| An Open Letter To Ames And ISU Yong Chin Pak Letter To The Editor |
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This week I celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary. My wife and I were married here in Ames, Iowa, at First Christian Church. As I look back on my 25 years of marriage and my 26 years here as a member of the ISU and Ames community, I feel so appreciative of the many ways that these communities have been a part of my life. I would like to take this time to show my appreciation to these communities. When I arrived in Ames in 1973, the university and Ames community welcomed me with open arms. Since that time, I met and married my wife, Hyesook Lee, and raised two wonderful children, Sue and Glen. Ames was, and is, a wonderful place to raise a family. I was happy that Sue and Glen were able to attend such wonderful public schools that prepared them for college. Sue and Glen are now at the University of Iowa, and although it is difficult to combine my Cyclone Spirit with the fact that they are Hawkeyes, I know that they are getting a wonderful education. Over the years, my colleagues in the department of health and human performance at ISU have been very supportive and encouraging of my activities and eager to learn about martial arts. This includes the current department chair, Dr. Jerry Thomas, and former department chairs Dr. Barbara Forker, Dr. Dean Peace, Dr. Shirley Wood and Dr. Dean Anderson. Even though my office is in Beyer and the department is located in Forker, all the way across campus, I know that any time I need something from the staff, they are willing to help me. I have been fortunate to be able to work with many other people at ISU and educate them about the benefits of martial arts. The ISU community has been very supportive of my commitments to the National Collegiate Taekwondo Association, the State of Iowa Taekwondo Association, and the United States Taekwondo Union and have generously accommodated to my schedule at various times. The city of Ames has been very supportive of my efforts to promote the martial arts here in Iowa and the Midwest. As a result of this, I was able to work with the Ames Chamber of Commerce, the Ames Sports Authority and the mayor of Ames, Mr. Ted Tedesco, to bring the 1998 United States Taekwondo Union's Senior National Championships to Hilton Coliseum last year. With volunteers from the Ames community, we were commended for hosting the most smoothly-run tournament in the organization's history. In 1992, we hosted the National Collegiate Taekwondo Association's National Collegiate Championships at Beyer Hall. This summer, we will host the Taekwondo division of the Iowa Games for the 12th time. Without the support of the Ames community, none of these events would have been possible. The growth of Taekwondo as an Olympic-level sport (it debuts as a full-medal sport next year in Sydney) is dependent on the state and local support of the sport, and the Ames community has certainly been a part of that success. Last of all, I would like to thank my students. I can't even begin to count the number of people who have taken my PE classes and evening classes or attended self-defense seminars I have conducted. I have evidence that many of my former students remember me because I receive so many Christmas cards every year, and up to 500 people a year have attended the annual Martial Arts Banquet every February since 1974. I hope that all of my students remember the positive lessons from the martial arts and use them in their everyday lives. Yong Chin Pak Adjunct Professor Health and Human Performance |