TheCrusader AY Ender Magazine

TheCrusader The official student publication of Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan Vol. 38 No. 10 Mar 2012

Contents

Editorial

Opinion

The Hunt

AY 2011-12 rewind

CYB: Taking flight and falling short

From the eyes of a homeschooler

COVER STORY

The choice less chosen

IMBA

Kuris-kuris

Hunting a different breed of pirates

Cora ContrabidaAn epilogue

The Meritorious 12

Who the heck is Corona?

1

2

4

5

6

8

9

10

11

12

28

32

30

31

16

14

26

Why overstayFive benefits of overstaying in college

18th Directorate:The convener’s cut

16

16

11 5

Vol. 38 No. 10 Mar 2012

Publishers Subscribing students of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan | Editors Ryan Louie G. Madrid Editor-in-Chief, Bianca Nathalie Y. Llamis Associate Editor, Jose Alfonso P. Sendaydiego Design and Video Editor, Ma. Rosetti G. Villamor Managing Editor, John Kenneth E. Ching News Editor, Nadine Hendrikka E. Legaspi Global Features Editor, Ma. Rosetti G. Villamor National Features Editor, Hannah Mae S. Salugsugan Local Features Editor, Ma. Therese D. Agcopra Campus Features Editor, Lyle Justin A. Egay Sports Editor, Rico M. Magallona Layout Editor, Haiko B. Magtrayo Photography Editor, Alexes June E. Baslot Freehand Editor | Finance Officers Shola Mae Rose G. Zamayla Senior Finance Officer, Caroline Joy R. Go Junior Finance Officer | Managers Princess E. Tolentino Human Resource Manager, Robert A. Villaluz Jr Office Manager, Nadine Hendrikka E. Legaspi Circulation Manager, Glenn Paolo A. Goopio Acting Online Accounts Manager, Kristoffer James L. Nambatac Acting Computer Systems SpecialistStaff Writers Saharah Iman M. Alonto, Sam D. Garcia (On-leave), Caroline Joy R. Go, Glenn Paolo A. Goopio, Dharyl Jean A. Indino, Leasusana C. Ty, Sheila Mae B. Roldan , Princess E. Tolentino, Jacqueline P. Uy, Robert A. Villaluz Jr., Joule Artemson D. VisabellaStaff Artists Francis Ryan O. Avellana, Rochelle D. Barros, Jenamae G. Espineli, Volco Louie J. Magbanua, Christian Loui S. Gamolo, Kristoffer James L. Nambatac, Carmi Yvette C. Salcedo, Venice Marie P. Villo, Alvin Paul R. Yao Moderator Ann Catherine Ticao-Acenas

For contributions, please address your articles and/or comments toTheCrusader Publication office, StC 302 Xavier University 9000 Cagayan de Oro City

Circulation: 7, 500 copies

Rafting after the storm: Removing the “Sendong’ debris

Secrets revealed: Accounts on North Korea

This is what this academic year has been. Up and down, side to side, shaken up, whirled away, we’ve seen it all.But what we do not see are the people who work in the background,

away from the glitz and glamour of attention, doing what they do simply out of interest, out of service, out of love. In the blur of our everyday routines, we fail to recognize the real standouts. To cap off the most eventful year that XU has ever seen, we look at the 12 who do more than what they are expected to, and those who may go unnoticed. Those who are after not the glare of the limelight, but sharing what they have, empowering those who realize that they do, and inspiring others to do the same, all in a day’s work. And you-- you can be part of the 12, too. In fact, you already are.C

Cover Design by Jose Alfonso P. SendaydiegoWords by Nadine Hendrikka E. Legaspi

The Cover

When you enroll this June, expect at least a 5% increase in your tuition fee.The administration has just approved the proposed increase in our tuition fees, citing that the increase is largely supplemental to the salary increase for faculty and staff. The tuition fee has been increasing for several years.

This yearly increase would be justifiable if the quality of the very thing we’re paying for would go up just as much. A large part of the tuition fee increase, says the University Treasurer, goes to the salary of teachers, yet not one student in this university wouldn’t be able to give an anecdote of his own unfruitful experiences with a teacher or two in every semester he undergoes.

It is undeniable that XU has many great teachers, but the fact that there are many who should not even be qualified to teach are waltzing into the classroom, chatting the class period away and getting paid for it is being so blindly accepted that it has almost become a norm.

Who hasn’t had the teacher who always gives report assignments (or lectures as if he is giving one), the teacher who kills most of the class time letting you do things wholly unrelated to your subject, the teacher who lets you pay for one too many things, or the teacher that only attends class sporadically, only to waste a good portion of it talking about his life when he actually does come to class?

These common scenarios are not unknown to any student, yet none of them ever seem to get resolved. Whatever happened to the student evaluations, then?

Every semester, we are asked to evaluate our teachers— to rate their punctuality, skill, ways and competence. Every semester, we rate those whom we like and dislike. But how come the teachers we’d hoped to have been vanquished through our supposed ‘power’ to make a stand against them are still prowling the grounds and doing the very same things we gave them negative feedback for?

As paying students, we have the right to demand for what we deserve – a quality education. We have to learn how to express our discontent, rather than just sit and pretend to be content with what we have to put up with every session.

To demand for better education is not bigotry, nor is it a show of false pride in the part of the students. It is an awareness that the students are not getting what they are paying for. Our demand for a better education should not be taken lightly, because ultimately, our future depends on it.

We urge the administrators to reassess the overall competence of all the members of the faculty, and to ensure that they are delivering the quality education that Xavier University has promised. Fr. Roberto Yap himself is bent on better faculty formation, as he had expressed during his investiture, yet it is something many of us are left wanting. As long as incompetent and mediocre teachers continue to thrive, XU’s claim of delivering excellent education would hold no water.C

EDITORIAL

Weighing tuition against education

1TheCrusader www.thecrusaderpublication.com 1TheCrusader www.thecrusaderpublication.com

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 TheCrusader 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. [email protected]

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 TheCrusader 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

[email protected]

Bianca Nathalie Y. [email protected]


By Bianca Nathalie Y. Llamis

Design by Ryan Louie G. Madrid Photos by Haiko B. Magtrayo, Alvin Paul R. Yao, Venice Marie P. Villo and Carmi Yvette C. Salcedo

THE HUNT

As he sees the finish line, the runner makes his last sprint. In a burst of energy he breaks the line and finally, finishes. He catches his breath and savors the exhilarating feeling. He looks back, on the marathon of books, sleepless nights,

defenses, teachers, papers, more papers and years spent inside four walls. He then turns to where he is now. He looks down, and realizes that he is standing at a new starting point. He looks ahead, and sees a jungle of uncertainty— of unemployment. Dun dun dun. So he trades his uniform for a suit, and the number on his back with a shotgun filled with the best of what his resumé has to offer and begins the hunt.

“Hadluk ko na dili ko makatrabaho.” Unemployment is a common fear for

most fresh graduates. Fourteen, 16 or 20 years of schooling will leave a degree holder wondering if he/she is bound to end up anywhere at all.

With the number of graduates increasing each year, competition becomes stiff and degree holders succumb to underemployment, the state of being employed at a low-paying job that requires less skill or training than one possesses.

In contrast, getting “in between jobs” such as networking and freelancing are prominent in today’s scene. “Anyone can earn, he just doesn’t need to be choosy, we all need to start somewhere,” says BSDC graduate Steph, who is currently doing freelance photography while studying law.

There will always be struggles with finding the right kind of work that will compensate for your capabilities and four to nine years of college education.

New Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination passer Mark reassures his fellow graduates. “Being thrusted out there allows you realize the importance of action. Sitting down and waiting for something to happen will get you nowhere… The possibilities are endless. We just need to learn to make these possibilities a reality through hard work, determination, commitment, and the passion for what you do—it’s the only way to make every sacrifice worthwhile.”C

Sources:Department of Labor and Employmenthttp://www.ble.dole.gov.phXU Guidance and Counseling office

In 2011 the number of the underemployed rose by half a million (+401,000) to reach 7.163 million. Region 10 has one of the highest under-employment rates with 27.1%, next to Region 5 with 35.4%

According to the 2011 LABSTAT Updates of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), 42.0% or 1.181 million of the Philippines’ unemployed who are seeking employment are college graduates and undergraduates.

TOP 10 JOB VACANCIES

AS OF 2011Call Center Agent

15,130VACANCIES1Customer Service Assistant

4,381VACANCIES

Domestic Helper

2,493VACANCIES

Carpenter

2,140VACANCIES

Driver

1,935VACANCIES

Production/FactoryWorker

Sales Clerk

1,688

1,770

VACANCIES

VACANCIES

Construction & Maintenance Laborer

1,628VACANCIES

Salesman/lady

Real Estate Salesman

1,565

1,500

VACANCIES

VACANCIES

2345678910

*Figures taken from PHIL-JOBNET, the official job website of the Philippine government, as of the third quarter for 2011

By Caroline Joy R. Go

Design by Jose Alfonso P. Sendaydiego


Disappointment. This was the pervading emotion among majority of the 2011 graduates as they leafed

through the yearbook that was supposed to serve as the ultimate time portal for all their precious college memories. While there have been minor errors in the XU yearbooks published through the years, the 2011 edition seems to have sparked a larger reaction amongst students than previous years. From unflattering pictures to unsatisfactory services, students are finding that the Crusader Yearbook (CYB) has fallen short of several expectations.

Still, considering the slowly declining performance of the CYB over the past few years, were expectations really even that high to begin with? The 2011 yearbook theme, On

Taking Flight, seems almost ironic.

Picture anomalies“Unsa man ni uy, mura mi’g mga taga-

Twilight,” says one disgruntled graduate. The comparison doesn’t seem so far off, as unnaturally pale and sallow skin was the trend of almost all the yearbook pictures. Even the makeup didn’t help make the undead look better. Heck, to begin with, the graduates shouldn’t even have looked undead.

An interview with the CYB’s present Editor-in-Chief, Khendy Zulieta, yielded vague results. “Actually, si Kanru ra ang makatubag ana,” she says, when asked to comment on the evidently substandard picture quality provided by the CYB this year. “Wala mi hanaw unsa gakahitabo kay bag-o pa mi na-hire adto.”

“Actually, problema gyud nah sa printing press,” says CYB’s 2010-2011 Editor-in-Chief Keen Ray “Kanru” Cabanatan. According to him, the responsibility of photo editing lay with Barba Press, and was subsequently out

of the CYB’s control. Barba Press is the CYB’s contractual

p r i n t i n g

press and is located in Cebu, making constant supervision by CYB staff (who are also students) impractical. The CYB attempted to remedy this by offering to edit the graduation pictures that were released before the yearbook, but apparently, there was a catch.

“All they could say was ‘Magkuha na lage mi lain na make-up artist kay sa pag make-up mana. Ang among i-edit kay kadtong mga dark ra ug lighting,’” complains one graduate.

Whether the problem lay with the make-up, the photo-editing, or the printing press’ facilities is now lost in the tedious blame game, but it was a glaring problem not easily ignored, especially when students began complaining that their names or pictures were not in the yearbook altogether. The CYB responded with the offer to make a “customized” version of the yearbook for these students—including their picture and data in their copies of the yearbook, while still absent from their batchmates’ yearbooks.

