That Bloody Day

That Bloody Day

Dan Kevin Roque 

For I will ever remember,

That bloody day of November,

Chilling my bones and making me shiver,

As I read the evening paper.

For thou art none but heroes,

Argus for the Filipinos,

Thou art fighters of freedom,

Saviors of my soul, poet that I am.

Where hast thou crusade led?

Thou seeketh thine truth and yet,

A hail of bullets and thou bled,

Leading thou to thy death.

Crimson sky and scarlet soil,

Bodies beneath iron, thine souls recoil,

Succumb to the onslaught of madness,

Essaying from the Lords of Darkness.

 Is it the fate that for me awaits?

Is my passion but a ticket to the Pearly Gates?

Oh Lady Justice bring thy scale,

And thy Bible written in Braille.

Must I embark on the path that cry,

Of dirges for the dead?

Oh Odin, Lord of the Gallows,

Pour me three mugs of mead.

For nine nights I stood by the tree,

And the secrets of the world was opened to me.

For nine days I witnessed the truth,

Thineliberty and mine is that struggle’s fruit.

Blood rained that November,

That I will always remember.

But for freedom I shall fight,

Even in this perpetual half-light.

Dan Kevin Roque is an AB English Language student at Araullo University-PHINMA. He is currently the Managing Editor of Viewpoint. His poem, "That Bloody Day" is one of the three poems in his entry that received the Special Citation for Poetry in the 8th Gawad Emman Lacaba, the annual literary contest of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines-Luzon. It is a commemoration of the Maguindanao Massacre and a plea to stop impunity.

Freshmen show off on MetamorphoCAdS

Last October 19, selected freshmen and the Company of Araullian Dancers (CADs) showcased their talents in MetamorphoCAdS, the culmination of the new Physical Education program introduced this semester.

Mr. Michael John Esteban, Director of AU – Performing Arts, headed the program. Performances included “The Prayer”, “Trojan War”, “Angels and Demons”, two Jazz dance numbers, and a military-versus-terrorist-inspired Hip-Hop dance number. The performance ended with everybody dancing the latest dance craze, “Oppa Gangnam Style”. Laila Jamille Alvarez

Viewpoint releases Back-to-Back Issues

Viewpoint releases its first Back-to-Back issues (Regular Issue No. 5, State of Affairs and Special Issue No. 2, Life Can Be Better) as the semester-ender special for Araullians.

State of Affairs

Regular Issue No. 5

Life Can Be Better

Special Issue No. 2

State of Affairs

The first semester has drawn to an end.

For four months, we have made this University our home. Unquestionably, we have learned a lot in our stay. We have met different people: People who changed our lives; people whom to share our lives with; and people whose lives we had changed. Indeed, the end of a semester is the perfect time for reflection, not just for the freshmen and the ordinary students, but also for the seniors and the student-leaders as well.

For four months we have availed the services of the University, it is high time we ask ourselves a few questions. What have we done in service of our fellow students and alma mater? It is the inquiry we wish every student to make, including those in the high echelons of authority. What have we achieved so far?

This case is especially crucial to the AUSSG, the highest policy-making body for the studentry. Aside from the annual organization fair, the flopped concert Rock the Vote, the ill-received flag-raising ceremony, and the contest “Love My AU” which name alone screams rip-off, what has our Supreme Student Government accomplished?

Some people might think it premature to render judgment now, in the middle of their term, and with that, we agree. But as students, we are entitled to know where the thrusts of the AUSSG have led and where it leaves us. What better time to act than now, before things are too late?

The current incarnation of the Executive Council seems to be particularly fond of seminars and workshops, and there is nothing wrong with that. We believe that equipping our student-leaders with the necessary skill set and developing their talents is imperative for a productive academic year. There is no question about that.

However, it is usual that when only a few delegates are sent to attend workshops and seminars, these delegates are either expected to facilitate a transfer of knowledge to the student body, or employ the knowledge they gained to the benefit of their constituents. Spreading the good virus, as the idiom goes. Otherwise, attending the said excursion would be futile.

After attending several trainings, workshops, and fora such as the recently concluded Bayanitaktakan forum, they still lack anything tangible to show the students to prove that as constituents, they do gain something from the said excursions. All we have is a bouquet of posters.

Evidently, no pandemic of the good virus took place. This leads to a series of questions: Is the student activity fund being appropriated properly? Is it being used for personal growth and benefit? Is the fund being used for the advantage of a narrow social circle of the people in power?

These are the issues we must resolve in order to move on to a more fruitful second semester of the academic year; reminders that in every endeavor that student-leaders undertake, the welfare of the students must take primacy. We must ask ourselves whether an activity is beneficial to the general studentry in the end, for it is them that we, student-leaders, have pledged to serve and their money we spend.

Zero Basura, the flagship project of the last AUSSG administration is no longer implemented strictly. Information and communication is still hampered by the same barriers as before. Student involvement in the activities of the AUSSG remains limited to a select few, as evidenced by the “Love My AU” contest which only a handful joined, out of the five-thousand or so students of Araullo. The goods collected last August for relief during the onslaught of the Habagat remains undistributed, lying sessile in their office floor up to this day. To top that off, the bulletin boards, erstwhile repositories of information, are not updated, if not totally neglected.

