Club Activities: Student Speeches Essay

This is the article that I wrote for "Minjok Herald." -- This is not the final draft but it was revised a few times. In the next version I hope my article appears. 

About student speeches...

Every Monday a student of Korean Minjok Leadership Academy comes out and makes a speech. Among KMLAians these speeches have been a hot issue due to various voices discussing its purpose and effectiveness.

The history of the student speech system was explained by 16^th waver and Chief of the 13^th Executive Council Ryu Ji-won. “Before I suggested every KMLAian should be allowed to make a speech, only the members of the Student Council stood upon the podium. As I saw the Student Council members being forced to make a speech, giving the chance to other students seemed to be a much better policy.”

17^th wavers Ko Geun-Hyung and Jeong Han-Sol, who had both made speeches, stated that the purpose of student speeches was mainly to express opinions. “As morning assemblies are part of the curriculum, the participation of students is essential.” said Ko. Meanwhile, Jeong, he stated “Student speeches are the only way to explicitly express opinions as they are heard directly by the students and the teachers. KMLA Talk and other means of articulating opinions are ineffective as they have never persisted.” Then a question is raised: is this purpose kept well? For now, both Ko and Jeong believe so.

Another issue raised is the mandatory use of English in student speeches. As a part of EOP, it is necessary for all students to use English in formal situations. But some believe that forcing KMLAians to use English might jeopardize the delivery of the speech. Ko said “Most Korean teachers have difficulties understanding speeches in English. The purpose of these speeches is to get the message across, which using Korean supports. Furthermore, the option to make speeches may be limited to students who can fluently speak English.” But Jeong disagreed, as he stated “Using English seems plausible according to EOP. Also, KMLAians should be able to deliver a speech in English. So the problem is the level of each student’s preparation, not EOP.” Meanwhile, Ryu said “The students must be able to choose which language they would use as it is their speech. EOP should exist, but if English is uncomfortable for the student to delivering the speech, the Korean must also be allowed.”

KMLAians have also expressed the need for improvements in the student speech system. Ko stated “Nobody should be able to stop or censor the speech at any situation. Also, the audience must be ready to listen intently even if the speaker is bad at English or in speaking, the audience must learn how to listen.” Furthermore, Jeong, said “The speeches themselves aren’t such a bad policy. But nobody should interfere with the speech or cut it in the middle. These speeches should be a non-aggressive ritual.”

Many similar controversial ideas have been coming up on KMLA Online or in gossips. KMLAians’ role in these matters seems essential as student speeches are an important aspect in morning assemblies. Looking at the history of the system and the opinions of various interviewees, it’s up to the students to alter the course of student speeches if need be.

Personal Projects: Student Speeches - Interview Three (3)

The third and final interview was done with 17th waver Jung Han-Sol. He also spoke in front of the school during the student speeches. Another interview was done with him. 

Interview Questions

1. What do you think is the purpose of the student speech program?
A: The student speech program is the only way that students could talk about their opinions and ideas that they've kept inside them. Comparing it with the historical "Chosun Dynasty's Shinmungo" which is a drum used by the people when they would like to express something unlawful. Currently there are ways the students could express their opinions, but it is not used readily and is hard to see them being kept. Even if there is a KMLA Talk session it is very uncomfortable to raise issues relating to the school directly. Mostly every policy that is suggested is never kept. 

2. Do you think the purpose is being kept well?
A: Well it seems like it. But still there is a feeling that the topics are similar. Most of the speakers use the podium to speak towards the students not the teachers or the head-master. 

3. Some believe that the delivery of the message was somewhat lacking as to the use of English. Do you think that the student speeches should be limited to English?
A: If I could answer shortly, I agree to EOP. In places where everyone is present the policy is that students use English. Also people who attend KMLA should have enough English skills to say what they want. It's not even an impromptu speech, you have a script. Even if the speaker is bad at English, it's their problem concerning preparation not the problem of the EOP.

4. What measures should we take to improve the student speech program?
A: The program that we have right now isn't that bad. But as 17th waver Ko's speech, nobody should be forced down during their speeches. I wish that student speeches should never be interfered from the students and the teachers. 

Personal Projects: Student Speeches - Interview Two (2)

The second interview was done with 17th waver Ko Geun-Hyeong. A student who once spoke in front of the whole school because of student speeches.

Interview Questions

1. What do you think is the purpose of the student speech program?
A: The obvious purpose would be participation. As the morning student speech is a part of a class, as its meaning suggests that students must participate.

But my motive was different. I wanted to  the head master. I wanted to fight him. Student speeches are the only way to express our criticism towards the school. There should be a function that allows students to show and tell their discontent. 

2. Do you think the purpose is being kept well?
A: Looking at the past speeches the obvious purpose is being kept well. There were a few nice topics that the students should focus into.

3. Some believe that the delivery of the message was somewhat lacking as to the use of English. Do you think that the student speeches should be limited to English?
A: I believe that the student speeches should permit Korean. The teachers can't understand if the students use English with their speeches. The speeches would be limited to the people who are good at English. As delivery is essential I believe that using Korean should be allowed.

