KRommittee Popularity: The Top 5
Been stressed about hustling for hall points the past few weeks? With the recent conclusion of our yearly comms fair and selection results, it’s time to reveal the top 5 most wanted committees of AY20/21! Didn’t get into your desired committee? Now you will know if it’s because too many people applied, or maybe you just weren’t cool enough (but please don’t feel unwanted, friends). Let’s hear from some of the seniors and freshies from the most popular committees in KR as they share their interview experiences and thoughts on each committee!
1) KReporters
Coming in at an astonishing first place is your very own KReporters!!! (eh juss…) However, although KReporters might not have been a shower, but we are definitely a grower. With a 200% increase in signups from last year, this proves that the Pen Is indeed Mightier than the Sword and we will continue to KReate quality content! With that, let’s move on with the actual top 5 list…
5) Welfare Committee
At number 5, we have our KR Welfairies! Seems like everyone wants to be one this year, what kind souls we have in KR. Hearsay they might actually have MasterChefs amongst them, kind and talented, this comm really provides the whole package! Cheryl and Ashley tell us what it takes to be a welfairy~~
Q: What position do you hold & how has your experience in Welfare been?
Cheryl: I took up the role of Chairperson this year, as I had a great experience in Welfare Comm last year. Being able to cook and prepare food together for the whole hall, and then seeing the happy smiles on your friends' faces when you distribute the welfare to them really made my experience an 11/10 one. My favourite memory was when we baked 14 full-sized pandan cakes at Esther's house for Welfare Supper, we almost died but we received good feedback on the cakes that made all the effort worth it.
Q: How was interviewing applicants this year and were there any memorable/interesting moments?
Cheryl: It definitely sucks that we are unable to interview the freshies face-to-face this year because they can't bring welfare to a welfare interview… But the freshies still presented their enthusiasm in joining Welfare and that made us very happy.
Q: What made you want to join Welfare and how was your interview experience?
Ashley: What made me join the committee is the want to make others happy, be it through little post-its on doors or full-on cleaning their rooms. My interview experience was honestly nerve-wracking but fun at the same time! Nerve-wracking because, well, it's still an interview after all, but it was fun as they were welcoming and warm. It felt like a conversation more than an interview. I really enjoyed the interview more than others!
4) SRU (Social Relations Unit)
In fourth place we have SRU! Heard about the annual night cycling event even before you came into KR? This widely anticipated and highly Instagram-able event is so popular, it’s no surprise that freshies and seniors are lining up to join this committee. Promising good memories and an unforgettable experience, Shanon and Elias tell us more.
Q: What position do you hold & how has your experience in SRU been?
Shanon: I am the vice-chair of SRU and my experience in SRU was very fulfilling. I would say that I was blessed with the best company in SRU. Everyone is very chill but on the ball at the same time. SRU would not have been a success without the contributions of our beloved FYFs.
Q: How was interviewing applicants this year and were there any memorable/interesting moments?
Shanon: It was nice to see all the freshies show interest in SRU. However, SRU was really oversubscribed. Unfortunately, we were not able to offer everyone a spot in SRU.
I think the most memorable part was when we threw a trick question at the freshies. Even though it was quite obvious that it was a trick question, some freshies were still taking their time to think and it was quite cute to see them ponder over it.
(The question was: Tracy’s mother had 4 children; 3 of them are called May, June and July - what is the fourth child’s name?" @ those who shouted August, I’m looking at you)
Q: What made you want to join SRU and how was your interview experience?
Elias: One of my seniors, Darren, told me a lot about how he thoroughly enjoyed his SRU experience, not only just by bonding with the committee but the fulfilment and satisfaction he felt after organising one of KR’s biggest event. Personally, I’m someone who also enjoys such experiences.
My interview experience was initially intimidating due to overthinking and being nervous. Shannon and Trevor were the ones to actually calm me down as they were both very genuine and gentle. Hence, the interview went pretty smoothly despite my stuttering and scrambled thoughts.
3) Co-Convening Committee
At number 3 we have Co-Convening committee, an amazing feat given that it’s a new committee that just started this year! Might be because they sold themselves as Safety 2.0 but looks like this batch loves the idea of safety. Let’s hear from Chairman Kang, KR’s most handsome lad, and fellow kind residents that love putting band-aids on wounds.
Q: How has your experience in helming Co-Convening been?
Kang: Being a new comm this year (and every 6 years), we had to set everything up from scratch because we didn’t really have any previous examples to build on. While I thought it would be a relatively easy experience given that I was the Safety chairperson previously, it hasn’t been the case so far and I had to send proposal after proposal (maybe because I suck at it and it keeps getting rejected LOL) while liaising with the Convening Head from Sheares Hall. Fortunately, we chose the right appointment holders and they were all very helpful and competent which made my job a lot easier. I welcome the newly recruited members onboard and hope they do this comm proud knowing that this was one of the most sought-after committees. To those that I couldn’t take for whatever reasons, I hope you get into other Comms so that you’ll have enough points to stay.
