How to Dress Professionally at Work.

Dress code based on T.P.O (time, place, and occasion) is very important, especially when you start to enter the business world.

The Importance of Film Soundtracks

Music plays an important role in movies, evoking a range of different emotions and conveying their central messages.

Korean Billiards Culture

Billiards can easily be one the most exciting leisure sports for everyone to enjoy no matter gender, age or career.

Friday, July 27, 2012

A Clean Campus:The Face of Woosong

trash As I walk around the Woosong campus as of late, I have found that the litter on the street is disgusting, unpleasant to look at and, what’s more, smells terrible. The situation on campus is a little better (given the endeavors of the Sol Police), but not by much. On the other hand, all kinds of dirty things like cigarettes, spit, and even vomit litter the streets surrounding campus. In particular, student residential areas are being blighted by trash and stink. On the threshold of summer, I am seriously concerned about the horrendous smell of hot trash that can only become worse than it is now.

The area around Jayang-dong is, strictly speaking, not a part of the Woosong campus. To consider Jayang-dong a community separate from Woosong is difficult, however, because college facilities, dorms, and apartments where students reside dominate the neighborhood. It would, in fact, be ridiculous to consider Jayang-dong as anything other than a part of the Woosong community.

Knowing that, how will the image of Woosong University not suffer if the surrounding areas are unkempt and dirty? There is a man, for instance, who cleans up around my apartment every day. He always says the same thing while performing his duties; “What on Earth do students learn from the University…and [sic] what is the use of studying in a University if you don’t have a conscience”? He has a point. It is shameful for college students, who are supposed to be educated people, to conduct themselves in such a disrespectful and thoughtless manner.

For the image of students and Woosong University, as well as for the residents of Jayang-dong, community pollution is a real and serious issue. When I first arrived in Jayang-dong, I asked one of my friends whom already lived alone here about the procedure for dealing with food waste. Her answer was ridiculous. “Just put it in a plastic bag and throw it out of window.” The idea that somebody would dispose of trash in that fashion is, in my opinion, irresponsible and inconsiderate. We need to take care of our campus, living space, and community.

Dirty streets can also be dangerous, especially for kids. Every alley in Jayang-dong is a playground for little children. There are too many dangerous things littering the streets like sharp pieces of glass, broken bottles, cigarette butts, and human waste. What do you think local children learn from watching college students throwing garbage everywhere and spitting on the street?

Every year, Woosong University makes a considerable effort to ameliorate its reputation as an institute of higher learning in both local and international realms of consideration. For Woosong to become noted as a quality university, the academic performance of its students and condition of its facilities need to be stellar. Therefore, it is the students’ responsibility to be diligent not only in their studies but also, and perhaps more importantly, in their public conduct. Such an advanced consciousness is based on cherishing and respecting the reputation and image of our university.

litter_disposal Woosong’s campus and the area surrounding it are the face of Woosong University. As students, it is our duty to keep it clean and try to improve it whenever and wherever we can. In so doing, we will not only fulfill our civic responsibility as members of the community, but also (and more importantly) contribute to the success, accreditation, and image of the school from which we will graduate.


Staff writer Lee Kyung Min is currently a Woosong University student majoring in English.

Countdown to the London Olympics

  olympicsThe 30th Summer Olympic Games starts on July 27th and lasts for 17 days. It is the biggest sporting event on the planet with 10,500 athletes and millions of spectators. As is tradition, 8,000 inspirational people will carry the Olympic Flame as it journeys across the globe, ending on July 29th in this year’s host city, London.

The scheduled 2012 Summer Olympics will make London the first city to have hosted the modern Olympiad Games three times. London has hosted the Olympic Games on two past occasions, in 1908 and 1948, with the third planned for 2012.

Last summer in the Beijing Olympic Games, Korea placed 7th overall. Korea hopes to win 10 gold medals and place in the top 10 for these Olympics.

In the Summer Olympics, the regular events are: swimming, judo, archery, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, and so on. There are 26 regular events.

This is the first time the Korean women's volleyball team reached the Olympics in nearly eight years. Korea's medal favorites are: Park Tae-hwan (swimming), Jang Mi Ran (weightlifting), and Lee Yong Dae (badminton).

The medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games will be awarded during a total of 302 Victory Ceremonies, taking place at venues across the UK.

Sustainability and ecology are an important part of this Olympics. Polluted ground near London Olympic Park was purified by water. Stadiums were built using 90% recycled resources. All tourists use only public transportation or walk.

The official 2012 London Olympics’ slogan is, "Live as one," and the motto is "Inspire a Generation.”

