Picking a star student

Published: 
Compiled by John Kang
Listen to this article
Compiled by John Kang |
Published: 
Comment

Latest Articles

Hong Kong police arrest DSE invigilator arrested for posting exam content online

Hong Kong’s Cinema Day this weekend sees strong response from residents

Hong Kong gears up for ‘intense’ thunder and showers

Hong Kong dazzled by temporary halo around the sun

Hong Kong’s ESF international school group eyes an average 5% fee hike

The Student of the Year Awards are almost upon us. The most prestigious annual secondary school competition is judged by past winners, Hong Kong university professors, experts in the field and South China Morning Post editors. We asked our junior reporters what they would look for if they were part of the judging panel. This is what they said…

Linguist Award

To win the linguist award, you need to have an excellent command of language, both in terms of writing and speaking.

To write a masterpiece or make an impressive speech, you have to at least understand every word you use. If you do not understand yourself, how will others? If you are unsure of anything then research the point. You must also make sure you have picked the correct words and that the meaning is clear. Is your language appropriate for the situation? You need to take this into consideration.

Linguists should also be able to inspire their audience. Don't just give people boring information; make them really think about what you are saying. Ideally you will inspire them to make a change in the world.

People can only concentrate for so long, so it's important to use different sentence structures, words and expressions. You really need to grab your audience's attention. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.

Elise Choi Ho-yee, 19,
Elise is a Year 2 student of the School of Communication at Hong Kong Baptist University

Performing Artist Award

You need passion to perform. No matter how skilled an artist is, it's the person who performs from the heart who will really touch others. It's all about engaging with the audience.

The performing artist of the year must definitely be motivated. They need the drive to keep improving because the performing arts industry is competitive. To be successful, the performing artist needs to love the field he or she is in.

Finally, you need to have new ideas. It's easier to do something that has already been done, but it's another thing to be creative. Taking chances during performances and adding your own original twist distinguishes performing artists from the rest.

Yasmin Subba, 18, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Yasmin won the POP Personality Award at this year's Yrock music and dance competition

Visual Artist Award

A visual artist is a person who dares to move out of their comfort zone and experiment. Their work should not only carry a message but also be appreciated by others. However, it is the time and effort put into the work that is definitely the most important factor.

An artist should be an outgoing person who can learn from others in order to improve. A good artist is always a good learner. They should never be satisfied and always look for ways to improve their skills.

Henry Lui, 14, Sha Tin College
Henry is nominated for the Best Photographer Award at the Young Post Junior Reporter Awards


You might also like:

- Prof Cheng Kai-ming of HKU and Dr Kim Mak of the Hong Kong Jockey Club talk about the qualities necessary for this year’s winners in the Linguist and Community Contributor categories

- Tiso Ho of Hong Kong Arts Festival and Prof Chung Pak-kwong of Baptist University reveals what they feel are needed qualities for this year’s winners

- Prof Alvin Leung of CUHK and Henry Lau of Simply Art and Young Artist Foundation shares their thoughts on the qualities necessary for this year’s winners: good all-round skills and creativity

Sign up for the YP Teachers Newsletter
Get updates for teachers sent directly to your inbox
By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy
Comment