Eight months have passed since the first COVID-19 patient in South Korea. In February, many people lined up to buy masks, and Daegu suffered tremendously from the ever-increasing number of infected persons. In April and May, mass infections broke out in Itaewon, and in August, the virus was spread widely once more around Seoul from infections sprouting from Christian churches and the August 15 protest. Just when it looked like life was getting back to ‘normal’, the virus spreads. Eight months have passed like this. Over the months, our lifestyles have also greatly changed. We wear masks to go out, and upon arrival at home, we wash our hands thoroughly. People now prefer to eat at home rather than dine out. Personally, I find myself often postponing appointments with friends. I find myself frequently saying, “Let’s have lunch or dinner once things settle for the better.” Students no longer go to school and take classes online. In person traditional concerts by our favorite singers are canceled, and they are replaced with live feed online performances. This unusual life is now something that we have gotten used to. SMT has also undergone a number of changes because of COVID-19. Most of all, SMT reporters write a lot of articles related to the pandemic. In addition, SMT now does all its editing online. Meetings are held through Zoom, and article revision is carried out by sharing documents on Google. While the beginning was difficult and it was a complicated process, it is now second nature to all SMT reporters.
In this October edition of SMT, reporters talk about life with the virus. In the FEATURE article, reporters introduce ‘On-tact culture’, a new culture that developed out of the lifestyle of the pandemic. In SMTRACING, reporters will present issues on students’ continual demand for tuition reductions and refunds, which are related to the practice of online classes. Reporters worked hard for this edition as always, and we look forward to your continued support. SMT promises to always deliver stories that are relevant to Sookmyungians’ lives.
저작권자 © 숙명타임즈 무단전재 및 재배포 금지
