Should Secondary Schoolboys Be Involved in Love Affairs

STUDENT PRESS GROUP (SERIES VI)
Should Secondary Schoolboys Be Involved in Love Affairs

May 12, 1972

The 28^th of March is the Speech Contest Day (in Chinese) for the higher forms (Form 3 to 5). As we Form 6 students have no Chinese lessons, therefore we are not qualified to participate. Anyhow, we are invited to the spot --- our school hall. And it is with the consent of Mr. Y.W. Ko, our Chinese teacher and H.L. Ho, of Form 4D, the champion, that this article by him is allowed to be translated and published. Thanks to Mr. Ko and Mr. Ho. Here’s the speech.

Teachers and fellow students, today, I’m very glad to have such a good chance to speak to you about a lively topic: SHOULD SECONDARY SCHOOLBOYS BE INVOLVED IN LOVE AFFAIRS? For all who are present today, none can deny our affection for girls. If a gentle female walks before us, we will spontaneously cast our eyes on her. Well, why should you laugh? Why should not boys be sentimental and girls be amorous? Life is a flower and love its nectar. Nectar, oh, how sweet a word it is! Thus many of us would long for a chance to taste the zest of falling in love, because we are too much absorbed in these lovely sentences. We guess that love is as lofty as the blue sky, as pure as the white clouds but as brilliant as the red sun, as magnificent as the rainbow and as romantic as violet. The current of love is such an irresistible attraction to us youths that we are willing to be carried along by it without caring about any consequence!

However, dear friends, we must still remain sober! When we are situated between amour and study, we’ve got to consider carefully and make a wise decision.
Unfortunately, our affection for females is immature, blind and without experience. There are many charming girls within our reach. Thus if you meet one and then devote yourselves unreservedly to her trying to make her aware of your existence, well, I wonder what you will do if you ever come across a more charming creature. If then, these affections all come out of a vague consciousness, why should we trouble for all these?

Assuming that you have really fallen in love with a girl, then, the proper way to fulfil it is by marriage, which in itself is perfected by true love and thorough understanding. Thus tragedies are likely to turn out from unions that are lacking in the factors mentioned above. Even though a marriage by chance is a perfect one, children will soon be brought forth, then do you suppose a secondary school boy can take up the responsibility towards the next generation and society which children bring on him? As we don’t have any sound financial resources, where comes our source of income? Though your father may be wealthy enough to maintain your whole family, will you not be ashamed of it? After all, no one in this world except you and you alone can bear the burden in your soul. Gradually, you’ll feel that marriage is actually the tomb of love within which your life is confined, your wishes disillusioned and your ideals dropped to nowhere.

Some of you may well argue that “we can be in love with a girl without marrying her”. But fools! You must understand that if there be no proper outlet for the sensational climax we have initiated, it is frustrating. Thus, in a physiological and psychological point of view, it is absolutely harmful to our body and mind. On the other hand, our physical body is in fact not yet mature for marriage. Everybody knows well that marriage in early youthhood is detrimental to the next generation. And from history, we learn that we have suffered quite a lot from the tradition of marriage at an early age.

Our life history can be divided into several periods each of which has its unique and peculiar function. If in our adulthood, we are to devote ourselves to the career we have chosen, then the most proper mission in our youthhood is the preparation and cultivation of a man and the most proper way to fulfil this preparation and cultivation is by learning. Therefore, in this course of learning, a love affair or marriage is unquestionably a stumbling block. As I have said before, our time and energy are both limited. Thus, we won’t have enough resources for our study if some are spent on love or marriage. This is simply arithmetic and if we are not able to score good results in the academic field, then our future shows not much hope and how can we expect to live soundly anymore? Moreover, living in such a complicated society, as we are now, we teens are likely to be cheated and thus will be sorrowful forever.

As we can see so many disadvantages for a secondary school boy to be involved in a love affair with a girl, it is absolutely unsuitable to do so. However, having girlfriends is all right, since this is only the rehearsal for the social activities and dealings with the opposite sex in our later life. Thus we should make good use of this invaluable youthhood by concentrating on our studies while establishing our own personality and ideals, so that when our knowledge, observations, experience are mature enough, I don’t think it is then too late to look for a girl who is willing to live with you happily ever after.
The above is just my own opinion developed upon my limited knowledge. Therefore, criticisms and objections are highly appreciated. Many thanks.

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