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.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Interview with President Endicott

Clipboard02 We had an interview with President Endicott, on February 26, 2013. We wanted know his opinions on Woosong and Korea. We wanted to know why he planned to make a four semester system and his future plans for Woosong and his life.

Woosong Herald Staff: Opinion about four semesters for a year system.

President John E. Endicott: The four terms per year comes out to maximize efficiency as much as possible. If you have a long break after studying a language, you can forget much of what you learned. To bridge the gap, the four semester system was introduced. Woosong students can now graduate 6 months earlier than the other universities. This can help you to become a graduate student faster. Also, if you don’t want to get a job immediately, you can stay on to improve your language skills as well as completion of professional certifications.

WHS: Your opinions about Woosong University and how it will manage in the future?

Endicott: Woosong is doing fine, and I can’t be any more happy. We are globalizing and establishing alliances with businesses and foreign universities that can be of help. We have a plan in 2020 to include many more foreign campuses but I wish to concentrate on continual globalization and want to establish continual globalization with universities that can be useful for our students. I want to make sure we can place our graduates in rewarding positions for all concerned.

WHS: What do you think of Korea?

Endicott: The Korean myth is never finished as in the ‘Miracle on the Han River’ and Daejeon’s location is central in all things. Korean youth have earned an impressive status by nurturing their minds. Universities and the government must continue to work together. The American President, Obama, refers to Korea whenever he talks about education. He highly appreciates it as a model of success.

I admire a culture rich in history. I admire Korean examples in education, and I am thrilled to have a chance to be a part of these stories.

WHS: Do you have any plans after retiring?

Endicott: Living as long as possible! Why? I have several books to write and movies to produce. My Air Force career let me take part in some of the Cold War. I had served from May 1958 to June 1986, and then served an additional three years as a senior civilian Director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C. So I served from the height of the Cold War and 31 years of the Soviet Union. I was in the Air Force from the Taiwan Straits Crisis of '58 to 1989 and actually participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Interview with Pre. EndicottKorean events of 1968-1969 -- the Blue House Raid, the USS Pueblo seizure, the EC-121 shoot down, the KAK 007 shoot down, etc.

I would also like to write about my life and my wife of 53 years, and I would like to produce movies of important moments about history in the 20th century when the Soviet Union and Mongolia defeated Japan’s attempted invasion that could have changed history.

So, you see, lots to do, but let's do Woosong first and think of retirement later, after all, I am only 77 this year.


Staff writers Shin TaeHee and Cho Wonha.

Woosong University- 2013 Youth’s Dream University

From the Dong A-Ilbo Dong A-Ilbo, Channel A, and Deloitte Consulting conducted a university evaluation and declared Woosong University as one of the ‘Youth’s Dream Universities’ of 2013. In the past, universities were evaluated on the following criteria: ratio of students to professors, research projects, number and types of publications, number and types of English courses, the types of facilities available on campus, the number of library books, and the perception of the university in the media, both at home and abroad.

Due to the flaws in the old system (such as overestimating a university’s value due to its name, or the size of the library), an effort was made to create a more accurate evaluation of Korean universities. Unlike the old criteria, a “Youth’s Dream University” is selected by evaluating students’ success at getting employed after graduation, student satisfaction with their education and job placement, and the programs and assistance offered to students, by the university, in obtaining a job. The evaluation is based, in part, on the idea that a university has a responsibility to assist students with preparing for their upcoming careers and getting a job.

Dong A-Ilbo, Channel A, and Deloitte Consulting evaluated 198 four year universities based on the new criteria, and selected 25 universities which were given a rate of excellent. The 10 best included Korea University, Kwang Woon University, Seogang University, Seoul National University, City University of Seoul, Sungsil University, Aju University, Yonsei University, Woosong University, and Hankuk University of Industry and Technology.

All of the selected universities provided college students with a high completion rate on important and relevant projects for their careers, innovative educational programs, and assistance with locating job opportunities. In other words, the university’s services and student satisfaction were really superb.

The results demonstrate that it is more important to rank a university by its actual effort to help the students succeed after college, rather than the general perception which ranks a university’s level according to the students’ academic achievements. It is an attempt to alter the prevailing concept of the hierarchical system of universities.

Dong A-Ilbo is planning to conduct this evaluation for ‘Youth’s Dream Universities’ every year, focusing not on their name recognition, but their innovative efforts and remarkable students.

Global Korean Culinary Arts Students from Woosong in Guatemala at the 2012 Korean Foods Festival


Staff writer Shin TaeHee.

Baseball Star’s Positive Push on Campus and Life

Ahn Young Myung On any given day at West Campus soccer field you can see a small number of men batting, fielding, and pitching baseballs together. One of them is Ahn Young Myung, professional baseball player of the Hanwha Eagles. He is now working as public military service worker in Woosong Sports center. If you are a big fan of Hanwha over the years, you might remember Ahn as a starting pitcher. Woosong Herald Sports met Ahn Young Myung on a cloudy day after his routine practice. We wanted to share his experiences as a pro baseball player and his insights on life with WSU students.

