CONTENTS

Volume 36
March 2012
1
Editors Letter Campus News Cover Story: The Tuition Controversy

2 3 4 5

Education and its prize

Hackers, a noble crusader or merely a greedy corporation? Campus: Yale Model United Nations Teaches a Lesson to Seoul National University Sae-teo, is it truly a learning place for freshmen? Freshmen College Arts & Culture: Dae-Hakro, a place that offers a wide variety of plays. Book Inc. The Current Situation Feature: A Fresh Perspective: Welcome, Freshmen!

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
DAE-HAKRO BOOK SAE-TEO

March Culture Calender

19 20

FRESHMEN

March 2012. Vol. 36

FROM THE EDITOR

2012 has been so far a very intense year. Kim Jong Il died and his son, Kim Jong Un succeeded him in the typical king-like manner we expected. A former candidate for the office of president of student council, Sun-Ah Park from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences attempted to erect an altar on campus to his honour but eventually the schools admission could stop her. It is a shame to see that a person who claims to represent the student body neglects the fact that we also do have a lot of students with North-Korean or political refugee background and that she did not have the sensitivity to respect their past and their circumstances. Especially now, when the South-Korean government and other NGOs try to fight for the rights of North Korean defectors in China in order to prevent that they are send back to NorthKorea where severe punishment is awaiting them. With the beginning semester of 2012, SNU will be fully incorporated and we will have to expect many changes - Quill will keep on informing you about new developments. We would also like to thank some of our senior reporters and editors who are going to leave us this semester in order to try new fields. These reporters have done an excellent job in making Quill what it is and we will try to keep our level for the future. This months issue is mainly going to deal with the various problems of college admission and preparation. We will report about the Hackers Incident as well as the decrease of tuition fees and other current topics. We will also have some interviews with Freshmen students and end this issue with some book recommendations by Abhas. Finally, we would like to say hello to the Freshmen of 2012 and wish everybody a good start for the new semester! BY SONG-UG YOON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THE SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

CAMPUS NEWS

uill Staff
Chief Managing Director Bae Su Hyen Editor in Chief Yoon Song-Ug Cover Story & Feature Section Jeong Yeon-Il Chae Youn Hwan Campus Section Hong Hee Joo Oh Josefina Arts & Culture Section Editor Jung Jiyun Maskey Abhas Chung Hyung Chung

The central library agency has announced a plan to build a new building.
Cover Design Hee Won Lee E Mail snuquill@gmail.com Website club.cyworld.com/thesnuquill

Cafeteria menu prizes raised by 800-1000KRW

Sponsor SNU College English Program Printing Late Spring (02 2269 8030) Design Kim Sun Hee

3290 new students!

This year, SNU is going to welcome 3290new students in its 15colleges. About 200 of them are coming from an international background which will help globalizing our school.

Since the beginning of March school has increased the prizes for cafeteria menus by 800 to 1000KRW for nonSNU students. Verification does work with a valid student ID or the K-Cash system but the new regulation has also caused some critique since it is regarded as too tedious and alumni have to pay the full prize.

BY

SONG-UG YOON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

"

Cover Story

March 2012. Vol. 36

The Tuition Controversy

In response to the protests for tuition reduction in 2011, universities in Korea have implemented initiatives in order to reduce the financial burdens placed upon students. However, student organizations have reacted with disappointment and concern towards the meager changes. BY YUN HWAN CHAE

SOCIETY

One of the many protests in the summer of 2011 that demanded for university tuition cuts

C
$

alls for drastic cuts in university tuition in Korea have finally been heard and solutions are being implemented for the coming semester. The economic burdens that afflicted students have been addressed with tuition cuts, and many universities will attempt to alleviate the financial pressures of students and

their families. According to a recent study, 70% of graduating students hold an average of 13 million won in debt and students cite university tuition as the main cause. Due to increasing tuition costs, students and family members protested in 2011, campaigning for an ambitious goal of cutting university tuition by half.

Despite these protests however, the tuition rate for the coming semester has decreased by an average of 4.2%, hardly a victory for the students who demanded tuition to be halved. Seoul National University (SNU) is also part of the 337 universities that have reduced tuition costs but its handling of the matter at hand has left the

student body unimpressed at best. After hours of negotiations between student representatives and the administration, Seoul National University finally agreed to reduce its undergraduate tuition by 5%. The resulting outcome has been met with a tepid response from the Independent Colleges Student Council (a coalition of representatives from each colleges student council that act in place of the absent university student council). Nine days after the tuition announcement, the Student Council called for a press conference and criticized the negotiations handled by the Tuition Review Committee. Although stating that the reduction in tuition was good news, the Student Council criticized the negotiations as a simple formality. The Student Council stated that students of credible representation had not participated in discussions and the students were not provided with sufficient time to review the proposed materials for tuition cuts. Furthermore, the Student Council determined that the student body was not given an unbiased representation in the Tuition Review Committee as the administration had chosen the student representatives. In response to the criticism, the administration stated that such decisions were made in order to meet the deadline and that although the school had proposed creating a consultative body, the students refused to take part in it. Meanwhile Yoo Sujin of the Student Council countered the accusation stating that by agreeing to be part of the consultative body, students would implicitly recognize that they had been adequately represented in the Tuition Review Committee and had ultimately agreed upon the decision on the meager tuition cuts.

