FJCU Celebrates the 95th Anniversary at the End of 2020
By Colette Hsu
On December 5, 2020, campus officials and students of Fu Jen Catholic University (FJCU) planned a series of activities and performances on campus for celebrating the 95th anniversary of this university, and hundreds of guests came to share the honor of the memorable moment.
FJCU was a catholic university founded in Beijing in 1945. In other words, although FJCU moved to Taipei, Taiwan in 1961, 2020 is the 95th year since its debut. The theme of its 95th anniversary celebration was entitled “My Life,” and it emphasized “destiny” and “chance,” which are the two main elements of the well-known board game, Monopoly. The event slogan was: “It is destiny for you to be a member of FJCU, and here you can take a chance for your next step.” The representative of the staff, Minnie Lin, said, “In Monopoly, the player sometimes may be able to choose one of these options without knowing what the future will be. Just like our life on campus and in the real world.”
FJCU was a catholic university founded in Beijing in 1945. In other words, although FJCU moved to Taipei, Taiwan in 1961, 2020 is the 95th year since its debut. The theme of its 95th anniversary celebration was entitled “My Life,” and it emphasized “destiny” and “chance,” which are the two main elements of the well-known board game, Monopoly. The event slogan was: “It is destiny for you to be a member of FJCU, and here you can take a chance for your next step.” The representative of the staff, Minnie Lin, said, “In Monopoly, the player sometimes may be able to choose one of these options without knowing what the future will be. Just like our life on campus and in the real world.”
People visiting the school celebration fair, photograph by Colette Hsu, Dec. 5, 2020
Since the theme this year was inspired by the famous board game, there were a series of activities for the participants to take part in and enjoy. For children, DIY sessions and a minor playground are provided. In front of the University Motto Plaza, was a designated area for people to display their creativity and draw on the ground with chalk freely.
As for souvenirs this year, apart from the official products such as T-shirts, the canvas bags, metal pins, and the limited Chung Mei Auditorium Easy Card, there were also postcards and a photo-sticker booth. Unlike last year, the postcard-writing activity this year was not to write to someone you miss, but to write one addressed to yourself and retrieve it in the following year. Another representative of the planning team, K. Hsieh, said, “It is relevant to the central theme because you can express your own feelings at this moment. No matter if it is positive or negative, you may have a different perspective or become better in the future. Thus, the postcard can be a record or a monument of this time in your life!” The photo-sticker booth, on the other hand, was to take photos with your friends, the basketball stars on campus, or on your own for the memorable time of the school.
To celebrate the anniversary, there were various stands at the fair, including food, drinks, Tarot reading, cultural and creative products, and flea-market goods. The owners of the stands consisted of individual students, school clubs, or off-campus merchants. Due to the warm and sunny weather, there were more customers than predicted. As a senior student and a customer, Chou said, “There were far more participants this year than before, maybe because of the good weather. I remember last year it was rainy.”
As for souvenirs this year, apart from the official products such as T-shirts, the canvas bags, metal pins, and the limited Chung Mei Auditorium Easy Card, there were also postcards and a photo-sticker booth. Unlike last year, the postcard-writing activity this year was not to write to someone you miss, but to write one addressed to yourself and retrieve it in the following year. Another representative of the planning team, K. Hsieh, said, “It is relevant to the central theme because you can express your own feelings at this moment. No matter if it is positive or negative, you may have a different perspective or become better in the future. Thus, the postcard can be a record or a monument of this time in your life!” The photo-sticker booth, on the other hand, was to take photos with your friends, the basketball stars on campus, or on your own for the memorable time of the school.
To celebrate the anniversary, there were various stands at the fair, including food, drinks, Tarot reading, cultural and creative products, and flea-market goods. The owners of the stands consisted of individual students, school clubs, or off-campus merchants. Due to the warm and sunny weather, there were more customers than predicted. As a senior student and a customer, Chou said, “There were far more participants this year than before, maybe because of the good weather. I remember last year it was rainy.”
Some participants wrote down their wishes on a vision “box”, photograph by Colette Hsu, 5 Dec., 2020
Aside from school clubs and individuals, some departments and colleges also promoted their products on that day. The departments of Foreign Languages and Literatures cooperated to create a haunted house to bring a thrilling experience. The Department of Food Science released its holiday-limited ice cream. Each year, they sell special-flavored ice cream developed especially for this day. This year, they chose “Taro Balls and Milk Tea” and “Cheesecake” as the annual special flavor, and vouchers had been sold out in only a few hours. The Department of Mass Communication promoted the Sweet Girl calendar as one of their graduation projects. The theme of the 2021 calendar was named “Au Nom des Fleurs (In the Name of Flowers)” because they used flowers as the main inspiration for art design, hoping people could discover the beauty of flowers, models, and the world.
As for the stage performances held in the morning, a lineup of student clubs that performed included Martial Arts, Magic, Fire and Light, Jazz Piano, Rock, Hip Hop Each club put on a performance showcasing the variety of student activities on campus. In the afternoon, the planning team invited four popular singers to perform, including Chen Chao, Yo Lee, Shou, and Bright Pu. The grand finale was performed by Pu, a fifty-five-year-old singer and actor, who was highly welcomed as one of his songs about sports cars unpredictably went viral on the Internet this year.
Despite 2020 being a tough year for many people, it will pass and head for the new year. Thankfully, the anniversary of Fu Jen Catholic University this year ended smoothly just like the years before because all the activities and performances followed the schedules without being influenced by the weather or the pandemic.
As for the stage performances held in the morning, a lineup of student clubs that performed included Martial Arts, Magic, Fire and Light, Jazz Piano, Rock, Hip Hop Each club put on a performance showcasing the variety of student activities on campus. In the afternoon, the planning team invited four popular singers to perform, including Chen Chao, Yo Lee, Shou, and Bright Pu. The grand finale was performed by Pu, a fifty-five-year-old singer and actor, who was highly welcomed as one of his songs about sports cars unpredictably went viral on the Internet this year.
Despite 2020 being a tough year for many people, it will pass and head for the new year. Thankfully, the anniversary of Fu Jen Catholic University this year ended smoothly just like the years before because all the activities and performances followed the schedules without being influenced by the weather or the pandemic.
Singer Yo Lee performing on the stage, photograph by Colette Hsu, Dec. 5, 2020