Suggesting Debate Motions for next week!!

THB Students should be allowed to participate in sociopolitical activity


THS Historiography based on biased point of view for its own nation


THS Teaching Korean History in English for KMLA Students

Personal Response to Michael Moore's assertion

     Last Thursday, I had first discussion with my classmates in Mr. Wayne’s English writing class. We were supposed to talk about a newspaper article that the presenter had chosen. After talking about China’s food crisis and necessity of international aid, we also talked about North Korea’s food crisis. About half of the class asserted to aid North Korea while the other half did not. Because I was a lot interested in North Korea matter, I really had a lot of things to say in my mind. However, whenever I tried to raise my hand to get a chance to say, my arms were frozen. It felt as if someone was pulling my arm so strongly that I could not even raise it about an inch. This personal trauma of not willing to present political position in front of others comes from my freshman year in KMLA.
     It was a month after the beginning of the life in KMLA. I took a casual conversation with my friends as usual. However, one of my friend’s words hurt me seriously while talking about social issues at that time. The topic went so far to the Korean Teachers & Educational Worker’s Union (KTU). About KTU, he scornfully treated it as an organization of Commies. When I asked him, “Are members of KTU Reds?” and he answered immediately “Yes, of course! What else unless they are Reds?” Because I was so shocked about his biased perspective and other friends who also make the same responses, I contributed writing about the experience in KMLA and my political stance or perspective to The Hankyoreh, a daily newspaper.

click here to see the article (of course in Korean..)

Just as expected, my contribution aroused huge impact both in and out of KMLA. There were about two hundreds comments on my writing on the website, and KMLA students used to talk about my writing. The reaction of the students was mostly negative. I even heard my friends talking about the possibility of my withdrawal. They said I dishonored KMLA. Listening to the talk behind my back and seeing people who swear me were common daily schedules. As a result, I had to post a writing of apology in KMLA Online. I had to be sorry for presenting political position in daily newspaper especially about the delicate social issue.

→ writing of apology on KMLA Online

    
     Based on my experience, I strongly feel that political freedom of high school students in Korea is suppressed almost thoroughly. Of course, my case might be somewhat special because KMLA culture is more exclusive than other schools–because we emphasize strict relationship between seniors and freshman, because we are living in a dormitory isolated from the city by ourselves… etc. However, it is solely truth that high school student’s political action is not as free as it should be. For example, when high school students joined the Candlelight Vigil in 2008, most teachers and schools tried to suppress their action by punishing the participants or sending a mail to parents. There is a case which even a police officer visited a high school and investigated one of the students who planned to organize the participants.

In adult’s point of view, to study might be the most important duty for us to do. However, it is not only to study what we have to do. We have to learn to be a proper citizen in democratic society. We should own our freedom to speak whatever we have in mind. Therefore, I believe that Moore’s suggestion on the High School Newspaper is appropriate. Even though there might be some inappropriate writing, it is also our job to learn how to self-moderate ourselves. In this process of struggle, teenagers will be able to grow as genuine young-adults in our society.

P.S. I know my writing today is not logical or critical as it should be. However, I just wanted to share my personal experience with others. I believe it might be O.K. as well...

<Debating Motion>

THB It should be allowed for high school students to present political position in school freely.

THB Teachers should be encouraging students’ freedom of thought during the class.

THS Assembly by students toward student-related political issue

Personal Response to "The Story of Stuff"

     When I first watched the video clip, I was not surprised or shocked as other classmates were. I was rather familiar with what Leonard argued because it was what my father used to say. My father, as the one who loves nature and abhors the "toxically manufactured" products, often told me as Leonard did in the video. Though I generally agreed with my father's opinion, there were always some points that I could not agree with. He viewed the situation too pessimistically, and Leonard makes the same mistakes in her arguments. Confined to the “inevitably” negative consequences, she ignores other possibilities which may lead the result more positively.

     Especially in case of the resource matter, she says that the whole Earth is running out of the resource due to the excessive consumption of the people. She claims that Americans are using more than what they are supposed to use and this irrational waste of resource will lead the Earth to be a desolate planet. At this point, however, she ignores the fact that people are putting their efforts to find out substitute energy and technical way to alleviate environmental destruction. Of course, it is true that the resource we have is limited so that we should not waste it. Nonetheless, her exaggerated description to alarm people might be brainwashing them which will lead not other creative point of view, but another biased one. As long as she continues her arguments based on her series of logical guesses, she also has to approve the other logical possibilities as well.

     Considering the fact that this video clip is also biased and has its own confined point of view, it would not be appropriate to solely use this as the class material. Still, the fact that the video breaks traditional stereotype of people makes it still attractive as a class material. Therefore, instructor, as the one who gives chances to think, not thoughts, has to be prepared for the counter-example or counter-argument which can balance thoughts of the students. 

1. THB   instructors should provide balanced point of view, not their own to their students.

2. THB   it is not the individual consumer’s duty but the government’s to solve the environmental problems.

3. THS   discussion-based class about politically sensitive issue at school