Who is the Bosun?

The Bosun is a middle-rank ship officer who uses his whistle to inform men of their duties and alert them of possible danger. The Bosun ensures coordination among the crew members and

between the captain and the crew.

Vision:

By 2017, The Bosun intends to be a pioneer student publication that would write stories about people and societies

from the perspective of the humanities.

Mission:

The Bosun, as a publication by the students and for the students, commits itself to the integral transmission of the

truth through perspectives on relevant issues, instilling in the students the means to transcend themselves

for the common good.

Be in the know! Follow us on:

facebook.com/BosunUAPtwitter.com/BosunUAP

instagram.com/BosunUAP

Bosun Editorial BoardEditor-in-Chief:

Mimille GuzmanAssociate Editor:

Jian Manjares Managing Editors:

Imman SensengSophia Parayno

News Editors:

Isa AbolaAra EspinaJica Lontoc

Promenade Editors:

Rhencis RecañaLiezl Cabrera

Schools Editor:

Karina Pineda

Creatives Heads:

Shiloh LacisteJess Malinis

Training Development Head:

DJ Navarro Student Relations:

Patrice SalasEloise Peñaflor

Student Pulse:

Mikey RamosFinance:

Jenny Llait Logistics:

Andrea Lara Advisers:

Dr. Paul Dumol Mr. Philip Peckson

Contributors:Andre Raneses, Rob Rosario, Roald Reck Lanto, Claudine Timola, Mikaela Bernardo,

Gleefer Jalea, William Galvez, Ivan Charles

Basillaje, Mark Bautista, Bianca Marañon, Maxine

Castillo, Carlos Victa

Photo/Graphic Contributors:Kate Ley

Mikey RamosElliot Robles

Chlyde RanadaTrista LingaoPaulo Jacinto

Special Partner for Photographs:

UA&P Media Management Committee

BEA Administrations Office

Editor’s Note

Greetings fellow Dragons!

It is with joy that we present this school year’s magazine issue of The Bosun. After two years of publishing broadsheets, we thought it was time we finally brought back the compact yet meaningful promise of a magazine. This is in line with how we perceive 2014 as a year of change, and we intend to sail along its turbulent seas with the jest of sailors that fully welcome it.

We are excited to share our efforts of building our online presence and establishing content for a website to be launched within the school year. As we observe how publications have recently permeated cyberspace, we hope to take advantage of this by bringing The Bosun to its readers in this convenient platform.

However, there is the danger of losing one’s way in keeping up with the changing tides. In our staunch pursuit of the Truth, we have taken a moment to pause and reflect on a theme that will redirect our sails towards the right direction.

I invite you now to flip through these pages and join our constant endeavor of Finding Liberal Education in the Ordinary. Just like the figure in our cover, we hope to show how seemingly normal moments could open the doors to limitless lessons on the human condition. Come and let us look at the world from a liberally educated student’s perspective. The freedom found in this piece of sky has never looked brighter!

We are the Bosun and Truth is our Captain!

Mimille GuzmanThe Bosun Editor-in-Chief

Finding Liberal Education in the Ordinary

Shakespear e is

Let’s all be honest. In this day and age, who understands Shakespeare anymore?

By: Maxine Clarisse A. Castillo | Illustration By: Paulo Jacinto & Shiloh Laciste

33FEATURES

UA&P Campus - The University Student Government (USG) hosted the UA&P Students Assembly on Friday, September 12. This was an open forum regarding the concerns and issues within the university.

During the assembly, the USG raised five issues from their agenda; namely the ID Policy, CLAYGO, No Smoking Policy, the Dress Code and Corporate Culture. As each of the issues were brought up, the students voiced out their concerns on these issues and gave out suggestions.

Firstly, for the ID Policy, the students suggested that there should be a warning given to those who do not bring their ID’s on the first few offenses and a cheaper fine should be imposed on the succeeding offenses. Secondly, for the CLAYGO policy, the USG plans to impose sanctions to those who do not observe CLAYGO. The students suggested that there should be a better campaign on CLAYGO instead of imposing sanctions. Thirdly, for the No Smoking Policy, the students suggested that the security guard should be given the power to apprehend those who go against the policy. The students also suggested that there be a reward system for those who see smokers outside the campus. Fourthly, for the Dress Code, the students suggested for the revival of the No Cross

Dressing policy and the imposition of fines for those who violate the dress code. Finally, for Corporate Culture, the students suggested to reopen the old cafeteria or to extend the cafeteria to fit the increasing population of the university.

Afterwards, the students were given a chance to voice out their own concerns. The issues which the students brought out were the enlistment and the enrollment system, the MPC Clinic, the lack of facilities in the Parking and Sports Building (PSB), and many more. As the issues were being tackled, the students suggested that the facilities of the PSB should be expanded. Furthermore, certain school services such as enlistment, enrollment, and Dragon Net must be improved.

The USG plans to improve the implementation of the current policies through getting feedback from the students, communicating with the units within the university and properly disseminating information to the student body. The USG also plans to make the student body aware of what is happening inside the University through means such as the use of social media. As Abbas F. Villalon (USG Internal Vice President) puts it, making the student body aware will “bridge the gap between the USG and the student body”.

USG Reaches Out to the Student Body

“bridging the gap between the USG and the student body”

By: Andre Raneses & Rob Rosario | Photo by: Kate Ley

3NEWS

NEWS

FEATURES

OPINION

CONTENTS

SCHOOLS

USG Reaches Out to the Student BodyA Glimpse of APMUN 2014Starting with a Bang: WSCA Opening and Cheerdance CompetionStart Fresh, Start NewInitiation, Unitas StyleROC Stages a SecreyNelson Mandela Exhibit/ Kultura at Musika

Calendar of Activities

These (Eye) Bags are PradaMusing of an MUN DelegateThoughts on (recent) Special Elections

Your College Survival Guide: Tips from UA&P ProfessorsSocial Entrepreneurship and the Next Big ThingNew Librarian in TownTidbits from Just for KicksCrossing the Borders: From Books to HanboksA Month of Happy: Exploring the ASEAN ConnectionA Return to your Basic Onstage Experience

3456789

10 - 11

1213

14 - 15

16 -1718 - 19

2021

22 -2324 - 2526 - 27

Starting with aWSCA Opening and Cheerdance Competition

Bang

Pasay City – It was a sunny Sunday when the gates of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum opened for the public’s eye. The stadium was filled up and decorated with the various colors of the supporters of the participating schools. For UA&P’s section, the seats were awash with a crimson red. The energy had not diminished since the bus ride from the university to the destination; in fact it was building up. The noise of the spectators was increasing, overpowering the music. Finally after some time, the emcees walked to the center of the court and kicked off the opening of the WSCA.

It was a two-fold event on September 21, the opening ceremony of the Women’s Colleges Sports Association (WCSA) as well as the Cheerdance competition. The participating schools: Enderun College, Miriam College, the Philippines Women’s University, San Beda College Alabang, Saint Paul College of Quezon City, St. Scholastica College, and the University of Asia and the Pacific all had their participating varsities and their cheerleaders assemble in front of the cheering, roaring crowds.

It goes without saying that when the UA&P varsities and Firestarters entered the court, the Drumline erupted with powerful beats and bangs cheering the university’s cheers. The UA&P spectators followed suit and the whole coliseum listened to the Dragons roar with pride. With a few select words, from the representatives of the host school, the WCSA games were declared open and the cheers went on again, louder this time. It was beginning, and the first competition was about to start: cheerdancing.

The Cheerdance competition had each of the participating schools perform a 2 – 4 minute routine. As the music plays, the cheerleaders assembled, synchronized into their performance. Again, the crowd goes wild as the cheerleaders displayed their dancing prowess. Each of the schools displayed something different, highlighting a certain aspect in their dance be it synchronization, high-paced dance movements, or flexibility.

It would be ludicrous to attempt to describe each and every cheerdance without sacrificing any details or faithfulness to their performance, but it can be said with certainty that all the performers demonstrated their utmost effort into their dance.

As the competition and the deliberations ended, the results came in: in 2nd Runner Up was the school of St. Scholastica College, 1st Runner Up was the University of Asia & the Pacific, and the winner was Miriam College of Quezon City.

As the harbingers of hope and energy, the cheerleaders demonstrated fiery passion in the competition, displaying energy and coordination among their ranks. The hours of practice condensed into five-minute performances resonated within the crowd as they were treated to a show of athleticism. It was definitely a fine way to kick off the WCSA.

By: Danilo Navarro | Photo by: Mikey Ramos

A Glimpse ofWhat if you, an ordinary university student, suddenly had a say on what’s going on in the world? What if the news you see on television no longer seem like fictitious movie scenes and you find yourself holding a diplomatic seat that has the power to make a huge difference?

Students from UA&P and delegates from different schools were able to simulate that very experience last September 25-27 as the Model United Nations (MUN) program of UA&P hosted the Asia-Pacific Model United Nations 2014. Organized by POLIS, the academic organization of the School of Law and Governance (SLG), this event was a venue for students, whether aspiring diplomats or lawyers in the making, to experience conferences and policy-making firsthand. With everyone looking professional in corporate attire and holding placards indicating countries of the United Nations like the “Delegate of United States”, there was an atmosphere of an actual diplomatic assembly. Professors of the SLG faculty moved from room to room to oversee the event.

Dubbed with the theme “Disaster Risk Reduction”, the conference took a look back and learned from the devastation brought by Typhoon Yolanda. Atty. Karen Jimeno, keynote speaker and Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) Communications Director, opened the first day of the conference with a talk on the importance of establishing the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). She brought up the importance of government transparency in the face of standing up from natural disasters and shared how their framework for rehabilitation is actually the model initiated by the United Nations.

Intense discussions on policies and possible amendments ensued in the first and second day of the conference. After a series of caucuses in which delegates broke into groups to talk among themselves, the final day arrived wherein the delegates from the United Nations General Assembly were asked to gather at the Li Sing Giap auditorium for the Plenary Session. With the supervision of the Chairs and Vice-Chairs, the delegates had to vote on whether or not their resolutions should be passed. There were two resolutions that were discussed.

By: Mimille Guzman, Isa Abola, Karina Pineda, and Imman Senseng Photo by: Mimille Guzman

APMUN 2014The first resolution focused on the Non-Proliferation of Biological Weapons and Warfare and was submitted by the delegates of Italy, France, New Zealand, and the United States of America. At the end of the time allotted for this resolution, the delegates were asked to vote by acclamation. Majority voted for the said resolution to be passed. The second resolution was submitted by the delegates of the Republic of Costa Rica, the United States of America, and Greece. It was on the question of the Provision of Basic Services During Disasters. It was also passed at the end of the session.

The conference ended with recognizing the exemplary performance of certain delegates by giving them special awards. These were presented by the organizers and Dr. Abigail De Leon, the Vice Dean of the School of Law and Governance. Similar to other Model United Nations conferences, three awards were given to deserving delegates from each committee: the Best Position Paper, Honorable Mention, and Best Delegate. The Best Position Paper award is presented to the delegate with the most well-researched and well-written paper. A Position Paper is a one-page paper containing background information, foreign policies, and stand on the specified agenda of the country that the delegates represent. The recipient of the Honorable Mention award is the delegate who has shown exemplary performance in his or her committee. Meanwhile, the Best Delegate award is given to the most excellent and most active delegate throughout the conference.

