SHIFT THE TASSEL

A week from now, we (the graduating batch) shall experience that singular moment of relief and joy when we ceremonially shift the tassel of our graduation cap from the left side to the right side.

In my case, after eighteen (18) years of Xavier/Jesuit Education, I can’t fathom the innate simplicity of the symbolism of shifting the side of the tassel as the ultimate symbol of college graduation. Though I understand that symbols are made to simplify complex human ideals, I can only infer that the shift of the tassel has a grand story behind it which is unique to every graduate.

My college story was that of a quest for significance, meaning, and direction. This story is nothing different from a multitude of others yet this insistent quest had led me to discover more than what I expected.

I began to learn the value of friendship knowing that college is a big place with so many “others”. Where your “friendship turnover” is relatively high and where you have more acquaintances than friends. The value I am speaking of is that priceless consequence of friendship, deep or not deep, which is discovering ourselves more through knowing others. This is the underlying magic of friendship. That quite act of liberation is at work every time we meet and know someone, much more if we deepen it.

I began to appreciate my faith more. The indispensable role of my Catholic faith in my life shined brightly in College. Though dark clouds often block its shimmer, it has shined enough to make me appreciate and realize how fundamentally important it is. College in all of its challenges and philosophy subjects has tested this faith but it has even gained strength. In simple terms, I’ve learned that life is void of purpose when everything is certain. It takes faith in the uncertainty for it to unfold in its due course.

I began to learn the value of my education. College has allowed me to see that my education is more than its face value. It is no longer just a tool for me to make a living nor an assurance for my adult survival. “A good education to get a good job” is no longer enough for me. College has taught me that this line should now be: “A good education to be a better citizen/person”. College education has transformed into an education as a potent instrument for the promotion of justice. And clearly this can be exercised in all professions and status in life. Cynics may easily dismiss this as sheer fantasy, but this world view is the very thing that makes us different from the rest – this is what makes us ateneans.

We commence a new stage in our young lives and we shall commence it with fidelity towards our values, hope for our nation, and faith in our God.

Making Sense of My Legal Future

In the eve of my presumably final days of college life, I find myself dissecting the plans I placed for myself about the initial direction I will take. However, this is still under a cloud of mystery, of where this direction will ultimately lead me – the very thing that makes me excited about life. I have declared to myself and to the world that after undergraduate studies, I shall enter a far different world called Law School (after calling off all prospects of corporate or government employment). Tracing the history of this decision is an interesting one. Initially, the legal profession was not something I would utter as my dream job before after seeing all the voluminous books I should read and understand. It was something of a default once your dad is a lawyer. Then, It was nurtured by my silent witnessing of my father – a trial lawyer himself in how he helps poor clients with their legal concerns pro bono. As I became nerdier, this desire appeared to me in different forms; from the enigmatic procedures of the Roman Senate in ancient Rome to the last defence of Nazism in the Nuremburg trials. All of which I fell in love studying and discovering. Then student politics and leadership came in and it all seemed to fall into a decipherable order. The combination of my basic interests in history, politics, and human relations met with my new found mission of social development. Social development or better yet nation building animated by “the faith that does justice” is the very heart that holds all things I believe in. Integrating all my experiences, all of my strengths, and my aspirations, it is the pursuit of justice in public governance or socio-economic development (even though how vague it can be) work where I must go forth. Though all is called to do justice to every man, my context has allowed me to conclude that my instrumentality to do justice to every man and to society as a whole is to build a legal profession. And the story then will just begin.

MY FINAL REPORT AS YOUR CSG PRESIDENT [FOR CENTRAL POST 11]

MY FINAL REPORT AS YOUR CSG PRESIDENT [FOR CENTRAL POST 11]

I received a personal massage in facebook. It came from a group of students who were concerned about their lab fee. They reported to me that they were not able to use the speech lab during the whole duration of summer classes yet the fee was reflected in their assessment. With the quick response of our STRAW team, we were able to facilitate the concern and within a reasonable period, the account was reversed. Admin-student gap bridged.