The Opening Ceremony will be held on Friday, July 27, 2012 at 9 PM. Tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games are now on sale on a first come, first served basis. Ticket prices start at just £20, with special prices for young people and seniors.


Staff writers Lee Na Kyung and Jeong Min Ju are currently Woosong University students majoring in Nursing.

The Lady with the Lamp Lights up Woosong University

Florence On 31th of May 2012, the 2nd Florence Nightingale Pledge ceremony was held in Solbridge for incoming undergraduate students, in Woosong’s nursing department.

The Nightingale Ceremony, named after nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, embodies Nightingale’s noble spirit, respect for life and her love of humanity.

To acknowledge this special occasion the following dignitaries attended the ceremony: President John Endicott, Seongkyung kim (chairman of Woosong Foundation) Kang-Yi lee (the chair of Daejon nurses Association), Rchard T. Knowlton (Deputy commander for nursing at 121St Combat support Hospital) and Dr. Sharon Boni (Dean, School of Nursing and Allied Health Administration) at Fairmont State University (Uni.). In addition, many honorable guests attended to demonstrate their support for the nursing students. Notably, Dr. Sharon Boni, who signed an MOU between Woosong University and Fairmont State University, delivered a congratulatory speech.

“I believe all of you will become special and prominent medical professionals. We are provided the opportunity to make a difference, maybe more than any other profession. I’m looking forward to working and cooperating with Woosong University to provide all kinds of opportunities for these wonderful students” (Dr.Sharon Boni)

For one of the special performances, each student walked onto the stage with a candle, ignited the light and wore the badge which was led by the nursing professors. The candle light performance symbolizes Nightingale as the lady with the lamp. She was known as this because she used carry a lamp with her to the darkest corners of military wards to tend to the injured soldiers. Nightingale not only cared for each patient individually but she lived for them.

After that, along with Sunhee Kwon, 47 junior students recited the Florence Nightingale Pledge, dedicating themselves to the nursing profession and declaring their commitment to patient care.

“As the descendant of Nightingale's vision who revolutionized modern nursing, I decided to be a person who tries hard to provide with people equal medical opportunities and shine the light for health promotion”(Sunhee Kwon, 21)

nurse_lamp At the end of ceremony, freshmen and sophomore students gave an impressive stage performance by singing touching songs to celebrate the day. And herald the spirit of nightingale that will live on through the work of these students.


Staff writer Shin Hye Kyung is currently a Woosong University student majoring in Nursing Science.

Most Teenagers are Affected Negatively by Skinny Teen Pop Idols in Korea

Korean Singers The bad effects of skinny idol groups have been growing recently. Teen pop idols are increasing in popularity at a fast pace in Korea. Moreover, most of them are composed of teenagers who are respected by their peers. One problem is the bad effect on teenagers who see the idols with skinny bodies and beautiful faces on the TV screen. Teenagers always struggle to shape their body to be slimmer and go on harsh diets to be like a doll. Furthermore, they depend on medical treatment as well. However, most teenagers will judge the idols by the way they look, not by the tough course which they‘ve been through.

As a result of this atmosphere, a number of teenage students who should be full of energy to grow in playground settings, go hungry themselves to be like idols. Besides, many teenage girls use too much makeup, which is not age-appropriate.

The other problem is the title of ‘idol’. Because most groups of teen pop idols have a pretty face, the image of ‘idols’ is regarded by teenagers as a girl or boy who has a good looking face and skinny body.

“Everyday new singer groups have appeared. There are so many that I can't recognize them. Because geeks are crazy about handsome and pretty idols, the singer’s popularity has ups and downs," said high school student, Sin JeaHyup.

"There are many students who are skinny or very fat. I have seen a lot of tall, skinny models and unhealthy students hooked on those idols’ appearances. So they wear lots of makeup on their faces even if they are only teenagers,” said JeaHyup. Most teens know well how they are affected by an idols’ appearance.

"Today there are so many idols that appear for just a moment, and if they debut as a singer, they are using their appearance to make money with commercial entertainment,” said Yang SoonWha, a woman in her forties. “Also, these days, idols all appear the same kind of handsome or pretty. I think idols’ appearances can cause children to try hard diets and make them focus on appearance when they meet people at first."

Through these interviews we can know: age isn’t a matter to know how people recognized the negative influence of idol's appearance. Judging a person by his or her appearance is today's trend, but popularity does not last long in life. Actually, people prefer a singer of ability more than one with nice appearance alone. Pretty and beautiful idols’ real fans are few and they move their affections from here to there with every new trend. It’s not a love for the singers, but praise of their appearance.

