On Sunday, 26th of July 2020, members of the Yoga Club had to wake up early to prepare for a special farewell party to honour the seniors who are leaving school before end of the year, making this their last gathering in the club. The Farewell Party through Zoom video platform officially began at 10:30 am with the committee setting some rules. To make sure the event went on smoothly, members were told not to leave their computers after when they have entered into the meeting room. A mutual respect was then observed. Seniors had earlier been told to pre-record their 2 to 3-minute speeches days prior to the Party. It was thoughtful to some seniors who may be a little shy to have their speeches delivered live.
The program began with the Committee playing the recorded speeches of graduating seniors, following one after another. Many of the seniors’ speeches have included ‘regret’ or ‘regretful’. Why? Well, with the growing concerns about the threat posed by the Covid-19, all clubs were forced to halt their after-school hour’s activities to prevent large gatherings and to also keep group interactions safe. The seniors expressed their sadness and regrets of not being able to spend more time with their members and friends in their final year. However, many took this chance to express their gratitude and appreciation to the Committee and Teachers who worked so hard to ensure the seniors still had a memorable and fulfilling year amid the pandemic. The last speech was presented by the President of the Club, who had always been serving with her whole heart and most enthusiasm. She talked about her journey guiding the Club, and those endless sleepless nights of brainstorming sessions trying to form ideas as well as ways to enrich and to also improve the Club.
A virtual gift presentation ceremony came next, followed by two games planned by the Committee. First came into the scene was a ‘Guess the Song’ game with the members listening to a short clip of the song twice and competing to see who can type the answer fastest in the chat box. Albeit behind screens and unable to see each other, the game was very fun and exciting, filled with much laughter and joy. The next game involved the drawing tool on Zoom, with members being randomly selected to draw a topic given privately by a committee member. Most members participated enthusiastically and did their best to guess each picture. The party ended at noon and everyone expressed their thanks in the chat box.
This had definitely been a new and interesting experience for many, but to me, the most memorable moment was actually the last part of the Party with everyone saying thank you and bidding goodbye. It might sound ordinary to some; this however has illustrated the New Normal well. I tapped on the words ‘chat’ and looked at the many heartfelt thanks compared to the last few years when everyone would have given each other hugs and a good laugh, together reminiscing moments they have shared, promising to see each other again soon in the future. There was a sudden surge of sadness at thinking of the differences but the important thing is to focus on the present and make the best of what we had, and the goal was perfectly displayed and achieved. A well-planned and truly thoughtful virtual farewell party!
