What would you do without Odd, distant relatives: The (Fine) Philippine and American Art of Athletic ? Elections Recruitment VOLUME XLVII NO. 9 FEBRUARY 2008 LaSallThe ian Harvest Time The Student Council General Elections are upon us again. Expect other schools to watch more closely this time WWW.THELASALLIAN.ORG Table of Contents UNIVERSITY MENAGERIE To our 4 | Bulletin 24 | Opinion 8 | Editorial readers 9 | Opinion 25 | Life & Leisure 28 | Google-less World IN REVIEW 10 | The evolution of student activities 30 | A statement from the Committee on National Issues and Concerns Change has never been easy. 13 | Opinion And perhaps quite too often, change has been used as a rationale for brash, irresponsible, and COVerstorY even tragic actions: China’s Great Leap Forward, America’s decision to go to war in Iraq, and Edsa 14 | Minding others’ business SPORTS Tres, among others, quickly come to mind. The Lasallian brand of student politics Yet there are also times when change does hold 20 | Roundup truly great promise. It is with this possibility in mind SITUationer that you hold in your hands what is perhaps The 18 | Odd, distant relatives: 22 | The Art of Recruitment LaSallian’s biggest and boldest change experiment: Philippine and American Elections the magazine—the culmination of months of 23 | Financing De La Salle Sports profound soul-searching, intense discussions, and, as with every issue we release, extremely hard work. Why a change in format? Those who have followed us for the past years will certainly have noticed how we have slowly moved away from “just the news” to a more features orientation, particularly in the University section. This year, that thrust has begun to make itself more visible in the Sports section, where we have written extensively about DLSU’s chances of winning a Cover credit: William Cruz UAAP general championship and other athletics- The related issues commonly taken for granted (such as De La Salle’s sports management program). LaSallian This overall direction, we felt, was necessary THE BASTION OF ISSUE-ORIENTED CRITICAL THINKING for a publication that has to constantly fight obsolescence and grapple with issues of relevance, given its infrequent (sometimes erratic) release Editor in Chief | Paulo Jose Mutuc dates as well as significant overlaps in coverage with Associate Editor | Alejandro Almendras IV other publications. Managing Editor | Josef Aaron Lim Along the way, however, we also realized University Editor | Raymund Cuesico (ironically) that we may have sacrificed much Menagerie Editor | Angela Velasco of our appeal for the sake of depth. We frowned Sports Editor | Camille Bianca Pinto on events, announcements, and press releases to Art & Graphics Editor | Carmela Prado focus on matters which we thought were of greater Photo Editor | Jennerson Ong importance. As a result, in our quest for greater Circulations Manager | Stacy Ybud sophistication, we somehow lost touch with you, Office Manager |Krizia Martha Carriaga our readers. This time, what we have tried to come up with is a more harmonious marriage between | University Crezzeile Francisco, Zamanta Legados, Gale Maramba, Carlito Reyes Jr., Loraine Saguinsin, Alliv Samson | MENAGERIE Jemimah Ang, Marie Beatrice form and function, between what you want to read Angeles, Marielle Antonio, Nazrin Camille Castro, Ali Caronongan, George Chan Jr., Jabin and what we think you ought to read. Landayan, Sam Modina, Elvin Ngo, Darcy Reburiano, Rochelle Santos | SPORTS So as we explore a new horizon for this month Philip Andrew Ang, Dean Sedrick Carlos, Johannes Chiong, Jed Aureus Gonzales, and the next, take a good look at the magazine. Celine Anne Hernandez, Jefferson Quincy Reyes, Christine Marielle Suntay, Michael Scrutinize it. Ridicule it if you must. Let us know Gerard Sy, Katherine Anne Tingzon | PHoto Erickson Jao, Alvin Lau, Ian Meru, Francis Garrucho, Ma. Erika Serrano | Art & GrapHics Kevin Ang, Samantha Ang, how we are doing, and whether you like what you Johnalene Baylon, Airi Bianca Beltran, Francis Borromeo, Angela Kristine Garcia, Frank see this February and March. Herrera, Paul Matthew Jiao, Beatrice Ong, Allen Silva, Brian Christian Uy After all, it is you, the Lasallian, who gives life and purpose to The LaSallian. You decide, Green STUDENT PUBLications COORDinator Rosanna Luz Valerio Archer. Director OF STUDENT PUBLications Fritzie Ian Paz-De Vera Yours truly, The LaSallian has its editorial office at 502 Bro. Gabriel Connon Hall, De La Salle University, Paulo Jose Mutuc 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila 1004. TLS can be contacted through telephone number 5244611 loc. Editor in Chief 701, or through its e-mail address, [email protected]. All contributions are subject to editing for clarity or space. None of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the express written permission of the Editorial Board. 