Should we stand by and watch the negative effects of teen’s affection for idols? Or is it already too late? As Korea is growing and the world of singers is growing, idol's popularity abroad is getting bigger and bigger. If success is based on looks, various problems in Korea will increase. As Korean idols enter the overseas market, it seems we have a homework problem past due to be solved.


Guest writers Cora Shin and Carla Kang.

Young People React to 20-year-old Making Trouble on the Subway

subway Nowadays, the unsavory actions of young people have come to induce equally immoral actions from certain elderly characters such as a woman who bombards others with rough words, a smoking woman, and a woman who takes stimulants. They are doing wrong to one another, damaging each other. One such recent case happened on a subway.

This incident happened on Feb 27th, 2012. A young woman crossed her legs, but it upset the person sitting next to her. An older woman nearby said, "Don't cross your legs because you do damage to others." After the older woman spoke, a younger woman was infuriated and shouted at the old woman. The old woman was embarrassed, but the younger woman kept shouting and becoming angrier.

Although there were many people in the same place, nobody stopped the quarrel.

The day after this incident, a YouTube video was posted on the Internet. Most netizens (net-citizens) watched the video and blamed the younger woman's action. Her personal information was found and spread on the Internet.

People have various views on this affair. “I think it was strange,” said Emily Youn, a 20-year-old Korean-native. “They were on public transportation. So we should practice good manners towards others. But she [the older woman] didn't practice good manners. This action deserved swearing.”

Emily sympathizes with the younger woman. “I think it was sad. The old woman should have told the younger woman to uncross her legs in a more polite attitude. If someone suddenly advises you to do this, it can make you feel embarrassed.”

"If I were there,” said Chanika, a 26-year-old American citizen, “I would tell the younger woman, ‘Don't yell at the old woman,’ because her action was not polite and rude."

In conclusion, it is never the fault of one side; it takes two. The younger woman should have observed proprieties, and the older woman should have told her more politely.

Emily and Chanika had opposite views about this accident, but they both took the same view about spreading personal information on internet. "I think that spreading the young woman’s personal information on the internet was bad because her behavior was only a minor offense,” said Emily. “Therefore, she should be punished in a small way.”

“Although she acted rude to the old woman, she did it wrong once. Afterward, she might have bitterly regretted her actions and apologized to the old woman,” said Chanika. “But someone disseminated her personal information publicly on the internet and blamed her. Though she did wrong, she has a right to protect her privacy."

Observing public order is becoming a social issue once again. Netizens are hotly debating this issue online and biting back at both women, especially the young one. Ever since the information was announced to the public, many ordinary citizens have been weighing in with their judgment, shedding new light on how our society would solve this timeless generational gap conflict. Overall, the online community seems to recommend that there are many ‘other’ people to consider in society, so we need to be more considerate of each other.


Guest writers Jenny Oh and Amy Kang.

Friday, July 13, 2012

The Jisan Rock Festival is coming soon! (Web Exclusive)

2012JisanRockFestival The weather is getting hotter and hotter these days. Looking for somewhere to cool off? Then, How about going to enjoy some awesome music? I recommend you go to the Jisan Rock Festival.

At the Jisan Rock Festival, you can feel free from the city’s busy schedules and noises. And you can also enjoy camping at the Jisan Rock Festival, if you choose a three-Day ticket with camping included.

This year, they have a fantastic line up! Coming on Friday, July 27th: RADIOHEAD, THE BLACK SKIRTS, KIM CHANGWAN BAND, LOWDOWN30, BUSKER BUSKER, BLACK BAG, ACHIME, ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE IMPOSTERS, M.WARD, JAMES IHA, COMMON GROUND, and PETERPAN COMPLEX.

On Saturday the 28th: JAMES BLAKE, LUCID FALL WITH CHO YOON SEUNG SEMI-SYMPHONIC ENSEMBLE, UNDERWEARS BAND, THE STRIKERS, SPYAIR, OWL CITY, APOLLO 18, EAEON, LEE JUCK, TARU, PEPPERTONES, HOLLOW JAN, and HARRY BIG BUTTON.

THE STONE ROSES, NELL, LOS LONELY BOYS, MONNI, BOOM BOOM SATELLITES, BEADY EYE, SEKAI NO OWARI, YELLOW MONSTERS, JANG PHIL SOON, and HANUMPA are coming on Sunday the 29th.

There is one thing you should think about. That is, the Jisan Rock Festival is an outdoor festival. So, it requires some preparation. For example, if it rains, you can’t avoid not being wet in the sticky rain. So, take your raincoat just in case! And the festival site doesn’t have many bathrooms and amenities, so you might have to wait in line a long time.

