Carrying Forward the Hundreds of Years of History of BNU: BNUBS Organized a Viewing of the Film Today and Me

On the morning of September 26th, the Labor Union organized teachers to watch the film Today and Me in 1722 of the Rear Main building. You reap what you sow and those fighters would be rewarded by their hard efforts. As a film dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the founding of Beijing Normal University, Today and Me enables the teachers to understand the inheritance and continuation of the teachers' spirit for more than 100 years, and feel the resonance of what teachers have learned and thought in different times. 

The film contains a series of stories from three different eras, which shows a meaningful symphony of people of different eras and "today" in the passage of more than one hundred years. The first chapter tells the story of how Li Jinxi' and Lu Xun met in Li’s class. And as cooperators, they taught the students how to interpret important classics of vernacular Chinese with Mandarin grammar together. The second chapter tells the story of Teachers. Wang Zikun, the then president of Beijing Normal University, recalled to the students the touching story that he was able to resume his study because of his poor family and the help of teachers. He also discussed with other scholars and signed the proposal for the establishment of Teachers' Day, from which Teachers' Day was established. The third chapter, Youth, tells the story of a student in the new semester who passed Yu Hua's class on his way to participate in the Youth Day activity. He met Mo Yan and talked about literature and life. After going through the spring scenery of Normal University, he felt the youth had a lot to gain. Liang Qichao, Li Jinxi, Lu Xun, Wang Zikun, Qigong, Mo Yan, Yu Hua and other generations of teachers, have formed a long and stirring history of teachers.  

After the film, teachers said that it is a glory to become a teacher and they are so lucky to gave the chance to dedicate their life to teaching. They must keep up with the pace of the time, dedicate themselves to the development of the School and BNU. Time files so fast, we must seize every minute and only by doing this can we realize our dreams in the future. 

Sharing of thoughts of teachers

A teacher should have the spirit of craftmanship and seize the time!

In my thirty years of study and work, I have learned patriotism, progress, integrity, simplicity, truth-seeking, innovation and teachers’ morality from Professor Sun Zhijun, the fact that humility and simplicity are the only key to rigorousness and uprightness from Professor Yang Chengyu, the wise words of seizing every minute and fighting for what you believe from Associate Professor Yang Dan. The teacher’s morality has been passed on for hundreds of years and it is bound to last forever.

The film, through stories of different times, tells about the friendship between teachers and students in different historical periods, and conveys the selfless spirit of teachers who burn themselves, illuminate others and are willing to contribute. Li Jinxi, Lu Xun, Liang Qichao, Qian Xuantong, Wang Zikun, Yu Hua and Mo Yan are not only celebrities but teachers. Times may change, but teacher’s morality remains the same. Through the vivid stories, the film shows us that generations of educators, like gardeners, care for and nurture batches of students as flowers. Times will change, but what remains the same is the truth that teachers teach and solve questions of students .

                                          ——Liu Yingjie, School Office

The story of the film comes letters which Liang Qichao's wrote to his family, which expresses Liang Qichao's commitment to his family and his own behavior. The film is divided into three chapters, which tell the story of the new cultural enlightenment 100 years ago, the promotion of Teachers' Day, and the present in 2022. Each generation has its own responsibilities and aspirations, and each generation has its own mission and responsibility. Standing at different points in time and listening to the echoes of history, we can obviously feel that although the historical background and social environment are constantly changing, the blood in our hearts and the immortal faith are still consistent. At the end of the film, the body language relayed by Mr. Liang Qichao, Mr. Li Jinxi, and the current young students has impressed and. I know the future starts from today.

                               ——Yang Haijia ，Undergraduate Affairs Office

The watching of the film is also a good education time for me to learn about school history and culture. The title of the video uses Mr. Liang Qichao's message to string together the 120 history of Beijing Normal University with several stories, and records the history and inheritance of Beijing Normal University through all these years. Watching the familiar campus scenery in the film, I felt very intimate, and felt more and more the cultural heritage and historical precipitation of the century-old university. In the film, the spirit of "respecting teachers and valuing education" is passed down from generation to generation, which interprets the touching relationship between teachers and students and pays tribute to the lovely and respectable teachers. s a young teacher and a member of Beijing Normal University, I feel deeply honored. The film also deeply inspires me to better practice my original aspiration of teaching and educating people in my daily work, and strive to be the Four Haves Good Teacher".

                                      ——Lan Rujia, Party Committee

The film is simple but full of charm, which is the usual style of BNU. The film captures the story of three eras in the centurial history of Normal University: "University" begins in the class of Mr. Li Jinxi, but the ordinary class becomes not ordinary due to the arrival of Mr. Lu Xun. After bowing, he plants a flame named hope for the students. Teacher's Story tells the story of our old principal Wang Zikun, from his teacher Huang Shaocheng to his tireless teachings in the probability class, to the discussion with Mr. Qigong and Mr. Zhong Jingwen to sign the proposal for the establishment of Teachers' Day. This chapter tells the story of "inheritance". The section of "Youth" returns to the present, with Yu Hua talking in class and Mo Yan teaching the humorous judgment of Nine small Gardens. The two teachers are approachable, but they export profound philosophy of life.

                           ——Zhang Huilin, Party Committee

Contributed by School Labor Union

Video Designed by Luo Xinyue

Edited by Li Tingting

Reviewed by Sun Zhijun