Envision ELF

By De Ming

It seemed so far away once, almost a dream in fact and yet there I was standing on this stage adjusting that microphone. To my right are half of the teachers of this school, to my left are the other half including yang berusaha Pn. Teh Seok Im, yang something PIBG, Datin Rosalind, but the most mortifying fact was that in front of me sat at least one thousand five hundred students of SMK Seafield. I began reading the acknowledgements towards the “right-hand teachers” who actually sat of my left and got stuck half way. I laughed guilty for not memorizing those names and continued. Oh well, who wouldn’t be nervous if you stood in front of a thousand plus students, introducing yourself in hope of being the next head prefect. Once again the campaigns for the next head prefect has begun, and this time, I am no more an audience.

My slogan was “ELF”, E stands for an example to follow, L, a leader who serves and F, a friend to all in need. I truly believe that if any prefect could be all of the above, then he is one brilliant prefect and I sincerely want to grow together with the prefects towards this goal.

Although campaigning is honestly uncomfortable and at times demoralizing, it is at this moment of time when I truly realize who really are my friends. For when I had papers to cut, they would be there to help me, when I needed to think of my speech, they were there to give me feedbacks, when I needed ideas for my campaign, they were there with many brilliant ideas and the most touching part was that when Ashween and his people came along shouting “Vote for Ashween”, they were there to shout my name and stand up for me. If there was one thing I can be proud of, it would be that I had the most brilliant friends anyone can have, people who believed in me.

Xia Shuen once asked me what being a leader meant to me and I said that a leader is someone who places the goal of his people ahead and does his best in achieving this goal. For if a group of people come together as a team, then there must be a common goal and the person who leads this team towards that goal must surely be called the leader! ELF is a vision that I have, a vision I want to share with the people, for this vision is not a couple of empty words, not just a slogan for a campaign. But if you truly look into the words example, leader and friend, you will see principles such as sincerity, respect, care, discipline, purity, leadership and understanding. I truly believe in growing into an ELF and I am not here today to shout, “VOTE FOR DE MING”, instead I am here in hope that you would share my vision of building a prefectorial board that is worthy of respect and sincere to serve this school, SMK Seafield and all of the teachers and students that makes up this school. For a school is not a concrete building, but consists of every single one of the students and teachers.