According to Lee Wonji (IME 08), the director of the sports day, the event has usually been held on Children’s Day on May 5 for the past three years. For this year, the day has been postponed to Buddha’s Birthday instead of Children’s Day, for another event was held on Children’s Day.
The event began with simple stretching to warm up before the main business. As if they were dying to show their unlimited energy, the children kept popping around here and there. Then the volunteers from RC and the kids ate kimbap and chicken as lunch together. With their energy recharged, the kids performed some dances they prepared to repay the warm welcome the volunteers gave.
Though the participation in volunteering work itself was good, there still was a little criticism due to the unconscious mistakes that volunteers made. Kim Hyunsil, the supervisor of the World in Paintings Child Center, said, “It was good that RC Sports Day had more volunteers than events held in other institutions. When there are too few of volunteers, it gets too hard to handle the kids. It was just all good except the volunteering students did not really make any response to the kids dancing.” Truly speaking, under my observation, when the kids were dancing in front, our students made vacant eyes on empty places with faces full of deathly boredom. As mature spirits, we, the POSTECH students, need to have an attitude of respecting others’ efforts or even pretending to enjoy, although the show might not be very entertaining.
On the other side, what was very impressive was how well the whole event was organized. There actually was not much spare time in between each activity. Lee Wonji, the director of the Buddha’s Birthday invitation offered as proof saying, “If there is a difference between last year’s sports day and this year’s is the organization. Due to a well-designed arrangement of small games and activities, there was less of waste of time in between. I think it was one of the factors that let the kids conform to us nicely.”
Fortunately, the sports day ended without any accident. The invited kids benefited by playing in the top class gymnasium and spending time with other kids meaningfully. And Postechians gained some psychological rewards helping others less economically privileged. The event was seemingly successful.
Ko Beomjin (Life ‘10), a non-participant who paid a careful attention to the event, said, “Watching the volunteers, I felt that a true Postechian not only rolls high in academics, but also contributes well to community. I am afraid that I could not participate due to the lack of information. I will participate in volunteering activities in the future if there is a chance.” In fact, the only advertisement tool was a small A4 size paper posted in front of RC elevators which served as a sign-up sheet for participants. Whoever holds the responsibility for next year’s event, further marketing is definitely needed in a short period of time.