In a day of heavy downpour, the service center of the CSG handed out its umbrellas to students who have no form of protection from the heavy rain. In some cases, officers with umbrellas escort trapped students who would otherwise risk themselves of being wet and sick. Basic services established.

With the call for a more reasonable time slot for student activities and for the administration to respect its place in university life, the Academic Council approved the proposal to move the activity hour from 5-6 to 6 – 8:40 (final class slot) affording the student organizations the time needed to effectively conduct their activities. Organizational welfare enhanced.

In my experience as your President, these are the real and vivid pictures that best capture what your student government has been doing for the past year of its governance.

Going back to the beginning of this fruitful journey, we assumed the presidency with the banner of inclusivity, rootedness, and engagement in governance. But what does that really mean now that we have come to the end of our term? How did these principles play out into actual programs and policies? What do these words mean to you, to us and for the future?

“An Inclusive government means a transparent, accountable and responsive representation that is mindful of the mandate bestowed upon him by the electorate.”

A quick review of some old literature of the students’ view of the CSG reveals that it is primarily seen as the “mother of all events organizer”. We can only blame ourselves for this sad reality. One is quick to conclude that this is so because there is no other way to reach the students effectively but through fan fare and entertainment. However, we also quickly concluded that we can reach more students if we act like a government. And not just any government, it should be a government that operates with transparency, accountability and responsiveness as the forefront of all their actions. We have lessened the fan fare and we have increased our investment in the pillars of good governance.

This policy is best expressed in our devotion to financial transparency, monthly performance reporting, consultations, open volunteer system and our streamlined complaint processing system. For transparency, your CSG posts its cash flow and account balance in a monthly basis which also shows the expenditure share of each government unit. Official minutes of executive meetings are published online which includes attendance of the officers. Officers who fail to show up in the meetings are made to reveal their reason and are published online. In reporting, Your President gives monthly reports to the different student councils, offices and the student publication on the affairs of student government. This is also published online. In terms of consultations, Online and forum consultations were held in a monthly basis during the first semester. This practice ultimately directed our policy engagement for the remainder of the year. For students who want to involve in per project basis, we have opened the open volunteer system which accommodated nearly a total of 150 students in different CSG projects. For the complaint processing, the Students’ Rights and Welfare Commission has partnered with the Office of Student Affairs in facilitating complaints in a new and more accountable process. This resulted to one of the highest complaint resolution rates in student government history.

Needless to say, The Central Student Government is ought to be the government of, by and for the students. Being true to these words requires a leadership that is mindful of the trust and mandate given by the student body. In our case, it is the quick response of the STRAW in the lab fee complaint that made a big difference. It is ultimately the trust and confidence of the student body where the government’s influence depends. This trust and confidence is nurtured only by an open government. If it is lost, then all is lost.

“A rooted government means a leadership that anchors itself, its resources and effort in the real needs and concerns of the students.”

You or someone you know might have remembered that you/they answered a survey questionnaire at the end of last school year. Rootedness means that the efforts of the government in anchoring itself are not on the opinions and homogenous experiences of the leaders in CSG but on the real pulse of the students. Through the survey results, the students made known to their government that they have mainly 4 broad areas of concern namely: academic development, student services, socio-political involvements and extra-curricular involvement. This exercise resulted to the massive internal organization in years. From 7 executive departments in the past, it was reduced to 4 new and semi-autonomous Departments which were created to meet the needs of each of the 4 areas. The beauty of this approach comes from a simple truth; that governing blindly is not governing at all. As a first step to our own version of “matuwid na daan”, this allowed us to direct our energies and resources into the right place. Slimming down government units and allowing them to operate semi-independently did not only allow focus on specific areas but also allowed efficiency and creativity to foster.

