Sino Junior Reporter Programme helps students keep Hong Kong culture alive
Finalists and award presenters pose for a group photo.September 3rd was a happy day for some 40 local students who completed the Sino Junior Reporter Programme 2016 organised by Sino Group and supported by SCMP Young Post. The students received their certificates at Olympian City at an event officiated by Nikki Ng, Group General Manager of Sino Group and Elsie Cheung, Chief Operating Officer of South China Morning Post.
It was the third year Sino has provided such a programme for students. This year, participants attended a journalism workshop to learn about news writing and interviewing skills, before they interviewed Kenneth Yuen, Executive Chef of The Royal Pacific Hotel and Towers. They also had the privilege of tasting Chef Yuen’s signature Hong Kong dishes, and visited a museum of food culture. Then, each of them had to submit an article based on what they had learnt and experienced during the programme.
It’s good for students to learn more and delve deeper into the topic of heritage food; this will enable them to develop a better understanding of what makes our city’s heritage food such an attraction for HongKongers and tourists,” Ng said.
“Communication skills, including writing skills, are essential to one’s personal and professional growth. Having the ability to express one’s thoughts and ideas effectively is more important than ever.
We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with South China Morning Post, the most respected English language newspaper of our city, on this meaningful programme,” she added.
Li Ho-yeung, 16, was the winner of this year’s writing competition. He was pleasantly surprised on hearing the news. “It was a surprise. I felt on top of the world when I was told the news,” said the student of Sing Yin Secondary School.
A passionate writer who loves language, Li finds the journalism workshop inspiring and helpful for his preparation for the interview with Chef Yuen, and even for the HKDSE.
“During the interview, I wrote as fast as I could. When I went through my notes,
I tried to find the focus of my story, as suggested by the workshop trainer. I found Chef Yuen’s description of what food meant to him was very meaningful. So I chose to include that in my piece,” Li said.
First runner-up Hui Wing-yan from Canossa College was also impressed with the experience and the chance to interview a chef.
“For me, Chef Yuen’s childhood memories of his favourite food are very touching. I think that’s what readers want to know and so that is the focus of my article,” said the 16-year-old Form Five student who is a subscriber to SCMP Young Post.
“I like reading the articles in SCMP Young Post and I’ve also been writing for the school’s paper for two years now. The Sino Junior Reporter Programme has further inspired me to be a journalist. One day, I hope to be able to tell readers stories of Hong Kong and its history,” Hui said.
The programme even inspired journalism student of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Li Pui-ying. “The programme is extremely useful. It gave me an opportunity to practise news writing skills, such as coming up with a lead paragraph on the spot in five minutes,” said the 18-year-old who won the third place.
The judges were all impressed by the stories submitted by the participating students.
“Their stories have illustrated how traditional local food epitomises Hong Kong’s unique East-meets-West charm and why our food is such an important part of our heritage,” Ng said. “ Their writing showed clarity of thought, creative flair, and flowing prose. I am heartened by the potential of our young aspiring reporters.”
See below for the top five winning articles:
Winner: Li Ho-yeung
1st Runner-up: Hui Wing-yan
2nd Runner-up: Jade Li Pui-ying
Merit: Sarneet Kaur Saran
Merit: Hilary Chan