s final design for SLI. Photo provided by Loic.
While the process may not have been easy, there was no denying the lessons learnt from SLI. As Volleyball Captain, Joseph Ng from 23S61, adequately put it, SLI “really set the tone for what being a leader is”.
Loic shared this sentiment. To him, it was a humbling reminder that “nothing comes on a silver platter”, and all leaders must “work for [their] honour and glory”. Indeed, nothing comes for free, and the event could only be declared a success thanks to the hard work of those involved.
Other leaders had takeaways that they hope to carry with them into their future endeavours. Beth Cheong from 23A11, Chairperson of Interact, now places a deeper emphasis on the need for communication. For her, the SLI preparation process shed new light on the need for clarity between everyone involved in the process, whether they were heading the event or simply carrying out grunt work. As Chairperson, an especially meaningful lesson she learnt was the importance of getting on the ground and truly interacting with her fellow members, instead of taking a top-down approach and treating those beneath her as inferior.
The CCALs and SC members after setting up for SLI. Photograph taken by Ms Evelyn Teoh.
The Writers’ Circle handover items in front of the SLI board designed by Art Club. Photograph by Pendyala Sreshti from 23S63.
During SLI itself, each senior handed over an item that represents the CCA, signifying the passing over of the leadership position to their junior. For Writers’ Circle (that's us, hi!), the handover item was a journal and quill. Within the first pages of the journal were handwritten, heartfelt messages from the outgoing Chair and Vice-Chair – a new tradition leaving something tangible behind for the upcoming batches.
Inspiration for the handover items certainly came easier to some. In the words of Joseph Ng from 23S61, Volleyball Captain, “When you think of volleyball CCA… you think of a volleyball”. Yet for others, picking a singular item to represent an entire CCA was no simple task. In fact, for Brianne Koh from 23S31, Chairperson of Chinese Orchestra (CO), deciding on an item was surprisingly frustrating. In an orchestra, each instrument is unique and each musician has their own independent entity. To her, no single instrument would be sufficient to encompass the entire symphony. Instead, CO’s items (plural!) were a set of ties, representing the union between CO and Guzheng Ensemble, and the unity Brianne intends to uphold throughout her tenure.
Brianne (centre) beside her fellow CCALs. Photograph by Lee Seungwon from 23S32.
Photograph by Dhevevakar Nitharsaan from 23S38
For Drama, the handover item was an intricate, dual-toned masquerade mask. To Evelyn, there are two sides to being a leader. There is the need for authority – putting her foot down to set a good example for her fellow CCA mates. However, as someone who is not naturally assertive, she occasionally likes to go with the flow and make her CCA sessions fun and engaging. The mask handed down to her symbolises just this, the delicate balance that she has to maintain as a leader, to handle her responsibilities while not taking the fun away from her CCA.
Malay Cultural Society (MCS), passed down a Kompang, a Malay Drum that symbolises the rich traditions and heritage of the Malay community. Passed down through several generations, the names of the previous MCS leaders are inscribed on the drum, their legacy reverberating with every beat. This was especially sentimental to Siti Umairah from 23A13, the incoming MCS Chairperson, as her siblings were part of the previous EXCO. Now, it is her turn to take up the steady rhythm and preserve the traditions.
Furthermore, this was the first SLI with both the CCALs and SC members being recognised in tandem. The SC’s handover was symbolised through the pinning of their badges onto their successive juniors’ uniforms. In the words of Shannen Tang from 23A13, a Student Councillor from the Welfare department, “SLI being a combined event between SC & CCALs makes it more special because it felt like all J1 leaders were stepping up together as one new batch of leaders!”. To her, the fulfilment certainly outweighs the challenge, especially since “seeing how [they] came together as a batch to make [it] happen makes SLI feel a lot more meaningful”.
Members of SC reciting the SC Pledge. Photo taken by Lee Seungwon, 23S32.
There were multiple segments to SLI – the marching in of the CCALs, the numerous speeches, the passionate pledge-taking of the SC – but for many, the most memorable moment was the finale. In closing, the entire school rose in unison to sing the college anthem and cheer. It was a display of school culture so intense that even the guests from other schools could not help but be amazed. The culmination of countless hours and immense pressure, all coming together to ignite a sense of unity within the college, along with every last student, each a leader in their own way, a physical manifestation of the Victorian Spirit.
Singing of college anthem and cheer. Photograph from Lee Seungwon, 23S32
The chosen theme, “A Universe of Potential”, might seem corny at first, but it truly encompasses the event. The universe is ever-expanding, constantly birthing new stars and broadening its horizon. In a similar manner, SLI provided the opportunity for CCALs to connect with one another, learning more about how different CCAs are run and bonding with people that they might never have had the opportunity to talk to otherwise. Whether it was Joseph getting caught in the crossfire of rags and towels while wiping the chairs, or the collective descent into madness that comes from aligning every last row to perfection, cherished memories were made throughout the entire process. Coming together over a common goal, sticking by each others’ sides even when the going gets tough, sharing in each others’ suffering – in just the short span of a week, SLI was a trial by fire, and the leaders came out stronger on the other side, with the help of one another.
Photograph by Dhevevakar Nitharsaan, 23S38
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