The 2012 Jisan Rock Festival is held at the Jisan Forest Resort from July 27th to 29th. The Jisan Forest Resort is in Icheon Gyeonggi Province. You can get there by bus or by car.

You can book your tickets online. There are three kinds of tickets: a 1-Day ticket, a 3-Day ticket, and a 3-Day ticket with camping.

For more information, go to the website of the Jisan Rock Festival (www.valleyrockfestival.com).


Staff writer Park Mi Na.

Music Spotlight: April’s at Brickhouse

On May 16th, 2012, an up-and-coming new rock band performed for an audience of about 50 people at a local Eunhangdong bar called Brickhouse. Herald staff writer, Kim JiPil was lucky enough to catch up with the band before the show and talk to the band. The following is an interview with Kim JinSeok, leader of the band.

Q: What is the purpose of your performance here?

A: We’re here to meet the visitors’ satisfaction, but the most important thing is that we are here to enjoy playing, and I hope you guys enjoy. This time is the last performance for me, because I am going to quit the band to study more.

Q: When and how did you form this band?

A: The band’s age is one year old, and we were all Woosong students but with different kinds of departments. We are all into music, so we decided to make a band.

Q: What is your band's name, and what does it mean?

A: The name is April's; it means Woosong University is beautiful especially in April. So we had in mind that our band would also be like the great beauty of Woosong University.

Q: What has been your most impressive performance?

A: We went to the Social Welfare Center before for a benefit performance. When we were there, we were proud to be a participating band.

The Brickhouse, a foreigner bar, seemed like Times Square to me. I went there to interview bands, but I saw impressive images of Koreans and foreigners communicating openly. I felt that, though we are different in appearances and nationality, we can become one through music.


Staff writer Kim JiPil is currently a Woosong University student majoring in English.

21st Century Witch Hunting: Lady Gaga’s Concert and a Religious Group’s Reaction

Lady Gaga Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” surely triggered the fanaticism of 45,000 people. On April 27th of 2012 in her very first world tour concert, Lady Gaga made sure that her watching fans left satisfied with her exceptional performances in Jamsil Olympic Stadium Complex. The number of people who bought tickets to this event marked the second highest after Michael Jackson, and this clearly reflects her influence in South Korea.

However, not all people were welcoming her arrival. Soon after she arrived, the South Korean government suddenly raised the rating of the concert to "above 18." Right before the concert started, many Christian groups including The Christian Council of Korea severely castigated Lady Gaga, her concert, and the host company for allowing "a bad influence" to take place on the Peninsula. These people even went in front of the concert hall trying to ‘save’ people in the line from Satan. Some of the Christians held up banners presenting things that severely criticized Lady Gaga’s stance on bisexuality and the blatancy of her performance in front of her many fans. Neither these Christians nor the fans were happy.

This so-called anti-Gaga movement from various religious sects is still taking place in other countries. The second destination of Lady Gaga’s world tour is one of the biggest Muslim countries in the world, Indonesia. Already various Muslim protesters are holding up banners, reprimanding the concert venue itself and Lady Gaga. People of the Philippines, one of the strongest Roman Catholic countries, are against the coming of Lady Gaga. Her tour, it seems, will be experiencing many more bumps along the road.

With respect to many other religious believers, their theories notwithstanding, the actions and assertions made by these religious groups are not valid. Most of all, these people are not respectful of others with dissenting viewpoints. The evaluation on the performer or the concert can be different depending on what kind of perspectives you take. Although many of her fans were not affiliated with certain religions, their musical preference should be respected just like how the religions are respected. Yet the religious sector failed to be flexible with people holding different opinions.

Moreover, the conflict-provoking censuring of the bisexuality or homosexuality of the performer clearly shows that the religious sector is intervening beyond their given scope of business. The often raised issue of agreeing or disagreeing with homosexuality is actually a debate that does not make sense. Sexual preference is a matter of personal choice instead of debate. Fervent uprising of religious fundamentalists is therefore against the value of freedom of choice.

With the reverence for the devotion which these religious groups made in our society notwithstanding, the radical dichotomy of evil versus angel triggers the conflict between the factions of dissenting opinion within the society. Just as The Bible or the Koran is sacred among their respected group members, counterpart values of the public should also be appreciated.


Staff writer Lee JuWon is currently a SolBridge University student.

Movie Review: 500 Days of Summer

Scene_Slate “It’s not a love story.” This is the warning shown at the very beginning of the movie. It’s not a movie that makes you want to cry or makes you feel romantic. The only thing important was that love does not come with rules. 500 Days of Summer represents a simple love story in a totally different way.

