13/05/2025
๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ฆ | Presence, Promises, and Prestige: What defines a student leader?
by Marinette Vega, Avelianne Pascual
Our eyes are wide open, and our ears are perked up. We are not unconscious โ we are awake.
This is more than a declaration โ it is the pulse of a generation that refuses to turn a blind eye and vote in the dark. It is that season again, colors clash between the posters plastered online featuring the aspirants of the different slates vying for seats of power in the University. In the halls of the College of Arts and Sciences, students are not just watching the elections unfold. They are listening carefully. They are observing intently. And most importantly, they are awake and thinking.
This election season, students hold the greatest power of all โ voting. It is through this exercise that they can twist and turn fate, leading the college to the right path in the future. The wizards are conscious, able to see past campaign posters and speeches, and straight towards the soul behind them.
Transparency, accountability, student engagement, student voice.
Transparency, accountability, student engagement, student voice.
Transparency, accountability, student engagement, student voice.
These are some of the choruses sung by candidates with a similar tune. However, the CAS wizards have heard this all before in different melodies. They are not swayed that easily because in every โI willโ statement, there are โWill they really?โ questions.
โLeadership is about results, and promises rooted in action are what give us hope for real change."
Anyone can be a dreamer, but only a few are real dream-makers. Promises may catch attention, but character earns trust. At the end of the day, the students want someone who would still tall in the dark when the spotlight is off. One student shared that integrity, courage, leadership, innovativeness, and charisma are crucial traits that shape a voter's perception. Students are not looking for a leader to admire โ they are looking for a leader who delivers.
Remember this: What the campaign sells isn't always what the person acts out.
These smiles, slogans, and promises affixed to posters hold the power to craft the ordinary into a polished brand.
The campaign trail has a way of refining individuals, not necessarily into more effective leaders, but often into more skilled performers. Their speeches may exude confidence in the spotlight, but the true measure of leadership unfolds far from the mic.
Onstage, they may appear assertive, poised, presidential-esque. Offstage, they're unreached, treating accountability like a chore, not a commitment. However, leadership isn't a role you step into when the spotlight is on.
With such subtle discord between public persona and private character, listen carefully to what these proclaimed leaders chant and observe how they execute each note they vowed to. Be as thorough as it's easy to miss when drowned in applause.
Eyes wide open, ears perked up, this generation is wide awake โ woken and observant โ they may not speak their mind out loud, but they notice. They recall those who listened, held the door for them, stayed after meetings to clean up, and took the initiative when no one else stepped up. It is in these quiet moments โ the consistent presence โ built on being attentive and taking action. Humility over theatrics โ this is leadership โ it is those who show up even when there's no crowd, serving even when there is nothing to gain. A leader built ON attention, not built for attention โ one who isn't shouting to be seen, rather, one who quietly shows that they've been paying attention.
Bear in mind, every election is a mirror โ not only of the candidates, but of those who voted for them. It is a reflection of what we value, what we reward, and what we're willing to overlook. More so, it is a revelation of what we believe leadership should look like and who we want to become as a community, a student body.
Elections should never be a popularity contest.
It's easy to be swayed by the candidate with the most followers โ the person everyone talks about โ but popularity alone doesn't build bridges when students are divided. What matters are those that last, something more grounded: consistency, empathy, and substance.
However, are we, as a student body, truly ready to cast our vote using our judgment, values, and long-term visions for what kind of leadership we truly deserve?
Elections are short-lived. Posters will fade, platform posts will get buried, and campaign promises โ some kept, others forgotten โ will eventually dissolve into the background noise of student life. However, the tone we set each time we cast a vote lingers as every ballot is a quiet declaration of what we expect from these leaders.
Let's dare demand leadership that listens more than it speaks, and acts more than it advertises. One that isn't performative, but genuine.
When the speeches stop and the spotlight fades, it is the character that remains, as it shows who meant what they promised and proved it when it counted.
Our choices in leaders echo beyond the moment; they reveal the values we carry. So the deeper question this election poses is not just about who wins โ it is a statement of our identity: who we are and who we aspire to be.
