“CityU’s residential life is thrilling and full of fun. The student residence is an excellent place to meet friends with similar interests and who become important companions in our university life,” said Carl Yeung, a final-year student in the Department of Information Systems.

A photo taken by Carl depicting the hustle and bustle of hostel life was voted “My Favourite Photo” in the Photography Competition in the first Professor Edmond Ko Cup Inter-hall Competition, jointly organized by the Student Residence Office (SRO) and all nine student residence halls.

The aim of the Cup, an annual event for all student residents in CityU, is to promote inter-hall interaction, hall spirit and sportsmanship around the core values

of friendship, respect and cooperation. The Cup consists of sports, arts and cultural competitions throughout the academic year. In addition to the Photography Competition, this year’s programme also included the Basketball League, Badminton Competition, Singing Contest, and the Aquatic and Athletic Meets. The overall Championship went to Jockey Club Academy Hall (JCAH). All student residents worked hard and with great enthusiasm for their residence halls.

“Everyone in hall was very happy and excited about winning the Cup,” said Crystal Huang, President of the Resident's Association at JCAH and a final-year student in the Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics.

“The enthusiastic involvement of the residents was a great encouragement to the Resident's Association. I remember that some of the contests ran during mid-term exams when many students were busy with their studies, but they still insisted on taking part in the practice sessions and never give up. I am most impressed by the team spirit. Through the competitions, a deeper sense of belonging has been instilled in the heart of many of our residents, including myself.”

Mrs Peggy Wong, JCAH Residence Master, said success was down to the effective mobilization of our Residence Tutors and the Resident's Association, plus enthusiastic participation and a degree of luck.

“The Cup is recognition of everyone’s hard work. CityU helps students develop to their full potential and achieve more balanced development through a diversified and stimulating residential education. Hence, we encourage our student residents to take part in the competitions, and to enjoy the process. Winning is not our main concern,” Mrs Wong said.

Debby Lai, JCAH Residence Tutor and a PhD student in the Department of English and Communication, said she enjoyed organizing the singing contest with students. She said she had learnt a lot about event management, and realized that efficient and effective communication was the key to achieving successful collaboration with other student groups.

The inter-hall competitions also provide excellent opportunities for student residents to meet mainland or overseas hall mates. “Living in the hostel, I can learn to communicate with young people from different cultural backgrounds. This helps broaden my network of friends and enrich my life,” said Beatrice Yip, a student resident in the HSBC Prosperity Hall (HSBCPH) and a freshman in the Department of Applied Social Studies. Similarly, the student residence allows exchange students at CityU to meet local students. “The tutors and hall mates here are very friendly. They encouraged me to join in this year’s basketball competition, which was my first activity in this hall,” said Romain Gaugesroy, an exchange student from the University of Troyes in France.

Many students consider the residence hall their “home” which allows them to integrate living and learning on campus. Kenneth Chu, an HSBCPH Residence Tutor and a PhD student in the Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management, and resident Henry Chan, a Year 2 student in the Department of Mathematics, are enthusiastic supporters for hostel activities because they provide ample opportunities for residents to interact with one another. Both of them hope more CityU students can benefit from the vibrant residential life and enrich their university education.