1+1 is 11

“It is my observation that in Korea, actions that would be considered cheating in the states, are common.”
Well my compliments to you for the delicate wording.
I was just thinking the other day: just how many people (or more specifically, TEACHERS) had said this or something similar during the past 8 years I’ve been in KOREA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL? A truckload, I tell you.

My concern is that the same teachers who warn us not to stereotype or judge from preconceptions inform us the next day that we Koreans cheat well. Usually, their only evidence is that some individuals (as in a FEW) cheat on their quizes. But is this really just a Korean Culture phenomena or a worldwide-high school phenomena? I would bet my everything on the latter. I’ve recently heard that when teachers are first introduced to our school, the other staff officially tell them to be careful of academic dishonesty, as it is a SERIOUS problem in this school and culture. Now isn’t that the LABELING EFFECT they talk about in Psychology?
In one experiment, two groups of college students watched the same video of a person interviewing. One videop had no lable, but the other one said, “person may have mental disorders.” The group that watched the latter all thought the interviewee was disabled, although his actions were considered “perfectly fine” by the other group with no preconceptions.
There is no reason for me not to think that this Labling Effect is happening in our school among the teachers. Sure, they may argue that they’ve experienced it first hand. But would’t the college students in the experiement above each argue their opinions using set up “evidences” too?

It disgusts me.Truely it does.

Some blatantly say that KOREANS CHEAT.
Some go the long way pretending to understand that they realize it’s “OK” in the Korean culture.
Can anyone be THAT ignorant? how would cheating be “OK” in any culture?
Guessing how we think about certain things according to actions perceived by an un-understanding pair of eyes.

If we were to play that same game: Westerners have a tendency to disrespect elders by staring at them blatantly in the eye or leaving them in elder homes, tendency to think that other’s bodies are unclean or the sort; overly avoiding the slightest contact. They have a tendency to be unmindful of germs in their living space; wearing shoes in the house.
You know that these aren’t true. I know that these aren’t true.

If lesson was understood. APPLY it in real life. Thank you.

Postscript: And stop saying that Koreans are good at systematic math; but horrible at solving word problems (and thus implying that we are thoughtless number processing machines). Stop saying that all Koreans are obsessed with colleges and are likely to suicide if Ivy League rejects them. Stop hinting that because of our “more communal Asian culture,” we lack individualism and are brainless conformists.

Stop it stop it stop it stop it stop it.

-and realize that I’ve adressed this issue with the mildest words possible.

March 20th, 2008 [006]

Chair: The next issue to be debated will be on the question of the Academic Overload Crisis. Would the main submitter of the following resolution please approach the podium?

(The delegation of Cathy-Minlian approaches the podium)

Chair: Delegate, please read out the clauses.

1. Calls upon measures to increase awareness of previously neglected but extremely time consuming clubs such as MUN, Journalism, Drama, and various Sports, for the purpose of informing the Teacher Association of:

a. the Student population’s unknown or often underestimated difficulty of completing makeup work,

b. the fact that the Student population engages themselves in far more productive activity than the Teachers are aware;

Chair: Thank you Delegate. The chair now sets a debate time of closed debate 45 minutes for and 45 minutes against this clause. The main submitter may now proceed with her speech.

Thank you honorable chair and fellow delegates.

The Delegatation of Cathy would first like to show her approval regarding recent accomplishments at BEIMUN XV. She believes that the successful cooperation of Nation States such as Time, and Effort, not to mention the much appreciated sacrifice of Sleep, and Stress were all vital to the fruitfulness of the conference. She, however, cannot deny her harbored concerns, as the issue of Academic Overload, poses as a threat to the world student population. Respected Delegates, this very moment, hundreds and thousands of students world-wide are suffering from long-term stress created by participation of various activities, grades, the lack of sleep, and other harmful factors. We the General Assembly forum of Student Rights have gathered to address this problem. By increasing awareness, and eventually having the Teacher Association to realize that it isn’t true that students ONLY take their class, the resolution will hopefully help reduce homework and postpone tests, thus alleviating this problem.

. . .

Cathy is back from BEIMUN . . . . . . with “problems”.

March 2nd, 2008 [003]

Sometimes when you have so many things to do or so many factors to consider,you experience a “shutdown” of the mind. Like how a computer might shut down when ordered to execute more programs than it can handle. In this way, people and computers are in common– after all, many modern psychologists compare our brains to computers.

In my 16 and a half years of life, I’ve never experienced such a severe “shutdown” than this very week. Overload created from subjects I neither like nor excel at, from SATs that I doubt can measure a student’s potential fully, from APs, from the upcoming Beijing MUN, and time spent due to the start of the Soccer season… By now I’m certain that, given the time available, it is physically impossible to complete all the tasks imposed on me by others and myself. That’s when the Shutdown happens; I stare blankly at my agenda and list of things to do, and I stare, and stare..,

Why must I use valuable time for a subject that I don’t give a …… about. I know I won’t think of the Conservation of Momentum when I get in a car crash, or try to find the Arcsine of a triangular sandwich.

Time is a non trade-able, scare resource. I intend to use it a efficiently as possibly can, but school won’t let me. Like a tax system that prevents the efficient distribution of resources in society. Obviously, there is a loss to this system.

So this is me, experiencing a severe SHUTDOWN.