Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2003

Choice of the Heart Carson Tse Winner of the 2002 Chinese Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Why The Chinese University? It was New Asia College and his own academic interest which drove Carson Tse to choose The Chinese University three years back. Moved by the passion for Chinese culture evident in articles written by New Asia's founders, he was eager to experience the spirit of the college they had founded. Also as someone with a keen interest in law and politics, he felt the University's Department o f Government and Public Administration could offer exactly what he wanted. Carson believes what the University has given h im is rationality and knowledge whereas New As ia has p l a y e d an important role in h i s c h a r a c t er g r o w t h . A t New A s i a , f o r instance, there are general courses in the college's history and the teachings of its founders which emphasize traditional Chinese culture while balancing it w i t h Western learning. ‘They prompt us to reflect on our cultural roots and our history as we move forward with the times,' he said. Serving Fellow Students and the Community Carson has found ample opportunities at CUHK to involve himself in extracurricular activities with a service orientation. He was a member of the student society of his academic department and that of the Representative Council of New Asia College Student Union, both for a year. Outside the University, he was a member of the Sir Edward Youde Scholars' Association and was chosen to represent the University in the Hong Kong Outstanding Tertiary Student Service Association. Last summer he helped the association to organize ‘Youth Evo l u t i on ', a series of activities targeted at secondary school students, including training camps, workshops, and visits to hospitals and rehabilitation centres for the mentally ill. He was awarded the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Scholarship last year. Carson feels that the ma j o r i ty o f university students today are only ‘passively willing' to do social service, probably because they are too busy. He is optimistic that even the more apathetic ones w i l l become more active in social service i f given enough prodding to try it but once. Chinese University Bulletin Spring • Summer 2003 20