FEU reserves the stage for Sen. Defensor Santiago

The Far Eastern University – College “Y” Club (FEU-CYC), together with the Institute of Arts and Sciences – Student Council (IAS-SC), and Political Science – Internationa

l Studies Society (Pol-IS Soc), invited the Office of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago to be the guest

speaker of the University regarding the empowerment of today’s youth.

The project proponents are Francis Anecto Labalan, FEU-CYC and Pol-IS Soc Treasurer; and Johanna Lauraya, IAS-SC Treasurer.

By Dante Rossetti Santos Alejo

I have witnessed the preparations made by the project proponents for the symposium entitled Youth Empowerment Symposium, with the theme “The Role of the Youth in Nation Building”. It was not easy. I prepared a timeline showing my personal experience regarding the event.

January 21, 2011 (Friday). The staff of Sen. Defensor Santiago had an Advance Party in the University. They have visited where the Senator would make her way, and what the Auditorium looks like. I, together with the project proponents, entertained the guests; Labalan and Lauraya answered some questions asked to them, and they also asked some questions to the staff.

January 24 (Monday). We had our posting of the posters. This was also a traumatic experience for me because something happened I could not explain since it is too personal.

January 26 (Wednesday). Sen. Defensor Santiago’s staff e-mailed us confirming the Media who would cover the event. Everything was settled but this one was the only problem because the University Administration did not agree to the fact. We have contacted different people who could help us. There were too many conflicts that whole day.

January 27 (Thursday). The day of the event. I went to school about 11 am. I was busy preparing some stuff. I had some papers photocopied; the certificate signed by the authorities (but conflicts still happened that time). I went to the auditorium at 12nn. I did the preparations with some of the Executive Committee. I wore my corporate attire inside the dressing room of the Auditorium. I helped to usher guests and participants. I was so busy that day.

The Auditorium was filled by a lot of people.

When the Senator arrived, everybody was overwhelmed. The event started and she was introduced by Ms. Lauraya. I was at the backstage that time. I was having my short rest from the busy works I’ve done. I listened to the Senator’s talk; she had jokes which everyone had laughed at. Yet, I wasn’t able to listen all what she had talked – what’s I am sure of is that she talked about the youth.

After the talk, she had entertained some questions. Then, she was awarded of token of appreciation.

When she went down the stage, we followed her and there was a short interview from the media.

After the ambush interviews, she walked on and had shook hands with the students. We followed her until she reached the hallway of the first floor of the Administration Building. We were at the center when a student-reporter from FEU-Advocate (the official newsletter of the University) asked her two questions.

The Senator continuously walked afterwards. When we went out of the building, too many students were on our way. We had picture takings here and there. It was indeed an important event, a happy experience.

We went back to the Auditorium and fixed everything.

The event was very successful.

In this moment of time, I would like to thank the IAS-SC Adviser Professor Babsie Morabe, FEU-CYC and Pol-IS Soc Advisers, the Executive Committee, and other organizers who made the event possible. I would also like to acknowledge all the people who participated, cooperated, and coordinated with us.

Memories in the box

I have described in my previous entry an unusual box (but not the literal box). I hope you had the right guess of what it is.

By Dante Rossetti Santos Alejo

Room 208, a room in Arts Building, is where I stay in every Monday and Thursday from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm. This is where I, together with my classmates, do some writings for Journalism 101 (Feature Writing).

We can not deny the fact that in every place we go especially that a lot of times are spent there, memories are made and developed.

I have already collected some memories from our room in journalism class. I have the most unforgettable whether good or bad.

There was a time that it rained so heavy and I came late in school, that’s why I was not able to attend my first class that day and went to Room 208 instead. Because I was the first one in the room, I just felt lonely as the rain fell that day. It was like I was the only one in the world and left by my friends. My feelings were driven because of the weather. However, when my classmates came in, I gradually became happy.

