ECA Elections Issue

Volume 69 Issue 3

Empty.

The best word to describe El Consejo Atenista.

editorial board

table of

CONTENTS oVERHEARD IN LA PURISIMA: ECA ELECTIONS EDITION

04

the empress’ new clothes

06

empty slate & blank spaces

09

politics 101: usad vs ignite

10

Endangered politicians

12

magnifying lenses

14

leadership by substitution

16

burn eca burn

17

Yes or no: ateneans on the eca polls

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odd man out

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Editor in Chief: Trisha Ortega Internal Managing Editor: Irene Wahab External Managing Editor: John Xyrious Dela Cruz Features Editor: Franco Rivas Cananea News Feature Editor: Kent Kerby Bayona News Editor: Fathima Ahamed Kabeer Deputy Internal Managing Editor: Ciara Mae Obillo Deputy External Managing Editor: Christine Therese Oboy Associate Features Editor: June Karlo Suan Associate News Features Editor: Christianne Dawn Sicat Associate News Editor: Fatima Mandangan Finance Officer: Arjay Jumawan Communications Officer: Jessanell Sevilla Physical Property and Maintenance Officer: Shorwayne Chua Auxiliary Corps: Monique Praico, Joyce Sophia Carpitanos

Associate Editor for Reveille: Aseya Khadija Calo Writers: Keith Joshua Dumpit, Neilson Nick Alinsangan, Mia Falcasantos, Aeon Abad, John Dexter Canda, Leonette Sadioa, Al Asmad, Aisha Ibrahim, Bianca Roma de Leon, Charmine Bannister, Hasmina Alfad, Anne Falcasantos, Candeline Galvan, Abdelaziz Maldisa, Clark Punzalan, Darwin Lacbao, Diego Esperat, Harmony Lucero, Dave Cervas

Associate Editor for SINAG: Pristine Janielle Padua Writers: Jorace Martini Dayrit, Ivon Macapla, Amira Solaiman, Alymrah Anuddin, Gillian Manalo, Loren Justo, Mark Macaso, Irene Wahab, Rizanna Narag, Putli Amilbangsa, Audrie Keith Sepe, Jamila Becca Daud, Charle Kent Lim, Mary Kathereen Cacayan, Nehemiah Araojo, Katleen Tampos, Therese Duterte The BEACON Atelier Creative Director: Bianca Alyana Zamora Head Cartoonist: Ioneebel Garcia Head Photographer: Lea Alessandra Lim Cartoonists: Fahad Alfad, Patricia Denise Apolinario, Hazel Rosie Bayaras, Roderick Mendoza Jr., Christopher Tabula, Jonie Alaban, Alana Lois Alano, Deanna Rose Bucoy, Joshua Cabrezos, Nica Franz Visitacion Photographers: Ivan Emmanuel Bokingkito, Darrylene Clemente, Ryan Covarrubias, Yves Xaviery Valerio, Mark Phillip Ycaza, Roseller Gyle Samong, Mohammad Sarajan Layout Artists: Jamie Catherine Go, Ray Andrew Santiago, Eleazar Torres, Lord John Luza

EDITOR’S

NOTE University. The BEACON –composed of 74 paying members of ECA –only intends that this representation is more than ceremonial.

In this Special ECA Elections Issue of The BEACON, we assessed the performance of El Consejo Atenista under the leadership of its first female president –Emmanuelle Bantay and critiqued the issues that orbit the world of AdZU student politics. Initially, the Editorial Board had planned a lampoon edition, The BACON to satirically describe the follies and flaws of ECA but two consecutive years of maladministration dissipated whatever humor we have left. ECA is a joke but the joke’s on us, we the student body.

From a comparison of ECA to its counterparts in other Ateneo schools to a scrutiny of the major accomplishments of the Bantay administration to USAD and IgniTE’s Game of Thrones-like rivalry, our select cadre of writers headed by Editor in Chief Emeritus John Xyrious Dela Cruz gives us a compelling narrative of ECA’s journey from acclamation to frustration.

Not a few have raised the question as to why we keep on writing about our student council, on why we have to strain our efforts for a lost cause. The answer lies on the truth that whoever becomes president of El Consejo Atenista, he or she becomes the single student who can legitimately claim to represent Ateneo de Zamboanga

Though this issue might not be as entertaining or savage as last year’s, it is hoped that you our dear readers, our fellow ECA members, get to reflect on the state of our student council and discern on the choice we have to make on Election Day. For in this exercise, more than faith, justice.

Trisha Camenforte Ortega Editor in Chief

ABOUT THE COVER

This room used to house the venerable and once iconic office of the El Consejo Atenista. As of the moment, this deserted space is a clear reflection of the empty promises and reforms made by the outgoing Bantay Administration. The spotlessness of this old office sends a strong message to the student body, who will be casting their votes this coming ECA General Elections –to clean up the mess for the second time yet again.

Moderator: Mr. Marion Guerrero |03

EDITORIAL

Illustration BY Jonie Alaban

F

CLEANSING

or two consecutive years, El Consejo Atenista has been ineffective, inefficient and nonexistent. Two years of incompetence and gross negligence under the leadership of a so-called student political party, the Union of Students for the Advancement of Democracy otherwise known as USAD. However, contrary to what their party name stands for, there was utterly no progress at all. This year’s El Consejo Atenista is just as worse. The ECA has been stuck on the same page for the longest time, plagued with the same old problems, created by the same old system and promulgated by the same old people.

Is apathy to be blamed? After all, we have comfortably assigned it the titular default reason. No, not this time. El Consejo Atenista itself was apathetic.

