It has come to that time of the year and I was asked and asked myself this question many times over, Why are you doing this? Is it worth it? 

Going away from Hall for one year (NOC) opened my eyes to the things I could be doing, and all the opportunities that I am missing out. I see the magnitude of things I can do with my time. But Sheares means something different, something if once I pass up, will never come back.  I know that if I don't do this now, I will regret that I did not really leave a real full stop to my amazing journey here. I would have failed the people who gave me the amazing years of my university life. I will regret because I believe that even if I eventually find it to be a mistake, it is definitely something that decorates my life, A BEAUTIFUL MISTAKE. 

If we really look at the commitments of every single resident in Sheares, it is a fact that majority are not doing anything for whatever reasons they may have. And for the people who are not stepping up, for whatever reasons they may be, I am sorry; Maybe it is because seniors have not done a good job convincing why this place is still worth fighting for. Maybe it’s just about what oneself get to gain, without having to contribute. But I hope that Shearites search deep into your heart and ask yourself what had you done for a place that has tried to give you everything it could possibly have, and was it really that best you could give her? Almost everything in Hall is taken for granted. If there were no seniors stepping up to chair Comms and run for JCRC, there will be not activities and things that make up what Sheares is about. She is not asking you to give your entire education, neither to pass up all the opportunities that come your way. Perhaps it is no longer easy to see her direct value because the place we live in today seems to just revolve around opportunity costs and practicality.

Think back on every memory you had here, be it

Beautiful (Coming back to Comm hall and seeing your Buaya painted a 10m banner for you),

Unglam (a shot of you in an awkward position playing sports),

Disgusting (swimming in milo),

Exhausting (moving logistics equipment etc).

Everything will cease to exist, because if there is no change, passion for making these things possible would have died. The value of Hall is that because of her existence with 29 committees and 29 sports[not sure if accurate], it brings unforgettable memories that are difficult to create anywhere else in any other time after this period has passed. It provides opportunities to have new experiences in sports, culture, and media. It is impossible after/outside Hall to play 4 sports, do comms work and take photographs, and of course study at the same time. Yet Sheares provides an excellent platform to try our new things and discover your passions. Does anyone care about what the existence of Sheares still mean?

The most important value I learnt from Hall is contribution. This is the spirit that my seniors have left behind. This is the thing that is and might be increasingly buried as some things wither in Hall. Are we really too busy? Are we really incapable? Because I know I have an autonomous robot to build for corporations to partake in a global competiton, and I know nothing about the commitees under the DOEA's charge. But now I really understand what it means when someone says, if you have the passion, nothing can stand in your way.

As I wrote this, these people's names came up. THANK YOUUUU

- Andee, Xinyi, Andy Lim, Mingfeng; you guys taught me everything I know about Hall and through the sacrifices made and commitments (even though Andee maybe no choice only got hall school damn chui hahaha) you have tirelessly attended to. It is not simple to make our Block E production and Seniors Farewell video consecutively for so many years, yet every year Director Hong will always do this for us.

- Kent and Ron, even though I didn't become the JCRC President and unravel what's in your hand that day two years ago I am finally stepping up this term to do something crazy with the people who have stepped up as well  

- Weicong and my entire Block Comm 10/11, Janeyin, Amelia, Brenda, Leo, the reason why I love Sheares so much. Even though it still feels a little unfamiliar after I came back, I will keep the times we had making our Puma décor for CNY, ponding Mayves in the dustbin, going down to support Handball and Touch Rug, moving Mel’s room out, Buaya Week decorations, our late nights discussing every single detail of every single event. It has been amazing times that I will look back and marvel at the crazy shit.

-Mayves, Yixian, Qixiang, Mingtuan: I am really really really very happy that you guys have stepped up to take up the various positions. JCRC will be awesome!

- Dr Colin Tan: You are the most amazing RF that taught all your Eekers many things, and because of what you have gave us, I wish to give back. :)

So back to the question, Why am I doing this? Is it worth it? It is because of these people who have affected my lives in the past and right now, and because I search deep in my heart and I know I really love here and I really really wish more people would, and no matter how tired, incapable, unappreciated my efforts I will be, I will run for DOEA. 

LONG NOTE FINALLY COMPLETED! :) No regrets! Join JCRC, join Comms, Step Up! 

- Adapted From Grace Chia's blog, DOEA, 32nd JCRC.