Another unforgettable experience is that I had to attend the Institute of Arts and Sciences – Student Council (IAS-SC)’s event, the 4-in-1 Symposium (this was about drugs, smoke, aids awareness, and Save the Earth Campaign). The scene was I was in the Auditorium and my excuse letter was with me. I had to bring it to my professor because we had our long quiz. When I gave the letter, I had to decide whether I would take the quiz right away or the next meeting (which she would definitely change the quiz format anyway). Because of some pressure, I decided to take the quiz though I haven’t reviewed yet. I wrote in the test paper what was in my mind (also known as the “Stock Knowledge”). After taking the quiz, I went back to the Auditorium.

The next meeting I received my test paper; I thanked God because I did not fail, though the grade is low.

These are just the two of many experiences I had in Room 208. I just wonder, for the next semesters we would use the same room again, and if that happens, experience would be added in my memories.

Let Your Imagination Work: Extraordinary box turns into ordinary

Boxes seem to be important for us when we have to put our things there so we can lift it up easily. However, there are boxes that we stayed on so as to do our little own things…

By Dante Rossetti Santos Alejo

In a big box where too many feet are moving; fragrance is smelled; and annoying sounds are heard, it is very difficult to identify almost everything.

I am always in different big boxes everyday, but there’s a big box distinctive among these.

I always stay in the structure of arts – I have already seen what’s inside of almost all of the boxes.

Everyday, different feet enter inside this box, and so do I every Monday and Thursday, 1330 until 1500. Lights and noise fill the box. Black objects where the feet’s upper part could rest are organized but sometimes scattered. A variety of containers designed for fashion can also be seen inside this big box – colors red, black, gray, brown, green, yellow, blue and so much more.

This box contains high technology electronic devices; this also has small sticks where different colors go out from inside, but these colors are common – either blue, red, or black. Pieces of stuff, usually color white and yellow, are also everywhere.

A lot of feet are organized like falling in line, but there’s an exception – these feet are always in front of them staying and hiding at the back of a counter, these feet say that it is the authority inside the box.

But at the back of these authoritative feet is a white plank where colors from bigger and thicker sticks are put on.

I just realized that wherever box I go; the situations are always the same…

The writings above describe something which I, myself, am involved with. Can you guess what those are? Let your imaginations work, and brains freshen up.

Far Eastern University blows its 83rd candle

Every third week of January, Far Eastern University (FEU) celebrates its anniversary. Last year, FEU observed its founding anniversary together with Vice Ganda and Spongecola. This year, the event was anticipated by the University students as they wanted to rock with Pupil and Callalily…

By Dante Rossetti Santos Alejo

FEU celebrates its anniversary starting on Monday (The University officials had their Church Mass and Floral Offering at the monument of the founder, Nicanor Reyes (Parañaque City). For the next days, they would do nothing. If not because of the student-leaders from Institute Student Councils, there would be no events in the University.

“Kuya Dante, ganito ba talaga sa FEU? Hindi ko ramdam ang anniversary. [Is this the way FEU celebrates its anniversary? I don’t feel it]” my friend, a first year student asked me. I told him yes it is the way they celebrate it, students do not feel it.

I had my classes on Monday morning and then an emergency dance rehearsal when evening came; I went to school on Tuesday though I had no any class that day because I had to do something important (then I went to Divisoria with Johanna Lauraya and Jeffrey Jocson to buy some stuff needed for the Institute of Arts and Sciences – Student Council (IAS-SC)’s event the next day – the IAS Freshmen Get Together: One More Time!), when we went back to the office, we had a short meeting afterward. I attended my first two classes on Wednesday and when it was lunch break, I went to IAS-SC office together with my classmate Rizanne Ramos as she was one of the masters of ceremony of our event in the FEU-Auditorium.

I stayed in the office for about an hour to blow the balloons using a device intended for this. I got bruise in my finger as I was hurrying to do it, but still I felt good when I saw the excitement from the freshmen’s eyes getting the balloons we blew.

