My Rag Experience

Since we're on the topic of hall anyway, might as well blog about this speech that I daydreamed up while lying awake on my bed thinking about SECC.

I kinda daydreamed this scenario (many scenarios, actually) where I was asked to tell the freshies about my rag experience, and motivate them to join rag.

Haha not that I expect it to happen in real life anyway, but no harm dreaming about it.

So here goes:

"I was a rag dancer in my freshie year. I was a SECC camper too, and I had put down my name for rag after the camp. After watching the video for Midway Fair, I thought, 'Why not?'

We first began evening practices from 7 to 10, then later on from 10 to 10. During that time, we had a lot of fun doing stupid things in between practices. Like there was once we tricked Janice, the then Dance I/C, into starting practice half an hour later after our lunch break, and another time the whole bunch of us had a really rubbish conversation on what was the best way to shit.

Eventually Rag Day came. And we performed the fantasy of Daily Express.

That year, we lost.

Standing on the grass patch together with the shearites, we listened in silence as the announcer read out KR's name over and over again. Many tears fell as we could not hide our disappointment, and all of us left wanting to be champions the following year.

Second year, I was a SWOC. I wore my black attire emblazoned with the hall crest and stood on chairs with 11 other SWOCs and led the hall in cheers. That year Rag was at the Padang, and we were standing at a grass patch near the stage.

When our hall's performance came on, the sea of orange went mad. We cheered, we did the moves together, we 'pumped' the heart together. At that time, the stage had expanded to the sea of orange and the raggers standing offstage.

When our float moved off, and we quietened down, it felt like Padang was very quiet. Everyone was looking at us.

Actually, that day, basically only the 12 of us could watch the performance. The Shearites at the back were blocked by those in front, and those in front were blocked by us. But they just cheered, and did all the actions together. Everyone was just amazing.

That year, our hall brought home the Chancellor's Shield. It is our pride and a symbol of what our hall can achieve.

Rag is definitely not something that is done in a day or two. It is not easy, and it might not necessarily be fun. But the satisfaction and sense of achievement you get for watching your float drive down the parade is something that no one can deny.

Without that one scale from you, the float would never be complete, without that paint job you helped to do, the float will lack lustre, without that design you offered, the float would never win that shield.

At the very end of it all, every help counts. This is the Rag experience. And I hope you would not turn it away now that it is just right in front of you."