By Bert Eugene
Ever wondered how much spice you could handle? On April 1, the Korean Culture Club (KCC) brought their spicy food challenge back to SUBO, but with a twist this time: how spicy the ramyeon the attendees pick out was left completely up to chance. Participants had a chance at five different instant noodle bowls of varying heat levels, all hidden within small gift bags. There were mild options for those attending who did not want to participate, and vegan and seafood options for those who may have preferred them.
Ramyeon is a noodle dish not too dissimilar to the Japanese ramen, with ramyeon tending to be much spicier in comparison, while Japanese ramen uses more savory or umami flavors. Instant meal versions are widely available for both.
This event is just one of many KCC has hosted with the goal of bringing aspects of Korean culture forth within Brooklyn College’s campus. Despite there not being much East Asian representation at the helm of the club, it does extremely well to create a space where students of all backgrounds can celebrate Korean culture.
KCC aims to be a place where anybody interested in engaging in and sharing Korean culture can do so. Leslie Hunter, one of KCC’s event coordinators, also spoke to The Vanguard. Hunter is studying business administration and finance.
“We’re not the K-pop club. Yes, we do have K-pop centered events and play K-pop in our events, but we’re more than that. We teach history, we help students with their Korean study abroad application and Korean Language classes. For Korean students, please don’t feel threatened or disrespected because the e-board is majority non-EastAsian, we are open to learn from you and more than happy to have you join and take a leadership position.”
In addition, they make an effort to highlight the intersection of other cultures with Korean culture through info graphics frequently posted on their Instagram account.
“On the club’s Instagram account, we have posts that are informational about different holidays, not just ones relating to Korea,” Anastasia Johnson, KCC’s president, told The Vanguard. “For example, explaining Black History Month, highlighting black celebrities in Korea and black influence in areas like music, food and fashion.”
Johnson is studying film production and TV, Radio, and Emerging Media (TREM) and restarted KCC in 2022 after a brief hiatus caused by COVID shutdowns.
“What first sparked my interest in Korean culture was the music and performance aspect. As I got more into the culture’s entertainment, I discovered the dramas, and as a film student, I always caught myself gaining inspiration from Korea’s cinematography and intricate storytelling,” Johnson stated. “Rather than discovering the club, I helped with restarting it back in 2022 after it died out during the pandemic. The club’s advisor saw I was interested in the study abroad, and he suggested me and some others to revive the club and it’s been a successful 3 years.”
KCC also makes an effort to collaborate and connect with other Asian culture clubs on campus. KCC’s vice president, Paula Chewy, participated in Hunter College’s Asian Cultural Pageant, Mx. Asia, in the spring of 2024. The largest of these collaborations would include a tea ceremony celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which occurred last May. The tea ceremony was organized by many of the AAPI clubs on campus. The groups plan on hosting another tea ceremony on Tuesday, May 1.
Students interested in learning more about Korean culture can visit KCC’s Instagram @kcc.bc