Nicolas Espinoza, a fourth year Political Economy student, is both the founder of Model United Nations (MUN) in UA&P, and the conference’s Secretariat-General. Having actively participated in previous MUN conferences in high school, Espinoza was determined to found one in the University of Asia and the Pacific. According to him, “I have the ambition of organizing an event like theirs (Ateneo MUN) in the future. However, our program will need to become more developed and we will need more senior delegates to be able to host an intra-university conference”. Fortunately, faculty members recognized his efforts, and allowed him to organize the first Asia-Pacific Model United Nations (APMUN) conference.

54 NEWS

However, Hatchweek is more than dressing up and games. It is also a way to immerse the freshmen into the UA&P community. This is achieved through the unique dragon-egg relationship Hatchweek boasts of. The dragon, a junior or senior UA&P student usually of the same course or school, is assigned an egg to “take care of”. A to-do list is given to each dragon for the tandem to complete.

“With the dragon giving his or her egg a feel of how it is to be part of the UA&P community through the to-do list, the series of activities during the entire week, and the bonding moments shared by them, a bond is established between the two of them” shares Abbas F. Villalon, the current USG Internal Vice Presi-dent.

And bonds were indeed established as the week progressed. The freshmen didn’t hesitate to join in on the fun: Monday was Nerd Day, where the entire school celebrated the nerdy and geeky stereotypes. Tuesday was Fictional Character Day that saw superheroes, TV show characters, and famous stars collide.

Despite the cancellation of classes from Tuesday to Thursday due to the tropical storm “Glenda”, nothing dampened the spirits of the freshmen when Hatchweek continued on July 21, where the costumed masses appeared again for Retro Day in a colorful display of hippies, greasers, and the like.

Concluding Hatchweek was Crossfire, a nightlong culminating activity that ends Hatchweek with a bang. With performances from the UA&P Chorale, Squadra, ISA, and the Firestarters, the harmonious buzz of excitement of Hatchweek reached its zenith.

Awards were given during Crossfire to those who were Best Dressed according to the votes casted, Best Rookies of the Hatchweek games, and Best Dragon & Egg tandem to those who have completed majority of the To-do list.

Nikko Alquiros, Ted Viray, Mia Mapua, and Xerxes Hibanada each won Best Dressed; Popoy Navarro, Hannah Sy, Kirsh Manago, Gabriel Pascual, Luis Sumera, and Christine Pas-as won Best Rookies of their respective games; and Karen Habaluyas and Marian Enriquez won the Best Dragon & Egg tandem award.

Usually, the representatives of each school light torches during the opening ceremony with the intent to put them out during Crossfire. This year, however, it was done differently as the torches were lit during the Crossfire event. “It’s a symbol for the whole year, there will be events whole year round,” Mac Valdez, USG President, stated as a promising start to what the USG has to offer for the year.

After the closing remarks of the USG president, the floor cleared for dancing and music.

As Hatchweek ended, the university went back to normal. There were no more nerds walking nor were there any more superheroes or disco dancers. But like the torches lit during the Crossfire, the enthusiastic fieriness was not put out: the fires in the hearts of the freshmen were kindled, ready to start the year off as newly hatched Dragons.

The writer would like to thank the combined efforts of the University Student Government (USG), UA&P Project Man-agement Team (PMT), UA&P SEB Merchandising Commit-tee (Merch), and the UA&P Media Management Committee (MMC) for making Hatchweek 2014 possible.

Initiation, Unitas-Style[

UA&P, Pasig City - It was not a normal forecast last July 14. In fact, about midday of the 14th, the University’s CAS ledge was littered with an alarming amount of nerds dressed up in sus-penders, taped glasses, and pocket protectors. The next days are shocking as the university found itself accommodating a rather odd bunch of characters: from Deadpool to Spider-man of Mar-vel to the Invisible Man of H.G. Wells, fictional characters from every book, movie, and TV show. To passersby, it would seem a bit strange: what are college students up to these days?

Hatchweek is a weeklong event initiated by the University Stu-dent Government (USG) to welcome the “eggs” to university life.

The goal of Hatchweek is simple: to develop the UNITAS spirit among the younger students of the university. The new experi-ence, like dressing up in costumes and participating in games with strangers, has a way of raising school spirit.

[By: Danilo Navarro

Photos from the UA&P Media Management Committee

UA&P Campus – In collaboration with the different desks of the Center for Student Affairs (CSA), the Guidance Desk and its Peer Facilitators have successfully organized the annual freshmen orientation of UA&P – Freshstart 2014. Last June 3 to 6, Freshstart was held to officially welcome the new members of the university with the aim to introduce them to the different facets of the UA&P life and help them adjust easily in the new environment.

On the first day of Freshstart, about 595 freshmen registered and were assigned in 21 blocks. Three schedules were prepared for all the blocks to help facilitate the activities per day. At the beginning of the day, peer facilitators per block prepared and gave icebreakers/games to help the students know their blockmates. To introduce the unique Mentoring Program of the university, the students met some of the school mentors and had snacks with them. A talk about the university’s image and culture was also given to help them know more about the university, its values and corporate culture. To formally begin Freshstart, an Opening Program was held at Dizon and Li Seng Giap auditorium.

The second day of Freshstart featured the opportunity for freshmen to meet upperclassmen and faculty members. To help them be familiarized with the different school policies and academic requirements, a discussion about the Academic Code was also organized. Through room-to-room visits, the different academic organizations of the university were given an opportunity to welcome their new members and briefly introduce the organization. The freshmen also took the Learning Style Inventory, Problem Experience Checklist and Temperament tests for assessment. Afterwards, most of the blocks also played the Amazing Race to help them know the different offices and buildings on campus. To encourage them to activate and use their uap.asia accounts, Tricia Casiquin, a 4th year BSIT student and the university’s Google Student Ambassador, gave a talk about the Campus Cloud.

During the third day, the freshmen attended the Opus Dei talk and learned the role it plays in the university. They also met the UA&P Drumline and Firestarters who taught them the University Cheer. Meanwhile, the UA&P Chorale also taught them the University’s Hymn. The University Student Government also organized the

StartF r e sh

N ewBy: Roald Reck Lanto

Dragons’ Nest to introduce the different academic and non-academic organizations and varsity teams of the university to the freshmen and explain the importance of participating in extra-curricular activities. During Dragons’ Nest, all organizations and varsity teams set up their booths in Study Hall B and invited the freshmen to be involved in their activities.

On the last day of Freshstart, the different blocks elected their block representatives. Each block was also given a chance to have their block pictures taken at Study Hall A. To fully prepare for the Closing program, all the blocks practiced for their block cheers. The Closing Program was a fun bonding experience for them, enabling the freshmen to cheer for their blockmates who joined in the games and to witness the performances of I-SA Dance Crew, Squadra, UA&P Drumline, RPG, UA&P Chorale, Reverb and the Peer Facilitators. In addition, two representatives per block and some upperclassmen participated as models in presenting the University Attire Guide. The University Student Government also gave a quiz bee to check and assess how much the students learned about the university from the four-day orientation. Awards were given for the best Block Cheer, Amazing race winners, Quiz Bee winners, and most effective Peer organizers.

Freshstart 2014 is only one of the projects prepared by the CSA-Guidance Desk to formally welcome the freshmen in the university. Because of the commitment and cooperation of the CSA, the sponsors, peer facilitators, students, and the different student organizations, Freshstart was a resounding success. It also promoted unity and camaraderie among the students and the faculty and staff. The CSA-Guidance Desk will also organize other programs such as the Freshmen Development Program (FDP) within the year to help the freshmen adjust easily and make their stay in the university worthwhile.

76 NEWS

Just like any other circumstance, Mandela did not achieve change in just a snap of finger. He had to start and work hard for it in spite of the challenges he encountered. Mandela began his study on law in the University of Witwatersrand. Being the only native African student, he experienced discrimination due to racism. Despite this, he was able to befriend several liberal and communist students. He spent most of his time with activists as he joined the African National Congress. Later on, Mandela, together with his colleagues, founded the African National Congress Youth League. This opened several doors for Mandela to become an agent in taking action through different campaigns and movements.

Amidst being arrested and imprisoned, he did not stop his campaign against the unjust laws in South Africa. In 1993, he was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. As he became the first black president of South Africa in 1944, he focused on dismantling the apartheid by promoting equality and racial reconciliation. He passed away on December 5, 2013 at the age of 95.

As Nelson Mandela once said, “We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.” Let us all then be challenged by the words of this man, an exemplar of change and action, and find our own ways to contribute to our society towards the change we want to achieve. Our actions, whether big or small, have a certain impact and we must be aware of it. We might not be able to change the world, but we are capable of changing ourselves.

A night of harmonious sounds echoed through the walls of the Li Seng Giap auditorium last August 20. People in suits and dresses entered through the doors as the ushers and usherettes guided them in. Who might these people be? They are the ones responsible for the financial aid in education of UA&P’s bright scholars. That night, in which an appreciation concert dubbed as “Kultura at Musika” took place, was a chance to show the institution’s appreciation to its ambassadors by serving them some of UA&P’s homegrown talents: the UA&P Chorale together with the Taytay Youth Orchestra wherein two UA&P scholars were involved.

As one entered the auditorium, the ethnic yet elegant ambiance of the place made an immediate impact, making him or her feel welcome and ready to listen to a night of excellent music. Some of the rows of seats in front were covered by a platform in order to accommodate the orchestra and the choir whenever they needed to do a collaboration. Various music and songs were performed by the choir and orchestra showcasing the best Filipino culture had to offer.

Change and action are great words. As impossible as one might think, one simple man became the exemplar of such words. He is Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, born on July 18, 1918 in the village of Mvezo, South Africa. He became one of the great leaders that inspired all the nations around the globe. In commemoration of his great contribution to society, the United Nations declared July 18 as Nelson Mandela Day. Along with this world-wide celebration, the Embassy of South Africa organized a travelling photo exhibit. This year, the University of Asia and the Pacific hosted the Nelson Mandela Travelling Exhibit as part of the celebration of the first ever School of Law and Governance Week.

Since the commemoration of Nelson Mandela also centers on the field of international relations, the fourth year Theories of International Relations class of Dr. Abigail de Leon became in charge of the said exhibit. They were given photos for the exhibit and they were left with the task of arranging them based on their own interpretations. The said exhibit was held on the 25th-27th of July 2014, outside the Telengtan Hall of the University of Asia and the Pacific. It was preceded by a talk of her Excellency Ndateni Agnes Nyamande-Pitso, Ambassador of South Africa to the Philippines, on “Lessons of Decolonization: What Asia Can Learn from South Africa.” In the talk, she emphasized the importance of ‘decolonizing the mind’ to recognize the real worth of one’s nation. Nelson Mandela made this possible by standing up for the people of South Africa and proving that leadership holds the key to change.

