Appreciate the beauty of horses Horses love the company of other horses. They are also forgiving and can put up with bad handling from someone who does not know horses. But they have good memories, and will not forget if you treat them too badly. Horses have feelings just as we do - they are not simply pets or tools for winning races. I have loved them since I was a little girl, and the reason is they are so trusting. I feel safe with them. We should try to treat them as friends - not simply an animal that has to obey us. It upsets me when I see them in races. I don't think it is good for the horses. We should ask ourselves if we are riding a horse because we like it or as a tool to make money. I think if there is any chance a horse will get hurt, we should not put them through it. I hope other students can get to spend some time with horses and appreciate what beautiful animals they are. Laicy Ketlin Da Silva Tsang, Delia Memorial School (Hip Wo) We can all learn to be good people When I was young, I believed humans were born to be good. I'm not sure why. Probably it was the influence of the Chinese classics. But, as I got older I started to have my doubts. In the Bible, for example, Adam and Eve were enticed by the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit, bringing sin into their lives. In our daily lives, we can see many examples of petty behaviour and emotions. Take jealousy, for example. Children can even feel jealous when a new baby arrives in the family, when they should feel joy and love. But, even though I doubt we are naturally good by nature, I still think we can learn to be good. In the television drama Beyond the Realm of Conscience, the character Lau Sam-Ho, played by Charmaine Sheh, is a kind and good person. She always remembers how her mother told her: 'Speak good words, do good deeds, show goodwill.' I think she is a good model for all of us. I believe we can all learn to be kind like Sam-Ho. Mak Lai-man, SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School School days are happy days In Hong Kong, everyone has the opportunity to study and we have good facilities. Compared to people in developing countries, Hongkongers are very lucky. I sometimes hear my classmates complaining that school life is boring. They say they are tired of doing so much schoolwork and homework. But, for me, school life is a happy thing. Although I also hate doing homework and revision, I know it makes me more knowledgeable. I am a Form Five student, and sometimes I feel stressed by all the work I have to do. But I still have fond memories of times spent with my schoolmates. I doubt we can have such happy memories of life in the workforce. True, schoolwork and homework is tiring, but there is no doubt, to me, that our school years are the happiest in our lives. Phoebe Cheung Ka-pui, SKH Chan Young Secondary School Parents, give us support and space There is a lot of talk about the problem of irresponsible parents. But some students have the opposite problem - parents who are too responsible. Some of us feel we cannot breathe because of the pressure we are under. This is not good for teenagers' mental health. Their parents might even know it and not know how to help. In my case, I sometimes just want some space to relax and play some games and forget about everything. The more parents fuss over you, the worse it is. I think the best thing parents can do is to quietly support their children. All parents need to do is let their children know they are there at their side whenever, whatever and however. That really is enough for most of us to do our best at school. Annie Au, Leung Shek Chee College