MSU Turns Gold

Thursday, September 15, 2011

GENERAL SANTOS CITY - At the Golden Anniversary celebration of the Mindanao State University (MSU) System this year, MSU-General Santos City hints its other side of the academe: Music.

The system, founded in September 1, 1961, is composed of eleven campuses throughout Mindanao. Serving Mindanaoans for 50 years now, they are in unison with the theme: "Integrating People and Building Societies Through Quality Education in a Culture of Peace."

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At the peak of the two-week-long intramurals, MSUans showcased their musical ingenuity at the Battle of the Bands and songwriting competition Thursday night (September 8) at the campus gym. Fourteen bands across colleges joined the contest.

"Brilliant," singer/composer Eric Gancio exclaimed.

Eric Gancio is founder of the Yano Band that made its way magically to the top during the early 1990s. The Yano music, some of which are Banal Na Aso, Tsinelas, Kamusta Na, State U, Es Em, Senti, continues to live on in the societies of the young and the idealists who want change.

"We have to have a change of mentality for the positive," Gancio said before he began his repertoire as guest performer.

He would mean, as he would always say in a usual discourse, a change of perspective. The saga of his time has his own view of nation building. He said that music wise, MSU is a nation of its own making a national celebration of its music.

For Eric, it doesn't make a difference after all to be local or national, at least as an artist.

Championing the tilt was Ninja Turtles who had uniquely prepared for the night, even using the wide screen in trying to communicate through visuals images in the campus that jive with their chorus, "MSUan ako."

Second was the Tune-Up Band, and third was the Green Republic, an all-female band from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.

"We were able to compose that song because we are proud to be MSUans and we know we can do something good for the future," Green Republic band leader Erine Dejecacion revealed.

The band's entry "Posible" is a song depicting life in MSU as a student in search for knowledge and has the zeal to get involved.

Committee chair Professor Robert Pasion said it took patience to gather the bands for screening.

"I must provide them the guidance and some mechanics. This is a contest and they are bound to follow some rules. In everything else, they were on their own," Pasion said.

Smart Telecommunications, Inc. provided prizes for the winners. Smart has been supporting MSU in various university activities as part of its program for education. In tourism, Smart launched its Infoboard SIM in partnership with the Department of Tourism at the General Santos City Tuna Festival within the week.