Incorrect/Incomplete data entriesMany other things closer to home were

obviously off the mark. For instance, names and pictures didn’t match up, and

incomplete data entries dotted every

6 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

Design by Rico M

. Magallona

By Bianca C. Malbas, with reports from Glenn Paolo A. Goopio

couple of pages. “Sayang ang gibayad,” says one graduate, “Nag-copy na man lang gani sila, sayup pa jud. Daghan wrong grammar. Mura’g for the sake nga naay mapakita nga output.”

Another graduate feels a little more strongly on the issue, posting on Facebook that, “It sucked. A lot. It made people LOOK stupid (because of the poorly edited pictures, making us look like zombies) and SOUND stupid (because every crappy description was not edited properly, making it seem like we were NEVER educated with English). I want my [Php] 3k back!”

This might be partly due to student error, Zulieta says. “Ang uban kay dili ginakumpleto ang data cards, ang uban pud kay late mupasa.” However, Zulieta also stressed that proofreading of the yearbook’s content is done at least three times before printing: by the CYB staff, the editor-in-chief, and finally, the moderator. It sounds like a failsafe method against error, but this was not the case. The obvious question is: What went wrong?

“Si Kanru ra gyud ang makatubag ana,” says Zulieta, who was a staffer at the time the anomalies occurred. On the other hand, Cabanatan again stressed Barba Press’ fault in messing up the data entries.

Staff availability“Gikan ko ug GenSan ug kailangan ko mubalik

pud adto na hapon. Yearbook ra gyud ako tuyo adto. Nag-ingon sila last week nga available sila adto na adlaw. Wala gihapon. Nasayang ra ang effort.”

One of the studentry’s key areas of complaints was the CYB’s staff availability—or, actually, the lack thereof. While staff regularly posted updates on what dates and times they were available for consultation or collection, they were rarely followed. Students still teemed outside the office, seemingly waiting for a door that wasn’t opening very soon.

Dissatisfaction levels ran high as people started leaving post-it notes on the CYB door, and at one point, even CYB moderator Ma’am Ortega left an emphatic note inside the glass bulletin board, asking why the office was constantly unmanned.

“Wala mi na-orient,” was Zulieta’s comment on staff availability. “Wala mi kabalo sa schedule.” This was in direct contrast with Cabanatan’s statement, who said that his staffers were well

aware of their responsibility to render duty hours. Instead, he blames the hectic schedules of the CYB staff.

“Required man gyud sa CYB na naa’y three years residency sa University

before ma-member, so [by that time], busy na kaayo ang mga tao,” he says. It may also be taken into account that the CYB is manned by an average of nine people each year, and—if they truly had other demanding responsibilities to attend to—they were prone to spreading themselves too thin.

The last wordEver since yearbook fees have been made

mandatory in 2009, the CYB has been treated to millions of pesos of student money per Academic Year, perhaps making it the highest budgeted student organization in XU – or by extension, in Cagayan de Oro.

Yet it’s made no effort to publicize its printing contracts and yearly expenses, while management issues have dragged on for the last three consecutive terms, each one blaming the other. It should not be arguable to say that CYB has downgraded itself to a time where positive change was an expectation, all at the expense of students and the hard-earned money their parents provide for their education.

Asked if the present CYB staff was aware of the negative feedback regarding the 2011 edition, Zulieta nods. “Aware kaayo mi. Gi-ignan nako sila na kung naa’y magreklamo, mag-respectful lang sila. Pero chada na ang yearbook karon na year, wala na’y sayop-sayop.”C


Good day Ateneans!After the buzz of elections, maybe you

have heard of the XU-CSG and its 25% and up advocacy for the past February season. But what is really that about? Especially the body called “The Directorate”?

Definition of XU-CSG“The XU – Central Student Government

(XU-CSG) shall be the highest seat of student governance of Xavier University. Its officers shall represent its constituents in all university bodies and other association, both within and outside of the campus, which directly affect the students’ welfare and interests.” –Section I, Article III of 2005 CSG Constitution

From its purest thought, it is formed to represent and serve the whole body of roughly 10,500 students of Xavier University. But the very large scope made it form the three body system of governance: executive (do the law), legislative (make the law), and judiciary (interpret the law).

For this article, we will go through the second body, the legislative or sometimes known as The Directorate.

By Section 3 of Article VI (Executive Department), the executive body shall be the highest policy making body of the organization. Thus as the legislature, the Directorate will be the highest law making body of the organization by virtue of Section 1 of Article VII (Legislative Department) of the 2005 XU-CSG Constitution. It will also be a body that would check if your P45.00 was allocated appropriately.

This will mean that policy-making is not the job of the Directorate, because it creates laws not policies. Also, its constituents are people who share both executive and legislative powers. It will be composed of College Council Presidents and representatives of various student sectors, with the CSG Vice President as the body’s convener.

From the technical words and interpretations, let us now proceed to what really happened this year on this legislative body.

The plan (SIPI)“Scientific, Inclusive, Progressive,

Intentional” –Acabo, 2011This was the four words that comprised

my plan for the said body. It was the platform that I have shared to people during the 2011 Campus Elections, let us objectively see and rate.

In the span of roughly ten (10) months, the 18th Directorate was able to conduct twelve (12) sessions dating from April 2, 2011 to January 21, 2012. These sessions consisted of different agenda which answers most of our function as a body (then I will site some). I would consider this as a very great accomplishment considering my statement of the council presidents as very busy leaders and the major disruption of our GPOA due to the unfortunate event of Bagyong Sendong.

Another power of the 18th Directorate is the appropriation and adjustment of funds to the executive department by virtue of Section 3.4 of Article VII of the 2005 XU-CSG Constitution. A concrete example of this ideal translated into reality is the budget for 2012 Election. The Electoral Commission proposed an initial budget of P66,547.00 to the government. This is higher to the mandated appropriation by the Constitution of 5% (approx. P50,000). Thus,

the discrepancy of figures was then deliberated by the Directorate. After the session, it was officially declared that the new budget for the 2012 Election will be P54,127.00 which now becomes more reasonable and nearer to the mandated amount. In this case, the 18th Directorate has been successful in protecting the welfare and rights of students by being a good steward of the money bestowed to the government.

Furthermore, let us trail the body’s law making records and accomplishments.The 18th Directorate was able to pass three (3) Bills namely,• Enactment 001-1112 (An Act calling for

the Creation of the Computer Studies Student Council)

• Enactment 002-1112 (An Act creating the Information and Promotion Directorship in the Directorate)

• Enactment 003-1112 (Judiciary Reorganization Act of 2011)

These are now eligible laws, mandating its power and provision to the government. In this note, I would like to add the other substantial outputs from the twelve sessions of the 18th Directorate.Conceptualization of the LAGDA Program (A Comprehensive Training for the Legislative Body)• The Drafting of an Act for the Creation

of the House of Representatives by the Director of Political Affairs

• Three (3) Resolutions Drafted by our Director of Academic Affairs

• The drafting of the Amendment of the 1996 Local Government Code

• The Creation of the 18th Directorate Video

• Realizing the Legislative Seminar dated April 17, 2011

• Conceptualization of the University Wide Legislative Seminar

Bottomline: It may not the best year for us because of challenges and calamities, but the Directorate did its best to deliver its promise; to give you a SIPI Legislature.

The hope and words for the 19th directorate

We are not a perfect Directorate, but just like a seed making its way to become a tree is this body. I am hopeful that with Jared’s leadership, things will get a lot better.

In sum, everyone has a capacity to serve but what counts is not the number, it’s the passion and love you put in to it.

In pursuit of service,

DEAN CRIS M. ACABOOutgoing, 18th Directorate Convener

18th Directorate: The convener’s cut

CONTRIBUTION

8 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

I was homeschooled.And by now I’m familiar with the usual reactions to that statement—it’s

the disbelieving “Really?” or the shocked repetition: “You were homeschooled?” And then the inevitable question: “Why?”

Since it would take too long to give a full account of my life as a homeschooler, I shall focus on one of the more memorable parts of it: senior year.

Culture shockBeing homeschooled, I grew up

‘sheltered’ to an unusually high degree. I and my twin sister were almost completely innocent of what was going on in the ‘outside world’. We had cable TV, yes, but only ever watched Discovery Kids and Wishbone on it.

After our third year high school, our parents told us, “You’ll be going to Corpus Christi for fourth year.” And we said, “Okay.” How was I to know that Corpus Christi was a well-known high school in Cagayan de Oro? They could have mentioned any other school and they would have got the same reaction. In fact, I used to consider choosing a high school based on whether or not I liked the uniform. Of course we were excited at the prospect of embarking on a totally new experience.

First day of school, we gathered along with the others at the gym, wearing our backpacks and toting our little jugs like a good pair of grade-schoolers. We found our section along the upper benches and, well, gawped at the number of students. The place seemed like an impenetrable maze! I was to realize later that Corpus Christi is really quite small.

We couldn’t find our room. I went up to the third floor with my twin—on the side, thank goodness I have a twin—and wandered

around wondering at the absolute lack of classrooms. Finally we approached a random person and asked her to point us to the 4th year classrooms.

“Goodness,” I thought as we peeked in. “They look so old.” I was almost surprised to discover that we were more or less the same age. I found out later that some, too, were surprised that I was older than they.

Here we were about to step through the doorway of ‘the world’... and we hadn’t but a handful of Bisayan words in our grasp. Naturally, our classmates reverted to English when they spoke to us. Everyone did. It was one reason why we still hadn’t learned Filipino or Bisaya at 16. They told us to say things like “gi-gugma tika” and “nakakapagpapabagabag”—but it was friendly teasing.

And we sat in the classroom and watched the parade of teachers, and soaked in the newness of it all.

The freshmen themselves acted older than us poor homeschooled seniors!

All things newThe first few days were all fun and games.

And then came the pressure of deadlines. El Fili caused many late nights of torture. “Test tomorrow,” said a Math teacher, and the others gave homework, and lots of it. I felt as if my hands were full—like all the hours of the night wouldn’t be enough to prepare for the morrow. All I wanted was to get home and start working. I stressed out and cried almost every night of the first week. But eventually, I got my rhythm going and learned to work out the mechanics of timing. And the year flew by.

One of my classmates finally took pity on me and spoke Bisaya to me whether or not I understood her. By the end of the year I could at least understand basic conversational Bisaya, though slang words still eluded me.

And we were able to experience prom! Of course we were fetched promptly by our parents, so there was no gadding about to other places after classes.

At the end of the year, we graduated—another totally new experience. Do you switch the hat-ribbon from left to right, or from right to left? I’m still not sure. But wearing togas and those graduation hats sure was fun!

Senior year was both our last year as high school students and our first year as conventional high school students. I was sorry, then, that we hadn’t gone to high school earlier. We were saying goodbye too soon!

But here is college, with more totally new experiences. For one thing, both teachers and students wander around from room to room, and not only the teachers. This must be their way of getting back at us.

