Ewha faculty members enjoying sport games at the Sport Strip or gathering for a hiking trip are annual scenes taking place at Ewha. But watching the scene makes you wonder－doesn’t all the vigorous exercise make the faculty members tired? For that reason, the Office of General Affairs (OGA) has decided to add a different flavor to the annual fun presented to the Ewha faculty. This semester the OGA is preparing a special workshop like none held before. They will be visiting Gwangneung and the Korea National Arboretum on October 11 to experience the lively and vibrant culture of Korea and the chance to get away from their stuffy offices.
“For the past few years, we have organized sports tournaments and hiking events. However, we decided to hold this workshop because many faculty members found those events rather tiresome,” said Kim Yong-wan, a staff member at the OGA.
“Some of the faculty members who heard about the upcoming workshop got really excited since it was a chance for them to not only mingle with other professors but to leave town and refresh their minds,” added Kim.
A two hour ride from Ewha will take the faculty to Gwangnueng, a historical site where Sejo, the seventh ruler of the Joseon Dynasty and queen Jeonghui, Sejo’s wife are buried.
“We will be taking a look around the tombs and take pictures, forgetting about all the stress and work just for that day,” said Kim.
After seeing the treasured cultural heritage at Gwangnueng, the faculty members will head to the Korea National Arboretum (KNA), where the faculty members can enjoy the 15 specialized plant gardens, forest museum, forest zoo, herbarium and seed bank.
“It is a very well conserved forest. During the weekdays, there are over 3,000 visitors. The size of the forest is about 19 times larger than Ewha. I guess we will be walking a lot. But since the air is so clean, our minds will be refreshed,” said Kim.
Out of about 1,500 faculty members around 300 staff members joined the annual event in the past. However, this number is expected to increase this year.
“I have participated in several sports tournaments before; I played fencing, volleyball, and tennis and even won a prize during the tennis games,” said Peter Kipp (English). “I try to participate in lots of faculty events since it is entertaining and it is a great chance for me to meet and mingle with other professors from other departments,” said Kipp who is planning to participate in this year’s event as well. Kipp thinks that it will be a great opportunity for him to experience the culture of Korea.
Park Hei-jin, a staff member in the Humanities department, remembers the taste of fresh air during last year’s sports tournament. “It felt like the old days in high school cheering for our team, participating in sports, and fooling around with my colleagues.” Park, who was so absorbed in last years’ event, is looking forward to this years’ visit to Gwangneung.
Usually prizes are handed out during tournaments. However, instead of the luxurious prizes, wind jackets will be handed out to the members this year.
“I hope more faculty members join this event and enjoy a stress-free day at Gwangneung,” said Kim.