Apathy has crept inside the pinnacle of student leadership and representation. The student body has become tired of the ECA. The promises made by President Bantay were tossed aside, lost and forgotten.

In the case of ECA, a third time is no longer a charm. A third consecutive year of unproductiveness will push the student government to the brink of extinction. And that is why, our dear readers, this is the time of the year; where you are given the perfect

opportunity to sweep the ECA clean by electing a new set of officers –competent and responsible officers to be exact. This is the best time to get rid of the old, to dismantle a rotten system of student leadership and governance, and to disinfect the new ECA office from a neglectful and lethargic set of ECA officers, ghost officers and friends-of-officers.

If ECA is to survive then sweeping changes are to be made. We are asking for new leaders to step up and fill in the leadership vacuum of our student government. We are begging for a renewed El Consejo Atenista, for a resurgence of the earlier versions where the student government prioritized student-oriented goals and was active and resilient in addressing the issues afflicting the student body.

The choice is yours. You have the option to sweep the ECA clean or to leave it in its present dirty and dying condition. What the ECA is made of right now is a mess that we have created, a waste that we have allowed to putrefy.

And as for President Bantay and what is left of her government, to quote EcoWatch –Clean As You Go. |05

The Empress’ New Clothes

The El Consejo Atenista under Emmanuelle Bantay’s ten-month long administration ushered in a new age of student leadership and governance. Steeped in Atenean values, ECA propelled itself into the standard student council of the 21st Century. Buoyed by millennial optimism and pragmatism, ECA accomplished what its predecessors could only dream about. Here was a student government genuinely rooted on the aspirations of its members, motivated by a palpable sincerity of service, and inspired by a faith that does justice.

In true manifestation of service beyond words, here are the achievements of the elected and appointed officers of El Consejo Atenista for Academic Year 2015-2016:

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SPECIAL ECA ELECTIONS ISSUE

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X X

ECA ELECTION 2016

fail ECA PRESIDENT N/A

Empty Slate & BLANK SPACES

wun??

ECA VICE -PRESIDENT N/A

AAO GOVERNOR

gone girl part 2

BY Neilson Nick Alinsangan and Fathima Ahamed Kabeer

xxxxx, xxxxxxxx Abstain

T

he year 2016 has elections scattered all over it. Apart from the national elections, the ECA elections is just around the corner. This year’s elections somewhat strays from the one we were used to. The next administration will be having a few empty seats as there are only a handful of candidates who filed their Certificates of Candidacies (COCs) and all of which are coming from a single party.

CSITAO GOVERNOR N/A

LAAO GOVERNOR N/A

EAO GOVERNOR

We could be

xxxxx, xxxxxxxx Abstain

MAO GOVERNOR

ZEROES

xxxxx, xxxxxxxx Abstain

NAO GOVERNOR

xxxxx, xxxxxxxx Abstain

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ID

!

F GA

This year, IgnITE is the sole competitor vying for political supremacy over the different Academic Organizations. There are no candidates for the president and vice president positions –another anomaly for this year’s elections. The question that requires answering is why USAD decided to not make an appearance in this year’s election? USAD’s Sitti Chua would have ran for this year’s presidency but failed to meet the qualifications.

According to Chua, USAD decided that they will serve the student body in a different way. Their plans are set to work on the sidelines, emphasis on the Philippine Elections and to use their skills and principles in assisting with the various projects that other offices like SACSI and ACLG will undertake. The Magna Carta will also be the focus for USAD in the next school year and not holding major positions in the office would afford them the necessary focus to finally accomplish the task “We will… be working 10000x for the Magna Carta,” said Chua. USAD may not be running but they will still be in the ECA.

The following are the candidates running for governor and vice-governor respectively for the following AOs: Yousef Cali and Rhealiza Rhadza Hamin for AAO, Acelyn Estuaria and Shaira Estioca for EAO, Jasmine Alais Sandag and Sakur Tan Ibrahim for NAO, and Chelsea

Manogura as governor for MAO. Though unchallenged, these candidates’ victories are not guaranteed. They still need the vote of 50 percent plus one of the total voters’ turnout to be able to assume office.

Ateneo might be experiencing a famine of student leadership which is a steady decline since the outgoing administration. There may be potential leaders within the student population hesitant to take up arms amidst the issues and chaos. Apathy is also a major factor as some student leaders shun the idea of running for office.

Another factor in play may also be the weak voice calling for leadership. The Ateneo Electoral Commission (AELECOM) is the organization tasked to oversee the elections. Their presence is waning by the year and the call for leadership is not heard. Gone are the campaigns and even the mascot employed by the AELECOM of old. This committee must be revived to its former glory.

Whatever the reason, it could not be denied that there exists a decline in the quality and quantity of student leaders. With the next school year having no incoming college students to refill the roster of student leaders, such a possibility might be remote. Only if more leaders would take up the challenge and emerge from the fog would the leadership famine be dealt.

One thing is for certain, there will be a special elections come next school year to fill in the empty seats.

It is with hope that the Ateneans would be witnessing a heated and intelligent presidential debate by two capable candidates. May the leaders hidden within the student community step up and fill in the blank spaces left behind by this year’s deficient elections.

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POLiTICS 101 USAD vs. IgnITE

by Fatima Mandangan

L

et us start with the basic: what is a political party? In general, a political party is a group of people who share the same ideas about the way a country should be governed. However, in this case, we will talk just about a tad smaller-scale than of a country but has just the same significance— our very own university campus. What ideal bureaucratic party should we, the Ateneans, deserve in the next school year?

