In early spring, the Chung Chi campus was rejuvenated with vivid and exuberant landscapes. Chung Chi graduates-to-be from various faculties put on graduation gowns and celebrated graduation in advance with their classmates and teachers! On 10 March 2023, the College held the annual Graduation Phototaking Exercise, a traditional College event having resumed after a three-year suspension. Embraced with cheerful birds’ tweets and vibrant spring blossoms in the bright shiny afternoon, Chung Chi staff and students gathered cheerfully and captured the utterly joyful moments.
Pond Crescent Rendered with Colourful Booths
Apart from phototaking at the Lingnan Stadium and College Chapel, students from various faculties set up colourful booths along Pond Crescent for soon-to-be-graduated seniors to take snapshots. Participating societies include the CCC History Society; CCSU Chinese Language and Literature Department Association; Cultural Management Society; CCSU Music Society; Mathematics and Mathematics Education Society; Artificial Intelligence: Systems and Technologies Society; Biomedical Engineering Society; Computer Science Society; Electronic Engineering Society; System Engineering & Engineering Management Society; Undergraduate Law Society; Pharmacy Society; CCSU Nursing Society, the Nethersole School of Nursing; Biochemistry Society; Food and Nutritional Sciences Society; Architectural Society; Geography and Resource Management Society; Psychology Society; CCSU Social Work Society; Information Engineering Society; The Society of Language Education; and Statistics Society.
Fabulous Booths with Unique Motifs
One to two months prior to the event, participating societies started to prepare for the decoration of booths with colourful balloons. Some societies chose balloons of particular colours for echoing the official logos of their faculty, College, or University. For example, the Undergraduate Law Society adopted purple and gold, the colour palette of the CUHK official emblem. Mathematics and Mathematics Education Society and CCSU Social Work Society used pink balloons to echo the red tone of the College emblem. The red-white booth of the Architectural Society was inspired by the colour scheme of the School of Architecture. On the other hand, some booth designs reflected the prospective graduates’ preferences. For example, the booth of the Pharmacy Society was composed of rainbow-coloured balloons. According to Mr. Kwok, a representative of the Society, the colour scheme signifying a gorgeous rainbow was voted by the graduates-to-be. What’s more, some booths prepared surprises. For example, Mr. Wong from the Undergraduate Law Society said they would give the soon-to-be-graduated “Papa” and “Mama” of the Society bouquets as thank-you gifts, making this memorable moment even more meaningful.
Post-Pandemic Celebration with Traditional Customs
During the Phototaking Day, some teachers visited the booths of their corresponding faculties and celebrated with their students with the College traditional customs, such as setting off confetti cannons, cutting roasted pigs and cakes, cutting ribbons, and toasting. Prof. Fong Wing Ping, College Head; and Prof. Chan Ho Yin Edwin, Associate College Head, set off confetti cannons and took group photos with their colleagues and students at the Biochemistry Society booth excitedly. Teaching staff of the Department of Music cut roasted pigs at their faculty booth and took photos with some twenty graduates-to-be, bursting into joyous laughter. Teachers and prospective graduates of the Nethersole School of Nursing at CUHK had joyful moments during the cake-cutting ceremony.
Pre and Post-Pandemic University Life
As the mandatory mask-wearing requirements have been lifted since 1 March 2022, the College has resumed normal services and started to implement various physical activities. All Chung Chi prospective graduates can take photos and celebrate with their classmates as usual. Some of them are overwhelmed with mixed emotions as they have experienced tremendous changes in the pre and post-pandemic university life. Ms. Leung and Ms. Wong, Chung Chi graduates-to-be majoring in language education, said they participated in the College phototaking event only in year one and final year due to the pandemic. Having said that, they are so grateful and excited for having a chance to celebrate and take snapshots with their classmates in the final year, which is worth cherishing and remembering.
Best wishes on Chung Chi prospective graduates’ new chapter in life. Let’s look forward to the 69th Chung Chi Graduation Ceremony in autumn this year!
