On the evening of May 27, the Graduation Party for the Class of 2026 from the Department of Communication (DCom) at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University, came to a heartfelt close. Surrounded by the serene charm of a lakeside Chinese architecture, graduates from the programmes of Chinese Culture and Global Communication (CCGC), Media and Communication (MCOM), and Public Relations and Advertising (PRA) gathered to celebrate a night of farewell and new beginnings.

The evening theme was “home” and “paper kite”, representing DCom is both a harbor from which its students set sail and the thread that gently holds each kite aloft. Faculty and students were invited to dress in attire with traditional Chinese elements to give a touch of Eastern elegance to the evening.

Before the dinner commenced, attendees posed for photos with classmates and professors in a beautifully arranged portrait area. A vintage-style instant camera captured smiles and embraces, transforming fleeting moments into tangible keepsakes. Each guest also received a warm gift from DCom: a small house-shaped storage box, representing the department’s enduring warmth; a felt dairy to record the beauty and insights along their life journey; and a kite-shaped phone grip and strap, reminding them that wherever they are, they remain tethered to home.

Amid laughter and cheer, the party began. The host invited Dr. Jesse Owen Hearns-Branaman, Head of the Department of Communication, and Dr. Xiaying Xu, Associate Head, to deliver opening remarks. One by one, faculty members who had accompanied the students through their university years stepped forward to offer heartfelt blessings. As guests gathered around tables to savour the feast, warmth and humour flowed effortlessly and left cherished moments between teachers and students.

（Left: Dr. Jesse Owen Hearns-Branaman, Head of the Department of Communication

Right: Dr. Xiaying Xu, Associate Head of the Department of Communication）

As the night drew to a close, the graduates raised their glasses to one another, their happiness and good wishes lingering long in the evening air. In the days ahead, they will carry their knowledge and professional passion into paths of their own choosing. And DCom will always be there, as the thread that holds the kite: no matter how high or far they fly, at the other end of the line, there is home, with all its love and quiet blessings.

To the DCom Class of 2026: may you, like a kite, ride the wind and soar ten thousand miles toward your horizon.