For glory, for honour and for bragging rights! Those were the words echoing from the emcee’s megaphone as the opening ceremony for this year’s Monash Cup began at almost half past noon on the 27th of March. The opening ceremony was held across the rock climbing walls, with the House flags rolled up and ready to be unveiled at the bridge connecting Buildings 6 and 9. To the side closest to Building 6, the four Houses’ booths proudly displayed their House colours, logos and pictures from past Monash Cup events.  Despite the unfavourable weather these past few weeks, the sky was bright and perfect to set the stage for the opening ceremony as the crowd started to form within the shade of Building 7. While they eagerly awaited the beginning of the ceremony, the emcee did a fantastic job of building the hype for each House’s supporters, with the roars of the supporters from all four Houses punctuating the callouts of their respective Houses.

The ceremony was kicked off proper by a performance from the Monash Street Dance Society, with their electrifying dance routine set to Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feeling. Intricate dance moves backed up by flawless coordination were more than enough to rally the crowd as applause exploded at the end of the dance routine.Their performance was immediately followed by a cheerleading performance from the cheerleading members of the four Houses. The cheerleading team’s high-flying moves and seamless coordination made for a spectacular show and a great prelude to the upcoming cheerleading competition for the Monash Cup.

With all performances complete, the long awaited moment had arrived. The students looked up eagerly as the emcee signalled for the House flags to be dropped, with the red colours of Manticore appearing first over the bridge, followed by Leviathan, Culebre and Opinicus. After the applause had ended, the opening ceremony was concluded, with the excitement of the Houses’ members sated for the moment as they awaited the beginning of the annual House elections.

Just a few days after, the elections for all four Houses had commenced, with each Houses’ elections commencing in the auditoriums of Building 6. Each House’s supporters were hard-pressed to elect people who they expected to lead their own House to victory this year, with the stakes growing higher and higher with every passing year. Candidates were chosen, each giving impassioned speeches on why they want to lead their House and what they’re willing to sacrifice to ensure that their House would be the one victorious. Finally, after much deliberation from the House members, the Captains and Vice Captains of all four Houses had been elected. For Culebre, their Captain is Nur Sharikul Huda, with Vice Captains Chang Joe Yee and Benjamin Lee Wen Tang. Opinicus’ captain will be Jevon Cheng while their Vice Captains will be Peter Lau and Celine Tey. Meanwhile, Captain Daemyung Chung with Vice Captains Okley Julia-Andreolli and Mak E Lin will be leading Manticore. And last but definitely not least, Leviathan’s Captain Captain will be Tan Shou Chien, with Vice Captains Lee Ting Sheng and Carmen Seow Mun Tee.

Tensions are understandably high as all four Houses, under the leadership of their new Captains, are eager to prove their Houses’ worth and see their respective House insignia framed inside the coveted Monash Cup mantle. Regardless of the outcome, be sure to expect a spirited competition from all of the House representatives this year! Let the flags rise, the horns to sound, and let the games begin!

Words by Yau Jun Min

Photos by Tiffany See, Keith Fong, & Desmond Chin