University Celebration Full of Memories, Meetings, and Music. Over 1000 People at the Gdańsk Tech Concert
Last Saturday, Gdańsk Tech became first a place for touching reunions of alumni, meetings after many years, and the awarding of jubilee medals, and in the evening – it was filled with the biggest hits of Polish popular music. Over a thousand spectators took part in the musical finale of the University Celebration.
Last Saturday, Gdańsk Tech became first a place for touching reunions of alumni, meetings after many years, and the awarding of jubilee medals, and in the evening – it was filled with the biggest hits of Polish popular music. Over a thousand spectators took part in the musical finale of the University Celebration.
The campus was filled from morning with conversations, reunions after years, memories, group photos, and joyful attempts to recognize former classmates. A special place in the program was reserved for graduates who received their diplomas from Gdańsk Tech exactly 50 years ago. They were the recipients of the jubilee medals.
The guests were welcomed by Prof. Krzysztof Wilde, Rector of Gdańsk Tech.
– Dear Jubilarians, the world looked completely different when you left the university walls. Technologies we now consider everyday were then distant visions or even fantasies. It was your generation that shaped these visions that later changed the world. The experience of our alumni fully demonstrates the value of the education gained at Gdańsk Tech.
Prof. Justyna Kucińska-Lipka, Vice-Rector for Development, also spoke about the importance of alumni ties with the university.
– We would like alumni to be even more present in the life of the university – she emphasized. – I encourage you to participate in initiatives and events of the Gdańsk Tech Alumni Association, to share your knowledge and experience, but also to be ambassadors of our university in your environment. I hope today's meeting is an opportunity not only to recall memories but also an impulse for new contacts, ideas, and possibly new forms of cooperation with our shared university.
On behalf of the Gdańsk Tech Alumni Association, the main organizer of Alumni Day, the guests were also welcomed by Jan Strawiński, Chairperson of SAPG.
Returns to faculties, laboratories, and student posters
At the faculties, there were year-group meetings, lectures, presentations, and laboratory tours. For many participants, it was an opportunity to return after years to well-known places, see how the buildings, rooms, and workshops have changed, and compare their own memories with the current face of the university.
One of the accompanying events was an exhibition of student posters from the People's Republic of Poland era, presented in the lobby of building B of the Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics at Gdańsk Tech. The exhibition features several dozen posters and flyers from the collections of the Museum of Independence in Warsaw and the Kraków Library, including works by Edward Lutczyn, Henryk Sawka, Henryk Tomaszewski, and Andrzej Pągowski. The exhibition recalls the rich cultural heritage of student life during the PRL period: theater, music, cabaret, film, press, student clubs, as well as nationwide events like the Student Song Festival, FAMA, and the PRL Student Culture Festival.
A concert that warmed up the Main Building
The musical finale of Alumni Day was a concert under the motto “Just ask me to dance.” Although originally planned outdoors, due to weather the event was moved inside the Main Building of Gdańsk Tech. However, the change of venue did not diminish interest or the audience’s energy. On the contrary – the university's interiors were filled almost to the last seat. All available tickets were distributed, and the event was attended by over 1000 people.
Performing on stage were the Academic Choir of Gdańsk Tech conducted by Prof. Mariusz Mroz, accompanied by the Representative Orchestra of the Navy under the baton of Commander Ensign Grzegorz Rudnik. The concert was hosted by Krzysztof Dąbrowski.
Contrary to the rainy weather, the concert opened with the song “Tyle słońca w całym mieście” (So Much Sun in the Whole City) from Anna Jantar’s repertoire. Later, the audience enjoyed “Nie dokazuj” by Marek Grechuta, “Gdzie się podziały tamte prywatki” by Wojciech Gąssowski, “Byłaś serca biciem” by Andrzej Zaucha, “Orkiestry dęte” by Halina Kunicka, “Gdzie ci mężczyźni” by Danuta Rinn, “O mnie się nie martw” by Katarzyna Sobczyk, “Kwiaty we włosach” by Czerwone Gitary, “Medytacje wiejskiego listonosza” by Skaldowie, and the title piece “Tylko mnie poproś do tańca” by Anna Jantar.
From the very beginning, the atmosphere was relaxed, cheerful, and full of positive energy. Among the listeners, spontaneous dancing was not lacking. The combination of the academic choir with the brass orchestra gave familiar songs a new, original sound. None of these pieces had previously been performed for choir and brass orchestra, and the unique arrangements specially prepared for this concert were created by: Krzysztof Herdzin, Adam Lemańczyk, Michał Gozdek, and Michał Szlempo.
When the last notes faded, the audience was reluctant to let the artists leave the stage. Standing ovations returned again and again, and the repeated applause was a clear signal that this evening should not end too quickly. The artists performed five encores.
Concert and Alumni Day in the media:
