World's best

By Michael Tan (Inquirer)
Published on Page A15 of the October 25, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

SOME time back, i rote about the ratings of Asian universities given by Asiaweek magazine. Sadly, Asiaweek has closed down, so I thought we would no longer be able to compare universities in the region.

But it turns out that there are global surveys as well, one of which was just released last Oct. 5. This is the Times Higher Education Supplement-Quacquar elli Symonds (THES-QS) World University Rankings. With thousands of universities in the world, it is an honor to make it to this list, which is based on several criteria, including faculty-to-student ratios and ratings given by more than 3,000 academicians and 700 leading international employment recruiters.

How did the Philippines fare? I'm going to keep you in suspense and just say, for now, that four of our universities did make it to the top 500 universities.

Global ranks

Let's look first at the THES-QS list of 20 leading universities. Note that there are ties so there might be occasional skipping of numbers: Harvard (1st), Cambridge (2nd), Oxford (3rd), Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale (tying for 4th), Stanford (6th), California Institute of Technology (7th), University of California in Berkeley (8th), Imperial College London (9th), Princeton (10th), University of Chicago (11th), Columbia (12th), Duke (13th), Beijing University (14th), Cornell (15th), Australian National University (16th), London School of Economics (17th), Ecole Normale Superieure (18th), National University of Singapore and Tokyo University (tying for 19th).

Most of the universities are American and British, but there is also representation from Australia, France, China, Singapore and Japan. Most of the leading American universities are private; in fact, on that top 20 list, the University of California Berkeley is the only American public institution. When I went on to the top 500 universities, I found that in
all countries of the world, with the glaring exception of the United States and one other country (which I'll name later but which you may have guessed), state universities lead in the rankings.

Asia's best

I decided to pull out the Asian (to include Australian) universities from the THES-QS list and found that among the world's 500 leading universities, 90 are from Asia. Japan leads with 28, followed by China (including Hong Kong) with 16, Taiwan with 8, South Korea and Thailand with 7 each, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines with 4 each, Australia with 3, Singapore with 2 and Bangladesh with one.

Do be careful with those figures since it's not just a numbers game. Australia and Singapore have few universities on the list, but they are all high up in the ranking.

Enough with the suspense. Let's look at how the Philippines did. The University of the Philippines (UP) came in 299th globally and 47th among Asian universities. I have to say that's not too bad, considering how UP has had to plod along with shrinking budgets and with the flight of so many good professors. Trailing behind UP were three private universities: De La Salle (392nd), Ateneo de Manila (484th) and, talk about a photo finish, the University of Santo Tomas at 500th.

Lessons

Instead of bombarding you with more numbers, I'm going to analyze those rankings and spell out three important implications for our own educational system.

First, you don't need to be a rich country to have good universities, India being the best example. Even before independence, Indian nationalists had formed a commission to plan out their future and early on, they sought to form a network of science and technology institutions. After independence, funds were put in to establish a whole network, with several Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campuses. IIT ranked 57th in the THES-QS global list.

Indonesia, a country less developed than the Philippines, is another example. It had three universities, all state-run, beating us in rankings: University of Indonesia (250th), Bandung Institute of Technology (258th) and University of Gadja Mada (270th).

Second, the other countries seem to recognize that excellence in education must be spread out throughout the country. Note that our four best universities are all in Metro Manila. In contrast, the Indian Institute of Technology has campuses in several states, all of which fared quite well when Asiaweek rated each unit back in 2000. The three Indonesian universities I just named are all on the island of Java, but at least they're found not just in the capital, Jakarta, but also in Bandung and Yogyakarta.

Thailand's best universities -- Chulalongkorn, Thammasat, Mahidol, Kasatsart, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Prince of Songkla -- are all state universities and they are located in different parts of the country.

Third (and I've made this point time and time again), the state needs to invest in universities. The THES list is clear in showing that, with the exception of the United States and the Philippines, the leading universities in every country are state-owned. Sure, UP is the leader in the Philippines, but in other countries, several state universities � not just one -- made it to the THES list.

Most governments in the world have the wisdom to look at education as something too important to leave to "free market forces" (read: "profit"). Unless we learn from them, we will continue to see more diploma mills, more scandals in licensure exams and more Filipinos having to work overseas as cheap labor to develop other countries. Note that the THES-QS rankings also relate to international competitiveness, meaning if you graduate from those that lead in the rankings, you also stand a better chance of getting a well-paying international job.

UP is still among the world's best, but if we worked harder on the entire educational system, we should have more reason to be proud. Ultimately, we should be able to look at these university rankings as indicators of our current development strategies, as well as predictors of the country's future.

An unscholarly proposition

The president of the University of the Philippines characterizes the tuition in the state university,based on 1989 prices, as "ridiculously low." She hints at increasing fees by as much as 300 percent in some UP campuses, claiming that quality education "must come with a cost." That's ridiculous.

It appears that UP is pushed to take drastic steps to address its operational concerns: renovating buildings, maintaining facilities, and keeping professors' salaries competitive. The president laments that the subsidy to UP is shrinking. Further, the new UP charter which provides for alternative revenue sources is still pending in Congress. That is simple economics: finding solutions to a case of scarce resources.

Unfortunately, what is at stake here is not as simple.

Education as the great equalizer is best exemplified in the university. Poor families take comfort that for a few thousand pesos per semester, their bright children can enjoy the best education. A financially comfortable life is no longer a dream but a
likelihood. With the proposed increase, however, thousands of deserving students and their parents will be disenfranchised.

A primer released by the UP Board of Regents says "the eroded real value of tuition provides unwarranted support to students whose families can actually afford to pay the full cost of instruction. " We can live with that. Ultimately, these students from better-off families have a choice. This is infinitely better than totally depriving poor students of the option of going to the only good school they can afford to attend.

We trust that the UP will come to its senses and banish such notions. A tuition increase of great proportions would be a major blunder and a social injustice.

[source]

UP students denounce plan to increase tuition from P300 to P1,000 per unit

UP students, led by the Kabataan sectoral party - UP Diliman chapter, express strong condemnation to the UP administration' s recent proposal to increase tuition by 250 percent.

At the UP Oblation's statue, the university's symbol of academic freedom and service, the students hanged a huge tag price of P20,000.

The proposed increase is from P300 to P1,000 for every unit of tuition, and from P615 to P2,000 for miscellaneous fees. For an 18-unit regular load in UP, a student will then have to pay P20,000.

"This proposal is an outright attack to our right to education," said Carla Gonzales, coordinator for Kabataan-UP Diliman chapter.

"In the context of the present economic crisis that forces more and more youth to leave school, any form of tuition or miscellaneous fee increase will deprive more of us of the basic right to education," added Gonzales.

"The UP admin cites as primary reasons the inflation and the growing disparity of UP's tuition compared to other private universities.

"This is clearly an anti-student stand point. Knowing the burden that the continuous inflation has brought to the people, state universities should be even more accessible to the youth who deserve quality education," Gonzales explained.

"UP has been the dream of many underpriveleged families for their children. This tuition increase will shatter all these dreams."

The UP students then burned the huge tag price while hanged at Oblation's neck.

"We vow to never let the UP administration proceed with this fee increase. We will consolidate the support of all students and other members of the UP community to build the strongest opposition to this tuition increase proposal."

Kabataan party will join other student and UP groups in a mobilization on October 26, which will be held simultaneously at the administration buildings of different UP units nationwide. The UP board of regents will again tackle the tuition increase proposal in its October 26 meeting.

Standoff over funds shuts UP publication

By DJ Yap (Inquirer)

FOR TWO months now, there has been little activity on the fourth floor of Vinzons Hall, the student center at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, where the editorial office of the Philippine Collegian is located.

Locked in a standoff with the UP administration over the release of its publication fund, the country's most outspoken student newspaper has suspended press work, as it tries to resolve the fiscal problem.

Staff members and school authorities are arguing about whether the Collegian fund is a public fund, and therefore is subject to the Government Procurement Act, or a student fund under the full control of the editorial board.

As a result of the standoff, the UP administration has withheld the money allocated for the weekly paper's printing costs, angering editors and reporters who launched a campaign demanding the release of the fund.

So far, no one is budging. The last Collegian issue to hit the stands came out in late August, and staff members say they have given up hope of coming out with an issue before the semester ends.

Not just about money
While the debate is primarily about money, Collegian editors and reporters maintain that it is "in essence about silencing" the paper, which has been critical of both the national government and the UP administration.

"From the first issue of this year's term, the Collegian was already very critical of the UP administration and the national government," noted Wendell Gumban, a senior editor.

