On Batch 2018’s Final Year: Past Council Leaders’ Opinions

A lot has happened in Batch 2018 during the past six years of their stay in Pisay, and, now, it is the batch’s final year in the school.
Several questions arise regarding the new 2018 Batch Council: What are the issues affecting their batch that need to be addressed? What is the key to an effective batch council? Who should the batch vote for?
With those questions in mind, former Batch Council leaders Janina Navarra, Irene Rivera, and Sat Sugita share their thoughts.
Key to an Effective Batch Council
What is an effective batch council like?
Navarra, Batch President for SY ‘14-’15 and ‘15-’16, said that the key to an effective batch council is communication — not only among the batch and within the council, but with the administration as well.
“Because even though you get so frustrated because you can’t do the activities you want because the administration is hindering you, you still have to remain diplomatic,” Navarra said. Fighting with the administration, she continued, would only strain the batch council’s relationship with the batch council and would only make things worse for the batch.
Rivera, Officer-in-Charge for SY ‘12-’13 and Batch President for SY ‘13-’14, said that an effective batch council is commitment. She mentioned that many people who run for council don’t fully realize what they’re getting into until it’s too late.
Sugita, Officer-in-Charge for SY ‘16-’17, echoed this viewpoint saying, “Honestly, the one thing council members should have at this point is the desire to be there. So, basically, just be someone who wants to be doing what they’re doing, because, at this point, people just keep getting less and less motivated to do what they do on a day-to-day basis. So be that spark of inspiration that everyone needs so that we can all keep on going.”
Problems concerning 2018
Batch 2018 has also had their fair share of issues, both internal and external — some of which have persisted today. Who could be more familiar with them than the past Batch 2018 council members?
One of the biggest issues the batch has faced for their stay in Pisay is perhaps their lack of enthusiasm.
Rivera shared, “One of the difficult parts [of being in the council] was [that the batch] didn’t understand why we had to do things, like there was this one time in ValEd where we had to arrange this flash mob, and nobody wanted to do anything.”
Although this could be expected of 13- or 14-year-old’s, Navarra said this went on until her tenure as President. She explained, however, “At first I had to deal with my batch being slightly apathetic about school activities [and] school rules because my batch is pretty jaded since we were the first batch of K-12 students.”
Sugita added, “To be honest, it’s worse now because not only are we a batch that’s already not the most hyperactive or the most energetic type of batch. But six years of being in this school has a drag to it. So most of the people in this batch feel like they shouldn’t be here anymore. So it’s understable to say, at this point, that no one really cares anymore.”
Mental health, another prevailing issue, is also an important topic of discussion. Sugita surmised that it began in Grade 10 but became more acknowledged in Grade 11.
Unfortunately, she admitted, it wasn’t something the council could tackle directly.
Navarra observed, “‘’Yun ‘yung medyo mahirap i-tackle kasi mental health is kind of an individualistic issue, come to think of it. Like you can’t just make a batch activity that can instantly uplift everybody. So that was more of a struggle. So wala rin masyado magawa batch council dun.”
Sugita said that the issues the batch is facing should be taken as a challenge by the incoming batch council “to come up with things or at least to get the batch to come together for at least one last year and … make this year count.”
Advice to Voters
When asked to give advice to the voters, Navarra and Rivera had varying opinions.
Navarra advised, “Honestly, look at the platform. Just focus on the platform. ‘Wag niyo na lang masyado i-focus ang person. Maybe personality politics can come into play a little bit pero, overall, just focus on what the platform of the party is and what they can do for you.”
On the other hand, Irene said that, while the platform is necessary, “sometimes the platform doesn’t really matter too much except if you’re voting the president. Kasi if you’re voting different members, it doesn’t matter too much. It’s likely they’re gonna have a mixed party anyway. So they’re gonna incorporate the ideas of two parties.”
It’s important to know the person you vote, Irene continued, because “politics is a really hazy thing and you can’t really separate the student leader from the student as a whole person and I think you are who you are, wherever you are.”
Sugita, meanwhile, simply said, “Honestly, at this point, everyone in 2018 knows everyone in 2018. We’ve been with each other for six years. Sure, this is our last year so there aren’t really any prescribed activities our council will need to do, so it’s not a matter of who’s the most responsible. But I think at this point Batch 2018 can decide for themselves. They should know these people already. It’s not even just in terms of popularity anymore. We know each other for who we are already. So at this point, I trust that 2018 can decide for themselves.”
Batch 2018 is about to vote for their last Batch Council. Hopefully, what past council members had to say could not only help them make important decisions but also reflect on what they can do as a batch during this last year of their high school life.