The Union of Students for the Advancement of Democracy (USAD) and Ignatian Initiative for Transformative Empowerment (IgnITE) are the two most, if not, the only two relevant parties inside Ateneo. Both parties have already distinguished their own brandthrough several campus activities that uphold their principles of social justice, solidarity, equality, freedom, empowerment

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and transformation. The competitive rivalry between the two separate AdZU political parties provided them aid in the development and strengthening of their respective groups’ principles and the increase in their campus power and prestige. However, now that the Election Day for the next set of student leaders is on its way, concerns and issues begin to rise.

SPECIAL ECA ELECTIONS ISSUE

The Issue

USAD was born from the socialist rhetoric of former ECA president Barry Barraca. It flouted a principle that was almost anti-administration, promising a Magna Carta and an overhaul of the student council.

Such pronouncements electrified the student body and thrilled the voters enough to plant the Red Rose in the Field of Blue and White. Obsessed with the passage of the Magna Carta, the Barraca administration soon became an incarnate of what it promised –ideal but abstract. Notwithstanding its disastrous performance, the Ateneo electorate chose to give USAD a second chance at ECA, this time with Emmanuelle Bantay at the helm. The results were identical. This 2016, either out of remorse or shame, USAD did not field any candidate.

To complement USAD’s entry in AdZU student politics, ALAB (Active Leaders Aiming for a Better Ateneo) carried Kenneth Al-John Abas as its standard bearer against Bantay. Prior to the actual vote, ALAB already courted controversy when it was widely believed that its agents in the AELECOM were responsible for the disqualification of Andre Ang, the supposed presidential candidate of USAD. Although defeated, ALAB even launched its group of volunteers –IgnITE—via a creative social media campaign. However, it was also in the same platform where photos of Abas and his party-mates enjoying a trip to Palawan circulated, the catch: it was funded by a mining company. A case of carelessness at it appears, the misstep raised questions on the party’s values given AdZU’s pro-environment stand. For the ECA polls this February, ALAB aka IgnITE nominated governors and vice-governors for the Nursing, Accountancy and Education academic organizations.

The ties that bind? Both parties are off-shoots of student organizations in Ateneo de Manila University.

USAD is in league with the Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (CRUSADA) while IgnITE is also part of the ALAB franchise of the same university.

The Ideal

An ideal political party, first and foremost, should be nothing but honest— a party who tells the students the truth right off the bat by selling us what they have, not what they do not have. An ideal party promotes an ideal governance that does not divide the campus into us versus them—no matter who the ‘us’ and who the ‘them’ is. An ideal political party values not just justice and empowerment but also personal liberty, expression and communication, transparency, environment, and education. Lastly, an ideal political party promotes positive influence, in which effective governance is drawn.

As Ateneans, we seek only a world of unanimity and fairness. We have enough bad politics outside the campus and we do not need one inside. The next band of leaders must believe that all of the aforementioned above are the essential preconditions for a free and prosperous environment inside Ateneo.

These specific idealities are not our goal, however. Our goal is nothing more or less than a unified and a dynamic student body through esprit de corps. As what John Maxwell said, “Teamwork is what makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team.”

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E

xcellence. Commitment. Action.

While these words could have been used as a play to the ECA acronym, it would be more appropriate to use: Empty. Conceited. Apathetic.

And while the student body is looking for the results of the promises they made a year ago, it turned out to be a familiar tune after all: blaming and pointing fingers at anyone but themselves.

This year’s set of presidential candidates for the country is promising us the moon and the stars. A little preview of how hopeless this tangle looks like: Binay pledging to scrap the income tax returns (seriously, what the hell?); Grace Poe promising to end Metro Manila’s traffic woes, like the whole country even gives a damn or the whole Philippines is just about Metro Manila; Roxas, as usual, a show pony; and Duterte trying to act as the 21st century Messiah, as if he can solve anything at one snap, forgetting that the presidential power is non-omniscient; and the faded, sickly, Santiago. The list goes on forever with nuisance, useless candidates, but if this list does not make you sick in the gut to begin with, I do not know what will.

On the other end, ECA has plunged into the abyss of indifference. What makes these two things a common color in the spectrum is one word: hopeless.

If these elections were a song, it would be a one-hit record that gets boring, predictable, and unlistenable after we hear it a thousand times. I am talking about Twitter wars, Facebook status rants, online election posters gaining hundreds of likes and shares in a jiffy, rallies at the college garden with flash mobs and all, but after they were elected, they all withdraw to their burrows as fast as how their names appeared and vanished from our social media timelines.

The ECA has become a breeding ground for trapos.

Students, who after they graduate might become a blueprint of the same politicians we have today in the society, a sad truth why our country is still stuck in a quicksand long before any of us were born. Sure, this year’s ECA officers might only have a few thousands of pesos unaccounted for.

Sure, they only had few projects while sitting pretty in their air-conditioned office. Sure, there is a bipartisan division inside as shatterproof as the Korean DMZ; and sure, these people are willing to step over their fellow officers to be seen as infallible, righteous, and dedicated. While these truths only sound petty monkey businesses, all things start small. The ECA is breeding spineless, elitist, kleptomaniac politicians, and mediocre of the future; politicians who are obsessed with accomplishing one thing they neglect to do anything aside from that, and in the end, do nothing at all.

Lest we forget, the Ateneo student electorate is fast becoming the norm of Philippine politics, susceptible to personality over platform with recurring bouts of retrograde amnesia and masochism. Case in point: the Barraca administration was a failure in epic proportions yet USAD fantards wanted more so Bantay won over Abas. The latter went on to become one of the Five Outstanding Zamboangueño Young Leaders, the former neither ‘outstanding’ nor a ‘leader.’ The same student voters overwhelmingly named Bongbong Marcos as their choice for vice-president in the October survey of The BEACON.

