Featured Student Writer: Asaad Al-Saleh

Featured Student Writer: Chorong Ha

Interview conducted by Jacqueline Jones

Chorong Ha is a junior from South Korea studying political science. In high school, she developed a passion for the environment and has not stopped caring about it since. Before coming to the United States, she was involved with several environmental groups, and she currently serves as a correspondent for UNEP-Angel, a Web magazine that reports on environmental issues and provides a network for sharing ideas about how to protect the environment. Chorong is also a member of the Sierra Club’s environmental and social justice leadership training program. Chorong is one of the hardest working clients we’ve seen in recent years. We sat down to ask her about her interests, development, and experiences at the center.

JJ: Tell us about your experience with Sierra Club.

CH: Because it was my first time to come to America, it was hard at first to share ideas because of the differences with students from the University of Arkansas. I was nervous in front of native speakers. As I spent a lot of time with them, I could share ideas, find differences, and learn how people who live think about environmental and social justice. I found that all human beings are equal, and I am really getting comfortable with speaking and listening. I wrote down the story of my experience in Sierra program, and I sent it to the International Cultural Center of Exchanges in Korea. I was selected for This Month’s Writer.

JJ: How did you find out about the Writing Center?

CH: I got to know the Writing Center at the orientation. The director of the Writing Center gave a speech. In Korea, we do not have a writing center. I think universities should have a writing center. Writing is really important. I wanted to always proofread my essay, but I did not have anyone to help me. But after coming here, I got a lot of help.

JJ: How long have you been a client of the Writing Center, what challenges have you faced as a writer, and what types of projects have we helped you with?

CH: The first semester I took a basic writing course. I did not know how to submit my paper. I came with my essay, and we edited and corrected my grammar. After coming here, I got to know I can share ideas and improve my thinking. I have brought in basic writing paper, persuasive paper, informative paper, and difference of culture paper.

JJ: Please explain your writing process.

CH: First of all, I collected lot information about my topic. For example, I try to find a lot of research: newspapers, BBC, NPR, and The New York Times. I look through the information and arrange what I think about the information. I then collect evidence and organize it. I write it. I go to the Writing Center; I revise. I go home to add more and arrange it. I come back to the Writing Center; I revise and submit it to the professor.

JJ: You have worked with several tutors on projects that are not related to class, such as reading the newspapers, creating paper assignments, and practicing writing. What do you hope to gain from this extra practice?

CH: Newspapers are really amazing, and they are two or three dollars. I can get a lot of information and improve my writing and speaking. I was really exhausted about reading a long book out loud. So I chose to pick up news articles, read, and look at how the writers of The New York Times write. They have good skills, and I want to learn how they write. First, I pick up two to three articles that I am interested in. I pick one for a summary, and the rest of them are for reading and vocabulary. I then look through article and see how the writer arranges things and how he writes. I summarize it and add opinion. It is really helpful. I can arrange my thoughts through writing. By reading newspaper, I can pick up a lot of topics to write about. After coming to the Writing Center, I share ideas with tutors so I can improve thoughts. They ask me why I thought that way. I recognize what I did not recognize before coming here.

JJ: What are your goals as a writer?

CH: I want to be a writer who shares ideas and thoughts with people. I like writing. I think it is a treasure. If I go somewhere, like I have traveled in D.C. and New York, and I do not write it down on the paper, I can easily forget the memories or how I felt. Whenever I read it again, I can feel what I felt at the moment, at the time, at the place.

JJ: What advice would you give to students about how to improve their writing?

CH: I really recommend reading the newspaper and try to be a good writer. I heard that a lot of universities and a lot of respectable people recommend really good writing skills. You can express how you feel to others, and it is a good way to communicate with others. I read newspapers every day, and students need be really open-minded to others and the world and try to arrange thoughts in their heads and write it down--make it their own. I also want to really emphasize that when I was in Korea I needed someone to help me with my writing skills, but I did not have anyone to help me. In the United Sates, there is help and a good opportunity to improve writing and thinking. Go to the Writing Center and improve your writing skills. It is really hard to do it by yourself. If you have someone who can help you, it is really helpful.

