Newsletter No. 2

CUHK Newsletter 10 The short answer to the caption is that the ceremony for the conferment of first degrees will be held in the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall instead. But what about those days before 1978’ when there was no Sir Run Run Shaw Hall? To answer this, the Newsletter has probed into the history of the Un i v e r s i t y 's commencement exercises. Prior to 1976, all commencements took place in the City Hall. But very soon the number of graduates and guests outgrew the hall's capacity and the University decided to move everything back to the campus. Many possible venues were considered before the University Mall was finally chosen for its central location, its spaciousness and grandeur. One drawback though is the mall's openness, which makes it vulnerable to the elements. The organizers of the congregation in 1976 therefore made sure that the ceremony took place only during the autumn months when the weather is cool and dry. On 21st December, 1976’ the University held its 17th congregation on the campus for the first time. Everything went smoothly as scheduled and it was a great success. The only complaint came from students and guests sitting at the back, who, because of the distance from the stage, could not see clearly how things proceeded up front. And that prompted the idea of installing closed-circuit television on the ceremonial ground for all future congregations. The next congregation, the 18th one, was scheduled to take place on the afternoon of 3rd November, 1977. With the experience of the previous year to guide them, the organizers had everything well prepared by the end of October. But then the weather turned unstable 一 it began to drizzle. The Information and Public Relations Section (now renamed the Information Office) hastened to make enquiries at the Royal Observatory, whose forecast was that the sky would clear in a few days. So things proceeded as originally planned. On the morning of 3rd November 1977, all was ready. At about ten o'clock, however, some began to worry about the black clouds that were looming overhead. At eleven, alas, it started to rain! Ms. Amy Yui, Information and Public Relations Officer, lost no time in seeking instructions from the Vice-Chancellor, Professor C . M . L i, who believed that the rain would stop very soon and ruled that no change in schedule be necessary. But it rained only harder and harder. By noon, the heavy downpour finally washed away all hopes of a clear sky for the congregation. The Vice-Chancellor had no other choice but to revoke his decision and order that everything be moved immediately to the Chung Chi Chapel, which would be used as the ceremonial ground fo r the 18th congregation. With only two hours to go, everybody was in a frenzy, A van was immediately sent to broadcast this news round the campus. Staff from the Information and Public Relations Section rushed to the Chapel to make seating and other necessary arrangements. The Buildings Office hurried to dismantle all the equipment, public address systems and TV sets and have them set up again in the new venue. The Business Section of the Bursary speedily moved all the chairs, tables, food and dunk- from the central campus to Chung Chi. Roads were crammed with people an d vehicles heading for different directions. In the midst of all that, graduates and guests arrived w i th dripping umbrellas and raincoats, all bewildered and contused ‘The commotion was unheard of on the campus,’ said Mr. K. C. Young, then assistant bursar of the Business Section. ‘Even the Governor's car got caught in the traffic and the security guards had to clear the way before his car could reach the Chung Chi Chapel ,' he continued. After a lot of hustle and bustle, the 18th congregation began on time in the Chung Chi Chapel Graduates sat huddled together because there weren't enough benches. Parents and guests had to watch the ceremony through closed-circuit television in the Chung Chi College Staff Canteen. The Police Band, who had been invited by the University to provide music for the occasion, found themselves (twenty odd people in all) confined in a small room at the Chapel. Whenever they blew their trumpets and beat their drums, their ears ached with the deafening re verberation of their own music. But the greatest irony came at the end: when eventually everything was done and everybody was about to leave, the sky began to clear. According to Ms. Amy Yui, the officer in overall charge of the 18th congregation, contingency plans for wet weather had been made as early as 1976. The problem with the 1977 congregation was that they had too little time to switch from one plan to the other and that no one