The ECA has become a breeding ground for trapos.

BY KENT KERBY BAYONA

After an epic fail tenure of the present administration mired with countless controversies, let us be brutally honest here, folks: nobody trusts the ECA system anymore. Nobody even dared to file a certificate of candidacy for president or vice-president the upcoming elections. It is the end of the school year, but instead of counting accomplishments of ECA, we are now counting broken promises, undelivered expectations, failures, and

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officers who resigned from office during the year. This is a turn over to another administration with nothing to be remembered for, except probably to be an icon of fiasco mini-politics, and not a single residue of achievement.

SPECIAL ECA ELECTIONS ISSUE

The Ateneo misses the feeling of having someone who actually leads, not just someone who uses the ECA as an avenue for someone to graduate with flying colors.

Undeniably though, there are still officers who perform well in their duties, and so in Philippine politics. Sadly, they are an endangered species worthy of a spread in National Geographic.

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COMPILED BY Aseya Khadija Calo, Christianne Dawn Sicat, and Irene Wahab

A

convex lens used to produce a magnified image of an object is called a magnifying glass. Using this tool, you would be able to zoom into the details and intricacies of the beauty, the flaws and mishaps of a tragedy. If El Consejo Atenista is inspected under these lenses, this is what you will see.

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EXECUTIVE

The executive department of the El Consejo Atenista is composed of the president, vice -president, secretaries, heads of departments, volunteers, etc. These people are the go-to persons whenever the student body is need of the ECA’s help. This department is, arguably, the most important unit of the ECA. These people are primarily responsible for all the decision-making policies of the student government.

However, it seems that the officers under this department have been mostly invisible to the eyes and ears of the student body. Most of the students do not even know that such ECA officers existed for the entire school year (a.k.a ghost officers).

The executive department failed to get the students involved in their activities.

They have also received a failing mark in making the students aware of the various ECA projects and initiatives that they conducted.

The exclusivity and the anonymity of such activities have been disastrous for ECA. The executive department is the first line of offense that ECA has in order to reach out to the student body. They should have capitalized on that in order to make their activities palatable and interesting to the student public. |14

2

LEGISLATIVE

An educated citizen of a political region would know that to be part of the legislative branch is to be a member of the law-making body of the government. Laws are there to maintain order, encourage safety, and promote discipline.

In our university, this power is vested upon the Board of College Governors (BOCG).

Such board is composed of all the governors and vice governors per college department who are duly elected every February. This comes as a surprise because that means your respective governors and vice-governors were actually mandated by the constitution to serve a greater, round-year purpose. And here we thought that winning the AtFest championship title in the first week of December was their end-all, be-all goal.

Being vested with the membership means shouldering greater responsibilities as well. And the legislative branch of ECA has been blessed with powers that could have been utilized for the benefit of the student body.

Some of the special powers of the BOCG are the power of invisibility (choosing when and where to appear to the public), manipulation (making oaths and vows for public satisfaction and approval) and shape-shifting (shifting from friend-foe relationship with co-governors).

Some of their “official” powers include: i.

Pass proposals to the university stakeholders (i.e. university offices and students) as approved by the El Consejo Atenista President. ii.

Consult their respective constituents and preside meetings of their respective Academic Organizations regarding any affair that is of their interest and concern. iii.

Implement projects and programs that will promote the general welfare of their constituents. iv.

Prepare the budget for their respective college/department project in accordance to the allocated budget for the entire Legislative Branch. The project should also be approved by the Chairman of the BOCG. v.

Act on the appointments to the judicial council, cabinet, AELECOM, and the Ombudsman.

If there was a Pulse Asia or an SWS Survey conducted to distinguish members of the legislative body from the other branches of the ECA, students would surely get it right. As a credit to the governors and vicegovernors, they had more public appearances and engagements relative to the people from the executive and judiciary branch of El Consejo. People are running as governors and vice governors with just a fraction of an idea of what those positions hold and the responsibilities they carry.

If we want change to happen, it should start with the effort of making relevant laws that govern and benefit the Ateneo students as a community. Right now, the change that matter is which academic organization will bag the Ateneo Fiesta Overall Championship, a symbol of pride and selfish glory.

SPECIAL ECA ELECTIONS ISSUE

JUDICIARY

In Philippine democracy, the judiciary branch of government is the last defence of liberty. It protects the poor and the weak against oppression by the powerful and the influential. It protects the rights to life, property, and the pursuit of happiness against the tyranny of violence, or abusive power, or unscrupulous ambitions.

complaints, regardless of its nature, to concerned offices in the university. They are also tasked to provide an objective interpretation of the El Consejo Atenista Constitution and its enforcement thereof.

This band of appointed justices serves as the impeachment court when ECA officers have committed crimes against the student body.

In the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, there too, exists the Judicial Council of the El Consejo Atenista. The judiciary is the third branch of ECA’s government structure. Ideally, it should be the champion of justice and students rights. In reality though, it is merely a department that hides in the shadow, an undefeated champion in the sport of hide-and-seek.

We live in an era where the phrase “to see is to believe” has become an understatement. Not many people go by mere word of mouth; there has to be something tangible to it, something believable to it.

We have come across hearing the words ‘Attorney-General’ and ‘Chief Justice’ and have once or twice seen the persons in position, but never have we felt their presence, never have their names rang a bell, nor have we felt their will for their presence to be felt.

