Dear Associated Student Body

(of whom I am President), 

On the eve of last Wednesday, December the 1st, 2021, as I laid awake, tossing and turning until Thursday dawned upon us, wrestling with my thoughts as I fought to surrender to the somnolence I so desperately craved, I had an epiphany. 

In a tortuously tedious display of restlessness, (though, of which I now understand the value of and can appreciate) my internal dialogue led me to the stark yet optimistic conclusion that I am simply not living up to my potential, and need to work harder to become the best version of myself I could be, and put more effort into realizing the visions I want to manifest.

From this realization, I see that I must offer a heartfelt apology to those whom I regularly interact with, and thus, receive the brunt of my previously dwindling dedication, those reading this, and beyond – for depriving them of the most capable version of myself; as a friend, as a son, (and most pertaining to on campus affairs) as a Royal, as an ASB President, as a School Site Council President, and as Homecoming Royalty. I consider my, what I view as stagnation, to be shameful and I will no longer continue to tolerate such. 

As ASB President, I took an oath to serve my school and community to the best of my ability, and I now see I have been bugging… by lacking on providing said service at the level of which I would be satisfied with my leadership. For that, I sincerely apologize. 

I pledge to continue to work my hardest on growing, pushing my limits and, to quote Dr. Alvarez… “Do better!” 

If you, the reader, have any suggestions for how I could improve my leadership, and thus your experience on campus, constructive criticism is welcomed. And/or if you would like to voice other input on what kind of changes you’d like to see at San Marcos, I encourage you to visit the public comment portion of ASB meetings, which are held every Thursday @ 8:30 AM in room I-9.

At least now I do not have to worry about trying to come up with New Year’s Resolutions, as I am giving myself a head start, and quite a broad one at that.

Thankfully, this allows me to properly celebrate the holiday season (and the much, if not more anticipated) time off from school as it is meant to be enjoyed – restfully; surrounded by family and friends, with delicious food and drinks, gift exchanges, 4 PM sunsets, games, cheer and festivities. I encourage you to do the same!

Lastly, as I draw my tidings to a slow conclusion, there is one more message I feel necessary to share, though my difficulty in choosing words leads me to understand it cannot be said without doubling down on sounding extremely condescending, though no more than as I ever have: 

Do not wait until the New Year to highlight the importance of (preferably perpetual) self improvement! The only aspect of your self improvement journey you should worry about waiting on is reading the next issue of “President’s Perspective!” Do not waste your energy and divert your focus from what truly matters during the holiday season, by setting or stressing about setting, unrealistically lofty and statistically improbable (as ⅔ of people abandon said goals within the month) resolutions to prove the point that you are capable of caring about self improvement! 

Rather, it is my belief that if a person stays present, and lives true to their personal integrity, they do not have to worry about setting too many specific goals for themselves. For if a person trusts that they are truly acting as the best version of themselves, then all they hope to achieve will fall into place naturally (though it will likely take some effort). I also believe it would be quite interesting to hear others’ philosophies and takes on the subject, though unfortunately the majority of students and faculty do not have the privilege of having their own newspaper column. So I can merely speculate on what others think. 

As we part ways again this month, I encourage you to ask yourself at some point during your time off, “Am I living my life authentically, and working to maximize my potential capabilities? Am I staying true to myself as the best: royal, student, friend, partner, ally, ASB President (if applicable) I can be? Am I the person I want to be? What can I do to ensure this? What can I #Dobetter?” 

I wish you all a safe, bountiful, and refreshing Winter Break! 

Sincerely Doing Better, 

Gabriel A. Casey