On the evening of May 20, 2000, more than 250 guests attended a celebration in honor of all graduating MIT students from the People's Republic of China. Sponsored by the new board members of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), this event was a huge success. The attendees included fellow MIT students, reporters from major Chinese newspapers, and high profile people such as the Director and Dean for International Students Ms. Danielle Guichard-Ashbrook, the President of the North America Association of Science and Technology Dr. Zhenya Zhu, and the President of the Chinese Entrepreneurs Association Mr. Gang Li. CSSA pleasantly surprised each graduating student with a very meaningful present: a congratulating letter from MIT President Charles Vest enclosed in a beautiful millennium picture frame. To greet the occasion, La Sala was magically transformed into an elegant dining place with white tablecloth, fresh flowers, and champagne on each table. Before dinner, CSSA president Youshun Sun and a few guest speakers praised the great accomplishments and hard works of all graduating students and wished them success in the future. Unlike the chaos seen in most buffet-style dinner, people were very well organized and courteous throughout the event. After dinner, CSSA provided entertainment to suit different interests, a popular movie show at room 1-190 and a dance party at La Sala. Towards the end, all graduating students thanked CSSA for such a memorable and special evening in their lives. This large-scale event demanded high levels of organizational skills and enthusiasm from the coordinators. With the strong capability demonstrated through this banquet, the new CSSA board promised more exciting events for the members, ranging from extravagant parties and outings to weekly study breaks and seminars.

Dean Guichard-Ashbrook was giving a speech (click the image to enlarge) From left to right: Ying Lee, Dean Guichard-Ashbrook, Youshun Sun, Dr. Zhenya Zhu, ... (click the image to enlarge)

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