We Prepare Much for You
The typical culture facility at SMU is the Sookmyung Art Center, which has many places for Sookmyungians’ culture life, such as gallery, orchestra practice rooms, traditional music practice rooms, cafeterias, museums and parking lot. Theater, gallery and cafeteria are managed in trust, so they give us more professional service. It also takes the role which gives stages to other artists who are not students in SMU as well as Sookmyungian. SMU’s museums are 5: the SM Museum, Chungyoungyang Museum, Moonshin Art Gallery in the Renaissance Plaza, and the World Women Literature Center and Eun-Won Hong Film Archives in the main Library. SM Museum is the total museum of SMU, which holds permanent exhibitions and special exhibitions every year. It introduces various culture which straddles present and past to people who are not SMU students as well as Sookmyungians. Chungyoungyang Museum is opened to boost the evaluation and awareness of embroidery art. Moonshin Art Gallery is opened by the meeting between Lee Kyung Sook, the expresident of SMU, and Choi Sungsook, the director of the Moonshin Art Gallery, to study and protect the craft of Moonshin who is known east and west. The World Women’s Literature Center is the center to collect, develop and support the literature of world women. It has lots of information of women’s literature. Eun-Won Hong Film Archives is the video interpretive center opened to praise Eun- Won Hong who is the first Cine artist of Korea. In addition to the galleries, there are lots of facilities and events for Sookmyungian to enjoy the cultured life. The cafeterias which are in Queen Sunheon Building, the Administration Building, the Main Library, and Renaissance Plaza are used mostly by students. They provide low cost food and coffee and many seats for students. It helps Sookmyungians use their time efficiently and have time with their friends. Also students can watch movies in the Eun-Won Hong Film Archives at 2 PM or 7 PM from Monday to Friday, and at 1 PM. The movie showing event, which is free for all SMU students, is held in the Queen Sunheon Building at 3 PM every Wednesday. Moreover, there is the place which enjoys culture life with English. The English Lounge is an English-only speaking zone on campus to provide a comfortable atmosphere for people who want to speak English. There are magazines, books, newspapers and brochure, three computers for surfing the Internet, and a TV room for everyone who uses the English Lounge. Also, students can get help writing essays, cover letters and homework assignments from GEP lectures during Write Spot hours. GEP lecturers volunteer their time from 11-5PM Monday to Thursday, and 1-4 PM on Friday. Students should reserve first on the reservation sheet on the bookcase, and bring their essays.
What Was It Good?
Last November, The Sookmyung Times (SMT) conducted a survey asking people about the cultural space of SMU to know opinions about it and improve its quality. 185 Sookmyungians responded to the survey. A survey shows that 18.9% of students have used the Global Lounge located in the Renaissance Plaza. Yoon Mijung ’11 Department of Business said, “Global lounge is a good place to watch news in other languages such as English and Chinese. It is also a place where I can meet foreign students. Moreover I sometimes spend my time there to do some work.” Of the students who have not used the Global Lounge, 56% of them said they did not know about the program and another 20% said they have never heard about the place at all. On the other hand, 24% have not used the program because they believe it does not relate to them. The survey also illustrates the potential if more students knew about it. Of the students that have never heard about the Global Lounge, although 27% refused to join, 73% said they would love to participate. Kim Jane ’11 School of Communication & Media said. “If I go there, it seems that I will regret not using the global lounge until now. I want to be proficient at speaking English through global lounge program.” 90% replied that they use the cafeterias on campus said. Kang Kahyun, ’06 Politic & International Relations said, “I have been to school café and I could see that they have many different kinds of things. Their tastes were pretty okay too. The biggest advantage of school café is that it is cheaper than cafes outside of school. It is in our campus so it’s very easy for me to stop by and get any kind of coffee or drink I want.” 56% of students said they have visited museums in SMU. 77% knew about the movie events happening every week on campus. Kim Jeongeun ’10 School of English said “I felt comfortable throughout the movie. There were all women in the space, so I can sit in a relaxed position.” Some Students have felt convenient about cultural space and while others had complaints.
What’s The Problem?
