An insight on Yonsei University’s student clubs

   WITH THE beginning of a new academic semester, many Yonseians are looking forward to new opportunities and experiences – particularly by finding the right student club to join. The Yonsei Annals asked six students about the clubs they joined and the experiences they gained. What student club are you looking forward to participating in this semester?

Park Jin-ah (Jr., Dept. of French Language & Lit.)

Dreamers Production, or *Mong-sang-ga-deul* in Korean, is a film production club. Newcomers can learn the basics of movie production step by step by making a short clip with current members. After gaining some basic knowledge, the members can start making their own movies, which can be presented to a broader audience during the movie festival held at the end of each semester.

Even though I have participated in movie productions in the past, Dreamers Production has been a completely new experience for me. Each of our members holds a sincere passion about movies. It is a privilege to present my movies to people who share the same interest. The members of this club are the ones I hold the closest relationships with today, and since our memories remain on film, Dreamers Production is a one-of-a-kind experience.

Lee Kwang-ho (Soph., Dept. of Business Admin.)

Korean Commercial-Economic Conference (KCC) has been a big part throughout my college life. It is a joint *dongahree* with students of various majors from various universities in Korea. During our weekly meetings, members come together to prepare for the main symposium. Through academic activities, such as 5 minute speeches, mini-symposiums and discussion meetings, our members boost their knowledge and interest about the field of business.

The biggest advantage of KCC is the opportunity to build relationships. You can meet a variety of people from newcomers to successful graduates from the class of ’84. You can make acquaintances all around the country and build lasting family-like relationships with the members of your group. The only opportunity cost is drinking. Yet it is worth taking the challenge since everything remains as a memory to cherish in the future.

Cha Jae-hyuk (Soph., Dept. of Mech. Engin.)

I am proud to be the president of Jungle. No, our club is not related to animals or nature. Jungle stands for the Korean word *jung*, which means affection among people, and *geul*, which stands for a written record of thoughts and facts. Jungle, therefore, is a club where students can express their *jung* through writing. An academic club that belongs to the 4th *ban* of the College of Engin., Jungle publishes *Bitbal*, a newsletter that covers news from our *ban*, topics of interest to students in our department and our members’ unique experiences. We hold meetings every Wednesday. We also prepare the material for each year’s freshmen orientation.

As the president of Jungle, I understand the meaning of the saying “Where you sit is where you stand.” My current position has helped boost up my self-esteem and leadership. As I am younger than most of my classmates, I used to be shy and quiet around others, but now I am confident enough to represent this club, arrange meetings, have discussions with upperclassmen and act freely around my classmates.

Ko Yu-ree (Soph., UIC, Dept. of Culture & Design Management)

ROTHEMS stands for “Run On The Musical Stage.” It is one of the biggest and most well-known student clubs at Yonsei despite its relatively short history. Our club was first established in 2008 and we have performed 9 musical shows so far, including *Wicked*, *Chicago*, *Hairspray* and *High School Musical*. Our 10th show, *Rent*, is on its way. We pursue high quality performances driven by hard work and a professional mindset.

Starting as an ensemble member in *Chicago*, I was able to get the role of Sharpay Evans in *High School Musical*. Since we practice almost every day during vacation from day to night, ROTHEMS requires sincere commitment and is definitely demanding. Yet looking back, I have earned more than I expected: unforgettable memories, reliable relationships and most importantly, the confidence to perform in front of an audience of more than 2,000 people. What an experience! With a rapidly increasing number of fans, ROTHEMS is definitely on its way to becoming one of the most well-known student clubs not only in Yonsei, but among college students all around Korea.

Yoo Young-jin (Jr., Dept. of Math.)

Yonsei University’s pure mathematics club, Mathpia, started within the Dept. of Math. as a place for students to bond and increase their knowledge and interest in math. Now, however, we receive members from other majors as well. Our club offers a variety of topics for seminars which the members can freely select based on their interest. Since the majority of our newcomers do not have deep knowledge on the assigned material, we assign two upperclassmen to each seminar as advisors.

Although I was always interested in math, math was simply a way to get good grades for university entrance examinations and to choose my major. However, as I entered Mathpia, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the subject and now my view of mathematics has changed completely. The fact that Mathpia is not only limited to math-centered activities also helped me become sincerely interested in math. Strong relationships are built between our current members and upperclassmen through discussions, fun activities and other gatherings where alcohol is not mandatory. I am sure that Mathpia will improve and that it will attract more students in the future. Mathpia, fighting!

Park Ji-eun (Jr., Dept. of English Language & Lit.)

Status of Youth, or *Dae-hak-saeng-eui ja-kyuk* was created to offer students an opportunity to escape from their spec-centered lives and gain a true college experience. Since 2011, we have had more than 20 different projects including small-group political debates, bungee jumping, large-group choir performances, movie productions and flash mobs. Things that seem impossible to accomplish alone become reality through Status of Youth. People with similar interests form teams and select the person with the most innovative ideas as the leader. Therefore, all of our members can practice leadership and creativity, and also create meaningful relationships.

My best memory of Status of Youth is the flash mob we held at Myeongdong. I had always wanted to do a flash mob, but I considered it impossible due to the excessive amount of practice and numbers of individuals it requires. During one of our meetings, however, many of our members showed interest in this project and formed a group to help this dream come true. The theme of our flash mob was “hope for college students” and was a huge success, remaining as a leading example of our club’s teamwork, creativity, and passion.

 

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