CAPT Annual Formal Dinner 2022

Article written by Mavis Pek Sze Min

The CAPT annual Formal Dinner held to celebrate the start of a new Academic Year was held on 31 August 2022. CAPT has been around for ten years but the Formal Dinner this year was exceptional as it was the first time in almost three years that CAPTains could celebrate as one College with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. As a third year CAPTain, this was also my first time experiencing a pre-COVID Formal Dinner!

The evening began with the emcees warmly welcoming the Rector of CAPT, Mr J Y Pillay, Master of CAPT, Assoc Prof Gary Tan, Deputy Dean of Students, Assoc Prof Adeline Seow, guests and CAPTains. Following which, the house heads from the five houses in CAPT – Roc, Dragon, Phoenix, Garuda and Tulpar – walked into the dining hall with their respective house flags, garnering cheers and boasting house spirits.

As we dived deeper into the evening, we had wonderful performances by fellow CAPTains. I vividly recall the formation of a sea of flashlights as CAPTains showed their support for the performers, which I felt was a heartening moment that reflected the close-knitted community at CAPT.

The dinner drew to an end as we raised a toast to celebrate and welcome the new Academic Year. Memories of the Formal Dinner were also captured with the photo-taking session at the Multi-purpose Sports Hall which, I believe, would serve as precious memories for many CAPTains.

I am so glad I get to experience an ‘unrestricted’ Formal Dinner! This would definitely be one of my highlights in my stay in CAPT!

CAPTains recounting their experiences of Formal Dinner:

“Planning for the event for me really felt like coming to a full circle. I have really fond memories of my year 1 formal dinner: the excitement of getting all ready for the night, having a good time with new found friends, all the joy and laughter. Welcome Dinner is to me the last, climatic part of a CAPTain’s induction into the CAPT family. Over the last few years, COVID-19 robbed the dinners of something magical. So I really felt super privileged and, ‘whole’? ‘fulfilled’?, to be able to be part of the team who brought this all back to life!”

-Mark Ngoh, Residential Assistant (Special Events Committee)

“Before the dinner, when juniors ask about how formal dinner is like, my honest answer is “I don’t know”, because I have not experienced one where everyone in CAPT is gathered together for an event. I felt like it should be more than just us having a fancy meal in fancy outfits. Hence, as an emcee, I felt the need to deliver the symbolic aspect of the formal dinner. The formalities, respect and humble learning attitude towards our pioneers in the first half of the event, the practices that were passed down such as oath taking and having a toast together at the end were elements of the night that I tried to preserve.”

-Shi Wei Fei, emcee for Formal Dinner