October 19th, 2009 by 
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Exercise 9.6 Community Evaluation of Service-Learning
Last Friday, I had an opportunity to volunteer at the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) in London. KCC is a place for people who are interested in Korea culture, including films, language and art. While searching for volunteering events, I thought it would be exciting to get involved with any events that relate to Korea. So, I did find one event that was held at KCC with Korean artists, which hosted a great performance including numbers of traditional instrument and music. My job was to help out set up the stage, serve at the reception, clean up and do any small chores.
I was able to meet several Korean artists. I talked to few of them, how they started performing arts/music, and what made them to choose London for their performances. Because I was helping out at the main floor, I wasn’t able to see any of the actual performances except at rehearsals. E performances included traditional shamanistic dance, a composition for Kayageum, a twelve-stringed Korean harp. Also it included solo daegum (a bamboo flute) music, and exhibition of art pieces from a sculptor, glass artist, painter and textile artist. I was never fascinated by Korean traditional arts/music because I thought the traditional ones are usually boring and classic. However, after watching all the performances and exhibition, I realized how beautiful and appreciated Korean fine arts were.
The only difficulty I had was some staff members and the artists made me do so many little chores which got a bit annoying at the end. I had to run to Tesco and Ryman’s stationary store constantly every time they needed something. But then I soon realized that this is the reason why I came to this event- to help out. So I stopped with the annoying thoughts but began focusing on my duty.
College should prepare students by teaching them how to communicate with others and how to be ready to meet new people. Because volunteering is not just about helping and serving, but also involves meeting new people, and introducing yourself, students must get ready for this.
I would describe this experience to another student as new and engaging because I was able to gain more knowledge about certain culture and meet new people from different parts of fine arts.
Changing Perspectives of experience/ London Service
After getting involved with several services in London, my perspective has change a little. I learned that there are so many services we can get involved in London. The volunteering that I’ve done so far taught me to become a bigger person as in not in size but in knowledge. I was able to meet and talk to a lot of people, learn about certain organizations and charities, and be more aware of service as a whole. At first, I thought volunteering in London was just about getting my hours done, but after spending two months year, I realized that I was actually contributing to these societies and building my experiences. After my volunteering experience is over in London, I would like to expand my service in Northeastern by getting involved with so that I can put my actions from London. Even though I haven’t completed half of my hours (30), I am glad I am putting my time into services because it makes me realize how important my role as a volunteer and that people need me as a supporter.