"What is happening to the Collegian right now is very beneficial to the administration and Malaca�ang; so to us, it seems to be an indirect way of repressing the paper," he said.

This view was disputed in an open letter to the UP community by Diliman chancellor Sergio Cao, who said the Collegian "has never been under siege."

"...This UP Diliman Administration has not done anything to threaten the independence of the Collegian as to what they can write about and how they write it," he said.

He said the Collegian funds were public funds and should be subject to government budgeting, accounting and auditing rules.

"In particular, in the matter of the choice of printing press for the Collegian, the choice must be subject to the provisions of the new government procurement law that prescribes bidding," he said.

Choice of printing press
Cao said he had met with representatives of the paper in hopes of resolving the matter, but the editors were "adamant about not undergoing this kind of government bidding procedure."

In a text message to the Inquirer, Cao said: "I have actually offered the Collegian a way to be financially independent: They collect the fees themselves so they don't become public funds. They refused."

But Gumban insisted that the issue was no longer about a simple disagreement over the nature of the Collegian funds.

"The administration says it's just a policy issue, but by forcing us to submit to the Government Procurement Act, they are withholding our fund, and in effect, the lifeblood of the paper," he said.

He said the editorial board would not allow the UP administration to conduct a bidding among printing presses, standard policy for government funds under Republic Act No. 9184, precisely because Collegian funds were not public funds.

Gumban said the staff was not willing to give in, particularly on the choice of printing press, in order to protect the editorial board's fiscal autonomy as mandated by the Campus Journalism Act.

"If we give in, it would set a dangerous precedent. It's better to fight for our principles at this stage, so we won't be compromised in the future," he said.

Repercussions
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), which has been closely watching the developments, said it was siding with the Collegian on the issue.

"In our view, the objective of the administration is to silence the Collegian. They may say that they are only implementing the law, but their actions are obviously colored by such an objective," said CEGP president Jose Cosido.

He said the Collegian's woes might have repercussions on other campus publications throughout the country, considering its long and proud history.

The Oblation

Sir/Madam:


I hope this email finds you in the best of health.

Our batch, the UP College of Law Class of 1985, will be the celebrating sponsor during the 2010 Alumni Homecoming of the U.P. College of Law. As part of this event, we will also be undertaking projects that will benefit our College—our way of giving back to our school.

As our means to raise funds for our endeavors, our batch is proud to offer to all interested alumni of the university, an Oblation statuette which was reproduced by no less than Napoleon V. Abueva, the National Artist.

The Abueva reproduction weighs 3.5 lbs., stands 20 inches high, is made of fiberglass and painted with antique bronze finish. It has a brass plate at the base which has an embossed logo of the University. It can be personalized, according to the course and class to which the alumnus belongs. [1][1]

We feel that the oblation is a timely project especially so that the University is celebrating its 100th year in 2008. It is also unique and rare. Owning one is like having a part of history.

The statuette costs P10,000.00 each. It includes FREE engraving of the alumnus’ name and the course/s and year graduated, comprising two lines.

All deliveries are FREE within Metro Manila. For deliveries outside of Metro Manila, the cost of freight cost is P450.00 which is for the account of the alumnus.

To order your personalized Oblation statuette, please text or call Sheila at the Secretariat at Tel. No. 906-5200307. You can fax the filled up form to 888-0912. We will collect upon confirmation of your order and prior to delivery. We will advice you regarding collection of payment upon receipt of your order.

We are attaching a brochure and a ready-to-print Order Form for your use and reference.

We would also be grateful for referrals to your classmates and friends from the university.



Best Regards,


Bernadette G. Juarez, LL.B.
Project Chair
U.P. College of Law, Class of 1985





“In barricades embattled,fighting with delirium, others donate you their lives without doubts, without gloom; The site doesn't matter,cypress, laurel or lily,gibbet or open field, combat or cruel martyrdom, are equal if demanded by country and home.”
From the 2nd Stanza of Rizal's "Last Farewell”, (English Translation by Nick Joaquin)


A Brief History of the Oblation (1908-2008)

In 1935, Rafael Palma, the first Filipino president of the University of the Philippines, commissioned the Filipino sculptor and National Artist, Guillermo E. Tolentino to translate the second stanza of Rizal's "Last Farewell" into a monument that would be the identifying landmark of the University.

