THE 360 DEGREES “KNOW YOUR HISTORY IN ORDER TO KNOW YOUR DESTINY.”
TOLENTINE STAR
VOL. LXXVII NO. 9 March 5, 2019
SPECIAL EDITION
The Official Student Publication of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos
NEXT LEADERS UP CLOSE Eng’g quartet bout out for prexy, veep posts
NEW AND OLD FACES. (From left to right) TEAM CAUSA bets Zielky Ann Lacbanes and Lyanjo Kent Limbaga together with BUILDERS bets Levi Tulmo and Katherine Joie Geanga smile in the name of passionate service pre-Grand Political Rally. PHOTOS by ROMCHELLE CHRIS DANIELLE WAMINAL. by ALYSSA MARIE ARCEÑO
It is that time of the year. The challenge for the most coveted UNORSSGO executive office positions is now on high rise. Body of United and Innovative Leaders for the Development of an Effective and Responsible Studentry (BUILDERS) Party’s Mechanical Engineering duo Levi Tulmo with running mate Katherine Joie Geanga and Together Everyone Achieves More Consolidated Action of United Students for Advancement (TEAM CAUSA) Party’s Electrical Engineering pair Zielky Ann Lacbanes with running mate Lyanjo Kent Limbaga race toward the student polls as prexys and veeps, respectively, for this year’s University-wide Student Elections. BRED FOR LEADERSHIP BUILDERS’ lead pair were part of the outgoing University of Negros Occidental - Recoletos Supreme Student Government (UNORSSGO), both were voted for senators from last year’s elections. Tulmo and Geanga handled chairmanships in activities such as UNORSSGO’s Arts Week 2019 and UNOREALS of which they took pride. “I am much experienced because I have handled also chairmanship. Also, in every process of an activity, I was there whether during the process itself or even during the brainstorming of an idea for an activity,” Tulmo said. Meanwhile, Geanga was one of the project leads of the University of Negros Occidental - Recoletos Entrusted Alliance of Leaders or UNOREALS, a comprehensive workshop for volunteer
leaders under the outgoing UNORSSGO. “For me, as an [outgoing] senator for non-academics, I have seen how to plan out or execute the activities and it takes experience,” Geanga added. On the other hand, TEAM CAUSA’s prexy and veep bets exhibit potential in their campaigns when it comes to UNORSSGO leadership and valued their dedication in place of experience. Lacbanes, outgoing Secretary for Sports, claimed that, despite being a neophyte with the UNORSSGO, as it was her first time to be appointed for a position in the organization yet she still managed to get pointers from her term. “Since, this year, I joined SSG, I have witnessed what the officers were doing during events, on how they run and lead the student body,” Lacbanes said. Meanwhile, TEAM CAUSA’s veep Limbaga came as a newbie in the UNORSSGO race. Limbaga has no prior experience in serving the student body with UNORSSGO yet he yearns to render his service in his last year in the University. “I want to serve people, I want to serve my fellow UNO-Rians, and I want change. I want that, if anything good happens to the school through our efforts, it will be experienced by my fellow UNO-Rians,” he added. MISSION AND VISION TEAM CAUSA’s bets dedicate their service to the student body by promoting opportunities for learning and career growth. Lacbanes pushes for an
institutionalized job fair where graduating students and University alumni can gather and apply for work in a pool of hiring employers. For Lacbanes, incomegenerating projects are also promising projects added to their service list. “I want that, before a student graduates, they will be able to bring the name of UNO-R like in my platform to conduct a job fair. I really want that the Cradle of Excellence [moniker] of UNO-R will be a pride of the students,” she said. Meanwhile, Limbaga believes in the
long-term impact of projects in the form of seminars and symposia particularly ones focusing on mental and physical health and other academic fields as well. “I want to organize seminars that are for health and academics. I want them to happen, so that there will be a lot of learning in our part,” he said. On the other hand, BUILDERS’ prexy bet Tulmo hopes for bridging the gap between the UNORSSGO and the student body. “It is all about being student-oriented. It is about the interaction between the student body ENG’G QUARTET... PAGE 4
‘Growth of my officers is my greatest achievement’ -Pabilona by CHARLENE GRACE GELOTIN
Outgoing UNORSSGO President John Lewis Pabilona boasted of the realization of his officers’ potentials as his most defining achievement during his term as UNORSGGO president. “As what other leaders would say, you would only become a true leader if you have made other leaders. This is my main purpose for running for the position a year ago. Now, I can be confident that they can lead the UNORSSGO on their own... Despite all of our projects, programs, and events, I can say that the growth of my officers is my greatest achievement,” he said. RECALL ON ITLOG Pabilona outlined his accomplished landmark projects rooted from his platform ITLOG which was laid out last academic year. ITLOG is an acronym which stands for Institutionalization,
