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Heavenly Nerizon, one of two candidates vying for the position of Central Student Council (CSC) public relations officer, aims to establish the council as an inclusive and a representative institution towards the student body.

In light of the upcoming CSC elections from April 7 to 12, the political science junior said in an exclusive interview with TomasinoWeb that he visualizes CSC as a “primary source of information” for the Thomasian student body, making sure that students remain informed of updates amidst occurrences including class suspensions and strikes.

Nerizon started working with the CSC as a human resource (HR) committee staff in February. With little time in between, he decided to run for the PRO position, envisioning an inclusive student council for the student body.

“I run for PRO due to the lack of inclusivity in information presentation,” he said. “I want to establish a council that is inclusive to the student body.”

The political science junior intended to seek election not because of his outgoing role in the CSC’s human resources but due to the existent problems he noticed within the council’s system during his freshman year.

Potential projects

Nerizon proposed “MAKULTURA,” a media awareness campaign promoting Indigenous culture in the University. However, he reiterated that the campaign would also focus on sectors such as student-athletes, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community.

“Through the MAKULTURA, I want the project to promote awareness within the student body that there are groups that we have to pay attention to,” he shared. “After all, students in UST are very diverse, we come from different backgrounds. I believe that in diversity, there should be unity.”

He also presented “AL-AMIN,” an academic-centered program that integrates the ethical usage of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic workflows.

On UST’s student council system

Aside from his two proposed projects when elected as PRO, Nerizon “ensured ample projects for students to participate in” despite his claim that the previous CSC “lacks representation.”

“I think that the very problem here is the lack of representation. When elected, I want to ensure that there will be activities and initiatives the student body will be passionate about participating in,” the PRO bet said. “I want the student body to feel that what we’re fighting for is their welfare, to feel important and that they sum up the Thomasian community.”

He later mentioned pushing for transparency in the relationship between the student council and University administrators so that Thomasians would be informed.

However, the CSC has continuously posted transparency reports on its official Facebook page, listing project details and initiatives executed per quarter or semester.

When asked about alleged limitations set on programs organized by the University student councils, Nerizon maintained that coming to a compromise is key, given the already existing policies.

“This must be a collaboration between the student council, administration and the student body. Everyone should have a voice and to be attentive. I think it is important to have compromise as a value, especially in discussing the welfare of the student body,” he added.

Nerizon realized upon serving the CSC’s human resources that limitations imposed on student leaders within school boundaries are a “regressing factor towards the progress and development of their responsibilities.”

Despite the limitations, Nerizon envisions CSC in the same playing field with the student body.

“I want to establish that we are on the same level as the student body. We are all equal students of UST,” he shared. “The kinds of matters we apply to ourselves, we also apply to others.”