Soochow Celebrates 119th Birthday as Alumni Enjoy March, Sports, Carnival, Banquets

Soochow University celebrated its 119^th birthday on a cool Saturday, March 16^th, 2019, at Waishuangsi Campus. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni from all over the world gathered to commemorate this special day and threw the University an unforgettable birthday party. The festivities included a creative march, athletic competitions, a student dorm carnival, a fair, musical performances, a cherry blossom gazing tea party, and alumni reunions.

This year, alumni members were also invited to participate in the creative march, with Alumni Association Chairperson Ji- Ren Liu leading alumni members from around the globe to congratulate their alma mater. They were followed by the administrative offices and various departments. All the creative march participants wished Soochow University a happy 119^th birthday in very special and impressive ways.

President Wei-Ta Pan thanked alumni members for returning to their alma mate, and he also expressed his gratitude to the entire faculty, staff and student body for arranging all the festivities. Additionally, he wished Soochow University great prosperity and success. Board of Directors Chairperson Shao-Yu Wang hoped that Soochow will continue to raise its teaching standards, provide a great environment for learning, and train the next generation of talents for the society. And Alumni Association Chairperson Ji- Ren Liu lauded the fact that Soochow graduates have been favored by employers represents the culmination of many years of hard work by Soochow faculty members, students, and alumni. It is his hope that current students carry on this great tradition.

The sports meet included a 3,000-meter race and a relay race, which are tests of endurance, as well as an “All-Round Challenge,” which requires excellent team work. Furthermore, many famous volleyball players were invited to take part in the 2^nd “Soochow Volleyball and Basketball All-Star Race.” These professional athletes played a friendly match with Soochow students and wowed the entire audience with their top notch volleyball skills.

With “”memories” as its theme, this year’s student dorm multicultural carnival featured a variety of events, including an exhibition, a theater performance and a marketplace. The exhibition showcased dorm rooms of the past and the present, while the marketplace sold many old-styled snacks. Through these events, festival-goers were transported to their college days of living in a dorm room decades ago. At another corner of the campus was a cherry blossom gazing tea party hosted by the Japanese Tea Ceremony Club as this event of traditional Japanese ritual with a history of more than two decades drew a large crowd of guests and spectators.

Many departments took Soochow’s anniversary as an opportunity to invite alumni back for 30^th-year, 40^th-year, and 50^th-year reunions. At the same time, the University also held a banquet to thank alumni for their continuous support, as well as a ceremony to express gratitude to alumni and faculty members for their generous donations.

Soochow University was established 119 years ago, and reactivated in Taiwan 64 years ago. The school administration hoped to keep the University as a top school, which must rely on the hard work of more alumni as well as the entire faculty, staff and student body.