I rant, therefore I am

LITMUS PREPARATIONS

CAUTION: this is a really MEAN write-up. I’m sorry for the grammatical or syntax errors you might encounter but I do hope you’ll get the point.

Some students consider this a vital and necessary activity to conduct. “Necessity” became a justification for what is actually just a tradition. Risk versus benefit: it is inessential and expensive-like food supplements without approved therapeutic claims.

First, it is tasky. A high school or collegiate student council can do the job. But for a medicine student council with twice or thrice the mental workload, it’s a total burn out. For the participants, it’s for the win. Taking the council’s point of view, it’s about organizing the entire activity plus participating in the activities that we ourselves organized. “Daw gina into ko lang akon kaugalingon.” The student council is created for representation in decision-making within and maybe even outside Roxas Hall (or maybe we have to review the Medicine Council’s Constitution which mandates the organizing of the medicine week.) If the council is made for the medicine week then we went through student elections to put into position mere event organizers. Citing a concrete situation, the council has not participated in the dialogue with the President of the University together with other college student councils.

Second, (bluntly saying this) it is pointless. Ideally, the literary and musical contests are conducted to give the left side of our brains a break and use the right one, even only during this time of the year. Contrary to that, it’s not a break we get, but further pressure especially that we have to practice at the same time pass our exams. Or organize it just in time, especially for members of the organizing committee (or rather, the student council). Another is that it is not relevant to the theme or even to reality. It does not make us better physicians. It has no bearing on how we deal with our patients in the future. It is conducted just for bragging rights.

Third, it is expensive. Yada yada yada yada. I don’t think I have to elaborate on this one.

Just a thought, it is with this kind of council activities that the traditional politicians are trained. Inessential and expensive. We burn out ourselves in what are actually pointless unnecessary activities for the students in the belief that we develop our constituents with these. Well something is actually developing-competition between the batches. 

To stop this annual hypocrisy, we address the problems point by point.

First, to make it less tasky for the student council, we have to review what we are elected for by going back to the student council’s constitution and not rely on what is tradition. We have to document our faults and successes for the sake of the next council (for them not to go by the same mistakes again). We also have to consult the medicine studentry regarding these events and not just impose it on them and therefore be democratic not autocratic.

Second, we may make the events relevant by being philanthropic, doing it for the marginalized, etc. But it would be better if we conduct more relevant student-developing events or symposia and leave the traditional activities to the traditional organizations who organize them by tradition and as mandated by their constitution. Or maybe create a student literary musical committee which functions similar to a student electoral committee where no member is allowed to join the event because they organize the event.

Well the third problem will be solved if we address the first and second point first.

Indeed it would be an overhaul. However I think everything would fall into place as long as we remember what we are in the position for. RVM

NOTE: This is the opinion of the author and does not reflect the opinions of the entire batch. =)