Like clockwork, the Welcome Xue Di Interaction conducted near the start of every school year took place last Friday, August 5, 2022. Entitled “Beyond Borders,” the interaction provided an opportunity for the Grade 7 shotis to have a smooth transition into the High School community through the cordial spirit of their Grade 11 ahias. Thematically, the two batches were intended to replicate the complementary brotherhood between the characters Mike and Sully of Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013). Through the interaction, the Xue Di Committee discovers the vast potential that the varying modalities have to offer, and makes a truly meaningful experience out of it.
To make the event possible, the onsite interaction was held simultaneously in the morning for the Roomie blue and gold batches, albeit in separate venues to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, in the afternoon, an online event was held for the Zoomies who were unable to attend the onsite interaction in the morning. The onsite brothers had a plethora of fun activities on the “Scare Floor,” from the staple “Tug of Door” (Tug of War) to the brand new “Lights Out” (Blind Drawing). The online brothers did not miss any action either, with “New Doors” (Live Polls), “Bedtime After Hours” (an Open-ended Q&A), and so much more. These shared experiences provided ample avenues of interaction for the shotis and ahias alike.
The event sets many milestones for the committee and even the ECA space as a whole. It is the first student-led onsite event after the resumption of face-to-face or HyfleXS classes, and the first event of the rebranded Xue Di Committee under the supervision of the HS Student Activity Program Office. Naturally, having so many firsts came with several challenges from the genesis of planning up until mere hours before the event, but the Xue Di Committee prevails with a drive to not only explore the HyfleXS setup, but make each step in doing so purposeful.
As for the experience itself, take it from two students who saw both ends of the event as organizers and participants. A Grade 11 ahia from the gold group, Migo Lagamon, who also happens to be the Administrative Officer of the Xue Di Committee, mentioned how the interaction is a manifestation of the committee’s hard work especially being able to experience it firsthand as a participant. Furthermore, John Yalung, also an ahia participant for the online group and the Media & Marketing Head of the committee, considered the interaction as a 
turning point for the Xue Di Committee and expressed his excitement with the fact that this is far from the end of the committee’s plans this school year.
The Xue Di Committee has also mentioned that the Welcome Xue Di interaction only serves as an initial avenue of interaction as there will still be more events seeking to promote the spirit of brotherhood within the community. Driven by a mission to “Leave no 兄弟 behind,” the committee has plans to expand its scope and truly live up to the new dawn that their recent rebranding has set forth.
As a whole, Beyond Borders: Welcome Xue Di Interaction 2022 is a testament to so many milestones and risks that the Xue Di Committee was bold enough to take, and quite frankly, they did not merely survive; they’re thriving. With the exploration far from over, students remain excited for what else the committee has to offer on both modalities.
