No. 4 - January 2016
MONTHLY
The online edition.
Cultural Trip 2016
Lee Bo Disappearance
HKU Boycott
HKMP
See our gallery and thoughts and opinions of the annual trip
Thoguhts from The Not-SoFreelance guy and painting
Thoughts from Spag Bol, a formerHKU student
Reflections from those who have met their mentors
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Editor’s Note Last and Next Event Cultural Trip Gallery Lee Bo’s Disappearance and Hong Kong-China Relations Boycott Schmoycott: You can hardly say “university” without “politics” these days Donald’s Parable 丹麥。香港 Change Your Words, Change His Life HKMP Thoughts Parliament Sufragette Tour Art Exhibitions
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EDITORIAL Hi Readers! First PASS-On of the year calls for a number of firsts! First comes a first ever gallery page. The cultural trip was a great time where we had more time to bond with our committee, sub-committee and members. Also comes our first ever parallel article with LSE’s The Beaver along with a first ever painting submission, as opposed to the usual words. Another first consists of a PASS-On-HKMP collaboration. Find out here what some the mentees from our flagship program thought of their meetings with their mentors. More coming soon on the next issue. As falgships start to kickoff, stay tuned for updates and be sure to buy tickets for our charity fashion ball and come and watch the famous LSE Forum. Details to come... Zoe Liu
(Publications Officer 2015-16)
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..... ‘pass’ed EVENT
CULTURAL TRIP 2016 Friday 22 January - Sunday 24 January Vienna, Bratislava
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‘on’ to the next .....
ESPECTRO (SS CHARITY FASHION SHOW) Tuesday 16 February The Venue, Saw Swee Hock, LSE
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Cultural Trip 2016
Vienna, Bratislava
January 22nd-24th, 2015 By Zoe Liu (PO), Janice Leung Design by Zoe Liu (PO) Photos by Zoe Liu (PO)
Vienna, Aust was opened I. The entra important n over many ce
"This was my first time organizing a trip for so many people. I haven't been to both Vienna and Bratislava before, so I was a bit nervous and excited. The trip overall was fun! The weather was nice during the trip! It snowed on the second day and we were able to have a snow fight in the morning and after dinner. That was one of the highlights during the trip! I really enjoyed the trip and wish I can spend more time exploring both places! 3 days would never be enough! Kailey Wong (EO) Personally I think the Natural History Museum was an hidden gem. Anonymous
Vienna, Austria - St. Stephen’s Cathedral is Vienna’s cathedral and one of the tallest churches in the world. The original was severely damaged by fire in the last days of the Second World War; the building was rebuilt in only seven years and is a symbol of Austria’s national pride and identity. Page 6
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tria - The Natural History Museum in 1889 by Emperor Franz Joseph ance hall features portraits of natural scientists and collectors enturies.
Vienna, Austria - The Rathaus serves as the seat of both of the mayor and city council of the city of Vienna. It was designed in the Neo-Gothic style, and built between 1872 and 1883. On the top of the tower is the Rathausmann, one of the symbols of Vienna
Vienna, Austria - Schรถnbrunn Palace is a former imperial summer residence. The Baroque palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in the country. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over three centuries, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs.
This was an unprecedented move to fit in itineraries across two countries into our trip. It was fascinating to observe how Vienna and Bratislava differ vastly from each other in terms of historical and cultural heritages given their geographical proximity. The snowy view against the backdrop of the Schรถnbrunn Palace in Vienna was definitely the best part of the trip. Terry Yung (President) Page 7
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Vienna, Austria - Chloe grad turning into a snowman.
Bratislava, Slovakia - Th view from the top of th UFO in the direction the Hungarian border. Our highlight was the snowball fighting in Bratislava. It was the time when many of us fought with one another, under the heavy snow. It was freezing cold but I am sure each one of us enjoyed the snow fight to the fullest extent. I would want to spend more time in Vienna if I were to go again because I would want to experience the cultural side of this city which is famous for its music. :) Thank you everyone who came to the trip!! :) Naomi Chan (PAO)
Bratislava, Slovakia The view from the top of the UFO in the direction of the Czech border.
