Tag: No. 7

I WAS born to be a Thomasian.

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Irony makes everything around us a little bit more interesting.

For instance, there’s the circus hoopla that amateur basketball presents to us such as the Ateneo-De La Salle rematch for the UAAP men’s basketball championship. Supporters and wannabes filled the Araneta Coliseum to the rafters. Some even resorted to buying tickets from scalpers just to support their beloved teams. Fast-forward to the recent UAAP-NCAA Showdown for the benefit of the Bantay Bata.

FOR TEACHERS who are strict with the attendance of students, every minute counts.

Before, a student who came to class minutes after it had started would need to clarify with the teacher if he was merely late or already considered absent. Such a scenario had often been brought about by the different time readings of teachers and students because of lack of reference time. And it was only lately that the University realized that its time was not synchronized with the Philippine standard time.

THIS school year’s La Salle Ateneo UAAP basketball showdown created a wildfire across all sectors, a fire that even engulfed more important national issues.

For several weeks, the clash between these two “sports titans”, was the national issue. This shows us three things.

PERHAPS it is a by-product of the new illiteracy that many have taken newspapers for granted or don’t read them at all. In the Philippines, we have a term for the new role of newspapers – they are pambalot ng tinapa.

Sad, isn’t it?

Worse, some people think of newspapers as junk. They don’t read them. They turn them over to the junk shop – for a profit.

DO YOU find yourself needing the approval of others to feel good about yourself? Do you tend to avoid or ignore responsibilities? Do you find it difficult to express your feelings? Do you find yourself waiting for disaster to strike even when things are going well in your life? Do you find it difficult to trust others?

If you answer yes to all of those questions, you are probably displaying the effects of living in a dysfunctional family and may want to consider seeking some help.

THE DEADLOCK in the collective bargaining between the University and its non-academic employees is not merely caused by extremely contrasting positions on salary increase. In the final analysis, both sides cannot agree on the figure representing earnings from the tuition increase during this school year when UST has raised tuition by 10 percent.

Coming up with a final figure is crucial since by law, 70 percent of collections from a tuition increase should go to personnel salaries.

THE FACULTY of Pharmacy marked its 130th foundation last Dec. 3 to 7 with an exhibit that featured the outstanding theses of the graduating Pharmacy, Medical Technology, Biochemistry, and Botany students.

The Faculty also hosted the Federation of Junior Chapters of the Philippine Pharmaceutical Association (FJCPPhA) Inter-University Pharmacy Quiz Contest at the Medicine Auditorium.

THE COLLEGE of Architecture (CA) celebrated its first anniversary last Dec. 10 to 15.

The anniversary activities included an exhibit that featured the students’ best plates last semester, a sportsfest, and a series of symposia on architecture and planning.

Highlighting the celebration was a tree-planting ceremony along the North Luzon Expressway. A concert and a variety show capped the first-ever Architecture week, which was participated in by CA students, faculty, and administrators.

DESPITE their hectic schedules, more student organizations participated in last month’s Makibata compared to the previous year.

Makibata, the annual Christmas activity organized by the Student Organizations Coordinating Council (SOCC) and the Office for Community Development (OCD), was held last Dec. 13 to 14.

Some 60 Aeta children from Sitio Malasa, UST’s community extension in Pampanga, were welcomed with a children’s party at Jollibee Asturias.

THE FACULTY of Arts and Letters placed first in the Spanish Declamation contest sponsored by the Department of Languages last Dec. 11 at the St. Albertus Magnus Auditorium.

Manuel Ramon Amanse brought home the gold medal for the piece “Invocacion a Jose Rizal” (Invocation to Jose Rizal). At second and third places were College of Science’s Ace Bryan Cabral for “Mi Caida” (My Downfall) and Faculty of Sacred Theology’s Lindon Michael Villarante for “El Silencio–Senda de la Sabiduria” (The Silence–Pathway of the Learned).