Really close to home

It was a Wednesday. As always, I was in front of my work computer, wondering how the heck I finished all of my tasks early. I got a message from Carmel – who works somewhere within DLSU – announcing that classes have been suspended until 14 June.

Actually, I initially thought that the Independence Day break was extended, until I realized that the date given was a Sunday. Was the school breaking apart? It was raining hard, after all, although the possibility of a part of the school breaking apart because of the weather was less than nil. So, obviously, I asked why.

“Alam mo ba kung bakit wala?” she responded. Those words felt like it was something pretty big.

Four years later

Four years later, it felt like a fairy tale ending.

Call me biased, but I’ve always wanted to see a fairly large chunk of Santugon candidates win in the elections. From a storyteller’s perspective – after all, this coverage began as an attempt to tell a story more than an attempt to do public service – it would’ve been a pretty redemptive angle: the party that’s sought, for the longest time, to dominate the Student Council, has finally done it. That, and maybe because I have more friends from the yellow side, and I get to see things from their perspective without really trying.

Looking back, it’s quite ironic thinking that it happened when I’m already gone. I wasn’t there to see it, and I obviously won’t be there to judge whether it’d be any good. But for someone’s who’s immersed in the whole experience a bit too much than the usual, the questions are still inevitable.

Friday night is results night

Aimee Chua leads Santugon to an upset in this year’s General Election, with the yellows taking three out of six executive board positions and four out of six college assemly presidencies.

Although no numbers are available yet, Aimee beat her opponent, Tapat standard bearer Ron Semira. Nadia Ong is elected as academics vice president, beating Leah Villalon. Pierre Lim has won the treasurer slot, beating Mikko Hizon.

Tapat’s Kat Regalado took the activities vice presidency position against Vernon de Guzman. Chichi Tullao is elected as operations vice president, beating Gil Bautista, while Cabe Aquino won as secretary, beating Mae Ong.

Many versions, no answers

Originally, I was supposed to have just a small story covered. My sister told me about a little campaign flub somewhere in the CLA – to be precise, the question of who really started the move to return priority enrollment privileges to students who have failed some subjects and, thus, lost that privilege in the first place. Someone from Santugon apparently claimed that their candidates – to be precise, standard bearer Aimee Chua and her second-in-command, Nadia Ong – filed the resolution putting the priority enrollment reinstatement in motion, something that Vero Zamesa, Tapat’s bet for the CLA assembly presidency, balked at. Turns out, she was one of those who co-drafted the resolution.

During those conversations with my sister, I figured it was just a problem with who actually does what. Perfect, I thought. It ties in with the need for students to know how the Student Council works, rather than what it does. Of course, there’s a major difference between filing a resolution and lobbying such a move. Only Legislative Assembly representatives can file a resolution – it was something that Vero, who currently represents FAST 2007, could do. The idea, or at least my take on it, is that those at the executive board can push the policy-making body to file a resolution regarding certain measures. Perhaps, I thought, it was just a mix-up blown out of proportion.

My sister was nice enough to arrange an interview between me and Vero; while she’s a Tapat supporter, she is (most importantly) a member of her batch assembly, and the two have worked together. I quickly started thinking up of possible questions, but that is the problem with covering something you don’t have a chance to personally see: you’re at a loss with ideas. It was something I ended up admitting to Vero that night.

Issues for the man in the middle

Shale Campaigns guest columnist Adette Razon returns with a write-up on the COMELEC, an oft-unnoticed but crucial component of the General Elections. She talks to current commissioner Jacob Wilson Lee, and asks about the issues confronting the organization and the elections.

After many years of sharing a room with the Debate Society, the COMELEC finally got their own space in the Student Council office this year. The room has also been equipped with new computers, which has increased productivity for the group as a whole. But more than new rooms or equipment, the COMELEC’s approach this year was to make the organization and its activities more accessible to the public. They have really stepped up especially in terms of publicity, with email blasts about the debate being sent as early as last Monday. Posters and a tarp in the amphitheater were also set-up, and during the debate a one-minute introductory video was shown. Current Student Council president Nicole Villarojo and incumbent operations vice president Gretch Santos have commended the COMELEC by saying that they’re “super active” compared to past years.

“Nung first year ako, nagulat nalang ako na, ‘uy, may COMELEC pala,’” current COMELEC chairperson Jacob Wilson Lee told me. “May friend na lang na humatak sa akin [para] maging volunteer.” He knows all too well that the scenario didn’t just apply to him, but to other freshmen as well. It doesn’t help that the COMELEC doesn’t have the funds and gimmicks that political parties have. To address this, Jacob wants for the COMELEC to be known to students as early as LPEP. Due to lack of manpower, however, that didn’t push through this year. He hopes, however, that it can be done for AY 2009-2010.