I also had the chance to perform on stage and it was great.

After the successful event, we had our picture taking in our photo booth outside the Auditorium. We packed up and had our merienda and rest.

The next day, I had my classes like it was an ordinary day and then I was interviewed by a student-reporter of PARAGON, the official newsletter of IAS, regarding the IAS-SC event.

Friday came and I had no class but I had to go to school to do some important things again; I was able to face Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s staff as they had the advance party in school or the viewing of the campus as Sen. Santiago would be coming on Jan. 27, 2011 at the University; and I attended our NSTP “class” – which is in FEU-SPARC. It was a tiring day as we had to stretch our muscles; it was like we were given by Coach Luis a difficult program in the gym – we had Spiderman, Itchy worm, Lunge-open book, and much more.

After the activity, I went back to school to attend the most anticipated event, Concierto Piyu: Otso Tres. It was 5:45 when it rained. We were so upset and hope that rain would stop. We wanted to welcome Pupil and Callalily (and there were humors that Vice Ganda was also there).

Hours passed but raindrops kept on falling. We went back and forth, from the office to the ground to the office again, to watch the concert but it still rained. I was saddened because I was not able to watch it though we had V.I.P Pass (to sit in front).

Anyway, the rain stopped at 9pm. Then, the organizers of the event had decided to cancel the event though it was very difficult for them to do it because they still wanted to continue it but the Administration did not want for the reason that they are checking the students’ safety besides it was too late.

Each went home disappointed and so I was.

Reference:

>Photos:

*Francis Ivan Reyes – http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=175899142452220&id=100000964068756&aid=33882

*FEU-IAS-SC – http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=175899142452220&id=100000964068756&aid=33882

Confessions of a Shopaholic: The Girl in the Green Scarf

(A Personal Article Related to the Movie – Putting my Feet in her Shoes)

By Dante Rossetti Santos Alejo

If I were to put my feet in the shoes of the columnist in the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic (also known as “The Girl in the Green Scarf”), I would write the following for my article:

Credit card. That’s what employees put in their wallets aside from cash and other stuff. They want this so if ever they run out of cash, they liked something and they want to buy it, and wage is not yet coming, they could use alternative. It’s like in a snap, that “thing” is in my bag!

I myself have lots of credit cards in my wallet because honestly, I’m a shopaholic. I want to buy everything I want to, and even those I only see in stores when I walk in the sides of street. Take note! The things I buy are not cheap; those are branded. There’s like a magnet pulling me inside the store to buy that thing and I can’t get over with it; I can’t avoid buying it.

That’s why I need to work and work and work so I could pay all the bills I got caused by shopping here and shopping there.

But what is the most painful part is that when you are already in the store and ready to buy what you got, here is your credit card reaching its amount limit; then, the cash in your wallet is also limited. How could I buy this one if I am running out of money, right?

It is really hard to be shopaholic; you always buy what you want but you do not actually need; it requires too lot of money. I thank my best friend who is eagerly helping me find way to escape buying unnecessary things. I don’t want to hurt others anymore. I must stop this habit.

Confessions of a Shopaholic: The Girl in the Green Scarf

(A Personal Article Related to the Movie – Most Valuable Asset)

By Dante Rossetti Santos Alejo

“Some people live for the fortune
Some people live just for the fame
Some people live for the power…

Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all”

Lines from the song of Alicia Keys are somehow related to the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic.

People ask for everything. People demand everything. We want to get what we want but still there are some things that we value most in our life – it may be the people important to us or the material things that matter to us…

I am living simple; I don’t want extravagant gears or what. I just want simple but meaningful life. But because I am still human who needs social life and everything, I learned to be in trend. I ask my mom to buy this and that, but still I know my limitations. I do not do finger pointing when in shops.

The most valuable thing for me is my bag. It is very important to me. I use it every day; I bring it wherever I go, whenever I have to. It is just part of my life and it is very useful to me. Aside from being there for me to carry my package, my bag also serves as my friend that I could hug tightly if I need some comfort.