This council is the judicial and complaints arm of the El Consejo and has responsibilities of forwarding all student

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buklod atenista

Buklod Atenista is an alliance of all the tertiary student councils of all five Ateneo universities in the country. And of course, ECA is our representative. Every year, they collaboratively design projects and initiatives and implement such in their own respective schools. If you can still remember, last school year, we had AFARM. That didn’t turn out quite good, did it?

Some of the ECA officers went to Cagayan de Oro City on October last year to attend the Buklod Atenista Mid-Year Convention. Aside from the Instagram and Facebook photo uploads of their escapade, no other output was seen. While the other Buklod Atenista ambassadors have been busy with all their projects and initiatives, our very own Buklod Atenista ambassador is nowhere to be seen (or found).

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AELECOM

The Ateneo Electoral Commission, commonly known as AELECOM, is the electoral arm of the El Consejo Atenista that is tasked to enforce and administer the conduct of student government elections and its rules. It is the governing body that is behind the yearly student government general elections and is charged with the handling of the filing of certificates of candidacies and all election-related campaigns and activities.

The pre-election weeks have been a mess. With the resignation of the entire AELECOM officers last year, the ECA has been running around the clock looking for qualified students who are willing to formally jumpstart the February elections. The late filing of candidacies, the unorganized schedule of election-related activities and a very poor electoral campaign awareness to encourage more student leaders to run for office have been the legacy of this year’s AELECOM.

What more is there to know about the committee that is in charge of conducting the customary student government elections than what the student body already knows?

Isn’t it enough to know just that? Is there more to what AELECOM does?

Maybe there isn’t. Maybe the Ateneo Electoral Commission is just, the Ateneo Electoral Commission. Maybe all the student body has to know is that a committee exists to conduct and administer the elections, to oversee the filing of application forms, to tally the votes of the candidates and to announce the new officers in position. Maybe that purpose is enough for nobody seems to mind and think about the contrary.

If we are to give an overall performance rating to the each departments and committees that make up the El Consejo Atenista, they would all be receiving a failing grade for this year. Twice in a row, that does not seem alarming, does it?

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Burn ECA Burn

RIVAS ALONE

Digging your own Dave

BY Franco Rivas Cananea

BY Dave Cervas

LEADERSHIP

BY SUBSTITUTION

T

he lifeblood of the existing ECA is dripping down the wire. Bestowed with ten months of asserting their might and thumping their class of leadership, the covert, faint enthusiasm of the student body has alienated into the same-old apathy and desolation toward any hopes. More than the explicitly lacking projects and spearheading of non-feast related management, the culprit for this year’s disastrous turnout of vanished proposals of change—last resort leadership.

The original landscape of presidentiables during last year’s election did not include the eventually victorious and incumbent President Emmanuelle Bantay. Some of the supposed candidates who voluntarily acted to vie for the highest position were plagued with vitiations for qualifications, most popular of which were failing marks. Consequently, the barring of the poised individuals led to the tapping of halfhearted substitutes who were overpoweringly influenced in a manner to bear the emptied role. Bantay’s bravery is commendable in immediate listening. Her assuming the task elicits a heartiness that resembles a charisma ala Cory Aquino. Truly, it embodies the characteristic trait of an Atenean leader: fearless in risky yet worthtaking ventures, all in the name of service. However, may it be due to spur-of-the-moment hassle or through selfless indulgence, it is in no way a valid consideration for unrealized and unimplemented platforms. These tools were the primary offers that they bannered during campaigns which substantially led voters to select their circles in the online sheet. After all, the reason why officers are elected is not solely banked on the drama they exhaustively project; for things such as the constitution of a Magna Carta, for example, are also a parcel of the whole decision.

Aside from the switched off functions of this administration, another facet of this adversity were the internal issues of each officer, among them, and within conflicting plans. The non-separation of the private sphere and the work sphere proved costly in terms of efficiently performing their obligations, i.e. the buzz regarding its Finance Officer’s mishandling of funds supports this. Also, the prevalence of miscommunication among officers dismantled the supposed single, unified goal of the whole ECA: to advance the welfare of its |16

constituents. Lastly, the contrasting intentions of the set of officers did not better their chances of redeeming ECA itself. This last issue could be attributed to the unwillingness of each officer to put forth the goals of ECA and not their own parties. It is an indicator of the lack of centralization of the commands within the whole organization, which stems with the likely chance of having little confidence with a president who played a substitute from the very start. These implications laid down how the incremental, personal dilemmas of the components of ECA caused them to perform as per expectation.

We bring ourselves once again to a contemplative query that is belied by its simplicity: What went wrong for this promising batch of changemakers? Then, human nature would compel the satisfaction of what-if instances. We wonder what it could have been for this year if John Abas or Andre Ang instead became ECA President. What could it have been for the direction of the student government if the central core of the Consejo was not a last resort and in its place was a committed student leader who proclaimed one’s motive at the first calling of casts?

Would it have ended the vibe of mere party-planners and provide an air of commensurate respectability as a formal student organization?

Through pondering introspectively, we aim to make people realize their shortcomings even with a contention that they had fallen prey to the ventriloquist hands of failed descendants. We denounce the incompetency of those whom we subjected to power yet failed to deliver. We set straight the lesson that this phase of ECA has produced: for quality to be assured, reluctance must not be the option.

SPECIAL ECA ELECTIONS ISSUE

I

t was February 4 when the breakfast club that is The BEACON decided to cook up some bacon at four in the afternoon.

Everyone was stoked as it was time to nitro-charge #BeastMode into #BitchMode in time for the February elections issue.

Given the task to write an article about ECA’s existence, I was begged to ask then and there, how do I attack the article?

