Due to the impact of COVID-19, in-person classes were withheld for several years, and organizing campus events were postponed as well. However, on August 20, Welcome Weekend was held for the first time in three years, with the recent easing of restrictions related to the pandemic. It is significantly considered since this fall had the most outstanding amount of incoming freshmen, with roughly 20 more students compared to the previous record last year. The faculty, staff, and students of Mason Korea, including Dean Yorgun Marcel, the Associate Dean of University Life, had an opportunity to meet new students and introduce campus life at George Mason University Korea (GMUK).
Dean Marcel has a speech for freshmen at the Fall 2022 Mason Welcome Weekend.
Photo Credit: Seunghyuk Han
Dean Marcel was the first to give a speech. "Engage, engage, engage. Connect, connect, connect," he said, emphasizing the importance of having a tightly-knit community. He further urged them to actively participate in various opportunities by constantly being alert and staying in touch with the university’s notices and emails. Dean Marcel also suggested that students try to use English not only during class time but also in their everyday lives, even though it is challenging to learn a new language. This is not only to increase their English skills but also to enhance the sense of belonging of students who do not speak Korean.
Following Dean Marcel’s speech, Sangyong Lee, the Director of the Career Development Center (CDC), gave an introduction to the CDC. He delivered that the CDC provides advice to students with concerns about their future career path or internship, and he encouraged students to drop by the center, whether it’s career-related or not. Then, the Career Development Coordinator Minsu Kim came out to promote the Fall 2022 IGC career week festival, where the graduates of IGC universities give helping hands to students with their future interviews and resumes.
Besides, the Senior International Student Services Coordinator, Wonseok Park, provided information on international student services that help international students with housing operations, health insurance, and financial aid at Mason Korea.
At the end of the faculty speech, Mihee Cho, the Assistant Manager for Student Involvement and Leadership Development, delivered brief information about various staff members. Students can get help from Jan Lee, the Counselor and Wellness Officer of Mason Korea, and Heather Park, who coordinates and supports the administrative functions as a bridge between students and the Associate Dean for University Life, Yorgun Marcel, and the Associate Dean for Admissions and Government, Kelley Chung.
Student organizations also had a chance to inform freshmen of their mission statements and activities to attract more student engagement. The Mason Korea Student Council took this advantage by introducing their respective departments and representatives. After that, the Patriots Activities Council encouraged students to participate in current and upcoming events such as Mason Monday, Vision Party, Mason Movie Night, and the Chuseok event. Lastly, The Voice of GMUK, the official student-run newspaper of Mason Korea, presented itself with an introductory video created by their Social Media Department, and the heads of five departments showed up to promote each branch of the organization.
Apart from the presentations of the staff and the student organizations, everyone had time for recreational activities such as scavenger hunts and charades, which were a great opportunity for freshmen to get to know each other and interact with each other.
As such, the Mason Welcome Weekend for Fall 2022 came to a successful close. As Mason Korea has constantly grown each year, a variety of events that help students adjust to the community are essential; hopefully, this year’s Welcome Weekend has allowed new patriots to better adapt to Mason Korea and inspired to strengthen the bond of the campus community.
Written by Seunghyuk Han | Staff Writer
Revised by Yoonhye Cho | Managing Editor
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