SU Celebrates 121st Anniversary, Wishes Taiwanese Athletes Success at Olympics

Soochow rejoiced over its 121^st birthday at Waishuangsi Campus on March 13^th, 2020, with festivities featuring sports competitions, fun races, school fair and Japanese-style tea party, drawing an audience of about 2000 faculty members, students and alumni home and abroad. President Wei-Ta Pan, Chairman of the School Board Wang Shao-Yu, Chairman of Alumni Association Frank Liu, along with numerous honored guests including former President Ma Ying-Jeou, all gathered to offer their congratulations.

To promote the Olympic Games, sports and comics, this year SU Library and Office of Physical Education unprecedentedly co-organized a variety of fun races integrating the three elements. Distinguished guests, including Chairman of Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee Hong-Dow Lin, consultant Lih-Chyun Sun, the Olympics gold-winning Taekwondo legend Chu Mu-yen and Shooting sports star Yu Ai-Wen, were invited to join the games with SU President Pan, teachers and students in order to wish Taiwan’s athletes good luck at Tokyo Olympics and to encourage more and better use of the reading corner for comic books in Soochow’s library.

“A cobbler should stick to his last,” Chu quipped as he scored some misses in the fun races against President Pan. Despite his unprofessional performance in the basketball fun game, he urged those who will represent Taiwan at this year’s Olympic to enjoy the games and leave no regrets.

On the sports field, creative style marches preceding the sports competitions drew everyone’s eye. Students from the Department of English Language and Literature cosplayed as unique characters in cartoons and those from the Department of Chemistry put on white lab coats with red pom-poms in hands, spicing up the competitions with energy and enthusiasm.

In his remarks, Ma pointed out that SU boasts a favorable and rigorous academic atmosphere, and has been broadening students’ horizons by staying connected with the international community, which offers Soochow students bright prospects.

Ma also paid his respects to Soochow’s late Chairman of the School Board Wang Chung-Hui, who was a world-renowned figure in law, diplomacy and politics in recent history of R.O.C. and acted as the role model for students as he left a rich legacy of law and diplomatic education.

President Pan mentioned that the world-famous Soochow University Ultramarathon has demonstrated how the school lays stress on the importance of physical education, and he prayed for the best for all Taiwan’s competitors participating in Tokyo Olympics.