TUJ Students Spearhead a Week of Excitement and Unity at Third Annual Spirit Week

Live music performances on the final day of Spirit Week add energy during the final day of the five-day event.

Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) students came together to uplift the university spirit through their active participation in a series of engaging activities during the week of November 6, 2023. Now in its third consecutive year, the event, known as “Spirit Week,” was orchestrated by the members of the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) who curated a rich assortment of events, ranging from career advising sessions and speeches to a film festival, along with captivating entertainment, including dances and music.

The members of the ELP facilitated events, coordinating participation by TUJ’s clubs, Program Board, Student Government and other TUJ offices, and have led Spirit Week since it became a full one-week event in 2021. The ELP is an innovative initiative created to give a group of incoming TUJ undergraduate students each year an intensive, immersive, hands-on leadership training experience.

This year’s Spirit Week had dress themes each day, adding a taste of flavor to buoy the TUJ spirit, with themes including “dress as your favorite singer or album” and “wear red or Temple gear.” Some of the themes were related to the events held that day such as “dress as your favorite movie star or character” when the TUJ Film Festival and the movie scavenger hunt were held on November 9 – the fourth day of the event.

Dance performance featured during TUJ Talks event.

Vibrant Atmosphere

Students grabbed popcorn and beverages, expertly served by their peers, while immersing themselves in authentic films by fellow TUJ students. TUJ Film Festival, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, unfolded its cinematic wonders at the Parliament student lounge. Festival attendees had the chance to engage in conversations with the film directors while they relished finger food and coffee served by the student organization, the TUJ Coffee Makers.

Current students seized the chance to contemplate their future careers as they engaged with TUJ alumni on the evening of November 8 during the first session of the “Life After TUJ” career event. This experience allowed them to pose questions to six distinguished graduates who provided insightful responses from their rich experiences. For details: Alumni and Students Dive into Vibrant Career Talks in the Fall Semester Series of “Life After TUJ”

The week-long event concluded with the fourth installment of TUJ Talks, Temple’s version of “TED Talks,” held in the packed venue of the TUJ Parliament on November 10. Titled “Metamorphosis,” this episode featured students and faculty sharing their ideas and experiences with attendees composed of TUJ students, alumni, faculty and staff. The vibrant addition of live band music and dances infused energy, enhancing the atmosphere to unite and solidify the unity of the TUJ community. With a total of 15 performances and speeches, this lively gathering marked the grand finale of the five-day event