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| From left: Jene Wei, Culture Secretary; Farveez Rishard Mukthar, Social Secretary; Foo Zhiwei, Publications Secretary; Raymond Lim, President; Goh Wee Lee, Financial Secretary; Fang Limian, Welfare/PR Secretary; Nick Ng, Sports Secretary; Neo Shu Hui, Hon Gen Secretary. |
The highly anticipated 51st JCRC Elections has finally come to a close! By the constitution, the JCRC is considered an able body as long as seven of the ten posts have been filled. However, only five candidates campaigned during the first round, thus the hall saw two fervent rounds of elections this year.
In an interview with the 51st JCRC Elections Committee Head, Lee Yen-ling, a few salient issues were raised. Among them was the degree of involvement that freshmen display in the elections process: from campaigning to asking questions during rallies. As freshmen adapt to the independence and culture of hall life, the concerns of the freshmen would be highly relevant to the hall. As they were in the position where changes in Hall would affect them the most, their concerns were highly relevant. It is worthy to note that a significant number are already committed to other hall activities, including taking on leadership posts, which makes their unwillingness to participate in JCRC elections understandable.
Assuming a leadership position in the JCRC would present an entirely new spectrum of challenges and experiences. Coupled with being bestowed the opportunity to lead, decide and learn, why not rise up to the challenge and take up the opportunity? One should not be paranoid, worrying that it would be time consuming and that one wouldn’t be able to cope! It can be balanced with time management and the drive to do well in varsity life. If you have thoughts of running for JCRC next year, you might want to start scouting for your JCRC team now. Mingle with everyone and decide who you would want to work with.
This brings us to an entirely different issue. We’ve just experienced a hall election. What is an election? I’d say it’s a democratic process that aims to include everyone and consider all concerns regardless of ethnicity, language and other catergorisations. It respects us for who we are.
What is the current paradigm with regards to politics that pervades the minds of today’s youth? After the Singapore General Elections in 2006, which was when I took an unprecedented interest in elections and rallies. Taking the effort to view them live as they happened, I became more aware of the mindset of the youth with regards to politics.
Why this state of non-involvement? Is it apathy? Or frustration? A mixture of both I’d say: apathy due to the self-centred concerns of today’s youth - with the overwhelming demands of the education system and the need to outdo the person beside you (the manner with which you try to outdo that person being of importance on a moral perspective.) As a result, we simply can’t be bothered about who rules the country and how politics affect us.
Thinking about it, it’s a cycle that works only one way. Picture an organisational chart. On the top we have the Prime Minister, then below him the Minister of Education amongst other ministers, and below this Education Minister, superintendents of the Ministry of Education followed by principals, then the Heads of departments, then teachers and lastly, US (parents may be included.) As long as WE satisfy the demands of the higher echelons, we feel safe. Little do we realize we have all succumbed to these demands, seeing no necessity to review them based on our own interests, learning abilities and standards. This inevitably results in a state of apathy.
