Newsletter No. 1

CUHK Newsletter CUHK Newsletter 1. The Newsletter is published around the middle of each month. Items for the next issue should reach the Editor by 23rd December, 1989. 2. The following two types of contributions should be sent via the Information Office of the University Secretariat (ext. 2358) on prescribed forms: a) staff external/community services and academic achievements; b) announcements by university units. 3. All other contributions and suggestions should be directed to the Editor, CUHK Newsletter, c/o the Publication Office, University Secretariat, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (ext. 2936). 4. Contributions should be accompanied with Chinese translations; otherwise they will appear in the English version of the N e w s l e t t er o n l y . 5. The Editor reserves the right to reject contributions and to edit all articles for reasons of clarity, length or grammar. Those who do not wish to have their articles amended should indicate clearly in writing. 6. All suggestions and articles should hear the name of the writer and his/her contact telephone number. 7 . No part of this N e w s l e t t er may be reproduced without the written consent of the Editor. 8. This publication has a circulation of 1,100 and is primarily intended for staff members of CUHK. Copies are also sent to local educational institutions and individuals associated with the University. Those who wish to be included on the mailing list please contact the Newsletter direct. House, but to no avail. In the end, five per cent of the animals and 10 per cent of the new boms were found dead. Thereafter we become ultra sensitive to any possible hazard that might cause similar casualty. 'On another occasion we were asked to find a golden hamster of about 100 grams for an experiment. We searched and searched but were later told that even the biggest golden hamsters will not weigh more than 40 grams each.' Mr. Ng now heads a team of 21 staff members, whose work involves general maintenance of the Animal House, feeding and mating op animals, observing them and keeping records, and arranging for them to be killed painlessly after they have been returned from experiments. 'A tedious part of our job is feeding the animals. They devour an average of six tons of food eachmonth and the cost of food alone is over $500,000 a year. Very often we have to come back on holidays just to feed them. Last year we churned out some 60,000 animals for experiments and you am imagine the size of our job. At one time, no one wanted to work here and we suffered from a serious shortage of manpower. Luckily that was all history,' he said. Does one have to be an animal lover to work in the Animal House? Yes and no. According to Mr. Ng, you cannot do the job well unless you love animals. But if you love them too much, you will suffer immeasurably whenever you have to turn them over to those who will eventually kill them. One of Mr. Ng's staff had to be transferred simply because he had too soft a heart Perhaps Mr. Ng should design a gauge for assessing lovingness when he next recruits new staff.