Fifty percent plus one

I have already graduated from DLSU, but at this point I wished I was still around to cover what probably is bigger than the past elections I have covered: the plebiscite for the proposed overhaul of the Student Council.

Those who were caught up in the last General Elections know that the proposal for the establishment of a University Student Government – which, in a nutshell, promises less overlapping and more independence – is primarily a Tapat ploy for their campaign. It was a heavily-promoted aspect of their campaign last year, and admittedly, was perhaps the only concrete aspect of any platform presented during the time. Perhaps it helped them that the USG was somehow buoyed by Santugon’s erratic campaign, when the initial plan to highlight the need for a nonpartisan Student Council descended to what some thought was mud-slinging and desperate attempts to get votes.

Now, however, comes the hard part. With most of Tapat’s candidates, including current SC president Nicole Villarojo, in position, it is pretty much expected that the USG proposal will be put into motion, and provided that more than half of the students say yes, it can be considered a success. Ultimately – and I don’t have to remain a student to notice this – the proposal is being brought out in a pretty rushed tone. The folks at Tapat may have taken five years (from Saint Anthony Tiu’s original proposal) to work on the proposal that the students are voting now, but do the students really have an idea about what they’re being asked to decide on?

Respect: A reflection on the UAAP

The following is a blog entry written by long-time Shale contentact and friend Carmel Puertollano. Now, I haven’t really followed the recent UAAP men’s basketball games, which led to the Ateneo Blue Eagles sweeping the De La Salle Green Archers and claiming the championship, but obviously things have been (usually) tight post-celebration. In light of the hullabaloo regarding what happened at the Ateneo bonfire – a fact that already earned an official, if not quiet, apology from school bigwigs – she finally writes her thoughts as a DLSU student. But this isn’t one-sided – at least that’s what I think. The entry’s been edited for style requirements, but everything else remains the same.

Three years.

It only took me that long to enjoy the privilege of being bona fide student of De La Salle University Manila. During the orientation or LPEP, as Lasallians commonly know it, basic Lasallian values and principles were taught. We were also taught how to cheer (and not to jeer).