Newsletter No. 14

No. 14 Jan.1991 CUHK Newsletter only the spot lights and the slowly revolving great silver ball hanging from the centre of the roof, casting irregular and colourful moving patterns on the walls and ceiling. Guests first ordered their pre-dinner drinks from a selection slip placed on their tables and then bought them at the bar. At 8.00 p.m., the self-service buffet started. Queues formed on both sides of the hall in front of food counters prepared by an outside caterer while some eager couples chose to dance before they ate. For those who preferred to watch people dance rather than take the steps themselves, the night was equally enjoyable with lots of games and performances in between breaks in the dancing. Performances and games There was a Wu Style Tai Chi Chuen demonstration, a jazz and social dance performance, and a quiz for advocates of environmental protection. For those who wanted to test the strength of their loins, there was the Limbo Rock. The most entertaining performer was the six feet plus Michael Bond of the Psychology Department while the winners were Grace Lee of the Medical Faculty Office and Lau Wing Chung of the Physical Education Unit. Empress & Emperor of the Prom, The highlights of the night were the elections of the Empress and the Emperor of the Prom' . Those ladies who were sure that they could receive the largest number of roses from other guests that night, or simply wanted to give themselves a try, had to outdo Melody Chong of the Vice-Chancellor's Office, who received 56 roses and was eventually crowned Empress of the Prom'. The two princesses receiving some 30 roses each were Lily Tang, sister-in-law of Benny Tsao of the Music Department, and Mary Lena Fung of the Physical Education Unit. Those gentlemen who believed they had a better answer to questions like 'What is the most valuable thing you think your wife has given you', or 'Who would use the newly won Porsche 一 you, your wife or your girlfriend, when your family has an old Honda Civic in use', or 'Who is the boss in the family', should have come forth as the contestants for the Emperor of the Prom'. However, only those with presentable hairy legs and impressive beer bellies would have been chosen to enter the final round to pick their questions. Jacob Leung, the University Secretary and one of the five finalists, declared that the most valuable thing his wife had given him was herself. He probably repeated this to Mrs. Leung when he returned home with the trophy he won. The second on the list was Roger Eston of the Physical Education Unit, who would give the Porsche to his wife because if his wife was happy, he would be happy too. C. N. Chen, head of Shaw College and professor of psychiatry, confessed to the Prom' that he thought he 'was' the boss in the family but he ' isn't' . This answer placed him in the third position. Lucky draw At around 11.30 p.m., the climax of the Prom' was reached with the lucky draw. There were a total of 43 prizes donated by generous colleagues, council members, good friends of the University and various friendly companies and organizations. For reasons unknown, holder of ticket no. 202 failed to turn up when his number was drawn and missed the chance of taking home the first prize: a Toshiba25'multisystem colour TV set. Everyone re-lifted their hopes after the MC had declared the ticket void and Eric Ho of the Management Information Unit won the envy of all when his number was picked. Mora dancing & singing About half of the guests left the Prom' by midnight, leaving the once-too-crowded dance floor to those who wanted to dance away the night, and the stage to the song lovers who sang along w i t h the Karaoke. Tomas Almberg and his wife, Shiu Pang Almberg of the Translation Department, winners of the Best Dancing Couple, and possibly also Graham Sunderland of the Surgery Department, who received a special award for his stylish kilt, were probably the last to leave when the Prom’ ended at 1.00 a.m. on 9th December. Epilogue There might have been complaints about food, both quantitywise and qualitywise, but as Gwen Kao, the chairperson of the December Prom' Organizing Committee, reiterated in her brief opening address - the Prom' was notjust an enjoyable social gathering, it demonstrated the strength of team work and helped to foster a community spirit on campus. It did! The Campus Link itself speaks for this. It is a campus concern group formed in May last year to coordinate social activities for the University community. Member organizations include the CampusNews, the Chinese University Women's Organization, Chung Chi College Staff Club, the Information Office, New Asia College Staff Association, Shaw College Staff Association, Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, the Staff Common Room and United College Staff Association. Just imagine how many hands contributed and how many evenings with families or boy and girl friends were sacrificed to make the Prom’ a reality. Three cheers to the heroes behind the scenes! 9