The body reading journal #3

Reading Journal #3 of “The body”

<Final thoughts about “The body”>

16^th waver 10b1 Seung Jun Kim

             After I finished reading the book, I made a small grin. Why? It was because I was pretty glad about how those four boys acquired maturity that will last for their rest of their lives (although three of them die). Maturity is something that cannot be acquired easily especially in the modern day world where there are parents running hastily around to do everything for their kids.  

             This is how the world looks like: “Mom, what should I do next?”

“You go to the English private academy at 2 o’clock and return at 6 o’clock. After that, you take a shower and eat dinner. Next, you have to prepare for your first math class you’ll have tomorrow.”

“What? I didn’t even know I was going to a math private academy...”

“You are a teenager. You don’t know what’s important and what’s not. I make decisions for you and the only thing you have to do is to follow them.”

“Mom, but...”

“Be a grown up boy, Sam! You should learn how to obey your parents. Parents know what’s best for you!”

             At first, this piece of dialogue seems very far-fetched, but unfortunately, this is the reality of our society. Kids are not allowed to think about their own life and they never encounter hardships in their lives because their parents are getting rid of the obstacles before their children face them. However, the four boys were different. They knew how to control their lives, they understood how things should be done, and finally they worried about their own future (although these things happened not because their parents educated the four boys to be independent, but rather because the disregard of the parents towards them inevitably forced them to be independent). So let’s look at some the thoughts that came up to my mind after reading this book.

             To begin with, I believe good friendship contributed greatly to the development of maturity within these four kids. The relationship between Criss and Gordie was especially encouraging. Throughout the journey, Criss constantly encourages Gordie to become a great writer. In response, Gordie solaces Criss about the unfortunate milk money incident. This kind of mutual cooperation continued on even after the disunion of the four kids. Despite the derogatory and hostile attitudes of the surrounding people, Criss was never discouraged because Gordie was always there for him to give great advice. On the other hand, Criss was always beside Gordie to heal the emotional scars within Gordie’s soul by making peace. Eventually, Criss and Gordie achieved their goal of self-realization by becoming a lawyer and writer respectively.

             Moreover, I believe there were some really good symbolic entities that greatly contributed to the overall atmosphere of the story. The deer, for example, represents purity and innocence. In the book, Gordie states that the experience of seeing the deer was the best and cleanest part of the journey. By evoking feminine and delicate feeling within Gordie’s mind, I believe the deer was effective in portraying the process of how Gordie’s scar was healing from the scars of Castle Rock. Also, I believe the train symbolizes the societal pressures and corruption of Castle Rock. According to the societal prejudice of Castle Rock, Criss is expected to become a bad boy and Teddy is considered to be a “son of a loony” no matter what he does. These societal moulds are very difficult to pulverize. I believe the scene where the train almost ran over Vern and Gordie, represents how the boys eventually escapes from the malicious society of Castle Rock and acquire maturity. 

             Lastly, I was pretty disappointed by the sad ending of the story. It would have been much better if all the four boys were alive and lived happily ever after. The sad ending sharply contrasted to the movie I once saw called, “Coach Carter”. The movie was about a black basketball coach who eventually succeeds in making the basketball players of the school to lead a better life. At first, this task seems very difficult for coach Carter because most of the boys in the basketball team were addicted to drugs, sex and they didn’t have any will to study whatsoever. However, all the indulgent boys are touched by the devotion of their coach, Carter and finally make up their minds to transform their lives. In the end of the movie, the narrator describes how most of the boys turned out to be successful in their lives. One became an officer in the Bank of America, another became a famous basketball coach of NBA and some other dudes became good businessmen. I believe same goes with “The body”. If Stephen King had changed the ending by allowing all the boys to be alive and to lead a wonderful life in the end of the book, the theme of maturity would have been more effectively portrayed. However, overall, I loved both the book and the film J 

"Stand by me, Gordie."

Thank you for such a good book and film, Mr. King :) 

Introduction statement for the DIA application :)

My passion for KMLA

  16^th waver Seung Jun Kim

             My name is Seung Jun Kim of the 16^th wave and I am honored to apply for the Department of International Affairs. One year has already passed since I entered KMLA and so many things have changed. KMLA has simply enriched and sometimes challenged me to become a bigger person. Since KMLA has done so much to me throughout the year, it will mean so much to me if I am able to contribute to my school in any way. That’s why I applied for DIA. If I become a member of DIA, I would greatly contribute to improving KMLA’s image in various ways.

