Three years ago, when Bao Lin was still a freshman, she remembered queuing on Free Cone Day, “I queued a few times. It really made my day!” Having benefitted from NUSSU Welfare initiatives, Bao Lin decided to join the team of passionate people who aim to make their fellow students smile. “Our main objective is to organize events or projects that make people smile and make their life more enjoyable.” Bao Lin, currently the Vice Chairperson of NUSSU Welfare, explained,” For this entire year, we have about nine projects,” Some of their upcoming initiatives are Free Cone Day, Project Power Up and Exam Welfare Pack Giveaways. Bao Lin also hinted that there will be an attractive prize for those who successfully collect all NUSSU Welfare limited-edition badges from various Welfare events such as Halloween and Valentine’s Day.
Of course, making more than 25,000 NUS students smile is not an easy task. “Last semester, during Exam Welfare Pack Giveaways, we had lots of things to give away. We had to distribute about 10,000 foolscap papers and food items to all the faculties.” Bao Lin recalled,” In the end, we spent the whole day to distribute the items. It was around 7 PM already when we reached our last location. We were so tired that when the music started playing we just sang along and laughed together.” Bao Lin explained how the challenges they faced shaped the team dynamics. “We really believe in what we did. Whenever we do our duty, we try to make it fun because, after all, it’s not a duty or a competition – it’s a passion.”
Despite having to sacrifice some of her time, Bao Lin believed that joining the team was certainly an enriching experience. Through NUSSU Welfare, she made valuable friendships and learnt a lot of things such as how to deal with difficult situations, handle administrative matters and liaise with external organizers. The biggest accomplishment, however, is when the students are appreciative of what they are doing.