After a year full of scandals at university orientation camps, education authorities do not want to take any risks this summer.
For example, Lingnan University is replacing the annual orientation camp with a summer camp for new students and giving them the choice of staying in the dormitory or returning home for the night.
This is the result of experiences from pranks that went too far and often escalated into insults late into the night.
It must be stressed, however, that Lingnan was not among the universities at the centre of last year’s scandals.
Police subsequently arrested two people – one at the University of Hong Kong and the other at the Hong Kong Normal University – in connection with sexual offences.
It is more than likely that the orientation sessions at the various local universities this year will be free of obscene incidents as the authorities concerned are extremely vigilant.
While university and government officials are closely monitoring the situation after reminding student union representatives to refrain from certain behaviors in order to restore order in the orientation camps, it is hoped that these annual activities will continue to be as interesting as they should be and that the fire can continue to burn in the young adults.
Finding the optimal balance is extremely important, but this is often easier said than done – it requires a sensible approach that does not stifle creativity.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA has held first place in the global rankings for 13 years in a row.
And while it is known for the outstanding academic achievements of its faculty and students, it is also notorious for its “hacker” culture.
Do not confuse MIT hacks with computer hacks, as these have nothing to do with breaking into a computer system or network, but rather involve unusual and often sophisticated pranks.
For example, in one humorous moment, someone was shocked to discover a chainsaw in a wooden box in the middle of the hallway. What did that mean? Most people took it lightly and thought it was a typical MIT joke.
In an even more bizarre display of engineering talent, a graduate wrote that one of MIT’s campus police cars mysteriously appeared on the roof of the university’s famous Great Dome.
No one knew how the hackers managed to do this, and it was viewed as a challenging puzzle rather than a sinister deed.
The Great Dome, MIT’s most famous building, has become the premier venue for students to showcase their talent in often dazzling pranks.
Are such pranks harmful? Maybe, maybe not—but the campus police probably weren’t too happy to see one of their vehicles being lifted unnoticed to the top of the Great Dome under cover of night.
Universities are great places and while insults should not be accepted, pranks should be tolerated.
Perhaps the optimal balance can be found here.