Min-woo Hong
School of International Liberal Studies
ICC Student Staff Leader:
July 2012-July 2013
Introduction – applying for the SSL position
I could feel a stream of sweat pouring down my forehead, my face twisted into a grimace, my muscles loose and out of control, my head filled with nothing but fear, my hope to make my nervousness a thing of the past, a one-time experience to treasure forever. I thought of nothing but my desire to finish the interview. I was once again applying for the SSL position, and to be honest, the more I said the less likely it seemed to everyone in the room that I would ever become a SSL even in any subsequent attempts. I became disappointed and lowered my head so that it faced the ground. I tried to regain my concentration and impress the interviewers by talking about my international background and language skills. I might have pressed forward but even after my last remark, the path to becoming an SSL still seemed difficult. What was so attractive about the position anyway? Working for the ICC was a way to bring myself back into the Waseda community. I could not bear the disconnection I felt with the school I attended. I also saw the SSL experience as a chance to assimilate myself into Japanese society. To me, the ICC represented much more than a steppingstone for my own progress. The ICC was what made my life in Japan meaningful.
My SSL experience
Given my educational background in four different countries; born in Korea, attended junior high school in China, high school in the US, and college in Japan, my international interests come as little surprise. I was confident they would find a way to express themselves through my work as an SSL. Yet, when they collided with the ICC, I fought for my beliefs. The Japanese staff and I diverged sharply on our perspectives towards the ICC’s events. On some occasions, I could not resist arguing fiercely with other staff. Their generalized views and conservative stances frustrated me. As time went by, I stopped voicing criticism. I tried to be on the same page with them because, on one hand, I realized that I was not always right. When there was no black-and-white answer, I thought it would be better to listen to the staff who had first-hand experience. On the other hand, I found nothing wrong with us exhibiting our own ways of thinking. I worked at the ICC to embrace these differences, not to fight over them. There was nothing to be sensitive about. What is more, I started witnessing positive sides. I found other staff members approachable, passionate, open-minded and committed. Most notably, they were more mature than me in many respects. I often found myself placed in the position of learner.
The ICC social network
What I might have missed out in my SSL career is communication with the full-time staff members. I was aware of my comparative lack of interaction with them. They were more than approachable. Yet, after a decade of dormitory life, I was used to communicating intimately with either students or faculty members, but less with superiors in a workplace. Moreover, I realized the inadequacy of my Japanese skills. The ICC was the only place I used Japanese as I took classes in an English-based department. My Japanese gradually improved but I never spoke well enough to become comfortable and fully engaged in an in-depth conversation. I missed the opportunity to develop more robust relationships with them. On contrary, I was somewhat successful in building friendship with other student staff, including my mentor SSL. They were very effective and efficient individuals. It would be difficult to forget the time I spent with them.
My evaluation of the ICC
I think the ICC deserves much credit for what it has achieved in seven years. It seemed to me that the ICC was made from scratch. Yet, in such a short period of time, the ICC has firmly established itself as one of leading organizers of school events and assigned itself a distinguished role in promoting international exchange on Waseda campus. During my high school years, I was in charge of organizing events for my classmates. I did not have to start from zero, however, because my school boasted a long-standing tradition of holding a particular set of events annually. As much as I was amazed by ICC’s achievements, I was even more impressed by the ICC staff and their habit of recording events. They kept records of almost every ICC activity, including event manuals, participants’ voices, and comments from the staff. At first, I questioned the necessity of keeping all these records. As I ran an event or two on my own, however, I realized the importance of having a source to seek advice from.
Conclusion
My involvement with the ICC has served to underscore my passion for international exchange and shaped my appreciation of cultural differences. My SSL career nurtured an acute awareness of the assumptions I had taken for granted and the possibility that my burgeoning interest in a particular way of thinking could obscure my perception of the world and create biases. I have had a very fruitful experience at the ICC. I could not appreciate more the friendships and mentoring I’ve received from other ICC staff members.
