Should HKU Halls Take a Reform?

Recently I came across a very well written article by Father Coghlan on the hall culture in HKU residential halls. Although the article was based on Ricci Hall, I believe the arguments stand for any other halls in HKU. The article is a bit long but it is substantial. I personally am for the stance Father Coghlan took in urging a change in hall culture to cater for students nowadays who have far more commitments outside hall.

Disclaimer: The copyright of the following article belongs solely to Father Coghlan and it is replicated for easier reading.

This article may prove to be a little serious and it may provoke feelings of anxiety and even resentment. My intention, however, is not to upset you. I want to share with you my fears and hopes concerning Ricci. I feel more at ease writing about these fears and hopes than when speaking. There is an old Latin warning : “Scripta manent”. In English it runs : “The written word remains”. I will try to write carefully lest I say anything that I will have to disassociate myself from later. Not too carefully, though, I hope.

Over my nearly ten years as Warden in Ricci I have become ever more clearly aware of the strengths of Ricci. It is a place where one finds unity, friendship and generosity. Riccians learn to contribute to the common good, to take responsibility and to console and support one another in difficulties and disappointments. Riccians learn to relax and have fun without going too far – well, mostly! I think it is true to say that we have no major problems of alcohol, drugs, sex and gambling. As a result there is a general sense of freedom and happiness. We should be grateful. We have a proud sports tradition and we are beginning to build up a greater interest in cultural and social service activities. Is Ricci a foretaste of heaven then? Well not quite.

Here I make my first potentially controversial statement. I do not accept a distinction between so called “Riccans” and so called “Residents”. For me anybody who pays his fees to Ricci is a Riccian. Of course that statement is very bald and has to be qualified but it serves the purpose of getting us thinking.

We need to break down any unnecessary barriers between people who live in Ricci. In popular Ricci language a Riccian is one who has gone though Orientation and is still in Ricci！ Some days ago I went down through our room list with a fine comb and the help of two wise and experienced people who live or work in Ricci. My research showed me that there are 63 people who could be considered to be Riccians – in the, to me, unacceptable sense of the word. I believe four more qualify as half and half. One is even awarded the status of being three quarters and one quarter! I am sure readers can work out for themselves what qualifies those five gentlemen for graded Ricci status.

Other Residents take part to a greater or lesser degree in the life of the hall and receive a welcome corresponding to the degree of their participation.

Sadly some Residents are almost totally uninvolved in the life of Ricci. In some ways members of this last group have the best of both worlds. They have single, air conditioned rooms, meals available for most of the week and no demands are made on them. Some of them want it that way. Others, I suspect, are a little shy and would respond well if they were actively and warmly encouraged to participate more in hall life.

On our hall photograph day I did something which I hope did not hurt and offend too many people. In preparation for the photograph I dressed up in my very best, addressed the seated and standing expectant hall mates and then staged a walk-out. Rather theatrically I refused to be photographed on the grounds that we were not having a hall photograph. Only 66 hall mates were present. Almost no Resident was among the expectant crowd Admittedly, “All Must Attend” (I dislike that phrase) was written on the notice announcing the photograph but, in fact, it is an empty phrase. “Seniors” had to wear formal suits and others were to wear track-suit tops and slacks. In fact Residents do not have track suits. It would have been great to see over one hundred hall mates ready, waiting and suitably dressed for the photograph.

I staged my rather melodramatic “walk-out” to make a point. There are three reasons why we will have to change our hall culture to some degree. The first reason is that the University is pursuing a path of internationalizing the student population. In this context “internationalizing” can be taken to include China Mainland students. Ricci must play its part in this project. Obviously different languages, different cultures and different expectations all make for problems in welcoming international students. I am of the opinion that the University is rushing the project. I do not agree that international students should expect to be able to use English freely on campus or in the hostels. Hong Kong students who go abroad for studies just have to learn Swedish or Ghanaian or Arabic. Nevertheless within broad limits we need to make sacrifices to welcome international students and make them feel at home. We may have to offer them a modified form of Orientation and be more creative in offering them as full a life in Ricci as possible.

The second reason why we need to change our hall culture to some degree is that life has changed. Nowadays there are far more responsibilities, duties, recreational opportunities and educational openings clamoring for a share in university students’ lives. Students nowadays are unwilling or cannot afford the time, even if they were willing, to give themselves to an almost total hostel life style. We will have to change or we will die. More of this later.

