re:vantage Card Launch at *scape Youth Park

How it all started

It was created so that Republicans could be different. It was created so that Republicans could show it off and have a common identity. It was created so Republicans could have an advantage.

re:vantage (which is short for ‘Republic’s Advantage’) is a perks welfare programme fully run by students for the students. This welfare initiative was proposed and implemented by the Business Development Unit of the 2^nd Republic Polytechnic Student Council Executive Committee in 2004, as the Executive Committee felt that the students’ welfare could be extended to beyond the Polytechnic’s boundaries. By presenting the Polytechnic’s student card, students were able to enjoy special privileges, generous discounts and an assortment of instant treats at the participating outlets island-wide.

Gradually, the lack of sufficient publicity and the then-low student population (as the Polytechnic was still very young) led to inadequate numbers patronising the merchants’ outlets, and the programme appeared to have lost its popularity. In 2007, the 5^th Student Council Executive Committee felt that despite the faltering status of the programme there was plenty of potential to tap on. Consequently, the Committee embarked on a journey to rebrand the programme.

The Executive Committee saw this as an opportunity to achieve the following:

- Both students and staff could enjoy the perks – the benefits can be extended to the staff population

- It is an opportunity to raise awareness of the Student Council’s profile and welfare initiatives. Heightened awareness may attract competent student leaders to come to Republic Polytechnic and contribute to the Polytechnic and the community

- It is a means of building the RP spirit (Team Republic) and also a way to create a sense of identity among the students, particularly as the Polytechnic is young

- Successful rebranding of the programme could attract more merchants in expressing interest to work with the Student Council Executive Committee, and in turn greatly benefit the Polytechnic in other ways

The journey chosen

The 4^th Student Council Executive Committee’s links with the People’s Association paved the way for the rebranded re:vantage programme. With the PAssion card being a popular discount programme with a very large consumer base, the Office of Student and Graduate Affairs (OSG) and the Business Development team of the 5^th Student Council chose to collaborate with the People’s Association on the new re:vantage card, which is also the very first-co-branded PAssion card.

The welding of the two welfare schemes resulted in a new re:vantage programme which now contains many more perks and merchant listings. The involvement of the People’s Association gives a much-needed boost to the previous re:vantage scheme, and also raises the profile of the Student Council Executive Committee whose raison d’être is, after all, to look after the welfare of the Student Union (the general student body).

This close collaboration eventually led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)  between the People’s Association Youth Movement (PAYM) and Republic Polytechnic (RP). With the exclusivity of being the first co-branded PAssion Card, the two organisations then worked towards a carnival-style event to launch the rebranded re:vantage scheme, as well as to formalise the signing of the MOU. Representatives from the two organisations carried out frequent meetings to conceptualise and execute the event.

A (re)new(ed) beginning

On the afternoon of 28 October 2007 at *scape Youth Park in the heart of Orchard Road, the new re:vantage card was officially launched and the MOU was signed. The event was also covered by the media.

The MOU signatories, Mr Eden Liew (Deputy Principal, Republic Polytechnic) and Mr Tan Boon Huat (Chief Executive Director, People’s Association) each gave a speech and then proceeded to sign the MOU. This was followed by the launch of re:vantage – for the launch mechanism, the MOU signatories opened a giant box which contained a large mock-up of the new re:vantage card, followed by an exhilarating burst of confetti. The student who designed the card, Mohammad Hadif Adzim bin Azmi, was presented his prize of a $100 Borders voucher as well.

At the event, various stations were available for students and staff who had come to collect their re:vantage card. There was the card collection booth, popcorn and candy floss machines, a rodeo bull machine, a dunking machine, Captain’s Ball, basketball shootouts and other games. Approximately 600 cards were collected on that day – this constitutes half of the total number of online sign-ups (excluding those who had previously faced technical glitches). Had the weather been bright and sunny throughout the day, there would have been even more collections.

The rest of the afternoon saw an array of exciting performances put up by People's Association members and Republic Polytechnic Interest Groups. From the People’s Association, there was a beatboxer and an impressive showcase of roller-blading skills; from Republic Polytechnic, there were performances put up by Malay Cultural Group, Jammerz Arena, Magic IG and Wushu IG, just to name a few. Another highlight of the afternoon was the band made up of staff and students – Michael (OSG) on vocals, Sharime (Jammerz Arena) on bass, Jonathan (Jammerz Arena) on guitar and Tiffany (OSG) on drums.

Midway through the afternoon, there was a heavy downpour that resulted in some Interest Groups not being able to perform. However, the rain did not hinder the programme as the emcees proceeded to entertain the audience with chatter and contests.

The carnival, also meant to build the RP spirit by attracting students to Youth Park for a common goal, ended on a high note as Jammerz Arena brought the event to a close. This is only part of the efforts of the Student Council Executive Committee in reaching out to the student body and playing a facilitating role in creating a common identity.

The Student Council Executive Committee will certainly continue to work towards improving the welfare of the Student Union. Look out for more RPSCEXCO events and initiatives!

Words by Tiffany Chan (OSG) with inputs from Sean Lin (OSG), Edmund Goh (Student Council), Desmond Lim (Student Council), Evelyn Cheng (Student Council). (VO) (LH)