Josephites get their student council

NEW OFFICE

All those who passed out of college anytime before 2003 find it hard to believe that student unions have been replaced by student councils in some City colleges. Some of these councils have over 150 members. The things once taken for granted like student elections, campaigning, president, vice-president, secretary, cultural secretary, treasurer and sports secretary are all, now things of the past.

St Joseph’s College is one such college. Its student council for this academic year was sworn in to office recently. White ‘salwar kameez’ clad girls and boys in white formal shirts and dark formal pants gathered in the quadrangle of the post-graduate block to be invited into the Xavier Hall, where the ceremony was to be held. Meanwhile, the faculty advisors got the hall ready.

The Student’s Council of the St Joseph’s Arts and Science College is divided into four parts — the council of the class representatives, the council of the cultural representatives, the council of the academic representatives and the council of the sports representatives. Each class has a representative in each of these categories. While the academic reps are selected by the teachers, the class elects its own class reps, cultural reps and sports reps. The academic reps are selected based on their academic performance in the previous year.

Once the hall was readied, the students gathered inside. Kumar Bangarappa was the chief guest. The Father Principal and the Father Rector oversaw the ceremony.

  The faculty adviser of each of the council lead the council in oath. After the oath-taking, the chief guest, Father Principal and Father Rector addressed the group.  After the ceremony, Metrolife caught up with the newly sworn in representative Priyadharshini V, Sripriya Murthy, Priti, Christine D’sa and Surabhi Rajagopal. When asked if the girls missed a students’ union, most of them said, “This is very different from a students’ union. Here each class gets represented. Each class can air its views and voice its concerns.” One of them suggested, “It would be good to have both. It’s easier for a smaller group to organise things.” The girls didn’t think they needed a student organisation which would represent them in a possible disagreement with the management. They said they had the grievance cell, if there ever was a need. “We’ve never had a serious disagreement with the faculty. It’s been easy,” they said.