Reported by Yang Kai-chieh, Campus Correspondent
At the Golden Bell Awards ceremony for radio broadcasting, when the presenter announced the winner of “I’ve Liked You for a Long Time”, Sheng Bao-xin and Wang Yi-quan walked onto the stage in gowns with looks of astonishment. Standing beside them was their teacher Wu Yu-xuan (Snake) — an alumnus of the Communication Department at National Chengchi University and this year’s recipient of the Youth Program Host Award, as well as the mentor who introduced them to audio production.
This moment came only a year or two after the two students first met in Wu’s class on “Audio Self-Media Application and Creation” at NCCU. Through countless discussions and rounds of refinement, they ultimately completed the work that would be honored on the Golden Bell stage.
More Than Just General Education
The story began with a general education course titled “Audio Self-Media Application and Creation.”
For Sheng Bao-xin, a student majoring in Chinese Studies, this was an unexpected journey filled with passion. She had never planned to pursue audio work, but after hearing Neck’s lecture and being moved by his enthusiasm, she decided to take the course. Meanwhile, Wang Yi-quan, who already had experience with the university’s radio station Voice of NCCU, saw the class as an opportunity to refine her production and planning skills to better match professional industry standards.
Rather than following a traditional theory-based approach, the course functioned like a pre-professional boot camp. From ideation and proposal, to recording, editing, and publication, students were required to produce a complete audio show from scratch. It was during the final project of this class that Bao-xin demonstrated her unique talent for planning, while Yi-quan excelled in precise editing — leading both to be invited to join Wu’s production team for “I’ve Liked You for a Long Time.”
Endless Weekly Meetings
Yi-quan recalls thinking at first, “There’s no way we’d ever win a Golden Bell,” but once their teacher believed in them, they committed fully. The journey toward the Golden Bell was paved with countless nights of anxiety and hard work. The show was set in a fictional youth hostel, where interactions among guests, helpers (Yi-quan and Bao-xin), and the owner (Snake) used sound to teach listeners how to produce audio programs.
Though the concept sounded romantic, its execution was intensely demanding. The team held meetings every Monday, recorded every Tuesday, and submitted work by Friday, with numerous revisions interspersed throughout. “The pressure was really intense,” Bao-xin confessed. As a producer, she often struggled to balance her own creative ideas with her teacher’s professional standards. In one episode discussion, Neck — blessed with a naturally great voice — argued that articulation was innate and couldn’t be taught, whereas Bao-xin insisted the show should include concrete practice methods for beginners. Conflicting perspectives frequently led to entire segments being rewritten, sometimes even moments before recording.
Meanwhile, Yi-quan experienced her own kind of breakdown. A single episode’s rough cut could take four to five hours, with fine-tuning seemingly endless. She laughed while saying that she once received a revision call while riding her scooter. During that time, social life, family gatherings, and sleep were all sacrificed, and they even enlisted nearly a hundred people to record opening segments and sound effects. What sustained them was no longer just the small stipend, but a sense of responsibility — because “once your hair has been washed, you have to see it through” — and a stubborn desire to prove something.
“Parents, Please Listen to Me”
Their long sonic expedition ultimately culminated in glory on the Golden Bell stage. While the award was officially for Wu as the Youth Program Host, the trophy held profound personal meaning for the two students and their families.
For a long time, Bao-xin’s parents didn’t understand her dedication to audio production: “Why did you spend so much money on equipment?” “Why do you go home and stare at the computer?” Yi-quan’s parents even worried she’d only be able to make a living “selling medicine at a radio station.” “Before we won, they didn’t even know what I was doing,” she said with a wry smile. But on the day of the awards ceremony, she brought her entire family and friends, and when her name was called, all the doubts vanished.
Yi-quan shared a touching moment: before going on stage, she asked her parents what she should say in her speech. Her father asked for only one thing: “Just say our names.” So others would believe it was truly their daughter. She did exactly that, thanking her parents loudly on stage. That brief speech was later clipped by her father — who isn’t adept with technology — and played repeatedly in their family chat group and at his workplace.
That Golden Bell became a bridge for reconciliation with their families, proving that those sleepless nights and persistence were worthwhile.
The Endless Possibilities of Sound
Now that this chapter has closed, Yi-quan still yearns for the pure companionship that radio can offer, hoping to be the voice that comforts others late at night. Bao-xin sees this experience as invaluable nourishment; she has experimented in public relations, film festivals, and other fields, with audio production now a vital part of her diverse skill set.
Looking back on their journey from a general education class to the Golden Bell stage, their advice to younger students is practical: “Start early and make full use of school resources.” Even a general education course, if embraced wholeheartedly, can become a life-changing beginning — much like the youth hostel in “I’ve Liked You for a Long Time”, where guests arrive with different stories and leave with new strength. Sheng Bao-xin and Wang Yi-quan, once guests themselves, have now packed their bags and are ready for their next destination.