A “sales pitch” was also given during that night by Mr. Jonathan Ray Alforte. Mr. Alforte is an alumnus of UA&P and a scholar who received a monthly stipend along with free board and lodging. He now works at a multinational company. In his speech, he shared how he managed to economically budget his stipend. He saved up part of it every month, and when it accumulated into a sufficient sum, he bought his mother a washing machine. Through the help of the ambassadors, scholars (which makes up about a fourth of UA&P’s population) like Mr. Alforte are able to acquire UA&P education wherein one learns the best from the best, both in academic and moral aspects.

“Kultura at Musika” was truly an event to remember and appreciate the kind and generous benefactors of the university. Not only scholars, but everyone should take part in appreciating those who offer their support and help in everything that we do. Through the generous scholarships offered, more and more people enter the university with willingness and hope for a brighter future.

Nelson Mandela Exhibit: A Call for Change

Kultura at Musika: An Appreciation Concert for the UA&P Ambassadors

By: Mikaela Bernardo

By: Claudine TimolaROC Stages a SecretA series of dates last August 2014 were marked for the presentation of Dulaang ROC’s play “LIHIM.” It was a series of stories showing how lies and secrecy affect the lives of those who give in to it. It was made up of three short plays lasting for one and a half hours.

The first play shown was “Lullaby”, written by Joanna Meija and Xyla Ramos and directed by Amiel Maranan and King Villasin. It showed how a man and woman could have been if things were left unsaid between them and how that leads to potentially ruining the man’s new love. It also featured a bit of karma-with-a-twist ending. The second play, “Ang Tunay na Kaibigan” was written by Nicolo Lagunilla and directed by Lyle Broncano and Wendel Domingo. It featured three friends drinking after their pal’s break-up, the other two being the new boyfriend and the mediator. The premise of the story was how one of the men would slowly be convinced by his pal to tell their grieving friend that he is the ex’s new boyfriend. In the end, he suffers the consequences of this secret. Lastly, the third play, “Ang Susunod na Estasyon,” written by Mimille Guzman and directed by Joseph David Santos and Red Hernandez, featured a mother and daughter waiting in a train station. It expressed the difficulty of a child to tell her mother a secret that she’s been hiding and can no longer hold. The ending consisted of the mother’s reaction and how the child responded to it - by ending her life.

The plays captured the audience’s emotion and attention, exemplifying the talents of students in writing, directing and acting. The short plays were mostly dramatic, comedic and suspenseful, respectively and gave the audience laughs and goose bumps alike. Reinal Fortes and MJ Reyes, two of the actors in the play, believed that they did well but are sure that there is room for improvement. They admitted that they were nervous at the beginning, but the euphoric feeling of accomplishment afterwards made it worth it. David Santos, one of the directors, also believed that improvements can be done with the whole play. Despite this, he speaks for the people involved in Lihim that they’ve shown what they can do and have sent their message to the audience.

By: Andre Raneses | Photos by: Mimille Guzman

98 NEWS

“We’ve surely sent the audience our message.”

School of Science and Engineering

School of EducationSchool of Law and GovernanceSchool of Management

NOVEMBER12: Black Ox Eliminations (SEnS)

14: Second General Assembly (SINE)PIIE National Student Congress (SINE)

ORSP Seminar (SINE)14-15: Get Togethers (SEnS)

19: Black Ox Eliminations (SEnS)26: Black Ox Finals (SEnS)

28: Culminating Activity (SEnS)

DECEMBER12: Christmas Party (SEnS)

13: Outreach (SEnS)

JANUARY17: Sportsfest (SEnS)

FEBRUARY7: Communication Seminar (SINE)14: Communication Seminar (SINE)

27: Recognition Night (SEnS)

NOVEMBER12: GA 2

26: SED Coffee Session 2

DECEMBER12: Christmas Party

13: Outreach

FEBRUARY11: TEDxUAP

DECEMBERMetrobiz/Business Plan

SportsfestSMN Night

JANUARYManagement Awards

FEBRUARY16-20: SCM Week

School of EconomicsCAS & Humanities

School of Communication

NOVEMBER21: Pecha Kucha Battle

FEBRUARY16-20: SCM week

NOVEMBER7: Communication Seminar (SINE)14: Communication Seminar (SINE)

27: Recognition Night (SEnS)

DECEMBER3: UA&P-Ateneo Trade-off

5: UA&P-Ateneo Trade-off and Creatives’ Ideation Seminar

8-12: Shell Career Conference

JANUARYCareer Conversations

Creatives’ Ideation Seminar17: BEA Alumni Leaders Homecoming

24: High School Ecolympics

FEBRUARYTeambuildingUA&P Summit

6: Release of Fundamentals 2nd issue

DECEMBER4-6: Throwback Thursday

(filmshowing)

DECEMBER12: Christmas Party

MARCHEDSA WeekCalendar

of Activities

1110 SCHOOLS

There’s a difference between declaring oneself “present” and “present and voting”. Present allows a delegate to abstain. Present and voting, on the other hand, is a simple for or against.

The goal is to pass a resolution that addresses a global issue; Saving the world one clause at a time, so they say. A room of more than a hundred people is the delegate’s battleground. The delegate has to convince the representatives of various nations, each with his own agenda. He has to convince them that the problem is real and must be solved through international cooperation. He has to convince the majority that his position is the proper solution to the problems pervading the world today. Armed with fervent passion and relentless research, he only has a minute or two to capture the minds and hearts of everyone in that room.

What makes things complicated, however, is that delegates from all over the world have very diverse backgrounds. The questions being thrown at each other are so diverse that many of them come from nowhere. “Why didn’t I think of that?” moments abound. This is where I think UA&P delegates shine.

In a span of a few short months, the UA&P MUN program has gone from an ideal, to an under-the radar delegation, to a well-regarded group amongst the most distinguishable of Philippine universities. It begs the questions - “What is it in UA&P students?”, “How come that with so little training, they are able to hold their ground against veteran delegates?” I go out on a limb and put forward an answer.

It all boils down to the liberal arts education. It all boils down to the CAS subjects and the way they are taught - numerous units, piles upon piles of readings, countless nights of research, and abundant papers. Voicing out an opinion is no different from delivering a well-made report or leading a class discussion; while defending a resolution is no different from defending a paper in front of a panel. There’s a natural flair that comes with feeling comfortable, with feeling at home.

Delegates from UA&P also find themselves borrowing and synthesizing ideas from the subjects they have taken - whether using APS to discuss foreign relations, CIV for historical background or even MATH1 and English to expose flaws in logic. Though this author is biased towards Polthought, Polgov and Ethics, he must acquiesce that all subjects are invaluable. The learnings from liberal arts subjects will, in one way or another, rise to the top. In jest, a person remarked “liberal arts allows someone to say something about pretty much anything”. Their thoughts are dynamic, never stunted by sheer technical research. Apart from flair, then, there’s substance to back it up.

The UA&P MUN Program is young and has much to learn. It has yet to test its mettle against the very best the world has to offer in WorldMUN Seoul 2015. Nonetheless, I am confident that the Dragons will not stand idlely by and be intimated, be silenced. It is this sentiment that propels them, never resting on their laurels. Garnering awards may be bleak, but not without a fight. That is not to say that the awards are the end goal. Rather, it is a mere consequence of a desire to help change the world, a desire to combat apathy and an aspiration for something more. That in mind, I am certain that the delegation will always put on a good effort because UA&P students always have a well-informed opinion. These are the people who may very well be leading the diplomatic corps in the near future.

They are always present and voting, nevere a mere present.

Musing of an MUN Delegate

Jian ManjaresMimille Guzman

1312 OPINION

There was a scene in the movie Ender’s Game when Ender reasoned out that his team wasn’t performing their best because they weren’t given the time to rest. His commander silenced him by saying, “Sleep deprivation is part of your training.” I chuckled at the thought of how that line immediately reminded me of student life in UA&P. You’ve got to admit; we have learned to live with the reality that a heaping load of 27 units or more is no ordinary feat. How many times have we worn our sleepless nights like a badge? We would even joke that our (eye)bags are Prada for the way we find value in them. Losing sleep to finish a paper or presentation, coffee has become our elixir of life as it gets us through the second half of studenthood: actually sitting in class and absorbing our lessons.When asked why many are willing to go through this vicious cycle semester after semester, many students would respond how such a practice prepares them for the real world. Others would even respond how “ang tulog mababawi, pero ang grades hindi” (You can catch up on sleep, but you can’t with grades). But what if the “real world” has it wrong all along? And what if what you are actually losing is not sleep, but the purpose of why we are learning in the first place?The university educates individuals to become good citizens that can contribute to the well being of their society. Yet a university is not merely a factory alone for it also holds the crucial role to be the thriving venue where philosophies of thought are used and questioned. We are very fortunate to belong in a university that upholds the holistic formation of an individual. The ongoing online campaign of the UA&P Junior Marketing Communications, #IloveUAP, revealed many responses from students who looked at their lessons, not merely as

winning tickets to a diploma, but as elements that have deepened their worldview as individuals. In the words of 5th year Humanities student, Mio Borromeo, “(I love UA&P) because you are constantly reminded that before you are engineer, a communicator, an educator, etc., you are a human being.” Now this is not a call to spark the revolution of ditching studying entirely. Even St. Thomas Aquinas talks about the wisdom behind perseverance. We may choose to persevere through our requirements but we must also take a leaf from our Philosophical Anthropology 2 classes where it has often been reiterated that work, first in foremost, is for the “worker” and not the worker “for the work”. So before you take that heaping mug of coffee and prepare for slaving through another all-nighter, this writer does not invite you take a step back. Instead, I prompt you to look closer at that reading and ask yourself, “How can I fall in love with this?” You might feel silly for a moment but I implore you to consider it as a legitimate question. Every subject, may it be something as technical as Mathematics or abstract as Fine Arts, promises to reveal nuggets of the human condition. And upon closer scrutiny, you might very well find yourself too. Let us just hope that in our quest towards that ultimate uno, we don’t miss out on that as well.

These (Eye) Bags are Prada

of the candidates’ reputation. It is, however, precisely because of the bigger populations of SCM and SMN that each voter must participate, so that the outcome of elections is representative of the entire body. All the more do these schools need someone to represent their views and needs in the USG, a person who might be a source of unity for these diverse populations.

Voting for the wrong reason

Failure of elections has become a constant in the university: it made headlines in UA&P publications as far back as 2005, for what was then the Student Executive Board. Having become almost a tradition in the university, it has been the object of dry comments: “Baka nanalo ulit si Abstain.” It makes one want to ask, “Who is abstain and what right does he have to get past COMELEC screening?” Abstain is not a living candidate, but a refuge for voters who opt to not put anyone in position.

It was already the election week but a campaign was still ongoing: a campaign for the students to take part and vote. The election to answer the failure of elections was doomed to fail yet again. The UA&P COMELEC would constantly update its Facebook accounts for the number of votes needed to avoid failure of elections, reminding the SCM and SMN students to vote.

If we analyze this situation, some students are voting for the wrong reason: they are voting not to elect a worthy representative but to avoid another failure of elections. Election is a time to exercise one’s right. It is a time to express one’s preferences and analyze the platforms of the candidates. But, somehow, voting during elections has become almost a game of beating the number of required votes rather than an intellectual pursuit aimed at the common good of the university.

