by Natasha Lee
Why did you run for the student council?
At first, I didn’t really want to run since I’ve already obtained the position of finance committee head this school year. Para sa akin, okay na yun. As in sure nako na hindi na ako tatakbo until malapit na yung elections. I think most of the students are really reluctant to run sa kahit anong position sa student council. Tapos ayun. Parang sinasabi nila na magrun ako. Tapos iniisip ko nun, what would my reason be. Para ba sa iba. Dahil ba kailangan mafill yung position. Or dahil intrinsic sakin na gusto ko tumakbo. So ang tagal tagal ko siyang iniisip.
Parang iniisip ko kasi na parang lahat tayo masyadong focused sa med. Lahat tayo masyadong nagpopore over books and transes. Iniisip ko na magandang opportunity yun na magjoin sa student council para kahit papano na para maprove sa kanila na yung buhay sa medicine ay holistic. Hindi lang puro aral. It’s a healthy balance of academics and extracurriculars. Kaya ayun. Parang magandang avenue ang student council for me to redefine academic excellence.
Talagang malaking challenge. Mahirap talaga ang third year. Magthithird year ako na ganun. Lately, meron pa akong ginagawa sa church tapos nag-student council pa ako. Pero kaya natin to. Bring it on.
How do you balance extracurriculars with academics?
Medyo gasgas pero learn how to prioritize things lang talaga. Pero above anything, sabi nila, if you’re going to assume the role as a member of the student council, you have to be a student leader. So student leader siya. So first you have to be a student before you are going to be a leader. So kahit may ibang extracurricular, dapat maensure ko muna na okay ba ako bilang estudyante. Once okay na yun. tsaka ko ipprioritize yung mga ginagawa talaga sa student council. Although minsan talaga nag-ooverlap sila. Pero ganun talaga e. Pero kinakaya naman.
Bakit treasurer?
Mababaw reason ko. Mahilig kasi ako sa Math. Ito na lang avenue ko e. Nag-start lang talaga dun. Ang sinasabi nila pag treasurer ka. Ikaw maghahandle ng finances. Hindi lang pala ganun. Ikaw din mag-isiip kung paano manganganak ng pera.
Ano ang role ng treasurer, auditor and finance comm head at paano sila magwork together?
To be honest, there is no clear delineation among the three positions. We just work together towards a common goal which is to raise funds for the student council and also to allocate budget. Ang ginagawa ko kasi is parang boss ko sila. Mag-iisip kami ng income generating project. Tapos parang kuya okay ba to. Tapos magcocoordinate lang kaming tatlo. Nafifeel ko yung authority nila, pero pag nagwowork kayo, parang team lang talaga.
Anong nakikita mong pwedeng improvements sa student council?
Masaya ako sa group dynamics. Wala akong problema sa kanila. Siguro yung kailangan improve, yung projects per se. Minsan yung projects masyadong routine like Halloween party. Parang mas maganda sana na magkakaroon ng maraming for the whole academic year. Pag dating sa finance, kumbaga we do away with the routine, puro jacket lang ba? Puro shirt lang ba? Puro lanyard lang ba? I think magiging better kung yung finance committee next year maraming gagawing projects na nakacenter dun sa needs ng students kaya andun sa statement ko yung fun run and monthly aerobics para wala tayong sedentary lifestyle.
So nakita ko dun sa statement mo yung “fair budget allocation”. How do you determine if the budget is fairly allocated?
Maraming mga college events and then we also have to support lahat ng orgs na meron tayo. Fair budget allocation kasi tulad na lang sa MGMR - SLDC and chorale. Kailangan ma-address yung needs nila. Dapat ginagawa pala siya at the start of the year. Pag nagstart naman, may ibibigay naman sila na budget galing sa previous student council, dapat doon pa lang, allocated na yung dapat. Meron iba na hindi na rin namin na-attend yung needs nila kasi kulang na pala yung money. Samantalang nung first sem, medyo okay pa.
What else do you think are the problems the student council will face next year?
Bagong year, bagong challenge. Bagong mga mangyayari. Pero siguro isa sa mga possible challenges is paano yung dynamics ng student council. Magkakaroon rin ba ng healthy relationship among the members. Tapos actually yung execution ng projects kasi nagkaroon ng academic calendar shift. For example yung sportsfest, naschedule siya day after ng first sem. So iniisip ko, one week, hindi compelled yung students na pumunta dun. So ibig sabihin ba okay pa rin magiging turn out nun.
Some of us are also thinking of the same thing, bakasyon na yun e. Paano mo tingin na maaddress yun?
