INS I D E TH I S I S S U E :

Sports Day special

2 - 3

Greetings from AFS exchange

Students

4

National education Debate

5

US presidential election 2012

6

News from the library

6

SIN TAK SPIRIT

B u ddh i s t S i n Ta k C o ll e geB u ddh i s t S i n Ta k C o ll e geB u ddh i s t S i n Ta k C o ll e geB u ddh i s t S i n Ta k C o ll e ge

Volume 2 , Issue 1 October 15 , 2012

� Lunar New Year

Celebration

� Stationery Sales

� Sin Tak’s Got Talent

� Ocean Park Day

($80 per person)

� Joint-School Oral Exam

Practice

� Joint-School Singing

Contest

� Old Books Donation

… and many more!

BSTC STUDENT UNION OF 2012-2013 Hello everyone! We are

N EI GHB OU RHOO D, t h e

Student Union cabinet of BSTC

for this coming year. We hope

to be the neighbours of every

student in the school with our

kindness, can-do attitude, and

reliable nature. We aim to link

up every student in the school

in order to create a harmonious

and united campus. What’s

more, we will provide a

platform for communication

between the school and its

students. By offering the best of

BSTC to you, we hope to help

you (our neighbours) achieve all

that you can. That is what

‘neighbourhood’ means.

T h i s y e a r , B S T C

witnessed a keen competition in

the Student Union election. We

could see that all three cabinets

did their best and gained some

wonderful experiences. For us,

Neighbourhood, we spent a lot

of effort and time on finding

ideas for our campaign and

promotional activities. How

could we get students’ attention

during morning assemblies?

What kind of message do we

want to give our schoolmates?

Surely, there were quarrels since

the thirteen of us have thirteen

minds. However, we gathered

our thoughts and energy and

created a great plan in the end.

Our goals for this year

are to fulfill students’ needs and

to always stand by their sides.

We will keep on striving for the

best for our fellow schoolmates.

The duty of Neighbourhood is

to collect students’ opinions and

express them to the school. It is

an honour to be elected, and we

are truly grateful.

Thank you for your

support! We look forward to

seeing all of you join us in

c r e a t i n g o u r B S T C

NEIGHBOURHOOD.

Wing Chun Wing Chun Wing Chun Wing Chun ---- 詠詠詠詠春春春春

Wing Chun is a type of Chinese martial art and a form of self-

defense. People who practice Wing Chun believe that the person who

has the better body structure would win a fight. Many think that

Wing Chun was invented by the famous Kung Fu master, Yip Man.

However, most legends trace the roots of Wing Chun to a Buddhist

nun named Ng Mui. Yip was the man who spread this extraordinary

martial art from China to all over the world.

Activity time: every Saturday beginning

October 20, from 10:00am to 12:00pm

Format: 8 lessons per term conducted by a

qualified coach from a Wing Chun society

Price: $480 for the course

Teacher in charge: Ms. CM Lee

KarateKarateKarateKarate - 空手空手空手空手道道道道

Karate is a traditional form of martial arts that originated in Okinawa

in southern Japan. It uses punching, kicking, striking with the knees

and elbows, and open-handed techniques. It spread to China and the

central parts of Japan centuries ago and absorbed the characteristics

of both Kung Fu and Bushido. Nowadays, karate has developed into

an international sport, and it will possibly be included in the 2020

Summer Olympic Games.

Activity time: every Friday, 4:30pm to 6:00pm

Format: classes are held throughout the whole

school year; students can apply for examination

every 3 months

Price: $360/ 3 months + examination fee

Teacher in charge: Mr. W Faan

Chairperson: Lo Nga For (5F)

Vice-Chairperson (External Affairs): Chung Wing Tung (5D)

(Internal Affairs): Mok Wing Yee (5D)

Honorary Secretaries: Yim Hoi Yi (5A), Ng Man Shan (4B)

Honorary Treasurers: Kwan Ka Man (5D), Ng Ka Fung (5B)

Welfare Secretary: Lee Hon Yi (4D)

Academic Secretary: Chan Chi Shing (5C)

Recreational Secretary: Wong Kwai Lin (5B)

Publicity Secretaries: Hau Hiu Yu (3D),

Lun Yuen Ying (3B)

Sports Secretary: Pau Forbes Chek Long (5F)

NEW SCHOOL YEAR , NEW STUDENT CLUBS Leung Lap Hin School News reporter

SU Activities & Events

BSTC will have two new clubs this year that will surely appeal to our active BSTC schoolmates!

Page Design by Kwan Wai Ho

Page 2 October 15 , 2012 Sin Tak Spir i t

Words from the captain:

"I want to thank all Yan House committee

members. They have worked hard to prepare

everything attentively. I hope all Yan house

members will keep up their practicing for the

upcoming Sports Day. I will try my best, too."