Bratis Town monu centr small city c and o
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Bratislava, Slovakia - The Most SNP Bridge is situated over the river Danube. The flying-saucer-shaped structure on the top of the bridge is a restaurant with an observation platform that has a panoramic view of Bratislava.
dually
he he of
"The trip was as rewarding as it was enjoyable. In particular, I enjoyed the snowball fight the most as it turned out to be a fantastic opportunity to bond (or take revenge really) with people from across different years. Not only have I learnt to ""turn the other cheek"" (literally) when I got hit in the face repeatedly, this snowball fight also allowed me to build the kind of friendship that is extremely different from the ""working relationship"" between a committee member and the subcommittee. And I have to say, such ""bonding through fighting"" transformation is nothing but a joyous experience. A sense of historical culture pervaded both Vienna and Bratislava, and walking through the streets of these two cities familiarised me with their distinctive identities, I will definitely go again! " Fontanne Chu (IVP)
slava, Slovakia - he Old n houses many historic uments and Bratislava’s ral institutions, such as the l, but preserved medieval centre, Bratislava Castle, other important landmarks.
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I found Vienna to be a lot more interesting than Bratislava, probably because there were more cultural/historical monuments that I knew of. I would have preferred it if we had only gone to Vienna, to be honest, because the trip felt a little bit rushed since we had to move cities. Apart from that, the trip was great and really well-organised (thank you Kailey!!!) and I would definitely go again (given that I don't get my wallet stolen next time). I found Vienna to be a lot more interesting than Bratislava, probably because there were more cultural/historical monuments that I knew of. I would have preferred it if we had only gone to Vienna, to be honest, because the trip felt a little bit rushed since we had to move cities. Apart from that, the trip was great and really well-organised (thank you Kailey!!!) and I would definitely go again (given that I don't get my wallet stolen next time).
Everything was well planned. Definitely would go again! :D Anonymous
Bratislava, Slovakia - SlavĂn is a memorial monument and military cemetery. It is the burial ground of thousands of Soviet Army soldiers who fell during World War II while liberating the city in April 1945 from the occupying German Wehrmacht units. The monument was constructed in Stalinist architectural style.
Janice Leung
Everything was well planned. Definitely would go again! :D
Bratislava, Slovakia HKPASS Cultural Trip 2016!
Janice Leung
Bratislava, Slovakia HKPASS Cultural Trip 2016!
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Anonymous
Bratislava, Slovakia - SlavĂn i mili memorial monument and milit cemetery. It is the burial ground thousands of Soviet Army sold who fell during World War II w liberating the city in April 1 from the occupying Germ Wehrmacht units. The monum was constructed in Stali architectural style.
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is a tary d of diers while 1945 man ment inist
Bratislava, Slovakia - Bratislava Castle is the main castle of the city. It has been a dominant feature of the city for centuries because of its size and location. It is strategically located in the center of Europe at a passage between two mountain ranges, at an important crossing of the Danube river, and at the crossroads of central European ancient trade routes. It was the first time I've been on a trip with so many people, and maybe too many people because with so many, some are bound to have to wait for others. However, a big group made it the more exciting and I could not escape the buzz of energy from just under 40 students, especially on the outbound journey. Another first for me was experiencing 24 hours without any sleep. I thought I wouldn't have energy to walk and visit places but the landscape in both places were so unique and pretty that I even wanted more time to walk around more. It would have been better to just stay in Vienna, but Bratislava is a place you wouldn't normally go so this was a great opportunity. Kailey's plans were great and I enjoyed every second, especially the rooms we stayed in which were of great quality! Zoe Liu (PO)
Bratislava, Slovakia - It wouldn’t be much of a trip if we didn’t leave something behind, would it?
