SCA

Title

SCA

Creator

Ordoña, Truce

Language

English

Year

1959

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

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

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