By Stephen Villo
We all see the numerous students guarding the exits and entrances during school events, and most of us look and think – “what they do must be hard.” Apparently, not for one Joms Caña, the interim leader of the FEPS Marshals. We carried out a sit-down interview to procure more insights about what it feels like to be a marshal.
“Marshals isn’t difficult, you just gotta power through as follow commands. Just don’t be intimidated,” he said when asked about the program’s difficulty. To the question “Why does one join the marshals?” Mr. Caña responded, “Since it was a relatively new organization, I joined. Not only am I here for new opportunities, but also experience in the military type-esc training.”
“Being a marshal feels great, you’re able to help out teachers and students,” he emphasized.
Additionally, many-a-student wonder about the need or importance of such an organization, Joms explains that – “Not only does it (FEPS Marshals) maintain a healthy student-teacher relationship, it also acts as a way for students to help during events, …, to signify responsibility and discipline. With that kind of presentation, other students will soon adopt the traits that we exhibit.” A marshal’s main duty is to assist the school’s staff, imposing rules or following orders. Their commitment is to keep the events and other activities under control because it would prove to be difficult for staff alone. “Within the scope of the things we’ve done, I’m proud of mine and the marshal’s work so far.” he continued.
Finally, many students have inquired about joining the marshals but are hesitant, so I asked him – “What is something you want to say to students second-guessing joining the organization?” He gave the briefest, yet most up-to-the-mark answer; “Don’t underestimate yourself, if you think you have what it takes, go for it. If not, no one’s pushing you to.”
“Adding to that, if they do think they have what it takes, what should they expect?”
“A lot of physical and mental training, …” he said. “The thing is, many students don’t understand what it takes or how easy it is to be a marshal. What students think is that when they see something physically challenging, they immediately feel distaste for it… what they don’t see is the upsides – you will learn to cherish your comrades, uphold the good of all, and many more.”
The FEPS Marshals uphold the values of responsibility, camaraderie, and compassion, all the while being a dependable bunch of people. Mr. Joms Caña and the marshals he leads truly represent what it means to be a FEPSian.