An entire semester has gone by, where are we now? Dan Kevin Roque

Araullians show love for AU-PHINMA

Araullians showed their love for our school through “Love my AU Campaign” conducted by Araullo University Supreme Student Government (AUSSG). Launched last October 1-10 the said activity culminated with an awarding ceremony held last October 18.

Mark Anthony Pineda and Johnson Tiburcio, both 3^rd year BSIT students, garnered 1^st and 2^nd place in the Photo Contest, respectively. Sarah Joy Rivera, a 4^th year Political Science student, clinched the 1^st place while John Jefferson Cristobal acquired the  2^nd place in the Essay Writing Contest. In the Poster Making Contest, Kathleen Sarmiento, 2^nd year, and Kenneth Garcia, 1^st year, both BSA students, took home the 1^st and 2^nd honors, respectively.

Also in line with this activity, a contest for Basic Education students, Slogan Making Contest for a Group, was also held. Mark Joseph Bautista, Lorena Ang, Michaela Javier, and Genesis Valdez ranked 1^st while John Michael Hipolito, Rhoselle Joseph, Mark John Gonzaga, and Daren Enriquez placed 2^nd.

According to AUSSG Vice President Kevin Ceddie Garcia, there should be two other contests, the Film Making and Yell contest but unfortunately, students did not join these contests. Krisia Aira Nicolas

Day Camp OVERLOAD

“Nothing money can buy can equal the value of the things we learned in the camp,” says Maricris Rufino, one of the participants of CAS Day Camp.

Day Camps are truly unique Araullian experiences very much anticipated by students: For them, the camp is wrapped up with the excitement of personal upliftment and the thrill of new adventures. The students embarked on their journey of self-discovery with the help from the Facilitators, staff and faculty of Araullo University-PHINMA specially trained to help students understand themselves better, and cope with University life: Edwin Siborboro, Maria Buena Magdalena Ruiz, Ana Kristel Cuevas, Toni Marie Punzalan, Evelyn Juliano, John Leabres, Salvador Collado Jr., Alex Ramirez, Frankie Sembrano, John Michael Esquivel, Mary Grace Ricio, Maui Panapanaan, Mark Santos, Ariane Cawed, Arvelo Vicente, Alexander Reyes, John Bernardino, Marphel De Lara and Darren Gonzales comprised the talented group.

Six colleges joined the camps which replaced the annual university fixture, Palarong au: cma had their respective Day Canps last September 12 (HRM), September 27 (BSBA), and October 9 (BSA); CAS on September 14; CON last September 26; COC on October 1, 2, and 3; COE last October 4; and CITE on October 5 and 12.

“I learned how to handle my stress. Though I am tired, I always bear a smile on my face; it is my way to inspire my students,” says Mr. Alexander Reyes, one of the facilitators of Day Camps. Truly, the Day Camp experience is beneficial to student-participants and facilitators alike.

The camp is the perfect environment for the students to learn about things they haven’t experienced before: It is an avenue for the students to excel and shine. Bringing the student-participants to face their fears, the camp also provides an exceptional opportunity for students to do things they think they can’t, and to labor to achieve their best.

Camp activities are geared to promote personal development, encourage students to step outside of their comfort zones, and help build leadership, communication, and cooperation skills. AU-PHINMA believes that the camps are instrumental for the holistic development of the studentry; a worthy replacement for the annual Palarong au, despite the cost and the extent of work entailed. Sweet Cel dela Cruz, Pauline Joy Gelacio

AU-PHINMA joins NGP culmination

Araullo University - PHINMA culminated the Green Project by participating in the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) – Nueva Ecija Chapter’s Oplan Broadcastreeing, as part of the National Greening Project (NGP) of DENR-CENRO. The said undertaking was held at the NGP Site, Sitio Bacao, Doña Josefa, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija last October 13.

Students from various university organizations participated in the said event: Araullo University Supreme Student Government (AUSSG), Araullo University Student Assistants Association (AUSAA), Araullo University Political Science Student Organization (AUPSSO), College of Education Student Council (COE-SC), PHINMA Scholars, and Presidential Scholars  comprised the group led by Alexis G. Ramirez, RGC. Nathan Neil Beronio

Mentors unite for Educ Fest

Themed as “Best Teachers for Good Education: A Possible Dream”, the respectable future teachers of the College of Education (COE) moved out of their comfort zones as they celebrated the annual Education Fest last October 5 and 6. According to COE-SC Governor Edward Rodriguez, the said event was conceptualized to foster camaraderie between the Education students, showcase their talents and skills, bolster their confidence, and give them a breather from the demands of university life.

A eucharistic mass was officiated at the AU Chapel in the morning of October 5, followed by talent competitions such as Talentadong Mentors and Education Idol; Academic competitions like Essay Writing, Declamation, Oration, Scrabble, Word Factory, Quiz Bee, and Poster Making were also held. The 6th Pinning and Candle Lighting Ceremony for seniors were held in the evening having Division Schools Superintendent of Cabanatuan City Dr. Esperanza Laya, CESO V as the guest speaker.

On the following day, men’s basketball and badminton comprised the sports competitions. The most awaited event, the pageant, was also held on the same day: Mr. Rex Almazan, 4th year, and Ms. Caselyn Javate, 3rd year, were crowned as Mr. and Ms. Education 2012. Education students got together and capped the celebrations with the children’s party-themed Education Night wherein pad paper and pencils served as entrance fee. The proceeds will be donated to the College’s adopted schools. Joanne Carla de Tumol