As the unopposed Yugto coalition introduces itself to the Alyansang Tapat sa Lasallista stronghold College of Science (COS), incumbent FOCUS2022 Chief of Staff Eshylle Lee aims to usher in a new chapter for the college assembly as she seeks to take the helm of science college president, vowing to deliver all her plans and to bring the Science College Government (SCG) closer to its constituents.
The LaSallian: What experiences do you have as a student leader and how does this translate to your qualification as a College Assembly President?
Lee: I have been working for FOCUS2022 for two years and I was given the chance to become the chief of staff for this year. By becoming chief of staff, makikita mo ‘yung actual roles na ginagampanan dapat ng buong unit because you work closely with the president. So…that’s when I learned how to implement projects and to strive to make an output kasi when you’re running for elections, you promised them platforms. As the chief of staff, I was very concerned with delivering those platforms that [were] promised last election.
The LaSallian: The coalition has bannered itself to be the new chapter of the College of Science. What sets your platforms apart from those of your predecessors, and how do these contribute to your vision for the college?
Lee: I think the platforms that we offer the students right now [are] our solutions to problems. Let’s say na ‘yung kakulangan ng opportunities…or hindi pala sa kulang ‘yung opportunities pero hindi familiar ‘yung students na meron palang ganitong opportunities. Marami kasing nagtatanong or usually ang misconception [is] if you’re a COS student, lagi kang pre-med, but that’s not true. There are a lot of opportunities out there for science students and that’s the major part of our platforms.
The LaSallian: Most of your projects tend to cater to Biology majors or those going toward the medical field. What projects, if any, do you have that cater specifically to other fields within COS?
Lee: Most of it [are] developed in consideration with the other departments. For example, ‘yung job expo, it’s not only catered for [those in the] medical field. It’s [also] for Chemistry, for them to explore industries and brands, and Physics, at the same time Math and Statistics. So I don’t think it’s mainly for pre-med [students]. However, meron rin ‘yung med school tours, which are formed for aspiring med students.
We [also] have something called COS for Change and it also explores ‘yung role ng different fields of research. [For example,] when it comes to [the] FDA (Food and Drug Administration), chemistry is involved with that. We hope to expose COS students to roles [in] various fields outside the world and outside the University.
The LaSallian: Your proposed projects would require a considerable amount of funding. Given that the University Student Government (USG) budget is already limited and has decreased in the past year, what are your plans of action for your proposals should your allocated budget be insufficient?
Lee: We plan to have fundraising projects at the beginning of the term, hopefully. At the same time, ngayon pa lang problema na ‘yung budget when it comes to implementing USG projects, which is why we already consulted with potential sponsors. There would be a merch selling for COS. We also aim to have a sports fest that would be for fundraising.
The LaSallian: A significant number of COS students, especially those from terminal batches, face academic delays over lack of class slots and problems in their thesis among other reasons. What support or projects do you have in mind for them, given that they no longer have USG representatives/batch governments?
Lee: I think the most important role of the college assembly president is to represent their needs when it comes to communicating with the administration. When it comes kasi sa enlistment and slots problem, obviously it would be the admin’s decision primarily, which is why ang talagang pinakamahalaga na kailangan nating gawin is for us to tell the admin how big of a problem it is and to actually show them the numbers. At the same time, the best course of action is to ensure that the students of COS are actually preenlisting kasi ‘yun talaga ‘yung basis for the number of slots that are offered.
The LaSallian: Over the years, COS students have had numerous concerns regarding academic guidelines and requirements such as grading systems. While there have been initiatives to link students to the administration, there remain gaps and unaddressed matters. How will you ensure that the next SCG gets to resolve these matters with the University administration?
Lee: Again, ang pinaka-importante is we get to communicate to the admin ‘yung concerns ng students…A major part of our grades is exams. So ma-justify natin sa kanila na the grades and exams [do] not define the capability of the student. There are other things that could be set as a standard for a COS student and we should explore [those] such as writing papers or [doing] laboratory activities. Kasi ngayon, ‘yung lab [subjects] namin, umaabot ng 90 [to] 80 percent ‘yung weight ng exam. It’s a laboratory subject, so it should be graded more on the practical side, ‘di ba?
The only thing we can do is continuous communication with the admin, ensure the student’s representation. Representation ang pangangailangan nila in the problems kasi I don’t want to promise something especially if ang huling decision is nasa admin. I don’t want to give the students false promises. The only thing I can promise is that your concerns will get to them. Ipaglalaban ko concerns niyo with them.
The LaSallian: What COS do you intend to see at the end of your term?
Lee: I hope to have a College of Science na aware that SCG exists. A College of Science that is connected with its students. A College of Science that knows that SCG is here to help them.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
