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A place for everyone: Sporty or artsy, Temasek Hall Master Victor Tan welcomes you

December 20, 2024
Tapping on his own passion for the performing arts, Temasek Hall Master, Associate Professor Victor Tan, takes pride in having helped to develop Temasek Hall’s holistic identity of excelling in both sports and the arts.

In this series, NUS News profiles the personalities shaping vibrant residential life and culture on campus, and how they craft a holistic residential experience that brings out the best in student residents.

The lights dim as Temasek Hall’s choir shuffles off stage at the Victoria Concert Hall. They have just finished the last item of their annual concert LegaTHo – or so the audience thinks. As their applause begins to die down, a familiar figure bursts onto the stage. Cheers erupt as the mystery performer emerges from the shadows: Hall Master Victor Tan. Within seconds, the choir reappears alongside Associate Professor Tan to deliver a stirring rendition of the encore song, “From Now On” from The Greatest Showman.

This was not Assoc Prof Tan’s only appearance at a Temasek Hall performance. He had also made a cameo in the hall’s musical production in March, an original play about a murder mystery.

If you could not already tell, Assoc Prof Tan is passionate about the performing arts, something he has worked hard to inculcate in Temasek Hall, which as the reigning Inter-Hall Games (IHG) champion, has long been known for its sporting excellence.

“When I first came to Temasek Hall, it had a reputation for excelling in sports. But since then, we have diversified and focused more on the cultural groups, and they have grown a lot,” said Assoc Prof Tan, who is also Deputy Head (Undergraduate Programme) of NUS’ Department of Mathematics.

Besides stellar sportspeople and performers, Temasek Hall is home to a group of talented creators who manage the hall’s popular TikTok account, which features snapshots of hall events, room tours and other trendy reels which regularly garner tens of thousands views – and sometimes even more than a million. “I confess that I didn’t know it was so popular. Sometimes I cannot relate to the content, but the residents are very creative,” Assoc Prof Tan muses.

Assoc Prof Tan (back row, fourth from left) shared how events like the Halls of NUS (HONUS) retreat give student leaders the opportunity to meet other leaders from all six Halls to discuss strategies to boost hall vibrancy and propose solutions for shared challenges.

Temasek Hall is one of six Halls of Residences in NUS, which offer a wider range of co-curricular activities compared with the other types of residential hostels, and celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2023.

As he approaches a decade of being its Master, Assoc Prof Tan reflects on his time helping to craft a culture of community cohesion, and what makes Temasek Hall so special.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What’s a typical day like for you?

I’m a rather disciplined person. I always start the day with my routine workouts. At 7am, I will greet the security guard as I come out from my apartment and walk to the gym. On Sunday, I do a longer-distance run, sometimes to West Coast Park, Labrador Park, or even Jurong East to visit my mother. After my exercise, I’m either teaching or dealing with administrative matters in the mathematics department.

By 6pm I’m off work, and hall life begins. Students are available only in the evening, so that’s when I have discussions with the Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) and other student leaders. That’s also when hall events like open mics and theatre productions take place. Sometimes, the students even invite me to sing at open mics!

Q: How did you become Master of Temasek Hall?

Before moving to Temasek Hall, I was a Resident Fellow in Eusoff Hall for nine years. The maximum term is seven years, so I had already exceeded it by two years in 2014, when there was an opening for Temasek Hall Master. I wasn’t sure about it at first due to the huge responsibility of a hall master, but I decided to give it a try and went for the interview. I got the spot and moved over with my wife and daughter.

Q: What do you find challenging or rewarding about being Master of Temasek Hall?

One challenge is succession within the hall student leadership. Over the years, we have seen a decline in the number of students who are willing to step up. Those who take up leadership roles like JCRC are eager to excel, and I have faith in their motivations and abilities. But I also recognise that they have to make a lot of sacrifices. They have to choose whether to contribute to the hall, do an internship, focus on their studies, or go on an exchange programme.

Temasek Hall’s annual retreat for student leaders helps to facilitate bonding and dialogue across groups in charge of various aspects of hall life.

As for the rewarding part, Temasek Hall has an impressive track record in sports, and I take great pride in this achievement. We do well consistently in IHG every year and are either champions or runner ups. But the success doesn’t come easy. There’s a lot of hard work and systematic approach behind the scenes – how we identify potential sports talent to join our hall, and how we provide the training and coaching. I am hesitant to call ourselves a “sports hall”, but sporting excellence is something every Temasekian is proud of. When we win and raise the trophy, we feel that all our investment and training has been worthwhile.

Assoc Prof Victor Tan (third from left) takes pride in Temasek Hall’s multifaceted hall identity and reputation for excelling in both the sporting and cultural realms.

Q: Temasek Hall’s motto is ‘Some call it a Hostel, we call it Home.’ How do you make this a reality?

It starts from day one. We have a traditional mass check-in day for the freshmen. What makes this day so special is the enthusiastic reception by an entire army of seniors ready to welcome the freshmen. Every time a car approaches the lobby, they will shout joyfully “Welcome to TH!”, and help the freshmen with carrying their belongings to their rooms. This creates a very fond memory for every freshman, as they immediately feel embraced by this welcoming big family.

Temasek Hall’s vibrant and inclusive culture is bulwarked by events that promote staff-student bonding, understanding, and interaction among the Senior Common Room Committee, the Junior Common Room Committee, and the Hall office staff, all of which collaborate closely in the management of the hall.

Following that is the orientation camp, which features several signature activities. While I can’t divulge too much, I can share that we have a huge slope within our hall known as The Quads. Our orientation committee cleverly utilises this unique terrain to design several theme park-worthy activities. These activities are kept secret, and participants are instructed not to reveal them to anyone, ensuring that each new batch of freshmen is pleasantly surprised. These experiences have become cherished memories for every cohort of Temasekians.

Temasek Hall’s exciting activities— creatively planned and executed— are the highlight of its orientation camps for incoming freshmen.

Q: What are your goals and leadership philosophy as Hall Master?

It’s very simple – the goal is that every resident has a rich and fulfilling experience. Temasek Hall is not just a place for them to sleep, but also a place for them to learn, grow and develop. It’s also their last chance to try things before they go into the working world, which is much more unforgiving. Here, they are allowed to fail.

My philosophy for leadership is empowerment. I empower the students to take on responsibilities while ensuring they understand the importance of doing the right thing. The residents always surprise me. During JCRC elections, I trust the students to elect their leaders, and they always make the right choice. Sometimes I might have a preconceived impression of someone, but once I work with them, I’m pleasantly surprised by their responsibility and capability. That’s also a lesson for me: to always give the students opportunities to show their potential and grow.

Source: NUS News