Newsletter No. 325

No. 325,19.10.2008 泛珠三角高校競技 中大 奪亞 CUHK First Runner-up in Pearl River Delta Varsity Games 中 大參加澳門特別行政區政府高等教育輔 助辦公室於9月28日在澳門奧林匹克綜 合體育館舉辦的「2008泛珠三角高等院校學生 競技比賽」，與香港大學、華南理工大學、廣東外 語外貿大學及七所澳門大專院校同場較量。 各隊當日須參加四個項目。經過一輪激烈比拼 後，中大僅以一分之微負於廣東外語外貿大學， 屈居亞軍。 C UHK took part in the ‘2008 Higher Educational Institutions Games’ Challenge in Pearl River Delta Region’ organized by the Tertiary Education Services of Macau on 28th September at Macau Olympic Gymnasium. The CUHK team competed in four events against teams from the University of Hong Kong, South China University of Technology, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, and seven higher education institutions in Macau. The competition was keen, with CUHK losing to the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies by only one point, coming second. ( Continued ) dressed their wounds. One of the volunteers Ceres Ip said, ‘Those children had a very simple need—to know that they were loved. The difference in the colour of our skins did not prevent us from building friendship. They came forward and took our hands in theirs as soon as they saw us.’ The friendliness of other Ghanaians also impressed them. The appearance of these Chinese faces on the streets on the first day of their arrival caused a sensation as vendors nearby closed in, shaking hands with them, asking for their names, and greeting them in Chinese. At first these students, who came from a city where neighbours do not necessarily know each other, were taken aback and became suspicious. But they were soon overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality of the Ghanaians. Leung Cheuk-yip said, ‘I enjoy talking with them. They told us a lot of interesting stories. It’s not easy to find a stranger to talk so much with you in Hong Kong.’ John Chan, a soccer fan, added, ‘If you chat about soccer with them, you’ll never run out of topics.’ A Precious Lesson The trip was meant to help people. But the students found that they were actually the ones who benefited most from it. In addition to learning something unprecedented, the experience changed their values. Vincent Shek met a boy suffering from cellulitis, which caused festering sores on his legs. The boy did not complain or give up. When Vincent was about to leave the hospital, the boy’s condition was improving and he was able to walk. ‘He’s very tough. I learned from him that with persistence and perseverance, no difficulty cannot be overcome.’ They also learned from this experience the mission of a doctor. Carmen said, ‘I used to care only about my grades. Now I realize that it takes more than academic performance to be a doctor. What is equally, if not more, important is a heart that cares.’ She and many participants of the scheme share the same dream: joining Médecins Sans Frontières in the future to help people in need. ‘To cherish what you have is the lesson we learned from the trip.’ 顧炎武詩 行書 金耀基，香港中文大學前校長 Poem of Gu Yanwu in semi-cursive script Prof. Ambrose King, former CUHK Vice-Chancellor