The Lucky Hopefuls

First Year Representative Election

By Charles Balinggao

BSED - ENGLISH

           A year ago the SAMAHAN Central Board decided not to have first year representative election because they didn’t saw the need of having one. They believe that first year students will struggle to be connected to the division where their courses belong when they reached second year if they were under the supervision of first year representatives. But for this year, first year representative election is back with its seven hopeful candidates.

            The seven hopeful candidates were Mark Vincent Alpiz, Derizza Giselle Laburada, Michael Zachary Leyson, Roren John Ong, Djumel Gerard Tinampay, Darwin Verallo and May Fiel Divino who were launched during the miting de avance last July 12 2012 in Thibault grounds. Flock of first year students attended the event including the supporters of each candidate. The event was a venue for helping first year students to decide on who they think they will vote for the position because it was also the venue where they were given the chance to ask questions about the platforms of each candidate. It was also attended by the SAMAHAN Central Board President, Maureen Villamor, who encouraged first year students to be involved in the election.

First year students were given three days to vote for their bets for the position. The election ran for three days and on July 14 2012 after the votes were tallied, the COMELEC declared two of seven hopeful candidates to be the first year representatives of the school year 2012 – 2013. These lucky hopefuls were Roren John Ong, AB Mass Communication student who garnered 576 votes and Michael Zachary Leyson, BS Computer Science student who garnered 577 votes. They won the election because they weren’t just lucky but they were good in convincing their fellow first year students that they would create programs and activities that would enhance the personality and academic development of freshmen students.

            This year’s newly elected first year representative will be the voice of freshmen students. They will empower first year students to be involve in school activities that would help them gain more knowledge on how the system of education work in the university. Hopefully, these first year representatives will not fail the expectations of those who voted for them by doing their job well and by accommodating the needs of their constituents.