by PJ Tiambeng

In the recent Involvement Month, elections, and appointments, proud students stepped up to be leaders for the ASHS community. It was that time of the first semester: interviews, the miting de avance, students campaigning from room to room, catchy campaign songs, and voting day. With this also comes discussion in the community: who are the people running, really? And, why are they doing this? With politics being engraved in our daily lives, it is natural for us to doubt. Sadly, though, there have become skewed perceptions of leadership positions: for popularity, for the resume, and the like. 

Moreover, student-leaders are often people on whom the student body relies. We look up to them with the expectation that they will hear us and lead us. During campaign season, students are often acquainted with aspiring student-leaders, who they are, and why they should be chosen. Yet, we often fail to see past the surface of the “glory” of a position, the student behind the name of “leader.”

Why choose leadership?

To Ateneans, involvements are a crucial part of the senior high school experience. Involvements typically are extracurricular activities that students take part in. With the involvement rule, involvement month, and the org sessions after Tuesday and Thursday, students are encouraged to take up these tasks outside of their usual academics to refine their skills and be more engaged with a community of like-minded people. With these involvements also come opportunities for leading groups such as organizations, districts, committees, councils, and departments to oversee the management and fulfillment of these involvements. 

Involvements are a chance for students to be part of something bigger than themselves. It is a chance to hone one’s skills or live out one’s advocacy alongside people who share the same mission. As we grow to be a part of society, it is a good practice to be in a community and to work with different kinds of people. Leadership in the ASHS provides opportunities for that. 

For Ri Ordoña, the ASHS Sanggunian President for School Year 2024-2025, she wanted to create a more inclusive environment. “I always felt like my community here in the ASHS viewed student leadership as a closed-off thing, like it was something you can only enter if you’ve been in it your whole life. And I guess as someone who was [a] class president and was just a member of an OSCC in Grade 11, I wanted to show the ASHS that service is for those who desire it, who have the love for it, and who feel called to do it. If they wish to serve, there’s always an opportunity for them to do that here in the ASHS.” 

Keona Lee, the ASHS Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chair, notices that many students also step up for these certain extracurricular activities because “they think that they can offer to give themselves a chance to help people. They want to share what they have and be the voices of the people who aren’t heard. Based on how I see it, some of them just want to step out of their comfort zones as well, to develop these skills that they can get as a student-leader like the typical communication skills, leadership skills, problem solving skills for their future roles. They think that this is not only an experience, or something that they just want to join for the sake of bragging about, but rather more on saying to the world or to show themselves what they’re capable of.”

Lee says that these involvements are crucial as they give the chance to “[be] someone who is aware and involved in these things. [This] allows us to also [be] not only a student, you just study, study, study and graduate, but you have this certain purpose and a sense of fulfillment… It’s not only the memories that you make throughout the experience but it’s also the connection you build with others, with your peers.” Along with the experience of holding leadership positions, these involvements allow us to practice being a person for and with others. 

Their reality

The Facebook page of AHS Freedom Wall is one platform that often sees the criticism and loss of face of many in the community. This is where many go to critique student-leaders and speak out about their thoughts. Though this does promote freedom of speech in our democratic society, it also has been harmful to many — as the root of gossip and embarrassment. 

When Lee was asked about her observed preconceptions that other students have, she said that one common notion is that “Student-leaders have everything all together, good in their lives, that they have everything plotted out.” Similarly, Lee said that student-leaders often have the title of “role model,” as a standard that comes with their involvement. They have to be good at managing their time, to be like “machines,” as if they never get tired and are always “okay,” always positive and ready to help—ready to be relied on. However, past the surface, they can actually be exhausted, and they simply do not wanna let others down. Though it is good that student-leaders are held accountable and are made aware of the responsibility they carry, we must also remember that they are just students like the rest of us. They have their own weaknesses and struggles; they also need patience and guidance. What they carry often turns into a burden, one that they cannot handle on their own. That is where we, the student body, come in to work with them. 

Ordoña cautioned, “It’s important to look at them from a humane perspective… to see them as people who can also struggle. I think that if we look at them in a more kind way, it can help all of us treat ourselves more kindly. I think it’s good to hold standards on servant leaders and to yourself, it’s good to have expectations because you have something to achieve — but in Atenean culture, it’s important to uphold kindness, to be compassionate to yourself and to other people.” 

Even though student-leaders have set their heart to serve the students, they continuously struggle with burnout. They wrestle with late nights of working on projects, balancing their responsibilities in involvements and academics, upholding the integrity of a student-leader, and saving enough time for themselves and their loved ones. They have to continuously remind themselves why they do what they do. 

