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The Daw Duen Contests: Reflecting on University Traditions

Explore the tradition of the Daw Duen 'Star and Moon' contests in Thai universities and the ongoing debate about student representation in this B1 English reading worksheet.

Title

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Explore the tradition of the Daw Duen 'Star and Moon' contests in Thai universities and the ongoing debate about student representation in this B1 English reading worksheet.

Reading Text

In many Thai universities, there is a popular tradition at the beginning of the academic year. It is called the "Daw Duen" contest, which translates to the "Star and Moon" contest in English. This event is somewhat similar to choosing a Prom King and Queen in American high schools, but it is specifically for first-year university students. The main goal of the contest is to find students who can best represent their school. The winners officially become student ambassadors for the university. After winning, they attend special ceremonies, speak at public events, and help with various university campaigns throughout the year. First, seniors and classmates from each department choose a first-year student to represent them. These chosen students then compete against winners from other departments in a large, final event. It is an exciting time on campus, and many students gather to watch performances and cheer for their friends. For many years, students and teachers have enjoyed this tradition. Supporters say it is a fun way to welcome new students and build a strong community. It also gives the participants a chance to build their confidence, show their special talents, and improve their communication skills. However, in recent years, some university students have started to debate the true purpose of the Daw Duen contest. For example, in 2020, the student committee at Kasetsart University allowed students to vote on whether to keep the event. The majority voted to cancel it. Some students argue that these contests focus too much on physical appearance. They are concerned about "beauty privilege," which means that people who are considered highly attractive might get unfair advantages or more opportunities than others. In response to these concerns, some universities are trying to change how the contests work. They are placing more focus on a student's intelligence, creative talents, and kind personality rather than just their outward appearance. They want the student ambassadors to reflect true inclusivity and represent many different types of people on campus. The ongoing debate over the Daw Duen contest brings up an interesting topic for reflection. Should universities keep this long-standing tradition, change the rules, or replace it with a completely new activity? What qualities do you think make the best student representative?

Activities

Vocabulary

Items:

Label: tradition
Answer: v1
Label: ambassadors
Answer: v2
Label: campaigns
Answer: v3
Label: appearance
Answer: v4
Label: privilege
Answer: v5
Label: inclusivity
Answer: v6

Definitions:

Text: A custom or belief that has been passed down for a long time.
Text: People who officially represent a school, organization, or country.
Text: Planned activities that are designed to achieve a specific goal.
Text: The way that someone or something looks on the outside.
Text: A special advantage or right that only certain people have.
Text: The practice of including all types of people and treating them fairly.

Fill In The Blanks:

Before: Celebrating the harvest is a popular
After: in many farming communities.
Answer: tradition
Before: The university chose two student
After: to give a tour to the visitors.
Answer: ambassadors
Before: The student council created several new
After: to raise money for charity.
Answer: campaigns
Before: Please do not judge the book by its outward
After: ; the story inside is great.
Answer: appearance
Before: The principal emphasized
After: by making sure every club was open to all students.
Answer: inclusivity

Comprehension

Questions:

Text: Daw Duen translates to 'Star and Moon' in English.
Answer: true
Text: The winners of the contest officially become student ambassadors.
Answer: true
Text: The majority of students at Kasetsart University voted to keep the beauty pageant in 2020.
Answer: false
Text: Supporters of the contest believe it helps students build confidence and communication skills.
Answer: true
Text: Beauty privilege means treating everyone equally no matter how they look.
Answer: false

Scrambled:

Text: tradition / a / popular / is / This
Answer: This is a popular tradition.
Text: ambassadors / become / winners / student / The
Answer: The winners become student ambassadors.
Text: cancel / students / The / event / to / voted
Answer: The students voted to cancel the event.
Text: too / focused / appearance / on / contest / The / much
Answer: The contest focused too much on appearance.
Text: an / debate / is / topic / interesting / The
Answer: The debate is an interesting topic.

Written Expression

Questions:

Text:
Based on the reading, what are some positive things and negative things about having a student ambassador contest?
Text:
If you had to design a new way to choose a student representative for your school, what would the process look like?

Examples:

Example 1: A positive thing is that it helps students build confidence and public speaking skills. A negative thing is that it might make some people feel excluded if it only focuses on looks.

Example 2: I would have students write a short essay about how they want to help the school, and then the teachers and students could vote for the best ideas.

Critical Thinking

Title: Reflecting on Traditions

Instructions:

Why do you think traditions are important to a university or a school community?
How can a community respectfully decide when it is time to change a tradition or keep it the same? Discuss with a partner.