             To begin with, my time-management skill will enhance the efficiency of DIA. Since I was included in many active school clubs, I had to deal with both school work and loads of club activities at the same time. Fortunately, I managed to handle all the work effectively and this was possible owing to my time-management skills. This invaluable skill implies that I have more time, effort and passion remaining for me to invest on DIA affairs.

             Moreover, I believe my diligence will greatly contribute to the development of DIA. I assumed the role of class president for six consecutive years from elementary school to middle school. Throughout my presidency, I was touted as the ‘Diligent Juny’ just like ‘Honest Abe’ because I used to swiftly finish all the necessary tasks for the class. When I was in the second grade of middle school, I used to go to a foreign language private academy to learn Chinese at 6:00 a.m. sharp every day. Of course, I was tired in the morning but my passion towards Chinese couldn’t stop me from rubbing my eyes and continuing to learn Chinese. Likewise, my passion towards my school and DIA will enable me to do a superb job in spreading the fame of our school.

             Most importantly, my fervor towards KMLA and DIA is irresistible. When I was a middle school kid, the short video which explained about the overall life in KMLA mesmerized me. Since then, I made up my mind to apply for this school. After I entered the school this year, KMLA never disappointed me. Rather, it constantly encouraged me to grow as a bigger person. Every day, I feel lucky and blessed to be in this school with wonderful teachers, friends and seniors. I want to do something for my school. And the most important thing, I believe that should be done, is to improve the image of our school and spread the name all over the world. I even heard that several years ago, a certain American university thought KMLA was a Chinese university and decided not to pick as much students as before. As this example illustrates, there is a clear need for KMLA students to stand up and fix the wrong perception or information foreigners have. I would be so glad to be part of this campaign. Thank you very much.

"Languages and Leadership" [Minjok Herald Feature Writing 2nd draft]

Learning how to make audiences dazed with their mouths open

Languages and Leadership

Kim Seung-Jun

Junior Feature Writer, 16^th Wave

             In the presidential election of 2008, distrust and resentment were at an all time high. However, President Obama mesmerized the crowd with a simple word “change”. Whenever he faced hardships during his presidency, he pacified the roaring crowd with the magical power of speech. This is exactly why leaders need language abilities and shows how simple words can bring forth great changes. Let look at why languages are required to foster leadership and how students from Korean Minjok Leadership Academy (KMLA) learn languages.

            To begin with, language skill for leaders is important for the survival of corporations in a global economy. Nowadays, overseas partners are looking for people who can communicate fluently with foreign counterparts. This is because only companies are able to break down language barriers can acquire new contracts and commercial opportunities in the global economy. In fact, many of the able-graduates of KMLA are receiving love calls in the United States. Even several months ago, good news that a 10^th waver was employed by the Bank of America made us proud.

             Moreover, great speeches improve productivity of a group or organization. In bureaucracy, ‘just tell them approach’ hinders effective communication between the administrative branch and the executive branch of a corporation. Often times, miscommunication have caused serious problems. On the other hand, if a leader has storytelling (language) ability, it becomes much easier to convey the exact views and vision of a corporation. Also, direct storytelling of a leader outweighs all other alternatives. Charts, for example, leave listeners bemused and dialogue is just too laborious and slow. Mind-numbing cascades of numbers or daze-inducing PowerPoint slides won’t have the same effects as direct storytelling of leaders either. This reminds us of KMLA’s student council election process. All candidates are required to give speeches that appeal to the students. Plus, they have to write their manifestoes in an orderly manner to persuade and give credit to the voters. Without coherent language ability, even assuming a president of KMLA is something unimaginable.

             Finally, language ability of leaders enables the society to be united. When there are only abstract numbers that exist to explain about the future, people are often not willing to accept what leaders say. Why? It’s because certain numbers aren’t effective at showing a clear vision and people inevitably feel uncertainty about their future. However, storytelling of a leader changes dry and abstract numbers into compelling pictures of a leader’s goals. Although visions of good businesses are mainly conveyed through the use of numbers, they should be approved on the basis of a story in order to unite people into one. Especially, when a certain corporation faces the task of persuading a group of managers or front-line staff in a large organization to get enthusiastic about a major change, storytelling is the only thing that works.

