Addressing the incoming cohort of 1,613 freshmen at Convocation 2008, Guest of Honour, Dr Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, spoke about the challenge of how to use leadership to make a difference. From her many years of working closely with leaders from all levels of society—civil and corporate leaders, heads of state, village councils and the UN Security Council—she said she had witnessed the power of idealism and transformation, even though cynicism and shrewdness dominate much world leadership. She went on to suggest to the students that leaders who ultimately inspire their communities do so from within, through their ideals. “Without the life-breath of idealism”, she said, “Leadership and management will ossify over time into bureaucracy.”

Encouraging the new cohort to seize the opportunities ahead, SMU Student Association (SMUSA) President Andrew Wong recalled what SMU President Professor Howard Hunter had said at his own Convocation three years earlier by reminding the freshmen that they will come to realise there are more opportunities than time at SMU. Finding truth in this comment, he said that there will be “…many opportunities for you to be intellectually challenged, to exercise leadership, participate in Co-Curricular Activities (CCA), and travel abroad for overseas exposure”. He also reminded the freshmen that it is good for them to make mistakes, “…because failure is the beginning of success”.

Following the speeches by the Guest of Honour, SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping, Professor Howard Hunter and SMUSA President Andrew Wong, SMU CCA groups presented an hour-long showcase that highlighted the diversity of the cultural backgrounds in SMU, and displayed the students’ vibrancy and distinctiveness. The programme consisted of performances by Caderas Latinas, pianist Clarensia Lim with Symphonia, Eurhythmix, InDanCity, the Malay Language and Cultural Club, SMU Breakers, SMU Chamber Choir, SMU Kommunitas Indonesia, Samba Masala, Symphonia, and solo performances by Anjana Abraham, Joshua Wong and Kendrick Winoto. The professionalism demonstrated in the organisation of Convocation 2008 was a credit to the student team that staged and managed the event.