Korea University students study in a state-of-the-art library. Nowadays, students are less interested in ideology, the main issue on campus in the 1980s and ‘90s, so candidates for student council presidents are focusing on such practical issues as tuition and welfare, although there are some “quirky” campaign pledges. / Korea Times File |
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
A number of unique slogans are being used by those seeking to head college student councils next year. They reflect a changing trend on campus ― ideology is no longer a big issue among college and university student.
Most of the council president hopefuls are vowing to fight tuition hikes, the No. 1 grievance among students during these times of economic difficulty, with other pledges also reflecting students’ changing needs.
Some interesting candidate pledges are the provision of self-protection devices for female students, setting up a market for organic farming products, lending military uniforms to students in the reserves and offering money for spending “quality time” with parents.
Politically ideological slogans, which were popular during election campaigns for college students in the 1980s and ‘90s, are apparently out of fad, with the candidates focusing on the welfare of students.
A campaign team at Yonsei University in Seoul has pledged to operate a market selling organic farming products for students from out of town as well as to open fruit cafes in school stores and dormitories.
It also promised to make two more holidays a semester in order to ensure students’ “right to rest.”
An election camp at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) vows to provide the students with more fun in school, providing financial support for “dating” parents, while another camp promised that they will provide more street lamps around the school and provide self-defense equipment for female students.
A candidate at Dongguk University, under the slogan “A Dongguk you can love,” is trying to draw the support of students by operating no-charge automated teller machines, and lending military uniforms and umbrellas to students.
A Korea University candidate is vowing a “Complaint Zero Center” promising to resolve all students’ complaints.
The camp is also seeking to enable prospective students to participate in group projects with officially registered students during classes.
Some pledges are left over from previous years.
The “Reborn” camp at Seoul National University (SNU) is offering a “credit mileage system,” which was proposed by the student council two years ago. It is, if adopted and implemented, supposed to make it easier for students to get credits. Some pledges are targeting various events due next year.“
Ewha We Can Plus” at Ewha Womans University pledges to host a cheering festival similar to those held during the 2010 World Cup.
Yonsei’s “You” campaign promises to make housing shortages in the area an issue for local elections slated for next June.
kswho@koreatimes.co.kr
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