There is no doubt that lecturers play an important role in our university life; they are not just here to teach but also to grow with us; to be our mentor and our friend. We all know being a lecturer is not an easy job at all, but how often do we take the time to thank and appreciate our lecturers for guiding and nurturing us unconditionally? To ensure that their hard work are not forgotten, the International Medical University (IMU) scholars have once again organised the Faculty Appreciation Week, which spanned from 11 to 15 May 2015. It was a week-long celebration, where students were given the chance to show their gratitude to their lecturers. 
In order to raise funds for the event, we held a Chocolate Festival where we sold everything chocolate from the classic s’mores to fruits & marshmallows dipped in the crowd-pleasing chocolate fountain. We decorated the booth as a striking gingerbread house to suit our theme. Besides that, pre-ordered items such as handmade bookmarks, coffee packs and decorative plants were also available for students to buy as a gift for their beloved lecturers. Not only did we manage to satisfy the sweet tooth of the students and lecturers throughout the festival, it also provided us with a platform to promote and create awareness of the Faculty Appreciation Week. One of the major highlights of the event was the Best Academic Award. This year, we conducted a manual polling to get more students to participate in the voting of the lecturers that they deem worthy of receiving the award based on several criteria. Despite the tedious routines of collecting and counting votes, we were glad that the students showed support and casted their votes enthusiastically. 
Another feature of our event was the message board at the atrium. Hundreds of colourful envelopes, each with a lecturer’s name, were hung on display boards arranged in a circle right in the middle of the atrium, topped off with pastel-coloured balloons. Students were encouraged to leave messages to their lecturers and it does not matter whether it is a long sentimental one, an inside joke or just a simple thank you note because at the end of the day, as cliché as it sounds, it is the thought that counts.
The messaged-filled envelopes are then delivered to the respective lecturers with an apple, to add a nostalgic touch as we always watch children giving apples to teachers as a gift on television.
The closing ceremony for the Faculty Appreciation Week was held at the driveway a day before the National Teacher’s Day. It started off with a delightful speech by the President of the Student Representative Council (SRC), acknowledging our effort for organising the event and expressing his joy of being able to support us by sponsoring the door gifts. 
The Dean of Teaching and Learning, Prof Vishna Devi Nadarajah then delivered an inspirational and touching speech. She mentioned her hopes that the lecturers will continue to show dedication in educating the students and that there will always be a close-knit relationship between the faculty and students. Then came the much anticipated announcement of the winners for the Best Academic Award. The crowd went wild as the winners of each faculty stepped on stage to receive their awards. After that, the students and faculty bonded over a buffet lunch spread with acoustic performances in the background and the event came to an official end. The IMU Scholars were pleased that the event went smoothly, despite a few challenges faced along the way. We were grateful to be given the opportunity to organise such a meaningful event and to gain valuable skills and experiences from it. Our aspiration is to make the event bigger and better each year and hopefully we will be able to succeed with more efficient planning and ample manpower.
Congratulations to all the winners and keep up the good work!
This article was written by IMU scholar Liang Yee Ern, who is currently studying in the University’s pharmacy programme.
