Have you ever  flipped  through  old NEHS  yearbooks? Have you ever seen the black and white photos of students who were here 20 years before and wondered what they would say if they saw the school now? Mr. Ming-Shih Hung of the first NEHS graduating class of 1986 and now the director of the Hsinchu Zoological Gardens agreed to an interview for this anniversary edition school newsletter. Greeted  with the  yearbook in which his graduation  picture  appears,  Mr. Hung flipped  through the photos  and  articles looking  at  his old teachers and inquired whether any were still at the school. He was pleased to learn that he would meet one of them after the interview.

When the school  was just  opened, Hung explained  that  no one knewwhat it would be like, but he and his classmates were attracted because they  knew they would receive more than the traditional education. During the first days of class, Hung  remembers  seeing construction workers on the roofs. A small student population brought  the  students close  to each other.Even the teachers and Principal Chang were familiar with all the students and their families. The small size of the school also meant a limited number of extracurricular and social activities. The few clubs were  generally  sports or music groups.  Students also occasionally  went  to  the universities  to  watch  a  movie  or  took  other trips together. 

However,  working  hard  was  a  major  part  of  high  school  agenda. The new school used new textbooks, and students were all worried that their curriculum was inconsistent with the older material that appeared on nation-wide tests. NEHS stressed laboratory or experiment based courses, and it had many facilities and supplies. Through the teachers' hard work, the students  learned each subject well. After graduation, the students were all relatively successful, a fact that Hung attributes to the thinking skills nurtured at NEHS. Students at our school,  he says,  are  special  in  that  their  perspective goes farther and broader than that of their peers in other schools. Because NEHS encourages  development in all different directions, students are not overwhelmed by the wealth of opportunities offered later in life, and they don't waste any time due to lack of direction. Hung  declared  that the school turned out such well-rounded students that it should definitely be preserved. 

Awed  by  all  the trophies  displayed  in the  back  of  the  conference room, Hung noted that the school has changed and grown impressively since his  time. After graduating in 1986, Hung spent his next years studying marine biology. Although many of his classmates went  abroad, some even going on receiving PhDs from Ivy Leagues and other prestigious schools, Hung stayed in Taiwan. He didn't take opportunities to study overseas  because he wished  to  contribute  something to the  society  that made him who he was instead of taking his talents away. In 1995, Hung  returned to Hsinchu to work for the  government's  fishing  department.  After  spending  some  time  in  wildlife conservation, this March he became the director of the Hsinchu Zoological Gardens. 

Many  children  consider  working  in  a  zoo  as  a  future  career. Here is a peek at how one zoo director spends his typical day:

Arriving in his office, Hung  checks  his email for  messages  from research groups,  bosses,  and visitors. He prioritizes the mail and assigns some work to his staff. 

Next, Hung goes on his rounds to make sure the animals are all in good condition. Any problems result in a call to the veterinarian, who determines if  the animal  should  be treated or sent to a bigger zoo for care. 

Hung  also  attends many meetings. For example,  the zoo is currently undergoing  renovations to its pens and other animal environments, which requires a great deal of work and planning. Also, he is often  called  to meetings  at  the government  level.  By working  closely with the government, Hung hopes to use his knowledge to influence people who can  make a difference and spread  awareness of the importance of animal conservation. 

To   promote   wildlife   conservation,   Hung   thinks  it's   important  to  educate  young  people. Conservation is not a job that will ever be finished, but it is a responsibility of all of society. The only way to continue the mission of conservation is to instill awareness in future generations. Towards this end,  Hung  makes  activities  for  students  one  of  his  priorities.  He has even given speeches to the students of NEHS, led them on field trips, and taught a few of their life science courses as well. 

One of Hung's  primary  messages is  that  a  zoo is not an extension of the wilderness. He thinks that  city  dwellers  need  pets  to  satisfy  the  animal  spirit within them, and that having a zoo is like everyone having many pets without the hazards of irresponsible  owners.  However,  he also stresses that  the  zoos  of  the world  constitute one  environment,  and  the  wilderness,  another.  These  two environments  are  not the  same. Wild animals enter Hung's zoo only if they are unable to survive in the wilderness; they are never  captured for the sole purpose of being put on display. Once an animal has been brought into a zoo, humans  try  to  help it recover so it can be released back into its natural environment. The only animals that stay in the zoo permanently are animals that will never be able to fend for themselves.  Therefore, Hung  states that while  zoos  are educational and necessary, they do not  replace  the  wilderness. For this  reason,  conservation  is  a necessary  responsibility,  and Hung would like to do all he can for its cause. 

For parting advice, Hung says that students at NEHS have so many opportunities that it would be a   shame  to  waste  them.  With  our  thinking  skills  and  abilities,  even  if  we  miss  out  on  some opportunities  or  encounter  obstacles,  we  can  continue  to  advance  based on our own merits. The advantages of an NEHS education have increased since it  was first offered, and Hung  hopes that our school will continue to experience growth and success. "Happy twentieth anniversary, NEHS, and we all wish you many more."