Like the university-wide group on Facebook, the USG elections need to be a venue for students to “Voice Out.” In this way, the people placed in the USG are those chosen by the people and for the people. This “tradition” of failure of elections has to end.

Making amends

It is all a matter of acting on the fourth principle of economics according to Mankiw: people respond to incentives. Students will not take part in elections unless they understand that this is for the good of every student. The USG has made a commendable effort to make projects felt among the members so they realize what the USG is doing for them, thus encouraging participation. Hatchweek was one project that reached out to the university’s newest members, and such an effort should be maintained, not only through projects but also through policies and campaigns, such as the memorable #offeritup. USG carries the identity of the school in a way none of the other orgs do, giving meaning to Unitas. Alongside the USG, Anima is in the process of developing its organizational structure so it can improve its aims of

training candidates and contributing to the growth of political culture in UA&P.

The continual development of the USG, of Anima as a party, and of the mindset of voters will have a huge impact on elections. The USG must not only be an active project-managing body but an entity that embodies every student. More than mere representation of the different schools in UA&P, the USG must also be able to represent each and every individual. This makes it more necessary for everyone to cast their ballots. How can a student be properly represented if he or she does not take the chance to choose his or her representative? Students must realize that they have to make their voice heard through elections, political parties, and other means to keep the USG, and ultimately, the school spirit alive.

The Verdict

Are elections being made into a game? It would be unfair to those who do take elections seriously for us to assert this upon first glance. However, elections could be turned into a game if we don’t do anything about it. While apathy, rather than corruption, is the issue in our own version of political elections, the situation could always improve. Did special elections really have to happen? The reasons can be traced to the lack of candidates and a prevailing apathy towards voting that led to failure of elections.

Furthermore, we must realize that the USG is not merely an entity that represents and promotes school spirit. It should also be an embodiment of every individual and diverse dragon. How can the USG truly be a representation of each student? It is through taking one’s time to vote for a candidate that will truly represent one student. It is through mindful voting, one that takes into account the best candidate for the position. We should avoid blind voting just to reach a certain number of votes to avoid failure of elections.

Lastly, we have all observed the clamor for preventive measures in replacement of allowing natural calamities to lead to relief packing and sending of donations. In the same way, reforms are needed in the way we view and participate in elections so that a remedy, special elections, will not have to happen again and again. A collective decision has to be made now. Will we allow this tradition of failure of elections, followed by special elections, to be inherited by the next generation of dragons?

One election has recently passed by just like any other typical University Student Government (USG) election on campus. This Special Election was held to complete the USG lineup for academic year 2014-2015 since votes fell short of the required number for the School of Communication (SCM) and the School of Management (SMN) and resulted in failure of elections. It is good that, at present, SCM and SMN already have people to represent the school in the USG, but did it really have to come to a special election?

Chain of campaigns One of the peculiar things about election in UA&P is the chain of campaigns happening before the USG election week itself. Campaigns usually introduce a candidate as well as his platforms to the voters. But let us go back weeks before candidates introduce their platforms. A campaign was needed to encourage SMN and SCM students to run for office. We saw various posters shared via social networking sites encouraging these students to take initiative. A “pre-campaign” was needed to entice students to file for candidacy. Fast forwarding to the election week itself, another campaign happened. This time, it was a campaign for votes of the students.

With SCM’s total voting population of 503 students and SMN’s 929 voting individuals, these two schools hold the largest number of students in the university. This is where the irony becomes visible. Only three students (Ambagan and Zialcita for SMN; Alvarez for SCM) took the responsibility of running as representatives for their schools in the recent election. Why were there only three brave souls?

While the lack of candidates may be traced to reluctance to accept responsibility, it is not the whole source of the

problem. Students who might be interested in running for USG could be unaware of how to run, be it the application process or the possible methods of running. Be it running with a political party or as an independent candidate, students have to know and have to be aware that the option is open to all.

On top of these, the overall lack of participation in USG elections discourage people from running. These point to the harmful effects of apathy on the election turnout.

Disease of the Apathetic On one side are the political parties and independent candidates, on the other are the voters themselves. One often hears the excuse “I don’t know the candidates” for their failure to vote, or to vote for the persistent winner of elections, “abstain.” The validity of this excuse is becoming questionable, because there are always chances to know the stands of the candidates: The Bosun’s face-off and Comelec’s miting de avance, at the very least. Voting itself is barely a hassle: conveniently located in Prom A, COMELEC asks for only two minutes of your time for you to sign in and cast your ballot.

While this doesn’t apply to all, apathy reigns during election season, enough so that it resulted in special elections. This can be seen, first, in the lack of willing participants in Anima, the only active political party in the university. While a shortage of manpower already hinders Anima’s capacity to reach for goals expected by others and set by the party itself, difficulty in finding students to run for their own schools adds to the party’s problems. Second, many students in schools with big populations tend to think that one vote out of hundreds will not make a difference. Thus, they will not listen to the platforms of the candidates anymore. This, in turn, results to unawareness

Thoughts on the (Recent) Special Elections

Isa Abola Ara Espina

1514 OPINION

4. PUT YOUR HEART INTO THE SUBJECT.“My expectations are shaped with what the students could do. I realize that many students may not understand what the teachers assume they understand. That is why I always try to demand a little bit more from the students more than I feel they can do. I pitch the ball a little bit higher, because if there is no challenge, they will not grow as learners.Take your learning seriously. As students, you know when you’re learning. It’s different from studying. In learning, you acquire something and it becomes a part of you and it has nothing to do with the grade that you are going to get in class. There are students who get high grades in a class but after a few weeks they have already forgotten about what they have studied. There are others who would fail but they never forget what they have learned in that class. Focus on the learning, not on the grade that you would get, whether it would be just a passing mark or a high mark which you need to keep your scholarship. For me, that’s the most counterproductive way of learning.”----- Dr. Paul Dumol, Department of History - College of Arts and Sciences, Associate Professor, Professor of Historical Research and Medieval Literature

5. DO NOT TAKE YOUR SUBJECTS FOR GRANTED.“Right now, I’m happy that if students pass my course, then the minimum concepts, theories are already there. Small applications like a little knowledge about project management, a little knowledge about program evaluations, business plans, are a few things I could measure if they have truly learned. Some students may fail but it is not because the course is difficult. It’s more of the mindset. This course may not be credited so there is this slight tendency to take the course lightly, but I would leave it up to the students to slowly make progress in the requirements given. At the end of the course, I would want the students to realize that you don’t have to be part of the workforce of the society to impact corporations in the decision-making process because you eventually integrate responsible business practices as a citizen. And it’s always a good thing - it is still relevant no matter what course they are in.”----- Mr. Jay Pronstroller, Center for Social Responsibility, Professor of Introduction to People Development – Corporate Social Responsibility

6. MATH REQUIRES PERSEVERANCE.“Some students say that Math is hard, and (that) they didn’t learn it well in high school. In Math, the answer is only either right or wrong. I try to make the students understand that I can be approachable if they are having difficulties with it. I would want students to not be shy just because they’re unsure of their answers, because I would want to see and point out what they did wrong. I want them to be more aggressive in answering the question and not just be passive learners. Learning is, of course, a two-way process. The teacher provides information but the students should also ask questions if they are having a hard time understanding certain concepts. That’s why what I really want the students to understand in class is that perseverance really works. You just have to work hard and not think of Math as something difficult.”----- Mrs. Tessalynn Endozo, Department of Mathematics - School of Sciences and Engineering, Instructor of Basic Math, General Math and Taxation

7. THINK AND PONDER OVER YOUR LESSONS FROM TIME TO TIME.“Ultimately, what students learn in my class, is to make the search for truth something that is normal. My goal is for them is to not actually make them think like they are obliged to search for the truth but to naturally just do it. My goal for my students is not to become drones. They go through their everyday lives, they have got to be observant. They have got to really learn how to think. Precisely I know I am forming people who are joining the industry that often treaded the margins of morality. I wanted them to actually improve the industry. This is the communication field. We are in the business of producing things, communicating ideas. We are in the business of culture. We are in the business of making history. People who join this industry are not drones. People here should know how to ponder, reflect, people who can be creative, people who have a nose for intuition, a nose for what the effects or consequences of things. That is why I don’t want my students to be frivolous thinkers. I want them to learn how to think before they act.”----- Dr. Caterina Molo, School of Communications, Professor of Communication Theory

8. VALUE YOUR CAS SUBJECTS.“Decision-making for managers is usually just work. I go beyond that. That is why I try to integrate the humanistic aspect of learning in business as much as I can since part of that is making good decisions. With that, the students should eventually improve the way they decide. I want the students to see that decision-making is not just a skill that they are acquiring from work but also a skill that they will acquire and will be using throughout their lives. Students should value the subject from day one. I’m usually impressed with a student who is aiming high the most that he can – one who really wants to learn, and not just because he is simply working for the grade, but knowing that it will do him good and will help him become the person he wants to be in the future.”----- Dr. Brenda Quismorio, School of Management, Professor of Decision Analysis and Quantitative Techniques

9. DO NOT JUST GO AFTER THE GRADES.“Success is not equivalent to the grade. The first thing that turns me off is the realization that some students say the things that you want to hear as a teacher, because they think that’s just going to earn them a good grade. I do not appreciate that kind of behavior. I’d rather that students say something out of honesty and personal interest in the course. The students would only find the lessons meaningful if in the first place they were seeking for an answer to the kind of question that they have. That is why I encourage them to ask questions and have the drive to look for answers. I want the students to realize that Philosophical Anthropology is a life-changing course. And we are also equally happy that the students make reference to the course more than the teacher in many cases. It’s not just about the course that you have to memorize. Not everybody may have the skill for Philosophy, but one should at least invest on the subject matter by trying to understand it and not just confine himself to classroom requirements.”----- Dr. Marion Magsino, Department of Philosophy - College of Arts and Sciences, CAS Vice Dean for Academic Affairs Professor of Philosophical Anthropology

Let us all admit it. College would not be as remarkable if it were not for our professors too. After all, they’re with us to share what they know with their inquisitive minds and inspiring words. So the moment that we encounter them, we must not be afraid to show them what we’ve got. Doing our best and applying what we have learned from them goes a long way. Sure, they are our allies in our journey for academic knowledge. But they would definitely be more than happy to have served as an instrument to help us grow into the person we’ll become beyond the four walls of the classroom and into the real big world.

Your College Survival Guide Ever wondered how college life could have been a bit easier if we could just read what’s in our teachers’ minds? For quite some time now, it has always been common for students to ask friends who already took a certain professor on things like how he gives grades, what his expectations are, and how to survive his subject. In most cases, even students who will be taking certain professors for their major subjects would try so hard to get first-hand information to gauge how much they should prepare when that time comes. Well, The Bosun gives you an exclusive access from University professors of different schools telling you how to survive, not just their subjects, but your dear professors as well.