Transparency, Leadership Rooted in Character, Objective-wise Planning, and Guidance. For Institutionalization, Pabilona cited the makeover of the University Student Center (USC) into a center for services offered by UNORSSGO, “Services such as free printing, bluebooks, and water refilling are only few of the projects we have envisioned for the USC and it can be conveniently improved by the next set of officers since the foundations of the UNORSSGO have already been strengthened through our term of office.” Moreover, he highlighted an organized Commission on Audit that ensured the transparency of all the transactions of the UNORSSGO, college ‘GROWTH OF... PAGE 4
TOLENTINE STAR
COMPILATION by JEZREEL CABEROY PHOTOS by JOELLE MARIEL PADEROG
THE 360 DEGREES
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FROM PAGE 1
Eng’g quartet...
Why is it important to vote this upcoming U-wide Student Elections?
SEAN AMPARADO, BSEE V Kay para mabalan man naton kung kay sin-o ipasa ang aton nga [legacy] kay ma-graduate naman ta daan. Gusto man naton kung kanino ipasa ang aton nga legacy.
ALDRICH ERICSON TAN, BSMT I Importante guid magboto para sa ini nga elections for the better[ment] of the students and sang school. Kag, wala labot sa betterment sang mga estudyante, for school man and they will have our lives easier by facilitating our needs.
CHRISTOPHER VILLARONTE, BSBA - MKTG IV So that the right person will hold the position and there will be an improvement for the next school year and that the improvement will be useful for every student and for the University. For example, ang ambiance sa mga studyante bala haw. Kung may mga bag-uhan, dapat i-welcome guid bala haw.
ARCHIE ILAGUISON, BPED I We should vote this coming elections because SSG is the voice of the students that bridges us to the admin of this school in order for us to voice out and to fulfill the lack of the school.
EDITORIAL
and the officers; a friendly environment. It is like they are free to tap us like, ‘Nong, puwede ka amo ni, oh. Kinahanglan ta magamo ni, oh’,” he explained. He also expects a teambuilding activity, recollection, and retreat by the beginning of the year if he is going to be elected in office, so that officers are “ready emotionally, physically , and also spiritually”. Whereas veep bet Geanga plans to focus on honing potential leaders to ready them as next student leaders. “It sounds cliche and an overused term; student development. We cannot deny the fact that, as a student leader, the role is for the good of everybody. What makes it unique is that it focuses on the specific sector or area but for the good of everyone,” she said, talking about expanding the UNOREALS program to more volunteers. She also yearns to establish an arts program through the UNO-ARTS Club which will showcase the students’ skills in the Arts aside from singing and dancing. VOICE OF THE STUDENTS Veep bets from both parties believe in being more hands-on with their jobs as voices of the student body next year if they are elected. According to BUILDERS’ Geanga, if the votes are in her favor, her duty as vice president is to voice out the students’ concerns to the president since the president will finish the job or the duty whereas TEAM CAUSA’s Limbaga’s dream as a vice president hopeful is to continue his advocacy to enhance the knowledge and voice of students even after his term. In terms of voicing out opinions in
school, Tulmo and Geanga push for the realization of a suggestion box to be put in every college area. For Lacbanes and Limbaga, pushing for more activities which will be inclusive of and beneficial for all UNO-Rians is their goal. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Prexy bets from both parties both agree with a fault in UNORSSGO activities in which they need to improve in their terms. “Since there was little time to announce an event, many students were not informed properly. Some of them only knew after the deadline has passed,” Lacbanes said of the declining student participation in UNORSSGO’s organized events. “When we say information, it is just one-way. When we say activity, it is a twoway process. The page is active as well as the social media campaign, bulletin boards, and we bought a TV for enhanced information,” Tulmo said on their actions toward the problem. He also believes that student participation varies on their interest in joining a particular event, so it is important for the next officers to pitch in an idea that catches the attention of almost all students. Ontheotherhand,Lacbanesencourages future officers to announce events earlier than usual, so that they can cater more informed and willing participants. To elect the most deserving prexy and veep bets to office, Tolentine Star is encouraging each one of the UNO-Rians to exercise your right of suffrage this Friday, March 8.
