The interest in the General Student Council (GSC) at Chonnam National University (CNU) has decreased over the years. The reason why we face this situation is that the student organization ceased to exist for the past couple of years due to failed elections caused by low voter turnout or no candidates. It appears that students have not taken the GSC presidential election and the role of the student union seriously. This is not just for CNU as other universities in Korea are also having similar problems. Fortunately, the 2023 GSC of CNU officially launched on January 1. It continues to conduct its activities for students to promote student autonomy, but still some people say that there are lots of things to solve for the GSC to find its former glory. The Chonnam Tribune decided to hear the opinions of both the GSC and students for the revival of the student-led organization that is necessary for the students’ growth and development.

The GSC Is Necessary
If you look for the meaning of a student council in a dictionary, it says “a group of students who are elected to help plan and organize activities and events at school for other students.” Ever since CNU’s student council was first made in 1952, it has existed to serve all students at the university. In the 1980s and 1990s, it fought on the front line for democracy and freedom in the country. However, the current status of the GSC is not the same as it once was. Students becoming more individualistic tend to be indifferent to what is happening on campus, and getting a job is also not as easy as before. These factors make them study harder to get higher grades and actively participate in a variety of off-campus activities to make their resume more abundant. That seems to be the real reason why some people consider the role of the GSC a legacy of the old days.

To get an idea of what students think of the GSC, the Tribune asked students what they thought about the student organization and what they want from the new GSC. Kim Beom-soo (Senior, Dept of English Language and Literature) said, “During my time at the university, the GSC was vacant a lot of times. It is hard to say what I think of them, but I think if they can prioritize students and represent our rights, it would be desirable. That is why I think the university still needs the GSC because they can represent our opinions, and their pledges can help students to live on a better campus.” Kim Do-yeom (Sophomore, School of Mechanical Engineering) also said similarly. “I may not know a lot about the student union, but I think we still need them because they are the ones who keep things in order when enrolling for classes and registering for parking tickets. And all I want from them is to work with integrity not putting self interest in front of public interests.”

What the GSC Has Done for Students
The main pledges the GSC made during their presidential election campaign included expanding the entrance ceremony, renovating back doors at the College of Humanities and hosting a night market. In the interview with the Chonnam Tribune last month, GSC Vice president Park Hye-min said, “Our goal is to make the entrance ceremony memorable so that freshmen can have more affection at school. We also planned a night market so that students can enjoy the event as well as club performances during the club fair period.” The entrance ceremony took place with diverse events like a campus foretaste, prize draw, and special performances, and many students enjoyed the night market held on March 6. Regarding the renovation of the back door at its initial stage, she said, “We have currently addressed the need for remodeling it and more work is needed. We are working closely with the Department of Facilities Management.”

What does the GSC want from students to restore student autonomy on campus? GSC President Jeong Youn-jung said, “First and foremost, we want to hear the voices of students about how the GSC works, such as criticizing them for wrong things and praising them for beneficial acts. Also, we want the university administration to listen to students before they develop policies and execute events. We are endeavoring to make the school take views from students.” He also emphasized it is very important for the GSC’s resurrection to attract students’ attention and to make them engage in activities operated by the council. “I think we need to show our faces more often, so we have visited each department’s freshmen gathering to promote our work and reduce the gap between the GSC and students.”

Active Participation Is Essential
After hearing from both sides, however, it became clear that students want the GSC to stay as long as they prioritize students, and the GSC is willing to do that if students take more interest and give them useful feedback. Ultimately, the GSC should put effort into making their promises real, and students need to take more interest in the student union and actively engaging in student-led programs and activities to make a better campus life at the university. Due to two years of hiatus, there is a thing that needs to be addressed; a lack of communication between students and the university authorities. Dean of Student Affairs Nam Ho-jung said the Tribune, “We prioritize communication with the GSC, and we support them to participate in the committees so that they can be a part of the school’s decision. We are holding meetings regularly with them to support their works and trying to institutionalize students’ demands.” Now is the time to restore student autonomy by improving participation and communication among all the subjects of the university, including students, student leaders.

By Jeong Se-hyuk, Editor