USC pictorials and stuff

May 3, 2008. The University Student Council (USC) General Assembly (GA) last May 3 turned out to be a controversial one, especially after I allegedly posted a “colorful” report of the proceeding–which honestly for me was equally colorful–at the USC website. Party lines were obviously drawn. Anyway, the issue is over and moot, and internal and personal issues have been resolved. All’s well, I guess.

University Student Council UP Diliman

After that said GA, we held a USC pictorial for the website and other such future publications of the student council. It was a pretty cool pictorial, despite the fact that we had to do a group picture in the middle of the afternoon near the signage of Vinzons Hall, the university’s primary “student union” building.

We had individual shots and shots by committee. I was the photographer, of course, as always.

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My Undergraduate Graduation (Part III)

I’m sorry I haven’t been updating a lot lately. It’s summer break, I know, but there seems to be an endless string of tasks for me. Whenever I have the time late at night to sit down and write, I get frustrated with the list of blog-backlog that I have to catch up on, I end up just sleeping altogether or do something else.

Being the head of the University Student Council’s (USC) main public information office can be toxic. It’s inspiring and amusing, everyone’s so fired up and eager to do well in their respective committees. Ang dami-dami na naming ginagawa–all of which I need to report, of course. It doesn’t help that the students and the country are facing a number of issues and campaigns this summer, hence the need for a USC that’s active in its campaigns and services even before our term formally begins in June. I seriously need to recruit volunteers to help me. Especially because I don’t think I’d have all the time in the world once I formally start studying at the College of Law. If you wish to lend me a hand as a volunteer, just email me.

Back to the graduation chronicles. After a hearty lunch and a brief rest time at home, the family and I went back to UP Diliman for the university graduation rites. It was in the middle of the afternoon. The graduates, well, everyone actually, had to sit under the torrid heat of the summer afternoon sun. It was quite an uncomfortable ordeal.

We, the graduating students of the University of the Philippines, are united in our call to hold accountable President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her grave crimes against the people. As Iskolars ng Bayan, we are determined in upholding our historic and traditional roles as the nation’s scholars, inherently burdened with the duty of enjoining and taking part in our countrymen’s struggle in defending and upholding our democratic rights and interests.

My Undergraduate Graduation

Oddly, in the middle of the four-hour program, dark scary clouds hovered over the open-air ampitheater. Fortunately, it didn’t rain. That was such a welcome relief from the heat of the sun.

We, the youth of our country, have consistently been betrayed by the present leadership who has continuously implemented policies that has further made education and opportunity inaccessible to many Filipino youths.

We are firm in our resistance of attempts by the present administration with its vast propaganda machine to manipulate the youth’s collective consciousness to render us pessimistic and resigned to a prevailing leadership that continuously deceives the youth with empty promises.

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My Undergraduate Graduation (Part II)

Mass Comm graduates are fortunate enough to have their recognition rites and the university graduation rites fall within the same day, with ample time in between for a luncheon celebration. Graduates from other colleges in UP Diliman had theirs on separate days.

My Undergraduate Graduation

My family and I had to wake up really early last April 27, because we were repeatedly advised to arrive early at 7 AM because seats for guests were apparently limited, and that the college recognition rites were to start strictly at 8 AM. Wake up early we did, but the rites didn’t really start on time.

It was a relatively brief recognition rites. Everyone was called on stage together with their parents to receive their certificates of merit and rolled pieces of blank paper. There were the usual speeches and a couple of intermission numbers. One of which was an audio-visual presentation prepared by one of our batchmates. I appeared in the video, lying at the Sunken Garden musing at the sky.

My Undergraduate Graduation

I sort of got irked with what the college dean said in her speech, that as part of growing up we should become pragmatists instead of idealists. The guest speaker, Maryo de los Reyes, said something with the same thought, that we should always learn to work with the prevailing order and compromise. My goodness, what kind of uninspiring commencement speeches are these?

Anyway, the program ended a little more than an hour before noontime. My family proceeded to have lunch with my parents’ godparents at some buffet restaurant. I went in famished and I ended up eating too much. We even had to go home right after lunch before going back to UP for the university graduation rites because I had to spend some time in the toilet.

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My Undergraduate Graduation (Part I)

It’s been more than a week since I graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication with an undergraduate degree in Film & Audio-Visual Communication.

Sigh. It was a long, tiring day. Not to mention, quite hot, especially during the beginning of the university graduation rites at the Ampitheater behind Quezon Hall.

undergraduate graduation at UP Diliman

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Last days as an undergrad

UP Diliman

April 23, 2008. A few days before graduation day, the college held a recognition rites practice. I took it as a time to reacquaint myself with my batchmates in college. I went around asking what they planned to do after graduation, among other such questions. I also volunteered to appear in the graduation AVP a batchmate of mine was making for the recognition rites. After the shoot, I had lunch with some college friends at Beach House.

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Save our home

Save Our Home

April 21, 2008. One of our first public activities in the University Student Council (USC) was a unity candle-lighting event almost two weeks ago with member organizations of the League of Youth For the Environment (LYFE) in UP Diliman and some representatives from other schools.

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One-Way UP Academic Oval

Consultation with UP Jeepney DriversWe would like to gather reactions on how the One-Way Acad Oval traffic policy has affected students since its implementation almost a month ago. What can you say about this policy? Do you think converting the inner lane of the oval into a bike lane is beneficial to students? Or the re-routing of the Katipunan and Toki jeepneys?

We have done initial consultations with the organizations of jeepney drivers and operators in UP a few days ago. According to them, the re-routing policy removed the competitive advantage of Katipunan jeepneys, them especially, because instead of their usual clockwise route they are now forced to compete with other jeepney franchises in a counter-clockwise direction. Such competition, among other issues like the saturation of jeepney franchises due to the corrupt tendencies of government offices like the LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board), has lead to internal feuds within the ranks of jeepney drivers themselves, among other such difficulties.

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Even More USC ‘08 Deliberations

USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08) USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08) USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08) USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08) USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08) USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08)

Still, three days of University Student Council (USC) meetings weren’t enough to resolve the establishments and the leaderships of all the USC’s committees. Another special session was held last Friday, April 11, 2008, to tackle the remaining committees.

USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08) USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08) USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08) USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08) USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08) USC 2008 Special Assembly (Apr. 11, '08)

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