This Home Reminds Students of Their Day

For almost 80 years, International Students’ Day is celebrated at the universities and faculties around the world.
For almost 80 years, the remainder of dozens of killed students and thousands of them sent to the concentration camps is marked.
In Serbia, Students’ Day is marked by another day – 4 April is defined as the National Students’ Day in the memory of students’ protests in 1936.

Still, what is the most important and mutual for these two days is the fact that students, as young people, have always been the initiators of changes in the society.

Aleksandra Stojanac is 20 years old and she studies journalism at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad.
“My opinion is that International Students’ Day is insufficiently popularized among my generation and that every year, they should be drawn attention to that, in order to be aware of our role in the society”, Aleksandra says, while her colleague, Zorana Nikoletić adds that the majority of students does not know that there is a day devoted to them.
“I think that we should be drawn attention in order to be aware that we have a special role in this society and that we should be proud to have such a title”, Zorana concludes.
International Students’ Day, 17 November, is therefore celebrated by a set of lectures, academies and debates. By celebrating such a day, we remind ourselves that we must be active, think about our own rights and responsibilities and be the main pillar in the society in which young people are not the future but the present. European Youth Capital Novi Sad celebrated the day by a debate.

“I am specifically glad that today we have had the competition in the debate, where we talked about the topics that are important. Our main task in the following period is to talk more about the values and to get in the way of kitsch and tackiness. By this content, on this day, we want to show young people though discussions and topic we initiate that there is other content, and we must do that by our behaviour and our example”, Vukašin Grozdanović, OPENS Coordinator says.

The purpose was to make people aware that this day is theirs and to make them aware of their rights as a target group. On that occasion, the program was focused on educational informative nature.
“The topics for the debate are very important and current. I think that it is important to talk about that, in order to be aware about that. We should be included and actively think about them. Through the launch of topics like this, which are definitely important, we contribute to the refinement of our thinking”, Luka Stanković, the participant of the debate adds.
The winner was the team from the Faculty of Technical Sciences, consisting of Aleksandar Ristić, Petar Popadić and Miodrag Ivančević, while the best speaker was Aleksandar Ristić.
“Our opinion is that the topic “This Home is Sorry for the Rise of Social Networks as an Example of Source of Media Information” is the most interesting one, because it is the most current one, it simply intrigues the largest number of people and the best discussion was held about that”, Nataša Igić, Institution Cooperation Coordinator says.
After the debate, the ceremonial academy was organized. In the year when The City of Novi Sad is the holder of the title of European Youth Capital 2019, we want to highlight the cooperation with institutions and student organizations, as well as students, who have provided us support in the process before winning the title, but also after we won it, in the implementation of dozens of events, conferences, workshops, trainings, which we have implemented individually but also through numerous partnerships, though which we reached more than 240,000 young people in Novi Sad, Serbia and the region.
“It is important that we, professors, be your friends and therefore today, I am extremely pleased to share with you these festive moments about your holiday. I am happy for you and your progress because those are all our successes”, Sanja Podunavac-Kuzmanović, vice-rector for teaching of the University of Novi Sad explains.
The advisor to the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development, Nikola Lazić, says that a student, apart from the knowledge, has to have initiative and courage.
“Many times in life, an initiative will face a wall or locked door. You need to go further, to find some new door, to jump across the wall. That is the only way to succeed in life and everything you do. Events like this are a good opportunity for students to connect, not only those from Novi Sad but from the entire Serbia and the world. In the end, that will be your greatest capital, social capital”, Nikola Lazić said to the students at the ceremonial academy.
How many times have you heard: you cannot change anything, it is a waste of time to even try, it is impossible to influence those who pass decisions? University in Novi Sad counts 50,358 students. Imagine what all those people could do together.