The result that was to be a masterpiece is the Oblation which was made of concrete and was painted with a bronze finish. The original production cost amounted to P2, 000.00 and this came from the contributions of students, officials, alumni, and employees of the University.

Professor Tolentino describes the symbolisms of the Oblation as follows:

"The completely nude figure of a young man with outstretched arms and open hands, with tilted head, closed eyes and parted lips murmuring a prayer, with breast forward in the act of offering himself, is my interpretation of that sublime stanza. It symbolizes all the unknown heroes who fell during the night. The statue stands on a rustic base, a stylized rugged shape of the Philippine archipelago, lined with big and small hard rocks, each of which represents an island.

The “katakataka” (wonder plant) whose roots are tightly implanted on Philippine soil, is the link that binds the symbolized figure to the allegorical Philippine Group.

“Katakataka” is really a wonder plant. It is called siempre vivo (always alive) in Spanish. A leaf or a piece of it thrown anywhere will sprout into a young plant. Hence, it symbolizes the deep-rooted patriotism in the heart of our heroes. Such patriotism continually and forever grows anywhere in the Philippines.

The 3.5 meter height of the statue stands for the three hundred fifty (350) years of Spanish rule in the Philippines. The rocks on the base were taken from Montalban (Rizal) gorge-- the site of the fierce fighting between Filipino guerillas and the Japanese army during the Second World War."


From Padre Faura to Diliman

The cornerstone of the Oblation was earlier laid by Mrs. Aurora Quezon on November 30, 1931. In 1939, the Oblation was unveiled and dedicated to the national heroes at the UP Padre Faura Campus by Mrs. Gregoria de Jesus de Nakpil, widow of Andres Bonifacio. The statue withstood the ravages of war and remained intact at the UP Padre Faura quadrangle until liberation day.

On February 11, 1949, as part of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the University, the original Oblation was transferred to the Diliman campus.

In 1950, the UP Board of Regents ordered that the Oblation be cast in bronze. This bronze statue was cast in Italy, under the personal supervision of Professor Tolentino.

On November 29, 1958, on the occasion of the University's golden jubilee, the 9-foot tall bronze Oblation was unveiled in UP Diliman, in front of Quezon Hall, the main administration building of the U.P. Diliman campus.

The original Oblation is now located at the 3rd floor of the UP Main Library in Diliman.



Napoleon V. Abueva, the National Artist

Napoleon Isabelo V. Abueva was born on January 26, 1930 in Tagbilaran, Bohol. He graduated from the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts in 1953 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture. He received much recognition as early as his college years, during which he was mentored by Guillermo E. Tolentino, the first National Artist for Sculpture and creator of the UP Oblation.

For three years in a row (1951-1953), he won first prize and best entry awards in sculpture in the Art Association of the Philippines annual competition. One of his works during this period is the “Kaganapan” (1953), considered also as the most representative of his works. Along the various awards he has reaped, he also received recognition from the Institute of Contemporary Arts’ International Sculpture Competition in London, England for his work known as “The Unknown Political Prisoner.”

In 1955, he finished his Master of Fine Arts at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan as a Fulbright/Smith-Mundt Scholar. He later took graduate units in Ceramics at the University of Kansas and Art History at Harvard University.

In 1976, Napoleon V. Abueva, then 46 years of age, became the youngest Filipino to be named a National Artist. Not only is he known as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture—he is a master in both academic representational style and modern abstract.

In 1978, he was appointed Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines, a position he held until 1989.

In 1993, he was given an honorary doctorate in humanities and was promoted to University Professor. He retired from the University in June 1995, and was given the status of Professor Emeritus in April 2003.

His works have been executed using a wide range of materials, including hard wood like molave, acacia, langka wood, ipil, kamagong, palm wood and bamboo, adobe, metal, stainless steel, cement, marble, bronze, iron, alabaster, coral, and brass. He even combines different materials, like wood with metal and stone.

Among the major works of Abueva are as follows: Kiss of Judas (1955); The Transfiguration at the Eternal Garden Memorial Park (1979); Fredesvinda in Fort Canning, Singapore (1981); Nine Muses at the UP Faculty Center (1994); Sunburst at the Peninsula Manila Hotel (1994); the bronze figure of Teodoro M. Kalaw in front of National Library; Murals in Marble at the National Heroes Shrine, Mt. Samat, Bataan; 14 Stations of the Cross at the EDSA Shrine. He also performed the death mask procedures to the late Cardinal Sin and Fernando Poe Jr.

