It seems as if students here at KAIST are always indifferent about policies set forth by the school and end up complaining when the school finally initiates them. Take the Munji Campus renovation project for example; Although nothing about the project has been settled yet, the school plans to either allocate the incoming freshmen, starting with the Class of 2019, to the Munji Campus, move the graduate schools from the main campus to Munji, or establish a so-called K-Valley in the Munji campus area in order to foster startups and provide opportunities for students to learn aside businessmen once companies come in. However, moments after the news of the possible re-allocation of freshmen to Munji were spread among students, they were opposing the school’s plan because simply others were opposing it or because the school was initiating a plan without asking the students beforehand, albeit this was not the case. In fact the school, the student council in particular, has worked to gather the students’ opinions, believing that the student body is what makes up the school and is vital to the future development of the school. The student council has sent out polls, surveys, and announcements of various kinds and forms, but the students have decided to neglect all of the school’s good work simply because they thought perhaps school news is not as important as their academic studies et cetera.

Student participating in the school’s affairs is extremely important. A clear-cut example would be the lack of citizen participation when it comes to voting. When we take a glimpse into our history, poor public participation has made it easier for the minority to to manipulate the public and has eventually led to tragic events. Just as our country is ours to protect and preserve, our school is ours to constantly look after contribute to in order to improve its global status. If that is not the case, the school administration will start to enforce policies that suit itself and not even bother to consider the student body’s opinions. Of course, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, spending time with club members, and many other things are an important part of a college student’s life. Yet we should constantly practice exercising our rights and responsibilities as proud members of this school, and only with enough training while we are in school, efficient participation of an even major project or an event is possible. It is time that we stop passively receiving what the school administration wants to give us and instead proactively search for what is possible and meaningful for our four valuable years in college.

In our school, checking our emails and the news on the portal website is not an arduous process at all. Because we frequently have to visit these sites to check out information, we pass by these webpages all the time. The problem is we do note set aside any time to carefully read what kind of school-related issues and announcements there are. Hence a lot of the information waiting to be read by the student body has disappeared without getting across the students minds, in the midst of new announcments. Just like a strong nation is formed by strong citizens, an efficient school system is formed ultimately by the students, not the administrators.