What do you think about the last USC-SSC elections?

Media

Part of The Carolinian

Title: What do you think about the last USC-SSC elections?
Creator: Larosa, Nelson
Language: English
Year: 1959
Rights
Fulltext: Miscellanea \ What Do Dou Thioh III 11ITH the USC election hullabaloo now | | over, the question that is uppermost in our minds is: Of what benefit Is the campus election to the college students? As an answer, I have this to say: The election is not just another ordinary affair when highflown language is being displayed by glibtongued candidates to sway the perplexed student-elector to his side. Speaking matterof-factly, election time offers the student ample opportunity in which to exercise the priceless gift bestowed by the democratic form of society—the inalienable right of suffrage. That every Carolinian did his share in enabling the election to fulfill its alms is a definite and proven fact. —Re n e Pen a , Liberal Aris • In my opinion, the campus election affords the best training for the students who, three or four or five years hence, will take their places as citizen-leaders of the country, to gear themselves to the delicate and vital art of self-government. It has become a matter of common knowledge that the government is but the constitution of the will of the people. If there is anybody to blame for the failure of the government, it is the people. A rotten and vice-ridden government represents, ten to one, a rotten and vicious people. With its failure or success, we either sink or swim. One should not, therefore, lose sight of the oft-times belittled fact that his single vote will, in one way or another, ultimately determine the kind of men who are going to run the government. —Ampa r o Ya p, Education The organization of a student governmental body deserves not just a fleeting thought but the topmost berth In the list of the student's extra-curricular activities. Reason: Under pressing circumstances the student finds it the last recourse where to air his gripes and grievances characteristic of the more complicated government on the national level. It serves as a vigilant mouthpiece of the student populace—It is their voice itself. The job of the Intelligent student-elector, therefore, is to cast his vote only for the men most capable and unselfish in channeling the student body's energies to serve this end. —Pet h o n ii.0 Se v il l a , Commerce not only profitable but also worth his while. He makes it a point to make such participation a part and parcel of himself because he wants to possess a liberal and well-rounded education the moment he steps out of the university’s fold. This is not being prophetic or exaggerating, but in the final count, the stupendous efforts exerted by the college professors down to the student’s very first teachers in the development and cultivation of his mind will have been altogether futile if he doesn’t make the most of his inherent right to vote. —El iza b et h Ja ja l l a , Liberal Arts Politics is defined as the science of government. If the real essence of the definition finds expression in its practice, its respectability as a profession, science and art will not fade. However, if its aims, the most important of which is to install a government free from graft and corruption and to be of service to the people, shift to the mercenary, it becomes intolerable in the eyes of the people. This is where our knowledge of campus politics comes in. This activity inculcates in our minds that it is not so much the question of who wins but what he can do in case he wins, that we are perennially concerned with. The people cannot take chances no more than they can sacrifice efficiency for men. If we take an active part in campus political affairs, we have good reason to expect a better government when our time comes. —Fr ed es u e n d o On g , Commerce • In a young, struggling republic such as ours, where becoming rich overnight has become the chief obsession of crooked, money-mad politicians, there is an imperative need of replacing them with new incorruptible ones. But where to find them? In this quest for talents, the campus election plays a very significant role. We can find them in the persons of student leaders, not so much in scholars. For scholastic brilliance is not a substitute for tact and leadership. The Student Council gives them the chance to display their wares. Whether they prove competent or incompetent makes little or no difference at all to know that experience is the best teacher. By assuming key positions in the Council, they lay the blueprint of what they can do in case they aim at public office. With the one-year incumbency as officers and representatives of the body, they have plenty of time to introspect anti Conducted by NELSON evaluate their merits and shortcomings. The organization of the Supreme Student Council therefore is just a step in the right direction. —Fl o r a JUMAPAO, Architecture Nothing exists without a purpose; the Student Council is not formed for no reason at * all. It is formed to do good and the good always. It resolves to give the "It" to college life. But no matter of what caliber the officers and representatives are, it would be of no avail without the wholehearted cooperation of the individual members. The head cannot stand by itself without the body, just as the body cannot without the head. Both need the support of each other in the same way that the Student Council needs our cooperation and we, their guidance and attention to an orderly and well-coordinated college life in the course of our short stint in this University. • The good college student regards active participation in campus political affairs —Ame l ia Ca br er a , Commerce • The conducting of the USC election reflected much of the attitude we have towards politics. The enormous enthusiasm with which we attended the "grand” rally and the big smile that played on our lips the moment we shook hands with wellmeaning campus “politicos” only showed our fuller and more mature understanding of what campus politics can do for us. In the first place, what interest we have in campus politics, sooner or later, broadens and sprouts into love for politics on the local and national scale. This love, however, should not go to the extent of prejudicing other things of equal importance as moral and spiritual obligations. In the second place, it makes us feel we are a part of the government and no matter how small we are, we contribute a little something to its success or failure. And finally because real service is all there is to the Council, it makes us realize that politics is not intended as an opportunity of making our pockets bulge with ill-gotten money as some politicians are thinking. —Emma Ly n d a Va l e n z u e l a , Secretarial There is a lot to think about in school elections and I thought the pervasive spirit of the last USC Student Council elections would live on. But now that the din and fury has died away, I doubt if anyone still finds If