When mathematicians throw a party
On Tuesday, 21 April, the NUS Department of Mathematics swapped equations for evening wear and gathered for their gala dinner, A Night Among the Stars. Around 150 postgraduate students, alumni and faculty filled 15 tables in the Atrium Ballroom. My job? Keep a room full of great minds smiling, mingling and a little out of their comfort zone, in the best possible way.
If you've ever been told mathematicians are a quiet crowd, well, challenge accepted! As a dinner and dance emcee, warming up a reserved room is one of my favourite puzzles to solve. :P
A warm welcome, and a head start on the fun
The evening opened with a lovely address from Professor Gan Wee Teck, Head of the Department, who joked that I'd have to work extra hard because mathematicians don't warm-up easily.
So I did what any emcee would do: I jumped straight into a ice-breaker to lift the energy. By the end of it, the room was energized, relaxed and ready for the night! That early buzz carried right through the speeches, the photos and the performances that followed!
Recognising the Math Graduate Society
One of the warmest moments of the night was the appreciation segment for the Math Graduate Society, the students who pour their time into organising events and get-togethers for the postgraduate community. Associate Professor Han Fei, Deputy Head for Graduate Studies, did the honours. We brought the recipients up for individual and group photos, then gave the whole team a big round of applause. A genuinely feel-good few minutes :)
Lights, music, performances
Then came the entertainment. There was a high-energy dance set that lit up the stage and had the room cheering. A little later, Double Lis took the mics for a heartfelt vocal number that had everyone hushed and listening. Two very different acts, both brilliant, and a lovely reminder of how much talent was in that ballroom.
2 games, one buzzing room
Games are where I get to play. We ran two:
Knot Theory, a high-energy table icebreaker that had whole tables collaborating, laughing and racing the clock together (yes, the maths pun was intentional).
The "Stellar" Word Relay, a fast-paced word-relay game that pulled volunteers up on stage and got the rest of the room helping out.
Both got the crowd properly involved, exactly the energy you want at a gala dinner
Winding down under the stars
We closed with the lucky draw, with some generous vouchers all round, and a nudge to grab a final photo at the photo booth before heading off. What I loved most? After the official programme ended, people stayed. They lingered, networked and chatted for another half hour. That's the real win, a room of near-strangers leaving as a connected community.
Thank you to the NUS Department of Mathematics and the organising committee for having me. What a night!
Planning a gala dinner of your own?
If you're after an emcee who brings energy and keeps everything running smoothly, you can watch my showreels, see what clients say, or get in touch about your event. Please let me know :)