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Hostel rules
An incident at the Chinese University raises the question of whether the rules are overprotective or appropriate
Hua Lien Tang is a hostel for female students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. (Jenny Chan)
By Jenny Chan
Before learning how to enjoy the life in university hostels, students have to agree with the hostel regulations.
The opposite sex visiting hours of most coed hostels at The Chinese University of Hong Kong are from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., while those of hostels for female students are much shorter.
Hua Lien Tang, the oldest hostel for female students at the Chinese University, permits male visitors only from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and school holidays.
Male visitors cannot stay at the hostel beyond opposite sex visiting hours, either in the rooms or in the corridors.
Teresa Pang, a local resident of Hua Lien Tang, said, “I chose to live in this hostel because I am not used to living with boys.”
She said that it is embarrassing for a girl to come across a boy while she is wearing a pair of pajamas.
“If men are allowed to enter and wander around the hostel freely, there is no point in choosing a hostel for female students,” she added.
However, she sometimes experiences inconvenience when her male friends come to visit her.
After a review this year, Hua Lien Tang approved male visitors to visit residents on weekdays under special circumstances.
Yet, residents have to apply one day in advance.
Meliza Ng, warden of the hostel, said the implementation of the opposite sex visiting hours mainly depends on the self-discipline of residents.
A common way to enforce the rule is though random room checks, which is called “beating snakes”.
The committees of residents’ associations inspect rooms to check whether there are any unauthorized visitors, usually after the opposite sex visiting hours.
Some exchange students find such policies offensive.
Paul Naddaff, an exchange student from the U.S., was a resident of Lee Shu Pui Hall, a coed student hostel at the Chinese University.
He is strongly against random room checks and regards them as a violation and an “illegal” act.
In February 2003, he was found having a female visitor in his room beyond the opposite sex visiting hours.
“They (the committees of residents’ associations) are not the police.
“Privacy is something that you shouldn’t mess with.
“In the U.S., people will sue and win, and are allowed to shoot with guns if there is someone breaking into their room without their permission,” said he.
Shirley Lam, a local student, was the visitor and a resident of Lee Shu Pui Hall.
“We were just chatting in low voices in the room without disturbing anyone,” he said.
He explained that in the U.S., resident associations can only prohibit things which may hurt others, such as smoking, which might result in a fire.
They thought the follow-up punishment would be a standard fine of $500 with a warning letter for each of them.
However, they were evicted.
After the appeal, both of them had to move out the hostel within two weeks, and they moved to a postgraduate hostel where they are forced to pay a much higher rent.
Mr. Naddaff said that the implementation of the rules is too strict.
He said the Student Hostels Committee interpreted the phrase “can be expelled” in the Student Hostel Regulations as “will be expelled”.
“They didn’t consider whether people deserve the punishment or not.
“There should be chances for students after messing up,” he said.
In spite of the cultural differences, some exchange students choose to reconcile the discrepancy.
“I preferred coed hostels to female hostels at first,” said Tiffany Lee, an American exchange student who is a resident of Hua Lien Tang.
However, she has accepted and become accustomed to the regulations of her hostel.
Said she: “I understand being in a female hostel, I need to respect the rules.
“Female dormitories are designed for girls to move about freely.”
She never locks the door here, while in the U.S., she has to lock it when she goes to the washroom.
“Being in Hua Lien Tang is like being in a family.
“So, I have accepted the stricter rules here,” she said.
Shirley Lam, who had moved out of Lee Shu Pui Hall, cannot accept the hall rules.
Said she: “We are treated as children and asked to follow the regulations strictly. Yet, after we violate the rules, they punish us as adults.
“They have double standards.”
Miss Lam said that she could not even be involved in the discussion of the appeal. She could only wait for the final decision.
Mr. Naddaff said, “Students are not sheep and they have to speak out.”