THE ROAD has been long and winding for the proposed Ateneo College Fair.
It has taken three rejections from the Sanggunian Central Board (SC), with the third needing the assistance of the Student Judicial Court (SJC), before the decision was finally made: the College Fair would not receive the support of the Sanggunian.
In the third CB vote on the College Fair held on November 16, 13 out of 20 (65%) CB members were in favor of the Sanggunian supporting the fair.
The result fell short of the 2/3 vote (66.67%) required in approving major projects such as the College Fair.
The fair is a proposed two-day event that will feature booths, talent showcases, fashion shows and games, among others.
The fair was to be held on February 11 and 12 at the Bellarmine Field.
Representation
Sanggunian Finance Officer Reg Guevarra said that she initially proposed the idea of a fair to the Sanggunian because of the council’s lack of visibility to the students.
Guevarra is also the consultant of the College Fair Task Force. The Task Force is autonomous from the Sanggunian and is composed of Sanggunian officers and constituents. It was created after the first proposal for the fair was rejected by the CB.
The Task Force members held a forum on November 15 to present their updated proposal to the Sanggunian and the public.
On the same day, the CB convened the House of Representatives (HoR), a consultative body composed of block and course reps.
According to a Facebook note by Sanggunian President Rob Roque, the HoR was designed to “be a deliberative and recommendatory body convened primarily by the CB to discuss issues the [CB] will deem pertinent to be discussed by such a group composed of over 200 representatives.”
Questions on the processes
The HoR assembly in itself sparked discussion among students.
Senior Alex Ang questioned the voting process of the assembly. According to him, appointed representatives should not have been allowed to vote. He likewise raised concern because certain representatives were given more votes than others.
“The idea of this being a consensus of the community is then questionable,” he said.
Ateneo Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (CRUSADA) Secretary General Bian Villanueva also pointed out how the HoR was unfair for both students and their representatives.
“[The Task Force members were only given] 15 minutes for the presentation and the rest of the time for discussion and voting,” Villanueva said.
Ang added that the short time given for the presentation and voting could have led to a premature decision by the members of the HoR.
Incorporating advocacy
One of the goals of the fair―to raise P1 million for the Sanggunian scholarship fund―was a point of contention for many students.
The Task Force also planned to feature Non-Government Organization (NGO) booths in addition to the entertainment booths that would litter the fair.
The NGOs that would have been invited represented outgoing University President Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ’s main advocacies. Pathways, Ateneo Center of Educational Development and Gawad Kalinga would have been part of the College Fair.
Guevarra said that while similar efforts have been evident in other projects, such as the various school-specific activities, the Sanggunian has never sponsored one that was Loyola Schools-wide. “I think this is a way for the Ateneo community to be united for a common goal,” she said.
The Assembly’s VP of the Office of Research and Advocacy Leiron Martija said during the HoR assembly that the fair was an “excessive display of hubris for Ateneans.”
“All these things are forgivable more or less, but to incorporate social relevance into such an event is almost mocking,” he said.
A question of identity
According to Roque, one thing the proponents could improve on is how they see Ateneo as a community.
“The [College Fair Task Force] is very young. Personally, [I think] their attempt to clarify what Ateneans are still falls short on what we are as a community,” he said.
Villanueva likewise said, “We can’t just throw slogans like ‘men-for-others’ and magis when it doesn’t even reflect on the things we try to do.”
1990 College Fair
Since its initial proposal, the fair has undergone several modifications. Task Force Publicity Co-Head Stefani Alcantara said that additional surveys and discussions were held to address the concerns that the CB raised and accomodate the suggestions of the students.
Task Force Co-Project head Gerald Marin added that their research indicated significant support for the fair. According him, more than 25% of students voted in favor of the fair in the signature campaign. “[We also have] around 200 student volunteers working in the different Task Force committees,” he said.
Had the proposed fair pushed through, it would not be the first time college fair was held in Ateneo. In 1990, a three-day fair titled “Fair-st Love” was held on campus from February 2 to 4. Similar to the current proposed fair, it featured booths, carnival rides and food outlets.
According to a The GUIDON article on the 1990 fair, the fair only had a few attendees.