2 “...either all of the slate is completed or no one will be endorsed by Santugon”PRINCE GREGORIO, SANTUGON OUTER CORE PRESIDENT University Bulletin Photo by Alvin Lau Ready? Tapat--shown here in its annual convention where they select their bets--finalized its line-up earlier than Santugon, which is faced with a critical strategic decision poised to shape this year’s polls. As of press time, only Nicole Villarojo (inset) has confirmed her candidacy. to be proactive and responsive.” He asserted Political parties gear up that once in the SC, decision-making should not be crippled by an ideology. for SC elections Most pressing issues by Carlito Reyes Jr. In the run-up to the General Elections, AS early AS JANuary, THE UNIVERSITY’S Gregorio when asked about what the party what university issues are the most important two student political parties have already be- would do if it is not able to complete its slate to Tapat and Santugon? gun preparations for the upcoming Student once the deadline for filing of candidacies According to Angeles, Santugon believes Council (SC) General Elections. arrive. “The decision,” he emphasized, “not that the transformative learning framework Last Jan. 30, Tapat held a convention just lies with the core but all who are part of is still “not in good shape,” and that a good which allowed members to finalize the the party, from the alumni, to the members. number of students are still not at ease with party’s slate. Tapat President Jielene Sato However, if we are to not field a candidate it the framework. noted that some problems arose in the should be for a legitimate reason.” Gregorio added that students do not process, as there were instances when certain Gregorio also mentioned that such a have enough avenues to air their concerns positions had more than one qualified candi- thought can only be entertained under the regarding transformative learning, and said date. Nonetheless, no major problems were premise of raising political maturity and that the effectiveness of the standardization encountered during the selection, Sato said. making students realize the kind of service of class hours is questionable because there Meanwhile, Santugon President Francis they are getting from the SC. has been no feedback from the studentry. Angeles reported that they are still deciding Angeles noted that Santugon, in past The Santugon spokespersons also men- the composition of their slate and are con- years, was able to complete its line-up of tioned SC internal governance as a key tinuously training. To determine Santugon’s candidates earlier. concern, especially the delegation of duties list of candidates, Angeles said that the from members of the Executive Committee party’s Secretary General sends invitations to Ideological matters to batch level representatives. As for Tapat, Sato said they are looking at people (“runnable”). After this, at least five Sato describes Tapat’s ideology as liberal, three main areas: the ongoing deliberations Santugon Core members deliberate on an or within the Left of the political spectrum. for Student Handbook revisions, a review of aspiring candidate. The entire Core decides As for Santugon, Angeles shared that the student services, and a proposed the Univer- the final list. party does not necessarily subscribe to one sity Student Governance framework for the strand of belief, because they believe in SC’ internal use A GE without Santugon? individuality and dynamism: “In Santugon, As for taglines, Santugon says it remains Interestingly, “either all of the slate is we believe that when problems are to be undecided about continuing “Empowered completed or no one will be endorsed by solved we have to look at their root cases and Youth, Progressive Citizenry.” Tapat, mean- Santugon,” said Outer Core President Prince be dynamic in creating the solution. We have while, declined to disclose its own. un i v E r S i T y New impeachment case hounds SC by Julie Yang An impeachment complaint against the College of Engineering’s College Assembly President, Leah Villalon, has been filed on grounds that her Student Council (SC) unit has been late seven times for Activities Assembly meetings. According to Maritzi Tullao, chairperson of the Ethics Committee of the SC Legislative Assembly, the complaint was jointly filed by Jenn Lazo, SC execu- Justice delayed. The tive eecretary, and Jecah Ginete, SC vice Sumilao farmers returned president for activities, in response to the to DLSU for a one and a half mentioned offense. hour open forum last Jan. 4. Tullao explained that the seven counts The event proved to be an of tardiness translate to three absences and emotional one, as members one late, which was beyond the allowed limit of the audience, including under the officer’s code of conduct, and that Student Council President violation of the code would classify the of- Noey Arcinue, openly em- fense under negligence of duty. She further phatized with the farmers’ added that there was really no excusable cause. reason for this, since a representative could Photo by Ian Meru be sent to the meetings if the elected officer could not attend.