Several public art of Abueva can also be found at UP Diliman campus. Among these are: The Crucifix with Two Corpora, including the altar base (1957) and subsequently, the bust of Fr. Delaney at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice; The University Gateway (also UP Gates); Tribute to Higher Education, at the entrance of University Avenue (1967); The Spirit of Business, in front of the College of Business Administration (1979); Diwata, at the Faculty Center (1992); Alma Mater, at the lobby of Ang Bahay ng Alumni (1996); Three Women Sewing the First Philippine Flag, also known as Tres Marias Plaza, at the UP Donors’ Garden, as part of the centennial celebration of the 1896 Philippine Revolution (1996).

The honors and awards accorded to Abueva are tremendous. A few are: First Prize, Sculptural Exhibition by the Art Association of the Philippines (1951); First Prize in the Fifth Annual Art Exhibition (1952); First Prize and Special Award on the Fourth Sculptural Exhibition (1952); Awardee, The Unknown Political Prisoner, in the International Sculpture Competition by the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London (1953); First Prize and Special Award, Kaganapan (Marble), in the Semi-Annual Art Exhibition by the Art Association of the Philippines (1953); First Prize, Kiss of Judas (Wood), in the Religious Art Exhibition in Detroit, Michigan, USA (1955); First Prize, Water Buffalo (Marble), in the Annual Show, at St. Louis , Missouri, USA (1956); First Prize, Figure (Wood), in the Annual Show of the Art Association of the Philippines (1957); Most Outstanding Alumnus of the School of Fine Arts, U.P. Golden Jubilee (1958); Republic Award for Sculpture (1959); Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM) Awardee in Sculpture (1959); Winner, U.P. Gateway Design Competition (1962); Winner, Cultural Heritage Award (1966); ASEAN Awards for Visual Arts in Bangkok (1987); Fourth ASEAN Achievement Award for Visual Arts in Singapore (July 1995).

In an interview, Abueva was asked: “Why do some individuals become great artists, while others, unfortunately, do not?”

Abueva answered: “The inner drive…A more accomplished artist has inner drive and stamina. Now this is very important. The plight of the artist is somewhat similar to that of the long distance runner. You have to cross the finish line. What counts more in life is the end result. Leonardo da Vinci once said that the greatest tragedy of artists is when theory outstrips performance (laughs). Artists are judged by the end result. Theory is important but concepts must be executed very well for any theory to be realized. The artist must possess the inner drive, passion, and “loneliness” of a long distance runner to go very far…”[1]

After his mentor’s (Tolentino) demise, Napoleon V. Abueva was the one authorized to do the replica of The Oblation at the following campuses—UP Baguio, UP Visayas, UP Miag-ao, UP Mindanao and UP Los Banos.

Now 76 years old, Napoleon V. Abueva continues to lead a busy life as a sculptor and still do projects in the same humongous proportions as The Transfiguration. His passion for his work remains at a high-pitch.


Napoleon Abueva and the Oblation
There is no other symbol that is more closely identified with the University of the Philippines than the statue of the Oblation. To the alumni, the naked figure of a young man in a symbolic gesture of sacrificial offering of service to country and humanity has become the major rallying point for all kinds of dissent, protest actions, and social criticism, as well as expressions of public service, nationalism, and patriotism.
The Oblation, apart from being the landmark in every university campus, has become the major symbolic link of the alumni with their Alma Mater.
As the University reaches its 100th year anniversary in 2008, the U.P. College of Law is proud to present to all alumni , a limited edition of the miniature version of the U.P. Oblation, reproduced by no other than Napoleon V. Abueva, National Artist for Sculpture.

The Abueva reproduction stands 20 inches high, weighs 3.5 lbs., is made of fiberglass and painted with antique bronze finish. The brass plate has an antique finish and bears an embossed logo of the University. It can be personalized, according to the course and class to which the alumnus belongs. [2]

The proceeds will be used by the U.P. College of Law Class of 1985 to fund its socially-relevant projects.

You can share in this undertaking by owning one of these limited oblation reproduction -- a rare chance to own a piece of history.

For information on how to own an Abueva reproduction of the Oblation, call or text Sheila at our Secretariat at 906-5200307 or fax your order form to tel. 888-0912.
[1] *From Bulawan 1, a publication of The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (2001).