Meanwhile, private universities in Seoul are under further scrutiny by students for disappointingly lower tuition reduction rates. For example, Korea University, Yonsei University and Ewha Womens University reduced tuition by 2%, 2.3% and 3.5% respectively. To protest against the low reduction rate in tuition, students from Yonsei University have taken extreme measures by resorting to hunger strikes. The president of the Student Council of Yonsei University, Kim Sang-yeol, who had requested the administration for a 10% decrease in tuition, set up camp in front of the university library to protest against the administration.

Yonsei University has been criticized for the low tuition reduction rate for the coming semester

However, despite the low rates of the tuition cuts, universities are concentrating on scholarship programs in order to address the financial difficulties that plague students and their families. For example, Yonsei University has decided to increase its scholarship funds by 13.3 billion won. The Yonsei administration states that through scholarship programs students would experience an overall 6% decrease in tuition in comparison to the actual reduction of 2.3%. In order to appease the frustrations of students, the Korean government has also been

active in assisting universities to provide affordable tuition. The National Scholarship Program will provide 1.75 trillion won for scholarship funds for students in need. SNU has taken upon similar scholarship initiatives to target the students who are in most need of financial aid. By addressing a solution to students individually, the administration believes the student body will experience an overall tuition reduction rate of 10%. 5 billion won has been injected into scholarship funds and the administration expects the scholarship acceptance rate to increase to 46% from last years 39.3%. Furthermore, the school plans to increase scholarship funds by 2 billion won annually and anticipates a scholarship acceptance rate of over 50% within two years. The controversy regarding tuition cuts at SNU and other universities has been put on hold due to school events for the coming semester. However, the issue will likely be presented again as soon as the semester officially begins. Hopefully, the student body and the administration can achieve a compromise that is beneficial to both parties without further controversy.

Cover Story

March 2012. Vol. 36

Hackers, a noble crusader or merely a greedy corporation?

BY YEUN-IL JEONG

EDUCATION

ecently, one of the major English study institutes based in Korea, the Hackers corporation was indicted for duplicating and leaking the test materials owned by the TEPS English testing committee and the ETS who is in charge of conducting the two major English certificate exams TOEFL and TOEIC in Korea. The charges read that the company who thrives upon giving its customers lessons regarding the tests had illegally copied and duplicated the test materials through various means while the test was in progress in order to provide them to its clients. Though the contracts given by the test conductors specifically regulate that none of the test materials are to be discharged, the Hackers group had uilized its employees by having them take the tests and memorize them so that they could produce the same questions given in the tests right after the exam session was over. Their methods of such act were utterly cunning and systemized, in fact. As for the reading and writing test materials, each employee was assigned to memorize two sets of questions and given examples so tht they could rewrite them right after the test session was terminated. In case of the listening parts, small recording devices were utilized while secretly carrying them into the examination rooms. In some circumstances, sophisticated devices such as mini inear recorders and micro video recorders attached to fountain pens were used to conduct such act. The police report states that a total of 38 individuals who are current employees of the Hackers group were the alleged accomplices of the project and they had been leaking test materials since the year 2007. Apart from the controversy over the schemes legitimacy and illegality,

the reason why such project was conducted has various elements in different levels of concerns. In terms of the Hackers groups stance, their reason is rather straightforward. In order to gain reputation and thus ultimately more money, it was only natural for them to slightly go beyond the boundary of law and refer to what is the real deal; the test materials so that their clients would meet their needs of better study materials while preparing for the tests. As for the clients, they feel that the testing committees position upon the leakage of test materials is unjust since it would be very hard for them to prepare for the exams if they were left with nothing to refer to. (Note that most of the English certificate tests are based on questions picked out of the item pools.) Their opinion is that the test conductors should open their test resources freely to the public. The stance of the test conductors is rather obscured for they had not clearly stated their positions. However, it is generally known that they feel that the leakage of test materials would eventually lead to demolish the reliability of the exams. What we need to note in this hectic controversy is the main reason why the so-called English certificate exams are so popular in Korea. If you thought of the word spec, youve guessed it right. As the Korean society emerges to be an ever more competition-oriented one, English test

scores have become one of the most basic things that you have to acquire before even trying to do anything these days. Students and job finders are preoccupied with the idea of getting higher scores so that they could become eligible to apply for whatever their dreams are. It all sounds familiar but there is a new problem in hand. Knowing that they are popular, the test conductors seem to take the test takers for granted. Not to mention the fact that the fees for taking such exams are incredibly high, (TEPS: 36000 won/ TOEIC: 42000 won/ TOEFL: 170 US dollars. TEPS and TOEIC have even raised their fees this year.) but also they do not give out comprehensible test results. That is to say, they do not give us specific details regarding how we have done in the tests. With the ambiguous standard score system in progress, test takers often find it hard to accept their scores since they do not have access to the info about what they had gotten right or wrong. Moreover, these tests are conducted so often these days that it is hard for people with unsatisfying test scores to neglect the temptation to take the tests over and over again while having to pay a great amount of money. With this in mind, we all could ask ourselves. Is Hackers a noble crusader who fights for the test takers rights to have a better chance to study English and gain better scores in the English tests or is it merely a greedy corporation who seeks means to gather up more clients and earn more money through illegitimate acts? In this case, we could say that it has a little bit of both sides to it. Since Hackers is indeed a company who thrives on the money it earns, we cannot say much about its objectivity to be more efficient in terms of its capitalismoriented mindset. However, if we

