Updated 6.6 일 23:21

Editorial/Opinion
Five Semesters Later
I still remember my first monthly meeting at the GT office as a freshman cub reporter. We were preparing for our April issue and I sat very quietly with the other three freshmen at the far end of the table, the farthest from our then editor-in-chief and executive director. Unji who was one of the three sitting with me on our first day, told me later on, that she thought I was her senior. I supposedly seemed too calm and poised to be a cub reporter. But deep inside, I know that I felt just as nervous and out of place where everything seemed so new ? the people, the magazine, the office furniture, and the awkward hello’s.
The Lone Death of an Army Private
In theory, no democracy can function properly without an independent media enabling the public to make informed decisions. In reality, however, the mainstream media is plagued by politics, which more than often determines the quantity and quality of news coverage, decisively affecting public opinion. In other words, stories are reported in a manner that reflects the underlying political calculation of each media outlet. The resulting bias is strikingly blatant to those who bother to maintain a critical perspective, with a little research and the simplest analysis. In this light, the news coverage of the Cheonan’s lost sailors offers a revealing insight into the nature of the mainstream media.
KU People
The Magician Behind the Scene
A year ago, in the interview with the Granite Tower (GT), actress Yeo Woon Kay (’58, Korean Language and Literature) lamented Korea University’s (KU) lack of interest in performing arts. However, even under a poor condition, a great passion can lead to a magnificent accomplishment. When Yang Haewon (‘yr, English Language and Literature) entered Yale Drama School, her experience in theatrical club of KU’s English Language and Literature department was the only background in performing arts she had. However, she graduated as a technical designer of Broadway’s top entertainment technology company, Production Resource Group Scenic Technologies (PRG). “You can go a great distance if you do what you like the best,” Yang said.
Career
A Woman With the Midas Tongue
She is a master of selling products. Just give her a chance to advertise a product for a couple of minutes; she will make it look like the most precious thing in your eyes. She will make you feel anxious enough to think, ‘If I do not purchase this thing now, I’m going to regret it.’ And literally, there is a limited amount of time. So if not today, you will never know when the product is going to come out again. Thus, you end up picking up your phone and dialing the number.
International
Global and Asian Dynamics Seize New Heights
Not long after I had an interview as a potential participant in the HPAIR (Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations) Harvard 2010 Conference – Asia Ascendant: Seizing New Heights – I received an email from the associate director of the international student conference congratulating me on having been chosen. HPAIR, an annual event, was established in 1991 with the objective of viewing the world from a variety of perspectives of those from many distinctive walks of life. To this end, the eminent international forum is comprised of many panels such as education, regionalism, economics, environment, security, and leadership. Students from all over the world gathered at Harvard University in Cambridge this February not only to listen to lectures on future directions of Asia by prominent speakers, but to also share ideas and personal experiences on various matters with other students from each respective panel. All participants were expected to bring their own viewpoints on pressing matters in the Asia-Pacific region in addition to suggestions for building a better future on both a regional and global scale.
Tan’gun in Korea
I’m sure most of you are familiar with the story of Tan’gun but for foreign readers I will give a quick summary. The Son of the Lord of heaven Hwanung wanted to go to earth, his father the Lord of Heaven Hwanin gave him permission, so he descended to Mount Paekdu (which is in Modern North Korea/China) with assorted ministers. A Bear and Tiger preyed to Hwanung begging to become human. He told them to eat 20 cloves of garlic and some mugwort then fast for 100 days. The bear was successful (the tiger got hungry after 20 days so he was not). The bear as human was lonely, so Hwanung out of pity married her and they had a son. His name was Tan’gun and he founded the first kingdom on the Korean peninsula, Old Chosŏn and built its first city Asadal.
What We Can Infer from the 2010 World Cup
June 2002 holds a special place in the hearts of many Koreans. We remember the World Cup fever: the unforgettable red waves of the Red Devils, the excited roar of the excited crowd, and the impressive record achieved by the national soccer team. An unprecedented record of reaching the semifinals at the World Cup surprised Koreans, which remains a legend. Now, it is time to make a record-breaking legend once again. Go Taeguk Warriors! Go Red Devils! Before getting excited however, there are various issues involved in the 2010 World Cup that The Granite Tower (GT) dares to uncover.
