Valentine’s Day is usually an opportunity for amorous lovers to shower their affection upon their valentines, and, in general, a celebration of romantic love. However, the occasion has always been more than just that in NUS Law. Traditionally organised every year by the NUS Law Students’ International Relations Committee (LSIRC), this year’s Valentine’s Day fundraiser is a collaboration between the LSIRC and the NUS Pro Bono Group for a good cause (see below for details).
The booths located prominently outside Block B on 13th and 14th February sported the customary Valentine’s Day merchandise: red roses, cookies, and heart-shaped balloons in shades of pink (and purple).
The cookies came in a large variety of flavours: the traditional chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia, and oatmeal raisin, as well as some more fun and funky flavours like M&Ms, Nutella, and crunchy peanut butter. Be sure to check out Cookies for Sid at http://www.cookiesforsid.com/
All lined up and ready to be eaten
Apart from having already excellent academic track records, NUS Law students are also very talented individuals, so on top of buying tangible gifts for one’s friends, one also had the option of engaging the services of our very own artistically-endowed buskers to serenade one’s buddies or special someones.
Our multi-talented Josmurtay literally putting his money where his mouth is, this Valentine’s Day (line borrowed from Iris Penguin Pek)
The dynamic Mandopop duo Weiliang and Xue Kun
Oh, and did I mention the song dedication booth?
Station games were also in order this Valentine’s Day, as well as an unusual but popular opportunity for the bros (and maybe hoes) to bond: FIFA ’14 in 8-minute sessions!
Boys and their FIFA
And of course, what’s a Valentine’s Day celebration without a photo booth? This year’s beautifully-prepared photo booth (complete with props) was manned by the 2014 Rag committee, who is raising funds for the annual NUS Rag & Flag held in August.
The cheery heads of Rag’14 (L-R): Guangyi, Lorraine and Jia Shun
Clearly, in NUS Law, Valentine’s Day celebrates the many friendships forged over long hours of lectures, leisurely lunches and (well, what can I say) LAWR.
Most importantly, the unique feature of the 2014 Valentine’s Day fundraiser is about extending our love and friendship to the portions of society we do not always realise need our love. Proceeds from the sales and games booths will be channeled to the non-profit organisation, Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2).
TWC2 is dedicated to assisting low-wage migrant workers in Singapore when they face problems such as injuries, wage disputes or Ministry of Manpower investigations. It is also one of the NUS Pro Bono Group’s beneficiaries. Apart from providing advice (legal or otherwise) to migrant workers regarding their particular cases, TWC2 also conducts research for these cases, advocates for the workers, and provides food for those who may not have a regular source of income. TWC2 offers internships too, so if any of you want to find out more about TWC2 and/or get involved, please check out their website http://twc2.org.sg/.
Here’s wishing all of you a very happy Valentine’s Day!
Article and Photography by: Dorothy Sim (Year 2)
