Ending Got Spirit! Week with a Bang: Grand Finale (Busking @ Central Plaza)

Written by: Jiang Xindi (25S6H), Lyndon Loh Jing Yu (26S7E)

Edited by: Lei Yanyang (25S61)

Participants enjoying the live performances. Studio Ardent/Andrew

Closing the curtains on Got Spirit! Week and a fast-paced Term 1, students gathered at the Central Plaza for one final evening of sensational performances by their schoolmates. The plaza was set ablaze on 13 March 2026 from 5 to 6pm by ten groups of buskers, all playing different tunes but with the same electric energy. 

From the rock-and-roll band BANDANA’s cover of “Kilby Girl” by The Backseat Lovers that left everyone stun-locked, to dynamic duo mp2’s melodic rendition of “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez and error404’s catalogue of Chinese pop songs, the Central Plaza buzzed with energy as performers played and the audience cheered loudly to show their support for their peers.

Student performers take centre stage at the Central Plaza. Studio Ardent/Kai Yee

Keena Tay Yu Shuang, the lead vocalist for her band #hereforfunsies, described the event as “cosy and vibey”. Reflecting on the experience, she shared that she was “really glad to put up a decent performance with [her] good friends and was so happy to see [other] friends come down to watch and hype [them] up.”

When asked why her band decided to take the stage, she replied, “It’s one of the last events we have left before we get all caught up in A-Level revision. Also, I’ve always wanted to perform with my classmates at least once in my JC school life, so this was the perfect chance.”

Beyond just music for the audience’s ears, the busking event also struck a memorable chord with the performers themselves — one of camaraderie and shared joy that lingers long after the final song.

A student artist drawing caricatures for participants. Studio Ardent/Andrew

In addition to the busking performances, caricature booths were set up on the Left Wing, where students could have their caricatures drawn live, earning a custom keepsake to remember Got Spirit! Week by. 

After the student performances, the C1 batch took a trip down memory lane, reliving their POP (Post Orientation Party) with a rerun of mass faculty dances. Without the downpour that had occurred on POP Night, each faculty triumphantly completed their dances without a hitch. During Apollo’s POP dance, the other faculties joined Apollo and danced along — a true display of our 4Facs1Hwach spirit and camaraderie!

Finally, the participants gathered for a SODACHE session, rekindling their school spirit through heartfelt singing, mass dances, and the notoriously bold cheer “Rock You” which reverberated through the plaza till the ground shook. Spirits were high in the air, so much so that students convinced the SODACHE ICs to have one last encore song:《童话》by 光良. This brought an end to the event with students swaying from side to side, singing their hearts out, basking in the warmth of the night.

Got Spirit! Week coming to an enthusiastic end with SODACHE. Studio Ardent/Andrew

In the words of the councillors in charge, Ashton and Kong Yi, “the ⁠⁠Grand Finale was meant to be a culmination of all these facets of school spirit by bringing together everyone in the school for an evening of busking, dancing and SODACHE to celebrate the things that make up our #whyhc.”

Indeed, this year’s busking was not only an opportunity for students to showcase their talents and de-stress, but also a final chance to bond before the term drew to a close. Special thanks to all the buskers for their hard work and artistry, and the 52nd Hwa Chong Welfare Committee and the Student Engagement and Culture Committee for their work in bringing the event to fruition!