Despite the recent indictment, business seems better than ever for Hackers

think about the current circumstance where few English tests are provided and how these tests exploit us, the test takers, one could say that Hackers is manifesting a sacrificial crusade to help protect the rights of the test takers by helping them get out of the huge sink hole of money and time which the test conductors had created. Beside the main point, this phenomenon also has a lesson for us all. Even though the general idea of having better specs for a better future is something that we should not preach upon, such excessive phenomena would give us an enlightenment upon what is really important in our lives. That is to say, it could be said that a competition is a good one when its conductors and contenders both play fair and are able to develop progressive spirits within it.

&

'

Campus

March 2012. Vol. 36

MODEL UN

Yale Model United Nations Teaches a Lesson to Seoul National University

BY SU HYEN BAE

eoul National University hosted the first Yale Model United Nations (YMUN) Korea conference from March 8th to March 11th, jump starting the 2012 school year with a new fervor for international causes. Yoonji Woo and Eugene Jung, students of Yale and members of the Yale International Relations Association (YIRA), founded YMUN Korea in 2011 and have been working with the Office of International Affairs (OIA) to recruit the Under Secretariat Generals of SNU, reserve conference rooms, and secure other necessary items for holding a large conference. While the average SNU student may not have been aware of the conference that took place during the late night times and the weekends, almost 340 high school students scurried around the unfamiliar campus to participate in sessions held mostly at building 83.

For those that have been interested in international relations or extracurricular activities, Model United Nations would be a familiar term since nowadays, most universities or institutions hold a MUN conference to raise awareness of the significance of world peace and cooperation. Model United Nations is a literal term, for it is a model United Nations conference; generally, the conference is composed of many committees (of the UN) and students follow a parliamentary procedure to discuss about international issues and come up with a resolution paper. The participants take on the role of a delegate from a country that is a member of the UN, giving the students a chance to think in the shoes of a country representative when solving world problems. The purpose of YMUN-SNU is to provide the students in Korea an opportunity to experience the Yale MUN as it is held at Yale University in New Haven. Each year, more than 1,350 students participate as delegates internationally to attend the thirtyeight year old distinguished model UN. This year, YIRA, the original organizers of YMUN, brought the conference to Seoul, making it the first destination of YMUNs soon-to-be

many international conferences. YMUN Korea has the same conference structure, committees, and is aimed at replicating the exact MUN experience at Yale. On registration day, the YMUN secretariats organized aYale Students Info Sessionon which they promoted Yale University and explained the colleges, extracurricular activities, financial aid, and Korean student clubs. The secretariatsdetailed descriptions of their exciting and stimulating life at Yale resembled some aspects of life at Seoul National as well. The liberal arts education at Yale enables students to take more than twenty classes other than their major classes allowing them toexpand intellectual horizons. Seoul National also aims to provide students with an all-rounded liberal arts education, with the College of Liberal Studies as its exemplary standard. When a high school participant asked what a negative part of Yale was, Niko Efstathiou replied that being overcommitted and trying to balance out studying with extracurricular activities has decreased sleeping time for him; this aspect perhaps coincides with the busy schedule of many SNU students who are always eager to study, socialize, and

create new experience. As many similarities there are with Seoul National and Yale, a crucial, missing similarity is the existence of a national Model United Nations conference. There are a variety of Model UNs held in Korea hosted by Korean organizations such as Yonsei MUN, Hankook University of Foreign Studies MUN, Korea MUN, Model UNESCO, and MUNOS. However, the nation s most prestigious university has never hosted a nation-wide, or even a city based model UN in its sixty years of history. Thus, the significance of the YMUNSNU Conference comes from the fact that it is the first official MUN conferencesupervisedby Seoul National University. One could rebut that SNU has been organizing a MUN in its own way; SNU-IR MUN is organized by a student club in the Department of Political Science and International Relations. In 2011, the SNU International Relations MUN opened its 24th conference, from which one could conclude that its history is 24 years old. Yet, the SNU International Relations Major MUN is not a conventional conference in the sense that only SNU students can apply and the participants, in cooperation with the chairs, create scripts, which in turn makes the MUN conference into a MUN play. Whereas SNU always advocates for its aspirations of becoming a more global university and compete shoulder to shoulder with the worldsrecognized universities, one must wonder how it

