By Park Ha-yeon, Student Editor
Shin Hwa-jeong, Senior Reporter
Park Sa-ra, Tribune Reporter
Na Hyun-woong, Guest Reporte
Individual freedom and taste have been important to our society. Individualization is seen at its zenith when competition is involved. University students are no exception. They concentrate their efforts on getting a job and satisfying their personal wants. It isn’t desirable that university students take it for granted that preparing for employment and enjoying their individual lives takes precedence over various university activities like voting in the General Student Council(GSC) election, participating in festivals or engaging in club activities. Such a tendency by them is not wrong or strange. However, many problems are caused when university students become individualistic. Chonnam Tribune examined the causes and effects of this phenomenon and suggests some solutions.
Indifference Prevails throughout CNU
Participation is a word of Latin origin, ‘participare’, which is divided into ‘part’ and ‘capere’. ‘Part’ means one part of the whole comprised of many parts and ‘capere’ means to do or to take an action. Putting them together, participation means to get together and do something from start to finish.
However, university students don’t seem to know the meaning of participation. The reason is that they don’t participate in the main activities or events on campus. Students of Chonnam National University (CNU) are no exception to this phenomenon. They seem to be indifferent to the main activities of a university, such as those already mentioned in my introduction.
A few years ago, the radio broadcast the news that the turnout rate in political elections was expected to become lower and lower as this century went on. Student participation in university events is following a similar trend. As time passes, such a low participation by students will inevitably have the following consequences; they will not be experienced in community life and neither will they sympathize with the spirit of cooperation which will lead them to become individualized and selfish. In such a situation, it will be impossible for university students to insist on and exercise their rights on campus. As a result, their rights, freedoms and social status will gradually shrink and be infringed upon.
We can easily recognize this at CNU. First, the electorate turnout for the General Student Council (GSC), which represents students, is much lower than that of 80’s and 90’s. It is true that the times have changed, but it is obvious that CNU students are more indifferent these days to GSC activities and don’t participate in the election. Second, student rallies for welfare improvement and insisting on their rights have often been cancelled due a lack of students participating. An attitude of indifference towards student issues and their rights in general seems to be prevailing at CNU. Third, many students no longer partake in voluntary activities, for e.g. helping out farmers or at regional festivals, which take place only twice a year at the start of each new semester. Participation in these and other events has lagged by degrees over the years. Students no longer seem to want to engage in any hard activity or group activity.
This lack of interest results not only student indifference but also from external circumstances like the high unemployment rate among our youth. Having said that, however, this matter needs to be looked into more deeply, which the next few pages will do.
Unemployment & Dissatisfaction
The various diagnoses, for the decline in student participation in college activities, fall into two main categories. Firstly, changes in social structures which although external to the learning environment have had the domino effect of forcing students to change. Secondly, the gap between the GSC and students has become wider, for while students have had to change the GSC has stood still.
The high unemployment rate among young people really affects the lives of university students. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial crisis from the late ‘90’s is still being felt and since then finding a good job has become really difficult compared with the years before the crisis. Therefore, many students spend their time in the library and educational institutions to prepare for employment exams and interviews. As a natural consequence, many are distanced from the pleasures of campus life and its diverse events. Many prefer to join English clubs or small study groups as the language enhances their competitiveness in gaining employment. Students no longer see universities as academic ivory towers but as educational institutions preparing them for the job market. These changes have reduced student participation in mainstream activities, and community culture on campus has almost disappeared in some instances. Individualism profoundly prevails in universities.
Another reason is that the GSC has failed to interest students in its activity or to win their confidence. A few weeks ago, Chonnam Tribune asked CNU students these questions: “Have you ever participated in events like festivals or the GSC elections? If not, why not?”, and, “How do you think students could be caused to have more concern for and participate in campus activities?” Most respondents replied, “I took part in several events especially those held by the GSC, but nothing has changed. The GSC didn’t carry out their campaign promises.” The answer shows that many are dissatisfied with the GSC.
Accordingly, the GSC must know the reason why CNU student don’t participate in events hosted by it and try to raise their participation rate as soon as it can. To do this, it must realize what students really want, and make efforts to reflect this in its activities. If so, the GSC should be able to gain students trust and students should participate in GSC events more actively and with greater will.
More Attention, More Motivation
As time goes on, students no longer like to participate in many activities held by respective departments or the GSC. For example, the vote turnout in elections is a lot lower than in the past. It indicates that many students are indifferent to university life, and that they also have tended to become more individualistic. At the same time, it makes us reflect on the characteristics of certain university activities. In some, individual opinions and tastes are liable to be neglected. Many students experience the same thing over and over again that they prefer not to participate any longer.
Let’s remind ourselves of the heat of June, 2006. During the 2006 World Cup many CNU students cheered vociferously on the streets. It presented a striking contrast to them on campus. What do you think is the difference between these two sorts of participation? Our participation in school events has a rigorous and tense atmosphere while the World Cup offers a pleasant, intimate, and stress-free environment. Which of the events arouses more interest in us?
Accordingly, events within campus have to be changed. If the activities are held in a free and comfortable atmosphere, many students may participate. Then, let’s look at specific solutions to the problem. First, students should pay attention to events held at CNU. These events are held not for others but for us, CNU students. Pay more affection to them!! It is “US” in the middle of these events. And vote. Voting is our right to reflect our belief. Second, the representative members who stage events like festivals, rallies, club activities must change their ways and move with the times. While most CNU students have adjusted to change these have not. The host of events must find a way to attract our interests and promote the rate of participation.
Chonnam Tribune hopes you consider this issue seriously. Let’s get together to progressively promote participation by OUR students, in OUR events at OUR university.