Harmony is a student club at Kangnam University that works to spread awareness of people with disabilities. To that end they presented Thursday evening’s Night of the Differently-abled, an event that offered both entertainment and a lesson.
(from left) Lee Won-je (1st-year, Social Welfare) and Hwang Min-ji (2nd-year, Social Welfare) emcee at The Night of the Differently-abled.
(Photos: Charles Ian Chun)
Social Welfare majors Hwang Min-ji (2nd-year) and Lee Won-je (1st year) emceed the event. After words of welcome by themselves and Professor Lee Joon-woo, head of Kangnam University’s Support Center for Disabled Students (장애학생 종합지원센터), they raised the level of anticipation in room by giving away raffle prizes to the audience.
Professor Lee Joon-woo welcomes the audience.
The evening’s entertainment got under way when student magic club Entrickcian took the stage, impressing the crowd with card tricks, sleight of hand, and even some pyrotechnics.
Won Min-jeong (3rd-year, Law), member of student magic club Entrickcian, warms up the crowd.
The evening proceeded with the main event, “I Want to Know You” (너를 알고싶어), a two-act play written and produced by the members of Harmony. The first act of the play showed the awkwardness and misunderstanding that can occur when meeting a disabled person for the first time, something based on Harmony member Ashley Minju Kim’s (3rd-year, English Literature) own experiences when she attended orientation her first year. “People saw me for the first time,” Kim explains, “and did things to make me feel uncomfortable.” Kim doesn’t fault them in any way. “People simply have misperceptions of the disabled and don’t know how to treat us.”
During orientation, Ashley Minju Kim’s character (right) wows her classmates, played by Hwang Min-ji (left) and Kwak Ji-soo (3rd-year, English Literature), with a demonstration of her English skills.
As a taxi driver, played by Myung Hae-jin (3rd-year, Social Welfare), waits, the students, played by Kwak Ji-soo, Hwang Min-ji, Yoon So-yoon (3rd-year, International Trade), and Kim Min-ju, figure out how to get everyone home after a night of drinking.
The second act of the play dealt with the challenges, both social and personal, that can occur when a disabled person gets involved romantically with someone who isn’t. The play delivered a satisfying balance of gravity and humor and was performed with undeniable sincerity.
Kim Sang-geun’s (3rd-year, Real Estate) character (right) plays matchmaker with his friend, played by Kim Ho-gohn (2nd-year, Business Management).
Lee Yu-jung’s (3rd-year, Social Welfare) character (left) consoles her friend, played by Jin Sung-sun (2nd-year, Social Welfare), who feels insecure about going on a date with Kim Ho-gohn’s character.
Kim Ho-gohn and Jin Sung-sun’s characters deal with the realities of their challenging relationship as “I Want to Know You” comes to a close.
The members of Kangnam University student club Harmony come back to the stage to take a bow.