Q: How was interviewing applicants this year and were there any memorable/interesting moments?
Kang: For interviews, I think one of the more interesting ones was when Claudia made one of the interviewees do some TikTok dance, the one where you wrap yourself in a blanket and dance (Kang is really a boomer) and she very generously did it and shared it with us.
Q: What made you want to join Co-Convening and how was your interview experience?
Amy: It seemed quite fun to me to go and cheer at sports events. I already had first-aid experience which is helpful but safety comm, which is quite similar, was rumoured to be very competitive so I didn't sign up for safety but chose co-convening instead. The interview was pretty chill and it was mostly administrative questions although they did ask why I joined co-convening over safety as well. I told them this and they liked my answer HAHA.
2) Safety Committee
Coming in a close second, Safety comm is one of this year’s top picks. Some say safety comm is “say real most sought after comm in KR” and looks like they aren’t wrong this year! Not sure if it’s the free first aid certificate or them being “the only person in the room who can save someone from a heart attack” that enticed the freshies but let’s hear from Mark and Amanda.
Q: What position do you hold & how has your experience in Safety comm been?
Mark: I’m chairperson for safety and my experience in the best comm has been full of firsts. I tah-ed one bottle of soju for the first time because I was late for cohesion last year. And this year, safety comm is first for number of sign ups! (okay second but you get it)
Q: How was interviewing applicants this year and were there any memorable/interesting moments?
Mark: Interviewing freshies was very entertaining! I remember interviewing this guy while he was taking a break from his street football game. So, I asked why he wasn’t wearing a helmet to keep safe because safety first right. And my vice chair Hintze straight-up said “THERE he’s wearing helmet” and pointed at the dude’s bowl cut... All’s G, we took him in.
Q: What made you want to join Safety and how was your interview experience?
Amanda: I wanted to join Safety because obviously I want to be there for all the events, and if I can help someone out, why not right! I guess that’s why I wanted to join safety, to be there for people especially like touch wood if anyone gets injured, I’ll be able to help. I also think there’s a very strong community spirit as well, I have a few seniors in Safety and they really enjoyed their time there. My interview experience was pretty fun because I was able to be myself and joke around during the interview, so it wasn’t too serious even though they did ask me some serious questions pertaining to Safety. I was able to have fun even though it was over Zoom!
1) SMU (Sports Management Unit)
Helming the top spot, we have SMU! Might sound like another university but I swear you’re on the right page. Marketing themselves as people that love to “bang drums & cheer loud”, they are in charge of promoting and planning any sport related events in KR! Calling for people to apply regardless of whether they play sports, SMU aims to create an inclusive sporting culture. Hear from Jade and Chris on their thoughts on SMU!
Q: What position do you hold & how has your experience SMU been?
Jade: I’m the Chairperson and Media Head and I’m in charge of everything that has to do with media, for example the @kentridgesports Instagram account! I joined SMU last year because the chairperson and sports director asked me to! I think they thought I was very noisy... The thing about SMU is that it is a very ‘ra-ra’ comm. It’s very fun and I feel that what SMU does is really brings the hall together during IHG. There’s a sense of pride; watching your friends on the court play their hearts out and you really want KR to win, it actually invokes a sense of belonging. OMG it’s so cheesy but you really do. Just wait for IHG, the atmosphere is insane and everyone is cheering. My experience in SMU has been really fun and really made me want to love KR more.
Q: How was interviewing applicants this year and were there any memorable/interesting moments?
Jade: One thing that stood out was that when we asked them to show the funniest thing in their room, this girl showed her ‘guan yin niang niang’ (a chinese goddess?) that can change light. Because her dad said it can chase the bad things away and must put a ‘fu’ underneath her bed lol I died she’s so cute it was so funny. Another funny one was by Shicong. The item that he showed was the NUS withdrawal letter, that was quite funny too.
Q: What made you want to join SMU and how was your interview experience?
Chris: I’m a very sports oriented person and I’ve been doing sports for most of my life. So, when I saw that there was a committee that manages sporting stuff it piqued my interest and I applied for it. I really love to cheer and hype things up, especially for big events. I’m the kind of person that goes all out, so I was like “hey that’s my kind of thing”. My interview experience was fun and enjoyable! We had to shout a KR cheer, so I had to close my windows and doors. And it was quite funny because I still had friends from other floors who were like “was that you just now?”.
And so, that about wraps up this year’s list! At the end of the day, size doesn’t matter, it’s how you use it! With each comm serving its own unique purpose and requiring different skillsets, we’re sure that everyone will build their own fulfilling experiences regardless of which committee they are a part of. Special thanks to our Honorary General Secretary, Michelle, for the sign-up data for each committee!