The third reason. Money! Can we ever forget it? Apart from a generous good-will grant of just over $100,000 a year from the University, Ricci is totally dependent on hall mates’ fees for its day-to-day existence. $100,000 represents about two and a half weeks running costs. Former Riccians have contributed most generously to The Ricci Hall Trust which provides for extras. “Extras” includes our recent repainting and renovation! The fund is not and cannot be bottomless. To be brutally frank. To keep going Ricci must be almost fully occupied. If there are only 10 Riccians in Ricci there will have to be 110 Residents. If only for financial reasons the Ricci way of life has to change sufficiently to make it as attractive as possible to as many as possible potential hall mates.

All these considerations lead me to the second part of the article which may be even more important than the first. What I am now going to write about is of relevance to the University itself and to the lives of individual students.

The annual “Hall Retreat” held in late January was one of the most successful that I have attended. It brought me some comfort as it made me realise that the problems which face Ricci are also problems faced by many of the other halls.

This year the Retreat enabled Wardens, tutors and student representatives to consider a serious concern of the University authorities and teaching staff. That concern is that hall life too often conflicts with the educational goals of the University and the intellectual, academic and emotional growth of students. Ideally, while providing a supportive, warm and fun filled atmosphere for hall members, hall life should complement the over all efforts of the University to prepare mature, responsible and capable graduates who will be able to contribute significantly to the well being of Hong Kong.

There seemed too be general agreement among the retreatants that halls are in danger of pushing their own objectives to the detriment of a broader university education. Numerous examples were quoted of students missing appointments important for their studies because they had for example to train for swimming or football. I have been “stood up” from time to time and regularly have to rouse Riccians from sleep around noon to discuss something of importance. Meetings which go on all night leave participants so exhausted that they cut classes or fail to hand in assignments on time. Numerous useless meetings and enforced social activities which have long since lost their relevance eat further into hall mates’ time and energy.

Parties are held at absurd hours, causing noise and disturbance and driving students who wish to study to spend long hours in libraries on campus. Neighbors are disturbed by excessive noise and the police are often called to ask for silence.

It was particularly noted that some meetings go on for anything up to thirty hours. These meetings are hopelessly inefficient. To my mind they are morally reprehensible. No meeting is worth so much time. Time is precious. These meetings are so exhausting that they lead to anger, harsh, ungrateful criticism and tears. Nobody should have to end up in tears at meetings which are supposed to promote friendship and cooperation. It should be pointed out that it is not only hall meetings that are grossly inflated. Clubs, associations and university student groups of all kinds hold these marathons.

When the length of such meetings is challenged the answer nearly always is that “it is the tradition” or that “we will be accused of not being “serious” if our meeting is not at least as long as last years”.

I was further consoled to realise that Ricci seems to share another problem with some other halls. I have for long suspected that behind the scenes there is a small block of hall mates who insist on a policy of “no change” and on an almost fanatical observance of tradition. I believe that these guardians of tradition are the “Seniors” who quietly and subtly impose their views and block any movement which might favour a more relaxed and liberal attitude. I have noticed that at “Mass Orientation” and AGM’s it is almost exclusively the more senior students who speak. At times, sadly, nasty methods have been used to penalise anybody who steps out of line or who doesn’t take as active a part in hall activities as is demanded by some.

I have voiced my suspicion to hall mates and association members but have been assured that this is not so. I am not assured! I was consoled to hear many student representatives from other halls openly voicing their conviction that “Seniors” blocked changes which many in the halls wanted. In frustration I have often demanded that the power of “Seniors” should be broken. Now that the problem has been openly admitted, I feel hopeful.

How do we go about finding a solution to these difficulties? At the moment the various hall committees enjoy a great deal of autonomy in running their affairs. This is entirely as it should be. At this stage, however, it may well be that Wardens will have to exert more influence on committee planning in order to ensure that broader university educational objectives be taken into account. I sense that the Wardens are not quite sure how to proceed. Frankly, I am at a loss. I think the Wardens need some help. Here, fortunately, I see grounds for hope. The second part of the Hall Retreat was built around some very valuable proposals put forward by Dr Robert Chung. He presented an outline of “Hall Education Courses”. His proposals were very favourably received by all. A few minor reservations were expressed about details but I am sure that in the near future we will see definite plans for these courses.