For other bits of random information, we love reading and forgot our scientific calculators on the last day of fourth quarter exams. A salute to homeschoolers!C

Design by Rochelle D. Barros


A lot of people say that French fries are part of the top five cancer-causing foods, but we gobble them up when

we get the chance anyway. Likewise, society tells us that overstaying in college is a bad idea, especially if it’s not because of higher education. But is it really such a sin to overstay in the university? Allow us to give you the lowdown on the plus side of overstaying in college.

From drab to fabWhen you first entered the gates of XU,

you were an awkward little freshman. Fast forward to five (or even six) years, you are the coolest-looking guy ever. You’ve learned by heart and constant repetition the ins and outs of university life. The entire how-to’s and what-not-to-do lists are etched in your long-term memory. Your observations since day one have played a major part in your self-transformation. Lingering a bit longer in college means that you can constantly find ways to improve yourself – whether physically, or better yet, intellectually. You may not be book-smart but you’re definitely street smart. And that, friends, is a handy-dandy tool in the wild jungle called life.

Only jugglers juggleReality bites when we see working students

rushing from their nine-to-five jobs all the way to the sixth floor of the Engineering building only to find out later on that they failed the subject. Working students lead a very hectic

and difficult life, daily juggling both school and work. If you’re one of them and it’s hard to make ends meet, why not take a few units at a time? Remember non multa sed multum? It’s better to be excellent at one thing rather than be mediocre in everything you do. Although it might take you more years to graduate, you’d be assured that there’s no F or a big, fat AF in your TOR.

Lessen the loadPlanning to avoid brain drain? Enroll with

a lesser load. If you just can’t pull off an all-nighter studying, meet up with your group mates and familiarize alien terms, it’s better for you to take things slowly but surely. Thus, the mathematical equation: lesser units = more relaxed + less pressured + more focused you. It’s simple math. Eventually, you’ll find yourself learning more.

Love searchDon’t you just love meeting new people?

All the more when they’re from the opposite sex. Hence, the batting of eyelashes, flexing of muscles… you get the point. Overstaying in the university gives you a chance to immerse in the world full of beautiful women and dashing gentlemen, get to know each one of them, and therefore increase your choices of finding “The One”. You can start with the younger ones or take your pick among the matured and experienced. Just remember not to spend too much time on your so-called love life or you might entirely forget about graduating.

Extra-extraSome college students get involved with

two or more organizations that they spend half of their time doing activities for it. Sometimes, this causes one to neglect studies and result to overstaying in the university. Before you raise your eyebrows, remember that being involved in certain organizations can earn you plus points once you start working. It shows that you cannot just think and say, but also do. So go on, engross yourself in the clubs of your choice and it might just aid you in your self-building.

Happy Graduate… eventually. Despite the pros mentioned, you don’t have

to stay in the university forever. You’d want to see the silver lining too – the yearned and wanted diploma. But spending more years in college will help you value graduation more. Once you get up on that stage in your toga, your parents are probably smiling from ear-to-ear. You’ll have a fabulous graduation party and pats on the back from your titos and titas saying, “At last!” Isn’t it wonderful to see everyone so hyped up and excited on your graduation day?

Society sometimes tricks you into believing that one thing is entirely bad even if it actually isn’t. Just like overstaying in college. But we’re not encouraging you to actually overstay; if you can do it in a shorter span of time, why not? We’re just pointing out the brighter side of things. Don’t rush if you can’t handle the pressure. After all, quality education takes time.C

By Jacqueline P. Uy and Joule Artemson D. Visabella

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Renato Corona, the 23rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was appointed May 12, 2010 by Pampanga Representative Gloria

Arroyo during her presidency. Now, what’s wrong with that, you ask? Article

7, Section 15 of the Philippine Constitution answers that for you. “Two months immediately before the next presidential elections and up to the end of his term, a President or Acting President shall not make appointments, except temporary appointments to executive positions when continued vacancies therein will prejudice public service or endanger public safety.” Arroyo was not allowed to appoint Corona as Chief Justice for a whole term, but she did anyway.

Corona digestWith Corona seated just a few meters away

from him, President Aquino criticized the Chief Justice title beyond the appointment period given to an outgoing president. In the impeachment complaint, Corona is being scrutinized for three “chief ” reasons: Betrayal of Public Trust, Culpable Violation of the Constitution, and Graft and Corruption.

Likened to a boxing ring, the Court holds two corners: in one, the defense for Corona, and in the other, the prosecution pushing for Corona’s indictment. But the ring is a triangle, with another corner—the 24 senator judges mediating all the proceedings.

There are eight articles of impeachment for the trial. These include the many cases of which Corona has used his power in favor of the accused, and refused to reveal the value of his assets and allegedly ill-gotten properties. The Chief Justice, supposedly an example of honesty, justice and fairness, is being questioned for exactly that.

Since December 2011, the Impeachment Court has been filling, emptying and reverberating with yelling and murmurs for 26 days as of press time. The trial was suspended as of press time and resumed on March 12, 2012.

Why should we care? So what’s so special about

this? If you think about it, it’s just a pool of high temper and receding hairlines. But the trial has become a hot mess.

In the course of the “Corona Novela”, numerous

issues have been dug up and brought back into light, including the Hacienda Luisita and Arroyo’s election sabotage. Other cans of worms have been newly opened, like Corona’s dollar account, Aquino’s budding dictatorship, and the authority of the Supreme Court over the impeachment court. Does that mean we should tune in just because it’s becoming interesting and, given the recent trend of events, entertaining?

Rachel Daroy, Vice Chair of the History, International Studies and Political Science department mentions the irony of the case which makes it stand out. “Students must know this issue because it is different. If you are litigating an extraordinary person in the person of the Chief Justice, […] that’s for the students to know that in the country, there is still justice. There is still hope for the government.”

Aside from the fact that it’s not every day that a person in office as powerful as the Chief Justice is impeached, according to famous blogger Amor Cielo, “...the Philippines [has] set another milestone in the political arena worldwide. […] The legal proceedings of the Corona Impeachment trial may be a bore to others [… but] it is a battle ground of the brains.”

In an opinion piece by Raymund Fernandez, he says that we all can learn something from this drama series gone wrong. “At best, we can hope only to get enough of it so that judgement becomes possible and certain, at least to such an extent as to allow us to sleep well at night, our consciences clear and unworried that we had not allowed an injustice to occur in front of us and did nothing.”

* * *The last impeachment trial the country has

witnessed was that of former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada in 2001, which was aborted. Eleven years later, we are faced with a full-scale, ongoing series of word wars that won’t seem to end any time soon. Though the proceedings may bore you at some points, every day of the trial is a mark in our country’s history.

But no, you don’t have to live stream every Corona Impeachment trial day. You can, if you want to, but the truth of the matter is, to quote an article on Definitely Filipino, “All of us […] have a role to play in an honest society.” Even our awareness of the issue will go a long way. That is, if we want to live in an honest society.C“Arroyo appoints Corona as new chief justice” by Tetch Torres, TJ Burgonio (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net)“Impeachment Complaint against Chief Justice Renato C. Corona – Full Text” (http://www.chanrobles.com)“Chief Justice Corona on ‘ouster plot’: I am here to stay” by Marlon Ramos (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net)“Corona Novela” by Amor Cielo (http://www.amorcielo.com)“The aesthetics of impeachment” by Raymund Fernandez (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net)Infographic on the impeachment trial by Spacelabs Infographics (http://spacelab.2720.tv/infographics/Corona/#impeachment_4)Being Part of a Corrupt System (http://definitelyfilipino.com/blog/2011/03/16/being-part-of-a-corrupt-system/)

Design by H

aiko B. Magtrayo

11TheCrusader www.thecrusaderpublication.com

We see them every day, a girl wearing loose clothes and cupping the bulge in her belly, a boy rocking a bundle

of cloth in his arms. We see them every day, for they are our friends, classmates, schoolmates, neighbors and even siblings. But what we see is only the surface, while inside them lie a bigger story that is often blocked out by statistics and moral rhetoric: the story of adult responsibilities thrust upon teenage shoulders.

Despite the lieDaddy, an 18-year old guy, had the life

anyone would be happy to live: supportive parents and complete freedom. However, his life turned upside down when Claire, a childhood sweetheart, reconnected with him in the summer of 2010. Both started to hang out and flirt with each other, until one night during a party, they both did something which changed their lives forever.

In June of the same year, Daddy and Claire were both enrolled in the same class in their fourth year of high school. Unknown to Daddy, Claire was a month pregnant. She had chosen not to tell him for fear of being rejected. Yet two months later, Claire finally dropped the bomb.

Still, he admitted he wasn’t shocked. He had already expected the pregnancy and just waited for the news to be confirmed. However, he couldn’t stop questioning why of all people it was he who fell under this trap. Though abortion was never considered, he thought of denying being the baby’s father. “Gusto jud ko magtago pero naka-huna-huna ko na luoy kaayo ang bata kung wala’y papa; mao nag-stay nalang jud ko.”

Claire gave birth to a baby girl named Nicky, giving joy to Daddy and his family. But that came with a price: no time for leisure,

By Dharyl Jean A. Indino

and the constant pressure to juggle his studies and fatherhood responsibilities. Still, Daddy embraced all of these wholeheartedly.

One February day, the baby was unceasingly crying. Between the hot weather and the noisy bawl of the infant, Daddy and Claire had a fight. Out of her rage, she blurted out the truth--which she purposely hid and which confirmed Daddy’s previous doubt--that Daddy is not Nicky’s real father.

Claire immediately left the house with another guy. Daddy was devastated, “Adto na moment, wala jud ko katingog. I felt so betrayed. Gi-sacrifice nako ang akung future and gi-love nako ang baby ug siya pero gi-ilad ra diay ko. Sakit kaayo na dili nako masabot ang feeling.”

As if the betrayal wasn’t enough, his father died of cancer a month later. Daddy’s family couldn’t afford to keep Nicky so they returned the baby to her real family. “Ga-mingawun mi sa bata kay na-love napud namo siya. Pero wala najud choice; dayon dili man pud mawala ang memories.”

Looking back at everything, Daddy remarked that he doesn’t regret all that happened. “If I could go back to where this all started, I wouldn’t change a thing for those experiences led me [to] who I really am, and having an experience of being a dad made me a better person.”

Despite the betrayalBut Daddy is not the only one who found

parenthood too soon. Rain, a 19-year old woman, went to work in Manila and came across Dan, a professional basketball player and real estate broker, during one of her visits in a bar. Rain, however, knew little about Dan’s life at the time. Still, she trusted him and fell in love.

Everything was perfect until Rain found

out that she was carrying Dan’s baby. Even worse, Dan never showed himself ever again. Rain believes the guy predicted she was pregnant and took the easy way out.

“Nawala lang jud siya kalit. Grabi akung trust pero gi-inadto raman diay ko,” Rain said with her hands balled into fists.