By: Gleefer Jalea | Illustrations by: Chlyde Ranada

1716 FEATURES

1. HISTORY IS NOT JUST ABOUT MEMORIZING.“I’ve always liked Civ. When I was a student, it was my favorite subject, and I had the best teacher. So when I was given the opportunity to teach Civ, I make sure that the students enjoy the class as much as I did. I want to change the usual idea that in history class, all you have to do is to memorize. Christian Civilization is vast in terms of coverage and is big in content. That’s why I want the students to see the beauty in it. For me, the teacher facilitates the learning but the student has to be the protagonist in the whole learning process. I provide the facts, but the whys and hows usually has to come from the students.” ------Ms. Josefti Nito, Department of History - College of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Christian Civilization and Communication Ethics and Law

2. RECITE WITH BACKED UP INFORMATION.“When reciting, I like students who express their ideas with informed opinions. Hence, in writing the paper, they should take a stand not just because they feel this way but also because they support it through arguments and research. That’s why at the end of the course, hopefully, students get to be equipped with the right knowledge to be able to reason well in forming an opinion as a skill. Also, I make it a point that the students would feel something for the country, they would feel something that would be enough for them to do something to be involved with what’s happening around them and to be effective citizens in a truest sense.”-----Dr. Monica Ang, School of Law and Governance, Professor of Philippine Politics and Governance, Quantitative Research Methods and Theories of Development

3. DON’T LET YOUR ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS OVERWHELM YOU.“Sometimes, in learning, students sometimes find things too daunting. They should not make monsters out of their requirements. For example, you’re given a hundred readings for the entire semester, don’t scare yourself. Focus first on the readings you need to finish for the day.Also, learning is a two-way street. You’re not just empty vessels that should be filled. Do your work, the given requirements; so that when you come to class, it would create dynamics. Be active learners. In the classroom, bring with you your own understanding of the content. Then outside the classroom, try to practically process it. Generally by the time you graduate into the program, you would know exactly what you would be in the industry as practitioners. ”----- Dr. Ferdinand Pingul, School of Education, Program Director of BS Human Capital Development, Professor of General Psychology, Psychometrics, Research and Statistics, and Workplace Learning Programs

business model, and is especially appropriate given that the Philippines is a developing country. The best course of action would be to entrust such knowledge to the younger generation, whose openness to innovation and driven character would allow them to do wonders in this field. That is exactly what the invited experts did in the congress.

Mrs. Anna Meloto-Wilk, CEO of Human Nature, introduced the idea of social entrepreneurship as a business with a redistributive property. Unlike a Non-Government Organization (NGO) or a business with a Corporate Social Responsibility platform, a social entrepreneur’s goal is to acquire wealth while giving back to the community. This aim is achieved through depending on people from the lower class bracket to provide manpower for one’s business.

Mr. Mark Ruiz and his wife, Reese, are classic examples that shed light to this concept. Mr. Mark Ruiz is the proud founder of Hapinoy, a network of small business enterprises managed by poor stay-at-home mothers. They are trained to micro-manage, and taught to rely on each other. Mrs. Reese Ruiz, on the other hand, is responsible for establishing the globally renowned fashion brand, Rags to Riches. The people of a barangay carefully craft the beautiful items of the brand. From making and selling cheap rags, these people have managed to become managers, supervisors, and the like in the said company. The married couple firmly believes in the “walang iwanan” (“no one is left behind”) philosophy. Because of this, they have chosen to see their employees in a different light. They were not merely tools for profit making; they were their partners in development, an essential aspect in social entrepreneurship.

“The Youth is the Hope of the Motherland”

As mentioned earlier, the participants of Le Maste consisted of young Filipinos, ranging from college students to young professionals. Certain guest speakers talked about the Filipino youth’s identity. Hon. Earl Saavedra of the National Youth Commission (NYC) was one of those speakers. Hon. Saavedra stated that 30% of the Filipino people are considered as the youth. The government, namely the NYC, has been implementing policies and measures that advocate active youth involvement in both the political arena and socio-civic setting.

Moreover, Ms. Maria Lourdes Puno and Ms. Aurora Alipao, both representatives of Nestle Philippines, noted that today’s youth is different from how the youth was back in the day. The common mistake amongst analysts, corporations, and other institutions is that they tend to focus on the previous generation. While a lot of research

on the previous generation have surfaced throughout the years, little to none on the present generation are available. Knowing more about the current young Filipinos, their behavior, and everything in between has become a pressing need.

What, then, are the reasons behind the government’s actions and the establishments’ realizations? Why is the two-day congress’ program tailored for the youth? The reason behind these is simple. According to Hon. Saavedra, “the youth is the hope of the motherland”. This large portion of the population will eventually run the country. Regardless if it is in either the political sense or the economic sense, they will take over in time. It is for that reason that the older generations are investing so much in the youth. It is also why the older generations have the responsibility to guide and mold them properly.

Beyond What’s Necessary

Le Maste was a different and insightful event. Those who attended the two-day congress definitely brought home more than a luggage full of valuable lessons, and precious memories. But the lessons that had been imparted to the young audience were not limited to the topics mentioned. What could be drawn from this experience goes beyond social entrepreneurship, status quo, and the like.

The idea of social entrepreneurship both as a means for youth participation, and as the business model has been introduced, repeated, and understood. It is the most effective model to implement in a country like the Philippines. Both the enterprises involved, and the poor community will not only benefit from this, but also contribute to economic progress. With this, two things must be considered: 1) social entrepreneurship is an answer to the need to survive, and 2) models do not last, but change based on the situation. The reason why this concept is given much attention is that it is seen as a means to alleviate poverty, which the Philippines is terribly afflicted with. Once the country has reached a more stable state, the model will cease to serve its purpose. The dynamic nature of business models will then urge for another kind of model to suit society’s needs. After addressing the external issues such as poverty and economic development, there will be a demand to deal with issues concerning the person, specifically the Filipino. This will be possible by creating a model that helps strengthen the notion of humanness through values. Will there be a model that is more sustainable and more effective than social entrepreneurship? Will that model show what it means to be human without compromising the values taught to us for business’ sake? Only time will tell.

Social Entrepreneurship and The Next Big ThinG“...they have chosen to see their employees in a different light. They were not merely tools for profit making; they

were their partners in development....”

eadership is an age-old concept that has been passed down from one generation to the next. It has taken various forms ranging from graded lec- tures in the classroom to nationwide conferences of prestige. With the discussion of leadership at its peak, it is no surprise to find a multitude of talks, seminars, and whatnots happening almost simultaneously. What makes the Le Maste: 1st Philippine Leadership Master’s Congress, commonly known as Le Maste, unique?

One of A Kind

Two defining factors could be its venue and target audience. It was held last August 16 - 17 at the Lim Ket Kai Atrium in Cagayan De Oro. Nearly 3000 students and young professionals from all over the Philippines attended the two-day congress. Gathering an enormous audience in a country that is made up of scattered islands is already

an amazing feat. Situating the congress in a place where similar events are rarely held is even more exemplary.

Another thing that distinguishes the congress from the rest is its different take on leadership. Le Maste focused on leadership in the socio-civic field, corporate world, and arts. Renowned speakers involved in Social Entrepreneurship, Fashion Industry, and National Service shared insights and experiences to capture a clear image of what leadership is in the three fields. Moreover, they heavily emphasized the Filipino youth’s vital role in practicing this kind of leadership.

A New Idea Called Social Entrepreneurship

From all the topics that were brought up, social entrepreneurship was given a longer time at the limelight. This relatively new concept is emerging as the next

LBy: Karina Pineda | Photos by: Mimille Guzman

1918 FEATURES

SPIT Manila’s Gabe Mercado: “Can you give me a name of an animal?”

Man from crowd: “MONKEY!”

Mercado: “Can you name a specific type of mon-key?”

Man from crowd: “ORANGUTAN!!!”

Spontaneity was king during the Just For Kicks show last September 12 and 29. Chuckles and snickers erupted everywhere from the very witty and spur of the moment jokes the cast of SPIT Manila delivered. But as the resounding laughter of the crowd echoed in the auditorium, one can’t help but feel lost in the moment of euphoria. Just For Kicks was a benefit show for the soccer kids of Ambassadors Cup, Tindog Tolosa Tacloban, and Team Socceroo adopted communities. It was or-ganized by 5th Year MSCM students and featured SPIT Manila. Beyond all the jokes, skits and song numbers, there was a cause worth fighting for.

SPIT Manila set the stage on with a question: “What would you buy if we give you 500php?” The twist was that the crowd must give answers not only alphabetically, but also as fast as they could. The answers were then used as lyrics of the on-the-spot song made and sung by the cast of SPIT Manila. A lot of skits and jokes followed but undeniably, the crowd’s favorites were the pag-eant and fortune-telling segments. In the pageant, three women of SPIT Manila were asked questions by random crowd members. These women start-ed their answers with the lines from songs and books that were drawn from a bag. The crowd had written the lines before entering the auditorium. Everyone saw how fast the performers could im-provise, especially when the line that they got was not really connected to the question.

In the fortune-telling segment, three men from SPIT Manila squeezed into a costume of a for-tuneteller with each of their heads showing. What made their act of fortune-telling unique was that the three men answered the questions with each of them giving a word. They only stopped when they had completed a thought. There was a man from the crowd who asked them: “How would I find my true love?” The three men answered: “Get a box of pizza and some water. Then eat that pizza and drink the water because fullness is love.”

Being a part of Just For Kicks not only fills one’s heart with glee but it also fulfils one as a person. The cocktail party, freebies from sponsors and even the good laughs that people got from the show were nothing compared to the thought that they were able to help the kids who look to soccer not just as a sport. Instead, they see it is a key to a better future that will bring them an inch closer to their dreams.

Tidbits from Just for KicksBy: Liezl Cabrera, Ara Espina, Rhencis Recaña | Photos by Kate Ley

The NewLibrar an

et’s face it. Whenever we stay in the library to do some serious research or even to just simply go over our notes a few hours before an exam, we owe it to the ambiance which makes our study time more “sulit”. Whenever we have to gather a few good sources for a paper or a simple requirement, we owe it to the organized system that’s built to make our lives easier in just one click. Whenever we would want to take a book home or have simple queries to ask, we get good quality service from our friendly circulation staff who is always ready to cater to our needs. But who makes sure that all these could possibly be achieved and sustained? One of the people who ensure all these to happen is Miss Hazel Pestio, the University Librarian. Get to know her better along with the projects that she wants to execute to fit a better UA&P Library Vision:

As a graduate of University of the Philippines - Diliman with an MA Degree in Library and Information Science along with a 10-year work experience as branch head of the Makati Library in MAPUA Institute of Technology, it can be said that she has a lot of knowledge and skill gained through time. Now working in our very own institution as the new University Librarian, she envisions a lot of things that are bound to happen to make a better library service for the University. Working as the University Librarian entails efficient methods to sustain a learning environment that is conducive, especially for the students. It definitely requires hard work and consistent perseverance to do so. “When I came in MAPUA in 2003, I had to a lot of things such as streamlining access points and an integrated library system”, says Miss Hazel, when asked what she mainly did in her previous work. We ask her how she keeps up with such challenging tasks. She happily says, “I am goal driven and persistent in achieving work. I stay optimistic and resilient when faced with adversity. I am an active listener and could generally work well with teams. I also put value in partnerships and collaborations in a well-developed circle of influence.”In line with that, we asked her what goals she envisions now as our very own University Librarian. Taking the lead in reinventing library services and letting users experience current innovative solutions are the primary things that she wants to pursue. “We envision the library to expand by embracing non-traditional functions like a café, multi-use

L spaces for exhibits, events and collaborative spaces where students can discover their creativity on their own or as a group. We also want to put up device friendly areas with increase in power sources to transform our library into a multi-space called learning commons.”

