Friday, March 29, 2024

SURE Party holds mini-lecture series on leadership

CELEBRATING 36 YEARS of service, the Students Union for Reforms (SURE) Party, the first and oldest existing student political party in Silliman University (SU), held the “Usaping Bughaw” lecture series with past SURE party members last Aug. 24 at the Audio Visual Theater 1.

The speakers of the event were Rona Marie Namocatcat, Joebert Ocau, and Atty. Sheila Lyn Besario.

The “Usaping Bughaw” was part of the Blue Summit; a series of events that brings together some of SURE party’s elders and alumni.

According to Shaina Dawn Navarro, SURE party chairperson, this lecture series will provide people and current members of the party a glimpse and insight on the leadership legacy of SURE party carried by the SURE party leaders before.

“It will also give them a chance to know more about their alumni and knowing the alumni, it will grant them the global network that they need especially when they go out of the university,“ Navarro said.

The first speaker, Rona Marie Namocatcat, is a registered medical technologist currently taking up medicine in SU Medical School. She was also the Silliman University Student Government (SUSG) president from 2013 to 2014.

Namocatcat talked about her personal experiences as a student leader.

“Every leadership position that we hold is something that we should not take for granted because it is something that only happens once in our lifetime,” Namocatcat said.

Namocatcat said that in order to succeed, student leaders should help build one another to grow.

“As a member of not just a political party but as a member of this family, we need to help build one another and not take envy if other people exceed our own achievements,” she said.

Namocatcat advises the students and aspiring student leaders to innovate, build good working relationships, work to serve others, accept criticisms and guidance, and inspire people.

She also added that in whatever a person does, God’s purpose will always prevail.

“If there is anything that I’ve learned through many years, our success lies through His plans… Not in your plans, not in your own strength,” Namocatcat said.

The second speaker, Joebert Ocau, is a mass communication graduate of SU and the college’s representative in the SUSG assembly in his time.

Ocau talked about the importance of putting people and perspective first when it comes to service.

“I realized that leadership – authentic leadership, demands commitment,” Ocau said. “It demands time, it demands attention, it demands sacrifice, and most importantly, it demands the ability to deal with people well.”

He added that it was from SURE party that I learned how to deal well with others and eventually, lead others.

According to Ocau, humility is a very important aspect of leadership.

“We have to realize that no one has a monopoly of knowledge,” he said. “Among that line, we have to realize, any good leader realizes that there are always people better that us. Whether you like it or not, there will always be people better than us.  Let’s do our best, work hard, no one can question that.”

The third speaker, Atty. Sheila Lyn Besario, is the current dean of the SU College of Law and past SURE party member.

Mirroring the words of the current SU Honoris Causa awardee, Dr. Rolando V. del Carmen, Besario said that “books, they give you your academic excellence, but it’s co-curricular activities that give you a life.”

“Remember that your goal here in Silliman is to get a degree but you have to get a degree and at the same time make it a meaningful academic life,” Besario said.

Succeeding Blue Summit events after the lecture series are the Gala Dinner (Aug. 25), the Fellowship Dinner (Aug. 26), and the Family Fun Day (Aug. 28).

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