Top three spring scenes inside the hearts of Ewha students

Flowers are in full blossom and students are going to classes with colorful and light outfits, spending more and more time outdoors. Spring is really here on the Ewha campus, with most of the construction completed. Therefore, this spring might be the first for many students to enjoy the beautiful season without the noise and dust. Through a survey conducted among 162 students by the Ewha Voice, three of the most beloved spring scenes around the campus were selected. The small grove in front of Areum Garden (13%) ranked first, Pfeiffer House (11%) was second, and the crossroad in front of Humanities Building A (10%) came in third.  

1. The grove in front of Areum Garden

Soft beams of spring sunlight energize students walking around the campus. However, the sunlight is sometimes too hot for a comfortable stroll. This is when students need a gorgeous grove to sit down in and take a rest from the sunlight. “Trees in front of Areum Garden seem to be some of the biggest at Ewha. Dazzling sunlight through the big trees make this spot a good place for a picnic. Students often take their meal from our restaurant and eat it outside,” said a staff member of Areum Garden.

Moreover, the place also has other factors that make it much more beautiful. “The orange bulb and red tent of Areum Garden is a wonderful ornament adorning the grove. The scene of Areum Garden with the grove feels like a European city,” said Cho Mi-rin (English Literature, 2). The grove is comprised of old trees and is a valuable property of Ewha that has long provided shade for students to rest after a tiring day. “These groves were here about thirty years ago when I was in school too, I remember spring back then when students liked to sit on the benches and enjoy their free time,” said Lee Mi-young (’79, French Literature) while visiting Areum Garden with her daughter who is currently a student at Ewha.       

2. Pfeiffer House (Main Hall)

Among the 11 percent of the students who chose Pfeiffer House as the most beautiful place on Ewha, many of them mentioned that the building reveals the long history of the school. The building is indeed living proof of Ewha’s extended history. Built in 1933 as one of the first buildings on the current campus location, Pfeiffer House was used as the only classroom for students until the Korean War. It is now mostly used as an administrative building, including the Office of the President. In front of Pfeiffer House, there is a patch of green grass with yellow forsythia and white magnolia blossoms, both of which are symbols of spring. All the scenes are combined together to show the students the beauty of spring. “Lots of students take photo in front of the building. I believe it is the historical building that attracts students, however, the establishments of air conditioner on the wall of the building hinders the scene,” said Park So-young (Nursing Science, 2), who was taking photo of her friend near Pfeiffer House.

3. The crossroad in front of the Humanities Building A

When walking out of the Humanities Building A, students are greeted by a beautiful crossroad surrounding the building. As always, it is hard to just pass by the square shaped garden unaware of its beauty, even if you have passed by it numerous times and the next class is waiting for you. The beautiful garden has a crossroad decorated with flowers in several colors. The most eye-catching scene is the magnolia blossoms which bloom beautifully. Flowering in early April, magnolia blossoms are the messengers of a spring coming into life. “The sweet scent from magnolia flowers tells me that the spring has arrived, which I might otherwise fail to notice because of the overwhelming workload,” said Hong Yoon-a (International Studies, 2). Kim Yoon-young (Business, 2), however, has a different feeling when she looks at the blossoms. “When I sit on the benches inside the crossroad garden, it seems like the spring has not come yet. The falling white leaves of magnolia tree resembled snowfall in winter,” said Kim.

Next to the garden exists a small grass hill, which enables students to enjoy the spring scene around the Humanities Building A. “As the weather is wonderful these days, many students stroll around the garden, and study on the grass of the hill. I think spring is the time I get to see the most number of students, too,” said Kim Jong-cheor (57), the janitor of the building.