Sciences Po Paris
Established in 1872, The Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, also known as Sciences Po Paris, is not only rich in tradition and history but also famous for its excellence in education in the diplomatic and political sciences. However, that does not mean that its academic span ends within such sectors. Sciences Po houses rich education in law, communications, business, journalism, and more.
Karibu Jung
If you ever decide to tour the East African region, you should be prepared to hear the song Jambo Bwana a few hundred times. Along with the catchy tune, the lyrics welcoming foreigners helped to make it the most performed music in hotels and restaurants
As I Prepare for My Departure
In my class in Spain, there is one female student who stutters and pronounces Spanish poorly even though she is a native speaker. I do not know what kind of problem she has, but it is certain that her actions are somewhat abnormal too. However, during the whole semester, the impression that I got from my other classmates have been very positive, as they do not stare at her, and treat her without any prejudice. While she was carrying out her presentation, nobody mentioned or pointed out her strangeness, but only helped her complete her work successfully, giving responses and showing an affirmative attitude. I am quite sure that if she was in a class at any university in Korea, she would have received some kind of unnatural attention at least once.
GT Application Form.doc
In the Shadow of the Rainbow
GLBT Media Content and the Equality Challenge
Metrosexual is posh and the gay code is in. Nine years since the country’s first gay-themed drama, Sad Seduction (1999), aired on KBS and eight since Hong Seok-cheon’s controversial coming out, Korean media seems to have settled into a GLBT-friendly niche money-made to last. However, controversy still bubbles over whether such commercially geared trends can truly qualify as a constructive breakthrough in GLBT rights. Is the Korean nation that went wild over The King and the Clown (2005) ready to stretch out the hand of tolerance toward same-sex relationships in everyday life?
Domestic Cartoon and Animation Characters’ Achievement
How do Koreans feel about cartoons or animations? Do Koreans usually like to watch cartoons or animations? Do we have any interest in cartoons or in animated characters? Some people who like cartoons or animations like to watch them frequently and view the effect of cartoons in a positive light: It is usually said that cartoons can bring about creativeness and imaginative power to children growing up. Others, on the other hand, feel that cartoons or animations are only for kids. They say that they are too old now to enjoy these colorful and “childish” pictures. Is this true? The answer is “no.” Animated characters, especially those domestically created, are actually making a huge impact as the industry is growing both in scale and scope.
How We Became Sitting Ducks
A Report on Restaurants in Anam.
Italian Plate, Coffee Bean, and A Twosome Place have something in common. They are all franchise restaurants and cafes which were opened in Anam fairly recently. It can easily be seen that Anam is not an undeveloped or countrified area anymore. However, the transformation of Anam into a “main street” seems somewhat Chamsari Road-immature.
Coffee Republic
The Coffee Craze in South Korea
If people were to name places most commonly seen on every street and corner in our society, nine out of ten would probably say either PC rooms or karaoke. However, we should add one more place to that list--coffee shops or cafes. Today, most Koreans seem almost completely coffee-mad, and with such craving for coffee, scores of new coffee shops are appearing, it seems, every day.
Study from Head to Toe
If you look in the Global Lounge of Central Plaza at Korea University (KU), you will find many students gathered together to study. As the difficult economic situation continues today, students work hard to get into the best job where they will find financial security. For many students, forming study groups to provide the necessary motivation to study is one way to get into a good job as these days companies require students to have a certain standard of certificates. As study groups are very active throughout many universities, they are now an integral part of students’ lives.
Harmony: What Musicians Want
"To educate someone, you should start with poems, emphasized on ceremonies, and finish with music. – Confucius" In ancient times, Confucius had already realized the essential meaning of music – harmony throughout all classes. 2,000 years have passed since Confucius forgot the taste of meat for three months while concentrating on playing music, and now we can see little Confuciuses in Korea University (KU) who are devoting themselves to finding the true virtue of music: the campus pungmulpae (Korean folk band) and rock band.
Discontinuance of Early Course Registration
Course registration at Korea University (KU) has always created a great deal of ruckus between students and school administration, since the outcome of any student’s semester depends on how well he or she manages to construct a well-organized timetable. The mere process of choosing lectures for an upcoming semester was an agitating event, while system failure during course registration led to uproar and absolute panic. For this reason, KU has reformed its course registration schedule for the fall semester of 2010.
