2022-2023

By 4L Matthew Cheung Have you ever noticed that some monuments in Hong Kong are closely related to the judicial system of our homeland? The North Kowloon Magistracy, a magistrates’ court, that was closed in 2005, is one of these monuments and we, STC’s Mock Trial team, had the chance to explore and learn more about our history. The Magistracy was erected in 1960 and served the community for over 44 years handling cases of the Kowloon district. It is a 7-storey building made of granite ashlar blocks and features a neo-classical architecture combined with stripped classicism which is a form of neo-classicism from which most of the traditional mouldings, ornament and details have been elided, visually emphasizing the structural and proportional systems. It is one of the only surviving examples of this building type. Another interesting fact is that after the closure of the court, it was converted into the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2009 until the government reclaimed it in 2020. What also makes this court unique are the cases that were adjudicated here. The Kwai Bing Hong case is an example of one of the three major criminals in Hong Kong who stood on trial here for assaulting two police officers and for the illegal possession of firearms. Members of our Mock Trial team had the opportunity to visit the cells and walk up the staircase to reach the defendant’s dock – an incredible feature of the Court where prisoners are held as they wait for a judge or jury to decide their fate. We also listened to accounts of thought-provoking cases and even participated in the judgement of a case of familicide, serving in the role of a jury. This experience provided us with basic understanding of the jury system and the severity of murder. Later on, an experienced judge shared insights closely related to the responsibilities that Hong Kong citizens should uphold. An ex-inmate shared his journey of reform since his release from jail, emphasizing the importance of obeying the law. This was a significant event for our students as we had an opportunity to interact with an ex-judge and an ex-inmate. As technology advances, law changes and we teenagers need to increasingly keep abreast of these changes so that we are fully aware of what constitutes a crime. It is, therefore, crucial to supplement textbook knowledge with out-of-classroom experiences which can provide a broader perspective on societal issues. Learning more about our home Hong Kong and the beauty of it in the forms of buildings was also a bonus in the journey.

30th of August marked the first day for our new S1 students to explore the school and interact with their student leaders as a Shungtakian. With their curious eyes and inquisitive minds, the S1 students were very active and lively throughout the activities. They got to know more about the campus and where to roam around in the coming academic year. Besides chatting with our student leaders and senior students, they have met new friends and classmates that might accompany them in their secondary school life, or even years beyond.

In the past few days, our teachers invited us to be the masters of the S1 Orientation Day ceremony and we were much honoured to take the job. Undoubtedly, it was a wonderful experience for us. It was so incredible that we saw the seniors talking on the stage in admiration one year ago, and it was our turn this year.

It was our first time serving as the MCs and it was challenging for us. We were anxious in the beginning, but of course, we tried to overcome the obstacles by keeping improving, practising, and cooperating. Trusting what we had prepared was the only thing we could do. As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect”, we rehearsed and rehearsed for many times to perfect our performance. We were grateful for teachers’ assistance and support which helped us be in good shape. When the day came, we performed to the best of our abilities with no regrets. We were glad that we could do it well. But there are always things that we can improve, and we hope we can get better and better next time.

We were also happy to have the opportunity to be the MCs. The experience we acquired was irreplaceable. Being the MCs as S2 students, it was our pleasure to share some of our experiences with new Shungtakians. Introduction of various aspects of the school, such as the school e-circular system and student activities, was also given by our Principal Dr. Tang, Vice Principal Mr. Ho, Assistant Principal Mr. Kwan, PTA representative and the head teachers of different departments or committees.

The ceremony ended successfully, and it will be etched on our memories forever.

2J Leo Lam & 2J Coco Lam

On 17 AUG 2022, thirteen of our S4 and S5 ICT students have joined the AI Literacy Programme organized by the Hong Kong Education University. The activity gave students the chance to learn the theory and algorithm of Artificial Intelligence through a series of online remote lessons in July and August. Then each group has to brainstorm and think about an application that AI can be used to solve a daily life problem. Students trained in AI through machine learning platform presented their results in mid-August. All participants enjoyed the face to face presentation on that day. They surely have benefited a lot because now they know how AI can help people live a better life!

A Valuable Opportunity Gained from Joining the Japanese Club
On 5th August 2022, three executives of the Japanese Club and I were invited by the OISCA Hong Kong and the Yuen Long Town Hall to attend the Awards Ceremony of an environmental promotional project ‘Green Wave’. We had a wonderful experience as awardees and had opportunities to meet honorable guests including Consul-General of Japan in Hong Kong, Ambassador Okada Kenichi and students from different schools.

Two of us were invited to give a speech in Japanese on the stage. We shared our experience of learning about Japanese culture from Wakyokai in the sharing session which was held in June. Since we had never given a speech in Japanese before, we practiced hard on Zoom. Moreover, guests and members of the OISCA Hong Kong and Wakyokai were very friendly. We took lots of photos with them. At last, we were thankful for Mr. C.W. Wong and other executives’ support. We would not have done so well on the stage if we hadn’t received their support.

I hope that our sharing will help Shungtakians gain more interest in Japanese culture. We also encourage students to join the Japanese Club to get more exposure to Japanese culture.

5J Sophia Kwok