Chi House members, try our best!! Past Record:

� Athletic Meet Girls Grade A champion

Sneak Preview:

� Surprising dance performance inspired by dance moves from a

YouTube video

� Music: “’What Makes You Beautiful’’ by One Direction

� Watch out for the dance performance of the House Captain

Star athletes:

� Wong Tsz Cheung (5E)

� Ho Ka Chun (5E)

Expectation of the captain:

‘I hope they can try their best and just perform with no regret.’

Secret weapon:

� unique costumes

Past Record:

� The biggest winner last year

� Cheering team award

� Boy's Grade B and Grade C champion

� Girl's Grade C champion

Sneak preview:

� Dancing performance will be the highlight

� Will dance to several songs: "Born this way" by Lady

Gaga and some new Korean pop

� Eye-catching costumes

Star athletes:

� Lam Chun Wing (5F)

� Pang Chun Ho (4F)

Expectations:

"To achieve what Yan House achieved last year."

Yan House caption, Alvin Hui: "People say that they

want to watch my solo. (laugh) Please don’t expect too

much. I'm not good at dancing."

Words form the captain:

“We’ll try our best and

fight for Chi House.’’

October 15 , 2012 Page 3

Words from the captain:‘

With our limited time and resources, we are trying

our best to teach S1 students the steps and slogans,

and they are doing really well. All the members are

united and we are confident that we can write a

glorious chapter in Shun House History!!’’

Sin Tak Spir i t

Shun House members like a fire! Shun

house members, be the winners!

Past Record:

� Boys Grade A Champion

� Girls Grade B 400-meters Champion

� Many other prizes

Sneak Preview:

� Will dance to a “mystery song” that is in the style

of Rhythm and Blues music

� Eye-catching costumes

� A dance performance that will be really amazing

and surprising

Star Athletes:

� Wong Lag Chun (6A)

� Lam Hau Yung (4D)

� Yeung Ho Ching (6D)

Expectation:“Continue to win in various events

and win more prizes for Shun

House this year.’’

October 24-25

Words from the captain:

“Lai House has the best committee members

who practice every second they can and think

of the best solution for solving problems. The

closer to the Sports Days, the more ambitious

we are. So, Lai House members, see you on

the track, and let’s win all that we

can!” Breaking traditions Sneak preview:

� Hit Korean song, "Roly poly" by T-ara (The cheerleading team

will sing in Korean!)

� "Fashionable, cute, and attractive" costume that match the

song "Roly poly"

� "Something new and extremely difficult" in the dancing by the

committee (Expect chairs, masks , hats, and gloves!)

� Larger group of cheerleaders (32) and committee members

(18)

Star athletes:

� Ng Man Wai (5D) - Lai House captain, overall champion in

her Grade in almost every year

� Nick Chong (5E) – winner of last year’s 100m race

� Pang Chan (6C) – excels in running and many other sports

Expectations: There will be something special and something

that is unprecedented.

Page Design by Shimizu Itsuo

Lau Ka Ki Ngai Ka Ho People and Campus Life Reporters

Page 4 October 15 , 2012

GREETINGS FROM AFS EXCHANGE STUDENTS

authors

Sin Tak Spir i t

Exchange student from Italy - Andrea Fierro

Hi Andrea, welcome to BSTC! Now, how do we say your name?

The pronunciation is “on-dray-ya”.

What did you expect BSTC would be like before coming to Hong

Kong?

Before I came to BSTC, I had thought that the academic subjects would be difficult and

the teachers would be very strict. I have now changed my opinion. The teachers teach

very quickly, and there is a lot of homework to do. But if I have any problems, my

teachers and classmates would gladly help me.

What do you usually do during your free time in Hong Kong and in Italy?

When I had free time in Italy, I usually went to southern Italy to visit my friends and

relatives. We would play football together. In Hong Kong, I spend my free time visiting

local attractions and famous places.

What do you think about the people whom you have met in BSTC so far?

BSTC students are very friendly and nice. What’s more, the relationship between teachers

and students is very close here. Actually, there seems to be no distance between them.

They always help me to order my lunch, and I went out for lunch with teachers for the

first time in my life. I also find that girls in Hong Kong are more shy than girls in Italy.

What are some goals that you want to achieve during your exchange in Hong Kong?

I want to learn more Cantonese so that I can chat with my Hong Kong classmates and friends. I also joined the Music Club

because I really like playing saxophone. I love playing basketball too, and I would like to enjoy these activities with my BSTC

schoolmates.

Exchange student from Thailand - Rawangkarn Sassiprapa (Fa)

Why did you choose to come to Hong Kong?