will do so if SNU has not even organized an open MUN, fund the SNU English News Magazine, or support other international student activities. Seoul National should work on organizing a MUN conference with the existing student organization, but there are a few things that it should be aware of. Model United Nations has almost become a necessity to a university that wishes to promote their international outlook, and also on student resumes. Although Model United Nations initial objective has been to provide students the opportunity to participate in an intellectual discussion regarding the environment, human rights, the international finance system, and so on, one could notice that MUN itself has become part of a device for notable institutions to garner money from students willing to pay as much as three hundred dollars for a MUN participating certificate. A mother of a student participating in YMUN noted the obvious that,Honestly, my child is participating because of hisspec (resume). has become an activity to It place on one resume; an activity that s you cannot refuse to take part in because everyone does it. Seok Ji Hoon, a sophomore at Peddie High School in the United States, uncomfortably explained that he is not the right person to interview because he also applied for his resume. But then he clarified that YMUN was his first MUN conference so he expects to learn more about it. While some students apply genuinely for the sake of adding one more line to their college applications, others participate for their aspirations and passion. Park Jae Hoon, a junior at Hanyoung Foreign Language High School, stated that he applied because it could be a fun and good experience.Kim Yoo Jin from Ewha

Foreign Language High School also summarized that she wishes to be a diplomat and simply enjoys model united nation conferences. Yoo Jin expects qualified participants with skills because YMUN is hosted by Yale and SNU. When asked about the negative aspect of YMUN, Yoo Jin timidly complained that it would have been better if lodging was available, since her house is far away from SNU. In the United States, a reason for a costly registration price is due to providing campus rooms for students. In the case of Korean Model UNs, including YMUN, most do not provide lodging accommodations. Therefore, if legible institutions do not utilize Model United Nations to gain financial power, and if students notice the genuine benefits of participating in discussions about world problems, MUN would be revived to its originally ideal state of giving the delegates an acute understanding of the world. Despite MUNs weaknesses exploited in this modern age, MUN has helped many students dream of international careers and given hopes to solving urgent international problems. Yale Model United Nations in Seoul National University has brought awareness of the lack of a legitimate MUN society in Korea s number one university and the necessity for a real live MUN. Seoul National should continuously strive to achieve its globalization efforts, not throughsignificantprojects, but through sponsoring student activities that focus on international issues and promote international activities on a student basis. And maybe one day, SNU MUN may reach the ranks of YMUN, perhaps in a few years.

Campus

March 2012. Vol. 36

FRESHMEN EVENT

Sae-teo, is it truly a learning place for freshmen?

BY HEE JOO HONG

Freshmen College
BY SONG-UG YOON
n 2010 school decided to start what is now known as Freshmen Collegeto us. The aim of this project was to introduce campus life and help finding new friends. Freshmen students were put together in groups and a mentor, mostly a senior student, was instructed to help them. Like in real campus life, Freshmen could choose between different lectures which were not different from what is taught normally on campus but additionally, the school also offered programs which were meant to help finding oneself. But now after two years of having Freshmen Collegeon campus, the school decided to change the program. Freshmen were sent to a resort in the city of Pyongchang, Gangwon Provice. What has caused much trouble with this yearsFreshmen Collegewas the curriculum which differed heavily from the previous years. Instead of teaching how to get along in school and introducing the different fields of science and philosophy the program seemed to rather focus on image making. Especially student representatives heavily criticized the program which offered courses like How to receive attention in a Club orHow to do the perfect campus King/Queen make-up for its superficiality. The courseHow to
The true meaning of finding oneself?

FRESHMEN EVENT

his winter, as usual, many distinguished high school students got admissions to the SNU. Newly admitted SNU students are excited yet worried about their freshmen life because university life is immensely different from that of high school students. They are awkward dealing with all the unfamiliar situations. Sunbaes, therefore, are in need. Among sunbaes, sophomores who went through the same difficulties a year ago prepare helpful programs such as teaching how to register for courses to implement during welcoming parties and sae-teo. Freshmen students have rights to choose whether to attend welcoming parties and sae-teo or not but many, if not most, freshmen regard sae-teo as more of an obligation. This article will be focused on sae-teo and its pros and

cons. Sae-teo is an abbreviated word for Saenaegi Baeumteo, which means a learning place for freshmen students. Usually, each department arranges its own sae-teo. For instance, the student council of College of Social Sciences and representatives from eleven classes gather in meetings to arrange sae-teo. The primary objective of sae-teo is to show freshmen what is a university life and provide them with a breakthrough so that they could easily become familiarized with fellow freshmen and sunbaes. During two nights and three days of sae-teo, freshmen participate in various kinds of games, such as flipping colored planks and explaining words only with their bodies. Because each class has confrontation against the rest of the classes, freshmen and sunbaes raise their voices and root for

