XAVERIAN'S CORNER

Miting de Avance 06
Trevor Chan (H1B) and Theodore Efann (H3C), Stallion Probe Writers

Posted Thursday, 09-Mar-2006 2:35 PM

      The seconds ticked by on that plain Wednesday morning, counting down ever closer to a new good day - to the upcoming SC elections and to the future of the students of Xavier High School. For a good half-hour that fateful morning, thundering voices echoed through the monotony of the gym- preaching, promising and enticing. Yet, beyond the bold propaganda, colorful words and cunning speeches that ricocheted to and fro, the unspoken wisdom of the age-old slogan “Vote wisely.” was as prominent as ever. Under the scorching heat of politics, the students must, as always, take it upon themselves to see beyond the perfect posters and look straight into the substance behind the men that stand before them.

      “What makes a leader?” was the subject behind all of the candidates’ speeches during the 2006 Miting de Avance. While admittedly an overused statement, behind all the candidates’ approaches in convincing the student body that they were indeed the answers to the immortal question, we are left to wonder, are these truly enough to convince the students? Viewing this primary method of addressing the student body as a whole, the Miting de Avance gave the candidates the opportunity to try to captivate the voters into making the “wise” decision.

      In an interview with Richard Uy, Chairman of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), he stated that the event was an avenue for every candidate to present himself with utmost honesty and integrity.

      In coherence, he asserts that, “One [criterion] of being a good leader is charisma and without that, one cannot engage the student body properly.” Consequently, he says, “The COMELEC feels that a leader must be able to speak in front of a crowd and make his presence felt.”

      Coinciding with Richard’s view, Mr. Aragon, co-moderator of the Student Council, further added that although it did not push through due to time constraints, a semi-formal debate was originally planned to allow the candidates to express their platforms in a freer environment.

      Likewise, when questioned whether the present set-up would tend to favor candidates who were better speakers, he replied, “I think that is really the way that politics goes, and it’s a lot about rhetoric. However, the present set-up does have its limitations, and we trust in the voters’ discernment, to weigh things out and to choose their candidates wisely.”

      But exactly how do some of the candidates’ speeches weigh in with the student body? In a brief survey conducted among eligible high school voters, a number said that employing student involvement in delivering their speeches, such as those done by Jonn Dy and Luis Locsin, both Student Council President candidates, cast a positive influence on their votes simply because they were able to make something unique out of something that was supposed to be serious. Moreover, given that the campaign paraphernalia that they bannered all over the high school has diminishing impact on the student body, those interviewed believe that the way the candidates delivered themselves was the deciding factor as to whether or not their party, or the candidates themselves, made the impression and garnered the backing that they would need to win in the elections.

      However, at the end of the day, and in every election, the result of the event boils down to the action of every individual voter. Though it is just a matter of time before the future of the Student Council and the consequences of this year’s elections reveal themselves, it is the students of this time alone, who have the power to determine the outcome of both.

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