Everyone has their talents and strengths, and the University of Macau (UM) is a stage where students can achieve their full potential. As the saysing goes ‘One person can go fast, but a group of people can go farther’. There are many outstanding students at UM who excel in their studies and in other areas. In this issue of My UM, we interviewed several students who shared stories of their friends who have inspired them on their journey through the university.
Good Partners at Debate Competitions
Emon Zhou, a fourth-year student in the Department of Government and Public Administration and a member of Lui Che Woo College (LCWC), belongs to the UM English Debating Team. According to Zhou, the team training is very demanding, but she is very happy to have met many outstanding debaters, including her good partner, Kiki Liew, a third-year mathematics major from Malaysia, who is a member of Shiu Pong College. They are both passionate about debating and have achieved good results together at many international debate competitions.
They say that whenever they encountered a problem during a debate, the key to their success was effective communication. Liew believes that the members of the team are very united and have a good team spirit. She says: ‘Whether working with the debate team or in private, I value Emon as a friend who can discuss and resolve problems while we experience growth together on campus.’
Kiki says: ‘Even though I was in Malaysia and could not return to Macao for classes, the team provided me with a lot of support, such as discussing and practising with each other on the internet.’
‘Last year, during the epidemic, we were ranked among the top ten debaters at both the United Asian Debating Championship and the Northeast Asian Debate Championship held online,’ says Zhou.
Cultivating Rapport in the Volleyball Team
The UM Women’s Volleyball Team has won many awards, including a gold medal at the Macao Intervarsity Volleyball Championship for six consecutive years. Iva Hong, a first-year pre-school education major in the Faculty of Education and a member of LCWC, was awarded a scholarship under the UM Outstanding Student-Athletes Admission Scheme when she applied to UM last year. During her freshman year, she joined the Women’s Volleyball Team and met a wonderful group of teammates. She says, ‘Volleyball is a sport that emphasises teamwork. So it is very important to cultivate rapport among team members. We have a very good atmosphere in the team and we respect one another when discussing tactics, even if we have different views.’
On the volleyball team, Hong met Megan Wong, who is also a member of the same RC and a student in the Department of Finance and Business Economics. After practising and spending time with each other for the past six months, they have become good friends and volleyball partners.
On the volleyball team, Wong is the blocker and Hong the attacker, so they must always cooperate with each other. Wong says, ‘When we have weaknesses in our defense or our offense fails, we instantly communicate to figure out the best way to deal with it, such as how to change the tempo or the timing of our offense.’As the team leader, Wong observes the cooperation among team members and corrects problems in a timely manner. Hong recalls that when she joined the volleyball team, her first impression of Wong was that she was very serious about training. ‘But later I found out that while Megan was strict, she was also caring. She would encourage us not to lose heart when our morale was low. I have learned a lot from her,’ Hong says.
Progressing Together in the Chinese Orchestra
Shirley Ni of Moon Chun Memorial College and Lorraine Yang of Cheng Yu Tung College are both second-year students in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Their friendship began in the Chinese Orchestra. A history major, Ni says that the atmosphere of the Chinese Orchestra is very harmonious, with members always encouraging each other to improve as a team. In the orchestra, Ni and Yang, an English major, hit it off immediately and gradually became close friends. Ni says: ‘When practising difficult pieces, I help Lorraine beat the rhythm to help her improve her sense of rhythm, and she also finds videos of accompaniment lessons on the internet and practises with me.’
Ni feels inspired by Yang’s seriousness and commitment, both in practicing her musical skills and in her studies. Yang also appreciates Ni’s boldness in taking actions and seizing opportunities. Now they are both vocalists in the Chinese Orchestra and continue to learn from each other and improve together.
Lo Weng Lam and Eunice Lei have known each other for seven years. Having been in the same class at Sacred Heart Canossian College (English Section), both now belong to the Honours College. Lo is a second-year student in the Department of Computer and Information Science, while Lei is a second-year student in the Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management. Although they study in different departments, they take a number of general education courses together and are currently working together in the HC Student Association to plan activities.
Good Partners in the HC
Lo says she appreciates Lei’s self-discipline in her studies. She says: ‘During lectures, Eunice listens carefully and takes copious notes. This attitude rubs off on those around her.’ She adds that Lei is meticulous
in everything she does. For instance, in preparing for a group presentation, Lei would assign tasks and set deadlines for each team member, and would retouch the report later.
Lei says: ‘Lo is very confident and is very good at extending to different topics when talking with others. She is also very active in putting forward ideas at HC Student Association cabinet meetings.’ In addition, they are both active in the House Associations in their respective RCs and share their experience in organising college activities from time to time.
Source: My UM ISSUE 103