College Life In The Philippines

MAHIRAP LAHAT
Sa UP, mahirap ang Math
Sa Ateneo, mahirap ang English.
Sa La Salle, mahirap ang parking.
Sa Assumption, mahirap ang walang pera.
Sa Holy Spirit, mahirap umuwi pag may rally
Sa UST, mahirap umuwi kapag baha.
Sa St. Scho, mahirap sumakay sa LRT
Sa San Beda, mahirap maging lalaki.

***

WHERE TO GO TO COLLEGE?
If you have a lot of brains and a little money, go to UP.
If you have some brains and some money, go to Ateneo.
If you have no brains and lots of money, go go La Salle .
If you have no money, go to PUP.

***

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
A few days before Christmas, the Monsignor thought it would be a good idea if he solicited the support of a number of schools to get together to create a Nativity Scene in time for the
Christmas Mass. The day before Christmas, the Monsignor discovered that the Nativity Scene was still incomplete so he made a few inquiries on why this was so.

Ateneo reported it could come up with only two and not three wise men. La Salle reported it could not come up with even a single wise man. Maryknoll reported that it could not come up with even a single virgin. San Beda reported that it could only come up with three wise gays. UP reported that they killed the three wise men.

***

QUESTION AND ANSWER
Q: What should an Atenean do when a La Sallite hurls a grenade at him?
A: The Atenean should pick up the grenade, pull the firing pin and hurl it back at the La Sallite.

Q: How do La Sallites count to ten?
A: One, two, three, another, another, and another.

***

PASIKATAN NG GRADWEYTS
UP: A number of past Philippine presidents graduated from UP. Presidents Roxas, Quirino, Laurel, Garcia and Marcos, to name just a few!
ATENEO: Hah! That's nothing, a number of Ateneo graduates became national heroes like Jose Rizal, Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, Gen.Antonio Luna, Evelio Javier and many others.
UP: That just goes to show you, UP graduates become presidents and lead countries while Atenean end up getting shot!
LA SALLE : Wala 'yan. Talo kayo sa mga gradweyt namin!
UP & ATENEO: Bakit sino ba ang mga graduates ninyo?
LA SALLE : Aba ! Marami kaming sikat na gradweyts; si Gary Valenciano, Dingdong Avanzado, Ogie Alcasid, Monsour del Rosario.

***

HOW TO IDENTIFY A LA SALLITE
A La Sallite walks into a store in Mega Mall and says: "Miss, I'd like a green parrot, please."

The salesgirl looks at him and asks: "Sir, are you a La Sallite, by any chance?"

The La Sallite replies: "O... bakit mo naman natanong 'yan? If I ordered BLUE cheese, would you ask me if I were from Ateneo? I don't think so. If I bought a MAROON shirt, would you ask me if I were from UP? I think not. So why then, when I want to buy a GREEN parrot, do you ask me if I'm from La Salle ?"

"Sir, kasi naman..." replied the salesgirl, "this is a flower shop, eh."

***

A TYPICAL CONVERSATION
Two La Sallites meet o! n the street and carry on a typical La Sallite conversation:
La Sallite #1: If you can tell me how many chickens I have in this bag, I will give you both of them.
La Sallite #2: Uh, two?
La Sallite #1: Daya mo! You peeked!

***

BARKADA SA HUNTING
Tatlong magkaka-barkada: a La Sallite, a UP student, and an Atenean went on a hunting trip. The first night, the guy from UP comes back to the cabin with a big deer. The others ask him how he did it, and he coolly replies: "I saw the t racks, I followed the tracks, and bang!
I got the deer!"

The next night, the guy from Ateneo comes back also with a big deer. "I saw the tracks, I followed the tracks, and bang! I got the deer!" was the Atenean's story.

Therefore, the La Sallite decides to try it himself. However, the next night, as he drags himself back to the cabin, his two companions find him bruised and bloody all over. "What happened?" they ask.

"Well," replies the La Sallite, "I saw the tracks, I followed the tracks, and bang! A train hit me."

***

A MURDER MYSTERY
(To be solved solely on the basis of pure logic)
Who committed the murder?

Suspects:
The Humble Atenean, The Bright La Sallite, The Innocent Maryknoller, The Unaffected Assumptionista, The UP Graduate

Culprit:
The UP Graduate

Logic:
No such thing as a Humble Atenean or a Bright La Sallite or an Innocent Maryknoller or an Unaffected Assumptionista.

