Date: 12 August 2018

Time: 7.00 am to 12.00 noon

Venue: Penang Branch Campus

On any other Sundays, I would still be sleeping in my warm, cozy bed at 6 a.m. in the morning. However, on 12 August 2018, I jumped out of bed at the first break of dawn to get ready for my first emcee experience for TARCian Run 2018.

The sky was still dark but the UC was already crowded with close to 1800 runners, staff, sponsors and members of the media. All my training leading to the day of the event did give me guidance on what I should do but I was suddenly nervous as the sheer magnitude of the event hit me the very moment I held the microphone. I stuttered in front of thousands of people even with a prepared script.

Fortunately, with the support from the audience and my partner, Qi Ping, my confidence slowly grew. After a warm-up session, everyone could not wait for the flag-off ceremony. Together, we counted down “5…4…3…2…1…Go!” and the huge group of runners began their 7km run. Lively and energetic music was in the air, encouraging the participants to run with the beat.

When the runners reached the finishing line, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Toh Guat Guan, TAR UC Penang Branch Campus Head, and several staff members were there to award them with medals and lots of other goodies. All of us were then entertained with marvellous performances presented by TAR UC Kung Fu Recreational Club, Salvation Dance Crew and the winning team of Odyssey Night 2018. The most exciting part of all was the lucky draw session. People were cheering, clapping and shouting their lucky numbers, hoping to win the prizes.

This whole experience is a rewarding one for me because I am usually a quiet boy in class, satisfied to be just an observer. So, auditioning for the emcee position was indeed one of the biggest breakthroughs in my college life. There were flaws in my performance but I was still able to taste the sweetness of the fruit of my hard work. To me, the positive feedback and the mistakes I made in hosting the event are all lessons worth learning.

Last but not least, I would like to thank Ms. Lee Xiang June and Ms. Joyce Low as they entrusted me with this post and gave me guidance in becoming a good emcee. Next, a big thank you to Qi Ping, the very best partner who assisted me a great deal. Not to forget, many thanks to my friends who cheered for me throughout the whole journey. These were the important people who gave me the courage to shoulder the responsibility and face the challenges of emceeing for TARCian Run 2018. It took weeks of practice and dedication but it has become one of those experiences that I would never forget in my lifetime.

Emcee/author - Lam Sheng Jeff (second year DAC student)