I treat my bags as bag but not the kind of bags that are thrown everywhere their owners want to throw. I respect them like the way I do to humans because they are important to me. I take care of them so as to be good looking whenever I use them.

We have to remember that bags are not just bags that we use; they are like people helping us to carry what we have to carry on.

Welcome and Celebrate the New Year

“10!
9!
8!
7!
6!
5!
4!
3!
2!
1!
Happy New Year!!!”

by Dante Rossetti Santos Alejo

Boom!

Noise is everywhere as people welcome and celebrate the New Year. We always do that. For the past 10 years, I have been fearful of what might happen to me or to anyone yet very excited celebrating the incoming year.

I do not want people using firecrackers such as Piccolo, Pop Pop, and Goodbye Philippines especially to scare people walking in the side of streets. Some Filipinos do that when I do not know what benefit they get from scaring people.

Then, I was cheerful when I learned from the news through the television that Department of Health (DoH) warns and restricts people to use firecrackers that may cause them (the ones who use cited dangerous firecrackers) harm.

The DoH did everything they had to do just to warn people, and I must say that they have done a good job. They might have scared people through the pictures depicting what might happen to them when someone uses illegal or dangerous firecrackers, but the thing is they are victorious to their goal.

According to the GMANews.tv as per the DoH, there are almost 800 people hurt because of unwanted firecrackers as they celebrate the New Year. This is still considerable as good because the rate downs as to comparison to the last five years welcoming the start of the New Year.

In relation to this, last year I was very mad at children living near our house. They used to throw Pop Pop and/or small and big triangles also known as Pla Pla to places they want, and there came a point where they threw it inside our premises, particularly in our garden. I got mad at them because of that. Also, whenever I go out, some do the same way. I just get annoyed of what they are doing especially that they did it from the very beginning of December (2009).

I just thought it might happen again last year (2010) as boys did it when September 2010 came. I told myself I do not want this to happen again notably from September to December, they would do that. Until news regarding warnings of DOH came out, I became happy more than ever when nobody was doing it anymore. They just did it from the morning of December 31 until we all welcome 2011. They were not able to do this on December 29 or 30 because it was raining those days.

On the other hand, my mother; my sister; and I went to Divisoria on December 31, the last day of the month and of the year, to buy some stuff that we may add to our personal belongings.

It was just unusual that there were lots of people in Kalentong, a market in Mandaluyong City, wandering and buying while in Divisoria, only few are buying. This happened in the evening. I thought we would be celebrating New Year in street; I thanked God for not letting that to happen.

After Divisoria, we went to Quiapo to attend a Mass and then back to Kalentong. We saw familiar faces there and greeted each other. After awhile, we made it back home before 9:30pm. Then we prepared.

We had our own countdown before 2011 comes. We used our sounds equipment; we used microphones and speakers to greet everyone a Happy New Year.

After the countdown, we lighted the fireworks we bought such as Lusis, Sparklers, and Fountains. We had our picture takings everywhere and gift giving like what we did on Christmas. We also did our traditional “Paagawan ng Pera”. It was indeed an enjoyable moment for me.

I slept before 5am because I did the household chores as I wanted to assure that everything was fine. I woke up around 11am then slept again and woke up again after an hour. Then i enjoyed the rest of the day.

I want to assure that 2011 will be a better year for me, for my family, and for my friends as God guides us always.

Reference:

I. Photos – date accessed January 2, 2011

• http://offtheplanet.typepad.com/photos/73rd_tsuchiura_all_japan_/tsuchiura_fireworks_04_21.html

• http://www.debateitout.com/should-fireworks-be-allowed-on-new-years-eve.html

•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Quiapo_Church.jpg

II. Others:

• http://www.gmanews.tv/story/209589/close-to-800-hurt-during-new-year-revelries-health-dept