Focusing on convenience and consistency in delivering up to date resources is definitely something that must be sustained in relation to the library system’s role. She shares that the library is doing its best to strengthen the content and services available in the library’s webpage 24/7, accessible within and outside the campus. Some of these are online resources like EBSCO host and JSTOR which aid the library in facilitating links to reliable texts and journal lists for the teachers’ and students’ research needs. She adds that hopefully, by developing their presence through social media, they would eventually reach out easily to everyone as well.

Last June 30, the University Library organized a user training workshop regarding online database subscriptions for the faculty. Miss Hazel says that collaborating with the faculty is just one way of establishing a very cohesive relationship with the people in the University. In order to attain a good 2014 - 2018 UA&P Library vision, she claims that they are also conscientiously moving forward to a transformed environment of embedded librarians to build a dynamic relationship with stakeholders and educators.

From the “library junkies” to those who simply pass by to look around or just breathe, one thing is for sure: everyone appreciates the library service that is given to them in the University. Miss Hazel is just one of the many people who ensure that we only get the best because after all, being in UA&P, we deserve it. This is one good way to remember that when in the library, we’re not just shushed for nothing when we’re noisy. It’s not just a way of helping to create a sustainable learning environment for all of us, but it’s also a way of maintaining the UNITAS culture that we’ve lived out right from the start.

n townIBy: Gleefer Jalea

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museums and other historical places that we used to see on the slides before made us feel even more grateful about being there. The level of understanding and appreciation we had was as intense as watching a Korean drama and as incomparable as actually starring in one.What is clear to all of us is the fact that we are all very thankful for the six months we spent in class struggling to understand the complexity of Korean history (just like all other histories actually). From that moment on, we unanimously agreed that APS Korea class was worth it!

Korea’s History Became Our Story

The things we hardly understood in our APS Korea class unexpectedly became an inseparable part of us during the tour. Suddenly, it was all natural for us to talk about Korea. Suddenly, we knew and understood it more than we ever did and we ever expected.

What made this trip even more memorable is the bonus within the bonus; we mean the bonding and the friendship formed. The people who used to be just schoolmates

became the best of friends, and the professor-student relationship turned into mother and father to children. The experience of getting lost in the middle of Seoul was rainbow coloured as we tried to find the places we had to go to with laughter and stories.

Definitely, aside from the pasalubongs, we can say that the most important thing we took home is the experience that made us better appreciate Korea’s history, culture and people. It made us reflect on how great a nation and civilization it is, which not only taught their own citizens to appreciate their national treasures but also even outsiders like us. It made us realize the importance of broadening one’s horizons to have a better perspective and view of the world we live in.

It was only a 10-day trip but everything that happened there haunts us until now in a very beautiful and magical way. The cliché saying “experience is the best teacher’” took us to a whole new world. However, we think it is more than learning. It is really about living and loving what you see, what you learn, and what you experience. It is about taking them to heart and making them your own story.

The cliché saying “Experience is the best teacher” took us to a whole new world. However, we think it is more than learning.

Crossing the Borders: HANBOKS

Last May 19-29, the Samsung Korean Studies Program (SKSP) of our university rewarded he top performing students of the Korean Studies Course or APS Korea; with the opportunity to get to know Korea up close and personal. The six lucky students were Jessica Chuico (3rd yr, IMC), Jo Esguerra (3rd yr, IEP), William Galvez (4th yr, IEP), Kenneth Garcia (Alumnus, MAIEP), Kiara Matos (4th yr, IMC) and Eloise Peñaflor (4th yr, IMC). They were accompanied by Ms. Regina Gonzaludo, Dr. Djun Kil Kim, instructors of the said program, and Dr. Leodovico Lacsamana of the College of Arts and Sciences. The whole Korea Study Tour’s itinerary did not only include a visit to the different historical places in Seoul, Gyeonju, and Andong Province but most especially the goal to seize the 10-day chance to create a story worth telling.

From Slides to Tour Guides

Many would say that enlisting APS Korea was part of our destiny, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s talk about APS Korea first.

It was one of the most difficult subjects we have ever taken, at least in our opinion. We are not trying to scare you, but it is true. It is probably because we are not friends with history at all. There went the long hours of understanding the hows and whys about Korea. All those terms that made our nose bleed. There were also moments when all expressions we had were question marks. But in spite these information overload times are the epiphanic ones, the most rewarding feeling when you finally understood why Korea is the country it is today and how did Kim Jong-un end up as North Korea’s leader. The point we are trying to make is, we are just normal students who decided to enlist APS Korea and this luckily (or should we say, with all our sweat and blood) changed our views entirely about this ‘Land of the Morning Calm.’ Who would believe us when we say that after 6 months of sitting in class twice a week and learning to love Korea from the slide presentations, we were able to set our first step in living our version of a Koreanovela in...well, Korea.

Hitting Two Birds with One Stone

After trying to be the best students that we can be to ace the APS Korea class, we found ourselves with our jaws

dropping, when the thing we least expected happened. No, we did not fail. Thank You, Lord! We passed with flying colors. Thank You Lord, again! That is all we wanted to know but then we forgot about one special thing.

In the middle of the semester, our professors told us about the first Korea Study Tour Program. It is basically a Samsung-sponsored trip to Korea for a closer perspective learning about the legendary Dolphin in the Ocean. Our heads were set straight on surviving the class. But then rewards came along the way, in different forms. Some were good, some were great. We know that we received the great one when they said: “You are chosen to go to Korea!”

It was a 10-day experience full of new learnings and standpoints. The whole trip was patterned to the five civilizations that Korea underwent – Shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism and Christianity; those that shaped, influenced and paved way to the current state of Korea. All those question mark and eureka moments in class were re-lived. Visiting palaces,

By: El Peñaflor and William GalvezPhotos by: El Peñaflor

from books to

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promoting the significance of economics by spreading the news of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

BEA embarked on its journey through the ASEAN Community with the SEC Opening. In a gathering last August 8 in promenade B, William Galvez, Executive Vice-President of BEA, introduced the events for SEC Month. The event ended with the reveal of the SEC Month Exhibit, displaying facts about the ASEAN and the history of the School of Economics.

The next stop for IEP’s tour of the ASEAN community was the SEC Talk last August 12. Dr. George Manzano and Ms. Kristine Martin of the SEC faculty both imparted their knowledge on the ASEAN; including the role the Philippines would play and the benefits that the citizens of the community would receive from being more closely connected to our Southeast Asian neighbors. The ASEAN Community, they said, would facilitate increased trade among the ASEAN states, bringing about increased economic growth and making a win-win collaboration in the ASEAN.

The course in Industrial Economics celebrated its 45th anniversary last August 15, 2014, the same day the University would be celebrating its 47th anniversary. The 19th University Day Lecture, in celebration of the anniversary of UA&P, was appropriately focused on the economy and was given by a long-time member of the faculty of the School of Economics - Dr. Victor Abola. The talk covered the peso and the foreign exchange rate, with the aim of answering the question “Is having a weaker peso (depreciating exchange rate or cheaper value of peso as compared to foreign currencies) bad?” Appreciation, which is when the peso becomes stronger and is equivalent to more in foreign currencies, would lead to slower growth because there would be less exports, even though foreign debt could be paid off more easily. Depreciation, which is when the peso is weaker and is equivalent to less in foreign currencies, would lead to faster growth from an export-led economy and higher employment, benefitting domestic firms and OFWs who earn in foreign currencies. Because of this, he concluded, depreciation would be of more benefit to the economy than appreciation of the peso.

A new experience for the year was BEA’s first-ever Debate and Quiz Night, or DQ Night, last August 22. The main event was in partnership with Dairy Queen. During the day students could buy Dairy Queen ice cream from their booth put up on campus, which was then followed by the actual DQ event at 6 that evening. The event consisted of competitions among the IEP batches from first to fifth year, with a debate portion, in which one representative from each batch gave a speech under time pressure, and

a quiz portion, wherein five representatives per batch answered multiple-choice questions in a quiz bee-type competition. In line with the theme for SEC Month, the questions for both debate and quiz portions were about the ASEAN. Cheers from all year levels echoed throughout the room when it was announced that the newest members of the School of Economics, the first-year representatives, emerged champion for the Quiz portion of the event, while the fourth year representative bagged first for the Debate portion.

After that dose of intellectual application, IEP students hit the MPC for the SEC Sportsfest. They displayed their sense of fellowship within their course as they made their team cheer dance and applauded their teammates for the basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, and tug-of-war games. Lunch and the Annoying Race then followed in the afternoon. True to its name, this part of the day had students sweating and out of breath from running in the PSB and all over the campus to complete challenges as a batch. The exhausting but exciting day ended when the fourth years came in as champions for the race, with everyone celebrating with pizza at the MPC.

In the culminating event for SEC Month on August 29, IEP students and SEC faculty gathered once again in Prom B for the much-awaited SEC Night. Following the annual tradition, each batch made a performance in line with SEC Night’s Tourism theme. The first years came as Thailand, the second years as Vietnam, the third years as Indonesia, the fourth years as Cambodia, the fifth years as Brunei, and the faculty as Malaysia. Proving further that economists are not only geniuses in math, all performances showcased the impressive artistic skill and talents in dancing, singing, and acting of the SEC community. Dinner followed, along with a short guitar performance from Joel, the son of the Dean of the School of Economics, Dr. Peter Lee U. One of the highlights of the night was the Lip-synch Challenge, a friendly competition among representatives from each batch and the faculty to lip-synch favorite songs that brought cheers and uproarious laughter from students and faculty alike. The night ended with an awarding ceremony: for each batch, there were awards for the most talented, most fashionable, and funniest, as well as for the Miss SEC Night and Mr. SEC Night from the third year batch. The third years won the SEC Night performance competition, while the fourth years came in first place for the overall SEC Month.

BEA Moderator, Ms. Viory Janeo, gave the event’s closing remarks. The night, and the month of learning and laughs, came to a close. SEC Month may be over, but the journey of BEA and IEP continues.

Who says economists only think about math, supply and demand, and the GDP for the next quarter? Industrial Economics Program (IEP) students proved this assumption wrong when they rocked the school with their resounding energy and yellow happy shirts during this year’s School of Economics Month (SEC Month). Spearheaded by the Business Economics

Association (BEA) and sponsored by Milo, SEC Month featured the best BEA and IEP had to offer through its set of events and activities within the university. Like last year, this SEC Month was an extended version of what used to be an annual SEC Week, and with the tag line “Exploring the ASEAN Connection,” SEC Month embodied BEA’s mission of being a venue for

A Month of Happy:Exploring the ASEAN Connection

By: Isa Abola | Photos from BEA Administration Office

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The town was absolutely perfect with the exception of two residents named Nardita Carpio and Lamberto Ang. Unlike the black and white uniformity of the town’s residents, Dita and Berto set themselves apart from the town by donning themselves in a whole mess of colours as they refuse to abide by the standards set by the town. Because of this, they are labelled as “sloths” in the eyes of the townsfolk. A literal “clash of colours”, Dita and Carpio are actually both competing for sole dominance of the town with their own respective set of colours.