I chose to come to Hong Kong because I have learned Cantonese before, and the people in Hong Kong

speak English. This means I can more easily communicate with the people here. I also want to improve my Cantonese!

Can you describe your family members?

I live with my father and mother. I also have a dog. We would go out for dinner,

shop or travel to somewhere else. I enjoy talking to my father. He is quite funny!

What do you like and dislike about Hong Kong?

I like the convenient transportation in Hong Kong. There are MTR stations

everywhere.. However, I don’t like how the people in Hong Kong smoke

everywhere. Other things that I don’t like are the humidity and how busy the people

in Hong Kong are.

What do you like to do in your free time?

My hobby is surfing the internet.

What is the difference between the school in Thailand and BSTC?

There are many differences between studying in the two countries. For instance, I

can use my mobile phone in school in Thailand, but I cannot do so here. I can choose

the subjects that I want to study here, but I can’t do that in Thailand. I think it is nice

to go out for lunch in Hong Kong, but I need to have lunch inside school in

Thailand. When I first came to BSTC, I thought that there were a lot of rules. But

later, I realized that it is not very difficult to obey the rules.

Chan Chi Yan Chiang Wing Tung Campus Life Reporters

Chiu Yuet Yan Tse Ying Hong

Campus Life Reporters

Fa is from an area near Bangkok, the

capital city of Thailand.

Sawsdeeka! - ‘Hello’ in Thai (boys say Sawasdee krub!)

Andrea is from the town of

Udine in northeastern Italy.

Ciao! - ‘Hello’ and ’Goodbye’ in Italian

Page Design by Chan Wing Hei

Page 5 October 15 , 2012

MORAL AND NATIONAL EDUCAT ION Wong Mo Ki

Community News Reporter - A BONE OF CONTENT ION

Sin Tak Spir i t

JOSHUA , CHI -FUNG WONG Post: Convenor of the student activist group Scholarism;

co-founded Scholarism with his schoolmate Ivan, Lam Long-yin

Age: 15

School: United Christian College (Kowloon East), S5 student

Reason for being interested in social affairs: Influenced by his

parents’ concern for social issues

Public Opinion on Joshua: Some say he performed very well in

”City Forum” when discussing issues related to National

Education. Others believe Pan-Democrats are using him for political

interests.

Recent months have

seen scathing criticism toward

the government’s plan to

introduce the Moral and

N a t i o n a l E d u c a t i o n

Curriculum in primary and

secondary schools. The

government’s reluctance to

withdraw the National

Education curriculum has

triggered a series of large-scale

demonstrations. This brings us

to two questions: What has

made Hong Kong people form

such a united front against

this issue? And why is the

Government so determined?

To answer these questions, we

have to put things into

perspective.

Undoubtedly, Hong

Kong students are the ones

who would be the most

affected in this issue. They

have made their opinions

heard through protests, social

media, and other platforms.

According to Joshua Wong

Chi Fung, co-founder of the

student activist group

S c h o l a r i s m ( 學 民 思 潮 ) ,

National Education is

suspicious of being an attempt

to“brainwash” students in

Hong Kong. For instance, in

the first version of the

Curriculum Guide, teachers

are asked to evaluate students’

learning by observing whether

they display the required

emotions towards China’s

advancements.

Teachers have also

voiced their opposition to the

N a t i o n a l E d u c a t i o n

curriculum. The Hong Kong

Professional Teacher's Union

points out that this subject

would be a burden to school

administration. Moreover,

they are not satisfied with the

teaching material. The “China

Model” teaching guide avoids

m e n t i o n i n g p o l i t i c a l l y

sensitive issues like the

Tiananmen Square “June 4

Incident” and events related to

Li Wang Yang.

Meanwhile, parents

have shown their concerns

about how National Education

curriculum would be taught.

The Parents Concern Group

accused “The China Model” of

being incomplete and biased,

which may hinder students’

understanding of China.

Despite the public

o u tc r y o v e r N a t i o na l

Education, the Secretary for

Education, Eddie Ng Hak-

kim, insists that National

Education is not brainwashing

but useful for students. He

said that “The China Model”

was only for reference, and

schools could choose their

own teaching materials. He

claimed that National

Education could help students

know more about China and

cultivate students’ sense of

patriotism.

Amid allegations that

National Education is a form

of brainwashing, we must ask

ourselves: if the government is

willing to make amendments

to the National Education

curriculum, is the idea of

i n t r o d u c i n g N a t i o n a l

Education in Hong Kong

schools indeed meaningful?

That’s a good question for you

to consider as the National

Education debate continues.

Is the idea of introducing National Education in Hong Kong schools indeed meaningful?