4. What measures should we take to improve the student speech program?
A: First, the students must not be stopped during the speeches.
Second, there should be no censorship to the speeches.
Next, the audience should practice listening to the speeches. When I was doing the speech the seniors were yelling at me "Do it right!!"
Finally, even though the speaker is bad at English they should still try to intently hear the speeches. 

Personal Projects: Student Speeches - Interview One

Being a Minjok Herald Writer we are obligated to interview various students and teachers. The topic that I was assigned to was "Student Speeches." These days various students are participating on the student speeches. By interviewing three students I tried to realize the history, purpose and the effectiveness of this policy.

The first interview was done with 16th waver and Chief of the 13th Executive Council Ryu Ji-Won. The creator of student speeches.

1. What was your motive in creating the student speech program?
A: Before I suggested every KMLAian should be allowed to make a speech, only the members of the Student Council stood upon the podium. As the Student Council members did not always have something important to say, providing the chance to other students seemed to be a much better policy.

16th Waver Ryu Ji-won

2. Do you think the purpose is being kept well? And why?
A: The purpose itself is being kept right now. But I'm not sure if all the speeches were beneficial for us. Sometimes people have dissatisfaction on the length of speeches  rather than the content of it. 

3. So is the current student speech program effective in fulfilling the purpose?
A: If nobody comes out and shouts nonsense anyone can improve the current system. I presume that some adjustments will be made relating to censorship. 

4. What improvements do you think will be needed to correct these problems?
A: The language would also be adjusted. Some people are comfortable with Korean. So the speaker should be able to choose which language he/she would speak in front of the whole school. 

A Different Journey: Anticlimax, the name suggests...

Anticlimax: a drop, often sudden and unexpected, from a dignified or important idea or situation to one that is trivial or humorous. 
Also a sudden descent from something sublime to something ridiculous. In fiction and drama, this refers to action that is disappointing in contrast to the previous moment of intense interest. In rhetoric, the effect is frequently intentional and comic.

Where the Term comes from !!!

The term Anticlimax comes from the combination of two Greek words: anti, which means "against" or "the reverse of," and klimax, which means "a ladder" and was derived from klinein meaning "to slope."

Examples

1. Novels

Oh, poor Mr. Jones," mourned Mrs. Smith, "Did you hear what happened to him? He tripped at the top of the stairs, fell down the whole flight, banged his head, and died.". " Died?" said Mrs. Robinson, shocked. "Died!" repeated Mrs. Smith with emphasis. "Broke his glasses, too."

(Isaac Asimov, Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor. Houghton Mifflin, 1971)

Examples from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Pride and Prejudice!

1.     The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining from an upper window, that he wore a blue coat, and rode a black horse.

2.     He begged pardon for having displeased her. In a softened tone she declared herself not at all offended; but he continued to apologize for about a quarter of an hour.

3.     Mr Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth – and it was soon done – done while Mrs Bennet was stirring the fire.

4.     …his friend Mr Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a-year.

2. Songs
And as I'm sinkin
The last thing that I think
Is, did I pay my rent...

(Jim O'Rourke, Ghost ship in a storm)

3. Movies

A famous example is the ending of The War of the Worlds, where, amidst the chaos of the extraterrestrial takeover of planet Earth, the aliens are defeated by the most unexpected organism: the common cold. Another example could involve the protagonist faced with insurmountable odds and ultimately being killed, without accomplishing their goal, despite what appears to be a turning point for the character.

4. Quotes

"The holy passion of friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money." — Mark Twain

Personal Projects: After Swimming...

I Love Swimming

And after the Gangwon-Athletic Competition my love has never been higher.

This year the swimming team known as "H2O" has earned 7 Medals total.

1 Gold Medal

2 Silver Medals

4 Bronze Medals

and among these various medals not even a single one has my name on it.

Then, why does my love for swimming increase when I didn't even accomplish anything?

This year swimming has given me a clear goal.

A goal that I will never forget.

Let me tell you the whole story.

I started swimming because of my parents. My parents insisted that I learned swimming as it had been their life's dream to learn swimming. But as they were poor they've never actually got the chance to learn any. So my journey begins with my parents.

I started learning Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly. Every vacation I went to the  city pool to learn swimming. I was pretty good as I won several medals with backstroke and freestyle. With three medals I thought my journey ended then...

Then came KMLA!!!

This chance, this unpredictable school had invited me back to the realms of swimming. When it was time to choose student clubs, I remember a sign grasping my eye. 

"JOIN H2O - KMLA Swimming Team"

Photo of the KMLA Swimming Team!

I hesitated for a moment...

Thinking 'Is swimming my way. Is it my road to destiny?'

The answer was "Yes"

I don't know why but a "Yes" sign was hovering over my head.

After the historical moment, a meeting was assembled. All H2O members were obligated to do a physical test!!

