Four people with different backgrounds and diverging perspectives share their thoughts on what politicization means in the context of the Ateneo.

Politicizing the community is about, first, making sure na may paki sa lahat [ang mga estudyante]. [It’s about] trying to challenge students to be more critical. So you have to inform them—but at the same time, dapat ma-engage rin sila into these things.

Drew Copuyoc, Sanggunian President, Former ASL Candidate

Our party’s vision is really to form leaders [by promoting] conscientious leadership. It means a kind of leadership where you make decisions based on what you think is right and what you think is just… So for us, politicization is trying to push for the awareness of the students [about] different social issues—both inside and outside the country, or inside and outside the school.

Gio Alejo, Sanggunian Vice President, IBIG-Agila member

… but these are the things that Ateneans care about—parking. Then you start [politicization] from there. I don’t say you encourage it, but you start from there. Hindi yung sa labas ka tapos ipipilit mo na lang sa mga Atenista, “Ito ang pakialaman mo!” [Politicization] is always a conversation with the students.

Miguel Rivera, Crusada Party Premier

Again, there’s no official definition for politicization… though Drew Copuyoc would say [it’s about] trying to make [students] act. But what I find problematic is [this notion of] enforcing people to act—that’s not a politicized way of doing things. It’s more of trying to resonate with the student, and once you resonate with him, the response from him comes naturally.

David de Castro, One Initiative Movement President