Some of you might think I’ll whine about the Consejo’s disappearance into the abyss after all its promises during last year’s elections, but no. Seeing that this is the first issue this 2016 and I promised myself to be less of a whiner and always see the bright side of things as a resolution, I decided to actually applaud ECA for its handiwork this school year. Read on to see my appreciation of this year’s regime brought to us by the ever-proud USAD that killed our hopes of ever having a decent student government.

OrSem 2015

We cannot forget that the 2015 OrSem was spearheaded by El Consejo Atenista. It made this year’s freshmen orientation more interactive by posting and reading live tweets on the MPCC stage, and flashing photos of the said event. More than that, the El Consejo Atenista was in charge of screaming at the crowd to settle down in time for the Mr. and Ms. OrSem. With statements like “Guys! Please! Umupo na tayo!” followed by an eye roll caught on camera and televised week-long, damn that was one memorable Orientation Seminar.

Congratulations to ECA for the amazing orientation seminar and for the huge dose of cusses and eye rolls caught on tape. Our freshmen students were more than thrilled to know who their student leaders were.

Seven Deadly Maralita Sins

At the release of AdZU Secret Files’ most favorite The BEACON issue so far, the student government took the chance to attack its long-time coveted rival in the hopes of staining the publication’s name and to get even with it. With a satirical essay that (had your smart ass taken English in high school or in college, specifically types of essays) was downright meant to be sarcastic and humorous, the El Consejo Atenista made a fool of itself and exposed its dumb side which we have all grown tired of since last school year.

Don’t even get me started with the survey which, for some reason, should have had me scared about The BEACON’s reputation.

With options in the survey as I want the person responsible to be penalized because my feelings were hurt, my mind just bled. Note for ECA, and I’m explaining this in Filipino in case some of you skipped English111 or 112 as evidenced by the arguably decent survey, if this is the case—that the person responsible should be penalized for hurting feelings—Eh di sana naman lahat ng nakikipag-break pina-DSA niyo na!

It’s a sad fact that ECA would much rather focus on attacking The BEACON for something irrelevant rather than find a resolution to marijuana possession and use inside the campus, secret hazing sessions and many more pressing concerns than taking a joke seriously. As if this is what the office is for—a breeding ground for vengeful Ateneans, and not a body trying to give the students its welfare. But then again, ECA made a mark in this circumstance. It existed.

TV Rentals

One of the very few times the office was actually useful other than as a place for WIFI and selfies and couch rests was that it lent its television!

After every acquaintance party or had there been anything to promote, we can’t deny some of us caught ourselves standing in front of their flat screen, appreciating what was flashed before us. More than that, the booming speakers gave us something to rave over while stuck drooling in class. The television rentals gave us time to frown at some of the acquaintance party goers’ OOTDs and make fun of whoever danced awkwardly.

The El Consejo Atenista was never meant to be a Korean TV surplus store or never was it meant to be an extension of EMCOR. But then again, what else could it offer?

College Night

For the third time in a row, I’m writing about College Night. I have grown to see the honor of doing this as I’m the writer assigned to cover what seems to be ECA’s only project. The College Night was a rip-off, an extravagant in-house-party-wannabe with no taste, save for the confetti that everyone probably accidentally ate. With the amazing surprise Globe Street Party that was thrown the night before Lux: Light Up the Night, everyone was hoping to get turnt up for two consecutive nights. But the second night was a flop, a venue where your demons wanted to come out but backed out halfway through climbing out of hell, an anti-climactic end to the night.

Yet we have to give the office the recognition it deserves. ECA was so trustworthy, the AtFest Steering Committee did not appoint Bantay as its vice-chair –a post traditionally given to the sitting ECA president. To top it all, presidential loser John Abas spearheaded the Opening Ceremonies!

My oh my, we could only guess how the meetings went with PresidentIrrelevant Bantay and Loser-turned-Winner Abas in the same room. How do you spell awkward again? ECA’s default activity in the week-long fiesta was the College Night yet it still managed to bungle it up. But it did its best.

For that, thank you? Even with the mess that they served us, ECA the party organizer, did its job.

Snapchat

Yes, you read it right! ECA is very, very, very, very, very, very active in Snapchat. It much rather make its presence felt in this nude-rich social network than it would in AdZU. Yes, they promised to do this and do that for the student body, to push the Magna Carta and stuff, to deliver this and that to AdZU, but guys, can’t we cut them some slack? The leaders over there needed a break after exhausting all its neurons in its Anti-BEACON survey.

Every time an issue against ECA crops up, The BEACON makes effort to get the side of the officers involved. And with ECA, The BEACON has mastered the art of effort. We make calls, texts, write letters, do PMs in Facebook, DMs in Twitter just so we get everybody’s side. Getting a response from ECA is a literal interpretation of Adele’s Hello. Not in our wildest dreams did we imagine that we had to ask our dainty EIC to do snaps just to get an answer!

You could follow them if you want to do so. But proceed with caution as they love to “seen” the messages sent to them. Don’t message them or anything. Just watch snaps of their faces with the caption Eyebrows on fleek. ECA is not the student government of AdZU. It is an Ever Bilena expo of the best eyebrows. Let’s stop asking Consejo to do this and do that.

They’re only students like us who need to rest and snap some selfies.

Another school year is about to end and here we are again, still stuck with an USAD-driven regime that held so much promises but did not fulfill anything. But then again, ECA has made a mark in a lot of circumstances. It has existed. Albeit not in the way we pictured it, it still has.

In a university full of Kims and Kendalls, Consejo chose to be a Rob rather than a Konsejo.

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Given the fact that the number of candidates running for ECA positions is diminishing at an alarming rate, it is timely that we get into the needed qualities for student leaders.

