By Cho Jae-hyon
Staff Reporter
Sungshin Women's University President Shim Hwa-jin drew roaring applause from thousands of her avid fans on Wednesday night when she took the stage as the lead singer of a band.
Appearing as the vocalist of "Elder Sister Band" comprised of five other professors and three students, Shim rocked out in front of 2,600 students who packed a hall at Vivaldi Park resort in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province during the orientation program for freshmen.
She sung popular band Jawoorim's "Magic Carpet Ride" and punk rock group No Brain's "You had a Crush on Me."
Shim practiced for about two weeks while the other professors rehearsed for about a month before the concert.
"As I have recently been to Moscow for a fashion event, I was not able to make much time to prepare for the performance. But other professors practiced for a month, sometimes playing all through the night," Shim said in a telephone interview with The Korea Times.
She sounded hoarse over the phone.
Shim said their hard work paid off as students responded enthusiastically.
"They really liked it. I could see it in their eyes when I reached out and grabbed the hands of some students in front of the stage," she said.
This is not the first time she has transformed herself into an entertainer for freshmen.
Last year, she formed a dance group with professors and danced to the tune of Wonder Girls' hit song "Nobody."
Shim said she has been taking the stage to send a message to newcomers to the school: "If I can do it, you can do it."
"It's the first encounter with freshmen. They have been taken care of by their parents, but they will have to do things on their own from now on," Shim said. "I turned 55 this year. I wanted to tell them that `I do this thing that's unimaginable for a school president. So, there is nothing you cannot do as long as you set a goal and pursue it.'"
Shim said she may have to continue similar performances in the years to come as expectations are mounting.
"Right after I finished the event, some professors already proposed what to do for the next year," she said, laughing.
Students and school staffers who participated in the concert said she was more popular than any other K-pop idol singer.
Freshmen Kim Jung-sim, 20, said, "We went really mad. I thought my cell phone might break as we were excitedly jumping and dancing all over the place."
She said her school president was not much different from other high school principals when Shim was making an opening speech at a podium. But all comparison ended there.
"When she took the stage after changing her clothes, I felt like she was a kind of homeroom teacher," she said.
Kim said she and other freshmen were touched after they heard that she practiced for about a half month for the performance.
"It's like all of us were united as a team. It was really a memorable night."