Script analysis was the aspect of theater discussed in “The Most Spectacular Sloths on Earth”. The plot follows the premise that the audience already has a deep understanding of the script and the dialogue. In this case, the idea of art is expressed as a mess. The residents, such as the tour guide of San Honorico, represented the more traditional forms of art, whereas the two sloths Dita and Berto represented the modern works of art. When they came into the picture, it caused much displeasure to the traditionalists. The tourist in white is seen as a form of mediator between the modern and traditional styles by finding beauty in all forms of art, as seen in his enthusiasm in witnessing the ongoing argument between the two sloths.

“Death in Ten Minutes,” as directed by Martti Uy, made use of a humorous plotline involving two “lovers” named Luisa and Miguel. Both were reminiscent of Filipino teleserye characters as referenced from various Filipino telenovelas. The two lovers discover the very script of their play which results to Luisa’s attempts to reverse her fate to die at the end by any means necessary. She even resorts to killing Miguel multiple times, only to have him come back to life through playing a different kind of “lover boy”. An interesting portion of the play deals largely with the characters of the play breaking down the fourth wall by their awareness of the audience and by constantly attempting to interact with them. This may be seen with Luisa’s attempts of using the audience to help her reverse her fate. “Death in Ten Minutes” focuses on audience participation, the aspect of characterization, and what differentiates it from the actors themselves. This is seen in the way Miguel dies at the hands of Luisa, only to come back alive but this time playing a different character. They even go so far as to mention how their respective roles can

change depending on the playwrights’ projection of the role.

The third play, “Shakespeare Has Left the Building,” as directed by Jedidiah Maigue, features students putting up an exhibit on Shakespeare as required by their literature professor. All seems to go well until the appearance of none other than the revived Shakespeare himself who demands that the exhibit be struck down as it insults the purpose of his work. This particular work of Antonio focused on script and dialogue as one of the central pillars of theater. The play features a detailed lament by Shakespeare on how the students have completely missed the point in their study of his works.

The last play entitled, “How to Cry Wolf ” as directed by Mio Borromeo, tells the story of a young theater student who is eager to learn a revolutionary acting technique called “modus” from her professor. Modus is depicted as no ordinary acting technique as it almost quite literally allows a practitioner to turn anything he/she imagines into something real and tangible. The professor warns her student that learning this technique is a dangerous process and may even cost her something of great value that was mysteriously stored inside a box. But the student continues to insist in learning the technique even at the cost of the “item” in the box. What happens next is quite simply a humorous mess with multiple characters from different realities coming into play in a similar manner as Death in Ten Minutes. The last production featured in BOX covers the aspect of direction. It focused on how convincing an actor can be onstage based on the interpretation and vision of the director—hence modus acting. The professor who teaches modus acting represents directors while the student represents the actors.

Script, dialogue, acting, and directing—these are the four basic elements that make up a theatrical production. Viare, through the use of Basic Onstage Experience, explained through both humorous and intellectual means how these four primary complex elements when merged could help make a theatrical production work. Theater is not just about watching for the sake of watching, but also understanding the different elements at work involved in bringing the script, its story, and its characters to life onstage for the audience to enjoy.

(Viare) decided that it was time to take a break from the emphasis on slapstick humour and focus on the

other aspects of a theatrical production.

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For some time now Viare has always had the tradition of scheduling its first major production for the school year precisely a week or two before the finals. The goal of setting its first production before finals is to give everyone a last laugh before they begin hitting the books for the next two to three weeks. For three years, Viare has kept this tradition alive with the LOL trilogy’s first staging in 2011. While the LOL trilogy was a sound success in terms of finances and critical reception, the Viare board decided that it was time to take a break from the emphasis on slapstick humour and focus on the other aspects of a theatrical production.

From here, the first building blocks for the new production were first laid down and finally materialized in the title of BOX or “Basic Onstage Experience”. The whole idea behind the conception of a “Basic Onstage Experience” was first, to incorporate more intellectual productions into Viare in order to break away from its comedic reputation and second, to return to the very roots of what makes up a theatrical production. Simply put, Viare hoped to educate its audience on theater and its elements while still being

able to give them a good laugh before the drudgery of finals.

The project heads of BOX chose four plays, written by our very own Palanca award winning professor, Dr. Joachim Emilio (Joem) Antonio, whom Viare believed best suited the vision that was created for BOX. The plays were entitled “The Most Spectacular Sloths on Earth, “Death in Ten Minutes”, “Shakespeare Has Left the Building”, and “How to Cry Wolf ”. These four were selected and performed in this order on the premise that each play presented one distinct aspect of any theatrical production.

Directed by Nicole Fuentes, the story of “The Most Spectacular Sloths on Earth” features an ongoing guided tour of a town called San Honorico which has been placed on the book of world records for being the cleanest city on Earth. However, the notion of clean in the eyes of those who run the town of San Honorico is a town completely devoid of color. As seen in the tour guide in black and the tourist in white, the town was in shades of black and white ensuring “order and cleanliness” in the form of sameness.

A Return to Your Basic Onstage Experience

By: Carlos Victa | Photo By: Elliot John Robles

the environment of jails should be conducive enough for prisoners to redeem themselves, and work towards posi-tive change.

Unfortunately, Former Associate Justice Abad’s depiction turned out to be a stark contrast to the ideal. The current state of jails is an insult to the average Filipino’s person-hood. It has even been called dehumanizing since it is a place that no man, regardless of what he has done, de-serves to live in. Each cell Is packed with several pris-oners, making them resemble a group of sorry-looking sardines desperately trying to fit in a can. It has even come to a point that they are forced to take shifts in sleeping due to the cramped space.

His next point was a slap from the cold and depressing truth. Prisons are meant to be an isolated institution, a separated entity, wherein the culture of what lies outside cannot penetrate its bars. A particular aspect of this culture comes in the form of the country’s social class structure in which the disparity between the rich and the poor is ex-treme. If the Philippines is diagnosed with a bipolar social hierarchy, then jails should be immune from that. Sad to say, it is not. The wealthy and powerful are excessively pampered since they are provided with their own room in place of a prison cell. They are also free to bring in and out whatever they wish as well as walk in and out freely. The impoverished and downtrodden, on the other hand, are discriminated. They experience the harsh treatment, and are degraded to beasts in prison. It is this class that lives to tell the horror stories in jail.

THE AGE OF REFORMS

Despite the current situation, Former Associate Justice Abad did not promise a bleak future. Instead, he sees brighter days ahead. Changes are being done to improve

the Philippine justice system. One notable reform that was mentioned was the implementation of a judicial affidavit. Instead of having witnesses on the witness stand to nar-rate their testimonies, they can submit a written form and attach other documentary evidence to courts prior to the trial.

Another reform is also related to increasing the courts’ efficiency in delivering justice. The time allotted to pres-ent evidence is to be shortened to have more time for the rest of the trial. Furthermore, the issue on the overlapping cases of both the Supreme Court, and the Regional Trial Courts are also being addressed. They are trying to bal-ance the number of cases for judges to be able to finish them on time. With these recent reforms, the updated sys-tem hopes to cut the common adversities the court experi-ences in order to give faster results.

CONCLUSION?

It is pleasing to note that the presence of these reforms is beginning to be felt by the people. This can be seen in the recent arrest of three senators, namely Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Joseph Estrada Jr., and Juan Ponce Enrile, who were alleged to be involved in the P10 billion PDAF scandal. It has brought much light to the performance of the bureaucracy to catch and punish the people who have been abusing the people’s money for personal gains. Despite the recent improvements, reality speaks that the war is far from over, and the story has not yet reached its end. The Philippines has yet to see the full effect of the updated justice system in both the Supreme Court and the lower courts. While waiting for a conclusion, Filipinos should feel nothing else but hope and optimism for a bet-ter country, even if it must start in one system.

“The current state of jails is an insult to the average Filipino’s personhood.”

Justice DelayedJustice Denied

When the word “judge” is mentioned, the first image that comes to mind is not someone whose face is plastered in all forms of media. A judge is famous– or infamous, rather– for his expertise in hiding behind piles of cases that are waiting to be read. Seeing one in the flesh would be considered a privilege. Students from both the Juris Doctor Program, and Political Economy were fortunate enough to be given that kind of privilege.In the week-long celebration of the School of Law and Governance’s founding year, the SLG organized a special lecture on law and governance in the justice system. It paved the way for the attendees to finally get a glimpse of the Philippine justice system’s current state. The speaker of the lecture was none other than Former Associate Jus-tice Roberto A. Abad. He emanated an air of seriousness and authority as he spoke of his inspiring life story, and his ascendance to prominence in the field of law.

SLOW, ROTTEN, AND DISMAL

Former Associate Justice Abad was brutally honest in describing the country’s justice system. Contrary to our Western counterpart, Philippine courts are dismal to look at due to its accumulating problems. He expressed his displeasure about the obvious flaws resulting to slow turn outs of justice. Topping these troubles is the long process that a case would usually take before the judge can make a decision. With the current system, one case would usually

take at least three to five years before it reaches its verdict. Both parties involved are required to tell their side of the case, which is a long and tedious process. This does not consider the amount of cases judges need to preside. This applies in both the Supreme Court and the lower courts. Ideally, the Supreme Court, which is the highest court of the country, should deal with cases that concern the Constitution, otherwise known as the highest law of the land. Yet it handles a wide variety of cases, most of which can be solved in the lower courts. Regional Trial Courts also have their fare share of prob-lems. The cases that they are assigned to would reach at least 1,000, which are all on-going. Moreover, the lan-guages used inside the court are strictly English and Fili-pino. Whatever is said in English must be translated into Filipino, which not only shows redundancy, but also adds difficulty. People from other provinces are restricted from speaking the language that they are more comfortable with. Because of this, justice is usually delayed instead of served immediately, much to the people’s dismay.

