Written by: EEA
Cartoon by: Obat
Tomasinos have already spoken — with the election period marking its end on April 8, 2022. It is that time of the year when we are given a chance to choose our student leaders — people who would amplify their calls and ensure that their voices are heard throughout the academic year. Perhaps it is safe to say that it is one of the most important events that reminds and allows us to celebrate our democracy even within our own university.
Battles of the wittiest, credentials, and platforms — these pretty much describe the campaign spirit that Tomasinos indeed look forward to every year. It is one of the most anticipated events, with almost everyone excited, radiating a bright spirit among students. However, the season appeared to be gloomy for Engineering students, with a low voter turnout. According to the UST Engineering Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the voter turnout for the said faculty was 39.49 percent, which means that only 1,558 out of 3,935 students cast their votes for the CSC Elections.
Newsflash, though, this is not something new for Philippine universities. Many studies in the past have seen historical trends concerning how students, particularly the youth, are becoming more reluctant to participate in voting. It has been a common dilemma for academic institutions to encounter cases where students often neglect the political aspect of being a student. Similarly, a study titled “Right to Vote: Students’ Involvement in Student Government Elections’” concerning the participation of students in a state university in the Philippines revealed that they are gradually losing their interest in becoming affiliated with political platforms. These occurrences only suggest that it has long been an issue for students to further separate themselves from the world of politics, even at this level.
While it may seem to be a minor inconvenience — some might not even see the issue in this case — there is no doubt that this has negative implications on the political participation of the FoE students. It is, in fact, quite ironic to see that as more youth are becoming more active in the national elections, the more that they become distant in making themselves actually involved at a campus level, highlighting the rise of the political apathy among students.
There are only two possible reasons behind this: either no student has an interest in anything student council-related, or there is an evident drawback in the system that pulls them away from becoming part of it. While some students may argue and defend themselves using the latter, it is no question that practicing their right to vote for change is one of the many ways to end this cyclical dilemma, if that is really the case. One harsh truth may be that students have always whined about not being seen or heard, when in fact, there are many ways on how they can change this reality, including casting their votes online. If only we use our right to choose who represents the student body, then it is very much likely for us not to have such problems. Nonetheless, the bigger problem is that this reflects a particular sentiment against our political involvement.
Political involvement among students must not be an “added burden,” but rather a part of the holistic development that we go through within the university. To add, university-level elections are just small versions of the national elections we have always looked forward to. So, it is only reasonable that students must participate in this, too. True enough, most students have ignored what happens within the student council and elections, only to feel ignored when they voice out the change they have always desired. It is as if students have forgotten their role in shaping the student experience that they want for themselves and how ignoring the student elections could have consequences in the future.
Central elections, like national ones, happen not so often. This is only one of the many reasons why it is important; yet, there is truth to the claim that it is already enough to convince us about its importance and the impact it will have on the rest of our stay at the university. While others may think that this is a mere act of voting for the people whom we or we already or might now know, this does not wash away the essence of elections, which is key to ensuring that we get the best out of our journey in the academe. It is never just about the mere participation that we do, but also about its importance in celebrating the democracy that we have always taken for granted, if not fully appreciated.
The more that we think about it, the more that the 39.49 percent becomes more problematic, making it reek of poor political involvement, or as others call it, political apathy. Imagine not even half of the Engineering student population cares enough about the policies that will rule the university and their representation in the student body. Besides, if we already find participating in the CSC elections by simply checking boxes a burden, which only takes a few minutes of our lives, then what could this possibly imply for our participation in larger-scale elections?
Be it because of the lack of engagement given the online means or the political apathy that manifests in some of us; this does not change the fact that we must understand how our involvement in university-level elections gives us the right to be seen and heard — the essence of political involvement that we fail to see.
