On September 22, the themed drama "The Great Educators," a unique group lesson promoting the spirit of educators and part of freshman orientation, was staged in a dual-venue format with joint faculty-student participation. It served as a profound and distinctive "welcome gift" for the Class of 2025 and newly recruited teachers. Over 7,000 attendees, including university leaders and representatives of teachers and students, participated across sessions, joining all freshmen and young faculty in witnessing this inspiring event.
That afternoon, the atmosphere in the auditorium was solemn yet warm. Family members of Mr. Bai Ruixi, representatives of newly recruited staff, all on-campus members of the Postgraduate Volunteer Teaching Corps, and some teacher and student representatives attended the premiere. Through the immersive power of dramatic art, young faculty members traced the original aspirations of educators and reflected deeply on the mission of education. The presence of the educators' families added authenticity and depth to the historical narrative, creating a spiritual dialogue across time for the audience. In the evening, a special session for freshmen commenced in the auditorium. The drama was simultaneously live-streamed to the South Lake Central Sports Ground, allowing the entire Class of 2025 to watch this distinctive "immersive ideological and political lesson" together.
"The Great Educators" uses the university's development history as its narrative backbone. Following a storyline where a young student investigates historical campus photographs, the play breaks temporal boundaries, bringing three generations of the university's educators into dialogue under a unified theme. It portrays the pioneering practices of founders like Bai Ruixi, Wu Zelin, and Yan Xueqiong, who pursued "saving the nation through education" during times of national crisis, the persistent fieldwork of scholars such as Professor Bai Guixi, who dedicated themselves to "serving the nation through education," and mirrors the mission of contemporary teachers and students in the audience to "build a strong nation through education." This achieves both a fusion and an elevation of the "character-actor-audience" identities. The performance ingeniously incorporates featured song and dance segments like "Xilankapu" and "Dawn," creating a new model for an "immersive ideological and political lesson" that integrates university history, ideological education, and aesthetic immersion, allowing teachers and students to tangibly feel the warmth of the educator spirit through artistic engagement.
On Stage. Photo by Pu Pengpo
Cast Photo After the Performance. Photo by Yuan Mingying
Following the performance, Bai Xiongyan, son of Mr. Bai Ruixi, shared emotionally: "The portrayal of my father in the play felt authentic and natural, perfectly matching the man I remember." He recounted, "When I started working at 16, my father insisted I gain experience on a farm, requiring me to live, eat, and work alongside the farm laborers and learn a trade from them. When I applied for the job, he specifically instructed me not to mention his position in my resume, so I applied as a regular employee's child. He worried that any special treatment would deprive me of valuable opportunities to temper myself. Even though home was just steps away, he never once granted me any privilege. He himself had dedicated his youth to serving the nation's needs—21 years in grassroots work and another 20 years supporting the Third Front construction. This ethos of his has profoundly influenced me, and the benefits have lasted a lifetime."
Teachers and Students Immersed in the Performance. Photo by Xu Yue
The performance resonated deeply and received an enthusiastic response. Jiang Wanyue, a newly recruited teacher from the Department of Applied Psychology, School of Education, expressed her excitement: "The drama not only vividly recreates history but also lets us feel the dedication of the older generation of educators who answered the call to 'go where the motherland needs us most.' As new teachers, we must carry forward this spirit of committing deeply to our lecterns while keeping the nation's needs at heart." Li Ruoyu, a freshman from the School of Ethnology and Sociology (Class of 2025), shared movingly after the show, "When I saw the projection of Mr. Yan Xueqiong working diligently at his desk, backed by the real South Lake and a starry sky, the impact was indescribable—the very ground we stand on today is where they once struggled and persevered."
Freshmen Watching with Focused Attention. Photo by Zhang Qin
This performance, spanning both day and evening, was more than just a vivid drama-based group lesson; it was an ideological and political baptism bridging history and reality. Using art as its medium, it transformed the spirit of educators into a tangible torch of inspiration, profoundly enlightening both faculty and students: personal ideals can shine their brightest only when integrated into the nation's strategic needs and the great cause of national rejuvenation.
