On the evening of September 27, 2023, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School (PKUSZ)held its 2023 National Day Celebration and New Student Welcome Gala at PKUSZ Football Field. Zhang Xiao,Minister of School and Youth Departmentof Communist Youth League of Shenzhen, Zhang Jin, Member of CPCPKU Standing Committee,Vice President of PKUand Chancellor of PKUSZ,TanWenchang,Party Secretary ofPKUSZ,Yang Zhen, Executive ViceChancellor of PKUSZ,NiuHongwei, Vice Chancellorof PKUSZ,AnXiaopeng, Deputy Party Secretaryof PKUSZ,ZouYuexian, Deputy Party Secretaryof PKUSZ,XuQiyong, Member of CPC PKUSZ Committee andDean of School of Environment and Energy (SEE), ZhuZaichun, Vice Dean of School of Urban Planning and Design (SUDP), XiaoYinguo, Vice Dean of School of Advanced Materials (SAM), Wang Pengfei,Dean of School of HSBC Business School (PHBS), and Mark Feldman, Dean of School of Transnational Law (STL) attended the event.Teachers and students from Tsinghua University Shenzhen International Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen University, Jinan University (Shenzhen), Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), and Southern University of Science and Technologyalso came to enjoy the gala.
The gala was the med "Rising Youth,Heading towards the Future" and was divided into three chapters: "Born in the Sun", "Aiming High", and "Chasing the Future".Filled with wonderful performances from each school in PKUSZ, including singing, dancing, stage show, cheerleading, musical, dubbingshow, cross talk, and fashion show,the gala showed the inclusiveness of PKUSZ, the vibrant spirit of theteachers and students, and their common expectations and blessings for a better future.
As the night fell, the audience was all seated. The music started while the stage was gradually lit up. Careful Bee electroacoustic band from PKUSZ Art Troupe gave the first performance of the gala,which was a medley of songs named "Yan Xia",meaning summer life in PKUSZ,vividly depicting the unforgettable memories and burning youth in PKUSZ. With the rise and fall of the music, the enthusiasm of the audience was kindled by the energy of the band.
After the exciting opening show, thehosts came to the stage and announced the start of the gala. The first chapter, "Born in the Sun", began with asong mix, where students from SAMsang and danced tothe theme songs of popular animationslike "GG Bond", bringing backchildhood memories of watching cartoons. Regardless of the time, the innocence and joy of childhood can always be remembered and cherished.
Students fromPHBS continued the beautiful melody with the stageshow "Disney in PHBS", where they sang and danced to a lot of theme songsfrom Classic DisneyAnimations,like "Speechless" from "Aladdin", "LetIt Go" from "Frozen". As an integral part of the memories among generations,Disney storiesare always inspiringus to move forward.
As students, we are always full of vitality and born in the sun.As the first part came to an end, the youngest performersof the gala,the cheer leading team from SUSTech Education Group (Nanshan) No.1 Primary School performed a group cheer leading called "Flower Ball Girl". With their energy and vitality, the cheerleaders brought a climaxto the firstchapter.
Followingthe energetic dancing postures, the second chapter, "Aiming High", began with a traditional song and dance called "Destiny" by students from School of Electronic and Computer Engineering (SECE). Immersed in the beautiful sound of Guzheng, the touching scene of love and destiny, the audience was attracted by the charm of traditionalChinese culture.
PKUSZ is aninternational stage for everyone. International studentsShawn and Andy sang thetimeless classic song "Right Here Waiting" with deep emotions. “Wherever you go, whatever you do,I will be right here waiting for you,” andLove,beyond time and space,has always been an important part of youth. Throughout the performance, the audience was captivated bytheir heartfelt expression of the song.
The journey of scientific research may be long, but the warmth within the research group is always there.Students from the School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology (SCBB) presentedthe dubbing show "PKUSZAnecdotes". Through a combination of clips from classic TV dramas and animations, the students unfoldedinteresting and touching stories of PKUSZers and the supervisors.
The charm of musical theater lies in itsinspiring power. Students fromSTL performed a musical called "Non-stop", which vividly portrayed the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the drafters of theUS Constitution. Thecadence of the actors' words, and the powerful music showed STLers' understanding of law and theirprofessionalism.
The dance team fromPKUSZ Art Troupe performed a classical dance called "Terracotta Warriors' Adventure". The dance, sometimes gentle and sometimes powerful, showcased the beauty ofChinese classical art as if transporting the audience back to ancient times.
The third chapter, "Chasing the Future", took the stage as the finale. The instrumental choir fromSEE performed a song called "Youth Tribute", praising thegood time of youth. But for the help and blessings of our teachers, and efforts to break through limits,we would not make ourselves better men.
The comedy group "Laughter & Song Art Club" performed a crosstalk called "Anti-Fraud Techniques", vividly depicting how scams are formed. Whenever and whereverwe are, we need to remember “No greed, no giving and you will never be cheated in fraud.”
Every youth has the power to shape their own future. Thegala gradually reached its climax as students fromSUDP performed a song mix called "Youth in theFuture Tense".
The street dance team from PKUSZ Art Troupe performed a street dance called "Bubble", showcasing the unstoppable youthful energy of PKUSZers. Every step forward in the dance represents every practical action to pursue dreams and embrace the bright future.
"Millennial Generation", the newstudents' fashion show came to the stage. The creative and energetic students walked to the stage, declaring that theywere gradually "occupying" the stage of the youngsters, expressing their bold dreams and ambitions.
In addition to the performances in the three chapters,the organizing committee of the gala also designed an interactive lottery session. The lottery session was divided into three rounds: the first round wascalled "King of Karaoke" & "Shaker it off", where five students formed a team and had totell the names of songs afterlistening to the music; the second round was "Quiz & Scan", where the 5-student team competed with each other answering some questions on general knowledge. The ultimate lottery session was the ticket lottery, where PKUSZ Deputy Party Secretary AN Xiaopeng presented the lucky winners with an iPad 9 as the grand prize and took a group photo with her. The blind box lottery before the end of thegala was like a "comeback match", and the four rounds of the lottery pushed the gala to its climax, leaving the audience with the most exciting and youthful memories.
Thegalacame to an end with a goodnight message. As the millennial generation, PKUSZers of 2023showed their vitality and energyin the gala. We believe, they have ignited their striving spirit. Maintainingthe connectionwith our nation,staying critical and innovative,PKUSZers arewriting their own stories of youth.