             So, what does KMLA students do to improve their language abilities? First, they take regular sessions of language classes. Students are encouraged to participate actively in in-class discussions regarding pieces of literature, video and various sources. They learn how to express their opinions in a logical manner and how to interact with their audiences. English debate and public speech classes enable students to be confident in giving speeches just like leaders are.

             Second, after-class activities foster the language ability of students. Students are required to finish piles of homework which includes writing essays, reading several pieces of writing, and watching news clips. Classes such as AP Language, for example, even allow students to enjoy greater challenges such as writing several synthesis essays. What’s more, students individually participate in language related competitions such as English Debate competitions and DELE, a Spanish proficiency test.

             Students in KMLA are certainly striving to get the most out of their language classes. In fact, many students have already acquired the necessary ability to become a leader. That is, they are learning how to make audiences roll in the isles, cry and inspire them. I believe incessant efforts of KMLA students are bringing them closer and closer to becoming a respected global leader who can change the world.

Common group v.s. new group ?

Is there any value for people to belong only to a group or groups with which they have something in common?

             Most of the people agree that humans are better than animals because of their ability to think creatively and logically. Humans are able to spread out the delicate wings of imagination and make the world a better place to live in. However, this magical and wonderful ability loses its power when a certain person is restricted only to a group with which they have something in common. That is why I believe there is not much value for people to belong only to group with similar members.

             To begin with, people often become narrow-sighted and lose the spirit of diversity once they are limited only to a group of similar people. If people spend time only with people who are similar to him or her, distorted thoughts and prejudices start to grow within the minds’ of the people. The prejudice that all other people in the society are going to be just like them will greatly deter people from becoming bigger men. It is because people will suffer from enormous conflicts with others once they step into society and meet new people. Also, people are no longer able to learn from others because they only notice the negative side of new culture and people. This is exactly what happened when the Chosun Dynasty shut its door against the Western culture. At that time, citizens in the Korean Peninsula had no interactions with new groups or societies of any kind. As a result, people in Chosun Dynasty lost their precious chance to develop the nation by accepting novel and advanced Western culture. I believe the reason why we go to universities is not just to learn academics in depth but also to escape from the limited society where there are only similar people. People from all different races, religions, ideas and culture gather together and are allowed to discuss and share ideas fully about many issues. In that process, people learn how to become tolerable and open-minded.

             Furthermore, excessive conflict is inevitable in a group only with similar people. All humans have an innate desire to be recognized by other members of society. Unfortunately, it often becomes very difficult to stand out in a society with only similar people because people are unable to differentiate themselves from others. The only way to receive attention is to greatly surpass others on a certain subject. As a result, members in that restricted group come to see others as competitors and people to overcome. The good spirit of cooperation and co-existence fades away. Only excessive competition and conflict remain in the group. For instance, Korea and Japan were called as ‘Hermit Kingdoms’ because of isolation. Unfortunately, bipartisan conflicts were much more severe compared to other nations in the world. It was common to see tens of people killed in a single day due to the conflict within the royal family.

             Even now, prejudices and biases exist in our society. Violence and bloodshed started from trivial misunderstandings and biases in the Middle East. This catastrophe can be prevented if people learn how to be tolerant towards others. Wonderful things will happen if people escape from their limited society of similar people and embrace the new world where diversity blossoms like a delicate rose.

What is the source of aggression in human beings?

What seems to be the source of aggression in human beings? What can be done to lower the level of aggression in our society?

             At this very moment, hundreds of people are dying because of homicide and violence. Aggression seems to be part of life in human beings. Sadly, violence and aggression are common even to congressmen, who represent the whole nation. So, what is the source of aggression which is inevitable and widespread in our society? If we have any, what are the solutions to alleviate aggression?

             To begin with, people display aggression when their desires are not fulfilled adequately. Human needs and desires are endless. Virtually all of us would like to have social status in our community, perpetual health, unconditional love, and so on. However, only few of us will enjoy these things. Self-control sometimes breaks down which results in aggressions ranging from trivial theft to extensive murders. Imagine a man living in a city slum all his or her entire life. All around him is massive poverty, crime, and violence. His father has been deployed to a nation for war and his mother passed away several years ago. On the other hand, gangster leaders lead a relatively modest life. In such a desperate situation, where basic requirements of life are not met, this person has every incentive to become aggressive in order to escape from abject poverty. This desire-aggression model applies equally to desires for food, love, recognition and so on.

