IN RESPONSE to the Loyola Schools (LS) administration’s call for a consolidation of student opinion regarding sociopolitical issues surrounding the Ateneo, the leaders of several student groups created an initiative called Usapang Ateneo, a Facebook group open to the public.
According to The Ateneo Assembly President Pauline Carillo, Usapang Ateneo aims to provide Ateneans with an avenue to ask questions and express opinions on relevant campus political issues.
A meeting between the administration and the leaders of select organizations was held on August 8.
Among the administrators who were present were Office of Student Activities Formator Rem Casiño, Office for Social Concern and Involvement Director Leland Dela Cruz and Vice President for Social Development Jaime Hofileña.
The following student leaders were in attendance: Carillo, Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA) President Karlo Abadines, Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (Crusada) Premier Abbo Hernandez, Movement for Ignatian Initiative for Transformative Empowerment (Ignite) President Luigi Del Rosario, Matanglawin Editor-in-Chief Dyan Francisco and Ateneo Student Leaders Representative Ray Gomez.
Hernandez said that the particular groups were represented in the meeting because they were the most active in terms of social involvement.
Inception
The student leaders were convened after . dinner on July 5 sparked criticism from the Ateneo community.
She was the wife of the late and former President Ferdinand Marcos, who declared Martial Law in the country from 1972 to 1981.
Francisco noted that it seemed as if
Due to the incident, Casiño said that the administration “identified that there was a need for greater understanding and appreciation of contemporary Philippine history.”
Abadines said that, during the meeting, the administration and the student representatives discussed that there is a general lack of engagement and understanding of social realities beyond the university.
He said that the group came to an agreement that some form of action was needed to further engage students.
While no concrete Hernandez said that the student leaders are having weekly meetings with the administration to create an output.
“The administration actually wants to hold forums [about social involvement] from September to February. What’s different is that they [are] changing the frames of their forums depending on the student’s opinions,” he said.
Carillo explained that Usapang Ateneo is meant to “revive the spirit of student activism in campus by collectively brainstorming on possible activities, projects and other concrete efforts that would engage other Ateneans to talk and care about national historical issues and events.”
IGNATIAN VISION. The proponents of Usapang Ateneo hope that the Facebook page will eventually help Ateneans be true men and women for others. (Photo by Tynie Asprec)
Org involvement
The student representatives hope to involve their respective groups in the initiative and to gather together as many Ateneans as they can.
Carillo said that The Ateneo Assembly remains committed in their role of providing opportunities for student awareness and involvement in political issues, both on campus and on the national level.
Moreover, Abadines hopes that COA leaders will become part of discussions on social realities that happen outside of the Ateneo.
As for Crusada, Hernandez said that they will continue to shape the students’ perception of the marginalized, “the people [that students] don’t really interact with.”
Francisco said that Matanglawin can involve themselves through social journalism.
“We aim for Ateneans to involve themselves in the discussion regarding whatever is happening in the social environment and whatever is happening within campus,” she said.
Del Rosario said that Ignite is part of the voice of the student body when it comes to responding and reacting to issues. “We’re not just as stakeholder; we’re also a direct constituent
Outlook
Francisco hopes that in the long run, Ateneans will know more about the issues and events that happen inside and outside the campus.
“Our generation is more concerned with ourselves than others. I hope that we don’t just talk without knowing where we come from,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Del Rosario, currently a computer engineering senior, said that the initiative is the first time during his studies in the Ateneo that all political parties came together to talk about the events and issues within the campus.
He said that with this discourse, he expects that Ateneans will not just be politically aware, but will also think critically.
“We want to bring back the Atenean who knows how to go down the hill, to be a man and woman for others,” he said.