This policy of rootedness was best expressed in the basic services we deliver to the students based on the areas of concern. This year saw the rise of the devolved student tutorial program, the CSG Service Center, and the Xavier School of Sorts. The tutorial program which addresses peer to peer study needs of the students empowered the co-curricular organizations to develop their tutorial services that resulted to the highest number of tutees ever recorded. For everyday service, the new CSG Service Center does not only sell snacks but it also rents out calculators, cell phone chargers, umbrellas, and Bibles helping those students in urgent need. This daily contact to students made your CSG closer to its constituents. For those who desire to develop their talents and learn new skills, The Xavier School of Sorts is an alternative class program that caters to the extra-curricular interests of the students from languages to arts and many more.

For the Central Student Government to be closer to its constituents, it has to target the basic needs that the students call for such as the simple call for umbrellas during a heavy downpour. If our governance is immersed in real student life, the deficit of relevance slowly disappears.

“An engaging government is a leadership that goes to the frontiers to build relationships among institutions and people for best results.”

Your CSG, as a physical institution is composed of only around 50 student leaders and only around 20% of it volunteer

fulltime in the office. Compare that to the 11,000 students who we are supposed to serve and govern and the hundreds of teachers and staff we are supposed to build relationships with. We are but a drop in the Sea called Xavier University. This image of your CSG as a tiny part of a huge community courts the idea of how insignificant its position is and in some cases it has taken away the drive and energy of our leaders. However, I discovered that your CSG is anything but insignificant if it only knows what it is here for, who to engage with and how to engage. Beside the challenge of actual governance, it is really how to make the influence of CSG touch the most basic everyday affairs of students that will make it truly significant. We took this idea as a necessity so your CSG embarked in a proactive policy of engagement. This came to life in different forms.

In terms of policy and nation building, it is brought to life by our constant reporting and recommendation-giving to the Academic Council (the highest academic policy making body of the college) where we report in a monthly basis. This resulted into some policy highlights such as the reform of the student activity hour and an extensive revision of the Magna Carta of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities which is still in process. We also linked with the Security office concerning issues of inconsistencies and the newly formed Solid Waste Management Committee which oversaw its first phase of implementation with the new segregation bins. Beyond our walls, building a house for the marginalized is also an engagement we directed our energies to under the Xavier Home program with the partnership of the Habitat for Humanity of Cagayan de Oro.

In terms of student sectors, we engaged proactively with the Office of Student Affairs in Student Assistantship Program Development where we championed a creation of a new policy that includes the SA’s Bill of Rights and the creation of a core team for an SA Organization. We also made sure that your CSG will be a potent force in the development of the scholarship program through the creation of a student body scholarship fund among others.

More than anything is how we brought the engagement to the student body into a new untapped sphere – social media. The power of Facebook and the blog in particular has allowed your CSG to amplify its message and extend its reach. We do not only exist in the second floor of the StC building; we can now interact online. This is a powerful development for bridging the gap between the students and their government allowing suggestions, questions and concerns to freely flow.

One thing is certain; Your Central Student Government cannot do it alone. It requires the constant engagement of key institutions/ organizations and support from the students. It is through this rich interplay where the real effect of good student governance can be felt such in case of the activity hour reform.

We would like to believe that this was a transformative year for our student government and student governance after a period of questions and doubts. Though not always smooth and precise, we have “operationlized” the basic pillars of good governance and laid it in place as a good foundation for the next administration to develop and improve. This, we hope is a testament that government, even in our own school can make a difference in the lives of others amidst the cynicism and apathy that pervades the youth’s view of government today. In a greater light, we hope that the great project we call “YOUR VOICE.YOUR GOVERNEMNT” will bring a new sense of optimism and faith that there can be a government that can work for the common good and for the simple service for the student body.

Egypt in Uprising: What does this mean to us?

Egypt in Uprising: What does this mean to us?