Maybe we can suggest to the big 3 dapat talaga i-move yung sportsfest. Kasi wala naman talagang problem with regard to sked e na right after class. Parang nung sportsfest [this year]. Okay naman siya. Parang magkakaroon siya ng schedule in between classes. Kung hindi nila kaya igrant yun. Kahit after class na lang. Pero halimbawa kung bakayson, hindi talaga. Mahirap yun.
Improvements we can make from last year?
Committees. First time nagkaroon ng committees. Ang nangyari dun kasi hindi masyadong natap yung mga committee members. Una, late na naappoint yung mga committee heads. Late na rin nainform mga committee members. Kaya yung mismong group dynamics ng committee hindi masyadong naform. Hindi siya gaya ng ineexpect. So mas maganda para masustain, dapat isama na yung selection of committee members. Parang last year, it was more like they were coerced kasi kailangan ng tao. Dapat willing talaga. Dapat sa lahat ng planning, organizing, implementing, and evaluating involved sila.
So how do you get the members involved?
Dapat mas organized na yung way of inviting the students to join. Kung gusto ba nila sumali, dapat isang committee lang. Parang last year kasi sinabi pwedeng sumali sa 4 committees. Dapat committed ka sa committee.
Ano pang ibang projects ang naisip mo for next year?
Dun sa platform ko, hindi ko talaga siya masyado dinamihan. Because I want to make it as feasible as possible. Yung fun run kasi mabigat na siya e. Yung monthly aerobics feasible naman siya. Pero yung tinry ko kasi talaga yung movie block screening. Hindi siya pianayagan ng big three. Parang mas maganda kasi na magkaroon ng income generating projects, pero malaki agad yung mapupull na fund. Para hindi lang tayo ang magbebenefit. Kungyari kung malaki talaga yung nagegenerate na income, parang pwedeng magkaroon ng other beneficiaries.
Kung this year, hindi nila papayagan yung ganung klaseng events. Maybe magconcentrate na lang sa SLCM merchandise. School merchandise pero in a way magbebenefit rin ang students
Why did you run for the student council?
At first, I didn’t really want to run since I’ve already obtained the position of finance committee head this school year. Para sa akin, okay na yun. As in sure nako na hindi na ako tatakbo until malapit na yung elections. I think most of the students are really reluctant to run sa kahit anong position sa student council. Tapos ayun. Parang sinasabi nila na magrun ako. Tapos iniisip ko nun, what would my reason be. Para ba sa iba. Dahil ba kailangan mafill yung position. Or dahil intrinsic sakin na gusto ko tumakbo. So ang tagal tagal ko siyang iniisip.
Parang iniisip ko kasi na parang lahat tayo masyadong focused sa med. Lahat tayo masyadong nagpopore over books and transes. Iniisip ko na magandang opportunity yun na magjoin sa student council para kahit papano na para maprove sa kanila na yung buhay sa medicine ay holistic. Hindi lang puro aral. It’s a healthy balance of academics and extracurriculars. Kaya ayun. Parang magandang avenue ang student council for me to redefine academic excellence.
Talagang malaking challenge. Mahirap talaga ang third year. Magthithird year ako na ganun. Lately, meron pa akong ginagawa sa church tapos nag-student council pa ako. Pero kaya natin to. Bring it on.
How do you balance extracurriculars with academics?
Medyo gasgas pero learn how to prioritize things lang talaga. Pero above anything, sabi nila, if you’re going to assume the role as a member of the student council, you have to be a student leader. So student leader siya. So first you have to be a student before you are going to be a leader. So kahit may ibang extracurricular, dapat maensure ko muna na okay ba ako bilang estudyante. Once okay na yun. tsaka ko ipprioritize yung mga ginagawa talaga sa student council. Although minsan talaga nag-ooverlap sila. Pero ganun talaga e. Pero kinakaya naman.
Bakit treasurer?
Mababaw reason ko. Mahilig kasi ako sa Math. Ito na lang avenue ko e. Nag-start lang talaga dun. Ang sinasabi nila pag treasurer ka. Ikaw maghahandle ng finances. Hindi lang pala ganun. Ikaw din mag-isiip kung paano manganganak ng pera.
Ano ang role ng treasurer, auditor and finance comm head at paano sila magwork together?
To be honest, there is no clear delineation among the three positions. We just work together towards a common goal which is to raise funds for the student council and also to allocate budget. Ang ginagawa ko kasi is parang boss ko sila. Mag-iisip kami ng income generating project. Tapos parang kuya okay ba to. Tapos magcocoordinate lang kaming tatlo. Nafifeel ko yung authority nila, pero pag nagwowork kayo, parang team lang talaga.
Anong nakikita mong pwedeng improvements sa student council?
