Contest Winners

First place, Writing Submission

“Partner”

Park Jae Hyun, Gimhae Jeil High School

Gimhae, Gyeongsangnamdo.

 

Peace in the air

And I was walking in a park, when I

Recognized her. My face was

Teary. Her face had

No change.

Even though I was broken by her, I

Repeated the proposal.

 

Submitted by Janine Perri, ETA ’15-‘16

In Janine’s words, “When I did my poetry unit, I read more than 1000 student poems. This was the only one that brought tears to my eyes. From the word “partner” that he chose for the acrostic, to the tale of heartbreak that followed, Jae-Hyun’s poem beautifully explores the tragedy of unrequited love.”

 

Second place, Writing Submission

“Wistfulness”

Kang Yujin, Shinseong Girls’ High School

Jeju-si, Jeju-do.

 

Wistfulness

Tastes bittersweet like the moment before becoming friends

Smells like buns my mom used to cook on weekends

Sounds like drizzle on a rooftop

Looks like snow fractals building a hill

Feels like the petal of cherry blossoms in spring

 

Submitted by Rachel Brooks, ETA ‘14-‘16

In Rachel’s words, “Yujin, as usual, exceeded my expectations on this writing assignment. Her diction is impressive and natural as she flawlessly expresses the idea of wistfulness with terms like bittersweet, drizzle, and fractals. Yujin creates outstanding imagery in so few lines.” –

Third place, Writing Submission

“Juliet”

Park Ji Hun, Gimhae Jeil High School

Gimhae, Gyeongsangnamdo.

 

Juliet, who loves Romeo, finds the true love.

I see them, who are dancing on the grave.

Happiness always stays around you.

You are always waiting for Prince Charming.

No Prince Charming is coming.

 

Submitted by Janine Perri, ETA ’15-‘16

In Janine’s words, “Out of all my students, Ji Hoon showed the most interest in Open Window and was so excited when I recommended his work for the magazine. His poem subverts a traditionally romantic view of love, drawing upon characters like Romeo, Juliet, and Prince Charming.”

 

First place, Art Submission

From 제주시 to NYC

Helen Kim, Seogwipo Girls’ High School

Seogwipo City, Jeju-do

Submitted by Amanda Tse, ETA ‘14-‘16

In Amanda’s words, “Helen clearly has abundant artistic talent and prefers to express herself through visual media rather than spoken word. This piece “From 제주시 to NYC” was originally intended to serve as a cover for a cross-cultural guide to Korean and American culture, thus the blending of American icons in traditional Korean hanbok. However, her work was controversial among the English department faculty and ultimately blocked from being used as the cover art. A lengthy discussion was sparked on last year’s ETA Facebook page regarding the appropriateness of the work. In an attempt to encourage her, I printed it out for my student to see that the large majority of the ETA cohort enjoyed, appreciated, and supported her work. I believe that highlighting her work would do wonders for her confidence and encourage her to become more involved in her own methods of becoming a global citizen.”