Together with GHRM MBA students Hkawn San (Joy) from Myanmar and Lê Ngọc Bích Thủy (Sam) from Vietnam, AV Takao Montania zu Kaohsiung were announced as one of winners in the recently concluded Si Wan College's Life Imitation Art Challenge. This fraternity with a creative submission in imitating a classical art bagged the Committee's Choice Award. Students Wu Yi-Chin (Taiwan, IBMBA), Tran Thi Mai Hanh (Vietnam, IMAPA), Hkawn San (Myanmar, GHRM), and Jirka Libal (Czech Republic, IBMBA Alumni), together with Moritz Valentin Märki (Switzerland, IBMBA) who took the photo, partook in the award-winning submission.

About their fraternity

Their group have shared to us that AV Takao Montania zu Kaohsiung is the first fraternity in Taiwan, established in 2017. Their goal is to let students have a nice students' life outside the classroom. Therefore, they hold different kinds of social events throughout the semester in order to generate a lifelong friendship between their members. They shared to us that they are political and religious neutral, and they are open to students of all subjects and all nationalities.    

On their inspiration to join the competition

When we asked them, what was their inspiration in joining the competition, they told us that they saw a chance to use their capacity as fraternity. They wanted to do this together and demonstrate their fraternity, that is why they chose a relatively unknown drawing from the 19^th century to show that the tradition shown in the painting is still alive today. AV Takao Montania zu Kaohsiung also wanted to be advertised to art students because they think it would be good to know creative people since for them, as business or marketing people, they will have to work together with designers.

On their preparation for the competition

Confidently answering our question on how they prepared for that, they told us that they didn't have to prepare that much for the competition since they are already a good team! One of the key points they shared to us is that, they chose an original painting that already shows a fraternity so they could just take the photo as they are. As they mentioned, their aim is to show that their tradition is still alive.

On their award-winning submission

On the picture is the der Landesvater from Georg Mühlberg, which is a group of German fraternity students at the end of the 19th century. The art shows people shaking hands who were also using a rapier to stab their fraternity hats. They told us that even if the extraordinary scenery might look strange, it is still a tradition (der Landesvater) worth acknowledging. 

Sharing to us what is Der Landesvater, they told us that is a tradition that started in the early ages of student's history within the 17th century and had several changes in its meaning during the time. Originally students used to destroy their hat and repair it with a decorative symbol to show their love for a woman or their loyalty to their country leader or political idea.

They also told us that since the establishment of student fraternities we know today, the meaning of this tradition actually changed. The fraternity students now use Landesvater to celebrate their friendship usually after a successful semester they spend together at the university.

Again, our generous applause to AV Takao Montania zu Kaohsiung for bagging the award! The office believes that your organization will continue to foster your organization's goal to help the students and build a happy and friendly environment for them. More power to the AV Takao Montania zu Kaohsiung! (https://www.facebook.com/takaomontania/)