【Reported by Ying-tian Fan, Yi-feng Lu, Tamkang Times】The teacher student exchange took place to appreciate the trees on June 4th and was filled with musical performances and stories of all kinds. In addition to entertainment it was an opportunity for students and teachers to become familiar with the old beautiful trees on campus and have a deeper appreciation for the environment. In attendance was President Flora Chia-I Chang, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Gwo-hsing Lu, Vice President of International Affairs, Wan-chin Tai, along with many administrators and professors. The event was hosted by Dean of Student Affairs, Chih-en Ko, who continually made the audience laugh and applaud.

Dean of Student Affairs, Chih-en Ko, expressed, “By singing folk songs on the grass amongst the trees it creates an awareness and appreciation of our environment. In this event we wish to honor that tradition with a musical performance in similar fashion. It will serve as a wonderful reminder to teachers and students to cherish the beauty of our university. You could say that events like these serve as seeds to a healthy ecosystem in the future. I hope the the memory of these old trees stays with the students and that they come back to see them in the future.”

12 trees were planted for the restoration project in various locations: the Chemistry Building, Cheu-sheng Plaza, Track and Field, European Flower Garden, Post Office, Library, Audio-visual Education Building, Ying Yuan Guest House, Business and Management Building, Maritime Museum, and the Sunset Meadow. The Student Association kept detailed and descriptive records of the newly planted trees so that they will always be remembered and cherished in the years to come.

During the event the musical performance created a joyful and relaxed atmosphere as many members of the faculty described the scenery of TKU in earlier years. Graduating student from the Department of Economics, Zhi-yu Xie, stated, “I’ve been at the university for 4 years, but this is the first time I’ve ever taken the time to notice and appreciate the environment here. After this event, I will make sure that in the future I don’t take something so precious for granted.”