The second semester of the student council SSU: KETCH has begun. How many promises have been fulfilled? And what kinds of promises will they fulfill? ST interviewed student council president..........Ed
After the noisy and quiet first semester, the second semester would begin. Many things have been kept and changed during the last summer vacation. At its center was the 60th student council of the SSU, SSU: KETCH. They have continued their fierce efforts and battles to represent the rights and voices of Soongsilians. After numerous discussions, non-face-to-face classes and absolute evaluations were maintained, while discussions on tuition problems and changes in class quality continued. What would the SSU make of SSU: KETCH, and what would the drawing look like? In response, ST looked back on the last semester and met student council president Oh Jong-woon (15, Department of Architecture) to discuss many topics.
About the 2020 SSU Schedule
ST: As far as I know, you have been in constant meetings with the school headquarters throughout the vacation to decide how to operate the second semester. I would like to know about what the student council requested to the school, and I also would like to know more about the decision regarding the completion of a bachelor’s degree.
OH: We conducted a survey to reflect the opinions of Soongsilians. As a result, 48% of the respondents wanted online classes, and, based on this, they went through discussions with the school headquarters. After the consultation, it was decided that online lectures will be conducted for the second semester in consideration of the results of the survey and prevention of the re-proliferation of COVID-19. Depending on the situation, the course management policy after midterms will be discussed again. The evaluation method will be conducted with absolute thoroughness just like the first semester(as of July 31).
ST: There is still a burning issue on campus, the ‘retake system’. Is there any discussion about this? I am curious about the progress.
OH: The retake system is a pledge that the student council is more concerned about because it contains the wishes of many Soongsilians. The school board decided to suspend it last November. Since then, the school has presented agenda items related to the retake system to the school affairs committee several times, but they had been frequently ignored because of concerns that it would give some bad impression for the evaluation of schools during the 2021 basic competency assessment and thus lower the ranking of Soongsil. Therefore, it is expected that stronger and more desperate actions will be needed in the second semester.
On the Activities of SSU: KETCH, such as its Pledges and Affiliate Projects
ST: Because of COVID-19, unfortunately, you have no choice but to stop making promises. Is there any thing you would like to say to the Soongsilians?
OH: The spread of COVID-19 has put many projects and pledges of the student council on hold. I feel sorry for everything because it was a promise with the Soongsilians, rather than something particularly regrettable about unfulfilled projects and pledges. However, the cancellation of the projects and the pledges does not mean that the student council’s activities are over. Therefore, we plan to constantly seek alternatives to the canceled projects and pledges as best as we can.
ST: Can you tell me if there are any pledges or projects that Soongsilians can look forward to in the second semester?
OH: Many projects and pledges have been canceled along with the second semester of the school year. However, the student council is constantly considering and preparing for the projects that are essential for Soongsilians at this time of the year. I am going to prepare fiercely during the summer vacation. In the process, I ask you for plenty of support and interest to the student council, so that the student council can prepare projects for everyone.
ST: If you have anything you really want to accomplish or say to Soongsilians for the rest of your term, please feel free to say it.
OH: After COVID-19, the student body as a society faces more difficulties. The school headquarters will proceed with more controlling and coercive administrative processing on the grounds of COVID-19. Now is the time for the student body to be more united than ever, and to work together to overcome the crisis together. In the future, the 60th student council will continue to do its best to support their Soongsilians.
More Questions
ST: As far as I know, the student council conducted a satisfaction survey among Soongsilians during the vacation period, and I would like to know what the student president, who is in charge of all of these, feels. Since you are located in the middle of the school, and students feel plenty of pressure and responsibility, I think this is a necessary question.
0H: It is a great honor to be the student council president of SSU, which boasts 123 years of history. One of the reasons I ran for student council president was that I wanted to keep SSU fulfilling its potential. However, there are so many difficulties and sacrifices. I am really satisfied with SSU, the student council, and the first half of 2020 as student council president. Still, I want to give four out of five points, and do my best to continue giving five points for the rest of my term and in the future.
Yeom Da-yeon (ST Reporter)
ydy1213@ssu.ac.kr