If a revolution has an anatomy, its life blood would be the sheer energy of frustration and anger unleashed by a people. Its heart would be that glimmer of hope that all will change for the better. In Egypt’s case, 29 years of Hosni Mubarak’s authoritarian rule have slowly assembled the parts of this revolution and it took only one lighting bolt from neighbouring Tunisia to put its heart into beating order.

We are all seeing it unfold in the daily news. So then I ask, what does this mean for us Filipinos?

What is astonishing about this revolution is how it started and who started it. With the inspiration drawn from the successful Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, an Egyptian facebook group called “The April 6 Youth Movement” emailed all its members across Egypt to come out and protest. They set January 25 as the protest day called “The Day of Anger”, a fitting expression of the utter dissatisfaction people felt about the state of their economic and political life. This is where it all began. This political event organized by the dissatisfied and idealistic youth of Egypt affirms the truth that we – the young citizens have the power – the political power to influence the course of a country. This power I believe comes from our youthful energy, our ideals unburdened by time, and our hope to inherit a better state of life than our parents have. The youth of Egypt is no less different than any other youth around the world much less than our own. And this reminds us the immense potential that we all young people have if we put our energies into one common goal and fight one common enemy; in their case – a regime that outlived its purpose, in our case – a culture of corruption that breeds poverty. In a much specific sense, we can then stem a challenge for all of us graduating students; how can we integrate this kind of revolution against the culture of corruption in our career options?

The Egyptian uprising also affirmed a fundamental belief that it is only a matter of time when people demand change if a government suppresses their basic rights to life, liberty, and property. Peace and order is born only from a society that embraces dignity, freedom and equity. Time and time again we have seen this unfold in human history, and as a matter of fact, we were the once who perfected it. We Filipinos, while Mubarak was gripping power for just 5 years under emergency law, showed to the whole world how democracy looks like at its finest hour; a peaceful, spontaneous and grassroots revolution that toppled a two-decade long dictatorship. The revolution in Egypt in most respect is a far cry from our own People Power Revolution as far as the means being used. Shots were fired, bombs were detonated, hundreds died. It is sad to know that our kind of people power did not penetrate their cultural fabric. Nonetheless, we can declare that what they are doing now, we had done it before – but way better and of course, way more peaceful. Not much of a brag now if we see where our state is. We had our chance before; we had our moment before but it seems like we have forgotten it. This revolution in Egypt also serves as a clear reminder of who we are as a people and what we had done together. The spirit of people power that is already part of our blood should be transformed into something else – something more than political. How can we continue to live out this spirit of people power as we are reminded of in this revolution?

The platform in which this revolution began is a proof of how this new age of connectivity empowers social action. “The April 6 Youth Movement” exist not as political party with a head quarters in Cairo; it is housed not in a building but in cyberspace specifically in facebook. The implication is massive. We have seen how social media played a critical role in a presidential campaign. Now, we are seeing how it is playing a critical role in facilitating a revolution. That is why the Mubarak regime immediately pulled out the internet connection of the whole nation. The regime fears that an intangible cyber continent will become the new base for grassroots political organizing. In the hands of the citizens, this is their powerbase. Social media has allowed the diffusion of the power to inform to the hands of millions of individual users. Social media allows people to magnify their message and expand their reach in the comfort of their own rooms. If used for political action in an environment that is ripe for revolt, then it becomes a potent force not to be underestimated. We Filipinos are also known for Friendster and Facebook so let us leverage on this as what the Egyptian youth did. In the experience of our own struggle to reform a cultural regime of corruption that breeds poverty, how can we effectively utilize our social media savvy towards this end?

The revolution in Egypt is a reflection of the human desire to build a better world through a just and humane society. This is nothing different to the other revolutions that occurred before in the stretch of human history. What is significant is its parallelism to our own Filipino situation. We might not be under a dictatorship but we are surely under a cultural regime that utterly needs reform. If there is an anatomy of revolution, let its blood not be born of frustration and anger, but of hope and love. And, let its heart be a genuine desire to rebuild our institutions and the dignity of our people.