their classes to win. The competitive cheering contributes to the solidarity among members of each class. The last night of sae-teo is the peak because freshmen and sunbaes gather to drink alcohol and enjoy all night long. The question, however, is that whether the primary objective of saeteo to help freshmen adjust to university life is achieved or not. Some outgoing freshmen would contact sunbaes and make appointments to become more intimate. In this case, sae-teo definitely contributed to freshmens adjusting to college life. However, freshmen who are shy and feel awkward even after sae-teo would not dare to contact sunbaes and ask for a meal. It is undeniable that two nights and three days of sae-teo merely leads to freshmen and sunbaes getting to recognize each other by sight. What is more, freshmen who could not participate in sae-teo for their personal reasons believe that they are the only ones left out from their classes because it seems to them like other freshmen are already very close. The aforementioned shortcomings of sae-teo could be complemented by sunbaes hearty care towards freshmen. Sunbaes should care for all freshmen students including those who could not participate in sae-teo so that everyone gets along well and nobody becomes outsiders.

have a beatiful campus relationsship was taught by Song Chan-Min, who is also known for publishing numerous books on dating. Another aspect which was heavily criticized was the fact that the school paid student clubs for their performance. It is a common thing for clubs to peform during MTs and other events to attract new members but this has always been done without any form of financial payment. A student club member was anonymously stated to received 500.000KRW for performing with his club per performance. But this year s Freshmen College also brought new positive aspects such as the fact that many students felt that they could socialise themselves better with their fellow Freshmen and additionally received the almost obligatory college jackets and hoodies. It is undeniable that theFreshmen College program is an important one which should be held in the future too but there still has to be a lot of changes for the future and a better communication with the student body in order to find a good way to introduce campus life.

Class of Psychology R participated this years sae-teo arranged by the student council of College of Social Sciences.

!!

Arts & Culture

March 2012. Vol. 36

a place that offers a wide variety of plays.

If we are looking for a break from our routine, Dae-Hakro is what we are looking for. With its diversity of plays and economical prices, Dae-Hakro attracts children, teenagers and adults. BY CHUNG HYUN CHUNG
Synopsis: Im-Irang Jiugi (Erasing Im-Irang) is one of the few plays that fill its seats almost completely during every performance. Im-Irang represents a seventeen year old young teenager living in the year 2047. She is portrayed as a girl full of hostility and regret against the world. Her mother died during her delivery. She thinks her father considers her guilty for her mothers death and therefore hates her. Those are the reasons why Im-Irang intends to commit suicide repeatedly but, unfortunately, she fails in every attempt. Because she cannot be dead as she wishes, she decides to go back in time and prevent her parents from knowing each other. That way, her existence in this planet will not occur. She turns to a time-traveling agency and goes back to 2011. Erasing Im-Irang is a play that combines scenes of laugh, with Im-Irangs unrestrained attitude, and gloominess, because of her sorrowful past. It not only moves peoples heart with laughter and melancholy, but also reminds us the importance and irreplaceable role of family. Erasing Im-Irang might become a more meaningful play if it is watched with the whole family.

Dae-Hakro,

ENTERTAINMENT

Erasing Im-Irang

Im-Irang, secretly watching her parents date

new year begins along with peoples expectations to continue living a better life fulfilled with hope and positive energy. Students feel a step closer to becoming grown-ups by starting a new year at school and adults aim to bring to their professional careers further progress. These new motivations that New Year always carries along with are not very easy to maintain. A life full of work, duties and stress probably ends up by frustrating us and pushing us further away from our prospects. However, combining our world of commitments and responsibilities with a short distraction might help us carry on with our everyday routine with a relaxed mind and an energetic soul. The theater might be the ideal place to free our minds from our daily lives and just observe the life of another person. In that sense, plays offer a wide range of different characters that we might criticize or empathize with. It might be shorter than a book or a movie but still we are moved by its content. And certainly it represents one brief escape from our everyday life. Dae-Hak-ro is located in Hyewa-dong and it is famous for its diversity of theaters. Its reasonable and economical prices attract many people, whose ages cover a wide range. But the spectators age is not the only thing characterized for its diversity. Theaters also offer plays of various genres. Tragedy, comedy, drama are only some of them. Here are, as recommendations, two plays that are being highly rated for their performances and popularity.

Synopsis: A young doctor suffers from a mental illness that makes him forget all his memories, including the life he has been living since childhood. Due to his mental insanity he creates a world of his own in which, as a doctor, he possesses an imaginary practice room. Unfortunately, his imagination is strengthened by his nurse, who is perfectly conscious of the doctors illness but simulates to be a real nurse just to be next to her old college love. To complicate things more, there is another woman who completes a triangular relationship. She represents the real girlfriend of the doctor, whom she used to date before his illness. This lady comes to the office almost every day to try to remind him who she is and what did she represent for him in real life. This comical love story keeps developing on behalf of an insane man, whose love is being fought for by two women. I am hungry is an outstanding play because it keeps its spectators with anxiety and joy throughout the whole performance. Even though only three actors appear in the entire play, the quantity of actors does definitely not affect the quality of the play. Another remarkable feature is that spectators are not only observers. They are constantly encouraged to participate and take place in the play. I am hungry might be a recommendable play for couples, since it illustrates the importance of a relentless and unconditional love. If we want to get a short break from our daily lives, it is not necessary to go out for a trip investing so much time and money. We can find a pleasant and inexpensive experience right away. Theaters are the perfect place for a short but revitalizing break. And Dae-Hakro offers what we are looking for.

