“Ewha’s flame, glowing brilliantly, dazzlingly flare up and shine the world!”, the eighth Ewha Banner hangs on the Main Gate, fluttering in the spring breeze. On the forefront of the university campus, the fierce red, orange, and yellow banner expresses Ewha community’s aspiration and passion.
The current Ewha Banner is the work of Huh Hyung, a sophomore majoring in Korean Language and Literature. Soft yet dynamic, the calligraphy emphasizes on the “flame” within Ewha. The flame of a candle or torchlight, one that enlightens and shows Ewha members’ power of execution. The power and potential of a flame also emphasizes the independence and strength of Ewha.
“Along with the keyword, I used gender neutral predicates to escape the conventional depictions of soft and meek females to instead portray a stronger woman,” Huh said.
Huh won the fourth Promotion Idea Contest in the catchphrase and calligraphy section. The Promotion Idea Contest focuses on inspiring Ewha members to take pride in their school and further heighten Ewha’s prestige. The contest is open to all Ewha members including students, alumni and professors, enabling the Ewha Banner to become an outlet for the individuals of Ewha.
“I thought the banners were created by the school,” said a student of Division of International Studies. “The bright red color caught my eye and got me to look into all about the Ewha Banner.”
Although the past four Ewha Banners were selected through the Promotion Idea Contest, it originally started with students voluntarily creating catchphrases and Ewha inspired calligraphy on the online student community, Ewhaian.
“When students made the suggestion of the Ewha Banner, we were genuinely inspired by their idea, and saw it as an opportunity of interaction of the Ewha community and the school itself;” said the Public Relations (PR) Team.
Since then, the Ewha Banner has been changing periodically, three to four times every year, acting as a more flexible school catchphrase by keeping up with the happenings and atmosphere of Ewha.
“Various aspects are considered when evaluating the numerous works sent to us,” said the PR Team. “We also consider external factors like the overall school situation and events. The current eighth Ewha Banner was thought to adequately convey the passion and high spirits of students in regards to the recent events.”
Prior to the eighth Ewha Banner, the catchphrases displayed calmer atmosphere with placid colors such as varying shades of blue and purple. For example, the banner put up in May to celebrate Ewha’s 130 anniversary, “Ewha of yesterday, you of today, tomorrow of the world,” was washed over with sky blue, symbolizing Ewha’s influence on and will to further academic development, as well as its contribution to the world society.
However, in consideration of the new catchphrase and the increase of students’ interest in the school, the current banner highlighted more strength and energy. The banner’s design is usually left to the school rather than the author of the catchphrase, but when the author wishes and has the ability to design the banner, the school welcomes her participation.
“I felt the Ewha Banner adequately represents the school,” said Park Ji-won, a sophomore in department of Food Science and Engineering. “The fluidity of the messages and the fact that anyone can participate creates a sense of belonging.”