“I think the main thing that drives me in the ASHS is that there’s still that kind of frustration that you still want to contribute more to the ASHS, still want to solve the concerns raised by the student body. I think being able to innovate systems currently in place and being able to actually address concerns raised is one of the main objectives of the Sanggunian. We’re all really working hard as the Sanggunian to be able to serve the student body and enrich their student experience while we’re here in the ASHS because it’s just two years,” Ordoña said. For student-leaders, they must put their focus on their “why”, and the rest of the answers to “what” and “how” will follow. 

Vote wisely. 

A person with an intent of running for a leadership position must always value service, just as Ordoña said, as leadership must always be rooted in those beliefs. However, we must admit that there are indeed those who do not have this.

Lee notices that some students tend to apply for these roles for the sake of being able to write about having this position on their application papers. This is a barrier to ensuring the genuine intent of leaders to serve others. Thus, their motives are always something to check when voting or appointing. However, at the core of being a student-leader is being a servant to the student body. If one applies with the intention of serving the self, it will not be fulfilling for them.  

On the other hand, one popular preconception surrounding student-leaders is that they just want to have a sense of popularity or status. In response to this, Lee stated, “It’s inevitable to have certain people who would like to run for popularity, and though not that all leaders are like this, I just hope people get to see that most leaders should be genuine. But one experience of a certain person, should not (automatically also) apply to the rest of the leaders to have a certain personality.” This is also why, when running for a position, one must remember that not everything is about them. They are not the “main character,” but rather they are a part of stabilizing the setting for society’s history. 

On the other hand, another aspect of running for a leadership position is if one’s reputation plays a bigger role in the election or appointment of student-leaders than one’s platform and planned projects.

According to Lee, reputation plays a role in the discernment period because voters are more likely to elect candidates they know and that they can trust. Some often even disregard a candidate’s plans to focus on their image. Even if their plan is not specific or maybe even inefficient, they cast it to the side simply because the person is seen as “good.” A report from the ABS-CBN News attests to this, saying that “many Filipinos still choose candidates based on their personality and familiarity.” Votes would choose those with concerns that benefit them and often those who come from a political family.

Yet, sometimes, if one person does something disagreeable, it would, unfortunately, automatically mean that they should not be voted for. Even if rumors surrounding the person are not proven to be true, some do not even think to check their platform because of their notion that this person is “bad.” However, the platform and the history or personality of a candidate should be considered equally when voting. These determine what kind of leader the person will be and what kind of action they will take. It is crucial that we fact-check how true their history is and how feasible and concrete their said plans are. Thus, when voting, we must be aware of our community’s needs, of what kind of leader it needs, and what action is best taken. We are to analyze the candidates and how genuine and ready they are to take up this position.

Ordoña then advises, “I think it’s important to be informed of what’s happening around you and be aware of the events that your community is partaking in. For elections, it’s important to really thoroughly judge your candidates, read their certificates of candidacy even though it can be long. Don’t be easily swayed by rumors, make sure to be as logical as you can when you make your decisions, see whether or not you align with them, and be wise with what you decide on in elections specifically.”

Lee advised one not to rush in making a decision, nor to let yourself be pressured by other people on who to vote for: “You should always take time to discern well, to critically evaluate things based on facts. For people who are voting, really critically evaluate, fact check and choose for society. Choose the most caring, most loving option.”

Lee added that she values fact-checking when it comes to choosing who to vote for. In this day and age of technology, false information and misinformation are so easily spread and are definitely prevalent, especially during election season. As not everything we see or hear can be certainly factual, we must think, pause, and reflect on whether it is true. We must critically think and evaluate the candidates’ “promises” or proposed initiatives to see if they truly have that genuine intent to serve. 

“Especially even right now with the recent US elections, it’s a good point for us to really as a society better strengthen what we all believe in what we want to stand for. I think we have to really look into these politicians not as celebrities or as businesspersons, we have to look at them from the perspective that they will be serving us, leading the country, and affecting the countries as well around them… it’s important that we don’t think of politics as a popularity contest, as something that’s entertainment. We need to think of politics as an institution that is responsible for maintaining the peace in society and making sure that the members of our community have their needs fulfilled and that [they are] able to really function well, given equal opportunities, and that our rights are being upheld. It’s important that we recognize that, even here in the ASHS muna. We need to see that there’s a lot of power and authority we give to people in the government. And we have to ensure that we critique them and we look at them from a perspective of us holding them accountable for their actions,” Ordoña expressed. 

