Warren Bennis once said “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into action.” Every year, Southville International School and Colleges elects a new set of Student Council officers, and this is its second year of electing new officers through an online setup. During this time, it is essential that students voice their opinions. To further help them do this, Student Council officers are needed. These leaders have the authority and responsibility to help make actions for the better.
The filing of candidacy was from September 15-22, and on September 23, the final list of candidates was released. The campaigning period ran from September 24-28, during which, the candidates were given the chance to showcase their proposals, teaser videos, posters in social media to appeal themselves to the student body. “To campaign, I joined a party and produced a video about us for the students to view during the assembly for them to get to know us better. Our party also submitted proposal activities for my fellow students to enjoy,” says STEM Level Representative Mulan Azalea Sugiarto.
Of course, running for Student Council and being an officer is no easy task. When asked why he ran for the position, Grade 10 Level Representative Robert Jeremiah Rivera answered, “I ran because I believe there is a duty that needs to be fulfilled on behalf of the student body, specifically my batch, and that I can do that duty well, having done so before and realized what the duty of a level representative really is.”
During the campaign period, countless emotions come up, starting from feeling nervous to feeling confident and excited. Student Council Secretary Han Jiahe described her emotions as thrilling while the Grade 9 Level Representative Matthew Mariano said that he felt fulfilled. “I felt fulfilled because it is not guaranteed that you will really get into the position. You will really have to work hard, know your goals, and know your purpose on why you are running for the position, and try your best to show that you really are committed to lead and represent your fellow batch mates,” he explained.
On September 29, the Miting de Avance took place via Zoom. This event welcomed all grade 6-12 students to become familiar with the candidates and hear them answer different questions.
Finally, on the evening of Thursday, September 30th, the results for the Basic Education Student Council Election were announced on the official Southville Student Council Facebook page. The official Student Council officers are Zia Huh (President), Myung Jun Yoo (Vice President), and Han Jiahe (Secretary), The official level representatives are Marcus Javier V. Rosal (Grade 6), Sebastian Cercado (Grade 7), Martha Pinca (Grade 8), Matthew Mariano (Grade 9), and Robert Jeremiah Rivera (Grade 10). Furthermore, the official strand representatives are Patricia Salgado (ABM), Jilli Gaerlan (GAS), Noa Aimee Vonk (HUMSS), and Mulan Azalea Sugiarto (STEM).
After the election, the officers took their oaths through a video presented in the junior high school and senior high school assemblies on October 11 and 12. Considering the year ahead will be through an online setup once again, the officers have a big challenge ahead of them. Student Council President Zia Huh says that she takes great pride and a good mix of nervousness together with the responsibilities that's given to her. Her ultimate goal this year is to better the school environment as a whole. Her Vice President, Myung Jun Yoo plans to support her in these responsibilities, saying, “I'm the one that should support Zia at all cost, I have the responsibility of taking control of the work of Zia, and if ever she needs help, I should be the first one to help her.”
HUMSS Representative Noa Vonk also plans to tackle the challenges of an online setup with a creative approach. When asked what the most essential skills to have during this time are, she replied saying, “Communication skills, definitely. In general, communication skills are crucial to working together but with the online setup there is much more room for misunderstandings. Being able to openly and clearly communicate is necessary for being part of the student council to not only talk to other SC officers but also the student body.”
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