The SOT students celebrate the end of Bible school in style and sentiment.
Contributed By Annabelle Low
Spirits were high as the School Of Theology students, resplendent in their outfits, filed into Ban Heng Pavilion Restaurant at the HarbourFront Centre for their much anticipated graduation dinner on Aug. 20. The lighthearted occasion was graced by Bobby Chaw, SOT’s dean of students, and Choong Tsih-Ming, both pastors in City Harvest Church. Choong’s mother is in the graduating class of SOT this year.
While the students enjoyed an eight-course Chinese dinner, the emcees and staff members of SOT worked hard to keep the crowd entertained through games and performances. Students could make song dedications to one another. One of the highlights of the evening’s program was a special drama depicting a witty parody of a day in the life of an SOT student. This drew much laughter from the crowd.
One of the students, Francis Yeo, performed a heartfelt rendition of the Mandarin song “Lao Shu Ai Da Mi” but changed the lyrics to reflect his love and support for the school and the teachers. Two other students, Elizabeth Vaidhyan Koshy and John Thomas Sam, performed a popular song from India. Two students had also created a video clip which captured many special moments that transpired in the past six months of SOT.
The evening would not have been complete without a time of appreciation for those who had contributed to the success of yet another academic year. The list included Chaw, the two Mandarin translators Lulu Fu and Chiong Xiao Ting, as well as the school administrators.
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| CN PHOTO: Kenneth Lee |
Everyone was full of gratitude as they remembered the support and dedication of the SOT staff members throughout the school year.
In a fitting end to a wonderful evening, Chaw gave a heartfelt speech to the students and thanked them for believing in the vision of the school. “If we don’t see each other again, we’ll see each other in heaven. I’m so proud of everyone for staying the course.” He then addressed the foreign students in Mandarin, adding, “The biggest lesson is not from textbooks, but how we overcome difficulties [in life]. Sufferings will come, but it is how you face it that matters.”
As the evening drew to a close, more photographs were taken, and hugs and goodbyes were exchanged. The school year had come to an end and the parting of ways was inevitable. But for all the students, fond memories will remain. In the words of Faith Yeung and Joseph Ho, who will be returning to Hong Kong after graduation, “We’ve laughed, cried and walked with each other over the past few months. We are going to miss these times when we go back to our own country.”
