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Themed “PrisonBreak”,
RP’s Orientation Program 2007 adopted the tagline of "Break Out, Be In!". After
several months of planning, the Office of Student and Graduate Affairs (OSG), with the support of the schools and centres, aimed to make this orientation an
unforgettable event for the newly enrolled Year 1s.
OSG
planned the entire programme with the objective of getting the new students to
break out of their previous mindset, enter the system of Problem-Based Learning,
adopt the culture of Team Republic and embark on a new journey to realise their
passion.
This year’s
orientation programme commenced on 11th April 2007 when the new students were
orientated into the classroom structure. From 12th - 13th April, they were
treated to a host of activities. From learning the RP War Cry to singing the RP
Song that Never Ends, they learnt that when one Republican is being challenged,
there’s the rest of Republic Polytechnic to back him up. That is the spirit of
Team Republic!
The newbies
also got to know the campus better through mass games such as "Run the Yard" and
“The Game Plan”, a simple scavenger hunt and telematch respectively, aimed to
encourage teamwork and to familiarise them with the various locations in campus.
Throughout
the entire 2 days, the cohort was treated to the occasional showers of
blessings. Little did they know that the organising committee was constantly
checking on the weather forecast every 30 minutes so as to better plan for the
next activity.
Are we in or
are we out? - This was the question which was hot on the organising committee's
mind as they determined the final location where PrisonBreak, the Jam and Hop
and Mascot presentation competition finale was to be held. The decision was made
at last and it was decided that PrisonBreak will be held outdoors at the field
near the Sports Hall.
There was mud
everywhere and everyone got dirty. But the host of events and activities got
spirits so high that the dirt and mud was soon forgotten. All The five schools
and two centres had put in great effort for the Mascot Presentation. With
limited time and materials, the newbies had their first taste of the true
meaning of PBL by making use of these limited resources to be creative, as well
as come up with an interesting presentation. The cheers were never-ending, and
the bonus performances by our very own bands EMP, Jammerz Arena, and the
Percussions Band amongst others got the crowd grooving on their feet.
There was
dance and there were songs, but most importantly, there was great spirit all
around! To all the new students of 2007, a warm welcome to RP!
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