Recently, Xinya College's "One Thing Plan" launched the "Qu-Wan" project, to make some explorations to fight against the trend of "involution". In the Chinese language, "Qu Wan" can refer to "going out for fun" and also "finding something interesting for fun". The project is designed to encourage students to be adventurous, enjoy themselves in playing, discover interests, and pursue their aspirations. Saying the word "Qu Wan" elided, you will pronounce it as "埢 (Quán)". The Chinese character is composed of "土 (lit. land)" and "卷 (lit. rolling)", resembling the shape of the word "内卷 (lit. involution)". It tries to convey the idea of "rolling out to the vast land of China instead of being trapped in a corner". Mei Ciqi, Dean of Xinya College, once said that we tend to be oblivious to the world around us and rarely realize that we are walking in the landscape. Therefore, the project plans to set up three teams to explore parks, museums, and factories and mines in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Yet, would such a call degenerate into an awkward campaign with tiresome rigid requirements? "Playing" is not just about relaxation or stress-relieving. Determination is required to make time to "play", and confidence is demanded to open up to possibilities during playing. Moreover, the invitation to "play together"—such a cheerful gesture—asks for a delicate balance between "formal" and "informal," "organized" and "spontaneous". To delve into these issues, Wang Jianing, a student of Xinya College enrolled in 2020, convened a collective talk at noon on April 7. Dean Mei Ciqi, Deputy Dean Zhang Weite and Student Work Group Head Zhang Yuanzhe attended the gathering together with students from inside and outside Xinya College.

Wu Shanghong from the School of Life Sciences strongly agreed that "playing" requires determination when recalling his football playing in childhood—it necessitates carving out time for something you love. As Wu increasingly dedicated himself to football, he realized that the boundary between "play" and "career" became blurred. The prioritization—where "playing" should have been to serve learning or health better—started to waver. He found it challenging to define what "play" brought him because the process of "playing", with its insights and growth, has already become the very purpose itself.

Yan Ziyue, a law major enrolled in 2022, realized during her study tour in Japan that "traveling thousands of miles" is more informative and directly impactful than "reading thousands of books". "Playing" allows us to witness the world firsthand, becoming not just recipients but collectors and interpreters of information. Mei Ciqi mentioned that "traveling" and "reading" should be complementary to each other. Encouraging students to play is also an expectation for them to break the dichotomy of life between "semesters" and "vacations", and between "on-campus" and "off-campus", to foster connections with reality and specific individuals. This resonated deeply with Gao Letian, a student enrolled in 2023. She believed that human connections are the prerequisite for "play". Without genuine companionship, activities can be nothing but formalism.

Yan Ziyue also noted the clash between the purity of "play" and the formality of structured systems. Unlike traveling happily with friends in a "leaderless group", when she took on the responsibility as a team leader during practical activities, the pressure of organization and decision-making made "play" slightly unpleasant. Therefore, she suggested that participating students work together to plan and organize the corresponding activity under the "Qu-Wan" project. Dean Mei Ciqi analyzed that organizing trips seems simple but in fact, entails numerous challenges concerning cooperation and decision-making. However, one of the goals of the "Qu-Wan" project is to expose students to such challenges, require them to experience and develop solutions, and thus make preparations for facing a more complex world. He is convinced that establishing a core team and identifying key figures are more effective than relying solely on formal authority. Nevertheless, the challenge remains on how to avoid falling into exclusive "clique culture", a question that requires deep consideration.

Both Ren Yixue and Zhang Shengji, students enrolled in 2023, said that their passion for "playing" often diminishes in the midst of value prioritization and indecision: Should I play? Or should I study? Indeed, stepping out of the school gates seems simple, but when the intricate "priorities" linger in the mind, spending an afternoon in the park may demand the courage to challenge or even deviate from the accepted value system. Wang Jianing, the founder of the "Qu-Wan" project, pointed out that one effect of the initiative was to provide people with the determination to "play". Dean Mei Ciqi added that "playing" is not necessarily useless compared to "studying". The diverse things encountered during travels may offer a great variety of inspiration. "Playing" itself also requires determination, and at times, its materialization demands students to dare to "set goals" and "press" themselves to achieve such goals.

As for the question raised by Wang Zhengjun, a student enrolled in 2022, "Shouldn't we come for fun when we are in the mood and leave when the passion is exhausted?" Dean Mei Ciqi replied that the "Qu-Wan" project advocates team exploration. Unlike individual travel, it requires preliminary design, personnel organization, and cross-faculty cooperation, all of which challenge students' planning abilities. How to play and what kind of variations can be introduced also push students to give rein to imagination and creativity: With no "out-of-the-ordinary" experiences but only race along the thoroughfare, how can one truly witness the diverse aspects of life?

Zhu Boyu, a student enrolled in 2023, shared his insights from organizing a recent "Xinya-Yuanpei" class outing. In response to students' query about participating in the "Qu-Wan" project as a class, Dean Mei Ciqi suggested not to set it as a necessary requirement. External recognition or rewards are not the reason the "Qu-Wan" project survives, thus it has no evaluation indicators such as "participation". The project's core purpose is to provide a platform for like-minded travel partners to expand and challenge themselves and enjoy "playing".

"How do you know the beauty of spring when you are not in the garden?" As pressure and indicators weave our minds into a criss-cross system of tradeoffs, "playing" without guilt can be the first step towards self-consistency. Stepping out of our familiar surroundings and into gardens, appreciating spring scenery, and seeing the world with fresh eyes as if we were foreigners—this is precisely the initial intention of the "Qu-Wan" project.

Text by Chen Nuo