New and improved are two words to describe this year's miting de avance, which was held on the same day as the Student Council elections, February 18, 2005 at the High School gym.

          Unlike in previous years, this year's miting de avance did not include delivering speeches the candidates prepared.
 
          When asked why he modified the miting de avance, Mr. TJ Agulto, Student Council (SC) moderator, reveals, “So that we can veer away from the showbiz way to the substantial way.”

          “I want to send a signal to everyone that what is needed is not star power but substance. Student Council is in the age of becoming serious and involved in the formation of students. How can you form students when you have unformed leaders?” adds Mr. Agulto.

          He also says that speeches were misused since most of the time, what the candidates say did not really matter. It is as if when one is doing the speech, the goal would be to package one's self to entertain people.

          As an alternative, there was a panel of judges to interrogate the candidates regarding their responsibilities, qualifications and other matters related to their aspired positions.

          “This is done to answer the real, relevant, urgent and most important questions because those are what we want our students to ask whenever they choose their leaders,” says the SC moderator.

          Mr. Maxwell Alvarez, Social Science Department Chairperson, and Mr. Ervin Ng, incumbent Senior Batch Representative, comprise the two-man panel of judges.

          Nichel Gaba, head of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), started the miting de avance by stating its objectives. Afterwards, this was followed by the interrogations of the candidates for Student Council Executive Board, excluding all the aspiring batch representatives.
        
          One by one, the candidates for Treasurer, Carlo Chong, Austin Uy and Filbert Tiu; for Secretary, Luis Locsin, for Vice President, Kevin Chong; and for President, Walther Hontiveros and Casey Lim, were grilled in front of the whole student body.

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