THE CENTRAL Student Council (CSC) plans to address old problems in the quadricentennial school year, particularly the delays in the passage of the UST Student’s Code, considered the centerpiece project of the celebration as far as student leaders are concerned.
“We are here to provide the projects that we feel the students need,” Leandro Santos, CSC President said in an interview.
The council has lined up projects such as unified information dissemination, sustainable environmental campaigns, thorough grievance consultation, “lasting awareness” of students’ rights, intensified security building and focused community development projects. It also wants to enrich Thomasian pride.
Topping the list is the long overdue UST Students’ Code, which has dragged on from one administration to the next. The Students’ Code is undergoing yet another review after being brought back from Rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P.
“With our advocacy geared over the Thomasian studentry, we will do what we can to finally set the pace of the code in the University,” CSC vice president Eula Edrem See said. “We will still hold a meeting regarding the code and decide on what plans and actions we are going to do.”
But a bigger problem looms, this time concerning students’ knowledge of the code. Randolph Clet, Faculty of Civil Law Student Council president and speaker of the CSC Central Board, said students should first learn what the code is before anything else. “We want the students to own the code as their own,” Clet said.
Paul June San Diego of Alyansa ng Kristiyanong Lakas (Aklas) party agreed, saying the CSC last year failed to address students’ indifference.
“This has been the problem of the outgoing CSC officers. They failed to exert enough effort to market their projects well to the majority of the students that resulted to (sic) students’ aloofness,” San Diego said.
The CSC should establish personal relations with students by “mingling” with them, he added.
See said CSC will collaborate with local student councils to gain the support of the whole Thomasian community.
Jernold Vergara, AMV-College of Accountancy Student Council president, said his council will have its own activities, while engaging with CSC’s own.
Commerce Student council president Ryan Amandy said it is not enough to just implement projects within the college.
“We do not want to fill our calendar with just college-based activities because we would want to take a big part in the University’s celebration as a support unit for events,” Amandy said.
Santos, for his part, said the council is planning steps on how to effectively disseminate important notices to the studentry.
“We intend to get the [cellphone] numbers of each student [so that we can] text them,” Santos said. “Texting 40,000 [students] may cause delay but I want them to feel that there’s an attempt on the part of the CSC to reach them”
John Ryan Sze, CSC public relations officer, proposed the project titled “CSC Infoblast,” which aims to disseminate information to the student body by individually texting them updates.
Recently, UST forged a tie-up with Globe Telecom for a special subscriber identity module (SIM) card exclusive to UST students, faculty and alumni, who will receive updates and notices such as class suspensions from the University administration.
Own projects
Aside from providing assistance to CSC, local student councils plan to “spread the light” through their own undertakings.
Clet said the Civil Law Student Council will promote student legal assistance on campus.
Lordan Carreon, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery Student Coucil internal vice president, said his council plans to hold a national convention of medicine schools.
Nielson Dane Gustilo, College of Nursing Central Board of Students vice president, plans to have a monthly blood pressure- taking activity.
“We are aiming to venture into different types of advocacies. With this, we can help promote health consciousness in UST,” Gustillo said.
A journal titled, “The Legacy Remains: 400 Reasons why UST remains in shape,” will be launched by the College of Education Student Council. Details of the project were unavailable as of press time.
Meanwhile, the College of Fine Arts and Design Student Council is not only preparing for the Quadricentennial, but also for the college’s 10th anniversary.
Diana Lynn Sy, College of Tourism and Hospitality Management Student Council president, said her council will make the presence of the college felt this year.
Kabaitan Bautista, Conservatory of Music Student Council president, shared the same sentiment.
“We will make it a point that our term will be about service to the students,” Bautista said. “And we will continue what our college has become through the years.”
Evelyn Songco, assistant to the Rector for student affairs and CSC adviser, also expressed optimism that her comeback to the student affairs office will be fruitful.
“I would like to see from them greater dynamism, greater creativity, and greater sense of oneness with everybody working with them this coming year.” Songco said. Ian Carlo B. Antonio and Marnee A. Gamboa
I agree with Clet. The students should be aware of what this code is all about. I don’t know anything about it either. :((
Anyway, whatever happens, I don’t think this code that they want to pass would bring out something better in the campus because the change should start in them.
In my college, for example, the local student council seems to be nothing but EVENT ORGANIZERS. I hope they would do something to make their fellow students feel and see that they’re performing their roles as STUDENT ADVOCATES and as followers of their own constitution and of the policies of the University.
P.S. I’ll look forward to Bautista’s words: “We will make it a point that our term will be about service to the students.” Good luck and God bless you!
There is no clamor from the majority of Thomasians students for the passage of the students code.
They, the majority, do not care about this or anything for as long as they are in their safe zones. They will neither speak nor stand because they can not see the reason for doing so.
remember, Rizal asked the instigators of the revolution if the majority of the people supports the idea of being independent… He did not fully approved of the idea because of the lack of push from the Filipino people to be independent .
There is no clamor from the majority of Thomasians students for the passage of the students code.
They, the majority, do not care about this or anything for as long as they are in their safe zones. They will neither speak nor stand because they can not see the reason for doing so.
remember, Rizal asked the instigators of the revolution if the majority of the people supports the idea of being independent… He did not fully approved of the idea because of the lack of push from the Filipino people to be independent .