This article first appeared in BTS Issue 4.
- There are currently over 75 Fifth Row groups in SUTD ranging from arts and community, to sports and culture. And if you can’t find a group that you’d like to join, you can simply start your own! Check them out at https://root.sutd.edu.sg/openhouse/fifthrow/
Arts and Culture
Chamber (@sutdchamber)
What do we do?
Well, we do not “fiddle” around, that’s for sure. Chamber Ensemble consists of four main instruments: the violin, the viola, the cello and the double bass. Using these instruments, we perform the classics from Hisaishi’s Ghibli pieces to Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’.
What’s one club activity that you’d like to share?
Movie screenings! We watched ‘The Sound of Music’ as we were going to play a Sound of Music Medley in our concert. Practice afterwards was nothing short of amazing. Have you ever watched a movie like ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Spirited Away’ or ‘La La Land’ and just wished you could sing or play their songs in some way? When I played with the Ensemble after our screening, I had goosebumps. It truly felt like a cinematic, surround sound experience.
Describe your club in five words or less
Where words fail, music speaks.
If you could compare your club to any team, what would it be and why?
I would compare the Chamber Ensemble to Queen. For starters, half of Queen lead double lives as both musicians and engineers, as do most members in the Ensemble. What made me feel like we were truly alike in more ways than one was when Freddie Mercury said of the band in the movie ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, “We’re family, we believe in each other. That’s everything.” That rings true for the Chamber Ensemble, and could only be understood if you’ve experienced it.
SUTDio (@sutd.io)
What do we do?
SUTDio aims to explore the world of architecture through arts and craft. The club holds a myriad of workshops for students to join and serve as their creative outlet. We also participate in events to build art installations.
Why join us?
If you are interested in arts, craft and architecture, join SUTDio to experience working on projects, mingle with ASD seniors and pick up some design software skills.
What’s one club activity that you’d like to share?
SUTDio kickstarted a programme called ASD Initiative, which aims to introduce Freshmores to architecture through films, workshops and projects. In Term 1, Freshmores created art installations to add vibrancy to the school grounds and redefine what the space can be used for. The students learnt to design with some basic form exploration and made scaled models in Term 2. In preparation for summer internship, architecture software workshops were organised for students in Term 3.
Vocomotives (@sutd_vocomotives)
What do we do?
We’re a group of music lovers who do a capella and we enjoy the company of those who share the same passion.
Why join us?
We enjoy bonding during live performances, such as during Open House, Orientation and external events like the annual Voices at Esplanade. Apart from jamming sessions outside training hours, we chiong together during exam periods.
What’s one club activity that you’d like to share?
At our annual Vocomotives camp, members and non-members connect with music and our big family. During our camp, we invite our coach to share her experience and even do rare one-to-one coaching for the participants. Prospective members will get a taste of what Vocomotives does on a weekly basis, while current members will be able to pick up new techniques that improve their singing capabilities!
Specialists
Makerspace (@sutdmakers)
What do we do?
The core of SUTD’s maker culture is at SUTD Makerspace. We engage in a myriad of projects, ranging from making arcade machines for public display at Parking Day to building systems to facilitate health screenings in Cambodia.
Why join us?
Makerspace is where you make your dreams a reality, no matter how colossal or seemingly trivial your ideas are. Here at Makerspace, you can find many like-minded counterparts that will be more than willing to guide and learn with you.
Describe your club in five words or less
Today’s Tinkerers, Tomorrow’s Inventors.
If you could compare your club to any team, what would it be and why?
Our club would be like the team of doctors in ‘Hospital Playlist’. In the drama, the team of five each excel in their respective specialisations at work, and after work, they come together as a band to have fun playing music. Similarly, our club is made up of a smorgasbord of different individuals who are each proficient in their own fields, be it software or hardware, however when we come together as a Fifth Row to pursue our similar interests, we work hand in hand to let our embryonic ideas take shape.
Uni-Y (@uniysutd)
What do we do?
As a community serving communities, Uni-Y’s mission is to develop and empower youths to be servant leaders who will impact the local and international communities. We are partnered with YMCA and hold programmes targeted at community service and volunteer development.
What’s one club activity that you’d like to share?
At the end of every year, we partner with YMCA Myanmar to organise a 2-week long OCIP trip to Maubin, Myanmar. Maubin is a small town in the Ayeyarwady Division of southwest Myanmar. We serve the Maubin community by aiding in the construction of the road system to improve mobility in the village and organise workshops to teach English and computer skills to the children there. Most importantly, we are given the opportunity to bless the people of Maubin.
Describe your club in five words or less
A community serving communities.
eSports (@sutdesports)
What do we do?
We are where anyone can gather and have fun gaming. While we participate in external competitions and serious training sometimes, our main focus is for everyone playing to have a great time together.
Why join us?
Through the club, you are likely to meet people who have similar interests as you, even for the more niche genres. We also provide the most updated game related news and events that SUTD is involved in.
If you could compare your club to any team, what would it be and why?
The Hogwarts Quidditch teams in Harry Potter. Members join the teams because they like to play the sport and form friendships across the different houses and years. While there are intense competitions between the houses, at the end of the day, Quidditch becomes a source of good memories and bonds among the various players, much like eSports.
Sports
Muay Thai (@sutdmuaythai)
What do we do?
Known as the Art of Eight Limbs, Muay Thai is a combat sport originating from Thailand. Twice-weekly trainings (one led by our coach, one by our training captains) consist of technique, pad work, conditioning, sparring and the occasional supper.
Why join us?
Our very own coach, national fighter Lee De Jun, provides quality trainings at an affordable price. Whether for fitness, to relieve stress, or to compete in fights, we are open to everyone, so grab your buddies and come on down!
What’s one club activity that you’d like to share?
We have this event called Fight Night; it is a small Muay Thai competition between club members where they get to put whatever they have learnt during trainings into practice. Fight Night is held on campus, open to the school to watch as audiences, hence it is also a chance for interested parties who want to try their hand at the martial art to gain some exposure and experience.
If you could compare your club to any team, what would it be and why?
Interestingly, we would compare our club to ‘Scooby-Doo’. As a group, we are diverse, we have the ones who are more experienced, and then there are members who are likely new at the sport and are trying their best. While Muay Thai is ultimately an individual competitive sport, training together makes us a team, no matter if we are seasoned or a newbie, we help one another out where needed and improve as one.
Ultimate (@sutdultimate)
What do we do?
SUTD Ultimate trains to take part in various Ultimate Frisbee competitions throughout the year and promote the spirit of the game in SUTD. Members will develop their individual skills, physicality and teamwork. We also organise recreational Ultimate sessions.
Why join us?
It’s a great avenue for anyone who wants to challenge themselves physically and mentally, experience a new sport, find a close-knit support group or take a breather from studying. We are also a mixed-gender sport and have great alumni support!
If you could compare your club to any team, what would it be and why?
‘Haikyuu!!’, because we always support and motivate every member through thick and thin, ups and downs. University life can be challenging, stressful and uncertain. Be it sports, academics or future prospects, we know we have the team to turn to.
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