Journal: Karaoke Concert

I didn't attend my graduation ceremony when I finished university in Australia because I knew exactly what to expect: boring speeches followed by each graduate receiving their degree and perfunctory applause one by one. But on Thursday I went to the wanhui (evening gathering) for the graduating students of the Economics and Management Department because my friend Jackie has finished his four years of life here.

In China, a standard bachelor's degree requires four years of study, with a dissertation in the final year. The first three years often require as much as 40 contact hours per week, but demand comparatively less work outside class than universities in my country. The workload in the final year is a breeze really, but that's because it's expected that most students will either be searching for a job, or studying hard for the postgraduate entrance examinations (kaoyan) which are the most common path to postgraduate study. Unlike the nation-wide upper-secondary and tertiary entrance examinations, the postgraduate entrance examinations are administered by the individual universities. A large percentage of fourth-year students will sit these exams, worried that a bachelor's degree alone will not be enough to secure them a good job, especially if they are female or from a less reputable university (such as mine). Jackie sat the exam at a prestigious Beijing university earlier this year, but was rejected. Instead, he's found a job at General Electric in Dalian, and will be starting work in about a month.

I heard there would be some songs at Thursday's wanhui, which is no surprise since even the English speaking contests I have been a judge at have all included a few karaoke numbers to lighten the programme, but apart from that I was expecting a pretty boring ceremony. In fact, it turned out that apart from some tape-recorded interviews with students and the rampant sentimentality from hosts and performers (the theme of the evening was Yi lu shang you ni, "You will be there every step of the way"), the whole evening was entertainment: some music, some dancing, but mainly singing, all performed by the graduating students. The diplomas had already been given to the students a few days earlier, without any fanfare. There had also been a separate occasion earlier that week when each graduating class donned a western-style mortar board and bachelor's robe and gathered in front of the library for a kodak moment. So the purpose of the wanhui was celebration rather than ceremony.

What people usually sing on these occasions are well-known chinese pop songs with the CD for backing (karaoke style). Even I recognise some of the songs, from previous concerts! I enjoy it, but I look forward to the occasional surprises, such as when the director of the department took to the stage to perform an a cappella song in that distinctive warbling style of traditional chinese singing. As for dance, I've seen seen the students perform some really interesting folk dances but more common is synchronised dancing that could have been lifted straight from a Spice Girls video clip. It's eye-catching but characterless; it seems that the pop music industry is killing dance too. But at least the audience seems to appreciate both the traditional and the modern.

These sorts of events, as well as those English speaking contests I mentioned, are usually hosted by a male and female student, each with a microphone in one hand and their scripted jokes in the other, another touch which screams out "Grammy Awards".

The pattern was repeated on a larger scale last night, with an outdoor concert to farewell the graduating students from all the departments. They called it a gehui this time (song gathering), although there were again a few dances including a hip hop influenced one by a pair of boys, one of whom later gave us a karaoke performance of a chinese rap song. The singers this time were the stars from among the fourth-year students, and the concert began with a famous trio of boys: one thin, one fat, and the third being my friend Jackie, who is considered the top singer in the school (and has a trophy from a singing contest to prove it).

He sang solo later on, and dedicated the last song to his girlfriend. On hearing this, said girlfriend ran up onto the stage to give him a bouquet of flowers. This bouquet was rather special because she had bought it herself (well, actually she had asked me to buy it for her since she can't leave the campus). In fact, all the performers received flowers, but it was usually the same bouquet recycled again and again. It's all part of the show, and you can't help clapping, especially when it's a bouquet and a hug! There was a great atmosphere last night.

The audience treats these karaoke stars like pop stars, cheering for their favourites and yelling out "We love you!". I'm not sure whether this is real or just part of the fun. But in any case, these school stars do have a big reputation, and their names are familiar to most of the students. A lot of them are very confident on stage too, and crack jokes with the audience. Jackie is not just a good singer, but also a Party member and was one of the main organisers of Thursday's wanhui. And remember the department director who burst into song? The link between singing and success in China is something I need to study further.