On February 4, 2019, 112 Volunteers from Jilin International Studies University (JISU) put on a unique performance in the Changchun venue of CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala on Chinese New Years’ Eve. They came into a square formation and operated lamps in 112 new Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to the tempo and beat of three classic Chinese songs and dramas. Their performance gave an especially vicarious visual thrill to hundreds of millions of Chinese people watching the Gala. Particularly when all the lamps were turned on in unison at the exact moment of the clock chiming to welcome the 2019 Lunar New Year, all the JISU volunteers cheered and cheered, extending heart-felt and nice blessings to China and Chinese people with their splendid performance.

The SUV Square Formation near the stage in Changchun venue

The Hard-earned Brilliant Performance

All the spectacular moments were the result of the continuous and enormous efforts on the stage of the Gala. Immediately after the New Year’s Day holiday, 112 selected male volunteers became devoted to the tight rehearsals. Although they didn’t have to do many intricate or acrobatic movements, it’s by no means an easy job for all of them to operate various lamps simultaneously in unison to the beat. They made their way to the rehearsal site at 7 every morning, and then dedicated themselves to formation and dancing tempo training under the guidance of the director. Upon the fall of night, they began the on-site training in SUVs, often throughout the whole night during the final joint-rehearsals.

The volunteers signaled for turning on lamps in rehearsals.

“We spent 12 hours at least to do the training here,” said Wang Tianhao, a JISU volunteer from Class 1601 of English-Korean Bilingual,” “so it is a lie if I say it’s all right and not painful. However, with the all-day company of our instructor, warm affection and care of our leaders and working staff, and comfortable service of accommodation alongside delicious cuisine, we feel it is worthwhile to take such great pains, particularly when we can bring out the extraordinary show on the Eve for the audience.”

The Most Cherished Teamwork Spirit

“It takes much cohesion and great teamwork spirit for all of us to keep training until we can perform as one person,” said Li Bowen, an active volunteer from Class 1701 of Chinese International Education. He volunteered to take part in the performance, and unluckily caught a cold and high fever during the rehearsal. Still he managed to continue the training without stop, receiving infusion treatments during noon breaks in the next successive three to four days, so that the whole team could keep going forward with a perfect effect.

The volunteers had on-site trainings in SUVs.

“I reaped an abundance of cherished wealth and solidarity, overcoming difficulties and going forward.” Li said, “We are always in pursuit for the best performance. Sometimes, we have to keep training for several days just to do a single movement. Sometimes we had hardly learned to perform to the beat of a song when the very music was changed to a different one, and then everything would have to be done from the very beginning once again. But there were no complaints. Everybody quickly adjusted themselves to the new song and plunged into the new training. Despite the great pains, everybody persisted in the tough course as ever, which is a manifestation of JISU spirit.”

The volunteers were waiting for the show-time.

Apart from fatigue and sickness, Song Hanyu, a volunteer from Class 1701 of Translation, ran into something far worse than that. “On the second night of rehearsal, I was told that my grandma’s sister passed away. She had always been very nice to me, so it was a pity that I didn’t manage to see her for the last time. At that time, we just began the rehearsal, and I was afraid that I could not have been able to keep up with the others in the training if I had asked for leave. In the end, I only asked for a half-day absence to attend the funeral, and came back for the training.” Song Hanyu added, “I am proud to be a member of the performers in the grand-stage Gala to exhibit my hometown and university.”

Impressive Life Experience

Bai Renyang, from Class 1501 of French, was the only Senior volunteer and his hometown is far away in Qitaihe City in Heilongjiang Province. It was the first time that he had been away from home during the Spring Festival. “During my four years of college life, I have worked as a volunteer for many large-scale events, such as the Vasaloppet China Festival, Auto Expo and China-Northeast Asia Expo, etc.” Bai said. “I was very excited to learn that there would be a venue of the Gala here in Changchun. After all, it is an impressive and precious experience in my college life and even my whole life to be able to present the excellent demeanor and image of JISU students before all the Chinese people and overseas Chinese watching the Gala all over the world.”

The volunteers enjoyed the New Year’s Feast in the break room.

Bai is going to work in Africa after graduation, and this volunteer experience gave him a very good chance to gain some working experience for his future job. “I made many friends, experienced a new industrial job and learned diverse solutions and methods in this training. More importantly, I recognized how important goals, trust and cooperation are in building up a teamwork spirit.” Bai emotionally said, “I believe it will be the most unforgettable memory in my life. I wish that our endeavors would bring good luck and blessings to all Chinese at home and abroad.”

The volunteers enjoyed a New Year’s Feast in the JISU dining hall after their performance.

JISU has been committed to education in the guidance of non-profit schooling for the public welfare since its establishment. Influenced by a public service spirit, a sense of social responsibilities is aroused and further enhanced among JISU students, and “Everyone is a volunteer” has become a well-established motto in the university. The Youth Volunteer Association has been founded and the “Youth Volunteer Institute” has also jointly organized with the China Communist Youth League (CCYL) of Changchun City Committee. The “Volunteer Service” has been added into the bachelor education program in order to elevate it into a higher level of importance.

Today, the program of voluntary service at JISU has been noted domestically and internationally. In large-scale activities of foreign affairs, such as the Beijing Olympic Games, Shanghai Expo, China-Northeast Asia Expo and Asian Winter Games, and China-Northeast Asia Expo, the program has been highly praised in all circles of society. In the publicity film on the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics played at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the figure of “2022” and the emblem of the Beijing Winter Olympics were made by over 500 volunteers in JISU, strikingly impressing people all over the world.

Miao Jing, Deputy Party Secretary and Director of Students Affairs Department in JISU, said, “It is the principle of non-profit schooling persistently pursued by our university to foster in the volunteer service a spiritual quality of patriotism, public service and dedication, to improve their capabilities in practical affairs, and to make them become valuable and useful to our society.”

A photo of officials in Jilin Provincial Education Department, Officials in JISU and the volunteers.