Last Sunday, each student at NYU Shanghai returned home to find a flower on their door. This was part of the yearly tradition organized by the Clubs and SLR committees where Freshmen, Sophomores, and Study Away students are randomly allocated a ‘spring-fling.’ A fierce competition then ensued between who could take the best selfie with their flowers and their designated spring-fling. Photographs were posted on Facebook with a fun-fact or compliment about each person, and the creativity seemed to be exponential. #SpringFling kicked off the first ever NYU Shanghai ‘Spirit Week’ Viva La Violet: Ignite Your Light, presented by the Student Government. The aim was to “to toast an amazing year of the great friendships and family we have at NYU Shanghai” and to “take the time to enjoy the moments and celebrate the Violet life.” The weekend began with a volleyball and basketball game against Duke Kunshan University. NYU Shanghai students arrived to support their classmates and both teams played so excellently they sent Duke Kunshan “back to the suburbs of Shanghai". Monday was renamed ‘PJ Monday’ as students were encouraged to show their spirit and arrived at school in their pajamas. Those traumatizing 8:15am lectures suddenly became a lot more comfortable. The Student Government also held an Ice Cream Social in the evening and the B1 Fun Room was flooded with hungry PJ-clad students eager to sample vanilla, chocolate, and tiramisu ice cream as well as vegan-friendly pineapple, mango, and strawberry sherbet. Tuesday became ‘Twin Tuesday’ as friends got together and dressed alike. Photographs were again showcased on Facebook and there was even an accident triplet in some cases. Wednesday was ‘Wacky Wednesday’ where you could come to school wearing clothes that really don’t make sense together without any strange looks from your peers. Students could also stop by Student Life to get a thank you note to give to staff whom they really appreciate. Selfies with that staff member were, of course, obligatory. Thursday was surrounded by ‘Violet Vibes’ as students showed their school spirit by dressing in violet head to toe. The first ever Student Government Forum was also held to “discuss transitions, traditions, changes, the growing identity of NYU Shanghai and our part in shaping it.” To finish off Spirit Week, the Student Government held the Spring Formal: Ignite the Night where students were given the opportunity to get dressed up and let their hair down. Read more here (link to Spring Formal article) Long Live Violet! This article was written by Stephanie Bailey. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYUSH Student Government