Social Activities Coordinator - Hilary Heah

One year has flown by so quickly, but nevertheless, it will certainly be one of the most memorable moments in my life being the Social Activities Coordinator for COSDU. I can still remember clearly last May when I was successfully elected for the position during the annual COSDU AGM. How did I feel? Well, it was a mixture of different feelings, both good and bad. At first, I was scared that I couldn’t balance the responsibilities given with my studies as my workload was piling up tremendously. However, it had all worked out well in the end as I learnt to uncover the “sweet spot” of finding the right balance between my studies as well as my role as a Social Activities Coordinator in COSDU. This has undoubtedly been the best ability I’ve obtained throughout the year and has certainly made my term in COSDU fun and worthwhile. COSDU has certainly enriched my life in many ways, from the spiritual to the social aspects, which was the main reason why I joined the society in the first place.

So, heading straight to the point, what are the roles and responsibilities of COSDU’s Social Activities Coordinator? Starting from the weekly sessions and monthly masses, the social activities coordinator has to plan and decide on where the after-session ‘fellowship’ dinner takes place. This has certainly been one of the many challenges I faced during my term. Factors such as location, types of cuisine, vegetarian or non-vegetarian and price were some of the many factors that had to be taken into consideration. Also, to make things even more challenging, most of the restaurants do not offer bookings for a large crowd, especially on Fridays as most restaurants are full and busy on that day. There were many turn downs from restaurants throughout my term; however, that didn’t stop me from trying to book different restaurants every time as I wanted to ensure that none of the COSDU members would feel bored of the same restaurants and that it would be something that everyone would look forward to after the weekly sessions or monthly mass. I’ve also received many feedbacks and recommendations of restaurants from members, which had certainly made my job easier. I personally believe that these ‘fellowship’ dinners aren’t just like your normal everyday dinners, they are very important after session follow up that strengthened the ties between members, which was why I looked at it very seriously.

As a Social Activities Coordinator, I would say that the main highlight of the job would be to organize 2 major COSDU events, the annual Sports Day and Scavenger Hunt. In my opinion, I would say that these events would be the most difficult part of the Social Activities Coordinator. You would have to think about the logistics and location and to ensure that everything runs smoothly on that day. There will also be administrative protocols that have to the complied by liaising with the student union (UMSU). Other than that, you would have to decide on the team distributions, games to be played, health and safety measures, and last but not least, food! Despite all of these, it has certainly been very satisfying seeing the members enjoying themselves during these events and knowing that these events went well. And to make things easier, the rest of the committee were always there to help in any way they could. I would have not been able to handle everything if not for them, so kudos to you guys!

On top of that, you would also be helping out during the Festival of Nations and Night Market organized by MUOSS during the semester.

The one regret I had during my term as a Social Activities Coordinator was failing to carry out the weekly sports session that I had initially planned out. I certainly hope that the next person that takes over this position would seriously consider starting this weekly program as it would certainly be another way of the members getting together, and for a good purpose too! =)

But overall, I found that my time, both as an ordinary and a committee member has been very rewarding. The many friends I’ve made throughout my time in COSDU has certainly been very memorable. I can confidently say that the friendships I’ve obtained in COSDU are the ones that will last for a very long time, and possibly, forever. I can’t be more thankful for that.

COSDU has also strengthened my faith as a Catholic with the many sessions and activities that were lined up. To be honest, I wasn’t a very “knowledgeable” catholic as there were many things that I wasn’t aware about in the Catholicism context. COSDU has certainly opened my eyes on this and at the same time, reaffirming my faith.

So in conclusion, for those of you who are interested in running for the Social Activities Coordinator position, I would just like to reassure you that taking this position can be extremely rewarding in both the social and religious aspects to it. Sure, you might be faced with challenges along the way, but hey, what’s life without challenges right? It will only make you stronger and more matured in that sense. But remember, do it for the wellbeing of COSDU and not for your self-interest all right? Good luck! =)