As per tradition, the Asian Studies teachers, Ms. Hyo Nam and Dr. Steven Nave have decided to arrange a field trip to Seongsu-dong to give their students an opportunity to experience South Korea’s culture firsthand. This vibrant neighborhood in Seoul has recently gained a reputation for being the Brooklyn of South Korea. Once an industrial area filled with factories and warehouses, Seongsu-dong has transformed into a cultural hub attracting tourists worldwide.
“We learned about East Asian culture extensively in our most recent units,” Seunghyun Ryu (11), Asian Studies student, said. “It is certainly a unique opportunity to take learning outside the classroom and actually engage in the classroom material directly.”
Throughout the tour, students experienced many facets of Seongsu-dong’s cultural scene. They toured around local art spaces, where artists talked to them about new interpretations of classic Korean aestheticism. Through independent bookshops and design houses, they explored original literature and handcrafted merchandise that captured the essence of this artistic neighborhood.
Apart from exploring the artesian shops, the field trip also allowed students to indulge in the delicacies. Many students chose the “food and beverages” option, meaning that the purpose of their visit would be strictly geared towards exploring the food vendors and restaurants. Unlike a typical field trip, the open-ended nature of this visit allowed students to take their own initiative and plan an itinerary for themselves.
“We like to give the Asian Studies students an opportunity to discover things for themselves,” Dr. Nave, Asian Studies teacher, said. “This way of learning is more organic and lasting. By taking concepts we learned in class and going on a field trip with the goal of looking for these cultural archetypes, this experience creates a conducive learning environment which simply can not be recreated in a classroom setting.”
For many students, the Asian Studies trip was a rare opportunity to apply their learning in real time. Many past participants have expressed complacency with their liberty to explore the neighborhood on their own.
