The commencement ceremony of 490, a new student volunteering organization, was held on November 9. The name of the organization is read as "For Ninety," and the phrase stands for volunteering and helping the 90 percent of society who are in need around us.

 

The students who came up with 490 thought that ultimate happiness could only be achieved through both physical and mental satisfaction, and that volunteering could help with the mental aspect. By providing students with volunteering opportunities, they could not only help people but also increase their happiness. Also, the founding students believe that instead of treating mental dissatisfaction, volunteering can prevent such problems from arising in the first place. 

The ultimate goal of 490 is to increase KAIST students' happiness through volunteering, increase the size and funding of ongoing volunteer activities and improve the image of KAIST students held by outsiders. 490 will aid, support and host both domestic and international student volunteering activities. 

 

The organization will consist of multiple sub-organizations and clubs, and currently Red Cross Youth (RCY), MOSAIC (a student association to support and represent fall-matriculating students) and QUEEN (an association for the improvement of female students' lives in KAIST) have expressed interest in joining the organization.

 

490 will recruit the first batch of sub-organizations and clubs until November 16. From the 17th to 19th, it will hold a meeting to create and finalize the operation plans for the organization and officially start its activities on the 21st. Registration after the 21st is still allowed, but organizations and clubs that register during the recruitment period will be eligible to attend the meetings while those who register after the 21st will not have a say on the operation plans.

 

During the Question-and-Answer session, some students expressed concerns about 490. One student stated that the objective of the organization, "volunteering," should be further clarified. He went on to say that organizations like the KAIST Orchestra and the Undergraduate Student Council can be classified as volunteering and requested 490 to clearly state the objective and goal of the organization in the operation plans. Another student commented that since the organization is using students' tuition fees, the auditing should be done more thoroughly. Also, one student expressed doubt on 490, saying that with the creation of 490 the roles of other volunteering clubs such as the Midam Scholarship Committee will be decreased. 490's founding students replied that since the organization is fairly new, nothing is fixed and that they would do everything to lessen the worries of the students.