‘Reading Campus Campaign’ to Promote Reading Education
Dankook Culture Festival Held November 29
A reading trend has hit the DKU Campus with the start of the ‘Reading Campus Campaign’
These days, as technology develops, the importance of humanities and liberal arts has become more apparent.
Dankook University is promoting its new ‘Reading Campus Campaign’ to help students encounter books more naturally. Reading related events and campaigns are being held in various areas of the campus, and with such events, Dankookians’ passion for book reading is firing up regardless of the ice cold Korean winter.
The Center of General Education (Dean Yoon Seung-Joon) held the ‘2013 Dankook Literacy Festival’ in both campuses on November 29 and opened various events for fostering reading culture. This is the first event opened by Dankook University in order to create a reading campus environment under the ‘Reading Campus Campaign’.
Under the subject of ‘Growing Youth’, this event featured a book report competition and book quiz competition based on 5 selected books (Isolated Room, Portrait of the Days of Youth, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship, Damian, and The Alchemist). Also, at the literature concert hosted by chair professor Kwon Young-min, author Cho Jung-rae who wrote Taebaek Sanmaek (Taebaek Mountain Range), and Jungle Man-li (Jungle Thousand Miles Away) was invited to share her thoughts on literature.
Finalists of Book Report Competition Give Top Notch Presentations
16 students who passed the paper evaluation among 62 participants attended the final round of the Book Report Competition held at the 3rd Science Center of Cheonan Campus at 10am.
These students who passed the first round selected 3 books out of 5 selections on which to write their book reports. They all gave powerful presentations in front of the audience in the final stage. After each finalist’s 5 minute presentation, evaluations were made by 4 judges representing Dankook University professors who asked questions to the presenter in turn.
“I don’t have chances to read a lot of books, but I have interest in reading, so I made a reading club with my friends to discuss and share opinions with them,” said Mr. Lee Hee-Jae who won the grand prize with The Alchemist, Damian, and Portrait of the Days of Youth. “I tried to understand what that selected book wanted to deliver, and I tried to explain my feelings on it in detail.” He also strongly recommended reading by saying that for university students it is important to find a way to achieve their goals and that reading a number of good books will help them find that path and choose the right way.
Lee received a scholarship equal to full tuition for one semester, and the second prize winner received 2 million Korean won, while third and fourth place took 1 million won and 300,000 won, respectively.
Author Cho Jung-rae: “Please don’t neglect your duties as students – stuyding and reading books…”, Kwon Young-min’s Literature Concert
At 1pm at Jukjeon Campus, West Wing B104, ‘Kwon Young-min’s Literature Concert’ was held.
Cho Jung-rae, a million-seller author who wrote Taebaek Sanmaek (Taebaek Mountain Range), Jungle Man-li (Jungle Thousand Miles Away) and other works, was invited to the literature concert hosted by chair professor Kwon Young-min. At the event hall, many people came to see the famous author, and the lecture room was very crowded.
Cho caught the audience’s eyes and ears with his honest and straight answers, showing his research notes in response to students’ questions. Also, although his age is over 70, he lectured in a relaxed and joyful style reflecting his background as a great author.
In response to a student’s question on where he gets his ideas, Cho responded, “In the dictionary, an idea is defined as a thought that suddenly comes to your mind; however, an author’s idea is quite different from that. As a miner digs out the minerals through continuous efforts, I also get ideas from continuous study and thinking.” In addition, he pointed out that he is continuously putting effort into his work to create a good piece saying that he trusts his efforts will pay him back.
At the end of the lecture, he emphasized that studying and working hard are the duties of a student saying that, “Life is a track where you put yourself as a horse and run by endlessly whipping yourself; and it is a stepping stone only where two stones are laid in line one by one.”
Book Quiz Competition, No grand prize winner chosen
At 3pm in Jukjeon Campus, West Hall, room B104, a book quiz competition was held.
Unfortunately, no one took the grand prize at the book quiz competition composed of an OX (Y/N) quiz and short answer questions, but Ms. Park So-hyun (Department of Korean Language and Literature, sophomore), Ms. Kang Eun-young (School of Business Administration, sophomore), and Mr. Park Su-yeon (School of Urban Planning and Real Estate, freshman) won the 2nd prize, while Ms. Park So-yoon (Department of Software Science, sophomore) won the 3rd prize. All prize winners will receive scholarships along with the Beom-eun Scholarship Foundation Chairman’s Award.
“I am happy with the results which exceed my efforts, and I am more grateful for my inner growth from reading,” said 2nd prize winner Park So-hyun (Department of Korean Language and Literature, sophomore). “I will let my friends know of this quiz competition so that more people can participate and enjoy the festival next time.”
Although ‘2013 Dankook Literacy Festival’ was held for only one day, it showed possibilities for the renaissance of humanities and literature in Dankook University from students’ passion and attention on the competition and its various programs.
The university hopes to see many Dankook literature artists with true heart and knowledge awakening as alumnus poet Shin Dong-yeop (1903~1969, graduate of Dankook University History Department) shouted ‘Kernel of April (democracy)’ and ‘Shouting (awareness) of my fellow students in Gomnaru shall live but the shells (anti-mass awareness) must be dismissed (Donghak farmer’s movement)’ in the chaotic historical change movement.