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Thursday, July 06, 2006
Speak out: New USC policies
By Ed Byron G. Monares
President, USC Supreme Student Council
On March 7, 2006, the USC administration imposed new policies such as uniforms for male students and those on cross-dressing, haircuts, and wearing of the university ID in the hope of promoting a Carolinian identity.
However, it is in the implementation of these policies that I, together with the USC-SSC 2006-2007, part with administration.
On May 27, 2006, Father President Roderick Salazar Jr. SVD, together with his cabinet members, held a meeting with us. During this meeting the SSC officers negotiated for the suspension of the said policies until after a university-wide referendum/survey, especially on the new uniform.
But after three hours of intense discussion, the school administration denied our request, reasoning out that the policies had been deliberated upon for a whole academic year last year with the SSC 2005-2006.
It was in this meeting that we found out that last year’s student council agreed with administration in implementing the said policies.
Now I would like to reiterate the SSC 2006-2007 position:
--On the uniform. Our stand is that identity is derived from the person wearing that decent piece of cloth and not the other way around. Our identity as individuals and as Carolinians goes beyond what we wear, and boils down to the very virtues that we possess.
If we really want to develop our distinct and unique identity as Carolinians, we must base this identity on the virtues inculcated to us by our Carolinian education, especially on our respect for human diversity.
--Policy against long hair. The Talamban Campus (TC) culture, known for long hair and dread locks, has been there ever since the campus was established. It has been the trademark of the Engineering, Architecture, and Fine Arts students for the longest time.
And they have proven time and again that long hair has no relation to academic excellence. TC has produced outstanding graduates, board topnotchers at that, some of them with long hair and dreadlocks.
A Carolinian identity must focus on academic excellence and cerebral development injected with Christian learning, not on how one looks physically.
--Policy on cross-dressing. This should be nullified for being vague. It did not dwell on specifics and merely mentions general classifications.
There are people who believe and feel they are women although they physically look like men. It is never their fault to be in such dilemma, and they have the same right to express themselves just like any other human beings.
With all these said, I as the president of the SSC, with all humility, request our policy makers to reason with us.
For as long as there are students who clamor for the suspension of these policies, for as long as there are students who are willing to give their all to stop the policies, and for as long as the SSC 2006-2007 is here, the light of hope will never cease.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 6, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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