             Furthermore, aggression is often learned from society. In the field of psychology, there is theory called “social learning theory” which focuses on aggression as a learned behavior. It emphasizes the role of the social influences on aggressive behavior. Nowadays, sites of violence and aggression are all over the place. For example, studies have found that network television broadcasts about 10 violent acts per hour on average. And teenagers spend a lot of time playing violent video games. By looking and experiencing these aggressions in their daily lives, people learn aggression through a combination of modeling and reinforcement. What’s more, social collectivism mandates people to learn and display aggression within a group. Collectivism is the principle that places social rights, needs, or benefit above and apart from the individuals who make up a certain society. Although social collectivism often sounds beneficial because it calls for the greater social good, it is actually the main reason for the violence in many societies. For instance, to achieve the utopia of Karl Marx, thousands of people were tortured and slaughtered. Professor Rummel who is the author of "Death by Government," estimates that the people killed were about 70,000,000 in the Soviet Union because of excessive aggression among the members of society.

             At this point, do we have any solutions to alleviate the intensity of aggression? First, I believe training oneself to be tolerable and lenient will definitely help reduce aggression. Benjamin Franklin, who was one of the leading thinkers and fathers of United States, tried to become a good person in character. What he did was to check whether he was following some values such as perseverance in a daily basis. If people follow what Franklin did, it will be much easier to keep in check what he or she is doing wrong. Second, it will be great if people avoid irritating situations by remembering when and where you got angry in the past. In our daily lives, people are often provoked by the same kinds of incidents that happen routinely. However, people repeat the same mistakes over and over again although he or she makes up her mind not to vent anger or aggression. Also, the second solution will be more effective when you reward yourself if you had better control over your temper.

             There are innumerable incidents that will arouse anger. However, the world will be full of resentment if people started to display aggression for every single incident that frustrated him or her. The saying that says, "Aggression breeds more aggression" is true. Violence produces more hate in your opponent and in you. Let us be more tolerant and open-minded people in order to lead a happier life for all of us.

Reflective essay "They are always beside me"

They are always beside me

             Right before I came into this school, there was one unfortunate incident which struck me. It was about how I called a sunbae’s name. My informal way of calling female sunbae aroused resentment among the 15^th wavers and eventually I was branded as an inappropriate 16^th waver. My intention was to become closer with sunbaes, but my intention was grossly misinterpreted.

             Even after I entered the school, my reputation was at an all time low. I tried to overcome the situation which was very bewildering for me, but it was never easy. It seemed to me that there was nobody to stay by my side. I felt I was all alone and excluded. I even worried about whether I could continue on a decent school life. However, as time passed by, some sunbaes started to open up their minds. They started to approach me, and care for me. They gave respect to me and I gave my sincere respect to them. Such mutual interaction of respect continued and my life became much smoother than before.

             Yesterday, I was deeply touched by a sincere letter written by one sunbae from English Debate Society. She was the one who was mostly related to the unfortunate incident last winter. The letter was about how she has opened up her mind towards me. The letter went on and talked about what she has learned from me, my strengths, and weaknesses and so on. This considerate and thorough content of the letter made me smile dimly, because it was a indication of how a person started to care about me.

             Even today, after the prelims in Korea for World Individuals Debating and Public Speaking Championship next year, I didn’t feel good. Although I did my best to smile, and become positive, I couldn’t help myself lose some confidence that I cherished so much. I was really frustrated about the inability and lethargy of myself. I gazed out the window dully while I headed towards the dorm. At that moment, a text message from another sunbae from the English Debate Society came. In the text, sunbae encouraged me to do better and gave great consolation for my shaking soul. I was able to maintain my composure and positive spirit owing to that touching message. A few sentences can make a big difference.

             In the beginning of the semester, I was pretty much afraid and cautious about the entire unfamiliar environment all around me. Teachers, sunbaes, and even friends seemed to antagonize me. But now, I stand firm and feel great pride going to this wonderful school, KMLA. I am no longer afraid of facing hardships because there are lovely people who are always beside me, ready to get rid of the obstacles that hinder my path towards my future. I love my friends, teachers, and sunbaes in my school sincerely and genuinely.

