Tag: July 10, 2002

“Sa isang daigdig na mahilig sa kamangha-mangha, sa karnabal na kakikitaan ng mga hindi pangkaraniwan, tanong kung ano ang ikaiiba ni Mang Levi sa lalaking ipinaglihi sa palaka kaya itsurang palaka, o sa taong gubat na kumakain ng buhay na manok. Malamang na wala, kung pakasusuriin ang batayan ng nagiging pagpapahalaga sa kanya sa pagtugtog ng dahon at sa pagkakasulat niya ng may apat na libong titik ng awit.”

“MA? MA, alis na ko.”

Luisa awoke with a start. She raised her head from beneath the sheets and squinted as light filled the room. Her eldest daughter Anna was gently waking her to say goodbye before leaving for work.

“Sige, ingat ka,” Luisa said.

She stood up, her feet feeling for her slippers. She followed Anna to the front door, waving as Anna disappeared from her sight, then returned inside the house. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she glanced at the wall clock. It said 6 a.m.

“The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above.” - Proverbs 14:14

SPIRITUALITY is a concept I’ve yet to fully grasp. My knowledge of faith, remarkably better in my earlier days as a Christian, diminishes with each passing day.

Room 117. Hindi ko maipaliwanang kung ang kabang aking nararamdaman ay dulot ng saya o pangamba habang binubuksan ko ang pintuan ng silid. Unang araw ng pasukan. Unang araw ng isang panibagong yugto sa aking buhay.

Umupo ako sa isang silya sa likod at maingat na inilapag ang aking dalang notebook at bolpen sa aking upuan. Nginitian ko ang aking katabi, na sinuklian lamang niya ng isang tango.

Biglang nagsitahimik ang lahat. Inangat ko ang aking ulo at sa may duruwangan ng pintuan, pumasok ang aming propesor. Ang aking unang propesor…

WEIRDO daw ako.

Sa tagal ng inilagi ko sa mundo hanggang sa araw na ito, habang unti-unti kong inilalapat sa mga titik ang nag-uumapaw na diwa sa aking isipan, hinahanap ko pa rin ang tunay na katuturan ng salitang halos naging panturing ng lahat sa aking pagkatao.

UNANG araw ng pasukan.

DEMI Moore did it in G.I. Jane. Then it was Denise Richards in Starship Troopers. But despite the apparent realism of movies, women are still perceived to be unprepared or unfit to join the military. And because of the perception that women are the weaker sex, they are not exactly candidates to lead the Reserved Officer Training Corps (ROTC).

However, the UST Golden Corps of Cadets is out to expose the ROTC myth.

THE DIGITAL ID is long overdue. It serves not only as a gate pass, but also a library card.

I cannot imagine how long it will take a line of freshman students to borrow books if their students numbers have to be encoded one by one. More so, there’s the hassle of using the registration form, bond paper in size, to enter the University’s gates and library.

PURSUANT to Republic Act No. 9163, otherwise known as the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001, the University held its first NSTP training day last June 30. The law was enacted by Congress to quell the overwhelming clamor for the abolition of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.

The new law is supposed to provide alternatives to college students to comply with their duty in rendering service to the state other than through the old ROTC program.

EVERYONE wants to be happy. It is human instinct to desire for happiness. Although we continually search for happiness and well-being, some of us haven’t found its real meaning. I personally haven’t found mine yet.

***

During our first Ethics class, my classmates and I were amazed when our professor gave us our assignment. He told us to interview people and ask them, “Are you happy? Why or why not?”