worthwhile to think about it, considering QUINAIN PEftA YAP SEVILLA JAJALLA Pa g e 26 THE CAROLINIAN Miscellanea USC-SSC ELECTIONS? LAROSA that, in most eases, the spirit of such activities usually appears with compelling force at the beginning of the school year, only to sputter to an end and vanish after the induction of the newly-elected officers. Then peace reigns once more in the campus in the form of absolute silence. At any rate, the last USC elections had left something which we would remember for a long time to come. Firstly, our student leaders here have given us the impression that they, too, are not stupid in applying the political trades they have learned from our 20th century politicians. Secondly, the student electorate, who constitute the greater bulk of the intellectuals on this side of heaven, have shown their capacity to render mature judgment, to act as a people with a high sense of values as evidenced by the attitude they had manifested in the exercise of their right of suffrage. But it is also a sad commentary on the conduct of Student Council elections in general that in the midst of the last bitter political wranglings here, there were campus politicians who did not conduct their campaign on a higher plane. It is indeed lamentable that some of them followed the unsavory pattern set by the modern crop of undisciplined politicians, unprincipled propagandists, who resort to cheap political tactics such as those we now witness over our local airlanes. Viewed against the finer points for which student councils are organized, we may say without fear of contradiction that the candidates who indulged in such stunts were unknowingly training themselves for a kind of leadership alien to the common, accepted norms of conduct in our Catholic community. To advocate a "STUDENT COUNCIL THAT IS ABSOLUTELY INDEPENDENT OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION" is to declare "war" against the University. The claim that our Student Council here is only independent in name but a puppet in fact, on the ground that until now it is still tied to the apron strings of the USC administration, is not a valid defense for the cause of student self-government. While it is true that Student Councils are training grounds for students in the art of self-government, it does not necessarily follow that students who cherish that idea are automatically free to establish their own institution inside the school campus. The University is a State in itself with the students as its subjects. That being the case, the former is but exercising ONG JUMAPAO CABRERA a legitimate prerogative in demanding obedience from the latter. For the students to "live" independently inside the campus without giving the school authorities the the benefit of intervention in their affairs may be a beautiful idea (at least that's democracy in actien) but it cannot be carried that far because once students assert absolute freedom of control from the school administration, that's an express renunciation of their status as subjects. In short, they cease to be students. That issue, therefore, was as preposterous as it was Another thing which did not fail to invite the attention of the school population was the game of "hide and seek" played by candidates who campaigned even inside the polling places, in gross violation of the election laws promulgated by the Election Committee chairmanned by Atty. German Mayo, Jr. The committee did its best to enforce the election laws but it being a one-man committee (it was only Atty. Mayo whom I saw in action) the "mice" played inside the precincts when the "cat" was away. We can say this much for Atty. Mayo who was alone and who sweated it out to make the elections free. It's hard to imagine how he managed to pull those candidates out of the polling After all has been said and done, however, we can take consolation in the fact that there has been no trouble as an offshoot of the last elections. So far no election protests have been filed by this or that candidate. That means, the election was free. —Ba i.t a za h V. Ql in a in , Colleye of Law VALENZUELA SC A i>y TRUCE ORDOSA SCANS really were bug-eyed searching for their regular "Corner” in the first issue. Miss Betty Antonio had to give way to us due to pressure of work at the Patria, hence this appearance in the second issue. Graduation thinned the ranks of the officers of the SCA and a revamp had to be undertaken to continue a job well done by past officers. An election of the Central Council officers was held together with a dcspedida party for Father John who left for Manila on a new assignment. Jesus Alcordo, a Chemical engineering scholar took over the reins of the SCA government vacated by another scholar, Jesus Estanislao, who was promoted into the ranks of the employed, he being now one of the instructors of this university. The other officers elected arc: Josefino Tapia and Josefina Donaldo, vicepresidents; Susda Mata, secretary; Filomena Villamor, treasurer; Juan Montero II, PIIO; Orchid Sacris and Truce Ordoiia, contact lady and contact man respectively. Fr. Pedro Kranewitter is the new chaplain and Miss Guillermo Villoria is the lay adviser. In order to give more impetus to the ever growing membership of this silent but potent lay organization, new units and cells were added. The effectivity of adding new units and cells was evidently shown during the induction ceremonies of the Central Council Officers and the Faculty Catholic Action officers. Very Rev. Father Rector inducted the officers and gave a most heart-warming and inspiring speech. Last July of this year, we had a leadership-training and orientation program. The training course, which lasted the whole day, offered a series on the SCA by Catholic actionists from this and other schools in the city. Practical lessons, forums, and impromptu programs were the other parts of the well-attended leadership training and orientation program. As an incentive to the cells and in order to reward the most efficient cell in the SCA, we are now sponsoring a contest among the different cells of the SCANs. This contest, unlike most contests which cater to the "get rich quick mentality” so prevalent among people today, has for its aim the enrichment of the spiritual rather than the material being of the SCANs. The contest, which features regular mass and communion attendance, cooperation and mustering of recruits, had its start on the first day of August. At the end of the month, the winning cell will be posted on the SCA bulletin board as the model cell of the month. At this writing, the Radio-Dramatics cell is preparing for its part in “The Rosary Hour”, a weekly radioprogram sponsored by SCA units in different schools. The half-hour program will have the USC SCA as its sponsor on August 23. August 30 this year’s batch of new members were inducted into the SCA. The solemn ceremonies were followed by a program. J SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 1959 Pa g e 27