In line with this, The BEACON conducted a survey on what qualitative traits Ateneans are looking for in a leader along with a few queries on election-related matters. There is a need for us to take a look at the general preferences of the student body regarding the qualifications needed for one to be a student leader who is capable of winning and handling a position in the ECA.

YES or NO: Ateneans on the ECA Polls

BY Senior Writers John Xyrious Dela Cruz and Neilson Nick Alinsangan photos BY Mohammad Sarajan

T

his is the time of the year when the Ateneo student body is faced with the same challenge of electing student leaders to fill the depleting roster of ECA and AO officers. This is the time of the year when we get to take a glimpse of what Ateneans would have to say about the elections.

Enthusiasm, a quality that encompasses an active, expressive and energetic personality, is the most prevailing quality that a student leader should have, according to the vast majority of our respondents. Indeed, being a student leader requires one to be interactive to his or her respective constituents. A lively and robust leadership character would really grab the attention of the student body, as it somehow establishes an impression of being approachable and friendly.

Aside from that, having an expressive personality in a student leader is crucial. Take note that a student leader is a representative of a particular group of student, in ECA’s case, ECA officers are representatives of the entire Ateneo student body, which is why an expressive character is an essential quality for a leader in order for him or her to daringly express the woes and sentiments of the student body. We are not in need of a student leader who is mum about the issues plaguing the students. Gone are the days of silent and shadow leadership, where student leaders tend to operate from behind the scenes and through silent means. With all the issues that we have as of the moment, a fiery brand of enthusiastic leadership is what the ECA needs.

Another leadership quality that is indispensable to a student leader is discipline, having garnered 63 percent of our respondents’ choice. Discipline is a characteristic of a leader that highlights his or her strong sense of being bound to his or her duties and responsibilities. What we are looking for in a student leader is someone who has the sense and attitude of commitment and responsibility. This quality has been lacking in the ECA for the past two years of an USAD-led regime.

Under the Bantay Administration, we have witnessed mass abandonment of duties; notable among these are the resignations of the ECA Finance Committee members and the commissioners of the Ateneo Electoral Commission (AELECOM). Such utter disregard of duties and responsibilities is what we are hopefully trying to avoid in this year’s elections.

Both the characteristics of honesty and intelligence have been considered by Ateneans as equally important for a student leader. ECA has always been mired by controversies on its finances. Having failed to publicly issue a financial report since time immemorial, doubts still continue to linger and haunt the financial accountability and transparency of ECA, which

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SPECIAL ECA ELECTIONS ISSUE

is why, having honest and trustworthy student leaders at the helm of student governance this year would optimistically buoy a shift in the inefficient financial management that the ECA currently employs.

Intelligence here does not refer to being academically able. One does not need to be a first or second honor student to qualify as an ideal student leader, being intelligent means being knowledgeable with the system and process of student governance. The current bureaucratic structure of the ECA is complicated and multifarious, thus one must be able to understand the functions and pursuits of each department that comprises the ECA as a whole. Intelligence also embodies the attitudes of being rational, logical and perceptive. All of these are considered to be essential ingredients for a student leader to be able to come up with sensible and judicious decisions involving ECA matters. Aside from that, being perceptive also allows student leaders to think outside the box and would come to realize the fact that there is more to student governance here in Ateneo than OrSem, Ateneo Fiesta and College Night.

The BEACON also solicited some questions regarding elections-related matters. It is not surprising to know that most Ateneans are not aware of the activities of ECA for this school year; most do not even avail of the services that ECA offers.

Taking these into consideration, it tells us that the administration of President Emmanuelle Bantay failed to connect with the student body. This low turnout of student awareness regarding ECA’s activities and services also sheds some light on the fact that ECA does not give any weight to the importance of public relations. Whenever one tends to pay them a visit in their hidden sanctuary, the sense of hospitality and warmth are neither present.

Despite the sparingly-felt presence of ECA this school year, a good number of Ateneans expressed a positive response on whether or not they would be casting their votes this upcoming elections. A high voters’ turnout this year would somehow be a boost of confidence to both the ECA and AELECOM that hopefully, the students would be more involved and active in future ECA activities and projects. The survey also showed that most of the students vote for the person and not for the platforms, which indicates the need for remedial voters’ education. It also suggests that somehow, the platforms of the candidates are not entirely appealing to the students and do not highlight the benefits that it will provide the student body.

For this year’s ECA General Elections, the pulse of the student body is inclined to a more optimistic and favorable one as opposed to their trite evaluation of the student council’s performance under the Bantay Administration. We are hoping that the results of this survey may be translated into reality.

And that the illusion of having an effective and efficient student council may also come into existence.

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COMPILED BY Neilson Nick Alinsangan, jUNE KARLO SUAN, MONIQUE PRAICO, MARK MACASO, THERESE DUTERTE, ABDELAZIZ MALDISA, AND SHORWAYN CHUA

Enthusiasm emotional Stability discipline assertiveness 23% charisma 20% confidence honesty oratory 15% intelligence

68%

(Active, Expressive, and energetic)

30%

(can tolerate frustration and stress)

63%

(bound by a strong sense of duty)

28%

(competitive and decisive) (Appeal and personality)

(self-reliant and assured)

(truthful and sincere)

50%

(Eloquent in speech)

What traits are you looking for in an ECA leader

50%

?

(can understand quickly, think clearly, and judge accurately)

64%

36%

Are you aware of the different activities of the El Consejo Atenista this year?

55% Yes

Have you participated in any of their activities?

(De-Stress After Test, Ateneo Fiesta College Night, Students’ Rights Awareness Week etc.)