The disappearance of Dan left her with no choice but to come back to Cagayan de Oro. Although her family accepted her without uncertainty, their neighbors showered her with the kind of gossip only the strong-hearted could take. The gossiping worsened when her two younger sisters also got pregnant before marriage. “Mga angkan lagi daw mi. Sakit baya pero wala jud ko nagpadala. Ako man pud ning kinabuhi.”

Months after the baby was born, she tried to resume her studies while working and taking care of her baby. Unfortunately, her baby got sick, forcing her to solely focus on fending for her child. To raise her baby, she worked as a Marlboro Girl in bars around the city, a job coupled with a bad image.

“Daghan ga-look down sa akong work pero dili man sakto ang ilang gaka-kita. And at least, ma-buhi nako akong anak. Bahala na ang mga chismis dina.”

With all her experiences, Rain learned many life-changing lessons, like the necessity of knowing the person before giving her all. She has to stay optimistic and not rush into things. There might be times she would find herself asking what-ifs, but she claims that she had never found herself any happier than she is right now.

“Dili ta dapat ma-sad kung negative ang life kay perfect pictures come from negatives baya. Daun dapat thankful na nataga-an [me] ug little one kay you never know, kana ra ang magpa-tarung sa imung life.”

12 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

Despite our cultureThe Philippines is considered one of the

top ten countries with the most cases of teenage pregnancy, an irony to our claim as value-laden and conservative citizens. Studies headed by the World Bank reported 3.6 million of our population is composed of teenage mothers. Out of every ten pregnant women, seven are teenagers whose ages are under 19. Since teenage pregnancies are mostly unplanned, they usually resort to abortion. In fact, 64,000 Filipino teenagers carry out abortion annually, higher than the liberated USA’s rate of 23 per 1000 pregnancies.

***Daddy and Rain both had one thing in

common – raising kids while they themselves could be considered kids as well. They both chose to keep their babies. They both chose to live. With the advent of media and our society becoming more liberated, cases like these are not bizarre. Some claim that this sex revolution calls the need of the approval of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. Some say the RH Bill won’t put an end to stories like Daddy’s and Rain’s. Still, even if they were given a chance to recreate their lives, they swore that they would choose the same paths all over again.C

Sources:www.womensphere.wordpress.com/Teenage pregnancy on the rise in Philippines www.abs-cbnnews.com/Reasons Why We Need the RH Lawwww.inquirer.net/Teen pregnancies in the Philippines

Illustration by Jenamae G

. Espineli Design by Jenam

ae G. Espineli and Carm

i Yvette C. Salcedo


Life jacket on. Paddle on hand. You taste the river water as it splashes on your sun-bathed skin. What better way to spend the summer than to feel a burst of adrenaline as you explore

Cagayan de Oro’s pride: the rapids of the CdeO River.Out of the three main river rafting spots in the Philippines, the

city tops Tuguegarao and Davao as having the best rapids according to Mark Aldea, operation manager of CDO Bugsay River Rafting. The rafting hype has attracted tourists all year round, pushing the city on the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) third highest tourist spot in 2010.

On board the river raftThe city’s rafting popularity started with a group of mountaineers

looking for extreme adventure back in 1995. Daredevils around the country visited the city as soon as word of the CdeO River’s rapids spread like wildfire. “...Lingaw-lingaw lang nila ba,” said Aldea. “So wala gyu’y proper [rafting guidelines] gyud. Na’y uban na mangamatay. No experience [ang] guides...Basta lang kay bugsay.”

It wasn’t long until Cagayan de Oro White Water Rafting, the first local rafting business, sprouted in the city. Now, six rafting companies under the Oro Association of Rafters (OAR) share the same river routes. Since its establishment, OAR has initiated workshops and training programs, some from the International Rafting Federation, to boost the rafting companies’ skills in the business.

With OAR and the local DOT to back them up, the local rafting services have improved to keep up with the unlimited flux of interested rafters: 70% consist of people from Luzon and 10% are foreigners, according to Aldea. Guests would book a package available to the company of their choice.

After the guides and customers meet up on the decided rendezvous point, the company would take an hour jeepney drive (unlike in Tuguegarao where it takes a whole day to arrive) to their respective river spots. Before they start trekking the river, the guides

By Robert A. Villaluz Jr. and Ma. Rosetti G. Villamor

14 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

orient them with proper rafting guidelines.For newbies, Aldea suggests you take the

beginners’ level river spot worth three hours of rafting in mediocre Class 2-3 rapids with high and irregular waves. The amateurs who wish to taste something a little bit dangerous could take the advanced level with four hours in Class 3+ rapids which are moderately difficult to maneuver. The river also has the less popular “upper section” in store only to the physically fit extreme rafters.

Thanks to the growing river rafting phenomenon, Cagayan de Oro has become known as the convention capital of the Philippines. “Dagha’y conventions sa Cagayan de Oro because of rafting,” exclaimed Aldea. “Na’y mga medical conventions ug mga tourist’s convention na 2,000 kabuok ang participants.” Aldea also expressed his sentiments concerning the lack of hotels to accommodate the thousands of delegates.

The ‘Sendong’ obstacleThe whole rafting business experienced

what could be the biggest threat to its existence after tropical storm ‘Sendong’ wreaked havoc in CdeO. The ace player of the city’s local tourism industry was greatly paralyzed after the disaster as most of the companies’ warehouses were flooded causing them to lose a lot of equipment. For a few weeks after the tragedy, all companies declared to have little to no guests willing to raft.

Although December is one of the months where the rafting industry is usually strong, it didn’t prove to be for Bugsay. Aldea said, “Nag (resume) mi ug rafting on the last week of December. Naa gyapun mi gihatud pero gamay ra gyud.”

More than the problem on equipment, Aldea recounts the fear of the tourists as the biggest concern. “Number one nga ilang iingun is basin makakita sila ug patay na lawas.”

Repairing the raftAfter more than 17 years of existence, even

‘Sendong’ couldn’t drown the rafts of Cagayan de Oro. With the help of the DOT and good publicity by the media, the rafting industry is slowly regaining its guests. From a very lethargic January run, the rafting companies have guests almost every day at present.

To ensure the safety of the guests, the companies have surveyed the river multiple times before accepting rafters, checking for new routes and rapids which the guides need to look after. They have cleared out the fallen trees and other obstacles left by the storm. As soon as the surveys were done, everyone is ensured that rafting is safe and that no bodies will be found in the rafting course.

Topping the good news were a lot of unexpected “changes” to the popular rafting in CdeO. After ‘Sendong’, most large rocks which used to trouble the rafts have been cleared off the path. Also, a lot of “surprise” rapids have

been added to the 21 rapids, like the Paolo Santos rapid (named after the Filipino who fell off the boat as he rafted through the said rapid), expected to give the rafters a more enjoying course.

***The wrath of ‘Sendong’ affected not only

families but establishments like the river rafting companies, whose services are valuable to the city’s tourism and economical improvements. But Kagay-anons will not allow the storm’s mighty clouds cause the city tourism’s downfall.

Buckle those life jackets tighter. Keep paddling. As Aldea proclaimed, “It’s more fun in Cagayan,” and the city will continue to make it so.C

Sources:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/lifestyle/2011/04/18/oro-showcases-tourist-spots-manila-151207

Design by Rochelle D. Barros


By Jacqueline P. Uy, Ma. Rosetti G. Villamor, Saharah Iman M. Alonto, Robert A.

Villaluz Jr., Princess E. Tolentino, Leasusana C. Ty, Lyle Justin A. Egay, Sheila

Mae B. Roldan, Nadine Hendrikka E. Legaspi, Dharyl Jean A. Indino, Joule Ar-

temson D. Visabella, and John Kenneth E. Ching

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FThey whose passion radiates and whose stories inspire...

F rom singing champs to those who champion life, from student leaders

to those who help form them, and from eloquence in speech to clarity of vision, some members of the XU community have made a stir and a ripple that are not only exemplary feats, but are also worthy to be written in the pages of history. TheCrusader brings together twelve of those people and groups who are not necessarily in the limelight, may or may not have achieved great strides, but whose extraordinary stories inspire us to the core all the same. They whose passion are far too great to just pass the time; they whose stories are simply meritorious.

Man of the hourIvanell Subrabas

He is a main figure in the Student Activities and Leadership Development (SACDEV) office.

All activities of the various organizations in Xavier University need his approval; that alone is enough reason why we should get to know this man.

He goes by the name of Ivanell Subrabas, better known as “Sir Ivan”.

1. He is a born leader. While studying in XU, Sir Ivan handled three major positions in three different organizations. He was President of Xavier English Language and Literature Organization and Vice-President of the United Arts and Sciences Student Council (UNITASS) while in 2nd year, and became President of Supplementary Training to Reinforce Education of the Academically-Gifted but Marginalized Students (STREAMS) in his 4th year. His leadership paved the way to SACDEV right after graduation.

2. He is overflowing with love for the student body. He is pleasantly amazed

over the fact that students come running to him at times, consulting him on a variety of topics. “Sometimes, I become a counselor -- giving advice to students on how they can improve their projects. At times, students see me as a friend, a brother and sometimes even a father; they come to me and share their personal concerns. I find it very heartwarming that they entrust those issues to me.”

3. He is a self-confessed introvert. Some of you may fail to notice, but Sir Ivan is constantly in motion, doing what needs to be done. That’s why people don’t believe his being an introvert. “I’m actually a very indoor person. If you don’t see me in school, you’ll just see me at home. That’s when I get to imagine or envision plans for XU students, the University, or the office. Those things excite me,” he says.

He expresses his concern on being in the limelight. “I always feel awkward in moments like this [interview with TheCrusader]; I’m really not the type of

person who would publicize me. I always just work in the background.”

4. He is in love… with work, that is. He has so much passion that he goes beyond his job description. “I’m very much in love with work. Work actually is not work but [more of] a pleasure and my source of happiness. The kind of involvement I have with the students and the opportunity to touch their lives and more than anything else, to witness the lives of the people here in Xavier… It’s really a wonderful opportunity.”

5. He is very passionate in learning. “I have always wanted to work in the academe because learning is a continuous process but there’s always more opportunity in learning, in professional learning, when you’re in the academe.” If he isn’t working for XU, he says he would work in an advertising company or produce a news-magazine show a la The Correspondents. “It has really been my passion to create, to organize, and to conceptualize things,” he shares.C

Ethniko Filipino Handicrafts (EFH), spearheaded by a group of Business Administration students,

is an example of Atenean Magis at its finest. The group sells high-quality bags made from abaca, knitted in bold dyes by the weavers of Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental. Part of the profit from each bag sold goes to the weavers.

EFH began as a feasibility study (FS), a requirement to all senior Business Administration students wherein they have to operate a small-scale business for two semesters. The group decided to partner with the abaca weavers of Lagonglong to generate well-made handicraft bags.

“We have seen the potential of the product,” explains Chris Lynn Jumalon, EFH sales manager. “We are [concerned] for the welfare of our fellowmen. [More than]

just doing plain business itself, it’s how we make an impact to other people who needed it the most.”

Jumalon also says the group was inspired to pursue their plans after the social entrepreneurship seminar and exposure trip to Manila conducted by the XU Student Entrepreneurship Program.

