CENTRAL STUDENT Council (CSC) bets from the Faculty of Arts and Letters are seeking an improved system of information dissemination and a more responsive student council for the next academic year.
Eyeing the position of treasurer, Journalism junior Christopher Daniel Reyes from Lakas ng Diwang Tomasino said holistic transparency brings student awareness.
“I believe that it is about time for the Central Student Council to go beyond the transparency of the norms of funds or money. It is about time to be transparent in terms of the meetings with the Central Board because how can you raise awareness if there is no understanding?” Reyes said during the Tagisan 2017 mandatory debate.
“That is why we want to give the Thomasians an update, a progress by releasing the summary of the minutes of the meetings per se, so that they can have an awareness and understanding properly,” he added.
Both vying for the position of public relations officer (PRO), Political Science sophomore Francis Gabriel Santos (independent) and Literature junior Lance Santiago from Lakas Tomasino Coalition, on the other hand, claimed that a responsive student council should involve its constituents in its decisions.
“One of the most pressing issues in our University is the irresponsiveness of our CSC to the needs of the student body. In order for us to have an inclusive student body, dapat po nagsisimula po sa Central Student Council ‘yan. [..] We need to involve each student in the things we do,” Santos said.
Referring to the passing of the Students’ Code, Santos added that there is a need for a “collective action” in the CSC. “Hindi ko po hahayaan na matatapos ang termino ng susunod na CSC na walang magagawa.”
For Santiago, the role of the PRO is to be the voice of the students.
“Naniniwala po ako na in cooperation with them (students), in cooperation with the class PROs, mabibigay po natin sa kanila ‘yung impormasyon na tama, kung ano ang dapat ipaglaban, at bakit ito ipaglalaban,” Santiago said.
“Hindi naman po masama kung mag-create tayo ng marami pang avenues para i-involve natin at i-empower natin ang mga Tomasino,” he added.
Both the CSC and the Arts and Letters Student Council elections will be held from April 18 to 21.
Winners will be proclaimed on April 22. F MARIA EDEN T. DINO
