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Zany graduation pics pose questions
By Shi Xiaohan and Li Tianmin |
July 7, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IT used to be a simple photographic record of one of the great achievements in a person's life, but now graduation photos are becoming more creative - and in some cases more controversial. Shi Xiaohan and Li Tianmin examine the rising photographic trend which has divided opinion.
When a class of 17 male students from Zhejiang Gongshang University had their graduation photo taken, one of them suggested that they pose like ladies. So the guys, sitting with their legs perfectly folded and all leaning in the same direction, took a picture and posted it online.
The photo was later reposted on many popular online forums and websites. Some netizens think the photo is too strange to be a graduation photo, while others think it shows creativeness.
The students themselves were quite surprised by the popularity they gained as well as the controversy they caused with their graduation photo. "At first, we just thought it was funny, and it also provided us an uncommon way to record this once-in-lifetime event," said David Chen, one of the students appearing in the sensational photo.
In 2006, a group of girls from China Renmin University in Beijing took a series of photos in graduation gowns with their legs exposed on purpose. Since then, unorthodox graduation photos have been a hot topic with the Chinese media during the graduation season. The photos triggered a heated discussion on the Internet with most comments criticizing the students behavior as indecent.
Despite the criticism, graduation photos have become more unorthodox every year. This year, a series of naked group photos of Sichuan Agricultural University graduates have again tested the bottom line of public tolerance.
The public, on the other hand, is showing more tolerance for the unorthodox graduation photos. An online survey by popular Chinese website qq.com this year shows 80.97 percent of the 13,746 participants hold positive or neutral views on unorthodox graduation photos.
Moreover, a majority of 67.89 percent of the participants attributed the phenomenon to a more open-minded and tolerant society.
However, when a graduation photo shoot took the life of a Zhejiang University graduate this year, the trend was censured for going to an extreme.
Xiao Xin, a graduate majoring in computer science at Zhejiang University, jumped into the West Lake to have his graduation photos taken. Those exciting moments were the last ones of his life. He died of drowning. On his renren.com webpage (a Chinese social-networking website), his last entry reads "graduation photos with a graduation gown are not at all interesting. Wait for graduation photos of me jumping into the West Lake."
The shocking news of his death put the public into deeper reflection. While most were confused and frowned upon Xiao's desperate need to impress others, some refuse to be judgmental so quickly.
"This is, though extremely sad, an accident. We cannot criticize his act just because it led to something of small probability," said Xu Qinmei, a professor at the Department of Psychology, Zhejiang University.
"I don't think he was trying to impress anyone by some daredevil acts as he was very good at swimming," said Wang Zhao, one of Xiao's best friends. "He just wanted to complete his college life by swimming across the West Lake and documenting the process. I don't even think those photos should be categorized as unorthodox graduation photos."
The line between orthodox and unorthodox graduation photos today is actually becoming narrower as people's needs to express creativity in their lives are growing stronger. For college graduates, the graduation photo shoot is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate their creativity.
"College students are a romantic group and graduation is one of their lives' most important turning points. At this sentimental moment, it is perfectly understandable that they want something unusual to mark their personal history," commented Gu Xiaoming, professor of Fudan University.
While maintaining the bottom line on safety, Gu positively values the unorthodox graduation pictures. "Compared to the cliche of a graduate holding his or her graduation certificate and looking happy, the creative graduation photos show their passion for life, which will keep motivating them later on," Gu explained.
When a class of 17 male students from Zhejiang Gongshang University had their graduation photo taken, one of them suggested that they pose like ladies. So the guys, sitting with their legs perfectly folded and all leaning in the same direction, took a picture and posted it online.
The photo was later reposted on many popular online forums and websites. Some netizens think the photo is too strange to be a graduation photo, while others think it shows creativeness.
The students themselves were quite surprised by the popularity they gained as well as the controversy they caused with their graduation photo. "At first, we just thought it was funny, and it also provided us an uncommon way to record this once-in-lifetime event," said David Chen, one of the students appearing in the sensational photo.
In 2006, a group of girls from China Renmin University in Beijing took a series of photos in graduation gowns with their legs exposed on purpose. Since then, unorthodox graduation photos have been a hot topic with the Chinese media during the graduation season. The photos triggered a heated discussion on the Internet with most comments criticizing the students behavior as indecent.
Despite the criticism, graduation photos have become more unorthodox every year. This year, a series of naked group photos of Sichuan Agricultural University graduates have again tested the bottom line of public tolerance.
The public, on the other hand, is showing more tolerance for the unorthodox graduation photos. An online survey by popular Chinese website qq.com this year shows 80.97 percent of the 13,746 participants hold positive or neutral views on unorthodox graduation photos.
Moreover, a majority of 67.89 percent of the participants attributed the phenomenon to a more open-minded and tolerant society.
However, when a graduation photo shoot took the life of a Zhejiang University graduate this year, the trend was censured for going to an extreme.
Xiao Xin, a graduate majoring in computer science at Zhejiang University, jumped into the West Lake to have his graduation photos taken. Those exciting moments were the last ones of his life. He died of drowning. On his renren.com webpage (a Chinese social-networking website), his last entry reads "graduation photos with a graduation gown are not at all interesting. Wait for graduation photos of me jumping into the West Lake."
The shocking news of his death put the public into deeper reflection. While most were confused and frowned upon Xiao's desperate need to impress others, some refuse to be judgmental so quickly.
"This is, though extremely sad, an accident. We cannot criticize his act just because it led to something of small probability," said Xu Qinmei, a professor at the Department of Psychology, Zhejiang University.
"I don't think he was trying to impress anyone by some daredevil acts as he was very good at swimming," said Wang Zhao, one of Xiao's best friends. "He just wanted to complete his college life by swimming across the West Lake and documenting the process. I don't even think those photos should be categorized as unorthodox graduation photos."
The line between orthodox and unorthodox graduation photos today is actually becoming narrower as people's needs to express creativity in their lives are growing stronger. For college graduates, the graduation photo shoot is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate their creativity.
"College students are a romantic group and graduation is one of their lives' most important turning points. At this sentimental moment, it is perfectly understandable that they want something unusual to mark their personal history," commented Gu Xiaoming, professor of Fudan University.
While maintaining the bottom line on safety, Gu positively values the unorthodox graduation pictures. "Compared to the cliche of a graduate holding his or her graduation certificate and looking happy, the creative graduation photos show their passion for life, which will keep motivating them later on," Gu explained.
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