Jumalon admitted that it was hard for the group to convince the families of the Lagonglong weavers that they were serious in their proposal: to provide the community a venue to sell their products. But the students made sure to visit the community almost every week until they arrived into an agreement. “All [these came] with the long process of talking and being patient with some strict nanays,” Jumalon shares.

The group also encountered problems with the Department of Trade and Industries, the Department of Labor and

More than a feasibilityEthniko Filipino Handicrafts

18 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

Employment and even within themselves, but these didn’t stop them. EFH reaped the Dean’s Choice Award at XU’s FS Product Launching and won the British Council of the Philippines’ I am A Changemaker: Social Enterprise Business Plan Competition in the Mindanao category, its biggest achievement yet. Being featured in the Manila Bulletin on January 2012 is the proverbial icing of the group’s cake.

Although most feasibility studies

would end at the semester’s conclusion, EFH plans to continue even after its members graduate. And why should it stop? The abaca bags are currently being distributed at Spruce’s Limketkai branch. The business is also looking forward to expansion as negotiations with existing enterprises outside the city are underway. It has secured a distributor in Cebu already.

Their advice to budding entrepreneurs: “We believe that even as college students,

we can already create small but significant changes in society... The important thing is, as to whatever change you want to make, it should come from your passion, drive and heart.”

With a business concept that helps a community to evolve economically, coupled with titles that add prominence to their name, it would be no surprise if the students pioneering EFH get an A for their efforts.C

Real steelGiovanni Tampus

“Char.”Who would have thought this is from

someone who has an image of terror both onstage and in the laboratory? Who would have thought he had hidden comical persona? He is Giovanni “Gio” Tampus, a strict laboratory technician, an influential theatre actor and a lighthearted cancer fighter.

The teacherPlanning to take up Medicine after

graduation, Sir Gio did not intend to work for XU. Twenty-three years later, he proclaims himself as a frustrated physician.

Students know him as the disciplinarian in the laboratory. According to Sir Gio, this is to inculcate in them that, being in college, they should be old enough to follow simple laboratory instructions. But he confesses that, “Outside of the lab, I am very kalog.” He does not even require them to call him “Sir”. “I don’t care [if] students will call me ‘Hey, Gio!’ It’s okay. At least, they know my name.”

The theatreHe had zero background in theatre. But

his friends attested to the hidden actor in him. They even jokingly endorsed him to Hobart Savior, director of the Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts and founder of the Xavier Stage. The next thing he knew, he was in Savior’s office, casted as the lead in ‘Babuyan Island’.

His claim to fame is his role as Ramon, an overbearing father in Xavier Stage’s ‘Ulilang Tahanan’. This is his favorite character since it is his most challenging so far. Once, he had to perfect crying through his right eye at the exact moment when another character pats his right shoulder. Then on, he played characters noted for their strictness and dominance, who are very illustrious to majority of the audience.

The trialIt was June 29, 2011 and he was outside

the doctor’s office. He was not feeling well, but after nights of worrying about his weak resistance and low hemoglobin count, he was confident of having positive blood test results. When he entered the room, however, his physician’s face said otherwise. It was there that he learned he had multiple

myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells.Upon hearing the big C, his mind went

blank. How could he tell his wife and two-year old son in Iligan? How could he tell his two sisters, who are dependent on him for strength? He tearfully relates, “I cried for one night. That’s it. I will not cry again.” When he broke the news to his family, he had one request: “Nandiyan na ‘yan. Don’t cry.”

He did not let cancer take over his life. “I should live the way I am living my life, kalog… I don’t have to think that I have this,” he declares. “I [was] afraid to die at an early age. Now, it’s okay, I am ready. Anytime.”

Currently, Sir Gio is under medication and chemotherapy. But he assures us all, “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.” His experience emphasizes the necessity of faith, “You have to surrender everything [to God]… Kung nadapa ka, don’t stay there… Move on. Be happy.”

The story of Sir Gio exemplifies how to live life fully; if he can, then definitely you can too.C


Them who conquered the WorldsXU-AdC Parliamentary Debate Circle

Over the years, Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan Parliamentary Debating Circle has been a force

to reckon with in the national debate arena. And in their triumphs, two debaters stand out. Fresh from a historic 15th place finish in the World Universities Debate Championship (or the Worlds) – English as a Second Language (ESL) category, the heavily decorated team-up of Gian Marlon Libot and Rene Gandeza could be the most successful pair that XU debate has produced so far. And as they bring pride to both country and the University, we take a glance at their debate careers.

The dreaded duoRecognizing the fact that most of the

Circle’s national awards have come during their partnership, there’s no denying that their chemistry is something that’s hard to duplicate. Judges of different tournaments say in unison that their team is very persuasive, that it channels a lot of emotions, and that they contrast their styles well. Gandeza explains, “We don’t even have to talk a lot because we reached a point where we just know what we both will do without saying it.”

FeatsIn his four years of debating, Gandeza

names four achievements that he values most. First is when he led XU to the 18th Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Championship award last 2008. Next was being 9th best speaker in the Philippine Inter-collegiate Debate Championship held in UP Diliman. Third is being one-half of the XU team that made it to the 13th National Debate Championships’ grand finals hosted by XU. It made the accomplishment more valuable since it’s only the second time that a non-Manila school reached that far. And topping his list is their recent Worlds ESL quarterfinals finish. Gandeza opines, “It marked the beginning of a whole new debate course that the organization is eyeing for.”

The seven-year debate veteran Libot, on the other hand, recounts the magnificent friendship he has gained to be his most fulfilling achievement. He says, “Being in the Circle has made me realize the beauty and depth of life in general, something I consider to be a lasting achievement, more than awards, more than merit, beyond any measure of intellect, it’s the kind of love

that is nurtured inside the organization that I consider the best that I have achieved so far.”

Stand and deliverThe Circle is actively pursuing the

spread of the debate culture. Gandeza shares, “Here in Cagayan, just this year, we launched the first-ever Xavier University Debate Education Program where we go to various high schools and grade schools to teach and train debate. And it was just last year that we hosted the first-ever inter-city high school and grade school debate. And we are also helping out Capitol University and Mindanao State University in the formation of their own debate organizations.”

Both take pride of their group’s family-like atmosphere; according to Libot, it is with this that the organization was built on. “I think my only wish is for it to continue to strive to be honest with its mission as a debate society, to spread the message of debate, but more so remain close to its roots, it was built on friendship and it will continue to burn bright with it.”C

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“Seriously, she is my role model!”Because of what she went through and where she is now, Krizza

has become not only a national celebrity but also an inspiration to dreamers in Cagayan de Oro and all over the country.

“Believe in yourself. Cliché, but it works! Keep going and never quit,” she advises the wannabe singers out there. “Take a risk! In this life, we need to sometimes be fearless. Enjoy every bit of opportunity that comes your way. Don’t take too much effort. Just be who you really are.”C

Homegrown protégéKrizza Nikka Neri

It has been six long years since the Engineering Warriors last tasted supremacy in the annual University

Intramurals.For most of these six years, they are

merely second to the Eagles’ triumph when it came to the Intramurals overall standings. With every passing year, an increased hunger to change the status quo fuelled the Warriors’ fire. They refused to be shadows of the continually soaring Eagles. They have been training, strategizing, and praying for that one glorious title. Now, all their efforts have reaped its worth: the Warriors have finally conquered Intramurals 2011.

In the past two years, it has been evident that the Warriors’ strength has gradually been given a power boost. From 455 points in 2009, to 480 the following year--a margin decreased to 23 points between them and the Eagles--is proof of their want to grab the championships. This year, the Warriors set their mark with their score rising up to 542 points, edging the Eagles by a margin of 103 points.

Their achievement is exemplified by bagging gold in eight sports: Athletics, Swimming, Basketball, Karatedo,

Taekwondo, Badminton and Sepak Takraw. They started off big time by nabbing 63 points in Athletics and 123 in Swimming. They also broke the Eagles’ three-year streak in Men’s Basketball, with the final score at 66-52. Furthermore, the Warriors also fought well in combat sports as they acquired the most points in both Karatedo and Taekwondo. Avenging their loss to the Center for Intergrated Technologies Knights, the Warriors claimed their title in Sepak Takraw.

With not only a decrease in their population but also a decrease in manpower due to the newly created College of Computer Studies, the Warriors made sure to double their efforts for the prize. In addition to that, there have been early struggles within the tribe, particularly looking for a venue for practice their sports and adjusting their practice time with their academic demands.

Indeed, it was a victory worth savoring and a battle worth fighting for the Warriors but will their reign last for the next few years? Or will their glory be short-lived? We’ll find out next year.

But one thing’s for sure: the target is now at their backs.C

The tribe rises triumphantEngineering Warriors

“I had a typical life before Protégé. [I’d] go to school, then [go] back home. I was an irregular student ‘cause I enrolled late. Nothing really interesting. Ask some

college students out there, they might have the same story as mine.”

Krizza Nikka Neri is a 1st year International Studies student. But she wasn’t able to finish her first semester in college. Why? Oh, not much: she just went out to win a singing competition on national television.

Hometown starKrizza has been singing since she was three. Thirteen years

later she is now the “RnB Sistah” and first grand winner of Protégé: The Battle for the Big Break, a reality-based talent search on GMA. At the tender age of 16, Krizza is the new addition to the Philippine music scene.

Krizza says she did not expect winning from the start. “Winning has never been my goal. I’ve never thought of being the first Protégé winner. I was even expecting to be eliminated for the first few gala weeks.” But week after week saw Krizza advancing closer to the Protégé finals.

Nobody said it was easyKrizza admits that the path to fame has not been easy.

Homesickness, adjusting and critics were just some of the things that Krizza had to handle while competing in Manila. “I’ve been through a lot!” she exclaims. “What kept me going is [knowing] my family and friends believed in me. Also, [my] mentor Aiza [Seguerra] was there to help me.” Acoustic singer Aiza Seguerra is not just her mentor, Krizza enthuses:


Forging the pathwayHobart Savior

He is widely known for his innovative dancing antics involving only the most diverse array of props, such as chairs

and railings. Sure enough, the Director of the Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts (XCCA) has done a lot to popularize and bolster the cultural scene in XU.

Here is Mr. Hobart “Bart” Savior, meritorious for paving the way for cultural development in XU this year.

Culture’s backboneXCCA has its “spine programs”: Museo de

Oro, Artistic Excellence and Art Productions, Cultural Education, Culture and Development, Culture and Arts Research, Documentation and Publication, and the Culture and the Arts Support Service Program. These are major units that can be considered committees of sorts, with their own activities and events. For example, in Artistic Excellence and Art Productions, Dulaang Atenista (DA) and The Xavier Stage (TXS), XU’s two theater-based organizations, staged ‘Monumento’ and ‘Tatlong Mariya’ respectively.

With its plethora of major programs this year, the Center also conducted ‘Kalinga ng Sining’ for the victims of ‘Sendong’: ‘Art for Healing’ and ‘Art for Transformation’.

Setting the stageSir Bart is responsible for founding XU’s

second theatre group after Dulaang Atenista, The Xavier Stage. Unlike DA which is mainly student-run, TXS features XU students, faculty and employees, and alumni.

