By Hariiharahn P Rajendran (YES20)
The YES Alumni New Year Party was the first event hosted by the YES committee for the year 2022 and it was an opportunity for alumni from all over the world to forge new connections and rekindle old friendships. The event was conducted virtually via Zoom and the participation for the event ranged from YES10 all the way up to YES21, making for a diverse and interesting engagement session.
The event was conducted in an informal way to allow participants to feel more comfortable and have a good time. The mood was further lightened by the addition of games that were conducted throughout the event. The games were conducted in breakout rooms of 10 and were a perfect way for alumni to not only have a good time but also allow for casual interactions with their peers.
The first game was called Zoomed In and it required participants to guess what the object was based on a zoomed-in image. The second game was called Draw Battle and this game required participants to draw an image based on a chosen word for their teammates to guess. Winners were those who resolved the images in the quickest time.
While the games did spark some competitive flare, it was definitely in good spirit and it was evident that everyone was having a good time. The games went on for about an hour and it was followed by a prize giving ceremony for a Christmas Card Design Contest. This contest was conducted weeks prior to the virtual event and the winning designs were showcased via Zoom.
Next up was a presentation regarding upcoming plans for 2022 from the YES Committee and this acted as a follow up from a video which was showcased earlier on events conducted throughout 2021. This session also served as an opportunity for alumni to reach out to the committee if they had any ideas which could be realized.
Overall, the YES Alumni New Year Party was not only a perfect way to wrap up 2021 but it also served as a great starting point moving into 2022. It was a much-needed reunion, especially after all that had happened in the last two years with the global pandemic.
