YOU CAN BE WHAT YOU CAN SEE
Cognia
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Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), UK
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Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
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Edexcel, UK Examination Board
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AQA Examination Board, Oxford, UK
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Authoritative
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Speech Under the National Flag | Flag-Raising Ceremony, Week 2 of the First Semester, Academic Year 2026–2027
2026-08-18
Host
Deng Ruiqing Roger / Li Haoxuan Lucas
Growing outside your comfort zone
At the assembly hall on Monday morning, after the national anthem had concluded and the flag‑raising team had withdrawn, the emcee did not, as usual, announce the meeting adjourned. Instead, he invited two students who had just finished an outdoor team‑building activity to come up and share a few words.
Kevin and Fisher stood side by side, without scripts.
They posed the first question to the audience: When you reach the summit, does that gust of wind feel the same as the cold air from an air conditioner? Those who’ve been there know the answer—standing at the top, drenched in sweat, and feeling the wind blow over you is nothing like sitting indoors with the AC on. As for those who haven’t gone, they may have saved a day’s worth of energy, but they can’t escape the exhilarating sense of, “I actually made it to the top.”
The conversation drifted back to those early mornings. When the alarm went off, no one felt like getting up—but once you did, the sky you saw was something the classmates who stayed at school never got to see. What they really wanted to say, in a nutshell, was this: some experiences are yours to have only if you go out and seek them.
Then they started talking about the “air-conditioned room.” Beyond the realm of growth and exploration, is there anyone stuck in such an “air-conditioned room”—avoiding the questions they dare not ask, sticking to the subjects they’re good at, and refusing to speak with those they don’t know well? It’s certainly comfortable in there, but staying too long means missing out on so much—and those missed opportunities might be things you don’t even realize you’ve overlooked.
Finally, we talked about the teacher giving students a little nudge. At the moment, you might feel annoyed—wondering why the teacher insists on intervening. But those who were gently guided out of the “cold room” often look back and realize that bit of discomfort was well worth it.
After the two finished speaking, the audience fell silent for a few seconds before applause broke out.
Feng Bo concluded with a final remark. He did not repeat the words of the two students, but added one sentence: Education is not about making choices for others; it is about helping people see clearly the costs behind those choices. In the end, what Yinghua does is to push you forward, accompany you as you look back, and then let you decide for yourself—whether that cost is worth it.
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