Academic Excellence and Social Responsibility

Back to University Lala Land Life… The day after my booze session with my high school pals, I went to this Senior’s Party the Juniors from the Political Science program organized. It was all fun, amidst the allergy I was enduring. The kids expressed that it would be hard for them to fill the void that our batch will be leaving, etcetera, cheesy moment here, cheesy moment there. My favorite part was when the Juniors read to us the very inspiring messages from our professors. I though I’d share.


FROM PROFESSOR FATIMA ALVAREZ-CASTILLO (My seminar paper adviser!)
Hep Hep Hooray! A huge toast to the 2010 Political Science Graduating Class!!!
From freshies struggling with mixed emotions (nervousness, practically clueless on what to expect but excited nonetheless), I have seen you evolved to mature, confident, accomplished young intellectuals. You belong to the class that seems to have the biggest number of achievers. I am very proud of you and thankful for the opportunity to have been part of your journey.
It was indeed the most memorable school year, your ast one at cas, not only becaus of the countless hours of correcting nth drafts of seminar papers. But most memorable for me too because this year I have proven scientifically what I had simply intuited in the past that when students are mentored in enabling ways, they will deliver. The bountiful harvest of excellent seminar papers this year is clear evidence of this - papers that I would be proud to have my name associated with.
Here are my most rambunctious wishes for a great future to you all!!! Remember what counts in the final analysis is whether or not you are proud of what you do and accomplish. I will miss you but then I can always try to learn how to Facebook.


FROM PROFESSOR LOURDES E. ABADINGO (Something short and sweet. It was under her teaching that I had one of my best subjects, Political Dynamics.)
I would like to congratulate the graduating class of 2010. Many of you have been my students in at least two subjects. I know that this is a brilliant class. I know too that the members of this class would surely go places. When you leave the portals of your alma mater, I hope you would always bring with you two important values we treasure most in the University - academic excellence and service to the Filipino people. I wish you all the best! Mabuhay kayong lahat!


FROM PROFESSOR ROMULO “BOBBY” M. TUAZON (He teaches everything about International Relations, perhaps my favorite in the of study Political Science. He’s really good, I just wish I had performed better in his class.)
There are those who succeed in college - and succeed as well in their later life. There are those who are not outstanding in college but succeed later in life. Still there are those who fail in college and also fail in life.
Academic life especially in UP is fine breeding ground fo the bright minds - as well as the not-so-bright. It is also a time for adopting new ideas, a time for weaning away from parental guidance to self-independence and self-reliance. UP is a fine institution for developing one’s independence - a quality one badly needs, something that you can cherish as you exit the academic environment.
At this stage, you begin to realize that UP is an academic world - but the real world is just outside. Yes, the university throbs with ideas - but the bigger society throbs with the realities of life, sometimes harsh, unwelcoming, unpredictable. The greater society speaks of inequalities and injustice, oppression and repression. You begin to realize that the statistics of poverty and corruption that you may have learned inside the classroom will begin to come across to you in real terms and in bleaker images.
You may begin to despair but you may begin to challenge yourself and ask this question: What is a career for if the vast masses of people are poor and oppressed, what is material success if 7 out of 10 Filipinos experience hunger once a week? What have I learned from UP - if the greater knowledge that will also teach you compassion or anger is just within your reach outside the academe? What is this UP diploma for if millions of Filipino youths are deprived of education that they deserve - not only because they must have it but also because it is a right that is denied them due to poverty and state neglect.
You cannot but be affected. And you cannot but be engaged. Life is always an engagement; it is better spent for a worthy cause. And that worthy cause is not you or your career but the broader society.
You now know that our nation cries for change - it is ripe for change. Be part of this historical process. Be part of the greater masses. Social change needs great minds and youthful idealism. It needs young, committed social activists and advocates. Being part of a soial process and devoting your mind and energy and time is incomparable. Sharing your life with the people is a mission that you can only do once in a lifetime.
This is a period of transition, a time for making great decisions in your life - of choosing which road to take. Would you take the road least traveled, as a poet would put it? I can tell you that it would be worth trying this road.
Maraming salamat at congratulations sa lahat!

HOORAY SENIORS!!! :)

Prelude to Lala Land

"Your paper is okay na. Submit final version on 8 April by 12 noon..."

And so I was ushered in to the Lala Land state I am in right now, something I was merely dreaming about just like two months ago, as if it's in some distant future close to impossibility.

This was how the most wonderful e-mail of the entire nineteen years of my life begun. It was a message from my seminar paper adviser, Professor Fatima Alvarez Castillo, whom we commonly address to as "Ma'am Tim". In the Political Science program at the University I go to, she was known to be the thesis adviser who has the highest standards among her colleagues and, because of these standards, there are a number of students who failed to graduate on time. Last semester, she was also my adviser for Qualitative Research. It took me a lot of pain, several trips to several libraries, sleepless nights,  and intellectual exhaustion before I could obtain remarks such as "huge improvement", "good", "very good", and finally, "OK". Before this semester begun, I had doubts about choosing her again as adviser. She's actually really, really cool, no doubt about that, I just feared that I will never measure up to her standards. But it turned out that it was a risk worth taking, you see, the greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. Besides, she's a known feminist and post-modernist which would turn out to be very helpful for my research topic (something about how the current youth constructs the "moral woman", don't ask, we could go on for days :P ).

