Do you still remember the grand occasion in the 70th anniversary of the National Day? Are you a TV viewer or a live audience? What is still fresh in your memory? As a participant, I am deeply impressed by the stories of the teachers and students I met in the midst of training.

A story from a young teacher, Liu Chen, who showed conscientiousness and dedication to duty.

Liu Chen, a teacher from Beijing Wuzi University, served as the leader of Choir of BWU and liaison between school and the general headquarters during the chorus training. From the outset, when hearing the news of National Day ceremony, she took initiative to undertake the glorious but arduous task without any hesitation. But actually, to our surprise, she was also a lactating mother at that time.

“Exhausted as I was then, I never regretted making the decision. To accomplish this sacred mission, I must sacrifice something. From my standpoint, commitment and selflessness are basic professional qualities. And my baby daughter will understand me as she grows up.” Liu Chen said in a firm tone of voice.

And in students’ eyes, Miss Liu always hurled her passion into her work completely and was strict with herself firstly in the midst of training, which made her gain lots of respect and love.

 Liu Chen was waiting for the start of the ceremony with excitement in Tian’anmen Square, Oct. 1, 2019.

“Frankly speaking, I was a little afraid of Miss Li at the very beginning. Owing to the fact that she was once a navy soldier and she was extremely strict with us in physical training. However, as time went by, I realized that she was cordial, genuine and caring. When asked to reduce the number of students, she made every endeavor to keep the students as many as she could. From the bottom of her heart, she hoped that every student could seize the rare opportunity. While someone had no alternative but to leave the choir, she cried silently, which made me deeply moved. I love her so much.” Deng Nana said, a member of Soprano. 

There is no denying that Miss Liu impressed the students with her love and commitment. And in the meantime, she enjoyed love and esteem from students.

Tears welled up in her eyes, Liu said, “I treated them as my own children long ago. When saddled with pressures, I immediately cheered up with their sweet smiles. The unquenchable exuberance lived in them confirmed my decision to work with more diligence and precision.”

Consequently, on account of her committed will and sheer persistence, Liu Chen welded the whole team together successfully. And the choir that she led performed well in Tian’ anmen Square.

Thanks to this phenomenal experience, it invested her with a privilege to get close to students and got real insight into what they were thinking about. And more importantly, it was the memorable days that stimulated her to shoulder the responsibility as a young teacher and immerse herself in the cause of education for the rest of her life.

Stories from students, many from millennial generation, who showed cooperation, dogged determination and social responsibility.

Zhang Le, a member of the choir, who didn’t build a solid foundation in vocal learning and was always prone to sing out of tune. Compared with the others who were confident of their terrific music talents, she felt inferior.

The girls participated the ritual of the expedition on campus, Sept. 30, 2019.

As the teacher was announcing that he would test them one by one a few days later, she got lost. She could not imagine what would happen. The fear that she would make a fool of herself paralyzed her. She wanted to back up and give this chance up directly. Nevertheless, her friends, Luo Yitao, precluded her from doing it. She encouraged her and diverted her attention away from fears so that they were able to concentrate on the training of the patriotic songs. Luo’s assistance, patience and enthusiasm exerted great influence on Zhang Le. Little by little, she dedicated more time to exercising and learned from Luo for all she was worth.

Then came the big day. In front of a large audience, although Zhang was a little nervous, she calmed down at once. And to our amazement, she successfully passed the test. The tremendous potential in her was evoked. Consequently, she sang a beautiful melody in a high and clear voice, which gained her get complimentary remarks. She hugged with her friends with cried tears of joy.

When Zhang looked back, she said, “That was really a time I have never experienced before. If it had not been for the Luo’s generous help, I would not smoothly pass the test. After this unique experience, not only did I meet bosom friends who shared with me joys and sorrows, but I also realized that friendship empowers you to great extent.”

In conclusion, teamwork spirit is of great significance. Obviously, the girls were aware of this and by supporting and helping each other, they accomplished the difficult task beautifully.

They were singing the patriotic songs wonderfully with deep feelings in Tian’anmen Square, Oct. 1, 2019

Liu Shan, a number of the Grand Evening Gala in Tian’anmen Square. In the midst of the drill, while performing in the fireworks show, students were so committed that they were caught in the rain. Got wet through that night, Liu had a fever. Despite that, she didn’t mention it to anyone and she persevered. Afterwards, knowing that, the other students and teachers gave her a thumbs-up.

The students were jumping and dancing with joy in the Grand Evening Gala in Tian'anmen Square, Oct. 1, 2019.

Shortly afterwards, Liu Shan signed up for the voluntary activity and helped show the tourists around the floats in the Bird’s Nest, Oct. 5, 2019.

“Many people hold the view that the millennial generation tend to dream hours away and accomplish nothing significant. I completely reject this stereotype. And what I really want to prove is that we are not idle and vulnerable. So even when I felt ill and was thoroughly fatigued, I endured the pain and persisted in training. In other words, it was the rejection, prejudice and skepticism that drove me to keep moving onward. We millennial generation doesn’t want to be underrated. We are willing to venture out of our comfort zone and face all the daunting challenges. As a part of the society, we are trustworthy and competent enough to do something of great significance.” Liu said.

Zhao Hongzi, a member of the mass pageant, said, “As far as I am concerned, the experience is bittersweet. At first, to guarantee infallibility, even though we were soaked with sweat, we still held on in rigorous training. It was a torture to stand in the sun, but no one slacked. In the dress rehearsal which was conducted in the midnight, we shivered with cold, running at noses. In spite of this, I reckoned that happy experiences outweighed the unpleasant ones. On National Day, I was dazzled by numerous beautiful floats and people who wore bright-colored clothes. Meanwhile, wandering at the vast changes in China, I was reminded of the elder generation who had made breakthrough on many barriers during the odyssey years and had built a solid foundation for us. At that moment, I was enormously proud that our country was on the rise. I would always remember and appreciate their devotion and enterprising spirit. And now, it’s high time that our generation should shoulder the responsibility and make our contribution to the development of the country.

Zhao Hongzi were absorbed in the training regardless of the heat of the summer in the playground, Aug. 17, 2019.

To sum up, as a result of collective effort, an admirable miracle of the world was created in the 70th anniversary of the National Day. For the younger generation, especially the undergraduates, the patriotic education in this time is particularly vivid and powerful. The grand celebration not only widens their horizon but also enhances the national pride in them. What’s more important, this unforgettable day will encourage them to forge ahead and contribute to the construction of the country in the future.

(By Zhang Le)