2011 KASAMA-EC Elections Mark on IIT Students

By Jann Dainver Maravilla

Around five thousand IIT students were able to exercise their rights to vote in this year’s KASAMA-EC elections last February 24, 2011. Two parties had their “tingog” heard stating their student service and welfare-oriented platforms from which the studentry is supposed to take a “stand” with. One party is in the advocacy of blotting out the shortcomings of the incumbent KASAMA administration just to save the incoming academic year’s studentry while the other one promotes oneness and peace among IIT students-all for the betterment of every IITian.

The recent KASAMA election was again between two female presidentiables. Monica Mae Pon, a junior Biology major, has made a clown-out-from-the-box come out as she published herself to be the Stand’s standard bearer for this year’s election. Many were surprised about her being an instant public icon yet she still gathered a good number of supporters. On the other hand, Khoshiella Susitheren, a sophomore griffin and at the same time Tingog’s standard bearer, is quite more exposed to the IIT public due to her involvement with the Guidance and Counselling Office as a student peer facilitator. The two frontrunners together with their respective line-up had invited the support of the IIT students. Even on the day of the election which started at about 8:00 am all throughout the Institute, rush campaigns were still seen here and there.

A great number of students, especially the freshmen, seemed excited of their first voting and their election experience in IIT. The freshmen were the ones who were the most affected and bewildered about the attached referendum of the present KASAMA administration in the ballots referring to some amendments which were already done and approved by the Department of Student Affairs off-cam from the IIT public. Indeed, many wondered what could the amended items be, when and how they were legally amended without legal public notification.

A freshman Griffin said, Ni hindi ko nga po napansin yung referendum, kasi di ko inisip na pwede palang pag-isahin ang referendum at balota.

Regardless as to how the controversial referendum had successfully penetrated this year’s election, the students have spoken through their votes. The incumbent and still next year’s CASS Governor Cabalit said that there may have been a good number of students who casted their votes not in response to their personal choice of deserving leaders but by the general knowledge which they have come to know about which party seems to be trustworthy.

Eventually, only Senator Mark Joel Sumalpong from Stand, together with eleven of twelve Tingog senators and their Vice President Fathma Minaga, a CASS sophomore and President Khoshiella Susitheren were given the chance to hold offices as 2011-2012 KASAMA Administrative force. On the other hand, the CASS studentry is at the hands, next academic school year, of second termer College Gov. John Carlo Cabalit (AB-History). The CASS Student Executive Council will also be composed of Vice Governor Caren Gapol (AB-Fil); Board Members Khairia Macarambon (AB-Psych), Johaimen Bato (AB-Polsci), Jonaim Dipatuan (GESO), Ryan Jay Tundag (AB-History), Irene Labasano (AB-Polsci), Marjorie Dalugdugan (AB-Psych), Marc Jgeson Carillo (AB-English), Mary Apple Balsamo (AB-History); and Assembly persons James Villanueva (AB-History) and Rodel Bunao (GESO). And despite some allegations which each party had faced ever since the campaign days started, be it about the party as a whole or be it about individual candidates, generally, all is well for all the candidates who won and lost the privilege of getting an office to serve.