FROM PAGE 1
‘Growth of...
ARTWORK by JOCER MACALISANG
One Night Stand
In the normal setting, campaign may mean the usual activities politicians undergo during election season to sway voters to their cause. Campaign might mean the town hall debates, the privilege speeches in plazas, and the house-to-house crusades. However, in a formation I attended recently, campaign was given so much depth it changed the way I see leadership and advocacy. Campaign is not a one-shot deal. It is not a mere collection of disembodied activities. It is a laid out plan of coordinated endeavors that ultimately boil down to one common goal. Campaign starts with a vision and must be coupled with action to achieve social transformation. For example, the campaign for a coal-free Negros does not just begin with silent protests in front of the Provincial Capitol. This campaign starts from the heart; the vision of a reimagined Negros where renewable energy is promoted. Only after this ideation can silent demonstrations and bilateral talks be organized. Here, we find what is at fault. In some communities, student government officers have been reduced to event organizers whose tasks end when the audience has left the venue. These officers have mastered the art of booking equipment and contacting guest speakers. They have also figured out the most effective ways of encouraging student participation. However, when the curtain falls, the advocacy stops. Crowned pageant kings and queens can no longer be seen lobbying the advocacies that they have fought for during the pageant season. Solid waste management returns to the usual poor practice. Now, we need leaders who can sustain advocacies that are given birth by genuine desire for change. We must elect servant leaders who will stay committed to their platforms and live by them. We must look for consistency, firmness, and movement. Author Joel Arthur Barker have coined perfectly, “Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with vision can change the world.” This March 8, let us raise the standards of our leaders. We do not want mere event organizers. We need builders powered by a cause.
councils, and campus organizations. He also cited the birth of the UNORecoletos Entrusted Alliance of Leaders (UNO-REALS), a group of 23 student leaders to whom the UNORSSGO have delegated the task of organizing the Sportsfest Opening Ceremony. In addition, Pabilona shared that he made sure to equip his fellow officers of the skills needed for their respective jobs. “As a former senator, I made sure that the new set of legislators will be able to author resolutions and bills the way they should be written and ratified. Throughout our term of office, they have presented more questions, I have guided them to the answers. As they have gained more experience, I make sure they have learned something from it,” he said. Furthermore, Pabilona took pride in his administration’s milestone of organizing the most number of events and programs for the University Week. There are a total of 18 endeavors: Carnival Rides, General Decorations, Anthem Making Contest, Grand Taize, Lights of UNO-R, Interbarkada Frisbee, Larong Pinoy, Amazing Race, Battlegrounds, Mind Olympics, Physics Olympics, Quiz Bowl, UNO-R Can See Your Voice, Concerts and
Musicale, Foam Party, Pop Culture Dress-up, and Mr. And Ms. UNO-R PrePageant and Coronation Night. “As the over-all chairman, I made sure to delegate all these tasks to the most reliable officers. Proposals were required from each chairperson a week before U-WEEK and I made sure to create a checklist for each of them to accomplish to avoid possible conflicts,” he said. VEEP’S CHALLENGES On the other hand, outgoing Vice President Elmer John Eupalan explained the most pressing challenges they faced in the academic year, “Time, budget, and student participation have always been a factor in initiating our activities and services. We plan carefully and take into consideration these variables, finding ways to be timely, resourceful, and engaging for a successful event or project.” Furthermore, he dared his successor to prioritize the student body’s concerns and welfare, “As a leader, we think of our constituents before ourselves. We think of the public good, not our personal interests. Continue to strive for improvement and development for a progressive year ahead,” he shared.