Garden Party and Graduation Commemorative Gifts

2018/03/03

Image: Garden Party (2000)

March is the season for graduation. This fiscal year's (FY2017) undergraduate graduation ceremony will be held at Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Hall, as the usual venue, Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall, is undergoing reconstruction. In the past, after the graduation ceremony, a Garden Party was held by a student organization called the Graduation Preparation Committee, formed by undergraduate volunteers, to celebrate their graduation together. Many Keio University alumni likely have memories of this.

The reason I used the phrase "in the past" is that the committee has not been formed since FY2008, and the Garden Party has not been held since then. This is because the scale of the event grew beyond what Keio students could manage themselves compared to when it first began, and issues with vendors also arose. The Garden Party could be described as the flagship activity of the Graduation Preparation Committee, a large-scale event for approximately 3,000 people that was widely recognized by graduates.

For many years, it was a tradition for Juku graduates to spend the day after the graduation ceremony dressed in their choice of party attire to attend the Garden Party. While the program varied slightly from year to year, it was held as a graduation celebration featuring performances by entertainers, raffles for luxury prizes, and screenings by the Graduation Album Planning Committee of videos tracing the journey of the graduates from enrollment to graduation. It concluded with everyone linking arms to sing "Keio Sanka."

Furthermore, the Graduation Preparation Committee donated graduation commemorative gifts to various locations on campus each year, serving as an important link that permanently connected graduates with the Juku. For instance, in FY2004 and FY2005, stone tables and chairs were donated in front of the First Building on the Mita Campus to provide a place for junior Keio students to relax; these are still put to good use today. Looking further back, items reflecting the times were selected, such as campus maps and event notice boards in the 1980s, and clock towers, wisteria trellises, and message boards in the 1990s.

The various activities of the Graduation Preparation Committee, particularly the experience of managing the Garden Party—working with peers for a year to lead the gathering of classmates to success—served as a vital foundation for cultivating the leadership necessary to achieve results in later roles. These include serving on the executive committee for the Rengo Mita-kai, which occurs every ten years after graduation, or participating in fundraising projects organized by the Year Mita-kai 25 and 50 years after graduation. While the Garden Party was the high-profile event, the steady work of carefully selecting graduation commemorative gifts that would remain as long-lasting memories formed a strong bond between the Juku and Keio University alumni.

The activities of the Graduation Preparation Committee can be evaluated as highly significant, as they were unique to Keio students who embody the spirit of independence and self-respect.

(Takayuki Kawada, Manager, Hiyoshi Campus Office)