Bag Packer in Manila

Reconnecting with JJ Medina and Karl Maqui in Rice Bowl Gateway. Thank you J for the free dinner!

One of my obsessions

Visited the halls of power

Will propel the region . . .

A family legacy waiting to soar again

Ang Katarungan—Cagayan de Oro City”s first newsweekly

Ang Katarungan (The Reason) is the first newspaper to be established in Cagayan de Oro City. It was printed in letterpress and was handset.

Established on July 1, 1903, Ang Katarungan was founded by the Neri brothers—the late former Misamis Or. Rep. Ramon B. Neri and former Misamis Or. Gov. Vicente Neri San Jose.

Ang Katarungan initially was published in Cebuano, the local dialect and was a 4-page tabloid printed by an old-type Minerva printing press and was handset. Its first issue came out with 300 copies, a rather big circulation during the days of the early American period.

In 1926, Ang Katarungan changed its format. It became a bilingual—English-Cebuano news magazine in 16 pages.

Except for the interruption from two fires in 1937 and 1940 and World War II, the paper came out regularly up to the present making its claim as the oldest existing newspaper in this city valid.

The two fires in 1937 and 1940 destroyed the paper’s office and printing facilities. However, these setbacks did not dampen the publishers of the paper. Through the help of their friends and loyal subscribers it managed to put up its printing facilities again and resumed publication.

But when World War II erupted, the Japanese closed down the publication in 1942. When Liberation came in 1945, bombs destroyed the printing facilities of Ang Katarungan and again it had to literally begin from nothing.
On July 17,1948 with Vicente Neri as its publisher-editor Ang Katarungan resumed publication. The issue featured stories on the eruption of Mt. Hibok Hibok volcano in the island province of Camiguin, which was still then a part of Misamis Oriental.

It also carried advertisements of commercial establishments and subdivision lots for sale of the Nazareth subdivision (the city’s first subdivision, now one of the city’s barangays).

The newspaper later went back to being a tabloid when Augusto Neri, son of Vicente Neri, one of the founders of the newspaper assumed as publisher-editor in the 60’s.Augusto F. Neri or AFN as he was known also served as an elected ember of the Cagayan de Oro City Council.

The paper, now renamed as Ang Bag-ong Katarungan comes out every Saturday in four pages only due to economic difficulties according to its publisher. It is still printed in letterpress and earns mostly from judicial notices.

Upon the death of Augusto F. Neri in 1982, his wife Isidra P. Neri took over as publisher of the paper while his son Atty. Augusto Neri,Jr. took over as editor. Geronimo F. Valenton now edits the paper.


Source:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=539722&page=8

You got to be Kidding, Lord!

You got to be Kidding, Lord!

It is moments like this that I would fist-bump God because of his funny antics.

Here is the story. I was waiting for a multi-cab at the corner of a block in Grand Europa for a ride back home after our half-day brownie bake session. It took an awful lot of time waiting for one. I guess it was due to the heavy traffic and long route caused by a road repair in Masterson Ave. As I was waiting for a ride, I passively observed a family of three walking along the street so as with some other people; just me and my being observant. As the agony of waiting slowly filled me, I decided to just stroll around the block and look at the different designs of the houses there. It was this point that I dreamed of owning a sleek and modern house someday and I hope to benchmark in some of the houses I observed along the street. After a quick stroll, I waited for a ride in the main road in one of their neat waiting sheds. Other people were there and so as the family of three whom I saw earlier. I was looking for a multi-cab, they were looking for a taxi. Minutes passed until one taxi pulled over. Unexpectedly, the mother of the family called me and offered me to join the ride with them. I did not think twice and accepted the very generous offer with great thanks. As I settled in the taxi, I silently thanked God for this generous family whom I earlier I just passively noticed and now, I am riding with them. This does not happen every day.

