Rag to Riches [a documentary of NUS Rag and Flag]

Website: http://bit.ly/ragtoriches | Facebook: http://facebook.com/nusragtoriches

What is Rag & Flag?

Rag & Flag was started in 1959 in National University of Singapore (NUS) as a way raise funds for a charitable cause. Selling flags refers to the tin cans NUS students used to solicit donations from the public. 'Rag' refers to the parade of dance performances and floats, built out of recycled materials, to drum up publicity and support, and to thank the public for their donations. At present, this tradition has evolved into an annual staple on the NUS calendar during Freshmen Orientation Week, with hundreds of students and tens of thousands of dollars consistently being involved in a colourful day long affair.

Synopsis:

Intrigued by how Rag & Flag elicits reactions that range from extreme passion to simple indifference and even utter distaste, a group of NUS students set out to discover the origins of this NUS tradition. But dwelling deeper into the present-day microcosm of Rag & Flag, the controversy behind this annual event becomes apparent. From vicious inter-hall and inter-faculty rivalry to escalating costs afflicting all parties, interviews with key participants paint a stark picture of a tradition gone astray and evolving out of proportions.

Digging through dusty archives and interviewing participants who ranged from the ordinary Ragger to key leaders, and even an alumni member who oversaw the event's birth, this documentary is a journey to rediscover the genesis and original purpose of Rag & Flag; uncover its present-day allure, controversies and dilemmas; and to examine its future.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• nus
• rag
• flag
• documentary
• film
• singapore
• float
• rag to riches
• rag and flag
• rag day
• flag day
• rag and flag day
• charity
• faculty of science
• school of computing
• SOC
• fass
• biz
• pharmacy
• medicine
• SDE
• eusoff hall
• kent ridge hall
• sheares hall
• raffles hall
• temasek hall

[wuen2001]

Honestly speaking, how much of the SGD 500,000 actually goes to charity? How much will NUSSU and NUS take from the fund students have raised?

[wirelessed]

@wuen2001 according to a NUSSU report in 2006, 6% will be used for administrative costs (~$30,000), of which 1% will be used for operational coin counting costs and the rest reimbursed to participating bodies.

[wuen2001]

@wirelessed I see, i heard from someone that only 30% goes to charity. not sure how true it is.

[wirelessed]

@wuen2001 probably a wrong figure. the commissioner of charities in Singapore has a cap on how much goes to administrative costs.

[multicoloredpeanuts]

Thumbs up if you are proud of our Rag and Flag tradition

[weedee88]

remove rag from flag, and KR will NEVER win the shield ever again.

and neither will business. lol

[corporalcharlie]

Also! Producer could have tried getting hold of actual facts-figures & shots of wastage and stuff.

[corporalcharlie]

Omg so this is what they do at rag (Chant with tin buckets), didnt they outgrow all this sh*t in their secondary schools? Ha ha and guys join coz they want girls lol (like freshman camp). Omg.. they empty cans, it should be collected YEARs in advanced by all members shame. Some won't feel guilty nicking "public" materials for their own projects then ;). NUS can be split into 2 types of ppl: Rag-orientation camp people... and the Non-ragorientation people. Cheers

[hilder]

@eclecticderby I believe drinks in cans are being pours away.I do not know if each float cost a lot more than actually reported(because i dont know what are the actual reported amounts. The NUSSU pres and vice-pres might have made a mistake or not told the truth), and I agree that competition is 1 of the main elements,albeit finding no fault with it.

[eclecticderby]

@hilder hey let's get this straight - so you do believe that cans are poured away (even though recycling supposed to be the part of the actualy meaning)? you do agree each float cost a lot more than actually reported (even though the money can be for charity)? you do agree that competitivness is now one of the main element?

I didnt thought we would be such agreeing buddies hilder! thanks for proving my points for me!

[hilder]

@sojourne 3) The "cheap comedies" that I am concerned about is if competition is removed, hence motivation and commitment in the float building process becomes reduced. I had only seen it mentioned only once in the several interviews.

[hilder]

@sojourne for your 3 points

1) I appreciate and respect your team for doing this. I do not shoot down the video, I just feel that more balance is needed

2) I must have heard it wrongly from sources then

3) About not minding if rag costs 100k and skins squirrels, I dont think thats what the video portrayed. The video had alot of interviews and pointers saying that RAG costing 10k per float is not justified(and 10k was cos of YOG last yr. Its 5k this year).

[hilder]

@eclecticderby The video attacked the competitive nature of RAG and mentioned that RAG is no longer for charity. I gave the situation where the competitive element is removed and speculate what will happen. I guess you were not able to see it. And by me mentioning recycling efforts that have been done, I am saying that there is still recycling(which is part of the actual meaning of RAG), but the video just only mentioned the pouring away of drinks for the cans.

[hilder]

@eclecticderby I did not attack the video, but state that it lacks balance in its arguments. Had I attacked, I would be more harsh in my words. Neither am I ultra defensive, I just took time off to comment on what I feel the video lacked. Moreover, I did not defend RAG. I defended my own views, of why I think the video lacks balance.

[eclecticderby]

@hilder I myself was a rag dancer. And if you think that this documentary only shows the negative aspects of rag and flag and then use this reason to attack the video, you are just disputing your own strawman. This video obviously touched on both sides of the tale. Nowhere did it suggest that rag should be removed. It's more of an observation that Rag no longer follows the original intent. And of cos, to maybe take a dig at the ultra defensive type of viewers. Like you.