A statue that is entitled ‘Joy of Reading’ was erected in the foyer of the main hall in Taipei Campus during the winter break. The statue is a boy sitting on a bench reading a book and it created a buzz at the beginning of the semester when staff, faculty members as well as students returned to school. ‘Why is there a boy reading here?’ they asked. Curiously, they all went up to touch or hug the statue. Chen Yu-Fang, one of the staff at the Division of Continuing Education, commented that some students even sat next to the boy and began to read.

Syue Wen-Fa, the director of the Office of Alumni Services and Resources Development, an organization that is situated in Taipei Campus, explained that the idea of having a statue like that derived from the importance of reading to one’s overall development in the context of life long learning. Of course, he added, the statue also brought an artistic touch to the campus. For this project, Dr. Wang Hsiu-chi, a professor at the Center for General Education & Core Curriculum, was invited to design a statue which could be a boy or girl reading on a bench. Apart from the one in Taipei Campus, two other statues, both girls, will be installed in Tamsui and Lanyang campuses respectively next month.

All three statues were sponsored by Chen Ching-Nan, the chairman of TKU Alumni Association, Taiwan, who wants his generous gesture to be interpreted as an encouragement to all TKU students to enjoy extensive reading. Installation of a fourth statue of this nature in the Chueh Sheng Memorial Library is in the pipeline, Sye Wen Fa added; however, the funding for this one could benefit greatly from some generous donation from alumni! ( ~Ying-hsueh Hu )