I took the initiative to strike a conversation. She asked me the typical GTKY questions like my course and my year, well except for my name (I think it’s a Filipino thing). As I finished my sentence of introduction, she awkwardly commented “wala pud nag duol sa imo ang mga Jesuits na ipa pari ka?”. Bang! What the! I did not even come close to even imagining this comment coming out from her. It was totally out of the blue. For a moment, I was speechless. She continued and revealed to me that her brother IS actually a Jesuit, Fr. Jason Dy whom I served as mass server in his first thanks giving mass 2 years ago in Xavier!

Come on!?

What an amazing and rare convergence of people, event, and spirit. Rare thing. Close to a miracle in some degree.

I was thinking about a beautiful house in the future, I got a ride from a generous family whom I do not know, and I was then reminded of this vocation all in one setting. You got to be kidding me Lord!

Signs are often rare but when it happens, it creates this interior ripple effect. It somehow removes the cloud of doubts inside you and a clearer tapestry is seen. Let us be sensitive to these things.

And Pray.

Do not hesitate to talk.

When I knew he was available, I immediately grabbed the opportunity to have a conversation with him.

I always find Fr. Rudy Fernandez, Sj (not the action star) a very interesting Jesuit. He gives very insightful, moving and practical homilies. I also find him almost every day strolling around campus with a book in his right hand. Almost an enigmatic force glows in his presence. When we were seatmates during a forum about roads, I grabbed the chance to strike a conversation with him. I asked him if he still conducts spiritual directing and he still does at a gentle age of 80 +. With the help of a CM officer, I got a schedule with him the next day.

I do not want to elaborate what we talked about. What I can only share is what this priest has given me. His great peace which is characterized by his openness and wisdom of seeing the nation grow as it is aided me so much in putting order in my perceptions and as he said “connecting the dots” . I believe this is one grace we have in a Jesuit institution; we have great men who we can easily talk to.

Let us all grab the opportunity to have a simple conversation with our Jesuit priests. Talk about anything in life and you will just me amazed of how they seem to weave it into one understandable and appreciable tapestry. An hour with them can bring so much insight.

In Memory of Mr. Ralph Buyante BSN -4

I knew of his death when an administrator texted me. When I read the name, no face registered in my memory. At the same moment, since I was online in facebook, I took the initiative to search a profile that matches this name. Shockingly, when I saw his face– I knew him instantly. He was my classmate long before in our Political Science class and If I remember it correctly, he was our class beadle. I could remember that every time we cross paths in campus, he never fails to nod or greet. I knew that he was a kind a humble person.

The fangs of sadness just gripped me when the news began to sink in. It was heartbreaking. It led me to question why this could have happened which we always often do. A graduating nursing student two months shy from graduation – a final bow after 4 long and tiring years in the college but now, all gone.

Now at the dust is starting to settle, we can’t help it but ask why? And this question will lead us to so many answers. It will lead us to question the causes of the accident (traffic rules? Driver discipline? Who is responsible?) And even ask the futile question of why of all jeepneys, he rode that particular one bound to disaster? Why? I could not even begin to fathom the pain the family is in. My thoughts and prayers go out to them and their loved ones so as the other victims of this accident.

Ralph’s loss reminds us of how fragile life is. How we really do not know when our time will be. How we really live on a thin line between death and life. His loss reminds us of our own mortality. After the pain simmers down, I believe our hearts will not anymore question the causes of this particular accident or how could it have been prevented. Rather, our hearts will settle on the rich memories this particular person shared to us and how he lived his life to the fullest.

May the Lord accompany him in his return home.

For those whose heart beats for the family of Mr. Buyante, please visit the CONUS office (2nd floor StC building to give your donations.

One Day More

This is my favorite song in Les Miserables. It captures the struggle of the "miserables", the marginalized as they prepare for revolution. We shall sing this everyday for tomorrow is always a day of revolution. Revolution that is subtle, that is interior that will ultimately produce fruits of justice for our marginalized brothers and sisters.