Ordoña added that “One’s reputation, or character [is] bound to affect how people view these candidates as leaders. This mirrors as well how we are at a larger scale. In Philippine politics, definitely reputation or character is a factor, as well that the electorate in general considers when they want to elect a leader they have because it’s valid that they want a leader whose morals they align with or whose character they admire… But it’s always important that we uphold that we should look at character and platform at somewhat an equal scale and I think they go hand in hand because it would say both character and platform or reputation and platform or projects. These reflect each other [also].”

 Ultimately, student leadership is inclusive — it is for everyone. It is supposed to be a chance to try new things, but we tend to close it off to people. Some feel that they can only get in if they have had prior experience, but now is the best time to get experience — in school. It’s a chance to learn and grow with others. “Don’t worry if you don’t have experience because definitely you will grow as a leader,” Lee emphasized.

“Leadership is not entitlement, leadership is not for popularity. There’s so much more [to] leadership. It’s about serving others, it’s about not only just hearing but listening to them; Listening to their needs, their concerns. It’s just making a difference for them. It’s leading as a role model, as a good example, to make a difference, to make a change for the betterment of society… Honest, integrity, genuine care towards the people,” Lee added.

Moreover, this does not only apply within the ASHS but on a greater scale — it applies to the democratic society of the Philippines. As Ordoña said, “Our responsibilities as voters start here in this school. How we exercise our right to vote here in the school is something we have to bring with us as we go onto the real world and vote for public servants.” This includes deciding on our leaders through critiquing and judging candidates in consideration of their effect on a lot of people. 

Lee said, “Elections in schools not only allow students to learn or be more aware of their rights. They teach students as young as they are, even simply by voting through raising hands, the importance of voting and sharing their thoughts that they think could help society or could help improve what’s currently happening in our daily lives, or in our school, or in our country. Just like  in government elections, there’s always factors like reputation/popularity/proposed platforms, their campaign materials, which all play a role in shaping the results of government elections. The elections in the student body and its dynamics allow us to see, reveal how popularity or reputation, how the public view can sometimes influence the election results… It teaches students the importance of voting and exercising this right. It’s not an opportunity nor a privilege but they must always be aware that voting or right to suffrage is a right. Never a privilege and never just a mere experience or opportunity.”

What now?

Now that we know that we are to discern wisely and critically based on both platform and personality in electing students to these positions, how can we apply this knowledge and experience in the real world?  

We are to hold our leaders accountable. When it comes to evaluating student candidates, though, Ordoña said to do so carefully and not harmful: “I think it’s inevitable that people have differing opinions on the drive of other people, especially of leaders. Because it’s our responsibility to critique them and their motivations because we want servant leaders that are genuine and who serve genuinely. However, I do think that criticisms should be done correctly, properly, fairly. They shouldn’t be baseless. It’s common that misinformation spreads. so it’s important that we remain, in general, fair to all the candidates who are running, that we are logical in the decisions we make. We have to look… at their platforms, look [at] what they stand for, and see if we believe in this. We have to look at them from differing perspectives, so that we’re able to judge them more thoroughly and make a more thought of decision especially when we’re electing your leaders coz’ that’s an important decision to make.”

We are to keep a clear mind when voting for leaders, to fully evaluate candidates with a proper basis, not just on rumors or perceptions. We must ask ourselves questions about their motivations, especially when it comes to political families: Why are they there? What can they gain? How do they campaign?

“We still have a lot to accomplish, we still have a lot to offer. There’s a lot of space for growth for development. I feel that everyone just has a lot of potential, the Sanggunian in general has a lot of potential, to really be able to effectively be the Sanggu the student body deserves. I have trust that the student-leaders that we have in the Sanggu can achieve that.” Ordoña stated. 

Without a doubt, similarly to our government officials, our student-leaders are not perfect. They have made mistakes, and though learning from these, they will, no doubt, inevitably make mistakes again. While being critical, we are to continue to view our student-leaders humanely. 

Above all, before we lose hope, let us not lose sight of our own role in the future of our country. As citizens and voters, we are given the right and are therefore put in the position to speak out our sentiments and work towards change. Just like our beloved student-leaders, we are also called to genuinely serve the community in our own ways and be persons for and with others. We can all have that heart of service. When it comes to community involvement, Ordoña advises us to not just remain aware but to also involve ourselves and contribute what we can to the greater good of society. 

“Service isn’t just for those who have already been in leadership positions. We want to emphasize that the ASHS is a place for growth and for self discovery. It fills my heart when I see the people I knew last year who were really afraid to go for opportunities here in the ASHS, that now they have the initiative to do things, to contribute to society, and to go out of their comfort zones.” Ordoña stated. 

In the end, involvements and service are not meant to be toxic and draining. They are meant to be fulfilling — to be part of completing the high school experience, one that makes it uniquely Atenean.