Less than enthusisatic about campus independence
By Xu huili (Shanghai Star)
Updated: 2004-10-28 10:21

"Be yourself!" This is a line from the 1989 Oscar-winning movie "Dead Poets Society", in which an idealistic teacher inspired his students to "suck the marrow out of life" by maintaining their individual identities while following their dreams.

A copy of poster of the 1989 Oscar-winning movie "Dead Poets Society" [baidu]

I wonder how many of us have seen this wonderfully acted story. It seems that after 15 years, the words of Professor Keating are now echoing strongly on this side of the ocean.

This fall, nearly 50,000 students have been recruited for undergraduate courses in the city, an increase of 11 per cent from last year. This means there will be tens of thousands of additional youngsters joining the future elite group of the nation. With record high numbers each year, the call for more self-determination and freedom from many kinds of restrictions is now powerfully amplified by the expanding society of college students.

Pressured by competition, they tend to seek release in the fun and escape of television, books, music, films, magazines and stories from overseas members of their age-group. Although Western films, fashion magazines and parties do not lead to an unqualified acceptance of superficial modern life-style ideas, it is no exaggeration to say that many traditional views are now on the verge of collapse.

Take "love" as an example - a catchword among these young adults. We should not be surprised that most of the college students now hold an extremely open attitude towards love and sex.

A young girl rides piggyback on her boyfriend on campus. It is quite common to see student couples in such a manner. [sohu]

Yet reality might give us a totally different explanation. Just a few days ago, a college student was drowned near his dormitory. He was pushed into the water by his girlfriend after a quarrel by a river. This was not the first such tragedy on campus. It seems that while an increasing number of college students are upholding the banner of "freedom and love", they are still confused by the difference between love and lust.

Many suicides, murders and other crimes are the results of failure in love. The overrunning of passion and love have created various psychological problems. If they are not handled properly, an ultimate solution might be sought to resolve emotional conflicts.

Although it is imaginable that because of the "hard attending, easy passing" system of Chinese higher education, many college students now have more room both spatially and mentally to guide their own lives after at this higher level. But it is still an alarming phenomenon that a large number of our young intellectuals consider it a mere matter of temporary convenience to have a lover on campus. With such attitudes, it is not hard to understand why so many couples separate upon graduation day. There is even a book entitled "Departing when we Graduate" to describe such trends. This frivolous attitude towards love reflects an immature response to abrupt freedom and independence.

It is encouraging to witness the reform of education in China, which gives students more room to develop themselves. But at the same time it is worrying to see the way students adapt to such reform. A much smoother transition would result if courses were set up to impart the basics of psychology and sex education to college students, rather than just giving them what they desire.

To "be yourself" is important, but even in the idealistic film, this value was not realized quickly or easily. Do not be over-enthusiastic about it.

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