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A Literary Journal
of the Students and Faculty of
The Korean Minjok Leadership Academy
Some thoughts and times of our lives...
Some reflections ...
Volume 2 -- No. 1
Winter 2001-2002
The Leaping Hope - Online...
previous Online Issues
Editorial
by Carlton Johnson, English Department
While taking in the sights and sounds of this recent graduation ceremony, I was struck by a novel sense of the Chinese characters (Hanja) on either side of the huge Korean flag draped on the wall of the stage. Every morning, and before each class, we salute the flag and the concept behind these words "Cho"/ "Guk" - "Ancestral / Land".But suddenly, during the graduation ceremony, while listening to the traditional Korean Music, I was struck by the sense of whose "land", whose "nation," whose "country" this is. We are caretakers of the land for which our (your) ancestors lived and died. We have received it 'in Trust'-- until such time as we become "Cho" (ancestors), ourselves. Then we hand it over to our beloved, in hopes that they will make it a place where we (as ancestors, some day) shall be welcomed and proud.
What kind of country/nation is this? It is "Ancestor-Land"! It is the land of welcome, particularly for those who have gone before and left progeny and left, in that progeny, a dream for the completion and ideal blossoming of this nation: Tomorrow's bright Fatherland.
It is a land where freedom, peace, and true happiness should overflow, until the whole world is full of the wide benefit (Hong-Ik); as the waters cover the seas.
Later that evening, as I was sitting in my favorite reading chair, at home, preparing the reading assignment for the Ivy Sophomores, I came upon a poem that stopped me, caught me up in all kinds of feelings. There were feelings for the Seniors who were going off into the wide world; feelings for my mother and other relatives who past away, last year; feelings for the 'ancestors' (yours and mine), for the Headmaster--who has been trying to beat "Cho-Guk" into our numb skulls. There were feelings for Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Mohammed-for all manner of great saints and sages who have left their legacy in us. We may consider the following poem from all these angles:
Song: Sweetest love, I do not go
Sweetest love, I do not go,
For weariness of thee,
Nor in hope the world can show
A fitter love for me;
But since that I
Must die at last, 'tis best
To use my self in jest
Thus by feigned deaths to die.
Yesternight the sun went hence,
And yet is here today,
He has no desire nor sense,
Nor half so short a way:
Then fear not me,
But believe that I shall make
Speedier journeys, since I take
More wings and spurs than he.
O how feeble is man's power,
That if good fortune fall,
Cannot add another hour,
Nor a lost hour recall!
But come bad chance,
And we join it to our strength,
And we teach it art and length
Itself o're us to advance.
When thou sigh'st, thou sigh'st not wind,
But sigh'st my soul away;
When thou weep'st, unkindly kind,
My life's blood doth decay.
It cannot be
That thou lov'st me, as thou say'st
If in thine my life thou waste;
Thou art the best of me
Let not thy divining heart
Forethink me any ill;
Destiny may take thy part,
And may thy fears fulfill;
But think that we
Are but turned aside to sleep
They who one another keep
Alive, ne'er parted be.
John Donne (1572-1631)
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this journal represent the individual perspectives of the teachers and students of the Korean Minjok Leadership Academy; and may not necessarily reflect or constitute any official declaration or statement of faith or philosophy of the Headmaster or of the school, itself.
KMLA is committed to two goals, in particular:
1) education for gifted students
2) education based on Minjok Identity; i.e. based on awareness of the great cultural heritage and self-reliance of the Korean people, awareness of their traditional views and culture.
The Headmaster, and therefore the school, does not discriminate against any faith, creed, or religion. Being non-sectarian, then, the school welcomes students of any faith, encouraging all to pursue the highest ideals of their respective faiths or belief systems.
For more information please contact us at:
1334 Sosa-Ri, Anheung-Myun, Hoengson-Gun
Kangwon-Do Republic of Korea
Tel. (0372) 343-1115 Fax. (0372) 342-8660
Our official school web page: http://minjok.hs.kr/
Other Journals, class by class:
8th Wave "Year of the Rabbit" ... International-bound
7th Wave Natural Science I ... Minjok (Domestic Track)
7th Wave Natural Science II ... also Minjok (Domestic Track)
Other words from the editor:
A House on a Hill... by Mr. Johnson (Teacher)
Links to helpful sites
Some useful literary tools: © 2002 carltonj@hotmail.com
Home Winter 2001-2002
Hyperdictionary/Thesaurus hypertext English Dictionary and Thesaurus
A Korean/English/Korean Dictionary... by idic.i-on.net
Another Korean/English/Korean Dictionary... by Yahoo
A real D. O. double Gizzle Urban Dictionary... not appropriate for all audiences
WordReference.com
Online French, Italian and Spanish Dictionary
Definite and Indefinite Articles ... (Outch! Yuk!) by Purdue U. Writing Lab
other "Common Errors in English" ... (Hmmmm?) brought to you by Washington State U.
Korean Proverbs and Sayings by WARE4U.com
zhongwen.com very good online Dictionary of Chinese Characters (Chinese/English)
Planning and Invention
Introducing a scholarship:
The Virtuous Patriot Integrity Award ... for KMLA students going abroad ...
The Leaping Hope online Editor; and Hard-Copy Editor:
Carlton Johnson (Minjok Academy English Department)
Social Anthropology Major