October came, heeding the staff and students of the International Medical University (IMU) to live the Arts again, this time with the theme on Health! WHO has defined Health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Taking its cue from WHO, The Festival of the Arts committee created some small opportunities for students and staff to enrich the well-being of life by participating in activities that help create experiences to make them appreciate the gift of Health. Apart from the craft stalls and arts related workshops, the committee also collaborated with other departments and student clubs to organise several events. Among these are the International Cultural Day, a walk through nature and a play production. 
The University’s Human Resources Department organised the International Cultural Day on Friday, 17 October 2014. Staff came in their traditional costumes and they enjoyed mingling around and tasting the variety of food from different countries. There were staff from six different countries that took part to introduce their specialties like waffles from Norway, mohinga noodles from Myanmar, kebabs from Pakistan, pav bhaji and vadey from India, Arabic rice from Arab and of course our Malaysian delicacies like nasi lemak, satay, roti jala, kuih-muih, etc. Special thanks goes to our Malaysian and expatriate colleagues who showcased their talents in cooking and manning the respective stalls. More than 200 staff participated in this “delicious” event. 
On 30 October 2014, the Foundation in Science (FiS) students presented a sketch entitled “Touch Me Not” by a student production crew who called themselves the Last Minute Production. Led by lecturer Sharmini Muniandy and the FiS team, trained by Mr Sudarshan, the students presented on the theme of depression. The story revolved around a girl, Kate who fell into depression after the death of her parents. The play depicted the importance of family and friends’ care towards those who are suffering from depression. All in all, it was a successful play which drew a crowd of nearly 150. Not only did the FiS students gain experience through this play, it also fostered a stronger team spirit among these students. The committee also worked with the Photography Club to organise a photo walk. The idea was to incorporate a little exercise into a photography session. 32 participants registered for this event which saw them going to FRIM. Several themes such as sky foliage and waterfall were set to enable participants to discover the beauty of nature. After the walk, the participants uploaded their photos on our event page on Facebook and shared their thoughts on the event. They enjoyed the bonding with other participants and with nature. Participants gave constructive feedback on each other’s photos and had a great time viewing the photos taken from different perspectives. 
Other events held for the Festival of the Arts 2014 were the Power Lifting and Fitness Challenge championed by Alexuis Cheang and a Children’s Art Camp, facilitated by Dr Nicole Chen and Psychology students, to which we invited children from the Dignity for Children organisation. The inter-varsity art competition was also well-received with captivating oil and water colour pieces submitted on the theme of Health. The winners were Kong Inn Yee from Multimedia Universiti who walked away with the grand prize and Khaw Kar Jun from International Medical University and Tang Li Yi from Akademik Seni Budaya Dan Warisan Kebangsaan who each received a special prize.
