We arrived at the entrance of Sunway Lagoon on a serene Friday night. A friendly staff pointed us to the buggy waiting to bring us to the venue. It was a short windy ride to our Polynesian–themed MUSA Appreciation Night. Held in the picturesque heart of Sunway Lagoon. Our seats astride from the man-made lake at the centre of Sunway Lagoon, watching the stage floating in the middle of the lake. 

Alighting from the buggy, we quickly found the tables assigned to our respective departments and quickly found a seat next to our favourite member. Here, the hustle and bustle were already simmering. People were walking around and greeting fellow MUSA family members, human chatter became a consistent rumble in our ears. I chimed in my fair sure but made sure to pause and relax here and there to save some battery for later; this is only the start, after all! Well, it was supposed to start at 7 pm. Arriving at 7:15 pm, I thought I was already fashionably late, so why are we still waiting…? Perhaps an extraordinarily large and vicious fish needed to be removed from the lake first. Or maybe the clouds were shaped so funnily that they entranced our president and distracted him from his duties. Or perhaps one of the key event personnel woke up late and was still showering and getting ready at home. We were taking quite a long time to start for literally NO REASON. Or at least I don’t really know why. Who knows? I don’t. 

At long last, our dear president Jackson Koh finally made the opening speech at 8 pm. Apologizing for the delay, he made it short and sweet before giving the stage to external performers for an exotic Polynesian fire dance. As fires subside and the dance reaches its end, Jackson returns to the stage to announce the most anticipated occasion: it’s makan time! Just as Jackson ended his call to a meal, snaking lines were already forming at each food station. A mouthwatering selection of beef, chicken, fish, mutton, and mussel were presented to us. Name the protein and there you’ll have it! There was a great mix of local cuisine and Western delights to suit everyone’s tastes. From lamb biryani, ais campur and traditional Malaysian satay, to brownies and grilled quail there was something for everyone! Even with us hungry, greedy, cost-maximizing, opportunistic students relentlessly hounding the food like a murder of crows, the event staff were so diligent with replenishing that everyone had a chance to sample everything (except those hot-selling brownies, I still wonder how it tastes till this day). Even the usual hot topic for fights (i.e. expensive meats) like the mouthwatering roasted quail and freshly-made ais campur was always in stock for all to try. It was an endless fount of food. And eventually, our hunger and greed were satiated by the overwhelming amount of food, we were all stuffed and giddy with satisfaction.

As the crowd around the food settled down a little, we basked in celebration and mirth from enjoying each other’s company. Relishing the last time that we were officially gathered as one big family under MUSA. Yet, for some of us, the realities of Monash Week 12 are still very real. Among the crowds of people talking, eating and laughing, there are just a few of us dotted across tables with laptops open, grinding away on assignments, completing quizzes, and racing against deadlines. Nevertheless, w found fun in the entertainment programmes prepared by our dear president – nominating department heads to dance to current TikTok trends on stage. The show begins with a twisted chance of fate, Bryan Kwong a.k.a “Balakong” from SOE was brought to dance the trendy “Korean Cheerleader Dance” that has been all over TikTok at the time of writing. Emasculating? Perhaps. But he sure tried his best despite being explicitly embarrassed (he was giving our president some lovely middle finger gestures). Up next were Keanee and Chiara from SASS, followed by Alicia and Diana (an unwilling victim who got pulled on stage by Alicia) from Publicity and SOIT, respectively. Needless to say, they were all rather embarrassed by the impromptu dance performance. There was nothing but cheers and laughter as we saw our dear heads dancing shamefully to trendy songs. I would like to think that the audience wasn’t quite laughing or ridiculing them but rather enjoying the display of humanity and closeness from the performances. After all, we are one family under MUSA, working to make Monash a better place. 

To keep the spirits high and in a spur of generosity (perhaps also a token for all our hard work) Jackson gave a grand giveaway of 10 units of Labubu dolls. Everybody wanted one. It was a cultural icon after all, and if you didn’t want them, it would still make a wonderful gift to another. As we waited with bated breath, the Pharmacy department somehow won 3 out of 10 units available in a highly suspicious stroke of luck (I think they bribed Jackson). A night of celebration just became much more jovial for them, and all the other winners of the lucky draw. 

In continuation of entertainment, our hired performers singled out an unwilling victim,  calling out a certain “Jason” from the crowd to dance in centre stage. Among cheers from the crowd, he entered the stage. Adorned in a green filmy Hawaiian shirt and a blue batik wrap, he gave us a performance to remember! Twirling and swaying languidly amidst cheers and hollers from the crowd. By the invites of Jason and the hired performers, more and more people joined the dance floor, slowly devolving into a chaotic sea of moving bodies. As we tire from the physical movement, we take our time to wind down and settle in. To close our night, our dear President Jackson delivered his last and final speech as President of MUSA 2024, expressing his heartfelt gratitude for everyone’s hard work throughout the semester. We seized the opportunity to snap some final pictures with our dear MUSA family members as the evening approaches its zenith. Tears were shed here and there as everyone alighted to their separate ways. 

“It’s not about the title or the position. It’s about you, showing up for Monash and joining us in this journey with MUSA 2024. Thank you, everyone.” – Jackson Koh (adapted)

MUSA 2024, signing off!

With love and a heavy heart, 

Jason Nataniel

Aritcle by Jason Nataniel

Photos by Ezriq