TURN-OVER of the Key of Responsibility

Governor-elect Speech

April Al Ian T. Jacob

To our DSA Director, Dr. Edward Banawa; to our Dean, Dr. Marie Joy Banawa; to our Asst. Dean, Prof. Sittie Nofaissah Pasandalan; to mam Rosalinda Lagovez; to the Adviser of CASS EC 2014-2015, Prof. Omar Bataluna; to the KASAMA President, Jahaziel Mark Bahan; to Gov. Von John Omega and the rest of the outgoing officers; to the society presidents and representatives; to my new CASS EC family; it us a delight in my eyes to see you all in this great evening.

President John Quincy Adams, the 6th president of America was right when he said that "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." Ladies and gentlemen, I have met many of them in my quest for life not being a born leader but a made-leader for it takes long process of developing character and values to become one.

Yesterday, while I pondered about myself being the Governor of CASS, I suddenly remembered the moment when I was in the CASS lounge, a fresh high school graduate who wish to enrol in the AB English Program of the College of Arts and Social Sciences. It was the moment when I got to see CASS EC officers, well, I did not know they were called as such back then, but they were easily identified because they were wearing their uniforms. I saw Jonaim Dipatuan. I recognize him as the Governor because it was written in his shirt. Then, I discovered a year after that the person I passed my requirements to also happened to be a former Governor of CASS who was in the person of John Carlo Cabalit. I have this fascination to rekindle moments that I believe have meanings. That moment made me want to be like them. The spirit within me to serve and lead people enflamed the Luke warmness for quite long months of summer and idleness of what my Grade 6 Adviser has written in my Report Card, I can still remember word by word, “You have the potential to be a leader.” Honestly, I am becoming what I dreamed for today. I become what Kuya Von Omega, the lovely outgoing Governor of CASS, and kuya Airport, I’d like to say, the most “matinabangon” head appointee of CASS, have prophesized. They were not prophets but they were able to tell and thus really good at it. It was during after I delivered my winning speech in the 2012 Palakasan Talumpati Competition practice at the CASS EC office. If I am not mistaken, the words were exactly like this “Mag-governor jud ka ha, angayan jud kayu ka.” I did not know how to respond. I felt like it’s next to impossible, but look here! I am now delivering my 1^st speech as the Governor of CASS.

But, this doesn’t happen quickly and easily. Just like anybody else or most of us, I started as a squashed cabbage leaf, credits to the metaphor of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. I was a still a neophyte then. I started in a four cornered class room as the Block Leader of the first year AB English students, then became an Olympian of the House of Lords and a Councilor of the AB English Organization, then last year, I run for board member of CASS, fortunately I won, plus more bonus because I did not expect to be the 1^st Board member out of the 21 candidates running and wishing to have a spot in the eight slots. It was indeed a journey. Today, I believe that being the Governor is the pinnacle of my college leadership. Thus, this position demands the highpoint of my leadership skills and the utmost of my ability to be a good leader that CASS Arachnids expect and deserve.

This evening, let me talk to you about values since it is a must for a leader to know what he or she values. These values are very important because they live in our actions every single day. Values that I have learned and values that I must enhance. Values that have helped, not only to me but to many budding leaders. Actually, the core values of the Institute would help us just as much. We have Integrity, Accountability, Competence, Excellence and Teamwork. But, in this case, let us be more specific.

And for one, you need to have trust and ability to delegate tasks. In the EC, we are not supermen, we need to acknowledge other’s helping hands. CASS EC is always out of number in organizing events and leading people. There is no question about that because it is proven. We always need good quantity but with just quality. We need a lot of creative minds and abled and powered men to be successful. It is not just right to have trust to your fellow officers or to the appointees and volunteers, it is essential that we do.

Secondly, we must have integrity. It is considered to be one of the fundamental values that a leader should have. Honesty and trust are central to integrity. Acting with honour and truthfulness are basic tenets in a person with integrity. This values would undoubtedly draw others to you because you are trustworthy and dependable. People would count on you in many honourable ways if you work with principles even when no one is watching.

We also need to have time and commitment. We are admitted to the fact that our number one priority in school is our academics. I am here in school to study just like you. I remember my English 1 teacher in the person of Prof. Honeylet Dumoran said that “Class, you need to remember that you are not here in school to major events in CASS Days or Palakasan, you are majoring English.” She is precisely right. Let us not be deceived by the enjoyment we have in the council with our friends and fellow officers.

               At the end of the day, we are student leaders. We need to study for our future. But, we must bear in mind in the second primal place that we pledged our supposedly idle hours or time to serve others. We promised to the students that we are in the Student Executive Council for the Arachnid’s Empowerment and Welfare. We need to be committed and have time for it.

There are many values on the table. As a leader, choose the values and the ethics that are most important and applicable to you, the values and ethics you believe in and that define your character. One should live them visibly every day during class or at the council. Living your values is one of the most powerful tools available to you to help you lead and influence others. Don't waste your best opportunity.

If we are going to employ all these positive qualities in our lives, then CASS EC will be better from the Good. The world would be better. We will try our best to be as competitive as we are in Palakasan. The new set of officers can’t really promise to you the best of luck that we can probably have, but we will try our best armed with those values. We will unleash and squeeze the best of every arachnid. We will strive hard to have a student friendly, accessible, accountable and transparent Executive Council. We will continue to recognize talents, skills and potentials of CASS students, the primary goals of every student executive council.

We will be one CASS. With the values at hand and grace of the one who made all things to existence, among padayunon ang among pagka-CASSaligan. Thank you.