Another major difference from the United States is that Taiwanese universities are rather siloed into departments. Instead of picking a university, high school students pick a specific department based on which ones they qualify for with their test scores. Almost every single class they take in college is determined by their major. Clubs and extracurriculars are sometimes within the department too, for example the College of Public Health badminton team I played on for a year. This loyalty is reflected in commencement ceremonies. The departments all had their own graduations, where each undergraduate, Masters, and Doctorate student’s name is read as they cross the stage. For graduate students, our research advisor turned the tassel on our graduation cap for us. I was honored to give the valedictorian speech—the one part of the ceremony in English and thus understood by my mom watching the livestream in the middle of the night on the other side of the world. Everyone clapped just because I did a very simple intro in Chinese and then later because I mentioned stinky tofu. Since the departments have more limited space, it is standard that not many family members are able to attend in person but may watch the livestream from a designated nearby auditorium or join for photos after. That evening, my class went out for a celebration dinner in Yangmingshan with scenic night views.
The overall NTU graduation was the next day in the light filled gymnasium but was not as well attended as the respective departments’ graduations. It still felt huge to me and reminded me of my cousin’s commencement in Alabama. The commencement speaker was a Taiwanese American corporate tech billionaire. At the end, all the students stood, removed their caps, and bowed deeply to the faculty and then again to the parents. There was an exit procession to the ominous gongs of the Fu Bell and a startling confetti explosion.
My mom and I both graduated with our Masters degrees within one week of one another. While my family could not attend, my roommate’s mom was visiting from the United States, and some non-student friends joined me for an international students party, making the day feel very special.
The next week, after successfully receiving a grant to organize an event, I hosted Vivi Lin, the CEO of Taiwan’s only menstrual health NGO, With Red, to speak at the College of Public Health. It was exciting for the research and advocacy worlds of my academic interest come together. The very next day, I successfully defended my Masters thesis. I had three very cool professors on my defense committee.
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| Eating 石花凍 (local speciality: algae jelly) |
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| 廟口夜市 |
