<#322 Special Report_Main>

More Student Participation Can Build a Better General Student Council

By Son Hyun-jee, Student Editor

Have you ever seen the numerous hand-written posters for the 18th Presidential Soccer Championship, 2012 CNU Yongbong Festival, and the ‘Half-price’ Tuition Fee-related events on campus? Have you participated in any of those activities at least once? What do you think about the activities of the 2012 General Student Council (GSC) at CNU? Throughout the year, the 2012 GSC hosted various events and has spoken to students about the half-price tuition and the abolition of the mandatory meal system of the Build Transfer Lease (BTL) Residence at CNU. Following these endeavors, the next GSC will be ready to set sail. The next GSC pledges to communicate with students and succeed in the ‘half-price’ tuition policy of former GSC. Let’s examine the performance of the 44th GSC, ‘Action with 17845’ (Action) and what the role of the next GSC should be.

Accomplishments and Faults
Under the banner of ‘Alternative Student Council’, ‘Action with 17845’ which also means they would act with all of the 17,845 CNU students in 2012. Major pledges of the GSC were mostly related to ‘Half-price’. The first major pledge is a lowering of price on food in the Student Union Building I Cafeteria. The prices charged for the cafeteria food ranged from 2,500 won to 4,500 won and have been criticized for being too expensive for students. As a response against the expensive menu of the cafeteria, Action conducted a ‘half-price’ bapcha (food cart) around the final exam period in the first semester of 2012. It received a fervent response from many students, Action sold 100 lunch packs. After tenacious negotiating with the University Administration, Action requested to use the support fund of the livelihood cooperative association to lower the price and it was accepted. Now, most of the prices of the menu have come down from up to 3,500 won. “In the auditing process, bapcha got high marks in the way that it influenced lowering the price of the Student Union Building I Cafeteria.” said the Vice -President of the Board of Audit and Inspection, Kim Hee-ra (Junior, Dept. of History Education).
The second major pledge is the abolition of the compulsory meal policy of the BTL. After the negotiation between GSC and BTL administrative company UDCM that takes hold of the BTL refectory, the mandatory meal system was finally abolished and was liberalized completely starting on October 31st. Some students welcomed the abolition. One of the former students living in the dormitory; Um So-min (Sophomore, Dept. of Veterinary Medicine) entirely welcomed this decision. “The compulsory meal system didn’t give any flexibility. Without the matter of expenses and quality, the mealtimes were very short without considering the number of resident students. The restaurant went as far as to say that they didn’t prepare the meal yet when people went a little bit early.” However, other students have an opposite view on the abolition. “At first, many students living in the dormitories complained a lot about the system. But we have never missed having three meals a day because of the prepaid food expenses”, said Choi Jae-min (Freshman, School of Self-Designed Interdisciplinary Studies). He worried that he may spend more money for food in addition to just regular meals.
The third is seemingly the most impractical pledge amongst the pledges of the current student council. It is the ‘half-price’ tuition. Kwon Min-young, the GSC President had shaved his hair in ‘the last haircut for achieving ‘half-price’ tuition’ at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul on March 17th. He said that the toughest memory was the demonstration in June. At the office of Park Geun-hye, the Saenuri Party presidential candidate of the 18th presidential election, he made a strong protest with the representatives of the Hankuk University Students Association. “I can’t forget the moment when lieutenants dragged us outside. We also forfeited the banners and placards.”
In order to advertise their movement, the president of the Hankuk University Students Association for Gwangju and Jeonnam Region, who is also the president of the CNU GSC held an assembly called ‘Brave University Student’ on September 26th. The assembly, ‘Brave University Student’ which parodies ‘Brave Guys’, was held in both Seoul and Gwangju. Not only university students from CNU, Chosun University and Gwangju Universtiy, but also lots of citizens and professors, even a member of the National Assembly took part altogether at Geumnam-ro, Downtown Gwangju. The GSC making a connection with Hankuk University Students Association started a movement ‘looking for 10 members of the National Assembly’ in order to pass the half-price tuition bill. In the forthcoming 18th Presidential Elections in December, all of the presidential candidates have promised to fulfill the half-price tuition bill. Although it wasn’t realized in 2012, we should expect that the next move of the 2013 General Student Council will be more related with this issue.

The More Student Participation, the Better GSC
Besides the above-mentioned three main pledges, there were other pledges. In the 2012 CNU Presidential Elections, students could come to exercise the right to vote for the first time even though it was only 1.1%. As a result of the financial problem, the promise of a shuttle bus from Hakdong Campus to Yongbong Campus could not be put into practice and the discussion is still ongoing. Also, the sports game between CNU and Chosun University could not put into practice because the candidate of Chosun University who promised it was defeated in his election.
There are many opinions among CNU students looking forward for the next 2013 GSC, including “The next GSC should make its accounts and operations as transparent as possible.” said Lee Su-jan (Junior, Dept. of Public Administration). She added students would rely on and have more interests in its activities if it opens its details related to expenditures. Kim Hee-ra, the vice president of the Board of Audit and Inspection, said that GSC got an A in accounting. “They even did more activities out of their own pocket. It was beyond integrity.” Kim Yeon-jee (Sophomore, Dept. of Early Childhood Education) said that the 2012 Yongbong Festival was full of fun with famous celebrities such as Kim Je-dong and Leessang. She hoped that in the future there will be more enjoyable school festivals with more events that students can participate in like those of the 2012 festival.
Students should be concerned about the activities of the GSC so that they can see far more accomplishments. GSC needs more financial support for various activities, whereas, the rate of students who joined in Living Cooperative Association is only 5 percent. The more attention and participation of CNU students can make the 2013 GSC have more power. Our attention would come back to make us more satisfied.

The Past and the Future of the General Student Council
CNU students passionately participated in the 5•18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising in 1980. Park Kwan-hyun, a patriotic martyr of Kwangju and also the President of 1980 CNU General Student Council, was in the middle of the Gwangju Uprising. His speech at the fountain in front of Jeollanam-do Provincial Government resonated with Gwangju citizens. Since 1980, the GSCs at CNU have fought for true democracy of Korea. But as the time goes by, the interest of students has changed, and their main concern is getting a job after graduation. They do not even have much interest in what the GSC does. Although its leverage has diminished, the GSC should stay strong. Their role, speaking on behalf of the rights of CNU students, should be very important.
During the campaign period, there were few people who surrounded the candidates. Most students stole a glance at them and just walked away. Some people even sulkily shouted here and there that it is too noisy. “I don’t even care about what they say. The GSC just starts all over again from the beginning year after year. I realized that it is ‘plus ca change’”, said a student who asked not to be named in front of Business Administration College Building I. The important key is communication. The next GSC should think over how to communicate with many more CNU students.