Masaya ako sa group dynamics. Wala akong problema sa kanila. Siguro yung kailangan improve, yung projects per se. Minsan yung projects masyadong routine like Halloween party. Parang mas maganda sana na magkakaroon ng maraming for the whole academic year. Pag dating sa finance, kumbaga we do away with the routine, puro jacket lang ba? Puro shirt lang ba? Puro lanyard lang ba? I think magiging better kung yung finance committee next year maraming gagawing projects na nakacenter dun sa needs ng students kaya andun sa statement ko yung fun run and monthly aerobics para wala tayong sedentary lifestyle.
So nakita ko dun sa statement mo yung “fair budget allocation”. How do you determine if the budget is fairly allocated?
Maraming mga college events and then we also have to support lahat ng orgs na meron tayo. Fair budget allocation kasi tulad na lang sa MGMR - SLDC and chorale. Kailangan ma-address yung needs nila. Dapat ginagawa pala siya at the start of the year. Pag nagstart naman, may ibibigay naman sila na budget galing sa previous student council, dapat doon pa lang, allocated na yung dapat. Meron iba na hindi na rin namin na-attend yung needs nila kasi kulang na pala yung money. Samantalang nung first sem, medyo okay pa.
What else do you think are the problems the student council will face next year?
Bagong year, bagong challenge. Bagong mga mangyayari. Pero siguro isa sa mga possible challenges is paano yung dynamics ng student council. Magkakaroon rin ba ng healthy relationship among the members. Tapos actually yung execution ng projects kasi nagkaroon ng academic calendar shift. For example yung sportsfest, naschedule siya day after ng first sem. So iniisip ko, one week, hindi compelled yung students na pumunta dun. So ibig sabihin ba okay pa rin magiging turn out nun.
Some of us are also thinking of the same thing, bakasyon na yun e. Paano mo tingin na maaddress yun?
Maybe we can suggest to the big 3 dapat talaga i-move yung sportsfest. Kasi wala naman talagang problem with regard to sked e na right after class. Parang nung sportsfest [this year]. Okay naman siya. Parang magkakaroon siya ng schedule in between classes. Kung hindi nila kaya igrant yun. Kahit after class na lang. Pero halimbawa kung bakayson, hindi talaga. Mahirap yun.
Improvements we can make from last year?
Committees. First time nagkaroon ng committees. Ang nangyari dun kasi hindi masyadong natap yung mga committee members. Una, late na naappoint yung mga committee heads. Late na rin nainform mga committee members. Kaya yung mismong group dynamics ng committee hindi masyadong naform. Hindi siya gaya ng ineexpect. So mas maganda para masustain, dapat isama na yung selection of committee members. Parang last year, it was more like they were coerced kasi kailangan ng tao. Dapat willing talaga. Dapat sa lahat ng planning, organizing, implementing, and evaluating involved sila.
So how do you get the members involved?
Dapat mas organized na yung way of inviting the students to join. Kung gusto ba nila sumali, dapat isang committee lang. Parang last year kasi sinabi pwedeng sumali sa 4 committees. Dapat committed ka sa committee.
Ano pang ibang projects ang naisip mo for next year?
Dun sa platform ko, hindi ko talaga siya masyado dinamihan. Because I want to make it as feasible as possible. Yung fun run kasi mabigat na siya e. Yung monthly aerobics feasible naman siya. Pero yung tinry ko kasi talaga yung movie block screening. Hindi siya pianayagan ng big three. Parang mas maganda kasi na magkaroon ng income generating projects, pero malaki agad yung mapupull na fund. Para hindi lang tayo ang magbebenefit. Kungyari kung malaki talaga yung nagegenerate na income, parang pwedeng magkaroon ng other beneficiaries.
Kung this year, hindi nila papayagan yung ganung klaseng events. Maybe magconcentrate na lang sa SLCM merchandise. School merchandise pero in a way magbebenefit rin ang students
Regarding sa transparency, how you inform the student body?
Yung pinaplano ko kasi dun sa financial report, gusto ko sanang iaccomplish at the end of the sem. May mga fund raising activities, ano yung income, ano yung mga projected expenses for the year. Nakaayos na siya per sem. Tapos siguro pwede rin siyang ipost dun sa bulletin board. Kasi kung kailangan mo pa siyang ipresent sa student body, we will all be expected to listen to it.
What do you think is your edge against the person who’s running against you?
To be honest experience din. Parang alam ko na kung paano na hinahandle ng treasurer, auditor and mga projects. Tingin ko yun. Although confident naman ako na kaya niya. Kasi nung sa Christmas party niyo siya rin yung finance head. Success naman yung Christmas party. Pero yung kung paano aandar yung student council, mas nakita ko na.
What will happen if you don’t win the elections?