If you would like to read interviews from the QWC's previous featured student writers click here.

Featured Student Writer: Chorong Ha
Interview conducted by Jacqueline Jones
Chorong Ha is a junior from South Korea studying political science. In high school, she developed a passion for the environment and has not stopped caring about it since. Before coming to the United States, she was involved with several environmental groups, and she currently serves as a correspondent for UNEP-Angel, a Web magazine that reports on environmental issues and provides a network for sharing ideas about how to protect the environment. Chorong is also a member of the Sierra Club’s environmental and social justice leadership training program. Chorong is one of the hardest working clients we’ve seen in recent years. We sat down to ask her about her interests, development, and experiences at the center. JJ: Tell us about your experience with Sierra Club. CH: Because it was my first time to come to America, it was hard at first to share ideas because of the differences with students from the University of Arkansas. I was nervous in front of native speakers. As I spent a lot of time with them, I could share ideas, find differences, and learn how people who live think about environmental and social justice. I found that all human beings are equal, and I am really getting comfortable with speaking and listening. I wrote down the story of my experience in Sierra program, and I sent it to the International Cultural Center of Exchanges in Korea. I was selected for This Month’s Writer. JJ: How did you find out about the Writing Center? CH: I got to know the Writing Center at the orientation. The director of the Writing Center gave a speech. In Korea, we do not have a writing center. I think universities should have a writing center. Writing is really important. I wanted to always proofread my essay, but I did not have anyone to help me. But after coming here, I got a lot of help. JJ: How long have you been a client of the Writing Center, what challenges have you faced as a writer, and what types of projects have we helped you with? CH: The first semester I took a basic writing course. I did not know how to submit my paper. I came with my essay, and we edited and corrected my grammar. After coming here, I got to know I can share ideas and improve my thinking. I have brought in basic writing paper, persuasive paper, informative paper, and difference of culture paper. JJ: Please explain your writing process. CH: First of all, I collected lot information about my topic. For example, I try to find a lot of research: newspapers, BBC, NPR, and The New York Times. I look through the information and arrange what I think about the information. I then collect evidence and organize it. I write it. I go to the Writing Center; I revise. I go home to add more and arrange it. I come back to the Writing Center; I revise and submit it to the professor. JJ: You have worked with several tutors on projects that are not related to class, such as reading the newspapers, creating paper assignments, and practicing writing. What do you hope to gain from this extra practice? CH: Newspapers are really amazing, and they are two or three dollars. I can get a lot of information and improve my writing and speaking. I was really exhausted about reading a long book out loud. So I chose to pick up news articles, read, and look at how the writers of The New York Times write. They have good skills, and I want to learn how they write. First, I pick up two to three articles that I am interested in. I pick one for a summary, and the rest of them are for reading and vocabulary. I then look through article and see how the writer arranges things and how he writes. I summarize it and add opinion. It is really helpful. I can arrange my thoughts through writing. By reading newspaper, I can pick up a lot of topics to write about. After coming to the Writing Center, I share ideas with tutors so I can improve thoughts. They ask me why I thought that way. I recognize what I did not recognize before coming here. JJ: What are your goals as a writer? CH: I want to be a writer who shares ideas and thoughts with people. I like writing. I think it is a treasure. If I go somewhere, like I have traveled in D.C. and New York, and I do not write it down on the paper, I can easily forget the memories or how I felt. Whenever I read it again, I can feel what I felt at the moment, at the time, at the place. JJ: What advice would you give to students about how to improve their writing? CH: I really recommend reading the newspaper and try to be a good writer. I heard that a lot of universities and a lot of respectable people recommend really good writing skills. You can express how you feel to others, and it is a good way to communicate with others. I read newspapers every day, and students need be really open-minded to others and the world and try to arrange thoughts in their heads and write it down--make it their own. I also want to really emphasize that when I was in Korea I needed someone to help me with my writing skills, but I did not have anyone to help me. In the United Sates, there is help and a good opportunity to improve writing and thinking. Go to the Writing Center and improve your writing skills. It is really hard to do it by yourself. If you have someone who can help you, it is really helpful.