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ANOTHER NIGHTMARE semester is set to begin for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. The 2021-2 semester at Yonsei University will be conducted completely online per government guidelines. Online labs have a myriad of problems, including a lack of proper information, han
Opinion
Ahmad Qirrat
2021.09.05 01:43
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THE WESTERN vegan movement is slowly but surely establishing its presence in South Korea, as the number of plant-based cafes and restaurants have been increasing nationwide. The movement seems perfect from afar; it not only aligns with recent efforts to minimize carbon footprints but also has health
Opinion
Jung So-jin
2021.09.05 01:43
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IN FEBRUARY, an unwelcome email from the Office of International Affairs (OIA) appeared in my inbox: “IMPORTANT!!! Information on the payment of health insurance contribution for foreign students.” No longer could I pay for cheap private university insurance, as all foreign students had to start pay
Opinion
Scott Dora
2021.06.06 00:26
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OUR BODIES change all the time, and with it, our self-confidence. We feel too big, small, or just generally inadequate in front of a mirror. I’ve felt this way about myself since I was just nine. Since then, in my quest for self-acceptance, I have grown weary of body positivity−the idea that we shou
Opinion
Jung Da-il
2021.06.06 00:26
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BACK IN 2013, Yonsei University abolished its College of Liberal Studies for not serving its original purpose. This system was established in 2009 to give students more freedom in choosing their majors and prepare them to be integrated individuals, but there was an unprecedented problem[1]. A vast m
Opinion
Kim Shin-young
2021.05.09 01:10
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AS THE semester progresses online, one particular thought is on every student's mind: "Am I going to spend the next semester in my room again?" Yonsei University has proposed "Blended Learning," a system where three-credit hybrid courses consist of two hours of online classes and an hour of offline
Opinion
Senior Primo Laura
2021.05.09 01:09
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WHILE MANY juniors dream of going to campus these days, I dreaded returning to campus in September. After a 19-month break, I was scared to set foot in the halls of Yonsei University. It wasn't as if I disliked university life in general; quite the contrary, it was once my dream to walk the clean co
Opinion
Park Ji-hun
2021.04.04 14:57
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MORE THAN a year has passed since Yonsei University implemented online education. Since then, students and faculty members alike have adjusted to the new dynamic. Even students who initially protested against online classes have come to appreciate certain merits of online learning. In fact, results
Opinion
Jung Dail
2021.04.04 14:34
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ALL UNDERWOOD International College students who are in the Life Science and Biotechnology (LSBT) and Integrated Sciences Engineering Division (ISED) have to complete six general science courses. As an LSBT major, I encountered early on a flaw in the school system that hinders the fulfillment of thi
Opinion
Ahmad Qirrat
2021.03.07 19:09
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WHEN YONSEI’S Housing Office announced housing applications for 2021, it brought up a myriad of concerns. Was the new semester on-campus with face-to-face classes? Was securing Seoul housing necessary? Students scrambled for answers on the Everytime app. Filled with anxiety and skepticism, some stud
Opinion
Lee Ju-won
2021.03.07 18:15
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“THE SCOOTER barely missed me as it swerved around,” a Yonsei student recounted. “I didn’t hear it coming up from behind.” Electric scooters are becoming a popular mode of transportation, especially for traversing the steep slopes or narrow streets of Seoul. It’s easy to see electric scooters on cam
Opinion
Lee Ju-won
2020.11.30 03:52
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UNITED STATES President Donald Trump made headlines in September when he claimed the current pandemic would disappear without a vaccine by developing “herd mentality.” This verbal blunder was mocked by many and criticized by even more, as “herd immunity”—the correct term—is, simply put, a method of
Opinion
Oho Yun-seo
2020.11.30 08:26
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ON JUNE 6th, 300 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in support Black Lives Matter. This sparked criticism from citizens who considered it an unnecessary risk amidst a global pandemic, as the “problem was in another country.” The reactions to the protest brought to light the unaddressed systemi
Opinion
Kim Chae-yoon
2020.10.11 21:39
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IT HAS been almost a year since Yonsei University’s Professor Lew Seok-Choon became the subject of a national controversy after his contentious remarks equating wartime comfort women to “prostitutes.” In response to the criticism from the students and public alike, the professor responded that he wa
Opinion
Ko Young-gyun
2020.10.11 20:21
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The World Health Organization declares a Public Health Emergency of International Concern when a disease has the risk of becoming a pandemic which requires a coordinated international response. Upon this declaration, countries are expected to mobilize vital resources such as medical equipment to readily address the challenge. However, due to prevailing uncertainties—especially for novel diseases like COVID-19—countries take precautionary measures and end up imposing total ban of flights into their country. However, research conducted after the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa dem
Opinion
Job Nyambane Onkoba
2020.06.15 01:07
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“HOW DARE you speak in front of your seniors when you’re just an intern?” The manager yells at his subordinate during a meeting in an episode of the latest K-drama Kkon-dae* Intern. The drama portrays the typical strict, hierarchical workplace dynamics as well as the mistreatment of interns that has increasingly been discussed as an endemic problem in Korea. Not long before wearing their graduation gowns, many students gain experience working at an actual office through their internships. First taste of society is not always pleasant because interns are often viewed as “expendables” – an
Opinion
Lee Jong-min
2020.06.14 06:19
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JOSH FROM the YouTube channel Korean Englishman is one of the most popular YouTubers in Korea. His channel is comprised of a variety of skits, daily blogs, reaction videos, and even interviews with celebrities. What his contents have in common is that they revolve around Josh introducing Korean culture to foreigners. Though Josh himself is not Korean, he has a passion for the culture. Unfortunately, people like Josh have been the target of ridicule by being labeled a “Koreaboo.” Koreaboo is meant to be an insult, to make someone feel ashamed; but is it really such a bad thing to like another c
Opinion
Kwon Do-in
2020.05.01 17:52
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EVERY WEEKDAY, Yonsei students and professors have been convening over Zoom for classes—and despite the safety this medium provides, many are unhappy with the arrangements. As the administration extends online lecture periods under continued threat of COVID-19, dissatisfied students are calling for a refund in tuition. Yet, even though the students’ indignation is understandable and deserved, it seems unlikely that administration will field their requests. Debate over class quality With many professors claiming to have put more effort into their online classes than their physical ones, s
Opinion
Kim Chae-yoon
2020.05.01 17:35
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“PEOPLE SEE me and just ignore me,” said a woman who took the subway when she was seven months pregnant. “They looked away like it wasn’t their problem.” This is just one example out of countless cases when pregnant women take the subway, only to be ignored by commuters seated in front of them. In order to tackle such situations, South Korea introduced “pink seats”—separate priority seats in subways designated for pregnant women. Yet, as someone who takes the subway on a daily basis myself, I have seen more men and the elderly sit on these pink seats than I have seen pregnant women. This
Opinion
Kwon Kyu-hee
2020.04.05 01:39
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AT ONE point in our lifetime, we have all experienced some kind of discipline from our parents. While some might have done chores around the house, in Korea, discipline usually involves children receiving a beating or caning from their parents. The so-called “rod of love*” is a well-known concept in Korea, where parents use corporal punishment to discipline their children out of love. However, when parents are found to be the main source of child abuse cases, it makes us question whether they should be given the right to take such disciplinary actions. To do, or not to do? Up until last May, A
Opinion
Cha Min-kyung
2020.04.04 13:56