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Bad weather puts pay to graduates' mountaineering trip

The Ketagalan Institute, an academy run by the DPP, announced yesterday it has canceled a plan for its first group of graduates to scale Mount Jade -- Taiwan's highest peak -- as part of their graduation activities.

Ketagalan Institute Vice President You Ying-lung (游盈隆) made the announcement after an emergency meeting of the school's senior executives and local mountaineers.

"We are forced to cancel the long-planned Mount Jade expedition, due to bad weather in the region in recent days," You said.

One of the two trails to the top of the mountain has been closed due to landslides and the other route has been partially damaged because of heavy rains, You explained, citing data furnished by the Central Weather Bureau.

The 38-member group of Ketagalan students was hoping to scale the mountain this weekend.

"But now we have decided to replace the planned expedition with a trip to the frontline island of Kinmen this weekend," You said, adding that the students will receive diplomas at the end of the two-day Kinmen visit that starts today.

The Ketagalan Institute, inaugurated in early April, is President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) brainchild. It hopes to nurture a new generation of politically adept professionals for public service.

After three months studying national leadership and development strategies, the first group of Ketagalan graduates will graduate after the outdoor program.

As Mount Jade is considered by some to be a sacred mountain, You said the academy originally planned the expedition to enable its first group of graduating students to get a feel for the grandeur of the countryside and appreciate the need to preserve and protect its precious environment.

"We hope that an outdoor teaching program can help inspire our students to take up life's challenges with courage and to pursue excellence in their careers," he said.
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