By Minseo Kim ’22
One fact: the coronavirus outbreak has been devastating. It has ravaged families and communities and disrupted daily life beyond all recognition. It has ruined hopes and dreams. It has destroyed steadfast routines. It has driven members of the community into bankruptcy or homelessness. However, another fact: no matter what the times may bring, humans will surely adapt to the changing situation.
In early 2020, we observed a devastating catastrophe. The fragmentation and collapse of the nation seemed inevitable. However, as humans have proved countless times throughout history, communities defied expectations and bonded closer together.
More than half a year into the coronavirus outbreak, many students at Bellarmine College Preparatory decided that social interaction needed to continue. By maintaining many clubs from the past school year and even creating new groups, students demonstrated that even in the face of a global pandemic, the Ignatian community could successfully hold together. One such student shared his experience:
“I chose to start [the Korean Student Association] because of the lack of a Korean culture club at our school after it was not continued last year. My friends and I felt that there needed to be an association for Korea as well; therefore, we decided to bring that club back,” Daniel Kim ‘22 said.
Observing that Korean culture and nationality was not thoroughly represented at Bellarmine College Prep, Daniel decided to take initiative and create a space where Korean-American students could share their identity. Though the Korean Culture Club had been discontinued several years prior due to diminishing attendance, Daniel concluded that, especially in the face of this pandemic, people need to support each other.
“Our intention with this club was to create a space where students can bond together over Korean culture, especially during these times when students may not have opportunities to interact with each other,” Daniel said.
Daniel highlighted the importance of social interaction, especially during quarantine, which took away many of students’ opportunities to mingle. Humans being social creatures, the Coronavirus proved destructive not only for its fatality rate, but also its role in separating close friendships and bonds. Thus, looking forward, Daniel stated his plans for the future, emphasizing that he hopes to expand the Korean Student association’s scope beyond just Bellarmine.
“In the future, we want to reach out to other organizations and schools in search of potential outreach opportunities along with participating in future cultural events. We want to make sure that Korea is represented at these events to make sure that we can spread knowledge about our culture.”