From MBA Center

About 70 IMBA students and staff from the MBA Programs andCareerDevelopmentCentergathered in a celebration of friendship and sharing at the IMBA Christmas Party on December 19, 2008. Professor Fan Hong and Assistant Professor Li Mingzhi also joined in the fun that night. Most participants were dressed in red and green, the vibrant festive colors, adding to the celebratory atmosphere. Held at La Foce Italian Restaurant, the party’s casual and warm mood was just right for the students to relax and communicate just before the final examination period in January.

The evening started off with a delightful appearance by a festive character – Santa Claus. First-year student Kenji Matsubayashi donned the red and white costume (complete with a beard and a bag of presents), and led the party in an informal opening ceremony. Spreading a flame onto tealights held by participants, ‘Santa’ kindled the spirit of Christmas, reminding us about the potential brightness achieved through combined efforts. Santa’s little proceedings gave a meaningful introduction to the party indeed, and he went on to distribute gifts which participants had brought for the gift exchange activity. Smiles and appreciative comments were often observed as people opened their mystery gifts contributed by other students.

The next segment of the party was a celebration of December birthdays. There were a total of 7 students with birthdays this month - Isabel Zhang Jiawei, Jeffrey Song Jianfeng, Brad Dietz, Fazul Som, Ray Jim Ker, Cao Qi, Huang Haohang and Lee Jong Seok. An important person of the program, Kris Xie, Executive Director of the IMBA Program, also had her birthday in December. Amidst cakes and candles, the birthday song was sung in high spirits.

To top off the night of good food and conversations, two entertainment items were performed. First students Eason Wang Song, Bailey Li Beining, Cao Qi and Di Zhu kept the audience guessing, as they performed ‘magic’, seemingly understanding each other just through telepathy.

The finale for the night was the performance of a Christmas carol, ‘O Holy Night’ by first-year student Joyce Chan. The party ended on a good note, with a spark of festivities underlying the building of friendships that would only grow stronger throughout the school term and beyond.