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HONG KONG MENTORSHIP PROGRAM 2016 STEFAN KRACHT Our meeting with Stefan Kracht has been very fruitful in that he gave us very simple, yet important suggestions. Instead of focusing his approach on life after graduation, Stefan encouraged us to 'gear up from day one'. We have initially prepared questions that were specifically linked to his area of practice which Stefan guided us through as he injected his personal views, regarding the 'One Belt One Road' policy for example. Yet for us, it was not merely the expertise that he shared with us that was fruitful; Stefan has been very encouraging, whilst staying practical at the same time. He has been honest with the competitiveness of the current job market and hence provided practical suggestions to improve our skills- set that would shape us into an actively curious individual. He encouraged us to grasp each Page 22
Christmas Meeting Reflections
Justine Hung First Year Law
opportunity presented to us, and not just to boost our 'employability' but also to allow self- discovery and nourishment. Stefan has inspired us to think about our fundamental character, before diving into the working world. Stefan also suggested that we increase our efficiency by saving time, through practising type-writing and also brushing up our IT skills.
Here, Stefan reminded us that work is not merely about the determination, nor the intelligence, but also the day-to-day tasks of administration. Through his suggestions and advice, we have not only gained insight into consultancy firms, we have also been inspired to think about ourselves before we dive into thinking about our future.
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BENNY TAI Benny Tai looks like the most unassuming, unthreatening and un-radical a person you could think of; and that is the kind of person I found him to be. He is unassuming in that he is very approachable and willing to engage with us students in political discussion, even after our (quite lengthy) mentor meeting – I know this from personal experience. I emailed him to thank him for setting aside his time to meet us and asked him a few extra questions about what we
Janice Leung First Year History
had discussed. He replied, in quite a lot of detail, the next day. (I had never met a university professor who has replied an email within 24 hours.) He is unthreatening in that...well, have you seen him? The only things threatening about him are his thoughts, and even then they are only threatening those who are satisfied with the increasingly pro-China direction of Hong Kong’s governing elite. The only thing being threatened is the status quo. So instead of
thinking of him as a “threatening” figure, perhaps we should start thinking of him as “mind-opening” or “alternative”, perhaps not as extreme as “original” but certainly not orthodox. He is un-radical in that what he proposes about Hong Kong’s future is far from obtaining independence and sovereignty; all he is suggesting is a way for Hong Kong to better prepare for future negotiations with the Chinese authorities. He may be advocating a federation of all post-Umbrella pro-democracy groups, but he is far from supporting radical localism. Flexibility and moderation, with a yellow-tinged core of steel, is what I felt that he saw Hong Kong to need. I had signed up to be one of Mr. Tai’s mentees in order to find out who he actually is, rather than the person the media makes him out to be; mission accomplished, I think. I truly enjoyed meeting Mr. Tai, and look forward to seeing him again during the summer. Page 23
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DOUGLAS ROBINSON We gained a lot of valuable and inspiring insights in our first mentor meeting with Mr. Douglas Robinson last December. During the two hours of conversation and sharing that we had up in a rooftop bar, he not only shared with us his experiences throughout his very competitive career, which all of us found particularly insightful. He also talked about his personal life. In an era where everyone is aware of the importance of work life balance, I think he managed to achieve this balance very well because given his hectic but successful career on the one hand, he always has interesting and relaxing times when he is not working. He, who has lived in both the UK and Hong Kong, has the interest of hiking or going for a yacht race during weekends. According to him, these activities could help him get away from his highly pressurized working life. We
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Steph Lee
First Year Philosophy and Economics
also had a delightful talk about the similarities and differences of living in Hong Kong and in the UK. Mr. Robinson has many experiences in interviewing people as well as being the interviewee himself, so he also gave us some useful advices for job applications. The story about a meeting with a “silent interviewer”, as he called, appeared to be the most remarkable to me – this happened in an
interview that he underwent where his interviewer kept quiet from the very beginning of their interview, and as the interviewee, Mr. Robinson was clueless about what he should do in that unwieldy situation. After all, the meeting with Mr. Robinson was greatly rewarding and we are looking forward to meet him again in summer.
