Off the Record
bcupin@theguidon.com
Last summer, most of our country’s corals were nearly wiped out because of warmer seawater brought about by El Niño. A few weeks ago, three Filipinos were executed in China for drug trafficking, and tax evasion cases were filed against the Arroyos.
Overseas, the American Congress is making a circus out of their country’s budget proposal. At the same time, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi has a wonderful proposition: he’s stepping down, but his son’s taking his place.
Those are a few things that populated news headlines in the past few weeks. Welcome to the real world, Batch 2011.
When these are the headlines that populate the news, it’s easy to get discouraged.
A few weeks ago (during Batch 2011’s commencement speech), someone reminded us that this isn’t the “ought” that Ateneans are called to do. In the speech he delivered to the members of Batch 2011, President Noynoy Aquino said, “wag matakot gumawa ng tama.”
But, I believe this is where our Ateneo education has failed. Many of our alumni are not just hesitant, but afraid to do what is right. Countless units of our core subjects and several of our majors should’ve been able to teach us that but if the world beyond the hill is any indication, fighting for what’s right isn’t exactly the stronghold of many Ateneans.
How many are willing to actually go down from the hill, as our alma mater song says?
Teachers, non-teaching staff members and administrators have always told us, “Masarap maging Atenista dahil masakit maging Atenista.”
It’s painful because it’s not easy to slave your ass off for a teacher, only to get a sad C+ in the end. It’s painful because of that balance sheet that just won’t balance. Or, because you see how there’s inequality all around and you realize that somehow, you’re part of that system that promotes injustice.
It’s painful because you think you can do so much, but really, you can’t; the biggest challenge that any young adult brimming with optimism can have is to remain “young and full of hope” even when the whole world tells you to be otherwise.
By the time this article comes out, most of Batch 2011’s members will have set out to do their thing—job-hunting, travelling and yes, bumming. Eventually, we’ll find ourselves settling into our chosen life paths.
To paraphrase Igo Gonzalez (BS ME ‘11), the world is round—so no matter where our paths lead, our roads will converge. Corporate and non-corporate will eventually find each other in the sphere of nation building.
Not everyone enjoyed President Aquino’s commencement address and even more might not agree with his policies, but he made a very good point.
We will be seeing each other again, and I’m not just talking about Batch 2011. The freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors of S.Y. 2010-2011 will one day find each other. Only the future can tell if it’ll be to work together or against each other; or for the betterment or death of the country.