Im hungry

!"

!#

Arts & Culture

March 2012. Vol. 36

Book Inc.
BOOK REVIEW The Sicilian
Like food, books have power. The power to inspire, astonish, shock, excite, delight and impress. Why not meddle with your emotions a little more? BY ABHAS MASKEY
Author Mario Puzo is more widely known for his all time classic, internationally acclaimed The Godfather but The Sicilian turns out to be an equally comparable explosive read. Puzos descriptive abilities are truly well known, well appreciated and when he has a great story line on top of that, his books become instant classic. The Sicilian is one of those. Many readers claim that the book to be a sequel to The Godfather however, if you look at the character thats been focused throughout, you know thats not true. Yes, Michael Corleone does return but only so for the story to be complete. Puzo creates this amazing modern day Robin Hood protagonist, Salvator Guiliano, someone who is entwined in a bloody pool of vendettas and violence. A warrior, true womanizer, and ultimate Siciliano, Guilianos bandit tale is for all to experience.
_ Fiction

5 point someone
(3 idiots is loosely based on the book) _ Fiction

For Whom the Bell Tolls

_ Fiction

The idiot
_ Fiction

Kitchen Confidential:
Adventures in Culnary Underbelly _ Nonfiction

F
!$

or some of us, reading has been a way to escape the harsh reality and for some, plainly to ascertain more about the world we live in. Whatever the reason, books provide you the perfect platform to exercise your ability to focus and create a world inside that little head of yours. Here is a short list of books that are very entertaining read and will surely keep you hooked up in your world of imagination:

3 Idiots is now a well known, everyone has watched it cinema. With critically acclaimed actors such as Amir Khan, it is hard not to see how. However though, huge credit must go to the story line and the crucial message that the movie radiates. Now, imagine something that has a better plot and is far comical to what was on the big screen. Thats exactly what 5 point someone is all about. You could say IIT is the MIT in India, only that its a lot more difficult to get into. The story surrounds around 3 IIT students studying Mechanical Engineering similar to the movie. Based on his own experience, Chetan Bhagat has been able to write a hilarious observation of his time in IIT. Although the characters are all fictional, the novel has been actually based on true events that took place. Bhagats plain and simple way of expressing anecdotes is the one that should receive plaudits. In a GPA focused world, where you are made out of the grades that Professors stamp on your forehead rather than the character you develop, the book tends to show the lighter side of life where it is not always about that.

Written in Ernest Hemingways usual terse style, this 600 page book focuses around a particular bridge bombing mission in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. With flashbacks and narrative subplots, Hemingway aptly reaches out to larger incidents and issues of war from the central plot to create an epic scope. The main character, Robert JordanAn American Spanish Professor- is like most of the character Hemingway creates. He has a life filled with enjoyment of simple, sensuous pleasures- the experiences of drinking and eating, brotherhood of comrades dedicated to living life fully and of the amazing bond between man and nature. As the story climaxes, Jordan ends up doing what he set out to do and in doing so, earns the respect of the reader. With an exception of World War II stories, most retellings of war come from a prospective that all war is terrible and unjust. Although the book undeniably shows the horrors of fighting a war, it also manages to explain the necessity of such painful and costly action.

There is no question about it, The Idiot is no page turner. Flawed, occasionally tedious or rather overwrought this book can sometimes test your patience. However though, in the world of literature, the book is just as important as the densely dramatic Brothers Karamazoc. Set in late 19th century tsarist Russia, the book chronicles the exploits of one Prince Lyov Nikolayevitch Myshkin, an epileptic returning to his native Russia after spending much of his life receiving care abroad in Switzerland. He is labeled an idiot by all those who encounter him, due to his epileptic fits and innocent nature. Author Fyodor Dostoevsky proceeds to show that this idiot is the sanest man in all of Russia. Yes, he is forgiving to a fault, naive and has a tendency to love with his whole heart, but he is also not caught in the vicious routine of creating drama for the sake of drama. Myshkin is also intended to be a Christ-like character. It is interesting that the author chose an epileptic to represent Christ (he wrote this at a time when he was epileptic himself and was flirting with suicide). It speaks to a belief that mental illness, or for these purposes, idiocy, is not a medical ailment but rather an ill of society. Who defines what is normal, what is acceptable? Yes, Myshkin was ill, but he was also kind and compassionate. In the end a depraved society caught up in its own decadence destroyed him, evidence that society will chew you up and spit you out once you no longer amuse it.

Chef Anthony Bourdain is widely popular (goes both ways) in the culinary world. His TV series No reservations has gone to receive many awards and nominations while his latest mini-series The Layover has brought in a whole different concept in travel and dining. But before he went out on to produce these exceptional travel video series, his book Kitchen Confidential had already taken the culinary literary world by storm. Bestselling author of several fictional and non fictional books, Bourdains food philosophy is for all to read. In this updated version of the book though he forks over the knowledge about the secret life behind swaying impact doors of an everyday restaurant, has chunk of his autobiography and has notes about restaurant wars. And on top of that, an added flavor of cooking hints and a pinch of his cynical humor.

