I hope all our readers have enjoyed the fine, crisp weather of this semester’s exceptionally long autumn. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. With the wind getting colder and colder in recent days, I feel through my skin that the end of the year 2022 is approaching. The good news is that another year is always coming as one ends. With the coming new year, the start of a new phase in the history of the University of Seoul (UOS) is revealing itself. 

In our December 2022 volume, we cover the election of the new President of the Student Council. It was the first rivalry in the presidential vote that UOS has seen in five years. I was more than surprised to find the candidates having so much vigor for the responsibility to serve their fellow students. I send my sincere congratulations to the winners in hopes they will guide student autonomy along the right path through the next year, holding the passion and responsibility toward the students they showed during the campaign.

Another significant change at UOS we cover is the new emblem the school introduced in October. The fact that the new emblem resembling Jangsangotmae, the symbolic animal of UOS, was chosen by the majority of students adds even more meaning to it. I wish the new emblem would become not only a symbol of the school itself but also a proof of unity and pride in the student society.

Over the last three months, UOS unwillingly became a political hot potato. The university risks losing its biggest strength, the “half-price tuition.” I believe the future generations of UOS have a right to enjoy the privilege of studying at a university well-funded by the city of Seoul. I hope all UOS members, including the newly elected leaders of the university, succeed in keeping what makes UOS special. 

Kim Ye-il 
lavieenrose0705@uos.ac.kr