Pink petals that restlessly roamed around the campus for some time were seen everywhere even though the season of cherry blossoms was still in a distant. Perhaps it was a glimpse of another warm season to come in such a windy reality, in which the warmest part is “people”. “People” is the keyword that comes up into my mind when I think of Handong, and I have experienced that the warm temperature in Handong reaches its peak during HanST, the most unique kind of orientation not only in Handong but the whole world.
From the perspective of a Korean who lived abroad for more than ten years, the orientation which was held in a rural part of Korea was a sensational one. It was simply more than just a set of programs. A set of ordinary people accomplished this, and what made them special was that they were willing to make freshmen feel that they are welcomed.
Choosing to have less holidays for HanST from scratch with teams of different fields, they never gave up to deliver the message throughout the orientation. They had to sleep really late at night or early dawn. Sleeping on couch or floor was a normal thing. They struggled to develop good programs.
Whether the weather was sunny, rainy, or windy, they led freshmen to focus on the program. They endured the pains of ice cold windy Handong yet never forgot to cheer up and smile. Above all, they kept all their steps in prayers, the core of everything that made all this happen. Where is the source of this love that is not related to romance or friendship? The love towards the ones they have never met.
I have experienced studying in three different schools in three different countries, but the orientation for freshmen was simply about games, information session, or drinking. Not much preparation, not much depth, and no prayers for freshmen. These methods are actually the normal way to do the orientations, but Handong simply chose to give more.
People who served for HanST are the ones who are playing a huge role to keep Handong going with its values. Yes, the programs and people in them could be imperfect and have flaws, however, it is a powerful tool which can unite over a thousand people in one. I guess I would not be able to see this elsewhere. At least for me, the warmth that I have seen from them was overwhelming. I wish future freshmen would experience more every year and practice the love they received even after graduating. Then all the efforts sowed by those precious people would be reaped in countless numbers in the end.

Mi So Keum
Management and Economics