“2008 Spring Festival” was launched at March 15 to invite alumni to see the colorful blossoms and to feel the spring breeze at Tamsui Campus. Office of Alumni Services and Resources Development (OASRD) held a reception in Student Activity Center. Department of Information and Communication, Department of Japanese and Department of Russian also held activities to welcome “homecoming alumni” individually and created the hustle and bustle atmosphere for TKU. Last year TKU had about 300 home coming alumni, while this year over 800 alumni come back to celebrate this great event.
President Flora C. I. Chang expressed, “The most important thing in the Spring Festival is to let alumni go back to their own department to share wonderful memories.” She explained that the contact system between TKU and alumni is very successful, which can be a good example for the country. Meanwhile, this event also attracts many colleges to absorb TKU’s successful experiences.
In this homecoming activity, Office of Alumni Services and Resources Development provided 51 prizes for alumni to draw lots. Department of Insurance was the big winner. Weng Shin-yi, graduated this year Executive Master’s Program of Insurance, got the first prize--“car satellite navigation systems.” Alumni of Department of Insurance and Executive Supervisor, Yu Ying-jau, who was graduated in 1983, got the second prize—a 22 inch LCD TV. She is also a member of The Alumni Association Tamkang University in Keelung. “I pray in my heart and win the first prize unexpectedly,” Weng Shin-yi said excitedly. She felt very happy to be united with her classmates and said, “we even went to university commons and took pictures at the Architecture Building.” Beside the activity of draw lot for prize, TJU chorus also sang the song “Wandering to Tamshui” to heighten the atmosphere.
Department of Information and Communication held a celebrating activity, “Ten Years Retrospection of Department of Information and Communication” in Chueh-hsuan Chinese Garden, at 1 p.m.. They create a “time tunnel” by pasting on the wall of Chinese Palace-style Classrooms with pictures of students’ activities, including the alulmni and their junior schoolmates Dr. Chen Kan-nan, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dr. Chao Ya-ly, Dean of College of Liberal Arts met the alumni and enjoyed the warm atmosphere. Dr. Liu Hui-chuan, Chair of Department of Information and Communication said happily, “I used to think the number of students of our department is few, and the department being a small family. However, it already becomes a big family unconsciously.”
Department of Japanese started using “Classroom of Japanese Culture” at the date of “Spring Festival” and arranged beautiful Japanese “Awa-Odori” dance and tea ceremony. The Japanese-styled classroom was formed by the fund raised by 800 alumni, with each person donating one thousand NT dollars. It has special meaning to start using at the date of “alumni homecoming,” which reflects the concentric power of TKU alumni. Besides, Department of Japanese also awarded “Distinguished Alumni Award” to Tsai Ming-yau, Deputy Secretary-General of Association of East Asian Relations and Deputy Executive Director of Committee on Japanese Affairs, and four other alumni.
Department of Russian organized a “Spring Festival” at E311 to welcome the homecoming alumni. More than twenty alumni of Department of Russian went back to see teachers and junior schoolmates. Hsieh Ning-shin, the eighth year graduates of Department of Russian expressed, “I like this happy gathering because the interflow and interaction of the gathering brings close the affection of classmates of our department.” ( ~Vivian Lin )
