A Most Memorable LCC Meeting

Last Friday, May 2, The League of College Councils (LCC) of UP Diliman was officially convened by USC Vice Chairperson Airah Cadiogan. The meeting, which aimed to introduce the LCC and its functions to the newly-elected college student councils in UP Diliman, was the first for the Academic Year 2008-2009 and was hosted by the College of Education Student Council.

However, the unwelcome news of a blackout in the UP area resulted in a slew of logistical adjustments that saw the council members in attendance ushered from one bigger and brighter classroom to another. But when finally settled in the most conducive (given the conditions) room to hold the meeting, the more or less 50 council members coming from 17 different colleges went straight to business.

The USC Vice Chairperson delivered her brief welcome remarks to officially open the meeting, after which personal introductions of each council member in attendance were given. Copies of the LCC constitution were then distributed to the different councils and the principles, powers and duties, composition, and other functions of the LCC were subsequently opened for discussion.

The next item on the agenda was the UP Student Regent’s (SR) report to be delivered by SR Shahana Abdulwahid. However, as SR Abdulwahid had fallen ill after weeks of travel, Airah read the SR report to the councils.

SR Abdulwahid stressed three concerns that UP councils should be vigilant about: the recent signing and implementation of the new UP Charter; the ongoing and pending demolition of communities in the UP Diliman campus, and the related UP-endorsed MMDA road widening project that is putting such demolitions into effect; and the newly approved laboratory fees in different courses and colleges. The SR called for college councils to be at the frontline of defending students’ rights. They should be the body that will inform, guide and involve all students in issues and activities that will invariably affect the UP Community.

Also, SR Abdulwahid invited all councils to attend the National Council (NC) Meeting organized by the Office of the Student Regent thru KASAMA sa UP, the UP system-wide alliance of student councils. The NC Meet will take place in UP Cebu on May 22-23 with a registration fee pegged at P600 per delegate. SLIS Representative Hazel Rodelas, who is the chairperson of KASAMA sa UP, spoke on the primary objectives of the NC Meet and asked councils to schedule an orientation for further details.

The meeting then proceeded to the USC Committee reports beginning with Councilor Jaque Eroles for the Student Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Committee, Councilor Beverly Lumbera for the Ad-hoc Committee on the revision of the UPD Student Council Election Code, Councilor Bang Dizon reporting for CSWCD Representative Carmela Lagang for the Community Rights and Welfare (CRAW) Committee, and Councilor Joseph Gutierrez for the Ad-hoc Committee on the rehabilitation of Vinzons Hall. Finally, Councilor Eroles stood in for Ms. Ipay Bolibol of Youth Act Now, the national broad alliance of youth organizations standing for truth and accountability in the government and demanding the resignation of Pres. Arroyo, to share their upcoming events and campaigns.

For about half an hour from the committee reports, the meeting carried on in the dark, punctured with cellphone flashlights and other improvised means of casting some brightness on written notes and others’ faces. Eventually, however, it became too tedious to carry on with the meeting. Thus, the first LCC meeting was prematurely adjourned in light (pun intended) of the unfortunate conditions.

Consequently, College Councils’ Reports are now slated to be discussed in the next meeting, which was tentatively scheduled on the second week of May. Confirmation of the exact time and date shall be disseminated through the official LCC mailing list (to be created by Vice-Chairperson Cadiogan).

In closing, all college councils were reminded to 1) set venues for the USC projects and campaigns to most effectively reach out to and involve their respective constituents, 2) ensure that all given documents will be distributed to students in their colleges, 3) submit their council directory as soon as possible to Airah at airah.cadiogan@yahoo.com, 4) finalize their summer-June calendar of activities, and 5) properly report back to their councils all that had been discussed in the 1st LCC meeting.