UNC-CH Senior Lecturer Jock Lauterer is spending his third summer in China teaching Community Journalism. His textbook book, “Community Journalism: Relentlessly Local,” will be released next week in Shenzhen, revised and translated into Chinese.
It’s a typical balmy late spring day on this college campus. Kids are out playing basketball and soccer. And it’s May, so the blue-robed future college grads are out practicing for the coming week’s Commencement.
And the Carolina Blue sky smiles down on the happy scene.
It could be Carolina. Only it’s not.
This is Southwest University of Political Science and Law of Chongqing, deep in the heart of China.
Toto, I have a feeling…
Beside the soccer pitch there are elders engaged in raging Ping-Pong matches, while on the infield, two young collegiates practice their sword-dancing with spectacular leaps, and in the gym, dozens of kids sweat through good-natured but intense bouts of badminton — all of which are just as important here as the big money sports are back in the U.S.
And what I’m witnessing here today is all for fun.
How refreshing.
Fun.
Seems like that word has gotten lost in the shuffle back home.
