More Than 4,000 Freshmen Gather at Feng Chia University: A Cross-Disciplinary Journey to "Meet the Best" Version of Themselves

Feng Chia University (FCU) held its 2026 Freshman Growth Camp from September 1 to 3, welcoming more than 4,000 incoming freshmen. Nearly 650 senior students served as camp counselors, guiding new students throughout the three-day program. For the first time, the university also organized a Department Costume Parade, in which 62 senior students representing all 31 academic departments took the stage in costumes reflecting their departments' spirit, paired with an energetic dance performance — welcoming freshmen into a new chapter of university life, with the hope that every student will "Meet the Best" version of themselves at Feng Chia.

At the freshman orientation ceremony, President Vey Wang invoked the cosmic perspective of the "Pale Blue Dot" to encourage students to set aside anxiety over rapid technological change. She urged freshmen to "become a person first, and a talent second" during their four years at university, to "learn widely and learn hard," and to courageously pursue cross-disciplinary exploration as they step into a future of boundless possibility.

Chairperson Cheng-Shu Kao opened his remarks by referencing global superstar G-Dragon and the legendary rock band Queen. He emphasized that university is a time of freedom and opportunity, and that amid rapidly advancing technology, students must never lose sight of human kindness and goodwill in their pursuit of knowledge. He also encouraged freshmen to make the most of their once-in-a-lifetime youth.

Sixty-two senior students representing all 31 academic departments at Feng Chia University took part in the "Department Costume Parade," showing off their confidence and school spirit.

The freshman orientation ceremony was held in two sessions, morning and afternoon. President Vey Wang, Chairperson Cheng-Shu Kao, and senior university administrators posed for a group photo with more than 2,000 freshmen and camp counselors.

The ceremony's performances were equally impressive. FCU alumni band Urban Parts Party joined sophomore students for a warm opening performance of "Finding Myself," encouraging incoming students to boldly explore who they are. The Street Dance Club followed with a high-energy performance backed by large-scale LED screens and professional-grade sound equipment, instantly electrifying the audience. In addition, "Beyond," the 2026 orientation camp's theme song co-written by the Guitar Club and the Hip-Hop Research Club, delivered an upbeat, fearless message about pursuing one's dreams.

Members of the Street Dance Club delivered a spectacular performance that energized the entire audience during the freshman orientation ceremony.

The orientation camp's theme song, "Beyond," was performed at the close of the ceremony.

The ceremony also featured personal accounts from five senior students across different departments. Kuan-Yu Chen of the Department of Finance, who is double majoring in the Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science and minoring in financial technology, shared how a cross-disciplinary path gave her "the confidence that comes from having more choices." Hung-Yu Chou of the Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, one of only 350 winners worldwide of the Apple Swift Student Challenge, encouraged fellow students not to fear failure, speaking about "achievements that don't appear on a transcript." Yu-Cheng Hsiao of the Department of Automatic Control Engineering, who had just returned from the European Innovation Academy (EIA) competition in Portugal, urged freshmen to actively seek out opportunities, hoping each of them could become their own definition of "the best" during their time at university.

Five senior students from different departments took the stage to share their cross-disciplinary and international experiences.

Beyond the ceremony, a Student Club Expo took place concurrently around the Recreation Building, with nearly 80 student clubs setting up booths. Clubs pulled out all the stops to recruit new members, hosting freshman mixers and trial sessions ahead of the semester to invite more students to join and broaden their university experience.

A Student Club Expo was held concurrently around the Recreation Building, with nearly 80 student clubs setting up booths to welcome new students.

Leaving high school behind, university marks an entirely different kind of learning journey. Greater freedom and more unstructured time mean students must learn to take initiative and seek out the resources they need. On stage, Yu-Ching Wang of the Department of Marketing posed a thought-provoking question to incoming freshmen: "How will you describe yourself four years from now?" Though she considers herself timid by nature, she has spent her four years at university making one bold decision after another — decisions that ran counter to her instinct to hold back. Yu-Chen Lin of the Department of International Trade echoed the sentiment, noting that only by stepping outside one's comfort zone can one discover an unknown version of oneself. This is Feng Chia University's most sincere hope for all its freshmen: that each of them will explore boldly over the next four years, writing answers that even they themselves cannot yet imagine — and truly "Meet the Best" version of themselves.