Here is the normal part of this movie. Tom (Joseph Gordon) met a girl who did not believe in love, Summer (Zooey Deschanel). The poor boy who always believed in the purity of love believed that this girl was there only for him. Without any surprise, they started a relationship in the usual manner. Starting with excitement, their relationship became sweet and they started to trust each other. In the end, however, as the girl said at the very beginning, a commitment was not what she wanted. Therefore, without any surprise, they broke up in a typical way. The question remains, what makes this movie unique?

First of all, as an independent movie, it can take the risk to try new cinematography methods because the investment is not as high as those commercial movies. As 500 Days of Summer did, it didn’t tell the story in chronological order. After watching this movie for 5 minutes, you can tell where the plot would go eventually. It was not mysterious at all. Also, it wasn’t ordered in a typical fashion; it seemed like the scenes were simply chosen randomly. But the most amazing part is that, by watching this movie, the audience gets the chance to revisit their own stories and hopefully develop a deep understanding about what love is.

Secondly, super-attractive actors and actresses surely could not have made the audience feel as strong as neighbor-like characters. The directors certainly knew this marketing tact and chose Joseph Gordon and Zooey Deschanel as the main characters. This was not the first time the two actors worked together. They had a tacit understanding and made the characters and the story so home-like that the resonance was almost guaranteed.

Even two years after its premiere, 500 Days of Summer is still a good movie to watch. Want a love story with a different taste? Spend two hours on a quiet night and enjoy this movie.


Staff writer Ying ChengHao is currently a Woosong University student majoring in Railway Electrical Engineering.

Are Social Networking Sites Having a Bad Effect on Society?

clip_image002“Do you want to enhance your language skills? Why don’t you join the social networking world? There are lots of people from other countries,” Cora, a Woosong University student, said.

Cora’s daily routine includes logging onto social networking sites, like Facebook, every day. In the morning, she checks her messages as soon as she gets up. When she comes to school, she connects to her Facebook account and posts comments on her friends’ pages or visits other peoples’ blogs. Cora usually sits in front of her computer networking with her friends or updating her pictures and other information. She is a typical young person in Korean society.

She said, “When I use social network sites, I feel more comfortable communicating, and I’ve made a lot of friends on Facebook.” Social network sites give us a virtual community where we can make friends and chat with others.

In the “Pew Interview Project Data Memo,” Amanda Lenhart and Mary Madden reported that more than 90% of teenagers used social networking websites and also had online profiles, and around 75% of them said that they used the sites to get in touch with their friends.

However, in spite of the possible benefits such as improving self-esteem, the rise in popularity of social networking sites among young people has had negative effects on society because of the risk of health problems and the violation of personal privacy.

The first negative effect is that physical problems will happen among many young people using social networking sites. Connecting to websites for a long time while sitting leads to health problems like weight gain. For example, one Woosong University student I interviewed began using the social networking sites after entering university. Thus, he was sitting in front of the computer too much because it was possible to meet various friends at the same time. In addition, he didn’t need to spend time taking a bus or walking outside to meet his friends, so he became overweight. If he hadn't become overweight, it would not be a problem to society. The key here is that it is not only him, but many young people that have become overweight owing to the amount of time spent in front of the computer. Then it is possible for them to get various diseases, having harmful effects on many young people’s lives. A huge number of young people will go to the hospital in the future.

Social Networking App Usage Up 30%.

Nielsen: THE SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT Q3 2011

However, it could be argued that some social networking sites could help students improve their self-esteem. It is said that many students build up their self-confidence by showing their personal profiles. Most people agree that social networking site use has definite side effects on society. Although some people say that youth having their own social website is a positive experience, I would argue that the negative effects outweigh the positive.

Not only do social networking sites have health-related side effects, but they also expose lots of young peoples’ information, which means that some predators can use private personal information unlawfully. Violators steal personal information from social networking sites via individual public profiles and use that information for the purpose of their own business. For instance, when Arvin was a high school student, joining the networking sites, he had to fill out forms which included his address, phone number, email, and social security number. After that, some companies began to send him text messages or emails to advertise their products even though he didn’t permit them to use his personal information. He said, “I felt annoyed and scared. I just want more privacy than I’ve had before. It is an infringement of my privacy.” In this way, many companies have unwittingly allowed the abuse of people’s personal information on their website. In other words, only social networking could so readily expose young people to online criminals.

Joining and using social networking sites looks very convenient and useful, but it can cause many young people to get health problems. Moreover, thieves can abuse illegally-obtained personal information from sites which are not monitored by a security system.

Therefore, using social networking sites should be restricted by parents for young people, and websites should try to protect many young people from violators trying to steal their private information.


Guest contributors Tina Park and Jasmin Woo.

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