“Since I am also a theater director, and I also need to share my expertise and experience, I decided to form a theater company that will help define a university theater supported by artists who are students, faculty, staff and alumni.”

TXS celebrated its first anniversary December last year, with the showing of ‘Isa Pa: Dalawa’. Since then, under the direction of Sir Bart, the company has served a total audience of over 5,000.

God in artEven after the success of the XCCA programs

he oversaw and the prominence of TXS which he directs, he still admits his shortcomings and finds the good in them. “My weaknesses challenge me; my strengths humble me, my detractors crystallize me, and my vision makes us all see beauty.”

So what keeps Sir Bart going? It’s his commitment.

“I always believe that this is my marriage, my apostolate and my religion. I find God in my work. I find my Good Orderly Direction with it,” the Director states.C

A blind man’s visionLeon Labial III

Leon Labial III walks through the hallways with his ever-present cane and a companion in tow. He tells

everyone that his eyes are as small as the hollow of a drinking straw... but he also says that his life’s vision is as clear as someone with 20-20 eyesight.

Leon’s retinas are damaged and he’s been living with that since he was 4 or 5 years old. He manages to walk around the campus with the cane, being familiar of the University map, noticing light variations, or with the guidance of his shadow teacher.

Like other disabled students in college, he did not let his disability get into his way to success.

As a studentHe attends his classes with the aid of his

‘shadow teacher’ (note: she’s not his mother). He listens to class discussions and records them for him to review. Hand-outs and paperwork in class are read to him by his shadow teacher. It may seem that he is very dependent to his shadow teacher,

but in reality, his shadow teacher only reads and writes for him but never thinks in his behalf.

For him to reach his third year in Business Administration, he did it the old-fashioned way: through hard work and determination. It is inspiring how there are people like him who are more determined than some persons who have no physical disabilities at all.

As a visionaryAsked where he gets his inspiration

from, he answers, “Me, myself and others.” His explanation is that he’s doing this for himself, and that this is actually repaying those who helped him build his character, especially his shadow teacher who constantly reminds him, “Kung mahuman naka’g college, mag-unsa naman dayon ka?”

22 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

Leon is also striving for the ones who are like him. He aims to help them, to give them hope, and to make them see life similar to how he sees it. He aspires to become a business tycoon himself, but as of now, he hopes to finish his college course and maybe proceed to post-graduate studies.

He is getting by through eye rehabilitation, and also with the help of his family and friends. Leon is hoping that everyone, especially the University who promised special assistance

for people like him, will be supportive to those who did not make their disability a burden while striving to reach their dreams.

As a personJust like you and me, he is judged by

other people and has gone through a lot of discrimination. But he chooses to stand tall. He says, “Sagdi lang, basta kabalo ko kaya nako ug ako ang naningkamot.” And just like everyone else, Leon also has a way of

expressing himself artistically: By playing the drums.

***Leon believes that everyone is special,

and everyone has disabilities – some just have physical ones. He also believes that we should not be discouraged, physically complete or not, for God helps those who help themselves.C

Happy smiles, happy heartsHappy Soles

From a group of five Nursing students who only wanted to give out slippers to the children of Dansolihon, Happy

Soles has evolved into something more than they had ever imagined.

From ‘tsinelas’ to tutorialsWhen Marie Alexis Baldia, spokesperson

of Happy Soles, her sister Alexa and her friends Anna Patricia Diaz, Charisse Abadiano and Jill Sentillas visited the barangay to donate slippers, they found a dilapidated day care center. The teacher had been gone for three months and the children had not learned anything new in that long. It was there that they concluded that the children in Dansolihon needed more than just slippers.

They decided to hold tutorial sessions every Sunday to help facilitate the children’s development. They sold home-baked cookies to raise funds enough for their materials and snacks. With Education-major volunteers, they had new teaching modules to implement in their sessions. They began with 200 children and eventually accepted more children, aged 2 years old onwards with the eagerness to learn, and divided them per age group.

They had a six-month goal: that they would provide tutorials to the children, provide teaching and learning materials, and improved the day care center. The last goal was supposed to be done over the Christmas

break but when ‘Sendong’ hit the city, there was a more pressing problem at hand. The storm destroyed the bridge that gave the volunteers access to the center. They helped raise money to rebuild the bridge, which was soon done. On the second week of January, they eventually fulfilled the third goal. Even when the teacher returned, the volunteers had grown attached to the children. Leaving never became an option for them. The Sunday tutorials continued.

Books and bagsBaldia tells us Happy Soles was born out

of shared vision. They collaborated with other organizations, and established Happy Soles as an actual organization. They are the Cagayan de Oro leg of the Philippine Funds for Little Kids, and together with this organization and others, they started receiving donations and sponsorships to sustain their visits.

Though the partner organizations thought of relief operations and feeding programs to help the people affected by ‘Sendong’, education was left neglected. They decided to concentrate on just that — and with DepEd, the Sending Sendong Kids Back to School Project (SSKBS) was born. With donations from all ends, Happy Soles distributed school bags and supplies to affected students from various schools in CdeO. Up to this day, they still accepted donations for further

distribution to other schools.They collaborated with Chris Library and

Aral Pinoy, a leg of LitWorld New York, to participate in World Read-Aloud Day and provide books to children and show them the wonders of reading.

The next happy stepsHappy Soles plans to adopt another far-

flung community, Bayanga. Having lost the makeshift cable car they use for transport between mountains during ‘Sendong’, the children have been swimming across the river to get to school. Baldia says that they will tutor these children, and help raise funds to build a new, sturdy footbridge so the community can walk safely across the mountains.

Baldia hopes their story will inspire more leaders and volunteers to initiate change. She says that some are too hesitant to initiate projects because they fear that it is too small an effort. But she says every movement is bound for greater things, as long as there is heart in it.

And quoting from Jay Jaboneta, the firestarter of Yellow Boat Project and Chief Storyteller of Philippine Funds for Little Kids, she tells us the difference between an interest and a commitment: If you are interested, you do something when it is convenient for you; but when you are committed to something, you do it without excuses and with utmost passion.C


Tropical Storm ‘Sendong’ (interna-tional name: Washi) hit the city on December 17. The floods brought

by the storm were fierce enough to wipe out riverside communities, causing deaths and material damage in the process.

But in the midst of the unspeakable tragedy, there were many stories of survival that inspired us. Equally inspiring was the sheer number of volunteers who made a lot of sacrifices to extend their help in rebuilding the city.

Morning after the storm, a relief operation was immediately organized by a small group of XU faculty and students; it quickly expanded as the spirit of volunteerism fanned out. The members of the XU community mobilized, deciding to forego their Christmas vacations to respond to the call. Some came with donations on hand; some even went to the extent of temporarily living inside the campus for a few days (or weeks) to ensure a smooth flow of operations. And amazingly, there were some volunteers who were victims themselves, helping to address the needs of those whom they think needed the help most.

Those who are not in the active participation of the relief efforts of the University did their part by securing donations from various sources. There were XU students and alumni who organized collection drives in their hometowns and even outside the country; the goods collected were then shipped to XU for repackaging and eventual distribution. They were instrumental in amassing millions of pesos worth of financial and nonmonetary goods.

XU’s Board of Trustees decided to donate a five-hectare tract of University land in Brgy. Lumbia for the permanent resettlement of the evacuees. This is the site of Xavier Ecoville, housing 500 families in tents for their eventual relocation to bunkhouses in the said area.

Ethel Rae Callo was one of the volunteers assigned in the sorting of relief goods. She was supposed to return to her hometown and

spend time with her family. “Ga-celebrate nako adto kay makapahulay na [ko] and maka-uli na jud kay wala na baya’y class,” she recalls. “Pero nag-baha man dayun mas kailangan man ko didto, mao nag-volunteer ko.”

Irene (not her real name) was among those assigned in the deployment of the goods to the victims. In a debriefing session conducted before resumption of classes on January this year, she shared her experience of being threatened after not being able to provide everyone in a distribution area with relief goods. “We were distributing goods, dawbi kay nahurot naman. Ingun mi na mubalik mi pero mangisug jud ang mga wala natagaan. One mother even said, ‘Dayun na, makapatay ang baha pero mas makapatay ang sundang, day.’ Hadluk jud kaayo.”

The hardships and the threats didn’t

terrorize these two volunteers, and many others. They were empowered to serve and help the victims. “Volunteering gives you an unexplainable feeling of joy and gratitude. And it was very nice to see people who [came] without being told to do so. Seeing them working, though they already [needed] to rest, you will be inspired to be like them... to work harder,” narrates Estrella Borja, a faculty member volunteering as part of the Communications team of the operations.

The volunteers traded off their comforts – time, energy and security -- for the chance to serve others. They did not ask for material repayment; what they asked for was the fast recovery and rehabilitation of the ones they served. To work without counting the cost – this is an act worthy of recognition.C

“It was surreal,” recounts 3rd year Development Communication student Christine Olalo, on the

predominant feeling upon returning to school after ‘Sendong’. “I [did not] think anyone was prepared to go to class after ‘Sendong’. But everybody was there, telling their stories and supporting each other.”

There are more than 300,000 victims of ‘Sendong’ — and still counting. Out

Personifying hope‘Sendong’ volunteers

Cleaning up good‘Sendong’ Survivors

24 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

of the total number of victims, 2,273 of them are members of the Xavier University community.

On the night spanning December 16-17, 2011, flood waters brought by ‘Sendong’ rampaged through riverside communities. Photos taken during the storm’s immediate aftermath showed the extent of the damage.Help arrived soon after. Countless amounts of material and monetary donations came pouring in to collection centers around the city. And after the victims’ immediate needs were taken care of, there were a lot of initiatives aimed to hasten the rehabilitation of the affected in various relocation centers. The support that Cagayan de Oro received was likened to another flood — one of outpouring love and support.

The devastation caused by the storm disrupted the normal flow of the daily lives of the Kagay-anons. However great the

damage may seem, it didn’t diminish the yearning of the people to get back up and strive for a new beginning. Just like their ‘Ondoy’ counterparts in 2009, the victims stood up and continued living their lives normally.

“You can see the resiliency -- that in spite of what happened to them, they decided to continue their lives, even though they’ve lost family members, lost their belongings and other things important to them. Quite a number of them have already continued with their lives, went back to working, while some are still dependent on external assistance, [a] majority of them took their fate in their hands already,” remarks Malu N. Tumang, volunteering for international relief organization Catholic Relief Services.

“I am proud of our ‘Sendong’ survivors,” says Whitney Graine Nagasan, head of

Student Ethics at the Office of Student Affairs. “Because of the continuing help of our brothers and sisters, nag kapit-bisig tanan-tanan to help them rise up again. Right now the support is outpouring with different [kinds] of activities for them -- like concerts -- to help them move on.”

And in true Filipino fashion, Kagay-anons saw the light at the end of their ordeal.