Okay lang. Kasi if you decide to run for a position, you have to be prepared if you’re going to win or lose. Pero kung manalo ako, mas marami ang chances ko. Pero kung matatalo ako, okay lang din naman. Ganun pa rin. Magvovolunteer pa rin ako sa SC. Pero siyempre less responsibility.
Kasi di ba hindi ko talaga plan tumakbo sa student council. Ang plano ko kasi sana nun maging active volunteer na lang sa isang NGO, project PEARLS. Ano yun eh, for the street children. Pero last year ko pa talaga siyan pinaplano, e mukhang hindi na ganun ang mangyayari since tumakbo nako sa student council. So siguro babalik na lang ako sa original plan ko.
How can you address the recent concern of the administration about the alleged “lack of professionalism” and “rudeness” of some students in the academic feedback? What concrete actions are you going to take?
Siguro what I can suggest is dapat magkaroon ng google docs. Tapos dapat buong batch yun. Parang sila-sila dapat mag-iinput nun. Para accountable kayo sa isa’t isa. Tsaka kung ano yung feedback na sasabihin o ano man ang pwedeng comments na sasabihin nila. Kasi per batch yun. kung ano naman ang feedback na sasabihin ng isa, magrereflect yun sa batch na yun.
Para macontrol yun. Siguro naman yung confidentiality nun, baka pwedeng macompromise ng konti. Pero since para naman sa batch yun, similar lang comments kasi yung din naman na-experience nila. Kaysa sa incognito pa ang dating. Isesend back pa kay Doc Atienza. Magkakaroon talaga sila ng freedom to say anything. Kung ganun talaga ang nangyayari, wala naman tayong magagawa dun at hindi na natin macocontrol. Better na alam ng buong batch. Ang ginawa kasi naming is isusubmit sa class president, sa amin si Fong, may compiler, so siguro masasala na niya kung anong okay at hindi. Kung gusto mo ng active participation ng batch, wag ka mag google docs.
Yung pinaplano ko kasi dun sa financial report, gusto ko sanang iaccomplish at the end of the sem. May mga fund raising activities, ano yung income, ano yung mga projected expenses for the year. Nakaayos na siya per sem. Tapos siguro pwede rin siyang ipost dun sa bulletin board. Kasi kung kailangan mo pa siyang ipresent sa student body, we will all be expected to listen to it.
What do you think is your edge against the person who’s running against you?
To be honest experience din. Parang alam ko na kung paano na hinahandle ng treasurer, auditor and mga projects. Tingin ko yun. Although confident naman ako na kaya niya. Kasi nung sa Christmas party niyo siya rin yung finance head. Success naman yung Christmas party. Pero yung kung paano aandar yung student council, mas nakita ko na.
What will happen if you don’t win the elections?
Okay lang. Kasi if you decide to run for a position, you have to be prepared if you’re going to win or lose. Pero kung manalo ako, mas marami ang chances ko. Pero kung matatalo ako, okay lang din naman. Ganun pa rin. Magvovolunteer pa rin ako sa SC. Pero siyempre less responsibility.
Kasi di ba hindi ko talaga plan tumakbo sa student council. Ang plano ko kasi sana nun maging active volunteer na lang sa isang NGO, project PEARLS. Ano yun eh, for the street children. Pero last year ko pa talaga siyan pinaplano, e mukhang hindi na ganun ang mangyayari since tumakbo nako sa student council. So siguro babalik na lang ako sa original plan ko.
How can you address the recent concern of the administration about the alleged “lack of professionalism” and “rudeness” of some students in the academic feedback? What concrete actions are you going to take?
Siguro what I can suggest is dapat magkaroon ng google docs. Tapos dapat buong batch yun. Parang sila-sila dapat mag-iinput nun. Para accountable kayo sa isa’t isa. Tsaka kung ano yung feedback na sasabihin o ano man ang pwedeng comments na sasabihin nila. Kasi per batch yun. kung ano naman ang feedback na sasabihin ng isa, magrereflect yun sa batch na yun.
Para macontrol yun. Siguro naman yung confidentiality nun, baka pwedeng macompromise ng konti. Pero since para naman sa batch yun, similar lang comments kasi yung din naman na-experience nila. Kaysa sa incognito pa ang dating. Isesend back pa kay Doc Atienza. Magkakaroon talaga sila ng freedom to say anything. Kung ganun talaga ang nangyayari, wala naman tayong magagawa dun at hindi na natin macocontrol. Better na alam ng buong batch. Ang ginawa kasi naming is isusubmit sa class president, sa amin si Fong, may compiler, so siguro masasala na niya kung anong okay at hindi. Kung gusto mo ng active participation ng batch, wag ka mag google docs.