SMU arranged ample space to improve refinement for students. However, why are these spaces for display only? Why did not students use these services often? First, many people blamed culture space of SMU for a lack of publicity. As you know through the survey, students want to use the global lounge and study English program. But they don’t know of their existence, activities and program of the global lounge. The SNOW café located next to the global lounge is always full of many students. By contrast, there aren’t many students in the global lounge. For this reason, students regard the global lounge as a place which a minority of users visit, and think what’s this place for? In the case of the exhibit halls, students who usually use Immanuel campus were accustomed to exhibit halls, but students who use the main campus were hard to know. Besides, there are many museums in Sookmyung Women’s University, but students don’t stop there because they don’t know what the exhibition is in progress. Thus, publicity and various efforts are needed. For example, hang large exhibition information in the school gate. Second, exhibitions don’t elicit responses and interest from students. Especially, museum exhibits materials consist of academic research, so students who like to experience something do not visit the museum. Third, it is uniformity of purpose of going to cafeteria. Currently, Sookmyungians visit the café for freely talking and using a personal computer. That’s all. Cafés of the university should not be places to chat but places to discuss our society issues and do group projects, but our cafeteria isn’t suitable for an academic atmosphere. The space is small and study groups aren’t separated, so it is hard to listen attentively to each other. Lastly, there is what we call reversal phenomenon. Theater S in Sookmyung Women's University is the art center. This place usually holds a lot of musical performances or celebrity meetings. Have students in SMU ever been to theater S? The center rarely deals with cultural performances that are highly recommended for students. Although theater S provides the best convenient facility such as a high quality sound system for students who want to watch movies, the place never shows movies or other important performances that students would enjoy. Instead, Queen Sunheon Building auditorium or Eunwon Hong film archives take the responsibility. This is a serious problem. For example, once one student was sitting on a sofa in theater S, a security guard came over her and asked if she was an SMU student. Then he emphasized that the center was prohibited for students to come inside. She felt extremely uncomfortable that even if she an SMU student, she couldn't use the center. However, Ehwa Womans University has a theater called “Art House MoMo” in it’s Ehwa Campus Complex (ECC). Even they have two very small scales of theaters, they still show many outstanding films such as Farinelli The Castrato and The Truman Show for students. They even notify movies' titles and schedules so that students can easily come and enjoy the movies. Many students want that the university to notice the original purpose of theater S, which supposed to be an enjoyable place for students, and not allow other people instead of Sookmyung students.
SMU arranged ample space to improve refinement for students.However, why are these spaces for display only? Why did not students use these services often? First, many people blamed culture space of SMU for a lack of publicity.As you know through the survey, students want to use the global lounge and study English program.But they don’t know of their existence, activities and program of the global lounge.The SNOW café located next to the global lounge is always full of many students.By contrast, there aren’t many students in the global lounge.For this reason, students regard the global lounge as a place which a minority of users visit, and think what’s this place for? In the case of the exhibit halls, students who usually use Immanuel campus were accustomed to exhibit halls, but students who use the main campus were hard to know.Besides, there are many museums in Sookmyung Women’s University, but students don’t stop there because they don’t know what the exhibition is in progress.Thus, publicity and various efforts are needed.For example, hang large exhibition information in the school gate.Second, exhibitions don’t elicit responses and interest from students.Especially, museum exhibits materials consist of academic research, so students who like to experience something do not visit the museum.Third, it is uniformity of purpose of going to cafeteria.Currently, Sookmyungians visit the café for freely talking and using a personal computer.That’s all.Cafés of the university should not be places to chat but places to discuss our society issues and do group projects, but our cafeteria isn’t suitable for an academic atmosphere.The space is small and study groups aren’t separated, so it is hard to listen attentively to each other.Lastly, there is what we call reversal phenomenon.Theater S in Sookmyung Women's University is the art center.This place usually holds a lot of musical performances or celebrity meetings.Have students in SMU ever been to theater S? The center rarely deals with cultural performances that are highly recommended for students.Although theater S provides the best convenient facility such as a high quality sound system for students who want to watch movies, the place never shows movies or other important performances that students would enjoy.Instead, Queen Sunheon Building auditorium or Eunwon Hong film archives take the responsibility.This is a serious problem.For example, once one student was sitting on a sofa in theater S, a security guard came over her and asked if she was an SMU student.Then he emphasized that the center was prohibited for students to come inside.She felt extremely uncomfortable that even if she an SMU student, she couldn't use the center.However, Ehwa Womans University has a theater called “Art House MoMo” in it’s Ehwa Campus Complex (ECC).Even they have two very small scales of theaters, they still show many outstanding films such as Farinelli The Castrato and The Truman Show for students.They even notify movies' titles and schedules so that students can easily come and enjoy the movies.Many students want that the university to notice the original purpose of theater S, which supposed to be an enjoyable place for students, and not allow other people instead of Sookmyung students.
Let’s Solve the Problem Together.
SMT met the manager of the museum. SMU museum have planned ‘to get to the Museum.’
It’s a service to exhibit collections at the library and dining hall as well as museums. Museum expected a high rate of seeing to get to the museum. Also, museum has carried out ‘tour program.’ It’s a stepping into Korean culture on Saturdays, and the participation rate of many students from the provinces is high. This program can make Sookmyung’s museum get attention, and it is a small beginning. Remember that we have to popularize Sookmyung’s cultural space. Now, don’t be just proud, let’s make it pride.
