Could you introduce yourself?

Hello. My name is Yuna. I am a college student, majoring in the Department of International Relations at KMU. And this is my last semester in college before graduation. What club will you introduce us to today? I am here to introduce the Gazette, which is KMU's English Newspaper Society run by students. I have been a part of the Gazette as a reporter for about a year and a half. My time in the Gazette means much to me as it helped me improve a lot, both personally and professionally. So, I wanted to share my experience and encourage others to be a part of it as well, hoping that they will not miss out.

How did you first get to know about the Gazette society?

To be honest, I didn’t have the slightest idea about it before 2021. I happened to know about the Gazette Society, thanks to a friend of mine. She was the then chief of the Gazette and was always busy with the work. So, being around her, I could say that I was lucky to be able to observe the process of news writing and editing. I used to like writing reports or reviews, sometimes even writing assignments, and wanted to write a news article. So, getting to know about it, I was tempted and wanted to be a part of society.

What were your duties and positions in the club?

I was a reporter. My main duties were finding the proper items for each section of the newspaper, and writing the article piece when my item was selected for the print. I wrote at least one piece for each category while being a member of society – except for the cover story that is specifically reserved to be written by the chief. But mostly, I got to write the interviews and global topics during my service.

What was your favorite thing about Gazette and why?

What I enjoyed was the interview sessions I had with my interviewees. I preferred doing a face-to-face interview, so I mostly took my interviewees to nice cafes, got us some delicious beverages and desserts, and talked very casually about the questions I prepared and about some random things. I had to leave them out, those off-the-record talks. But I found these talks very fun and genuinely enjoyable, so much so that I ended up transcribing 2-hour or even longer recordings, half of which was us chatting outside the main topic. For example, one time I was interviewing with an exchange student from Mexico. I do not know how we got there, but we had a long conversation about the voodoo cultures of Korea and Mexico and were amazed by how many similarities they have. And then there was the interviewee to whom I showed a picture of myself after my grandmother shaved off my hair when I was little. There also was another interview session in which the interviewee and I complained about how our vocabulary is limited in our third language.

How was Gazette helpful to you?

It was helpful in many ways. Writing in the style of news articles helped me to write more briefly and objectively. I struggled to do so before being a reporter. But with the help of professors, I got to improve my writing skills. Whenever I write applications for extracurricular activities both inside and outside the KMU, my experience in the Gazette society is valued highly, more highly than I expected, too.

As a former Gazette member, any advice you want to give to the new and current members?

Try to write for different categories as much as possible. Well, it’s nice to build a specialty in a certain section, but, if we stick to the same sections, we feel stalled and feel like doing the same thing over and over again. To prevent that, you need to branch out, trying pieces from different sections. It will make you explore a new area and enrich your time as a reporter in the Gazette society. Plus, as a person who has covered many interviews, I would like to say, do not be afraid to interview someone. Many think that interviews are hard, but they are not! All you need to do is to set the theme, get an interviewee, ask questions, and get answers. You do not need to do complicated research, field investigations, or fact checks, but still can make a lengthy piece. If you are worried about the conversation, you can do it in written form. I made friends and learned a new thing at the end of every interview. So, I advise you not to avoid it, but enjoy it. I hope you enjoy your reporter days at the Gazette and make the best out of it!