!%

Feature

March 2012. Vol. 36

A Fresh Perspective:
Welcome, Freshmen!
BY JOSEFINA OH Entering college is a momentous step in ones life. It is a transitional time of leaving behind the familiar nest and taking a leap into the next chapter of life. Nothing can compare to the thrill of entering college: the high expectations of meeting new people, the thirst for inspiring professors who speak only words of wisdom, and the fear of new surroundings. What will the cafeteria food taste like? What if my roommate and I dont get along? What if I get lost in the vast SNU campus? But no worries, freshmen; you are not alone. Say hello to three freshmen from the class of 2016:

INTERVIEWS

Im really excited for the upcoming college life and I cant wait for it to start! Before, I was fearful of the different culture and environment but after meeting up with the people, Im only filled with excitement.

What aspects do you like about SNU?

I like that SNU has many activities even before school starts! As a result, it is easier to make new friends and meet sunbaes. I also liked that they leave extra seats in the classes [regarding course registration] for only the freshmen.

Young Hoon Song

(College of Humanities 16)

What expectations do you have (academic, social, etc...)?

Even though most sunbaes say you have to enjoy it all when you are a freshman, I am planning to balance my social and academic life. I am not really sure whether I can but as of now, I dont plan to miss out on classes and hang around with friends all day. Of course, I dont expect all As but neither do I plan on getting all Fs! Socially, I plan to make as many friends as possible.

So far, what would you change about SNU?

I did not like the fact that the school provided a special program Freshmen College ( ) only for the Korean students. As a result, the international* Korean students could not be part of the fun activity and it became harder for them to integrate with the Korean culture. Even though the international Korean students have a different culture and mind, I believe they have the same rights.

Young Hoon grew up in Bangladesh and attended the American International School of Dhaka. He is entering the College of Humanities where he will be majoring in English. Here is his fresh take on SNU.

How would you describe your current emotions about being a freshman in SNU?
Excited, but also intimidated. Friends who have enrolled last semester told me about how ridiculously smart their colleagues are. I hope I can catch up with the studies.

How well are you adjusting to college life?

I have already met many people and from what Ive seen so far, I love the people and the culture. I was kind of worried before since Ive heard negative things about the Korean people but they are caring and easy to share thoughts with. Things might change but as of now, I enjoy being with my class.

What do you think about the sunbae/hubae (senior/junior) culture?

Even though I am an international Korean student, I was kind of exposed to the Korean culture beforehand. Therefore, it was not shocking to me when I first saw it. I actually liked the way Koreans distinguished sunbaes and hubaes since sunbaes buy food to hubaes! However, I am still confused when it comes to a hubae who is older and a sunbae who is younger than me.
*International Korean students are those who have received all twelve years of education abroad.

What expectations do you have (academic, social, etc...)?

The cafeteria food better be good.

How well are you adjusting to college life?

Contrary to my fears, Im adjusting quite well. The only letdown about college life is the size of the campus. Some may not agree with this, but the distance between facilities actually demotivates me to study.

At SNU even the sky is not the limit.

Jiin (Sarah) Yoo

(College of Business Administration 16)

Sarah grew up in Guatemala where she studied in an American school. She will be entering as a freshman in the College of Business Administration. She is fluent in Spanish, English, and Korean. Studying in Korea will be a first for her.

What is your opinion on school facilities?

I have been in campus several times and Im satisfied with the school facilities provided. However, Id like them to increase the amount of shuttle buses so that students can easily go from buildings to buildings. SNU is BIG!

What is your opinion on school facilities?

Im in the College of Humanities (English) so all I need are books and black/white boards. From what I hear the equipment in the college of sciences are far from par compared to other big name colleges in Korea. If this is true, I hope the students demand better equipment.

How would you describe your current emotions about being a freshman in SNU?
Excitement would describe it all.

!&

!'

Feature

March 2012. Vol. 36

SCHEDULER

What aspects do you like about SNU?

It allows students to freely learn. Also, the tuition fee is comparatively cheaper than other universities because SNU is state-owned. An interesting and admirable quality about the school is that the lack of ethnic diversity truly unites students to reach for specific goals. The ambition of an individual seems to encourage others to work harder.

How would you describe your current emotions about being a freshman in SNU?
Today I would say I am living the best moment of my life till now. But there is a little bit of anxiety since I am about to start another chapter of my life.

What aspects do you like about SNU?

Overall, I love SNU, but to pick one great aspect of the university would be the great students and faculty members. I believe every one of the students was a so-called ace back in their high school years, and the government is trying hard not to disappoint those students. I think this is why SNU can remain the best university in Korea.

