According to Wikipedia, “Bright College Years” is one of the traditional songs of Yale University.  We are delighted that for the annual Yale Day of Service on Saturday, May 16, 16 volunteers from the Yale Club of Hong Kong took 19 of our centre members for one “Bright College Day”. 

We couldn’t go all the way to New Haven, Connecticut, so we went to the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shatin. The children had a tour of the main library where one of the things they learned is that the oldest “book” in the library is a piece of oracle bone about 3,000 years old.  

After the library tour, the children attended three mini-classes, one of them taught by a bona fide Yale University history professor.  Professor Denise Ho of Centre for China Studies, CUHK, who will be teaching at Yale next year, opened the young minds about why people study pictures when they study history.

We then had lunch at the canteen, just like all the college students.  Then Ms. Anson Ma of Morningside College took us on a tour of her dormitory where the view from her room is the beautiful Tolo Harbour.  That elicited a few “wow’s” from the kids.  

We finished the Bright College Day with a visit to the Museum of Climate Change where the kids got to see what, because of global warming; our very own Central District would look like if the sea rose by 1 meter, 2 meters and 3 meters.

A great big thanks to all the volunteers from the Yale Alumni Club of Hong Kong, and our new friends at CUHK – Professor Denise Ho of Centre for China Studies, CUHK , Library Director Louise Jones, and Morningside College student Anson Ma.  Thank you so much for your hospitality!