HALL LIFE: 3 REASONS TO JUMP IN
Dive into a world where dance, cheerleading and sports aren’t just activities, but pathways to unforgettable experiences and lasting friendships in hall
by Kwan Shu Yi + ChatGPT
1. Elevate your uni experience with cheerleading
Photo: Loh Zi Yan and Amanda Goh
After a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, hall cheerleading made a sensational comeback last September, uniting students across different NTU halls of residence and turning former rivals into allies.
This teamwork was evident in the Inter-Hall Cheerleading Showcase, where students from various halls combined forces to create breathtaking performances. Guided by committed alumni coaches, the hall cheerleaders developed the skills and strength needed to perform gravity-defying stunts.
Even though the showcase did not pit teams against one another for prizes, the students dedicated blood, sweat and tears to craft endurance-fuelled routines months before the show.
Third-year Mechanical Engineering student Devin Kaluarachchi, a cheerleader from Team Aura – a collaboration between Hall 1 (Unisus), Hall 2 (Awesomes) and Hall 8 (Royals) – describes the sport as a mix of stunts, tumbling and dance that encourages athletes to go beyond their usual limits. “We trained for three hours a day, twice a week,” he notes.
Reflecting on the strong team spirit within Aura, he adds that when someone hits a stunt, the whole team claps to celebrate the achievement. “Ending each training with our cheer-off tradition really boosts our team morale,” he says.
2. Dance the night away
Photo: @theplainphotographer
Hall dancers at NTU are a distinctive presence on campus. Decked out in comfy oversized tees and loose joggers, they can be spotted anywhere in NTU, seeking out reflective surfaces to finetune their dance moves.
Their love of the craft was evident at the Hall Olympiad Closing Ceremony, the grand finale of NTU’s annual inter-hall games. The event functions as a competition, where 22 hall dance teams go head-to-head.
Elya Ghazali, a third-year Nanyang Business School student and member of Tamarind Hall’s dance team, Tamada, recalls: “At first, we were a bit uncertain about whether we could pull off our dance.”
However, the team tapped feedback from professional dance instructors, which boosted their confidence. On stage, the dancers showcased meticulously rehearsed performances.
But it’s not just about the routines. Kylle Young, a second-year student at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and member of Pioneer Hall’s PARAD18M, reflects on his journey: “Our performance marked months of hard work. It was truly an emotional experience.”
He adds: “PARAD18M helped me grow as a new dancer and become part of a community that’s given me my fondest hall memories.”
3. Champion the sporting spirit
Photo: Ng Le Yang
The NTU Men’s Basketball team are champions on the court.
Building on our strong sports tradition, Team NTU is the 2023/24 champion of The Singapore University Games. Among others, NTU’s aquathlon, squash, bowling and floorball teams are proud winners in the mega sports event, where students from seven local universities compete in various categories.
The NTU Women’s Basketball team proudly boasts a 14-year reign as defending champions, while the men’s basketball team has impressively upheld their champion title for three consecutive years.
For these athletes, the proximity of halls to training venues is a game-changer.
Mindy Peck, a first-year Maritime Studies student and member of the NTU Women’s Basketball team, says: “I’m thankful for my hall’s convenient location, just 10 minutes away from the NTU Sports & Recreation Centre and The Wave.”
With rigorous training sessions often held late into the night, the halls offer an essential space for athletes to rest and recover. Some of the halls have gyms that make strength and endurance training convenient.
“Hall life is definitely an experience all university students should have. It is a unique opportunity to live among friends,” says Lim Jing Jie, a first-year Electrical & Electronic Engineering and Economics student who is with the NTU Men’s Basketball team.
How we used AI
We gave ChatGPT raw parts of this story to edit and put together, and provided text examples with the desired style and approach for the AI to mimic.
😊: ChatGPT is best used for the initial and final stages of writing. In the brainstorming phase, it offered some good ideas. It’s a handy proofreader to check grammar and spelling.
🤔: While it can edit paragraphs, ChatGPT can’t build a cohesive story. It struggled to incorporate new information and transitions. Human intervention was needed to make this story flow better.
Shu Yi
This story was published in the Jan-Feb 2024 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