31%

Do you avail of the services they offer?

69%

Do you know the name of our El Consejo Atenista President?

33%

Do you know the name of our El Consejo Atenista Vice-President?

73%

Will you be voting this coming El Consejo Atenista elections?

36%

Do you vote for the platform or the person?

54%

Yes

Yes

67% Yes

27% Yes

64% Yes

46%

PLATFORM

Do you in general consider yourself as a supporter of any political party or organization?

66% Yes

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NO

45% NO

Odd MAN OUT:

El Consejo Atenista and the Other Ateneo Student Councils

bY Editor in Chief Emeritus John Xyrious Dela Cruz

NO NO NO

NO

PErson

34% NO

SPECIAL ECA ELECTIONS ISSUE

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H

ave you ever wondered as to what the other four Ateneo student councils are up to? What activities they do or what projects they have? You’ll be surprised that these student councils are entirely on a different level than our El Consejo Atenista.

For those of you who do not know, the ECA has four siblings out there. We have the Sanggunian ng mga Kabataan ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila, the Supreme Student Government (SSG) of Ateneo de Naga University, the Central Student Government (CSG) of Xavier University and SAMAHAN of Ateneo de Davao University.

While we have grown jaded over the drab activities and unfulfilled campaign promises of El Consejo Atenista, why don’t we have a sneak peek as to what the other four Ateneo student councils have been doing for this school year. Perhaps in this way, our very own ECA may be enlightened as to how unproductive they were, yet again, under the same USAD-led leadership.

Elections Task Force

In order to bolster awareness and participation in the upcoming national and local elections this May 2016, each of the four Ateneo student councils launched their own elections task force. The said task force is composed of student volunteers and student council officers in coordination with various groups and organizations inside and outside their respective universities such as the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Kabataan Partylist, and many more.

The elections task forces spearheaded several elections-related awareness campaigns and activities all throughout the school year with an organized calendar of activities. The highlight of their movement was the various forums that they have conducted

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such as the presidential and senatorial forums.

They also hosted forums and discussions for local candidates in their respective areas. The ECA had an elections-related activity this year through its voter’s registration initiative in collaboration with SACSI and COMELEC; however such campaign was only limited to the registration for qualified voters and only lasted for the first few months of the school year.

Constitutional Convention (ConCon)

The Bantay Administration has been a fervent fanatic of amending the 2008 El Consejo Atenista Constitution, though we have heard rumours of the ECA having their own ConCon and attempted initiatives for the constitutional amendments; the student body seemed to be lost about the details of the said reform. No output was ever presented nor any news about the results of the said assembly.

On the other hand, Sanggunian and SAMAHAN, both conducted successful and productive constitutional conventions, which were efficiently and devotedly supervised by their respective and functioning legislative branches.

Unlike our incompetent and nonexistent BOCG, Sanggunian and SAMAHAN Central Boards had been active in filing and approving resolutions that officially recognized and created their constitutional conventions, which were mainly responsible for overseeing possible amendments in the constitution and reading, interpreting and analyzing its various provisions.

SPECIAL ECA ELECTIONS ISSUE

Aside from that, the ConCons that were established produced much needed outputs, which were all relayed to their respective and concerned constituents through the use of various media such as coordination with their official student publications, their posts and updates in their official social media sites on Facebook and Twitter and through their department of public relations. These are the initiatives that were lacking with the so-called ConCon of the ECA, if ever such a convention existed in the first place.

Tuition and Other Fee Increase (TOFI)

“The student council, aside from its basic services, is needed by the students because we need to have a say not only in university negotiations but also youth involvement in national/global discourse,” said Marc Wendolf Duque, head of the Ateneo Elections Task Force of AdMU’s Sanggunian. He also pointed out that student councils nowadays lack the initiative on creating political stands that serve to influence university-wide and nationwide discourse.

Speaking of youth involvement in national discourse, a proposed tuition and other fee increase (TOFI) in most universities, including Ateneo de Zamboanga University, was angrily protested by students across the country. All four student councils of the Ateneo, except ECA, have formally expressed their opposition on the planned increase in tuition and other fees, which accordingly would be around 13 percent. The SSG of AdNU has been the most vocal opponent of the TOFI and with the support of the student body, along with the Kabataan Partylist, they rallied their dismay and frustration. Using the social media hashtag #AyokongMagmahal, student councils from all four Ateneo schools have encouraged their constituents to support the movement against TOFI.

AdZU is among the many universities which proposed an increase in tuition and other fees.

However, instead of spearheading discussions and awareness on this issue, the ECA was tight-lipped, having yet to release an official statement about the issue. This deficiency of making an official and dignified stand on prevalent social issues highlights the obliviousness and utter disregard of significant realities outside the Ateneo that, one way or another, affect the student body.

Key Differences

For this school year alone, the ECA paled in comparison with its sister student councils in all aspects of leadership, governance, student services and social awareness. The level of commitment, passion, and service that these student councils provide to their respective university is indeed admirable and impressive. The solidarity and focus of the student leaders and officers behind these student councils are palpable and are geared towards the benefits and the common good of their corresponding constituents.

The ECA should view this as a learning experience. It is but timely for our very own student government to align its goals and initiatives for the benefit of the student body. And rather than cleaving on traditional activities inclined toward hype and entertainment, the ECA should think about formulating events and opportunities that address relevant and prevalent issues affecting the students as a whole.

Ateneo’s brand of leadership is unique as compared to all other schools and universities in the country. Why is that so? It is because our brand of leadership is rooted in our Ignatian values, thus the challenge for ECA to discover them as soon as possible.

Your Voice.

Your Light.