The month of February is an exciting time for both KU freshmen and senior students. Student association of each department hustle and bustle in getting ready for saeteo, as they try their best to give newcomers an amazing experience and fun time over three days. It is an important event of a new year because it is a place where freshmen get to know the basics of college life, and are exposed to novel experiences such as the drinking culture. For that reason, the student association and the saeteo preparatory committee spend almost two months on planning and organizing the event. As such, saeteo is a highlighted university event that marks the start of a new semester.

 

However, a lot of voices have been raised regarding the cost of participating in the program. Korea University Business School (KUBS) has the highest price of 95thousand won, and one student from the student association of KUBS expressed worries that such a high price can pressure some students unable to afford it, making it less available to some students. Other than KUBS, the Division of International Studies (DIS) set the price at 78thousand won, the College of Medicine at 90thousand won, and the College of Education at around 65thousand won. This is only a partial list of several departments, but most fees range from 60thousand won to 100thousand won.

 

The price varies with each college, but the cost commonly include accommodations, transportations, meals, snacks, drinks (mostly alcohol and water), insurance, medical service, sound equipment for performances, and a little bit of additional costs. The cost for accommodation is the highest out of all categories and is a fixed cost because the price is set through a contract between the school and the company. The same goes for transportation. The student association is not in a position to lower cost with ease because fixed costs are contracts and cannot be altered.

 

Here, it is important to note that the price of saeteo has a great variance according to each department because some departments include a portion of saeteo fee in the student union fee, or use remaining student union fee to lower the cost for saeteo. For example, the School of Art and Design asked students to pay 250thousand won, and this is a price that combined both the student union fee and the saeteo fee. In the case of English Language Education, each student pays 25thousand won because the student union fee they paid in the beginning of the semester included saeteo support funds. Thus, it is hard to conclude that saeteo fees in different schools are expensive or cheap since the situation varies.

 

The standard of which cost is expensive or cheap is ambiguous, but there are still ways to lower the cost. Measures taken by each school’s student association to balance the cost give influence to the quality of its facilities or entertainment programs, and those measures should reflect the demands of the entire student body. For example, English Language Education has lessened its cost by exempting outside performances and independently organized saeteo programs, which eliminated additional costs. Also, accommodation fees could be decreased when many schools stay at the same facility, making it comparatively cheaper.

 

Despite the existence of numerous variables that determine saeteo fee, students form their first impression of the cost merely with the stated price. On one hand, KU students are excited to participate in saeteo, but on the other hand, students are questioning whether the price charged by the student association reflects the necessary costs. Park Kwan Woo (’14, Business School) expressed his opinion about this year’s saeteo fee. “The Saeteo fee of KUBS is set at an absurdly high level, to the extent that it could be misunderstood as saeteo for aristocrats, namely, the rich. However, the bigger problem is that normal students that do not belong to the student association are still blindly uninformed about the details of its expenditure.”

 

Kim Young Ah (’14, Division of International Studies) also showed her stance about saeteo fee. She agreed that having to afford 78thousand won for two nights is too burdensome to students, especially to students who feel the draft. Yet, Kim thinks it is somewhat a reasonable price, considering the cost involved in buying snacks, drinks, and Makgeolli that would be used for sabalsik, a traditional ceremony of drinking bottles of Makgeolli as a part of becoming a KU freshmen . “It is expensive, but I believe it is reasonable. However, it would have been better if the student association and the saeteo preparatory committee revealed the details of usage, so that its operation becomes more transparent and students would trust them.”

 

The remark of Kim is worth noting. Students are indeed complaining about the high cost of participating in saeteo, but they are willing to accept it when they deem it reasonable based on the materials that the student association and the preparatory committee reveal. In fact, some schools’ student associations have held open conferences where students can be notified about the details of its usage, or some have provided detailed printed reports related to saeteo. Communication is crucial in understanding each other and making a more enjoyable and reasonable event.

 

There is no opposition in saying that saeteo is one of the most exciting annual events apart from Ipselenti “Jiya Hamsung” and the Annual Ko-Yon Games. It is an exhilarating experience for both freshmen and senior students. The trouble is its high price, and it is the students’ responsibility to prudently solve conflicts. A ground of communication where the student association informs students of details, and students openly suggest alternative methods to adjust the cost and understand its usage should be provided. If not this year, perhaps next year might be a good time to start, and hopefully, saeteo will be both an enjoyable and affordable event for all.