by the Weekly Sillimanian | May 16, 2023
As every school year comes to a close, students catch up on their final requirements, make their preparations for summer, and of course, face the imminent Silliman University Student Government Elections.
During this time of the year, candidates from opposing parties Concerted Action for the Upliftment of Students’ Endeavors and Students’ Union for Reforms, go head-to-head and campaign with their platforms and plans to the student body, hoping for the chance to be elected and chosen by their fellow Sillimanians.
Meanwhile, the rest of the studentry has one job—research the history of these candidates, listen and weigh the feasibility and usefulness of their platforms, and make an assessment of their overall attitude and personality, in order to make a highly informed decision on who they believe is the right person for the job.
Campaign season guarantees that no student will be left unbothered by the attempts of the respective parties to “recruit” voters for their party, with the agenda to vote for one party as a package deal heavily pushed. However, no matter how loud and convincing the sea of green and blue may seem, the student body must remember to do their due diligence in voting without any biases.
With everyone’s busy schedules as finals week approaches, it can be tempting to vote based on names and party affiliation and throw the time-consuming research away. However, just like in the national elections, this goes against the very grain of democracy that we wish to uphold.
As the election for next school year’s standard bearers and representatives nears, we from the Weekly Sillimanian want to remind every student not to vote by color, but by proven work ethic, willingness to serve the student body, and not just their own agenda, and the ability to engage with the SU administration in a productive manner.
To keep the student body informed on the candidates, student leaders, and ultimately individuals they are voting for, tWS as the official school publication has publicized videos, speech highlights, performance reports, and more to better equip every Sillimanian with the necessary knowledge and information come election day.
We encourage every Sillimanian to go over all information available to them and scrutinize every candidate’s history, tune out the flowery words in their speeches, and determine who at the core of it all has the right motivations, drive, and skillset to competently serve the student body in the next academic year.