“Kita Pinoy, bisan unsa nga problema,” reflects Roderick Magadayo, BSA-3. “After ana, katawa-katawa nalang dayun. Wala kaayo nato na feel ang kasakit sa Sendong kay nitabang man gihapon ang mga tao. Naghatag jud sila ug service pareha aning Xavier nga wala jud ta nila gibiyaan. Mga pila ka months, bisan ako, karun murag nalimtan na nako ang panghitabo kay kanang Pinoy lagi ta, mga strong.”

Truly, the resilience of the ‘Sendong’ survivors is a testament of Filipinos’ strength in the face of crisis and devastation. C

Fr. Calvin H. Poulin SJ (April 18, 1932 – February 19, 2012), who succumbed to terminal brain cancer

earlier this year, is remembered by his peers for his unbounded generosity. University President Fr. Roberto C. Yap SJ, in a memorandum issued to announce Fr. Cal’s passing, described the latter as someone “exemplifying the Ignatian ideal of cura personalis.”

TheCrusader interviewed two faculty and staff of the University and asked them to share their fondest memories of Fr. Cal:

1. His cura personalis Agnes*, a staff of the University,

likened him to both a saint and a paternal figure, someone who guides them. For example, he would reprimand anyone he caught gossiping. “Usually sa trabaho kay magchismis-chismis mi, ‘Dawbe si kuan bayot, ana.’ Pag makadungog siya, mag-react siya nga, ‘You don’t talk about a person behind his back.’ Pirmi mi niya kasab-an kay dili daw siya dapat mahitabo.”

2. His generosityTerry*, a faculty member, shares that

Fr. Cal regularly gave money to the street children in Divisoria despite warnings from his friends that the money would just be used to buy rugby. The priest would respond by saying that he would see to it that he gave something to fulfill the recipient’s need and not expect anything in return. Terry adds that sometimes Fr. Cal got abused by people because he was so generous; even the street

kids he helped snatched his cellphone. But Fr. Cal understood the risks and shrugged it off.

Agnes adds that Fr. Cal was among the first to help her as she was diagnosed with cancer. She remembered receiving a call from Fr. Cal, who was in the States. He tearfully assured Agnes that he will make arrangements upon returning to the Philippines. Eight years on, Agnes still remembers how much his assistance meant to her.

3. His sense of humorShe also fondly relates to us the priest’s

distinct sense of humor, “Iyang jokes kay English... let’s say, intelligent na kanang dugay ka nga maka-G, tapos, ‘Ha? Unsa diay to?’ Tapos, magkatawa na dayun mi nga, ‘Joke diay to?” Fr. Cal, even nearing the end of his life, shared his light-hearted side with his friends.

4. His fluency in BisayaDespite the American accent, Fr. Cal

was very proficient in Cebuano; he would say Mass in the vernacular at times. He was so well-versed in the dialect that younger locals would ask him for meanings of the “nosebleed” Cebuano words.

5. His tenure in XUFr. Cal’s tenure as a Jesuit stationed in the

Philippines made him a witness to Xavier’s evolution. Students and faculty members alike would ask for his help in doing compilations of the University’s history, declaring Fr. Cal as “Xavier’s walking history book”.

Fr. Calvin Poulin’s legacy lies in his willingness to help others. He was an embodiment of being men and women for others. Thus, in tribute to this great man, we write this article.C

*Names withheld upon request

In memoriamFr. Calvin H. Poulin, SJ


Design by Francis Ryan O

. Avellana

26 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

Are you willing to live in a place left by the progress train a hundred years ago? More so, are you going to let an embalmed dead

body keep you from getting onboard? Some people are.

Welcome to North Korea, just north of the home of your beloved K-pop groups, of which they know nothing of since they are denied any knowledge concerning the outside world. North Koreans are living in a place where the people aren’t busy attending K-pop concerts. Instead, their government is busy popping human rights bubbles inside their heads. To most of us, North Korea is a secret.

But now the secret’s out.

Never to dieThe country emerged in 1948, in World War

II, founded by its Great Leader Kim Il-sung. Part of their foundations as a country was the belief in the philosophy of the Juche Idea. The Juche Idea implies that man is the master of the world and of his own destiny – total self-reliance. It adopts political independence and indifference to International Trade. It stands as a justification as the Korean peninsula had suffered being the battlefield of a number of foreign oppressors for enduring years. As a result, North Koreans now believe that there is no god but Kim Il-sung, their “Eternal President”.

Thus, North Korea is the world’s only nation governed by an embalmed dead body. Though North Korea will have different heads of state as time passes by, Kim Il-sung will still be considered as the father-president-leader of the state. After his death, divine powers were then attributed to his successor, the “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-Il, the sole author, editor and interpreter of Juche.

Decades of this rigid state-controlled system have led to leadership dependent on the cult of personality. Blind people, who had cataract problems due to malnutrition, beg to regain their eyesight just to reclaim the honor of seeing their Dear leader. When their Dear Leader died on December 2011, natural phenomena were reported around the country; claiming that even animals are mourning his death.

Outside WorldThe totalitarian state stands accused of

systematic human rights abuses. Reports of torture, public executions, slave labor, and forced abortions and infanticides in labor camps have emerged. A US-based rights group has estimated that there are up to 200,000 political prisoners in North Korea. This communist country is considered to be one of the most inhumane places in the world.

Meet Hana, a North Korean escapee. She ran away on a winter night with excessive snow obscuring her path. With her guide, she had to creep behind hills, anticipating when to dash into the river without catching the attention of the North

Korean guards, who have orders to shoot anyone they spot. Mindless of the biting surface the Tumen River, she had to move, swiftly and cautiously. Upon reaching neighboring China, she was shuttled in a car with three other women, who were dropped off at different location, where a man purchased them. It was then when she understood she was being smuggled.

Most defectors, especially women, find themselves with a similar fate. It’s either they’re online sex workers or wives of Chinese farmers, filling the shortage of women in China. Escaping requires risk, as the Chinese hunt North Koreans since a bounty is offered in exchange for them. Their only hope is South Korea, a legal asylum for them. If they’re fortunate, some missionary groups, such as Dirhana, transport them from China to Seoul, where they are welcomed into a world so different from their own.

“Between the rest of the world and North Korea, there’s like a century’s difference,” commented a North Korean defector. He was one of the lucky ones. Most defectors don’t make it. When they are caught and sent back to North Korea, they are then sent to the labor camps. Nothing is then heard from most captives.

Unripe SuccessionOn the nineteenth of December 2011, a woman

in black emotionally broadcasted, through the state media, the death of their “Dear Leader”, which was caused by mental and physical overwork. Prior to this, rumors of strokes, diabetes and heart diseases as a result of his obsession with imported cognacs and cigars were rampant on international news. Upon learning the news of his death, North Koreans wept their hearts out and even questioned the certainty of their future. Apparently, the whole world is questioning that too.

Kim Jong-un, the third son of Kim Jong-Il who is in his late twenties, was proclaimed as the “Great

Successor”. He only started formal preparation for his succession on 2010 while his father had twenty preparatory years before succeeding Kim Il-Jung, who died on 1994. Even with years of experience and assumed expertise in governance, Kim Jong-Il wasn’t able to lessen the famine that hit their country during his transition period. Now, Kim Jong-Un, with his inexperience and youth, is to lead their country with pending talks on the nuclear weapons program with United States, Japan, Russia and China. In addition to that, it remains to be seen if the political elite and military top ranks are sincere in their vow of allegiance to the third-generation successor.

***Only a few people know about North Korea.

Even worse, only few of them care. Unlike the North Koreans, we Filipinos enjoy democracy, sometimes to the point of abuse and disregard. What if we were the ones who put under communist rule with the Juche Idea like a cherry on top? What if we get publicly slain once we accuse our local officials of any mistake? What if we had to be smuggled as sex workers just for a taste of liberty? What if we could no longer differentiate fear from faith, as we bow to the picture of a leader who treats us with what we believe is cruel mercy? Could we live in that kind of life?C

Sources:http://northkoreanchristians.com/juche-idea.htmlhttp://www1.korea-np.co.jp/pk/062nd_issue/98092410.htmhttp://natgeotv.com/asia/inside-undercover-in-north-koreaBBC Documentary: Escaping North Koreahttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandter-ritories/northkorea/index.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/world/asia/an-enigmatic-young-son-steps-forward-or-seems-to.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/30/world/asia/north-korea-declares-kim-jong-un-as-supreme-leader.html


Leslie is another prodigious savant who excels in music. Even though he suffers from cerebral palsy and blindness, he can replay any musical piece flawlessly with the piano after only hearing it once. His love for music is fostered from childhood and it fully bloomed when he was able to play Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 after hearing it from the television when he was 14. His music is attributed to the love for his adoptive mother who taught him how to survive even if his chances of living were slim due to his infantile handicap.

A leading key to understanding savantism, Daniel Tammet is a revered writer and linguist with the ability to explain his unusual skills. He is a high-functioning autistic who lives a customary life. His savant syndrome surfaced because of the medical ordeals he had in the past. Having suffered bouts of epilepsy plus autism, Daniel has harnessed gifts like a very sharp memory and an analytical mind. As a polyglot of eleven languages, he has learned to speak Islandic in only one week in 2007. Daniel can also do complex mathematics as a synesthete – he has a unique image of every number in his head. He claims that the number 25 is energetic and the “kind of number you would invite to a party.”

Being the real inspiration behind Dustin Hoffman’s autistic character in the movie Rain Man, Kim is the most famous savant today. He suffers from brain damage, developmental disorders, and poor motor skills. However, he compensates for these abnormalities through his absurd talents. Kim reads two pages of a book at the same time with each eye separately reading the left and right pages – all in three seconds. What makes him more exceptional is his ability to remember every detail of anything he reads or hears. Today, he has memorized some 12,000 books on literature and on many subject areas. “Kimputer”, as he is aptly called, started to read at 16 months and learned how to use a dictionary at the age of 3. He can also do astonishing arithmetic by adding digits up to the trillions.

Mutants are real. They don’t have the ability to read minds or conjure lightning, however. They simply go beyond the limitations of the human mind. Although it’s a myth that we only use 10% of our brain, some people manifest extraordinary gifts that let us

think otherwise. They are called savants. If you haven’t heard of savantism yet, you’re in for some real shockers. Here are five of the most fascinating “mutants” of our time.

Kim Peek

Daniel Tammet

Leslie Lemke

28 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

***Savantism is a poorly understood syndrome. It is a condition

which usually affects males and is brought about by a deficit in mental development. If there’s one thing that is common to all savants, all of them have a special type of memory that enthrals the deepest skills latent to human beings. They get to do things people normally wouldn’t be able to, and can only dream of doing — just the kind of mutant Charles Xavier would invite to join his team of extraordinary people. Imba.C

Proof that Filipinos are not left out on the savant phenomena, Thristan Mendoza, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2, wows the world today with his exceptional skills in playing the marimba. His far-reaching abilities in playing the percussion instrument are so distinct that he has received awards both nationally and internationally for his expertise and is a subject to many revered international psychiatrists today. He also has profound foundations in mathematics and a superior-ranged performance IQ which allows him to play musical instruments so easily.