Anyway, upon reading the message, I had enough reason to make a sudden screeching animal sound then wailed so loudly and proceeded to crying like a baby. That, right there, was honestly the first genuine tears of joy I have ever had. ^___^ Thank you soooo much Ma'am Tim!

Another source of glee was upon receiving the message that more than half of the clique I belonged to were chosen to present their papers at the Political Science Convocation. Here's the email from Sir Carl Ramota, one of our instructors:

2010 UP Manila Political Science Convocation Political Science 198 Paper Presentation and 
Recognition of Outstanding Political Science Majors
April 8, Thursday, 1:00 PM 
Estrada Hall, 2/F Philippine General Hospital Central Block

Candidates for Best Paper in Political Science, AY 2009-2010

Cristie Alegre , "Addressing Corruption in Pampanga: An Individual Assessment of Among Ed's Governance Leadership"

Lorraine Bermejo, "A Critical Study on the Policy-making Process of the Universally Accessible and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 (Republic Act No. 9205)"

Joshua Bersamina , “Policy and Pedagogy-A Program Analysis of the Alternative Learning System – Accreditation and Equivalency Subprogram” 

Shandi Ching , ” The Politics of the Skin: Women's Objectification in Skin Whitening Advertisements”

Darcy de Ramos, "Freedom Behind Bars: The Impact of Imprisonment on the Political Commitment of Women Political Prisoners"

Jeanne Carla Ferrer , “The Hegemonic Power of Political Advertising: A Critical Approach to the Study of Political Advertisements and Voters’ Perception

Sheila Marie Gonzales , “A Critical Analysis of Anti-Poverty Program for Women”

Krisandra Ann Malaluan , "The Evolving Culture of Call Center Professionals and its Impact on the Economy"

Febrea Arem Mercado , "Bleeding Walls: Political Graffiti Writing as Alternative Medium of Resistance"

Rowen Alaine Rivera, “Nobody, Nobody But You: A Study on UP Manila – College of Arts and Science Students’ Preferences on the Qualities of a Presidential Candidate That Should Be Elected”

Fress Sagnip, "Pagsasamantala sa mga Kasamang Napasailalim ng 50-50 na Hatian sa Barangay Bibiclat, Aliaga, Nueva Ecija"

Patick Soliguin , “The Effectiveness of the Political Institutions in Promoting and Protecting the Rights of Mass Media Practitioners”

I couldn't help but swell with pride. I'm just soooo happy for my peeps!

After the convocation, we went to GBox for some videoke party. If at the campus, we were always the group that hung out at the library and always sit in front of the class, during our little videoke parties, we totally loosen up. We dance to whatever song there is! We don't even care if we look like we're on drugs or something.

We started out looking sweet and innocent.

But then, Shandi always initiates the wilding out... :P

Zo-ombie, zo-ombie, zo-ombie, eh-eh-eh...

Duet with Darcy Gaga :)

We look like we need some re-charging.

After which, we headed out to Dencio's Bar & Grill for a sumptuous dinner courtesy of the Best Paper Awardee, Carla. You go, girl! After wilding out at the videoke, we sort of devoured our dinner, leaving the dishes clean.

Don't keep the ladies waiting.

Check out how clean the dishes are. :P

I was a long,  blissful, memorable day indeed. By the way, we just named our clique "All Star Bs" The letter B can stand for anything. Ha! 

I cannot stress enough how lucky I feel to have made friends with them. A lot of issues have happened to me while in college. It felt as if I was standing on wobbly ground. Thus something solid like this that could possibly last forever can be a real comfort amidst the chaotic university life. We're not really composed of nerds. Like me, for example, I am totally not a nerd by University of the Philippines' standards. In fact, i'm sort of a subtle delinquent. Haha! Our group is actually composed of totally diverse people. There are bitches, hard core activists, angelheads, the musically inclined, the big sisters, the rocker, the toughie, the "experienced", the priviledged, the hippie, etc. But I think that's the very thing that glued us together. Our differences in experiences and points of view made up for what we don not see in our own individual worlds. 

We have simple pleasures. We do not need to paint the town red just to really have fun. In fact, we've planned a lot of out-of-town trips and sleepover parties but none of those plans were ever executed . I'm guessing we don't really need them. Just the togetherness, the chitchats under shady trees on a warm, windy afternoon, sharing stories and laughing out loud together... all that is perfect bliss for us.

I love this group so much I can imagine myself still chatting with them even at 80.

I've been spending a lot of time with them during these last days of college.

Off the record, in our recent conversations, this question often pops up: "Who's gonna bet married first?" 

Okay. I love them all but... seriously??? Alright. Definitely not me. Just the thought of being subject to this social arrangement that is also the oldest form of slavery creeps me out. I'm just a kid!

Anywho, Carla is having an Academy Awards themed graduation party at her place. ASB has agreed to take part in the planning. That's definitely something to look forward to.

A lot of other things have also happened outside college life in the past two weeks. I have a high school reunion coming up by the end of the month. There were a lot of notable stuff that happened as I met with some of my high school pals when we were planning it. The chain of events has something to do with my skin turning pink and very itchy. O_o 

More stories to tell but I'll leave it at that for now.

Doo dee doo! Life's good! Peace out! :)

 *Original photos courtesy of Loffy & Carla