CW Chu College The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

As with other institutions in our city and with sister colleges in CUHK, the College has been steering in waves of unprecedented challenges since June 2019—months of social unrest, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In these turbulent months, rapid and unexpected external circumstances have called for speedy decisions and actions. Despite the vagaries of the crises, we have to put every College member's safety as our top priority. Under the advice and guidance of the University, some emergency response measures have been adopted, such as closing the College hostel, and cancelling or postponing College events and activities in late November to December 2019, as well as since early February 2020; replacing on-campus teaching of College General Education courses with online teaching, operating the College helpline to provide assistance for our students during non-office hours; and escalating cleansing processes of the College hostel and public areas to the highest level. Our solutions can never be perfect, but we have all been trying hard to learn from every single case we have encountered so far, and hope to become more resilient in the long run.

In the midst of the challenges these months, we are gratified that our College members have been mutually supportive. We are especially proud of our students, who have been peaceful, rational, helpful and respectful, showing their quest for unity and harmony in the College. During the difficult times especially in November, various groups of students, especially the Residents' Association, offered help to those who had to leave the campus and overcome the difficulties of traffic blockade. Also, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the small number of students staying in the College hostel took the initiative to clean up their shared pantry.

Different College members have played their parts in helping the College weather the storm. The management team took care of everybody in the College throughout the difficult periods. For example, the Master and the Warden had hearty talks with student groups to ease their anxiety. One evening in November when there were still about one-third of College students living in the hostel but the caterer was not able to deliver service, the Master and the Warden cooked for the staying students. Our Fellows advised and guided the College on how we should react to various incidents; during the critical days in last November, our College Teachers and Affiliates helped our students leave the campus safely; since February this year, our staff have provided emergency services for our students and have kept the College campus tidy and hygienic. We have all been working towards the same goal—to safeguard our College and students, and to continue with our mission of education.

Unity and camaraderie are among the values that characterise our College; they are also like a ballast that steadies a ship in stormy seas. It is the love for the College, and respect for its values that have guarded the College campus, keeping it in good condition with the buildings and facilities untarnished, and the College residents staying healthy.

We look forward to a quick solution to the crises in our city and a good start of the next academic year.