Voices to be Heard
Students Working on Campus
In each building or each facility at Korea University (KU), there are people, mostly on the first floor or near the entrance, sitting at desks, typing on keyboards, or sometimes even filling out some paperwork. But did you know that more than half of them are just students you might have taken the same classes with? Part-time campus work provides great opportunities, but there are real problems with the KU system of hiring. Students who have worked in KU, or who are interested in doing so but whose applications have been turned down, share their opinions.
News
KU Graduate Sweeps International Architecture Competitions
Oh Hyun Il (’98, Architecture), a distinguished Korean architect, recently received a Graduation Honor Award for Excellence in Design from Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP).
KU and Nonghyup to Create Hope for Rural People
KU President Lee Ki-Su and Nonghyup Chairman Choi Won-byung held a meeting at the Main Hall on May 10 to push forward a business contract and to honor Chairman Choi for his scholarships to about 110 students since 2005, worth 480 million won.
KU Participates in Fermi Lab’s Significant Discovery
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, also known as Fermi-lab, announced on May 14, its finding of important evidence of matter-antimatter asymmetry, which generates deviations from the present physics theory, the Standard Model of particle physics.
Student Life
Traveling: A Great Way to Enjoy Your University Life
University life may be boring throughout or full of exciting events. One of the most anticipated activities that university students dream of is traveling. Being under intense pressure for at least a year during their college entrance preparation, freshmen wish to escape their daily routines and come across new opportunities and experiences. Even sophomores, juniors, and seniors sometimes feel the need to escape. Here are some students who have put this desire into action. They get 110% out of their university life.
Arts & Culture
Room Number 13
When it comes to the image of politicians in Korea, fighting in clinches, grabbing each other by the collar, and shouting out in the National Assembly, often in protecting themselves from scandal are usually what come to mind. While dealing with a secret scandal in a very unexpected way, Room Number 13, a two-hour show currently playing in Daehakro, illuminates the deceit that underpins so much human interaction to its audience.
Justin Bieber
A few weeks ago, scores of Australian girls camped out overnight awaiting Justin Bieber’s performance. The slew of screaming tweens began to surge upon hearing rumors of his arrival, breaking barriers and ignoring police officers’ directions. The commotion resulted in at least eight people being injured and hospitalized. Justin Bieber’s plan to sing for the first time in Australia ended up being canceled after the frenzied crowd succumbed to Bieber fever.
Congratulations
The comical and cartoonlike figures on the cover of MGMT’s newest album, Congratulations (2010), have shown feasible and interesting ways to provide new perspectives of music. As Congratulations shows diverse types of music, listeners can expect the newest edition of MGMT’s different styles of music in their music players.
How to Train Your Dragon…Not a Dragon
DreamWorks once again hit the screens with a huge film that would show the animation industry that they are still alive and kicking. The animation techniques resemble those of Shrek and Finding Nemo; however, they take it to a whole new level: 3D cubic effect animation. James Cameron’s Avatar gained immense success in the movie industry with the IMAX 3D pictures; How to Train Your Dragon is one of the first to follow in its footsteps and, sure enough, it also has gained great popularity and interest at the box office worldwide.
The Imperfectionists
This attention-grabbing novel is about the professional and personal lives of the “imperfect” personalities working together in a newspaper company. This book shrewdly depicts the creation, the development, and the toppling of an unnamed English-newspaper office located in Rome, from its establishment in 1953 to its unfortunate ending in 1997, and revolves around the people who shape and contribute to its existence.
The Lost City of Z
El Dorado, the city of gold, was the only attraction at the time for the courageous, and sometimes greedy, explorers around the world. It was believed that there was a lost city, somewhere in the forests of the Amazon, which boasted a sophisticated civilization like that of the Aztecs. The city was also called Z, named by an English explorer who devoted his life to find it. In this nonfiction book, The Lost City of Z, author David Grann himself follows the footsteps of this legendary English explorer, Colonel Percy Harrison Fawcett, who had vanished in the Amazon long ago with his son Jack and Jack’s best friend, Raleigh, and continues Fawcett’s unfinished journey toward the lost city.
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