Election Times (Courtesy: PAF Chapter Journalism Society)

Shamail Ahmed Siddiqui.
A1S5
Member of PAF Chapter Journalism Society.

Note: The members of Journalism Society submitted their articles regarding the experience of 'Election Fever' at PAF Chapter A-levels Section. The best entries were selected to be published at the blog. So, what you're going to read below is a masterpiece conjured up by the Journalism Society. Enjoy :)

                                                                                                                                            

What shall we call an event that signifies one of the most epic competitions of college life? The epic competition that is just a little over three days? The epic competition which gets people chanting for the person they support? The epic comp- oh well I hope you have already guessed by now because I just can’t wait to talk about the elections for Head Boy and Head Girl!

Of the many events designated to happen in the course of the year, elections hold the highest importance for many. I can’t say the people cherish the democratic sense it gives them more than the freebies and stickers, but we are teenagers right? The bake sale, MUNs and other events are also a lot of fun, but seriously fellas, nothing; I repeat nothing holds a candle to the hype and tension involved in the PAF Chapter A level elections. And if you can’t feel it, it’s probably because you or I weren't nominated. Sad I know, but let’s talk more about elections here, shall we?

So after the nominees were finalized, all that remained was the fun part. Creative ideas for the campaigning were put forth by all the candidates’ respective supporters. But considering the symbols chosen this time, I’d say the supporters weren't the only ones getting creative. Believe me, the symbols ranged from birds to infinity, literally. And not only the normal birds, I’m talking cute angry little birds we love slinging on woodwork. Totally an indicator of the bearer’s ambitions I guess. Then there were symbols from the tried and tested list- the dhol and the normal birds. I guess some things never loose there charm eh? Also, the smile and the thumbs up, boy did these two catch on. Besides perfectly reflecting the personalities of the respective candidates, they were just…catchy. Anyhow the stereo was nothing short of a star, as nothing drives up some 18 year olds than the good ol’ loudspeaker. Not to mention they represented great rhetorical prowess. Speaking of prowess there was a fist too, which perfectly complemented the bearer’s overpowering aura. And when I say aura, I mean the area in which your size falls while others pale in comparison. Also from the infinite choice of symbols there was also on the list… u guessed it, infinity. Crazy as it sounds; it looked pretty cool when you consider spider man’s eyes look just like that- super fancy.

So when the campaign speeches were given, every candidate vigorously justified the purpose of their symbol plastered on virtually every wall and corner of the A level block. The speeches were impressive, with every speech reflecting the personal style of the candidate; a factor that mattered more than the content itself. But what speech is complete without boat loads of hoo-hahs and boos from the audience? And trust me, there were plenty of both. Not that it’s a bad thing, but seriously, a little actual listening wouldn't hurt you people!

Alright, now let’s get straight to the par- I mean...active campaigning. Not the word ending in ‘y’ with a ‘t’ preceding it. If you are done with the guessing let’s talk about the major day, the day when tension is at its peak, and candidates resort to all sorts of tricks in the book to snatch voters from other opponents. Frankly speaking, that means a full-fledged war in the battleground. Pledged to their duty, a plentiful number of DSLRs were also eagerly snapping away at all the heated moments. Alas, all that handshaking with random people early in the days didn't pay off and what actually remained were those close loyal friends willing to lift 70+ KG on their shoulders. Slogans were shouted out loud (pun intended) and some slogans- not so loud. I’ll leave the not-so-loud slogans to your imagination but as far as the loud slogans are concerned, they were totally typical run-off-the-mill slogans. As our headmistress wonderfully put it, “someone has been watching too much TV lately”.

An Election Campaign Train :D

But that’s where the similarities end. I mean how often do you see popsicles getting hurled at public? Not to mention candies. Oh the insanity! And there were trumpets! Talk about crazy! To top it off, there were dhol-walas and their digital counterpart, the speaker walas, to add to the craziness. People jumped their hearts out, shouting like mad men along with it. The excitement was amazing, though some found it paler than yesteryear’s campaign. I blame it partly on the heat, though that didn't stop the ladies to jump into the thicket of all the commotion. They were hailed across on chairs on the shoulders of their fans, while some chose to simply stand and get their message across. At the end of the day, which sadly did came, everyone felt like they had the time of their lives. And certainly they did because no one was worried about the decision planned for the next day, which leads us to…

The day came when we cast our votes. Yes, a remarkably anticipated day, the voting day consists of two parts; Voting in morning and results in mid-day. And well not so surprisingly, handshaking with random people was still not out of the question. But well u just can’t sit and give up right? No one likes a sore loser, so better put up that fake smile. Anyhow when the results were to be announced, the guessing game was in full swing, with students betting on who will win. The crowd raised their hands in uproar when Mehraz, the fist became head boy and Ali (a.k.a Makati) the smile got to be deputy head boy for 2012-13. The voices weren't any less raucous when Zeest, infinity, was declared head girl and Anusha the thumbs up was declared deputy head girl. These fellas then came to thank whoever came to their mind and all that with cheeky smiles set on their faces. Congrats fellas, now treat please!