HORROR STORIES IN JAIL

The process of delivering justice does not end within the four walls of the court. Those who are proven guilty are sent to prison in order to reflect on the crimes that they have committed, and to eventually be released as re-formed citizens of the country. As centers for reformation,

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By: Mark Bautista and Karina Pineda

You, a fortunate soul blessed with liberal education, may draw from your store of knowledge and melodramatically exclaim: “Is this it, then?! Has all humanity devolved into sardines? Frequent commuters are – there is no other word for it – violated on a daily basis as complete strangers intrude upon one’s intimacy. Oh, the humanity!” Then somebody’s hair (which you fervently wish has been shampooed this week) gets in your mouth and other people’s limbs are squished against unnamable places, and your internal soliloquy starts to be composed of decidedly more vulgar language.At this point you may have been wondering why I have gone way off tangent. The only common point between the Iliad and the MRT would probably be the “undergloom” into which “brave souls” are “crowded”. A comparison between hell and the MRT, would not be, after all, too far-fetched.Let us suppose the MRT has commenced its pre-halting caterwaul at your station and you realize, with a sinking feeling in your stomach, that you are pressed up against the side of the car at the farthest possible point from the door. You steel your nerves, telling yourself, “HUNGER GAMES NA ITU”, and all your murderous sentiments translate into merciless elbowing and pushing. You will get to that door if you have to elbow every single passenger in the face! Let’s freeze the frame, take a step back, and analyze. In your conquest to exit the car, you have flattened, both in a literal and a figurative sense, all the other passengers. Look at the effect the environment of the MRT has had on your perception of people around you. You no longer see them as fellow passengers who might be late for work, who go home to their families, and who possess different thoughts, feelings, and worries like yourself. Instead, you have reduced them to obstacles that must be brushed or pushed – or shoved – aside.At this point the screen ought to ripple as you flashback to your lessons in Classical Literature. The unforgettable scene between Akhilleus and Priam swims before your eyes and you remember the momentous, earthshaking instance when finally, in a culture dominated by the self, man sees man.This realization is something revolutionary in a culture where butchering another person, or asking for the slaughter of an entire people is acceptable if it is for the sake of one’s own honor and glory. The same realization is just as revolutionary in our times. Given the current situation, would it not be considered as justified to shoulder through the mass of people to get to the door?This knowledge can be transposed to other realms of human experience, like walking through the hallways of the school, enlisting for subjects, or studying in the library. If one raises one’s sight to the level of seeing other people as people, one would act very differently. Perhaps we would smile at our fellow dragons as we walk to our classes, even though some may be a bit rude by blocking the way near the CAS ledge or talking too loudly in the elevator. Perhaps we would be more conscientious about not cutting in line at the registrar or the accounting office, and more forgiving of people that do. Perhaps we would try to keep our voices down in the CAS library, and not give dirty looks to people who reserve tables in the library for extended periods of time by leaving their bags on the tabletops. In the end, this is why we still slog through 600 pages of the Iliad. Whether it is now or around three thousand years ago, we (Homer, you, and I) are all talking about man. From the dusty pages of an ancient epic, we can arrive at these truths about man, so old and yet so new, which will never cease to be relevant.

Is this it, then?! Has all humanity devolved into sardines?

When confronted with the Iliad for the first time in first or second year, an inevitable groan would escape one’s lips at the prospect of having to slog through about 600 pages of poetry. If one opened the book to the very first line to see “Anger be now your song, immortal one…” one might think, “What could some dusty, old Greek poet possibly have to teach me about anger?”Anger is all too familiar to us. One doesn’t need to turn to a Greek epic to see an angry person. A perfect example of an angry man can be found, in fact, very close to home. One has to look no further than the MRT to find a perfectly satisfactory specimen of a man (or a woman) consumed by anger to the point of the loss of all rational capability.Fortunately, I myself haven’t had any serious MRT misadventures, at least, none akin to those of “AMALAYER?!” fame. The only kind of hostility I have encountered so far was that in the eyes of my fellow passengers as I attempted to contort my limbs into a misshapen mass that would just fill the remaining space in the car.It is not difficult to imagine the typical MRT commute. It is about as enjoyable as lining up for the guillotine, or perhaps the electric chair. One must endure at least three thirty-minute-long lines, if one is lucky, which would be so much more bearable if J.CO donuts or concert tickets were at the end of it all. Instead, one willfully lines up for the “reward” to which any circle of Dante’s Inferno would be preferable: the MRT (which is, ladies and gentlemen, bordering on the masochistic).Let us take the average commuter as an example. Your mind is sure to be filled with either fantasies of elaborate murder plots or streams (oceans, even) of colorful swear words. These you likely direct toward the “chivalry-is-dead’ incarnate who feigns sleep so he won’t have to give up his seat (Shakespeare could have very well written “Hell hath no fury like a woman deprived of a seat in the MRT”). A steely glare in the direction of an impertinent fellow who attempts to enter the car just as the doors begin to shut would also be fitting. In the case of the inexperienced commuter who steps on your feet every time the MRT stops at the station, retaliation in the form of an elbow jab would not be amiss either. Luckily, the latter ceases to be a source of annoyance as, little by little, the car fills to such an extent that you no longer have a square centimeter of space to call your own. Wrangling for a seat or a handhold then becomes unnecessary, for the passengers are so tightly compressed against each other that you no longer lurch forward as the MRT pulls up at each station.

“EPIC” Thoughts on

TransitBy: Bianca Marañon | Illustration By: Shiloh Laciste

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What is a ‘canker-blossom’? What on earth does Shylock plan to do with a ‘pound of flesh’? How can Macbeth even ‘murder sleep’—sleep that ‘knits up the ravell’d sleeve of care (whatever that means)’? Contrary to what John Green says, why is the fault, dear friends, not in our stars but in ourselves? And most importantly, what is Shakespeare even saying almost half the time?! Let’s all be honest. In this day and age, who understands Shakespeare anymore? The thees, thous, the [verb]-st words, and the Yoda-like sentence construction—I mean, what has this got to do with anything, really? This has been the dilemma of every student who has gone through a regular high school literature curriculum. Ridiculously enough, it is one dilemma that has spilled over to the realm of university life for us UA&P dragons. Centuries have passed and it is clear that the language of the Old Elizabethan Renaissance is lost to many of the contemporary youth. This is a reality not at all surprising for a generation that creates and passes on new lingo that infects our social circles like the Black plague. It even becomes less surprising for a species whose constant cultural and social reinventions have set the definition of each great era in the Earth’s timeline. Needless to say, certain elements and qualities of language and culture change throughout time with the invention of ever-evolving lingo, slang, and popular jargon. Particular words being used at present have already evolved so radically from their etymological origins. Did anyone who lived to witness the racial tensions of the 1960’s ever imagine that the word ‘nigga’ would become a term of endearment among ‘homies’? Nowadays people can be ‘hot’ and ‘cool’, ‘awesome’ and ‘sick’ all at the same time. Likewise, we also observe the birth of new language as lifestyles change and the need for more expressions arises.

Shakespeare experienced the fast coming and going of these English words. Many of you may be familiar with the fact that it was he who actually coined and created several new expressions when nothing in the English language of his time would suffice. We could go on verbally praising Shakespeare’s poetic genius and philological finesse. Nevertheless, with the scarce usage of these once beloved lexical pearls, is it truly possible to appreciate his art in the context of today? Can something meant to be performed and spoken remain as celebrated as it once was when it is now rarely spoken at all? Given this current predicament, maybe it would be best to say that the language of Shakespeare is, just as its author, truly and unmistakably dead. This death is meant in the same way the Latin language has ceased to come alive in human conversation and failed to evolve even further. But, as with Latin which has remained unaltered and yet serves as the bedrock of many other spoken languages today, Shakespeare’s presence in our libraries, literature curricula, and in the far-reaching shelves of the Fully Booked classics section is still very much felt. Again, this begs the question: Despite the tests and teeth of time, the constant reinvention of the English language, the staunch

protests of young students, and both the literal and figurative death of Shakespeare and his language, why is Shakespeare still among us today? It is true and inevitable that language and culture certainly change as time goes by. Considering that fact, perhaps the essential quality that is keeping his works alive is something that has remained constant to this day. Perhaps the reason that Shakespeare still lives on is that the genius and treasure behind his works lie not in the actual words themselves but within them. Yes, there is definitely beauty in his poetic style and grace, but that is not solely what knighted his plays and poetry into literary classics. It may have been the words that captivated the audience, but it was the meaning and message behind these words that kept them alive—the message of being human. When we take away the glitz and glaze of his iambic pentameter, what are we left with? It’s a clever and precise portrait of ourselves. Shakespeare’s understanding of human nature and its struggles and triumphs has allowed him to paint such a life-like picture of humanity. Surely, some of us have felt the classic Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo dilemma that Helena had felt towards Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; the same jealousy towards an over-achieving classmate that Brutus and Cassius experienced in Julius Caesar; a similar taste of sweet young love that Romeo and Juliet shared. You might not have been swept into a confusing love pentagon under a magic spell, driven to plot the murder of your stunning and attractive valedictorian/varsity captain classmate, or acceded to suicide all in the name of young love, but the core of Shakespeare’s message remains just the same. Remember She’s the Man, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Lion King, and West Side Story? Who knew Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet could actually top the box office in the 21st century? This certainly proves that he wasn’t only writing for the common people of his own time. Shakespeare was writing for people from all walks of life regardless of any thought or idea of time. He picked up the dark coals that were often disregarded in everyday life and elevated them into the diamonds that never go out of style. Considering this, it may not at all be fair to our dear Shakespeare to treat his works as undead zombies stubbornly continuing to exist while mindlessly feeding on the brains of young academics. Rather, his classic and proven timeless works could be compared to a rare phoenix, experiencing an ever-occurring renaissance with every step taken and transformation undergone by the human race. The truth still stands, nonetheless. Shakespeare is truly and unmistakably dead, but the stories of humanity that his works have immortalized live on. As Shakespeare successfully kept our common spirit alive, perhaps it is only just that we strive to do the same for him.

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Editor’s Note

Greetings fellow Dragons!

It is with joy that we present this school year’s magazine issue of The Bosun. After two years of publishing broadsheets, we thought it was time we finally brought back the compact yet meaningful promise of a magazine. This is in line with how we perceive 2014 as a year of change, and we intend to sail along its turbulent seas with the jest of sailors that fully welcome it.

We are excited to share our efforts of building our online presence and establishing content for a website to be launched within the school year. As we observe how publications have recently permeated cyberspace, we hope to take advantage of this by bringing The Bosun to its readers in this convenient platform.

However, there is the danger of losing one’s way in keeping up with the changing tides. In our staunch pursuit of the Truth, we have taken a moment to pause and reflect on a theme that will redirect our sails towards the right direction.

I invite you now to flip through these pages and join our constant endeavor of Finding Liberal Education in the Ordinary. Just like the figure in our cover, we hope to show how seemingly normal moments could open the doors to limitless lessons on the human condition. Come and let us look at the world from a liberally educated student’s perspective. The freedom found in this piece of sky has never looked brighter!

We are the Bosun and Truth is our Captain!

Mimille GuzmanThe Bosun Editor-in-Chief

Finding Liberal Education in the Ordinary

Shakespear e is

Let’s all be honest. In this day and age, who understands Shakespeare anymore?

By: Maxine Clarisse A. Castillo | Illustration By: Paulo Jacinto & Shiloh Laciste

33FEATURES

Who is the Bosun?

The Bosun is a middle-rank ship officer who uses his whistle to inform men of their duties and alert them of possible danger. The Bosun ensures coordination among the crew members and

between the captain and the crew.

Vision:

By 2017, The Bosun intends to be a pioneer student publication that would write stories about people and societies

from the perspective of the humanities.

Mission:

The Bosun, as a publication by the students and for the students, commits itself to the integral transmission of the

truth through perspectives on relevant issues, instilling in the students the means to transcend themselves

for the common good.

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