AUBURN, Ala. – Every year, seven southeast universities—Auburn University, Emory University, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State University, University of Georgia, and University of North Georgia—participate in the Korean Speech-Quiz Contest. On March 2, at the 2nd annual Korean Speech-Quiz Contest, three Auburn University students took home top honors for their Korean speeches and knowledge of South Korean culture.
Emma Fisher, a senior majoring in art and music with a minor in Asian studies, won first place in the non-heritage, level-one speech category. Her speech, which was delivered entirely in Korean, focused on South Korean street food and her passion for the uniqueness of the cuisine and creativity used to cook it. In addition, Fisher won fifth place in the quiz portion of the contest, earning a total of $400 for both awards.
“Participating in this contest was helpful because it gave me a good opportunity to test my language skills in Korean in a fun, low pressure environment,” said Fisher. “It was also beneficial because it gave me practical experience speaking in a non-native language in front of an audience.”
In addition, Kayla Moore, a senior majoring in biomedical sciences, placed fourth in the non-heritage, level-two speech category. The topic of her speech was traditional Korean music. Moore also received fourth place in the quiz contest, earning a total of $200 for both awards.
“I believe it is important for people to involve themselves in a culture outside of their own,” said Moore. “Not only does it open your own world, but also the world of the people of the culture and language you are studying.”
The third participant, Beatrice Smith, a junior majoring in elementary education, received top honors in the quiz portion of the contest. Her knowledge of Korean traditional and pop culture, history, food and technology earned her third place among the 200 Korean and non-Korean quiz contestants. She was awarded $200 for her third place finish.
“The Korea Center has provided me with so much,” said Smith. “When I first started learning Korean I took the non-credit language courses offered by the center and that initial introduction to the language and culture encouraged me to keep learning more.”
All three award winners are students in the Office of International Programs’ Korea Center-King Sejong Institute, as well as members of the student-run Korean Language and Culture Club. They have dedicated themselves to learning about South Korean culture through language courses and cultural events, and through their involvement they have strengthened their own knowledge of South Korea and encouraged an open-minded and all-inclusive campus culture.
The Korea Center-King Sejong Institute offers a total of four Korean language courses ranging from beginner level one to intermediate level two. For more information on each course, visit the Korea Center-King Sejong Institute website. Also, to learn more about the Korea Center-King Sejong Institute and its events throughout the school year, visit the Office of International Programs’ website.
(Written by Kalani Long)
