Want to take students forward? Soochow University scraps old school bus, alumni fundraise to turn it into a café

Reported by You T-Ru / Taipei

As the new semester is about to begin, Soochow University has recently unveiled a unique sight: behind the Zheshe Building on the main campus, a decommissioned old school bus is parked, its interior redesigned as a café-style seating area. A coffee menu is displayed at the entrance. This 40-year-old bus, which was originally scheduled to be scrapped this year, has now been repurposed into the “Old School Bus Café” after retirement. Though it can no longer hit the road, it continues to accompany the students.


▲% Class? Soochow University Alumni, the retired campus café. (Image via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E6%9D%B1%E5%90%B3-x-CHORD%E6%A0%A1%E8%BB%8A%E5%92%96%E5%95%A1/763367800371059))


A group of Soochow University alumni who graduated around 1991 learned that the 40-year-old school bus was about to be decommissioned. Unwilling to let the bus full of memories leave the campus, they pooled money to buy it and transformed the interior into a coffee space. Alumni member Wang Junwen said, “The old school bus used to be a means of transport between the main and urban campuses, and it holds shared memories for both teachers and students.”

This school bus, infused with the love of alumni, was donated back to the university after renovation, turning what was once a scrap asset into a valuable reinvented idea. “For every cup of coffee sold, five dollars are donated back to Soochow University.” To show gratitude for their alma mater’s nurturing, the Old School Bus Café donates five dollars from each coffee purchase to the school’s operational fund.Wang Junwen said that operating the revamped old school bus aims to become a unique attraction on campus, providing students with part-time job opportunities. “If students want to start their own businesses, the bus’s operation model could also serve as a platform.”

 
▲ Wang Junwen said, “The old school bus used to be a means of transport between the main and urban campuses, and it holds shared memories for both teachers and students.” (Photo / from East Soochow x CHORD School Bus Café)

The “Old School Bus Café” is currently in a trial operation phase and will officially open on September 17. It is located behind the Zheshe Building on the main campus. The interior has been fully transformed, with the original seats converted into booth-style seating, attracting many students who returned to campus early for a visit. Wang Junwen said, “Although the old school bus can no longer travel on the road, we still hope to accompany Soochow University students in moving forward in a different way.”


▲ The “Old School Bus Café” is currently in a trial operation phase and will officially open on September 17. (Photo / from East Soochow x CHORD School Bus Café)