Over 800 fresh graduates from the Class of 2016 attended the SMU Photo Day on 9th July 2016. Held at the SMU Labs, photo booths were set up across the three levels of the building for the Class of 2016 graduates to take photos in their graduation gowns with their family and friends.
The annual SMU Photo Day is one of the many events organised by the Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) to engage students in their final year of studies. Under the Senior Year Experience (SYE) series of events, Photo Day, besides Commencement, is the last major event to meet SMU’s graduating students before they join the work force. It is a carnival-style event with fun photo booths, wacky props, and professional photographers to capture memorable graduation moments for the newly minted alumni.
The graduates started streaming in as early as 10 am to don their graduation gowns and mortar boards. Director of Office of Alumni Relations Associate Professor Low Aik Meng welcomed the crowd and congratulated the parents who showed up to commemorate their children’s graduation by taking photographs in the photo booths. Many of them were sporting enough to hold up boards with quirky messages or use the interesting props available to produce unique and priceless pictures. All the fun and laughter created in the process of phototaking were beautifully captured by the professional photographers present. Free instant printouts were available when alumni hashtagged their personal photos with #sgSMUalumni and uploaded onto their Instagram accounts. Graduates, family and friends enjoyed some light refreshments as they took breaks from the excitement of phototaking.
“Photo day was truly a memorable event which OAR has so graciously hosted for us. From the various photo booths with unique props and themes to the free instant print-outs, all these were a great service of goodwill to the outgoing graduates of SMU.” Jeromy Tan (BBM, 2016). Jeromy is also one of six class representatives; one from each school, officially appointed on Photo Day. These class representatives were nominated by their individual schools and appointed by OAR to be the conduit for continual engagement between their fellow alumni and the University. As per tradition, a class plaque was presented to the class reps of Class of 2016.
Thanking OAR for organising an event unique to SMU, Jeromy said, “To the tireless helpers and organisers of Photo Day 2016, I express my sincere gratitude for a smoothly executed event. Photo Day has definitely served its purpose of providing an additional avenue for graduation memories to be preserved, as well as providing continuity, from cap and gown, towards the actual commencement day.”
OAR wishes the Class of 2016 all the very best in their future endeavours. We hope that the memories our Class of 2016 graduates had of their student journeys were captured in these photographs on Photo Day and forever be kept close to their hearts.
For Class of 2016 graduates, join the Facebook Group to download the photos from the event.
Photo Booths – What Happened Where
Crazy Booth - Colourful, wacky, psychedelic props. Your classic Photo Booth. Just go crazy and celebrate your graduation!
Bird's Eye Booth - A unique top-down perspective, as if you're flying in the air. Form circles, stars and other shapes with your friends, as seen from above. This is a photo booth that you won't see anywhere else.
Mystery Booth - What will you get? Choose from a range of mystery themes, randomly, and go have fun in the booth. Designed to keep things fresh and to inject an element of randomness, surprise and gamification into Photo Day.
Time Machine Booth - What has your time in SMU been like? What will your future look like? This booth raises that question, through scenario cards, prompting graduands to consider what they'd like to do in the future, as well as what were some of their best times in SMU. This booth's designed to bring out a sense of nostalgia and friendship as well.
Slow Motion Booth - Capture all your dance moves, confetti and funny expressions all in slow motion. Graduands also share what graduation means to them.