Road and Development: Insights from the Australian Aid Program

I had a fascinating chance to listen to a forum with the Australian Aid on their Program called “Philippine Provincial Roads Management Facility. One thing I particularly would like to share is how they operationalize and integrate good governance to improving the road system. In a nutshell, road is a public good and political at that. People see the quality of roads as primary direct indicators of the quality of governance. Moreover, roads are our economic arteries that bring prosperity and breaks isolation that breeds poverty and ignorance. This is a good way of focusing its aid for development.

In summary, the Australian Aid "incentivizes" governance reform by allowing the government to draw up their own development stages and meeting each stage signifies another aid contribution. This process allows the local governments to assess and develop their own processes opening up a bigger space for creativity, innovation and engagement from civil society. The program also taps local labor in the development and/or maintenance of roads stimulating local economies.

In development economics, we’ve been taught that developing countries lack the needed capital injections to propel economic growth. One way of filling that need is foreign direct investments or foreign aid. In this case, foreign aid for development is a boost in our efforts to move this country forward. Above all that, development can only work if the major stakeholders of the local community are involved where they participate in their own development. In this manner – commitment in our own development, whether with aid or with our own means, this country will surely develop in the long-run.

A funny case of misinformation

Yesterday, I almost paid the price of believing in wrong information. I almost missed my Industrial Economics because I recorded a wrong time slot in my planner. I arrived 25 minutes late in a 1 hour exam. By all measure, this is a common mistake but I find the circumstances surrounding this event very insightful. For one, the date was already posted in our class facebook group, thus very visible. I kept on linking useful review notes that would appear just above the date. It was just their under my nose. But, I did not seem to bother the information. I did not bother completely reading the whole schedule thread. I just knew it’s there and I did not mind it because at the back of my head, I already relied on what I have recorded in my memory. In process, I have subconsciously blocked all other information that is related to this particular category of information because I believed that I already got it; that I have all that I needed to know. The wisdom I believe I can get from this is the simple idea of open and close mindedness. If we believe that we are sure in a particular idea, we normally tend to block other information that might challenge it. This naturally response I believe is the main culprit that cripples innovation and imagination. So with that, I leave this lesson as one that calls us to always absorb process, analyze and innovate. Ultimately, this gift is responsible for pushing our civilization forward.

First Day of Midterms.

It was a slow day. I woke up around 9:30 am still bearing that heavy feeling last night. I am getting use to the silence again yet I come to believe that this is a normal process of adjustment just like 10 months ago. Spend a couple of hours surfing the net and watching Les Mis. More than the music, i think the message of the book is strikingly reflective of our own country. I upgraded my skype. I would keep by facebook page online hoping that my brother would be online. I guess he slept in his initial hours in Korea. After s mall lunch, I went off to gym. Again there was a sense of silence. When I returned to the house I would look up to the door and imagine that my brother would peek and open the door but of course no one opened. In school, I was quite overwhelmed when i saw the long line in window 6 (bank payments). I fell in line and it started to drizzle. To make good use of the time, I reviewed my notes while it captured small drops of rain. Surprisingly, I saw my colleague in government wearing the csg shirt. I tasked him to visit the treasurer’s office and see what we can do about this long line since another bank window had this passively placed “closed” sign peering on us while we were slowly getting wet. What a waste come to think of it. My colleague returned possessing an order. He announced that the other half go to the treasurer’s office to finish the “admit to exam” transaction. It made me think. This is one concrete way of doing our role in simple cases of inconvenience. From possibly waiting for an hour, I finished my transaction in 15 minutes. I studied in a very quiet place where I can be closer to the source of truth – the chapel. I spent a good 20 minutes there. Then I went off to my first midterm exam. It was relatively easy though with some challenges in the identification part. I only memorized their first name. Tsk. After an hour of exam, I went to the office to visit and went to the library to photocopy an ancient book which still cites the Soviet Union. I went home with my close confidant. I did manage to buy my favourite sweet corn and malunggay pastel. It made me think again, how much these FS guys are earning and will their partnership will survive after college. I think 4 owners are just too much.