March Culture Calender

BY JIYUN JUNG
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu 1 Fri 2
SNU Choir& Orchestra concert at Munwha hall, SNU Sweet Sorrow concert (~3rd) at Blue Square

Sat 3

What expectations do you have (academic, social, etc...)?

As a student of the College of Social Sciences wishing to major in Political Science/International Relations, I look forward to building a steady base for my future career during my freshman year. Also, I would love to make new friends who will share beautiful memories of university life together.

So far, what would you change about SNU?

Modify the stairs so they arent too steep.

So far, what would you change about SNU?

If I could change anything about the university, I would like to change the image of SNU. Because of SNUs unique characteristics, many people view SNU students as nerds who do not know anything but studying (even I thought so before I came to this school). However, now that I met many sunbaes and friends, I know that this is not true and there are tons of cool people in SNU who do much more than just study.

5
Calligraphy club exhibition(~9th), SNU

10

What do you think about the sunbae/hubae (senior/junior) culture?

Its a double-edged sword. The plus side about the culture builds a closeknit community and allows hubaes to rely on the sunbaes in many ways. The downside has students limit their freedom and comfort.

How well are you adjusting to college life?

So far, I am adjusting very well to college life. I had precious opportunities to meet and interact with many students even before the semester started, and many of them became fantastic friends. I am so grateful that I am looking forward to a happy college life with a lot of friends.

11

12
Duran Duran concert at Olympic hall

13

14

15
A Cappella club Instru concert , SNU

16
Monni Concert at Ewha Univ. (~18th)

17

What do you think about the sunbae/hubae (senior/junior) culture?

I think the sunbae/hubae culture is a great culture. Usually, freshmen are not really aware of what to do when they first come to university. But since there are many sunbaes around those freshmen, they can adjust and start their college life smoothly. But there is a clear need for us to lessen the authoritative aspect of the sunbae/hubae culture.

18

19
Photography club exhibition (~23rd), SNU

20

21
Charice concert at AXhall

22

23

24

What is your opinion on school facilities?

I cannot say that the facilities of SNU are the best in the world, but I am pretty satisfied with the current facilities. We students can cover the lacking aspects of any facilities with our enthusiasm for academic achievement! But if there is the smallest possibility of remodeling the Social Sciences building, I would be more than happy to welcome the decision!

Sung Mo Park
(College of Social Sciences 16)

25

26
Movie club Cinecom festival at Durae culture hall, SNU

27

28

29

30
SNU choir concert at Munwha hall, SNU

31

Sung Mo grew up in South Korea and moved to Shenyang, China in the 5th grade of elementary where he attended Shenyang International School. He came back to Korea and graduated from Kangseo High School. He will be entering the College of Social Sciences.

!(

!)

A Letter from the Chief

Dear Quillers and Readers, Thank you for picking up volume thirty six on your way to wherever you were heading. Because of your efforts, the reporters and members of the SNU Quill could muster the courage left in our hearts to keep the Quill published and distributed monthly for seven years. The SNU Quill has experienced its ups and downs, even in its short history of seven years, and I am sorry to say that year 2012 may be the hardest that the Quill has ever had to encounter. Until now, the SNU Quill received funds from the College English Program and the Language Education Institute with the help of our supervisor Professor Shynne Gwanghyun. However, from the year 2011, our budget has undergone severe cuts due to the Language English Institute no longer funding the Quill. In 2012, the corporatization (or privatization) of Seoul National University and the budget cut of the CEP has begun to threaten the existence of our small student organization. Regardless, the SNU Quill promises that it will fight to publish the ONLY English language media source of Seoul National University. We do not need a room for our organization; we do not ask for money payments for our articles; we do not need all the members of the SNU society to read our journal (although that would be a dream come true). All we ask for in return, is YOUR attention and love to the SNU Quill. Once again, thank you for reading the SNU Quill, and please send us an email, just so that we know we are loved! Chief Managing Director, Su Hyen Bae

Honorable Mentions
Cheon Soo Jin
Chief Managing Director 2011 Arts & Culture Reporter 2010

To Have or To Be
Hwang Johannes Editor-in-Chief 2011 Cover/Feature Reporter 2009, 2010

What is important in life is what you choose to make happen.

An Eun Joo Campus Editor 2011 Arts & Culture Reporter 2010

To me, life is all about love - finding what I love to do and enjoying the merits of life with the ones I love.
Chung Hyun Young Arts & Culture Editor 2011 Arts & Culture Reporter 2010

No Pain No Gain
Hong Hee Joo Campus Reporter 2010, 2011

Live with Passion!

Special Thanks
Cho Hyun Min for his years of dedication to the SNU Quill Professor Ryu Doo-Sun for advising the Quill on its future path College English Program for sponsoring the SNU Quill for the past seven years CEP Assistant Budget Manager Eric Nam for ensuring that the SNU Quill could be published every month Latespring for making every issue a piece of art Readers for reading the SNU Quill and keeping us on our toes Follow the SNU Quill on Twitter www.twitter.com/snuquill Read our past issues on the SNU Quill cyworld club.cyworld.com/thesnuquill Email the Quill snuquill@gmail.com

"