Ahn is well known for his poker face among baseball fans. He doesn’t even smile a little bit when he is standing on the mound. Many fans call him as “Chic Young Myung” because of his expressionless face but off-field he smiles and comes across very friendly. He said he is an introverted person who prefers to have deep relationship with small group of people.

Fans wonder why he shows this infamous poker face when between the lines. “It’s because of my childhood experience,” said Young Myung. “When I was young - that means when I was an elementary school student, I often revealed my raw feelings while playing baseball. If I did something good, I laughed, if not, I made a long face. But the coaches reprimanded me for revealing my emotion to the opponents. It’s not a good habit. I was educated to be poker faced when I am wearing a uniform at the ballpark. I think that lesson I learned in my childhood has influenced me until now. On the baseball field, I always try to be serious. Even when doing simple warm-ups, I concentrate on it. Sounds like I’m a boring person but that’s because I really love baseball.”

He accomplished 11 wins in 2009, hi-lighted by one game in particular against the Lotte Giants, September 8th. Ahn Young remembers it like yesterday. “At Sajik Stadium in Busan I threw 9 innings and that win was my 10th win,” said the 6-foot right-hander. “One win for a starting pitcher is very precious. During the long innings, there are some critical moments. If you overcome them well and throw more than 5 innings, you will have more of a chance to get the win. I think a win is kind of reward for your commitment.”

Korean baseball teams play 126 games a year. Starting pitchers take the mound at least 25 times. Sometimes he has to throw even though he is not in a good physical condition and not performing well. How does Ahn deal with this type of adversity? “I just think ‘well, I’m in a slump now. The key is staying positive during that time. I know it won’t last long so I just workout and know someday it will pass.”

Ahn Young’s glass full mentality remains clear. In 2010, the Eagles traded him to the Kia Tigers in exchange for Jang Sung Ho, a veteran hitter, and then returned to Hanwha 8 months later. Despite having to leave the Eagles, the only team he ever played for, Ahn remained positive.

“When I first heard about the trade, I tried to think about the positives. Hanwha Eagles sent me because they need a better player but looking at the other side, because Kia Tigers wanted me the deal could be made. I felt sorry for leaving my old friends but I tried not to be emotionally shaken. When I return to Hanwha I did the same thing- positive thinking– Hanwha Eagles need me right now.”

Ahn seems to be loved by both Hanwha Eagles and Kia Tigers fans. They expressed sadness over his movement to another team. Now Hanwha Eagles fans are waiting for his return. Ahn finishes his military service this December and he will come back to the mound next season. Currently Hanwha is not in a good situation, lacking solid pitching. Ahn Young hopes to change this with help next season. “Firstly I want to run the whole season without getting injured. My second goal is giving trust to people when I’m pitching,” said the 30-year old former HS draft pick. He is practicing regardless of the weather. If he doesn’t get injured he may resume his duties as a full-time starter. Ahn expressed confidence on the next season: “People say that when you just come back from the military service, the performance of the season is not that good. Since I have been working out steadily for 2 years, I won’t ruin the season.”

He wants to play baseball as long as he can, but at some time he will retire just like other legendary Eagles players. He sounded pretty determined when he was talking about his future dream. “For a long time, I thought over the relationship between performance and mental strength. Right now I have certification in Sports Psychology.

“We have a mental coach at Hanwha Eagles and he helps players a lot. Before I studied for this certification I knew that mental strength is much more important than skill or ability for a player. Nowadays people are getting to know the importance of the mental power and it is becoming the trend. I might be lacking in theories but I have actually experienced the situations by myself. So I want to be a Psychotherapist.

Right now Ahn Young assists Woosong students in their lives, passing on his experiences to them. He was drafted by Hanwha right after completing high school and went out into the real world earlier than our WSU students. Since 19 he has experienced life as a pro athlete. WS Herald asked him to give advice on college life to WSU students.

“You might have different majors but regardless of the field you are going to work, when you graduate from the university and come out to the workforce, there are times that you get frustrated by all the barriers and limitations. For me, when I first got onto a pro baseball team, I was astonished because even players in the minor league were way better than me. I felt the huge gap between amateurs and professionals. Before I thought I was a pretty good player, but I realized I should try harder to survive in the pro league. There’s always gap between student life and real society. But to reduce the shock, you have to study hard and never stop improving yourself. If you prepare more, then you get over the disappointment faster. Some people say enjoy your college life, but I think you should be serious and sincere about what you do in college. That’s all I can tell to the university students as a life senior who experienced society a little bit earlier than them. Study hard.”

During the interview time we couldn’t see the charisma he shows on the mound but felt his kindness and modesty. We really appreciate him for willingly accepting our interview request and sharing his experiences and thoughts. Eagles fans, wait for the next season. Ahn Young Myung will be back soon.

Ahn Young Myung2


Staff writer Lalia Park.

Share

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites