Events celebrating the 57th anniversary of TKU will unfold one by one on November 3. At 9 am, the opening ceremony will be held in the Shao-mo Memorial Gymnasium, presided over by Dr. Clement Chang, the Founder, and Dr. Flora Chang, the President of TKU. The Vice President of Taiwan, Ms. Lu Hsiu-lien, is expected to give a speech for this special occasion.

Following her speech, the Golden Elite Awards will be given out to four distinguished alumni. The winners of this year’s awards are Messrs Mo Lou Fu, Liao Ming-shang, Chung Hsin Yung, and Lin Bao-shui. After that, certificates of gratitude for generous donation and fund raising activities will be handed out, too. More than 49 recipients of these certificates (individuals and organizations) have either donated over NT$ 300,000 or successfully orchestrated positive fund-raising events. The individual donators include Messrs Ji Ching-hwa, Lee Hong-zhi, Lee Mao-chang, Teng-chien Hou , Chen Ying ru, Huang Cheng Chui, Lin Chang-shui, Liu Yi-chen, and Hong Chang Chung, while organizational ones include Skwentex International Corporation, C. Y. Lee & Partner Architects/Planners, Tamkang Accounting Educational Foundation, Taipei, Lisheng Electronic Corporation, New Moon Book Co., Toung Loong Textile, Univacco Technology Inc., Taiwan Securities Association, and Extracurricular Activities Guidance Section, TKU.

A banquet has been arranged at the Sea View Restaurant in the Ching Sheng Building for the awardees and other alumni for lunch hosted by Dr. Clement Chang. At 2 pm, there will be a ceremony to unveil a bronze statue of a golden eagle at Fu Yuan. This statue that is a bigger version of the statue given out to the Golden Elite recipients is a gift donated by the Golden Eagle Association, an organization consists mainly of the recipients of the Golden Elite Awards over the years. As a gesture of thanks to the university, these awardees decided to raise a considerable amount of money to have this statue made so as to be erected at a significant spot on campus symbolizing the importance of gratitude.

Other activities that mark the anniversary of TKU on this day include an orchid exhibition (between November 2 to 4), a fun fair, parades, the Egg Roll Festival, bungee jumping, and staff/faculty volleyball and badminton competitions. Two conferences are held with one on the impact of globalization on Japan and East Asia, while the other on education policies. For people of a quieter taste, there is an art exhibition of Chinese wash paintings at the Carrie Chang Fine Arts Center, and an e-landscape painting display at the Maritime Museum. Yet, for adrenaline pumping fun, don’t miss the annual athletic meet that is scheduled for November 8. ( ~Ying-hsueh Hu )