On Alumni Dinner

We came, we laughed and we war-cried. ‘It was our finest hour!’ Such exclamation, from brothers and guests alike, told the tale of the evening.

This very evening, Loke Yew Hall turned into U-Hall because of the decor and, more so, the overwhelming U-Hall spirit celebration. Packing the hall full were U-Hall Brothers of all ages, livened by each other and long-embedded passion.

Joyous atmosphere, hot laughter and warm hugging were only parts of the whole. The meticulous preparation, the entertaining presentation, the stand-up ovation to our retired friends (Sam So; Uncles Hon and Kai), the hearty talks by U-Hallites of different ages, the resonating songs by the Stanley & Williams trio, the naked interactions amongst brothers are but some of the elements that made the evening wonderful.

The auction of pictures highlighted not just the generosity of U-Hallites, but also the altitude of our Hall spirit. Again and again, pictures were given away by their successful bidders to other bidders to raise more funds and for the sake of brotherhood.

The auction of the ‘U-Hall Emblem’, which had guarded U-Hall entrance for decades, brought the evening to a climax. Donations kept pouring in, not to have the emblem for personal keep, but to have it preserved where it had always been. Guests were so moved that they could not help chipping in donations. Such selfless deed appeared only for one reason-- the magic of U-Hall spirit.

The grand finale war cry thundered the Hall, filling the university air, filling our hearts, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Though we parted U-Hall long ago, U-Hall spirit never part us. It is deep in our cells and is the very thing that makes us whole as a U-Hall brother.

IP Yan Ming (MBBS 1978)