Where's the school spirit?

I've watched quite a number of films involving high school or college students going to school events because they actually want to be there.

It really bothers me how people from my school don't seem to possess much of the school spirit expected from them. My friend Elise delivered the point home this morning when she told me how she's annoyed and saddened that our schoolmates don't take advantage of the opportunities the school gives them. It's true. Nasasayang lang ang mga activities na ginagawa ng student council.

Elections are a big thing in my university. De La Salle University has two major political parties (Tapat and Santugon) who duke it out year after year with so much passion (during election season, anyway). I think I can safely say that one of the things the university and its students is most proud of is its political activism, which is there year after year. Good candidates are produced promising so many changes in the next year and the coming years, and every year the students vote for the people they think are capable of leading them, or at least capable of providing them with activities they want. It just bothers me so much how after election season, the studentry seems to stop caring. It's such a shame. Perhaps it's a microcosm of Philippine society today. Lagi na lang pag election, sobrang atat ng mga tao pagusapan kung sino ba ang dapat iboto, nandyan ang napakaraming allegation tungkol sa korupsyon at pagmamaltrato sa mga mahihirap, etc. After elections, wala rin. People lose their way. They stop caring about these politicians who eventually take advantage of them. It might be just me, but I honestly don't believe that the Filipino people have grown up in terms of political maturity. The public is still incredibly gullible. Hay. Anyway, going back to topic, it's this passionate activism that Lasalle students have, which is admirable during most times. But when you really look at it, ano ba talaga ang nangyayari? After elections, the candidates who are elected do their jobs. They plan activities, they promote them, and they execute. With the help of their assemblies and members, they work so hard in order to make the event a success. But no event would be a success without participation. In the end, what matters is (for me anyway) the effect the activity has on the people who voted. After all, that's what you were put there for. Ang nakakainis lang talaga is how the students don't seem to care about these activities. I mean, in Lasalle, andami daming activities pag Fridays, but I've noticed that in most activities, participation is weak. It's just disheartening sometimes how the activities the people wanted are planned for and executed, and yet these people don't even show up for them. Nasaan na ang mga tao?

I am not one who puts blame on others without looking at myself first. I know I don't attend Friday activities sometimes because I have other plans, am tired and resting from a hectic week, or am just too damn lazy. It's a fact that Fridays, when made a day with no regular classes, are most likely going to be spent frolicking some place else other than school, or just chilling at home. But still, come on. I mean, there's a big problem. In our election speeches last year, I know both parties focused on getting more student participation in student council programs and projects. I've been to a number of these activities this year, but the participation level has not been encouraging. Nakakadepress na nga minsan eh.

It really annoys me how Lasallians would most likely only go to an activity, or a party, if there are incentives given out by professors for their subjects. I'm also guilty of this of course, since incentives are really attractive. Nakakainis lang na kapag walang incentives, walang pumupunta. No matter how good your project is, if there are no incentives involved, no one would show up! That's the truth. That's how bad the situation is in Lasalle.

Of course the problem is there. Participation. The short-term solution is being applied - the incentives. But this issue has to be solved soon. I don't know what the long-term solution is. Kasi naman, kahit anong gawin mo, in the end it would still be up to the students if they'll bother showing up for these programs. Sana talaga maayos to in the future para hindi naman masayang yung mga activity. I mean, para sa students naman talaga yung mga ginagawa ng mga organizers eh. Hindi mo rin masabi if moving the activity day to a day other than Friday would help eh. Sometimes I wonder if there would actually be a difference if the student council weren't there to provide students with activities. Would the students even notice or care? Hay. Sometimes I'm so sad about people not showing up for activities we worked hard for that I consider just quitting my orgs altogether. Nakakainis. There has to be a solution to this.

I wonder whether it's all actually worth it. I wonder if the student council is actually necessary. With the kind of participation that we have now, it seems as though there'd be no difference.