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PAUL PAUL SHIEH
SHIEH
The HKMP is a unique programme which provides an enthralling opportunity to meet with your chosen mentor. As a platform facilitating discussions between the two generations in politics, law, social issues and more, partaking in the programme has provided me with an invaluable insight because it enables us to discuss and contemplate issues facing their areas of expertise. What’s more in a small and interactive setting is the
Caleb Chan
Second Year Law and Anthropology
chance to get to know your mentor in more depth and discover their personal characters. It was fascinating talking to my mentors in a way I would not normally see him talking on the news! This year I am a returning mentee which means that it comes with greater responsibility. Not only am I a mentee for Mr Paul Shieh SC, I am also a group coordinator responsible for liaising and communicating between our group of
mentees and our mentor, providing guidance for new incoming mentees as to the programme as well as ensuring the smooth running of the meetings. The HKMP has never failed to fulfil my expectation. This is not because our mentors can, like an omnipotent super-being, provide an answer to, or solution of, all the difficult issues that our policymakers have sought to address for decades, but the ways through which we are engaged to give our own thoughts to the issue in question was what I found to be the most valuable aspect throughout our discussions with our mentor.
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DORIS LEUNG Living in a society with countless social problems demanding to be solved everyday, it is not surprising there are organizations targeting virtually every problem. However, success is never guaranteed. I had the pleasure to meet with Ms. Doris Leung, the founder and the current CEO of ‘Diamond Cab (鑽的 )’, a social enterprise offering point-to-point transportation services for wheelchair users. Social enterprises, charities, NGOs— organisations all capable of and aiming to tackle and potentially contribute to solving social problems. What makes social enterprises unique is that they operate like any other business – it makes profit, reinvests the profit, and in the long term builds a sustainable business model. During the meeting with Ms. Leung, I found myself amazed by her confidence, her stamina, and her
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Gwen Chan First Year Sociology
foresights. Without any funding from the Government, step by step, Diamond Cab has built a sustainable business model of its own. Ms. Leung emphasized, just because it is a ‘social enterprise’, does not mean it should not be treated as a proper business. Instead, one should efficiently utilize all available resources and ensure it is a high quality and at the same time a profit making, sustainable business. And it is precisely this rigorous principle that allowed Ms. Leung to expand her originally simple transport service, to an organization that at the same time arranges events for the disabled elderlies, promoting happy aging. “A social enterprise is, after all, still a business. Although we aim to serve the society, we cannot rely on people’s sympathy to run a business.” I learned a lot from my short meeting with
Ms. Leung. Starting from a relatively small social problem, Diamond Cab already helped improve the lives of many, changed the attitudes of countless people; there will be great ground for Diamond Cab to achieve more, change more, and benefit more in the foreseeable future.
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PAUL ALAN SHIEH
Tobias Pang, Amy Huang, Kleon Chan and Adrian So (Co-coordinator)
The LSESU HKPASS mentorship programme was unequivocally a stimulating and rewarding experience; it enabled us to meet and learn from some of the most prominent and distinguished members of Hong Kong. Our meeting with Mr Alan Leong means to me more than just a throwback of what he said—it is more about thinking of how the scope of his insight captures the cutting edge of the plaguing Hong Kong every single day, and how his opinions sharply blade on the solid of those social-political issues. Greeted us cordially, we can tell he is a passionate lawmaker that wholeheartedly desire to the betterment of Hong Kong. Our meeting starts off by a short introduction from each of the mentees, followed by a little chit-chat on our background and interests. Alan gave us his insights on various social issues, ranging from the rule of law in Hong Kong to the
future of Hong Kong in 2047 he shared his experiences and knowledge of the precarious political situation in Hong Kong, and the potential consequences which may arise in the future. This was particularly insightful for me because it was an opportunity to ask questions as opposed to seeing him giving speeches on the television. Two words that struck and remain are the words ‘promise’ and ‘uniqueness’, which Mr Leong heavily raised during the meeting, and which are
LEONG
First + Second Year Various
echoed and stapled hard in every page and aspect of a struggling and turbulent democratic constitution. It is important that, as grasped from Mr Leong’s perceptions that we ensure we encode these two things into every endeavour. This has changed my perception of LegCo members in Hong Kong. Not only are they passionate as seen on TV, they also have a fervent desire to change the society deep in their heart.
