Prior to starting my senior seminar class, I had assumed the main focus would be the research paper but it is actually a very dynamic class with discussions and guest speakers. My senior seminar class for International Studies is once a week for three hours.
Last week we had President Anarumo speak to us about his experiences abroad. One portion of the President’s lessons was about the South Korean flag. I had actually know it’s meaning prior because my roommate freshman year was an international student from South Korea and she had explained its meaning to me. I like just how much meaning is behind the flag in terms of their ideals like yin and yang, harmony, symmetry, balance, and circulation. The metaphor of the flag being that as a typical US citizen you would have no idea what their flag actually means. To me, this meant it is important for us to stay educated and be open to learning from other cultures and countries instead of dismissing them or assuming the United States is superior as many US citizens are in the mindset of. He emphasized the importance of this as he shared his story of how him celebrating the Muslim New Year resulted in the people he had celebrated with catching and beating those who had planned to attack their base. Simple acts of taking part in, acknowledging, and appreciating their culture can go a long way and completely shift the dynamic. As a soon-to-be Army Officer, it is highly likely that I will be deployed to a nation I know little about and that ability to be open and connect with the local military and government, such as appropriately pouring the drink as is in accordance with the South Korean culture, is essential in creating a good working environment and lessening any tensions.
Comments