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Setting up
smoking areas on campus is welcome
I am a non-smoker and feel annoyed when smokers sit next to me
or talk to me.
Honestly, students should not smoke. There are many other ways
to ease pressure, such as doing exercise. Smoking is not the only
means to ease pressure. Besides, it never creates a superb image.
Even though I don’t approve of people who smoke, I recognise
that there is a need to create smoking areas for safety reasons.
Also, universities are open to all. Smokers who have difficulty
controlling themselves can puff in smoking areas.
In fact, there is little use to banning smoking on campuses.
First, heavy smokers will eventually find a secret place for smoking,
like a rooftop or a backyard.
Second, smoking off campus does not ensure a cleaner environment.
We breathe psychologically cleaner air as we restrict smokers
to the designated smoking areas.
Third, I don’t agree that setting up smoking areas indirectly
encourages students to smoke. Smoking is a person’s choice. They
know its harmful effect and smokers deserve it. So, setting up
smoking areas is not the reason there are more smokers.
Fourth, designating smoking areas will be beneficial to non-smokers
because non-smokers will be less adversely effected.
Jack Lo
Diamond Hill
Our pride
or our shame?
The announcement that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon got four
Oscar awards is definitely a glory for all Chinese. Same as when
Gary Locke became the first Chinese governor in a state of the
U.S.; when Gao Xingjian became a Nobel laureaute; and when Elaine
Chao became the first Taiwanese woman to be secretary of the U.S.
Labour Department.
The question is why we always recognise appreciation from the
West? That means we make a tacit agreement that the Western stuff
is the best of all and we Chinese have no good stuff. Otherwise
the West would follow our rules of the game.
The West is superior than us in many ways. Yet China is one of
the most ancient civilizations with many great inventions. Why
can’t we lead the world? Is there any Chinese stuff that is recognised
internationally such that Westerners would be proud of if we granted
them a prize. I wish this could be achieved soon.
Actually, we should be ashamed for not leading the world or even
setting an international standard or recognition that Westerners
would be proud of if they were up to standard.
Lo Tak Piu
Diamond Hill
Correction
In the April issue of Varsity, Prof. Au Chak Leung of the
Faculty of Medicine was incorrectly identified as Prof. Simon
Au of the School of Medicine in a story on Pp. 12-13. We sincerely
regret the error and apologise to Prof. Au for the mistake.
—Eds.
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Online
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