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Suffragette Se To Houses Of
Source: L
Book now for the Houses of Parliament's new Suffragette Season, a series of tours examining the history of the votes for women movement. Recent film Suffragette used several Westminster locations, and this is your chance to tour them with an expert guide. Link: http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-parliament-news/suffraget te-season-2016/ Page 28
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eason Comes f Parliament
Londonist
Between 6 February and 6 April, two different tours are on offer: one, Votes for Women!, is aimed at families where kids go free, and another, From Petitions to Prime Minister: A Short History of Women in Parliament, is a 90-minute tour led by a Blue Badge Guide. The first, recommended for kids aged seven and over, is guided by a visitor assistant through the House of Commons and the House of Lords and lasts about an hour. There are also optional votes for women-themed family activities for after the tour. Tickets cost ÂŁ18. The latter tour through the House of Commons and the House of Lords focuses on the journey from early petitioning for women's suffrage to the UK's first female prime minister and the role of women in parliament today. Tickets for this tour cost ÂŁ25.
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Light Art To Bu
January's Most Talked
Source: L
Tim Etchells: More Noise at Bloomberg Space Are you missing Lumiere and Winter Lights, or did you miss out on it altogether? Well there's still a slice of light art to be found in this three piece humorous exhibition.
Until 12 March, free.
Heman Chong at South London Gallery The floor of this large gallery is covered with a million blacked out business cards. Visitors are encouraged to navigate this slippery surface that plays with convention. There's even a sign about not going beyond a certain point that we're allowed to gleefully ignore.
Until 28 February, free.
Rosangela Renno at The Photographers' Gallery Audience activated projectors produce images of social and political upheaval in Uruguay and Latin America in the 1960s and 70s. It's all accompanied by a chilling music box rendition of The Internationale — a Communist anthem.
Until 3 April, ÂŁ3 or free before midday.
Benjamin Murphy: Gilded Chaos at Beers London The gallery is transformed as the walls are covered with Murphy's black and white illustrative style. Murphy's work could almost be classified as street art, a welcome departure for this gallery.
Until 13 February, free.
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usiness Cards:
d About Art ExhibitionS
Londonist
Chantal Joffe at Victoria Miro, Mayfair The acclaimed portrait painter returns with new works. We've never warmed to her works and though there are a few here that offer some psychological insight into her subjects, we remain unconvinced by the unimaginative others.
Until 24 March, free.
Giacomo Manzu at Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art Another exhibition of what the Estorick does best, highlighting the skill of an Italian artist who isn't well known over here. The sculptures are fantastic, and the sweeping lines of the gilded seated cardinal makes for a spectacular work.
Until 3 April, ÂŁ5.
Light, time, legacy: Francis Towne at The British Museum These landscapes all come across as flat and lifeless. It's one of the downsides of watercolours when compared to oils and Towne is never able to overcome these drawbacks. They are technically very proficient but offer nothing more than scenes that are nice to look at.
Until 14 August, free.
Krishna in the Garden of Assam at The British Museum Next door to Towne is a radically different exhibition. The life of Krishna is told through a massive devotional textile. The story is fleshed out through a video and ceremonials masks, including an impressive one of a five headed serpent.
Until 15 August, free.
Julian Charriere at Parasol Unit The issue of man clashing with the environment is captured in imaginative ways. Photographs show a man melting an iceberg with a blowtorch; the gallery contains 'bricks' that are used to extract Lithium for batteries; and globes are sanded down so that boundaries no longer exist.
Until 23 March, free.
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The ďŹ rst step towards change is awareness. - Nathaniel Branden
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LSESU HKPASS is a politically neutral society and any views expressed belong entirely to the author themselves.