Source: Nangfang Daily 10/04/2012 A12

Author: Zhao Xinxing, Lu Xilan

In the South Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, there is a “U&I Charity Shop”, which was initiated by 11 students. It was a noteless simple shop but with the visit of Deng Fei, initiator of “Free Lunch”, it has cast a spotlight on the new trend of campus public action in the public welfare circle.

Living in the “ivory tower”, college students are often labeled with ‘ignorance of civilian sufferings and lack of sympathy to the disadvantaged groups and the bottom groups’. They are criticized for self-sense of overwhelming superiority. But now, campus public action has become a new way of social participation and a chance for self-development for college students.

Starting from traditional activities such as ‘going to rural areas and lending education support’, the field of public action for college students has been greatly expanded. Footprints of these young people can be found in many areas like environmental protection, labor services, rural education, hospice care and youth growth. College students social service groups are getting mature in practice and a number of professional campus public service organizations are beginning to take shape. “U& I Charity Shop” is one of them.