***

HOW DO YOU KNOW ONE WHEN YOU SEE ONE?
In a grand ballroom party conducted by the Philippine Society of Colleges and Universities, the Chairman of the Board got curious to know what particular schools attended the big celebration.

Therefore, he checked out the house where it was all happening. Guess whom he found and where he found them?

UP Diliman - everybody was lined up to the attic to have a fraternity ritual
UP Los Banos - they were in the garden mowing the lawn
UP Manila - they were into "drugs"
Ateneo - they were inside the TV room with a microphone chanting the "BLUE EAGLE" spelling
La Salle - they were eavesdropping
San Beda - some were beside the Ateneans while others were in the bedroom with some Paulinians
St. Paul - they thought they were with the Ateneans
Holy Spirit - Ateneans and La Sallites want them in bed
Miriam - they were beside the room of the Ateneans...like always
Assumption - they were inside the bathroom three hours already since arriving
St. Scholastica - they were next in line for the bathroom
CEU - some were doing the dishes while others were busy with the laundry
St. Louis - they were in front of the air conditioner
UE - they don't know what's an air conditioner
UST - they were everywhere
FEU - they were nowhere
MLQU - sob! They were not invited
San Sebastian - How the hell did they pass by security?
Letran - the Security
Mapua - they were fixing the leak in the roof
TIP - they were the ones who created the leak
NU - they were outside the house selling cigarettes
JRC - they were the ones buying
Adamson - went to Luneta instead
Sta. Isabel - they were Adamson's dates
CRC - what the hell is this party for?
PSBA - what the hell is CRC?
NCBA - what the hell is PSBA?
AMA - they were parading with Jolina posters

***

SUICIDE SANDWICH

There were three friends: an Atenean, a La Sallite, and a UP student (so you know this story is fictional). Anyway, everyday, they met for lunch and ate their sandwiches.

UP: Putek! Peanut butter sandwich na naman? Sawang-sawa na ako dito ah. Pag bukas, peanut butter sandwich na namanang baon ko, magpapatiwakal na ako.
Ateneo: Darn! Roast beef sandwich again. I am sick of this already. If I get another roast beef sandwich again tomorrow, I am gonna shoot myself.
La Salle : Oh my gosh, grabe! Ham sandwich is my baon again. I am so sawa with this sandwich na, ha? If my baon tomorrow is ham sandwich again. I am gonna drive my CRV over the cliff.

The next morning, they again met for lunch, and, alas, they had the same sandwiches again. The UP student went back to his dorm, pulled out a belt and choked himself to death. The Atenean went home, got a gun, and shot himself in the head. The La Sallite drove his CRV off a cliff.

During their funeral, their mothers were interviewed:
UP: Kung sinabi niya lang sa akin na ayaw niya na nang peanut butter sandwich, eh di sana hindi na yun yung pinabaon ko sa kanya.
Ateneo: If he had told me that he did not want roast beef anymore, I wouldn't have prepared him roast beef.La Salle : Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit siya nagpakamatay, eh siya naman yung gumagawa ng sarili niyang sandwich.

Letter To All

Dear all,

I can't help myself.

After reading Kenneth's piece, Paolo's letter and the APSM's letter re the egg-throwing incident, copies of which were sent to my email, I found it hard to resist throwing in my one centavo's worth of ideas. Granting, Paolo and the pol sci majors could already be my grandchildren, and it's not for grownups to meddle in kids' fights, but heck, I was a UP student, too, and part of the crop that struggled not only for academic freedom, but for our country's freedom from military rule.

First, please bear with this Lola Basyang tale. The first organization I joined during my freshman year was...well, UPSCA (UP Students' Catholic Action), that pious organization. Those times, young people my age were already in the countrysides, or in underground organizations in the cities, struggling every second from being arrested or killed by the dictatorship' s armed forces. At that time when student progressives were fighting for the restoration of student councils, we in UPSCA were fighting against...dyaraan. ..hazing (such an important issue, 'no?) because, we were told, "the body is the temple of the human spirit" which should not be violated.

