NUS Rag and Flag on Aug. 11 went down in history for not one but two reasons – Rag was held at the Padang for the first time and Flag Day fund-raising broke the previous record by more than $100,000.

Public donations exceeded $500,000 and the money would be distributed to 20 beneficiaries.

The NUS student groups anticipated the strong show of public support put up an entertaining visual performance in response to it.

A total of 11 faculty clubs and six halls participated in this year’s event and about 5,000 people showed up, including guest-of-honour, President SR Nathan. 

The elaborate show was planned with the new and larger venue in mind as previous performances were held within NUS campus.

 Daniel Zhang, a second-year law undergraduate, said, ‘It’s a good idea to have Rag at the Padang. Everyone can congregate and share a communal spirit of unity and harmony.’ 

The change in venue was also seen as a refreshing challenge for those in charge of transportation. 

Austen Chan, a fourth-year architecture student, said, ‘It definitely brought new opportunities. At the same time, having it at the Padang also increased the logistical burden on the student groups. But we pulled through.’

Participating groups needed to make sure their floats were road-worthy and had to engage external engineers to certify them.

Although there was an added burden of hiring extra lorries for transportation, it did not deter the float designers from paying attention to details. 

The floats were made out of recycled materials and shaped into spaceships and scenery. This complemented the costumed and choreographed dance performances. 

Lydia Chen, a fourth-year science student, had to forgo sleep to help with the costumes and makeup. ‘We stayed up through the night to finish the last minute details.’ 

Chen said that he and his buddies from Temasek Hall had ‘36 hours of no sleep’ prior to the event. They were busy moving props and needed time to set up the place.                                                                                         

There were also others who offered their encouragement by cheering endlessly for their friends. Freshman and seniors from the faculties and halls were all decked out in their home colors and armed with flags, ladders and loudhailers.

Regina Lum, a freshman from the science faculty, said, ‘Although I did not personally make the float, I am proud of it and it has united us all.’ 

So was all that hard work worth it? The smiles on the many faces at the end of the day certainly said it was. 

From rags to riches, the participants’ real achievement was not the material wealth, but rather the bonding and school spirit felt by all who were present. 

Rag and Flag started in 1958 and the initial years saw freshmen driving their decorated floats from the old NUS campus at Bukit Timah all the way down to Orchard Road. Passers-by would then show their appreciation to the students by donating generously. 

Over time, Rag and Flag no longer remained as a single component, but evolved into a two-day event.

 On Flag Day, NUS students can be found island-wide selling flags for charity. On Rag Day, NUS groups would then stage performances as a means to express their thanks to the general public for the generous contributions on Flag Day.