Writing about TED "Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food"

             Cases of homicide, murder, and death are always on the front page of every paper. We spend our lives being zealous and paranoid about death, murder, homicide, you name it. However, many people are indifferent about how food has taken away the lives of millions of people and will incessantly kill people.

             Sadly, in the next 5 minutes, several people who were once alive will be dead from the food that they eat. Look at homicide, for God's sake. It only makes up 5% percent of the total death in a year. On the other hand, diet-related disease makes up almost 40% of the total death and definitely is the biggest killer in countries such as United States, right now, here today. Mexico, Australia, Germany, India, China, all have innumerable problems of obesity and bad health. This is a global problem. It's a catastrophe. It's sweeping the world.

             Think about a female colleague who lives next door who got only got six years to live because of the food that she's eaten. Think about Justin, 12 years old, who has already gained 350 pounds. He is bullied in school, for God's sake. Imagine a girl, Maria, crying over her father who died in her arms because of obesity-related disease. And then the second-most-important man in her life, her uncle, died of obesity. You see, the thing is obesity and diet-related disease doesn't just hurt the people that have it; it's all of their friends, families, brothers, sisters.

             But the thing is children don’t even know what kind of food there are aside from fast food. When we ask children about healthy foods such as onions, potatoes, and so on, they can’t even differentiate these foods from each other. That is, they don't have any kind of discernment regarding food. This is what happens right now. When I point to an onion and ask Sally what this is, she’ll probably say, “It’s a lettuce!” Immediately you get a really clear sense of do the kids know anything about where food comes from. If the kids don't know what stuff is, then they'd never eat it. This is inevitable, especially in Western Europe and the United States. We've got to start teaching our kids about food in schools, exclamation mark.

             And these are the reasons why I came here to start a food revolution that I so much believe in. This is exactly the tipping-point moment. Now is the time when it's ripe. The good news is that deaths due to obesity are very preventable. So what are the solutions?

             Let’s begin with supermarkets and fast food companies. Supermarkets need to show us how to cook, quick, tasty, seasonal meals for people that are busy. This is not expensive. It is done in some. The big brands, you know, the food brands, need to put food education at the heart of their businesses. It's the only way. Also, labeling is a massive problem. The labeling in this country is a blasphemy. How can you say something is low-fat when it's full of so much sugar? Labeling, I said earlier, is an absolute farce, and has got to be sorted.

             Next, moving on to fast food companies and governments. Fast food companies are very competitive. Basically they've weaned us on to these hits of sugar, salt and fat. And everyone loves them. So, these guys are going to be part of the solution. But we need to get the government to work with all of the fast food purveyors and the restaurant industry. And over a long time span, governments should definitely reduce the extreme amounts of fat, sugar, fat and all the other non-food ingredients.

             Thirdly, let's think about schools and workplaces. Obviously in schools we owe it to them to make sure those 190 days of the year, they need to be cooked proper fresh food from local growers on site. There needs to be a new and lucid standard of fresh proper food for your children and my friends.  School food is something that most kids, 31 million a day in the U.S for example, have twice a day, more than often, breakfast and lunch, 190 days of the year. So you could say that school food is quite relevant, really, judging the circumstances. That is why schools need to ameliorate the quality of foods. Of course, additives and seasonings are appeasing to the tongue. However, if schools really care for their children and students, they need to instigate action for the enhancement of school foods. The workplace. It's high time for corporate responsibility to really look at what they feed or make available to their staff. The staffs are the moms and dads of friends as well.

             Next, think about households. Households should definitely teach their children about healthy foods and healthy cooking. It's profoundly important that every single child in the world learn how to cook recipes that will save their life. The home needs to start passing on cooking again, for sure. Before, cooking at home was considered to be a philosophy. Home is where it used to be the heart of passing on food and food culture, what made our society coalesce into one. But look at what's happening now. That isn't happening anymore. The only thing we hear from modern day people is "Do it faster! Faster!". This flagrant culture stems from the appearance of fast foods. We should change the current situation.

              I truly believe that if changes can be made in this country, beautiful things will happen around the world. I have a dream. My dream is for people to help a strong sustainable movement to educate every child about food, to inspire families to cook again, and to empower people everywhere to fight obesity. Let us now abandon the hedonistic eating habits and accept healthy ones. Let us imagine the happy faces of our blithe children. Let us escape from the apathy we once had towards our healthy foods. In 10 years time, the history of my friends and your children’s happiness will look different.