Campus politics-wise, we were against the slogan-chanting bunch. There were 'elders' in the organization (now I realize, they all were getting their bread from the Marcos government then) who advised us that "a dead hero is a useless hero", in reference to the militant side of the organized studentry - those unreasonable" ND's who seemed always to be in a fighting, shouting, marching mood. We were UPSCA, the ones who were more "balanced", "pragmatic", "for peace."

In one of the student fora organized by the "ND's", I even questioned the need for student participation in the restoration of the student council (my god, I bury my head in the sand whenever I remember that moment). Can anyone blame me? I just turned 16 then, impressionable, and like may other young students at UP, amusingly naive.

Just one year at UP turned me into someone else, however. Maybe it was the bigger social ferment that did it. Maybe it was Malu Mangahas waxing eloquent about academic freedom, or Sonia Sotto leading the fight for a Magna Carta against police and military presence in the campus (that's right- we couldn't bear the thought of a single policeman's or soldier's booted foot stepping on campus grounds). Maybe it was my professors - "Mad Marx" Ed Villegas, and Roland Simbulan who made me read Karl M. as part of our Devt Studies curriculum (though I admit the only insight I got then from my reading was - if Marx had written against the slavery of women and children, then maybe he was a good person!?)

Or perhaps it was the 'Barrio Work' program of UPSCA which made military and police abuse, semi-feudalism and the desperation it brought to poor peasants something as concrete as the buildings and classrooms of UP were to me.

We were a bunch of curious kids then who spent two weeks in a barrio in Bulacan, on pretense that we were from Maryknoll and Ateneo. But then the local police learned we were actually UP students, so one night he sent some men in a tamaraw (not the animal, but the vehicle which preceded the FX) to the barrio, presumably trying to find out where the "UP kids" were staying. And since the local police have just "salvaged" two youthful organizers in a nearby barrio a few weeks earlier, our hosts decided that very night to "rescue" us.

A kindly, middle-aged man, I now forget his name, a military man himself but had resigned out of conscience, drove the jeepney that took us out of the barrio, but first advising us that should we be ever caught in a military checkpoint "tumakbo na kayo sa unang pagkakataong makuha ninyo." Gee wheez, and to think the oldest in our group then was a guitar-loving pretty boy of about 20 years, maybe weighing 80 lbs, and couldn't hurt a single fly.

So why do I tell this story? It might seem mababaw, and I might sound just like your lolo or lola glorifying his/her days.

No, my message is really quite simple. In my UP days, and the years before mine, students didn't just throw eggs. They threw molotovs and pillboxes. They didn't spend days troubling themselves with the 'safety' of their fellow students, knowing that harm does not come from the slogan-chanting rabble-rousers but from the ARMED elements of the government clinging, butts and all, to power.

UP students of those days troubled themselves with making their classmates realize the true meaning of wisdom, of being "a iskolar ng bayan", of grasping the summed-up experiences of other peoples embodied in social theories, testing these in our country's social waters, and thus in the process, sifting the chaff from the grain. That was the way we learned. Not just inside the classroom, and certainly not by listening to someone who's spearheading a campaign to kill political dissent. (You kill dissent, and you kill political discourse itself. Shouldn't that be more troubling for a pol sci major?).

UP students then, as many other young people now, threw themselves into the struggle, AND MADE HISTORY as a result of it. Think Edjop, Lorena Barros, and other stellar names.

One of the greatest things I learned at UP was that the middle stance as the correct stance, is well...a funny assertion. A blind man's perspective. A joker's. "Middle" denotes balance and equality. Can the Right ever be equal with the Left? Only in mathematical equations. Never in social reality. The Right has arms and might, while the Left derives its might only from being on the democratic side. "Middle" is only for referees in a boxing fight.

Ensure the safety of the top military official of the land by searching students' bags? Hello? is this UP? Golly, I salute those who still attended the forum despite the searches. Why would I want the organizers to peep into my lunchbox or know how many coins I've got left in my bag ?

A student organization trying to ensure the safety of the top military official? Has everyone in this university gone mad? I bet the General went there with enough bullets to finish off everyone who was at the UP campus on that day. When you've got a lot of enemies, you don't walk around with just a sandwich in your bag.

My dear pol sci majors, you've got a terribly disturbing view of the world. Maybe you're reading the wrong political science books. Or are listening to the wrong professors. Try reading Mao Tse Tung once in a while. He's the demon incarnate to many people. But there's at least a line or two in his writings that will make you cry. Read him to find out why.

R. Jitana