By: Nine
Cartoon by: Azi Dayao
Good leadership instigates pivotal movements. Good leaders guarantee bureaucratic competency.
For better or for worse, the student council is the face of a department – they carry the weight of the students’ distress. In light of the university elections, the councils of Mapúa University (MU) are not exempt from this unwritten rule. By representing a community, their views are reflective of the morals instilled in the university they represent.
However, with a low voter turnout in recent years, it is expected that not everyone is involved (or interested) in the politics of the university. Here lies the question: how can the community rely on leaders who are not felt within their department?
Leadership is multifaceted with leaders equipped with the arsenal to remain impartial. As part of the council, it is expected that they are in the service of the students. Their actions are supposed to cater to the needs of their department, no program left behind. The two-day Miting de Avance (MDA) for the MU Student Council elections has recently been concluded and robust platforms are the candidates’ first line of action to attain their vied position. This year, the common themes amongst the aspiring candidates are education, sincerity, and transparency.
It is no secret that lending one’s service to the student body is a difficult feat. In the foundation of leadership, trust is the most fundamental. Fostering an actual connection between leaders and students relies on such foundations. As representatives of the student community, their policies are mirrors to what the students need; in the case of local councils, it should echo the concerns of the students. After all, leadership is about bridging lapses, one problem at a time.
Under the gaze of the public eye, the MDA is rightfully open to the students. With the Commission on Elections letting the public inquire, all grievances are to be addressed logically, at the very least. Moreso, the candidates are expected to answer proactively, without biases, and most importantly, without lashing out at genuinely concerned students. Their reputation as officers is not the only factor these individuals gamble during the MDA, their individual beliefs come into play as well. Their answers are parallel to their practices and moral compasses; hence the MDA gauges their capacity as a frontman of the school.
As students who carry the Mapúan flare, the fire of service should not be agitated by unfeasible proposals. While it is true that the sky’s the limit of ambitions, platforms need to be grounded in what can actually be done. Reaching for the stars is one thing, but overpromising and underdelivering is another. The feasibility of some projects has been subjected to scrutiny, with some concerned that these are downright unrealistic.
Students are entitled to their own opinions regarding the platforms presented, how the soon-officers tend to criticism is beyond the students’ control. It is the students’ right to question policies or probable negligence as student leaders are supposed to pay homage to those who believe in their capacity to lead. As the election dawns on the Mapúan community, they are encouraged to properly sift through the aspirants’ general plans of action. These leaders are elected not just to regulate. They are elected to serve.
The pressure of jurisdiction goes beyond the campaign period, because what are promises but empty words unless acted upon? Exercise your right to vote – exercise your right to be properly represented.
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