Being in your 20s
Live life to the fullest

What happened to local celebrities when they were in their 20s? How do youths of today view themselves? What are the values shared by celebrities and youths when they were, and are, in their 20s? This is what this special issue explores. The 20s, supposingly with flying colours, differs from person to person. Some celebrities were gangsters in their 20s, whilst some worked as Mr. Nobodys. Some took to the streets, whereas others experienced war. Meanwhile, some are enjoying fame in their early 20s already. Each differs, but they all have wound up, in various degrees, on the road to success and have developed into well-rounded individuals.

The reasons behind success include hard work. Provided there is time, diligence gets its just reward. When complacent youths of today are yelling in foul language about having no room to grow in society, do they ever work hard and live up to their fullest potential? How many of them are abusing drugs in discos when the day is nigh? It seems ridiculous to quote President John Kennedy’s inaugural address decades ago — “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” Yet, it reflects the very spirit of what youths lack today — to give rather than to take. When society provides all the necessities, youths of today are still lonely and fragile, because they have never known what is poverty and hardship, nor what a cradle they are living in.

In this issue, what we want to share with readers is how the celebrities of today have gone through hardships and uncertainties, and how their 20s changed their lives. Tomorrow is brighter than today, provided there is contemplation and diligence. With these, we hope to encourage youths to grasp every chance they have to develop to the fullest, not aiming at getting famous, but aiming at growing into understanding and thinking individuals. Their stories are not simply stories, but reflections of sweat and tears. Their insights into life may give you a more valuable lesson than any other lesson can give.

This is my last opportunity to write for Varsity, so I thank all our readers and the School of Journalism and Communication for its support throughout the year. Without the School’s support, Varsity would not have run so smoothly, and we staffers could not have improved issue by issue. I also thank the editing and reporting classes. Without their hard work, producing a monthly magazine may have been even harder than we may think, especially when meeting tight schedule and other schoolwork simultaneously. After eight issues of trials and errors, this magazine is still far from being perfect. Yet, I hope all our staffers have improved and better equipped themselves in print journalism, as well as getting insights into society — that is what this practicum is for. We also hope readers find it interesting and educational to read Varsity. With the end of this academic year, we editors will leave Varsity whilst reporters will take over the tasks next academic term. We wish them a fruitful year, and hope that they will give new inspiration to readers.

Varsity will see you again in November.

Chan Siu Sin
Editor-in-Chief