Dubbed as the “human camera,” Stephen can produce a panoramic landscape perfectly after seeing it only once in real life. Best known for his cityscape artworks, Stephen has created his own versions of major metropolises like London, New York, and Tokyo. All major landmarks and details are laid out very intricately that his masterpieces could not be fathomed as works of human hands. Regardless of being diagnosed of autism when he was 3 and only learning to speak when he was already nine, Stephen leads a pretty normal life today as an internationally-acclaimed artist. On top of that, Stephen has innate music abilities which allow him to sing any note in perfect pitch and execution. He is one of the few savants who have mastered two separate fields in art.

By Sam D. Garcia

Thristan “Tum-Tum” Mendoza

Stephen Wiltshire

Design by R

ico M. M

agallona


Moreover, SOPA would prohibit search engines, payment providers and advertisers to transact business with the violating websites.

The aftermathDecrease of operating websites

would be the first obvious effect of the law. Many would shut down to steer away from the riskier online legal climate. Free speech would be another aspect that will be affected. As sites including Facebook would boost self-regulation, members would not be able to post just anything. Such sites would strictly monitor their members’ activities, and censor and even block shared contents and links. The strict monitoring would then clash with the social networking sites’ service, which is to allow users to express themselves.

Despite the negative effects of SOPA to online users, it also has a positive effect for the media industry, the main beneficiary of the act. Revenues will increase without their illegal rivals, yet there still even exists a possibility that users would cut their support as a form of protest. In fact, supporting companies of SOPA such as Nintendo lost thousands of their customers causing them to rebuke their initial position on the issue.

The shoutoutsSince its proposal last year, many heated

discussions from both the supporters and adversaries trended around the web. Companies supporting the bill received flames from their customers, the ones to be greatly affected if SOPA is passed.

Mai is an avid torrent downloader who extremely opposes the bill. “I’m aware na wrong jud ang piracy pero mahal man gud ang mga products.

Everyone has tried downloading files from the Internet free of charge. The number of sites hosting free downloads

has turned users into penny-pinchers. But to end their laxity, a new law was proposed to stop illegal downloads which are equated to online piracy.

Get to know SOPAHouse Bill 3261 or Stop Online Piracy Act

(SOPA) is a law proposed in the US Congress that intends to stop copyright infringement by regulating websites in cyberspace. The law, as its title suggests, seeks to stop online piracy in order to “promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation”.

The law which is now a subject of heated debate is generally supported by media companies who have been for years combating piracy. Media companies claim that online piracy invades their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and decreases their revenue. The companies’ efforts to fight copyright infringement were paid off but only in the US as the current bylaws of the country exclude regulating foreign websites like The Pirate Bay and RapidShare.

The SOPA operationWith SOPA, the whole of cyberspace will

be under censorship using the same Internet control method used by Communist nations such as China. The web would be regulated and those “rogue websites dedicated to infringing or counterfeiting goods” would be blacklisted.

Additionally, sites which allow posting of infringed materials, and those which were not strict enough to stop piracy would be litigated and blocked by Internet Service providers. Their domain names would be concealed and disappeared from searches on the Internet.

Dili baya tanan maka-af-ford. Kung i-regulate nila, ila nalang pud unta i-decrease ang prices.”

Aside from private users, many people especially Filipinos who sell pirated CDs and DVDs for a living would be severely affected. With media materials sold, they would not be able to produce their retails. “Dili jud ko mu-agree ani. Dili man gyud ma-ayo mag-pirata pero unsaon man na kana man among panginabuhi-an. Unsaon nalang mi ani,” complained Ryan, a pirated CD and DVD vendor in Cogon.

***

Piracy has been a problem for years. Many bills have been implemented to combat this illegal action, yet always come out unsuccessful. Now another bill emerges and would again try to stop piracy with harsher measures. Perhaps, there is no need to create a new one but to amend the older ones. But as the government is seriously considering SOPA, it should remember that free speech should never be subjected to any kind of censorship.C

By Dharyl Jean A.Indino

Des

ign

by K

risto

ffer J

ames

Nam

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30 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

It’s nearly that time of year again when our sleeping schedule becomes more messed up than usual—when we get to relish

extra hours of sleep in the morning and enjoy additional hours of guiltless movie marathons or series catch-ups at night.

I’m absolutely ready to soak up that happy summer feeling, but the two month of peace over the break will make me miss a lot of school.

On top of everything, my Sendong-survivor leather bag will miss getting poked by security wands. By “poke” it doesn’t only mean the physical act of prodding the stick into my bag. In all my years in XU, I’ve never questioned the ability of a half-hearted bag raid to guarantee my security within campus. Sometimes, though, I feel like I’d be more efficient at it, what with my expertise at digging cereal boxes in search of that limited edition freebie. But as I actually subscribe to optimism, I am determined that that simple wooden device (a distant relative of the glass one library personnel use to check your bag for… wait, what exactly are these checks for again?) contain sensors of sorts and a mini surveillance camera linked to the security headquarters that keeps tabs on your bag’s contents. They never told you about it because it’s part of the whole secret-intelligence agency thing.

Okay, so maybe I’ve just taken too many spy movies in the head. Or I probably just spent too many hours daydreaming in the library.

Nah.I would never put daydreaming and library

together in a sentence. There are people like me who actually like to spend library hours studying. Then there are those people. Seriously guys, I wonder how you manage to sleep using your arms as makeshift pillows. It’s kinda funny watching you when you wake up and your foreheads have turned blaring red.

I feel bad for the freshmen who need to finish up lab reports. It’s sad watching them retreat at the

An Epilogue

Corasight of a populated library and resort to sitting side by side on the SC or Aggies stairs, exchanging notes. But it’s even worse on my part. I had to risk my life for them sometimes. I had to go around them like I would in a maze, careful not to step on their things and disturb them when they’re already too busy to even respond to “Excuse me”.

What this school year has taught me more than anything is to be patient. But with people who don’t understand the meaning of “excuse me”, I can’t even. Right now I’m not sure if those words still mean anything anymore.

Honestly, I’m good with faces. That’s why I could never forget those people who keep bumping into me in the hallways as if I’m a bit short of visibility. I may be wearing glasses, but at least I’m not that blind. I’m not even blind enough to notice that there’s a trash bin in the library labeled “cartoon”. I don’t suppose that’s the designated bin to throw away our childhood.

Going back to the hallways, there are just some people who couldn’t take a hint. When I say “Excuse me,” is it really that impossible to hear me over the sound of how annoying you are? Do you guys really have to take up so much space when you’re walking? It’s excruciatingly difficult to overtake. It’d be a miracle if there’s the slightest opening.

How about not walking together like a big cabinet or the flipping Great Wall of China? You’d be doing everyone a deed so great you’d qualify for a Nobel Peace Prize. You get props for getting me more marks for tardiness than I actually deserve. I wonder if your brains work as slow as you guys walk.

On a brighter note, this is just me saying I will miss all of you guys over the summer break. My days will never be the same without the ones who make college worth writing about. Unless you’re graduating (in that case, congratulations!), I’m already excited to see

you next school year. This will be the last for now. Until such time keep calm and prepare for Cora’s return.C

ContrabidaIllustration and design by Rico M

. Magallona


32 Vol. 38 No. 10 March 2012

Dear Ate Charot,Ate, ate, ate.... I’m a barbie girl in a barbie world. Tawaga ko sa pangalang Selena Gomamela.Usa ka dalaga nga very gwapa. Ate, akong uyab nga si Justin Bibasenyor nga grabe ka tsadag tingog (kay songer man lage), bouncy ug hair (bahong singot), murag rejoice model,kay adunay apan noh... Perfect na unta siya pero, datapwat, subalit meron siyang KUTO...(dili ang boxer)Ate, naa siyay little pets sa iyang buhok hair. Bisag unsaon namog tambal noh, dili najud siya mawala... gi try namug kurat, wa juy kurat. Bisag unsaon namog syampoo dili jud siya ma eliminates. Tabange mi ate... dili taka pugson no... but i should insist!!! nag mamahal, Selena.

Dear Selena,Simple rana siya... tagaan taka sa akong ATECHAROT ANTI KUTO SHAMPOO or AAKS for men... Effective ni siya kay isang patak, kaya ang kuto na sang katutak. I hope this will do...

Dear Ate Charot,Effective kaayo imong syampoo noh, nawala najud ang kuto... apil iyang buhok. Tanan BUHOK. Pati kilay at pilok, pati narin sa ilok. Nakakaloka, at least may sa ilong na tira... but anyways, salamat sa iyong talong...este, tulong...___________________________________________________________________________Hala!! Selena, naa toy wrong mistake!! ako nahatag nimo kay ang pang kulam na akong gi make, para sa among silingan nga grabe ka fake...hmp!! I would like to thank my dress for today, “thank you dress” and red ribbon for my kick. If you want to share your experiences i send lang sa [email protected] or follow my twitter account. Twit, twit, twit...hanggang sa susunod na, maalahanin mo kaya...Good day!!

1. Mag bakasyon sa lugar nga bugnaw

Syempre, asa paman diay? diba naa moy ref sa balay? sulod dadto inday!!

2. Mangita ug bag-ong hobby

Mainstream man ang songing diba? pag try nasad ug buga flame higala.

3. Have a new pet

Sumo naman ang puppy noh? ang uyab nasad kaha noh? mura mag iro ga sunod sunod nimo.

4. Explore the wilderness

Pag ala Red Riding Hood sa kabulunsarian, malay mo naay ala jacob nga imong mailhan. Kiata!!!

5. Watch Horror Movies

Syempre you know what to do, tan-aw lang sa samin amigo.

6. Mag bake ug cake

Wow this is so yummy, makakatulong ito sa iyong tummy.

7. I’ts time to hunt

Labi na ug single ka, you need to move on na. Daghan pa isda sa dagat higala. Ayaw lang nang uga kay bulad mana siya.

8. Mag reflect

Maging ala Mulan sa inyong balay, mag kanta kanta like a cute prinsesa. Ayaw palabe kay muulan man gyud ni.

9. Be sporty

It’s time to get a ball, let’s play jackstone and beat them all!

10. Mag operation linis

Syempre, it’s time to clean the house na, wala naman kay palusot sa imong mama... Undoy!!! Panglaba!!

Hello, andito nanaman ako, si manang dyonisya miga, migo...summer naman, so tagaan tamog mahiwagang churva tips para malingaw this vacation!!! O diba? Bongga!!! heto na..paminaw ha..

carrot treadmill pizza 3 crusader logos bee ten peso coin butterfly scissor papaya baseball letter t switch mouse 2 cora lantern pineapple

china warearmadillo

To join: Photocopy this Kurisearch with your answers and submit your entry to TheCrusader Publication office at STC 302 with your name and contact number. Lucky participants will receive limited edition collectibles.

Congrats sa mga winners sa last Kurisearch contest!! Hurrah!! Dawata ang usa ka sako nga bugas, luto na!! Joke lang best!! Get your prizes at TheCrusader Office STC 302. And the winners are... “Tantananan!!” : Janna Faith Dagawasan, Rodessa Macaculop, and Dawn Doong. Congrats!!!


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