201301511 Yukyung Bang
I sometimes hear my friends from high school saying "I wish I could go back to the school days." This is perfectly understandable. They miss the times spent with their friends and teachers in the classroom. Even though how hard it was to prepare for the university entrance exam, painful memories were subject to fade away with time. However, there is one memory that does not grow dim even after four years.
It was 8:30 in the morning when all other students had already arrived at school. As we were third year students, we used to do English listening test before the first class started. I was sitting down with my textbook opened when the TV was turned on. The school's vice principal appeared on the screen, looking angry. He said in a firm voice, "This is not acceptable in our school." He turned on a video, and all my classmates stared at me. In the video, I was walking down the street with my boyfriend holding hands.
Later, I got an explanation from my homeroom teacher. My school was a coed school and dating between students were strictly banned as studying should be the top priority. Boys and girls couldn't talk at the corridor and even send text messages to each other. Obviously, I thought this outdated rule was garbage and didn't follow it. One Saturday after school, I met my boyfriend to walk home together. Unfortunately, the vice principal, Mr. Dolores Umbridge, saw us on his way home and started recording us with the black box in his car to broadcast so that the entire school could see it. It was an exemplary punishment given to us.
My homeroom teacher said she was disappointed because she thought I was a "good student" and warned me to break up with him immediately. She also said that I could no more stay at school for self-study after school. One month of cleaning work was given to me as a punishment. I ignored them all. Instead, I went to see the vice principal. It was already after he read through all the text messages exchanged between us from the phone he had taken from my boyfriend. I told him that what he had done was a crime and that's what should not be acceptable, not us. He seemed a lot surprised to see a student rebelling against him.
With help from my parents who believed and supported their daughter, I could eventually receive an apology from him only because he didn't want to make a big thing out of it. Even though things seemed to end well, I had to spend the rest of my school days under enormous stress. Teachers did not treat me as before, pointing their fingers at me. One of them put a curse on me that I won't be able to get into the university that I wanted to go. Even my best friend told me, "You were too reckless. You should have acted more maturely."
However, I don't regret what I did. Rather, I think I would do the same whenever I recall this memory. I may have been reckless but I knew what I did. Yes, it wasn't easy to be hated by others. However, I am proud of it because, it means that I believed in, and thus stood up for myself.
This is a really interesting essay! What I like about it is your introduction. It raises curiosity because you don't tell the whole story in your introduction. You have some minor grammar errors in your essay, though. For example, in the first paragraph, for the part that says, "Even though how hard...," you should change it to something like, "Although it was extremely difficult..."
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think your story would be much more interesting if you put in more direct quotes. If you write your fourth paragraph as a dialogue, I think it will add more tension to your story. This is merely my own subjective opinion, so my observation may not be accurate. I'm just making suggestions.
-Alyssa Yoo-
It is obvious you did right thing, not to mention your interesting story. You seems to have a clear view! If I could suggest on your essay, It would be much more vivid if direct quotes are used. Actually it's same suggestion with Alyssa but I felt that way too. Anyway, I think it's very good essay though because readers can feel your authenticity.
ReplyDeleteChangyu Kang
201301511 Yukyung Bang
ReplyDeleteI sometimes hear my friends from high school saying "I wish I could go back to the school days." This is perfectly understandable. They miss the times spent with their friends and teachers in the classroom. Even though how hard it is to prepare for the university entrance exam, painful memories are subject to fade away with time. However, there is one memory that does not grow dim even after four years.
The school’s vice principle appeared on the TV. My classmates who were expecting usual English listening test recordings to be played turned curiously their heads to watch the screen. Looking angry, he said in a firm voice, “This is not acceptable in our school.” While we were being puzzled about what he meant, a video started to play, and my heart sank. In the video played, I was walking down the street with my boyfriend holding hands.
So, why did my heart sink? What’s the big deal about a couple holding hands? My school was a coed school which couldn’t stand any communication between boys and girls. They couldn't talk at the corridor and even send text messages to each other. In this situation, dating between students was almost a crime. However, I thought this outdated rule was garbage and didn't follow it. One Saturday after school, I met my boyfriend to walk home together. Unfortunately, the vice principal, Mr. Dolores Umbridge, saw us on his way home and started recording us with the black box in his car to broadcast so that the entire school could see it. It was an exemplary punishment given to us.
But he was yet satisfied with his brilliant punishment. On top of that, I was told to break up with him immediately, and not to stay at school for self-study after school. As a means for purification, one month of cleaning work was given to me. I ignored them all. Instead, I went to see the vice principal. It was already after he read through all the text messages exchanged between us from the phone he had taken from my boyfriend. I told him that what he had done was a crime and that's what should not be acceptable, not us. He seemed a lot surprised to see a student rebelling against him.
With help from my parents who believed and supported their daughter, I could eventually receive an apology from him only because he didn't want to make a big thing out of it. Even though things seemed to end well, I had to spend the rest of my school days under enormous stress. Teachers did not treat me as before, pointing their fingers at me. One of them put a curse on me that I won't be able to get into the university that I wanted to go. Even my best friend told me, "You were too reckless. You should have acted more maturely."
However, I don't regret what I did. Rather, I think I would do the same whenever I recall this memory. I may have been reckless but I knew what I did. Yes, it wasn't easy to be hated by others. However, I am proud of it because, it means that I believed in, and thus stood up for myself.