OPINION

Let me tell you a story. But first you have to know that this is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or

dead is purely coincidental. Especially you, Hannah Mae Salugsugan! *censored*

Once upon a bright Sunday afternoon in February, a girl was supposed to enter the school to go to The Crusader Publication office for the production of the election tabloid. Going to school on Sundays was never new to her since StC 302 is like her second home. Since the start of the academic year, her Sundays have always been Cru Office days and she liked it like that, especially because she can freely wear shorts inside the school.

Well, that’s what she thought until that day. When she was about to enter the school, the security guard stopped her and said she couldn’t enter because she was wearing shorts. Of course she was very surprised because she had never been blocked by the guards before and had done it almost the entire year, believing that the University Dress Code does not apply during Sundays and holidays. After defending herself and asking the guard to take her ID just to gain entry, the guard still refused to let her in, saying that she’s only doing her job and that she also did the same to the others who also violated the Dress Code.

Defeated and frustrated, she went home, changed into the ugliest pair of pants she has (like she had a choice), and went back to school. On her way to the office, she came across two girls wearing shorts, and another, and then another. Too infuriated to ignore it, she approached one and asked if the girl is an XU student and how she was able to enter the school. “Oo, taga-XU. Gipasulod ra man ko. Okay ra man.”

And they all lived happily ever after. The end. WHATEVER.

Above is just one of the many stories of aggrieved XU students who’ve had a taste of the guards’ inconsistency over the University’s Dress Code Policy. Let’s talk about the University’s policy first. In the XU Student Handbook, it is stated that ‘the Guards-on-

Duty shall exclude students from entering the campus for non-compliance of the University Prescribed Uniform Policy’. This is effective during regular school days, wash days and Saturdays. Unfortunately, Sundays and holidays are not stated in the provision. But whether or not this rule is effective on Sundays, here’s the catch. The handbook also says that ‘all students who come to school not wearing the prescribed uniform but wish to gain entry shall be asked to leave their University ID and report to the Director of Student Affairs not later than 24 hours for proper sanction and clearance purposes’.

This only says that the guard may be right for blocking the girl in the story, but she should have let her enter when she surrendered her ID because that’s what the handbook says. Now you might be asking where she got the idea that the Dress Code Policy does not apply during Sundays and holidays. Here’s the confusion. Last June 11, 2011, the Central Student Government President Mario Tero II posted on Facebook the points of agreement during the dialogue between the CSG and the Security Officials held on October 29, 2010. The same document was also posted by the CSG in their official Facebook page. It pointed out specific standard indicators for footwear and pants that are not allowable in the school to further elaborate what was stated vaguely in the handbook. It also said that the ‘dress code will not apply during the following times: Sundays, Xavier Days, and holidays.’ Voila!

So which is which? Is that dialogue between the CSG and the Security Officials good as nothing?

And of course, we cannot forget the issue on the guards’ inconsistency. This is a really popular tale, if I must say. They are just doing their jobs, says my conscience. But if they really are, they have to do it with all due consistency. I believe that’s a very good way to keep the students from trying to break the rules. That is if there are even clear and solid rules to begin with.C

A Tale of Inconsistency and Confusion

Freudian slipHannah Mae S. Salugsuganbriny_nacre@yahoo.com

2 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

Next year, the K+12 educational system takes full effect in the Philippines. To explain briefly, this new system will add two

years of secondary education and is patterned after the system followed by the United States, Canada, and some parts of Australia. The existing system is modeled after the American schooling system but is cramped into a 10-year cycle. The DepEd explains this is meant to answer Filipino students’ “chronic underachievement and insufficient mastery of basic competencies due to congested curriculum.”

Next school year opens with this year’s graduating students from the primary level moving on to Grade 7 and will be the first to have finished Grade 10 before moving on to Senior High School. The DepEd sees this move as one to make erase the perception of high school being a preparatory stage for college. Those who go through the 12-year program will get an elementary diploma, a junior high school diploma, and a senior high school diploma. Senior High School adds 2 years of in-depth specialization for students depending on the career track they wish to pursue. A full 12 years of basic education will eventually be required for entry into tertiary level education.

At first glance, it seems most promising but until we get over the way education is being brought down to the students’ level in this institution, this

I used to be bitter. I used to want to be in that other Ateneo school with a better reputation and no hyphen to its name,

because in my biased but informed opinion, it’s the last word in quality education and more importantly, opportunities. That was four years ago.

Now, four years later, I realize that I needn’t be. College education is what you make of it. College is not about waiting to be spoon-fed information; it’s about constantly learning through whatever avenue is open to you. While I learned theories in the classroom, I learned skills outside of it.

It was when I got involved in campus activities—like this amazing organization called The Crusader Publication; have you heard of it?—that I learned things they don’t teach you in classrooms: dealing with people both older

forthcoming system is doomed to fail. When you have teachers who permit cheating, who hand over the course syllabus for students to report (or rather read aloud that is), who reads every word in an apparently hurriedly done PowerPoint presentation like it’s some sort of script to follow, add to that the cultural transition that’s meant to go with the change of system, one can only hope we get lucky enough to look back and say it was the right move.

If we are to change an age-old system, we might as well change our age-old ways of instruction. I believe most would agree if I say the way we are taught in college is the same way we were taught in grade school and high school. Instruction banks mostly on memorization, group activities, reporting, and the occasional totally unrelated special projects. Furthermore, we have to raise the competency level of our faculty as to match the demand for better education for the supposedly already “more mature” freshmen to get into XU come 2016. At present, it is quite alarming how there is more than a fair number of part-time teachers who are fresh graduates, how easily our former classmates become teachers a year later.

It is exciting to see if this new system pans out. Whether it does or not, only time can tell.

Hit me back, 2016.C

and younger than you are; organizing events and activities you used to only participate in; communicating ideas and opinions—and fighting for them whenever necessary; coping with stress and tensions; and so much more. But most of all, I learned how to make things possible, to not wait for opportunities but create my own.

That’s the kind of knowledge that won’t come out in exams, but would definitely be in the coverage of the test called “the real world”.

So what’s the story of my life for, you ask? That was the intro. This is the conclusion: It pays to be involved—in orgs, councils, the CSG, formation programs, what-have-yous.

So this is a shout-out to you, if you’re one of the students who could not be bothered: Next year, take a walk on the wild side and be involved. You won’t ever regret it.C

Waiting, wanting better

A walk on the wild side

The 6th man

Mischief Managed

Jose Alfonso P. Sendaydiego

japsendaydiego@gmail.com

Bianca Nathalie Y. Llamisbianxllamis@gmail.com

3TheCrusader www.thecrusaderpublication.com 3TheCrusader www.thecrusaderpublication.com