敬致1963年台大外文系畢業同學

To the Class of Taita Waiwenxi, 1963

       敬致1963年台大外文系畢業同學

To: Ariel Young (葉芳)

Attn: Margaret Wang (郭静姝) ,Theresa Chang(郭芳婉) & others

From: Justin C. Lai (賴正雄)

Re: Zoom-meeting to be held on 06/24/2020

Date: 06/21/2020

Comment:

To begin with, let me extend my appreciation to you for innovating an idea of 

a Zoom meeting to have classmates brought together to discuss matters ‘yet to be known to most of other classmates’, assumably. I was notified of the message by Theresa Chang and then by Margaret Wang. I had expected to be able to attend this virtual meeting in which I hope to have a chance to talk to some other alumni. However, on 06/20/2020, I was shocked to learn that I was denied admittance to join the meeting through a fwd. msg from Margaret as follows:

Dear Margaret:

【抱歉，因为好幾位同学对Justin 有意見，所以我不能邀請他来參加聚会。对不起】！

As a fellow classmate of Waiwenxi, 1963, I think I am entitled to learn of the reasons why I was not allowed to join the meeting and what is the so-called negative opinions of other classmates against me. (有意見):

1)     I think each classmate has a right to speak his/her own mind. Different opinion expressed or to be expressed is just permissible and typical of democracy!  Is it your intention to prohibit people with different opinion from being present at the meeting? Or do you intend to fawn upon those ex-presidents or those deliberately opposing to my presence?

2)     What kind of adverse impact there would be on the meeting should my attendance be permitted? Thus, you are prompted to decline to invite me. May I ask by whom you were granted such an authority ?

3)     Is it something to do with a sex discrimination against the minority of the classmates, i.e.the male classmates? (Unfortunately, I am one of them).

4)     Or is it something to do with provincial feud of the mainland Chinese against a native Taiwanese classmate/or alumnus? (藉省籍情結排斥台湾人)

Ever since I had been able to contact with most of the Waiwenxi alumni, I have never cheated or taken advantage of others. Instead, I treat others kindly, sending greetings to classmates occasionally, and I have even sent pieces of my calligraphy work once in a while to some classmates as generous gifts. In 2014 I even founded a Blog for classmates, which serves as a bridge of communication between/among our us. That is ntu1963.blogspot.com. Up to now, there are as many as 90,000 times of visit to the blog. Of course, the number of the visits is not very great but it is acceptably and welcomingly popular. I firmly believe that its function surpasses that of the existing 同學會。

Sometimes I might think otherwise about the managing ways or systems of Waiwenxi Alumni Association(外文系同學會). It seems to me that some people are manipulating and monopolizing the 同學會。Someone seems to take to the position of the presidency, sticking to it without any intention to step down! Please bear this in mind, in our department, we have nearly 150 graduates in 1963. (the number is ridiculously unprecedented in history) The term of each presidency is 2 years allowed.  Should a president be produced under fair and rotation systems, each one stands only an absurd chance of being elected president in every 300 years!! However, I think in less than two decades, most of us should be in heaven. I really have no idea why some people should be so selfish and domineering!  In addition, most of the male alumni in class have been noticeably discriminated or prejudiced. The fair sex constitutes most of the alumni, dominating the Alumni Association, and therefore, they take it for granted that they decide on everything.

Dear Ariel, although we have not ever studied in the same classroom before, nor did we know each other, we did have a chance of having lunch together once in 2014-15, with Benjamin Yang (楊道宗) present, too. I am wondering if I made such a poor impression on you during the first time we saw each other that you should have been trying to bear grudge against me.

Part of the reasons why I am sending this letter to you and other friends of Waiwenxi, 1963. is to let our friends realize that it is not fair and appropriate to treat a fellow senior citizen like me (*all of us are turning 80 or over 80) in this way! Of course, should you think otherwise, your timely response to the above is most welcome.

Again, please bear in mind that unlike some more fortunate friends, I was admitted to Taita Waiwenxi through a very competitive Joint College Entrance Examination in 1959. With formal Registration Number- 481227, I spent four years consecutively on campus. Please kindly be aware that this privilege and right of a Waiwenxi graduate in 1963 to attend any meeting or gathering to be held in any form or anywhere regarding its public affairs should not and cannot be deprived by anyone whoever should be presiding over the meeting!

P.S. this letter is to be made public and posted in our Blog, @ntu1963.blogspot.com

Very sincerely,