Push-ups, jump ropes, running tests it was hard...

After the test, 17th waver Bum-Jun Choo had given us an assignment to work out everyday!

1. 20 push-ups everyday

2. Don't use the elevator, use the stairs...

3. Everyday at the end of class run the track

4. 300 jump-ropes everyday

From February to March I was pretty good at keeping these physical assignments. But as time passed one by one these assignments were gone from my head as the wind blows over mountains and rivers.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday the swimming team goes out for practice to a near by pool. Honestly, it's not that nearby as it takes about 30 minutes to get there by bus. We change into our swimming suits and go inside.

In the club we do what is called "Fin Swimming" Here's a video to demonstrate.

I was supposed to learn diving, turning, and fin swimming for 3 months and go out on a competition. It seemed reckless but I tried it anyway as I always love a good challenge.

I was going out for 400m, 800m fin swimming. 

For a moment I thought 'Maybe... I might win a medal...'

Turns out I was the first to go out. Without thinking I was doomed. With 14 competitors I was 4th!!! Counting from the back ㅠ.ㅠ

Our swimming teacher, kangsan, and me!

This was the most embarrassing moment of my life. I thought I did enough. I thought it was enough but no... The world was cold as the north wind blows upon the mountains of ice. 

I dumped my head down and was despairing...

'What went wrong?' I kept thinking to myself.

I was too slow... Because I needed to swim 400m I thought conserving my strength was important... But no... You need to be at full speed from the beginning...

The experience taught me how to dive, how to turn, and how to fin swim. Next year...

I promise you... Two Gold Medals will be hanging over my neck!!!

Remember! I will practice for a year and will come back to get that first place. Just wait...

And if you read through the whole thing always remind me to work on fin swimming. Just try to motivate me...

I'll be waiting 2014!!!

Monthly TOEFL Essay #2: Emotions

Topic for the response: The 21st century has begun. What changes do you think this new century will bring? Use examples and details in your answer.

Name: Kim Ho-Sung A

ID: 131048

             As the 21^st century goes on and as time passes humanity tends to develop. These developments can be advancements in energy use, scientific achievements, and economical growths. But as we strive for the higher goals of our lives we seem to fall behind. Humanity is losing their primitive functions like emotion or perception. This mainly connects with globalization achieved by technology. Therefore, I presume that the 21^st century will bring a change by lighting up the start for the eradication of humanity’s emotions, lack of expressions, and the first to experience the negative aspects of flooding information.

       Smart phones are being readily used by countless people. We see that people are staring at their phones in subways or in the streets rather than communicating face to face. Humans communicate using various areas of our bodies such as a little flinch in the eyebrow, gestures, and tones of which we speak. We detect these verbal and nonverbal communications through our experiences and emotions. But the technological developments in social networks are blocking our capacity to flourish our primitive emotions. We communicate by chatting with our phones, using social networks rather than asking people directly. This limits the exchange of emotions among people. But the problem doesn't end here. The real problem lies within the effect of technology concerning children, the future of our race. Children are drawn to high-tech gadgets easily as they are like sponges absorbing any kind of information. The problem is there are too much noxious information and addiction. They cannot overcome the temptation of technology when they should be playing outside communicating with their friends. A research done by Stanford University suggests that children who spend a majority of their time online are less happy among their peers because of the social disconnection they feel. This suffocates children emotionally.

             Next, people are losing their own ways of expressing themselves. We express ourselves in order to change or to communicate. Our expressions and emotions are the source in which other individuals comprehend and try to send their ideas back at us. But in the 21^st century we are laughing with our hands. We send texts to indicate that we are currently laughing like “kkk” when we should be smiling using our facial expressions.

This way of stopping our expressions, limits our potential for communication. Social life isn’t just about talking or sending messages. It’s about eye contact, a hand shake, and a smile. Another example of limited amount of expression is the use of cameras. Parents try to capture the moment by looking at their children using cameras. While they should be clapping and cheering for their children’s dance performances, parents are all holding their devices in front of their faces not expressing. The world has been brought close by technology, but it has also ripped apart humanity.

             Finally, information is increasing rapidly as the current devices are enabling people around the globe to communicate. We have access to a variety of information using the internet as a bridge. Flooding information can be interpreted as a positive thing, because it suggests an idea that we are developing. However, the concern is not for intellectual developments, but for emotional ones.

As we enhance our ideas and technology the question raises if the human race is able to follow the development as well. People are ignoring the human nature in order to develop their rationality with information. Because we are constantly shoving information inside our heads we are ignorant of our nature to feel emotions. In other words our heads are becoming bigger but our hearts are becoming smaller. We can never live without a heart.

             The new age of the 21^st century may be an age of development. We constantly construct new things in order to enhance our ways of living. But as we go on we sometimes forget to look back. Our emotions are being turned into stone by social networks, lack of expressions, and flooding information. We say that the world is closer than ever before, but the absences in close human relationships are making us fall back.