At home, I made sure that to study my notes. I would like to thank YouTube for providing me with all the materials I need for tomorrow’s exam.

Quite a slow day but yet it has its surprises. So we should never discount every day. All have its own fair share of lessons to teach and good memories to relish.

When will be my turn to go there! hahaha!

I thought I am through with this already. But even how much I rationalize my feelings, the fangs of sadness really consumes me. I think it is no longer the thought of him away. We have gone pass that realization already. I think it is really more of the memories, that even for a short while we became once again a complete family that will be truly missed. I miss the “ulit-ulit” in the mornings while I am still half awake and manong would just curl up beside me. Before he got the visa, I considered that practice as a bullshit start of the day. His never ending pangulit would start the moment I wake up and the moment I go to bed. I dreaded it. But now, that he is away. I relish every bit of it. I would often close my eyes and wish that it would last forever knowing that this unique expression of brotherhood will happen again in a long time. I will miss the moments when I would arrive from school and he will be the one to open the door and greet me with this pointing finger over my mouth. I miss the moments when we would watch DVD together and insist that we will turn on the air condition. I miss the moments when we have to debate or fight over his piece of clothing since I have only a limited baggy few.

These are the simple memories we have when we were together for the holidays. Now, he is on his way back to Canada for another long time. This time, I do not know when he will come back. I only hope that this sadness will subside just like before when he went off for the first time. On the brighter note, this has caused us to value our brotherhood more and we became more open and loving. Distance has actually made us closer.

I will surely miss his presence in the house. Nevertheless, skype will provide us the channel but the longing will always be there - the longing to be a complete family where he can ulit ulit me whenever he like.

Thoughts on the Change of Schedule Scheme of Xavier University

This change of schedule scheme is I think the most contentious and significant change of policy the student body has faced in recent memory. Even my facebook shout out announcement on the matter indicated its gravity by generating the highest interaction to date in my wall.

Needless to say, every single student will be affected by this and the culture perhaps of the campus will also be affected by this. The question in all of our minds now is this: “Will it generally benefit or harm the university?” At initial glance, there are so many factors we can consider in gauging its effect on our welfare. There are the factors of order in terms of classroom assignments, there is also on energy consumption, waste management and class “readiness” considering we now have a full day of rest in Wednesday. On the other hand, we are also anxious about its weight on our attention span, our learning process, and also the potential stress a 1:30 minute class will do to us.

In a personal note, I welcome this setup since it offers a new rhythm in campus life. However, like any other new policy, I have some apprehensions. One in particular is the issue of class time. This issue opens a need to review a whole volume of scientific study on how our mind absorbs and process information. This, I guess is very critical since it will in the long run affect the academic performance of the students. The faculty therefore should be challenged to not just be “creative” in their approach per se but they should have a deeper understanding of the variables at play in the course of their 1 hour and 30 minute classes. They should be masters of communication control and creative intervention.

Atop of that, Xavier has an above average number of units required especially for the freshmen. This can facilitate a problem. Continuous classes with minimal break will just be too much for us. Therefore administrative guidelines should be implemented to cap the number of classes to be allocated in a day. Also this will most likely affect the morale, the productivity and even the sanity of the students if not controlled properly.

This issue has indeed opened a lot of concerns. I guess what is important is keeping this intelligent conversation going about the merits and demerits of this policy. This is also a chance for the next student body leadership to really make full use of their representative powers and apply the truest meaning of governance.

I have included some links that can help shed light on “attention spans” scientifically.

http://www.ntlf.com/html/pi/9601/article1.htm

http://gradschool.about.com/od/collegeteaching/p/How-To-Lecture-Teaching-Tips-For-Graduate-Students.htm

Why Kentucky is the Philippines

The Economist has given us another interesting map. Considering population size and GDP, the closest identical US state is Kentucky. What does this mean for us?

source http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/01/comparing_us_states_countries