Do Soongsilians think every voice is worth? Can we set a price on our words? Let us look at the meaning of the word ‘Voice’. The first meaning shown in the dictionary is ‘sound from the throat’ and the second meaning is ‘words that figuratively express opinions or arguments’. ST wants to focus on the latter.
I am always clumsy in speaking. The number of times I spoke became less and less because I was afraid of the process of properly speaking. I envied people who talked freely about what they wanted, inclined, and liked interests. While I was not aware of the influence of words, a teacher encouraged me to join a club. I learned the importance of voice in just a small culture club, not a discussion or presentation club. The work marked a turning point in my life.
Everyone had a difficult at first time. Whenever I took a step closer to the classroom, I regretted what I did. What should I talk to the people whom I first met? Why did the teacher ask me to join this club? All sorts of problems came across to my mind. The self-introduction was too poor for a hundred practice. As all the club members focused on me with curious eyes, I trembled like a cell phone in vibrating mode. After my self-introduction, the members applauded one by one. It might be a clap in meaningless form, but I was relieved to see a ray of light. Gradually adapting to the club, we entered the stage where we had to plan the culture to match the club name. I did not even know the difference between planning and plan, so I never dreamed that I would talk so much and raise my voice.
Through the continued meetings, the members’ opinions come and go and then setting the direction of the plan. By speaking my opinion and listening to the other person’s opinion, I was able to expand the acceptance of other opinions and my thinking. This process was done only through our voices, and we came up with a variety of opinions because we knew that if we do not talk anymore, new extended thoughts will not happen. If I do not speak out here, I will pass quietly without a hitch, but in the final stage I thought maybe one bubble would bother us later.
In KBS2’s Into the Ring program, Gu Se-ra, a female protagonist, chooses to run instead of finding a job and becomes a district council member to punish rogue politicians. Before becoming a district representative, she was called the King of Civil Affairs, and she tried to create a better world by putting various complaints into the district office. However, complaints only reached the person in charge and were not handled properly. As Sera becomes a district council member, the office received various complaints from the residents, and even showed the process of handling the complaints directly. Civil complaints were the voice of the people. Her attitude toward complaints, which had changed from a speaking to a listening role, was always correct. She tried to solve it until the end because she knew how desperate and important about the voice of themselves and others were. “Listen to our voices.”, “Ordinary people can make their own voices.” The nation can facilitate communication with the people through the Blue House National Petition and Civil Service Media, and the people can participate
in policies. ST would like to tell you that our opinions and arguments do not change everything, but we can cause listeners to another think. SSU: KETCH, the 60th student council of the SSU, said in a report on tuition compensation that, “We need to continue discussing this, and we ask for your attention and support. We will continue to communicate your voices to the school headquarters so that we can come up with the best measures.” There is always a platform for voice. Why don’t we add our own voices up close? Who knows? Maybe my voice will have an impact and have great results!
Lee Ju-a (ST Reporter)
ljua@soongsil.ac.kr