Salute to Volunteers for the 120th Anniversary of Peking University

May 20, 2018

Peking University, May 11, 2018:

Editors’ notes: Established 120 years ago, Peking University, one of the oldest and most distinguished universities in China, has witnessed the ebbs and flows of China’s modern history and now pulse with festival excitement of school anniversary. Though the celebration activities are approaching its end, volunteers are still working assiduously, performing their last service. Now we would like to give a review of their honorable work.

After a long recruitment and careful selection, 2297 students are selected as volunteers for the anniversary. And they are easily to be found in each and every corner of the campus with their red waist-coats and chest-hanging volunteer badges.

volunteers directing the way to the alumni

Some of them have already taken up volunteer works in the run-up to the anniversary day. And you could see them serving in a series of events and activities, for example, the Final of International Academician Programmer Competition, Homecoming of PKU’s Alumni, the Commemorative Meeting of the 120th anniversary of PKU, World Congress on Marxism and so on, where they were responsible for guests contacting and reception, order maintaining, security patrol and so on.

“When working as a volunteer, I got to know many former students of PKU who come from different parts in China,” said Li Wenbo, a second-year graduate student from the School of Urban and Environmental Science, “although they differ in ages and occupations, what they share in common is their spontaneous love for PKU and strong senses of social responsibility, which would never fail in changes of time and space.” Li still remembered how she was touched by the scene of alumni in grey hair eagerly standing up and joining in the chorus of the university song. “Students graduated from Beida year by year like flying kites,” said Li Wenbo, “and no matter what a height they have reached in the sky, they always remain connected to PKU.”

Diligent work was undertaken by volunteers to ensure the success of the anniversary celebration. And they managed to handle unexpected situations in proper ways. For example, when International Forum on “Double-First Class” Construction Plan & Beijing Forum 2018 was being held, a person who claimed to be an alumnus tried to enter the meeting with with no alumnus card, and went emotional when refused by the guard. To pacify the person, volunteers explained to him relevant rules with great patience and finally got his understandings.

Apart from unexpected situations, volunteers also faced with challenges from great pressure of work, lack of sleep to irregular diet. Despite all the hardship, they still feel it worthy and meaningful to do something for the anniversary.

volunteers of the celebration

And many said they have gained a lot from their volunteer work. “It was my first time to volunteer for a high-profile meeting like this and I was kind of nervous at first,” said Jin Meng, volunteer for the International Forum on “Double-First Class” Construction Plan, “but it was indeed a good opportunity for me to enhance my competence. What’s more, volunteering for the meeting enabled me to relish the idea of global village and international communications.”

Zhang Xiaomeng once worked as a volunteer for the 100th anniversary of Peking University in 1998 and also in Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. She has been devoted to public service activities for the last two decades. And Mrs Zhang expressed her expectations when the 120th anniversary of PKU was coming around: “Young students should stay tough in face of hardship and never be too calculative and selfish. We all should do something for the society and help those in need as long as we can.”

“The quality of volunteer work is also an indicator of a country’s soft power,” continued Mrs Zhang, “and just like a little spark of fire could kindle the whole forest, I hope more and more students, touched by the volunteers, would join the voluntary work.”

Written by: Peng Dan
Edited by: Fu Wenyun
Source: PKU News (in Chinese)
http://news.pku.edu.cn/xwzh/2018-05/07/content_302566.htm

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