Because of the great concern generated by the first part of the retreat about the clash between University and Hall objectives many of those present jumped with delight on two or three of Dr. Chung’s proposed courses. With great humility it was generally agreed that the Hall communities need professional help to give a new direction to hall activities. These courses may be the answer to our difficulties.

We need, for example to learn how to go about adapting hall activities to a changing life style and how to reconcile individual, Hall and University interests. We need to learn how to appreciate sporting activities and their contribution to health and recreation but must learn how to master those activities without being mastered by them. We need to know how to run meetings efficiently and pleasantly and, while allowing for a reasonable exchange of views, quickly. I think some meetings are pure escapism. Before moving on to specific areas where we need help in Ricci I would like to pay tribute once again to Dr. Chung for his great service to the University in producing a viable plan for Hall Education Courses. May I just ask him to put finishing touches to the proposals which will bring immediate help to halls before finailsing his more long tern proposals which will be of wider benefit to the University and Hall communities.

Here in Ricci we need practical assistance in planning to incorporate non-local students into hall life.

Here in Ricci we need help in setting down clearly and succinctly objectives which suit our changed conditions and which further the attainment of a broad, professional University education. Life is much fuller than it used to be. There is greater pressure on everybody. Of course we must keep all that is good in Ricci but we have to modify our expectations and our demands on one another. Potential hall mates want other things besides a very tight and demanding hall schedule. Hall mates simply cannot give all the time and energy they are expected to give to games, meetings and other activities.

Over the past four or five years I have asked all those who leave Ricci early the reasons for their departure. Almost without exception they denied that anybody had been unkind or cruel to them. They said that they enjoyed life in Ricci and that they were sorry to have to leave but that they just could not afford to give so much time to non academic pursuits. It is willful blindness not to accept these statements and examine them for whatever truth they may possess. It may well be that some can afford the time and energy but only some. 60%? This cannot continue.

Finally in Ricci we need help to plan our Orientation to ensure that it will be a useful, positive and enjoyable experience. Foreign visitors to the Ricci Jesuit community are shocked by the old fashioned rather colonial spirit that seems to control our Orientation.

I am sure that the abominable practice of ragging does not exist in Ricci but we still need to examine our Orientation carefully. Some form of Orientation is certainly necessary. What kind of Orientation though? To make a balanced judgment on Orientation we have to realise that Orientation is only a function of the other fifty or fifty one weeks of life in the academic year. If we demand an almost total dedication to “Ricci” then Orientation will inevitably be akin to a “boot-camp” or even a scaled down version of a totalitarian “brain-washing” camp!!

Orientation is somewhat inhuman. Some of the practices are potentially dangerous and may cause psychological damage to the occasional student who suffers from low self esteem. On occasions I have seen signs of a type of mass hysteria. Orientation is a little too long. It is certainly very tiring and pressurised. Those who are being oriented do not know what is going on in the world outside Ricci. They are virtually denied chances to contact their families and are kept off balance by being kept in ignorance of what is going to happen during the day. These are dangerous techniques. If I had done the Ricci Orientation I think that I would have found my two-year Jesuit novitiate a pleasant, relaxing holiday! We need to ask ourselves if Orientation fails to respect the basic values of compassion and respect for the dignity of the human person.

The darker “me” suspects that Orientation is at least partially manipulated by some of those terrible “black hands” – the “Seniors”! I think they subtly exercise control to protect their power. They may be saying “Listen, don’t forget we are the top dogs this year. If you don’t like it, you know what to do”.

Most people are not damaged by Orientation but that is a very minor justification for its excesses. It should be remembered by the way, that Orientation occurs at the end of August and the beginning of September when Hong Kong’s heat is at its fiercest and most trying.

A final anecdote which I hope will make you smile. Recently I was talking to a group of Riccians, urging my point that hall mates need to give more time and energy to study and to attaining the broader objectives of the University. One of them asked me, “but, Father, will that help the Ricci Spirit”? I could only smile I thanked him for giving me a good example of putting the cart before the horse. (Can anybody give me a good earthy Cantonese equivalent for that phrase?)

I hope Ricci will always be a place of unity, fun and friendship, a Ricci which works along with the University in preparing graduates worthy of a changed Hong Kong in a changed world.