Photo by Helen Ng

Protestors put up creative

banners at the Government

Headquarters.

sequence o f

events

� April 2012 The former Secretary for

Education, Michael Suen Ming-

yeung, approved the “Moral

and National Education

Curriculum Guide”. The

Education Bureau began

consulting the public about its

implementation in Hong Kong

primary and secondary schools.

� July 29, 2012 Scholarism and The Parents

Concern Group staged a large-

scale protest against the

Government’s plan to introduce

National Education. The

organizations claimed that there

were more than 90,000

protesters.

� August 3, 2012 The Chief Secretary for

Administration, Carrie Lam

Cheng Yuet-ngor announced

that the Education Bureau will

set up a “Committee on the

Initiation of the Moral and

National Education Subject”.

� September 1 - 9, 2012 Tens of thousands of protesters,

including students, teachers and

parents, took part in a

prolonged peaceful rally at the

Hong Kong Tamar Government

Offices. Organizers of the rally

estimated that there were

120,000 in attendance, while the

Hong Kong Police said that

there was a 36,000 turnout. About two dozen protestors

went on a hunger strike. James

Hon Lin-shan, a retired teacher,

did not eat for 168 hours.

� September 9, 2012 The government announces that

it will cancel the three-year

implementation period for the

Moral and National Education

subject. Schools can now decide

when and how to introduce the

curriculum.

� October 8, 2012

The Curriculum Guide of Moral

and National Education is

formally shelved. Schools that

wish to introduce the subject

may use any teaching guide and

resources that they feel are

appropriate.

Photo: Voices of America (Wikimedia Commons)

Citizens made their voices heard during a rally against the

implementation of the Moral and National Education curriculum.

Photo: Voices of America (Wikimedia Commons)

Joshua Wong spoke

eloquently at the rallies

organized by Scholarisum.

Page Design by Ng Hok Chun

October 15 , 2012 Page 6 Sin Tak Spir i t

Sin Tak Spirit This student newspaper is produced with the enthusiastic contribution of

the following students and staff members of Buddhist Sin Tak College.

School News

Ngai Ka Ho

Lau Ka Ki

Leung Lap Hin

People &

Campus Life

Cheung Hoi Ching

Chiang Wing Tung

Chan Chi Yan

Chiu Yuet Yan

Learning

Leung Sai Lam

Lee Sui Bing

Community &

World News

Wong Mo Ki

Wong Tsz Wai

Design & Layout

Ng Hok Chun

Kwan Wai Ho

Chan Wing Hei

Shimizu Itsuo

Distribution &

Advertisement

Lau Ka Ki

Hung Ka Lung

Hui Yuk Yuen

Staff Advisors

Ms Helen Ng

Ms SW Chan

Ms ML Hau

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECT ION 2 0 12

The United States is now in the middle of a crossroad.

Will Barack Obama be given one more chance or will Mitt

Romney be elected as a reaction to Obama’s disappointing four

-year reign in the White House?

The US Presidential Election will be held on November 6

this year. The two camps, the Democratic Party (represented by

Obama) and the Republican Party (represented by Romney),

are trying their best to gain the voters’ faith and their valuable

votes.

The contrast between the policies on each side is still the

old issue, health reform. Health reform was once in Barack

Obama’s 2008 manifesto as the first step to ‘change’, but

apparently, he has failed his followers. This has now become

Mitt Romney’s attacking point against Obama’s campaign. In

order to make decrease the government’s expense, Obama has

now put forward the proposal of reforming healthcare by

requiring everyone to purchase health insurance.

Of course, we have only touched on a small part of the

US presidential race. Will the leading country candidate

continue to lead? Or, will we see the dawn of a new era on

November 6? It will all depend on America’s vote.

Barack Obama

Presidential Nominee

Of the Democratic Party

Mitt Romney

Presidential Nominee

Of the Republican Party

Wong Tsz Wai Community News reporter

NEWS FROM THE LIBRARY

New items in September:New items in September:New items in September:New items in September:

- “We Bought a Zoo” DVD

- ”Journey 2 : The Mysterious Island” DVD

- ”Journey to The Center of The Earth” DVD

- “One For The Money” DVD

- “Mirror Mirror” DVD

- “The Golden Compass” DVD

-” 3 Idiots” DVD

New items in October:New items in October:New items in October:New items in October:

- The Hunger Games Triology

- 武道狂之詩第一卷至第十一卷

(香港書獎部份書籍):

-人間滋味/也斯

-大江東去-司徒華回憶錄/司徒華

-官商同謀-香港公義私利的矛盾/顧汝德

-香港城邦論/陳雲

The library is now publishing its own Newsletter! Find a copy in the library and read about library activities, recommended books, new books, top readers, and so much more!

Page Design by Kwan Wai Ho