Bringing the World to UIW: Campus Hosts Hangul Day Celebration

UIW hosted a day of festivities in the Westgate Circle in celebration of Hangul Day. Hangul Day, also known as the Korean Alphabet Day, is a day that commemorates the creation and proclamation of the Korean alphabet. In South Korea, the holiday is celebrated on October 9, while North Korea celebrates on January 15.

Before the creation of Hangul, Korean people primarily wrote in Chinese. However, writing in Chinese was difficult for many Koreans due to linguistic differences and a lack of education accessibility for working class citizens. In response, Hangul was created by King Sejong to promote literacy amongst the common people.

During the campus celebration, students of various backgrounds and identities were welcomed to learn about Hangul Day. Students were able to engage in a variety of different activities such as creating their own traditional Sam Taeguk fans, eating delicious Korean corn dogs made by SIJANG Korean Eats, and watching the talented Abby Bishop and Korean performers dance, sing, and play music.

Monet Moreau, UIW’s International Visiting Group Coordinator, assisted in putting on this event for students to enjoy.

“UIW International Student & Scholar Services is fortunate to have a highly engaged international student community eager to share their cultures on campus,” Moreau shared. “Hangul Day is just one of the many events in the Atlas Series that showcases different countries and their unique traditions.”

With a significant South Korean student population on campus, she explained that her department strives to bring a bit of home to those who have made UIW a part of their stories. Beyond that, events like this that embrace diversity help to educate the campus community on different global cultures.

“As a university, we are committed to global education. Atlas events, such as Diwali, International Education Week, Asian New Year, and Hispanic Heritage Month, Independencia, play a crucial role in expanding our domestic students' worldviews and exposing them to different cultures. With the help of our students, we bring the world to UIW.”

It was a day full of smiles, laughter, and community learning. Attendees were afforded the liberty and enjoyment of learning about a unique holiday as well as a beautiful culture. Morneau was pleased with the show out and level of enjoyment for the event.

“I genuinely enjoyed witnessing the smiling faces on our Korean students as they took pride in sharing their culture with others and invited students to visit the Study Abroad booth to learn more about studying in Korea.”