Ateneo de Manila's Sanggunian ng mga Mag-Aaral sa mga Paaralang Loyola along with the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo and its constituents is very political, if I may say. COA has several clusters and the Issue and Policy Analysis Cluster together with the Sanggunian are the ones who usually make noise.

The Ateneo Debate Society and CRUSADA are the ones who are usually inclined in arguing with whatever policy the Sanggunian accepts, rejects and imposes.Allow me not to beat around the bush. I personally think that  ADS as an organization and CRUSADA as a major political party in the Loyola Schools are a hegemon. As obvious as it may seem, although these groups do not have a direct power over the students and the community in most instances they always have a say on something. And whenever these groups release statements they never fail to shake the community with their eloquence and wit. Even the administration can not get away from the issues thrown at them. It is amazing how these group get to be on top of the others. Hegemony is behind this. The ADS and CRUSADA as student groups could easily shape the other groups although they do not have a power over the Sanggunian and its constituents.

So you see, one does not necessarily need to have the power to govern over the people just to influence them. One has to obtain a certain status in society or in a community in order to influence people without having the power to govern.

"Beyond Ideas"

In freshman year, I joined various organizations--those that I like, those that I was invited to join and those that I think are necessary as a SOM student. One of the many organizations I joined was the Association for Communications Technology Management, ACTM in short. The primary reason why I joined it is because it is my home organization and there will definitely be perks in joining my home organization.

Come sophomore year, I realized that it would be such a waste of time for me to just keep on joining organizations without really taking part in its implementation and projects. So, I decided to apply as the project head of one of the projects. Luckily, my application was accepted. Of course, after it was accepted, we had our planning seminar."Buti nalang nag apply ako...", I told myself. For without applying, I wouldn't know the heart of being an ACTM member. I wouldn't know the rationale why the group established a home organization.

As course mates, we share the same culture. We share the same world of being tech-savvy. And this little world we share is the reason why this organization has been established. Since the members already have a common ground it is way easier to form the members. This unknown culture gave way to establishing the organization and strengthening the bond between the course mates and the members themselves.

Structures Can Kill, Too!

OSA is such a pain in the ass. OSA is a pain in the ass. OSA is a pain in the ass. Ad Infinitum.

This is blog version number 2 of Structuration theory and this time let me give emphasis on how rules and guidelines could kill. The first line above is starting to become my mantra and I really hope it changes…ASAP!

I don’t hold a grudge against rules, well in fact I like setting rules. I see the point that OSA has to be very careful about the whole formation thing Ateneo is honing the organizations and events to be but come on, they’re trying so hard that there are times the Ateneo formation is becoming “pilit” and not formation at all. It’s like leaning towards dictatorship that it has to be this and it has to be that because that’s what Ateneo formation is and not leaning towards formation itself.

OSA is such a pain in the ass. OSA is a pain in the ass. OSA is a pain in the ass. Ad Infinitum.

This is blog version number 2 of Structuration theory and this time let me give emphasis on how rules and guidelines could kill. The first line above is starting to become my mantra and I really hope it changes…ASAP!

I don’t hold a grudge against rules, well in fact I like setting rules. I see the point that OSA has to be very careful about the whole formation thing Ateneo is honing the organizations and events to be but come on, they’re trying so hard that there are times the Ateneo formation is becoming “pilit” and not formation at all. It’s like leaning towards dictatorship that it has to be this and it has to be that because that’s what Ateneo formation is and not leaning towards formation itself.

Here’s the story of our theme. The group came up with this super cool theme which we see fit for the current situation of the Ateneo community. So, before we presented to the Loyola Schools Vice Presidents’ Council, we consulted OSA first. And while we were on the course of discussing this, OSA agreed to look over us. The office asked us to put higher sense on our objective and everything just became very philosophical. After we came up with an objective of higher sense, we presented it to Dean Ang, our faculty mentor. And to cut the long story short, he made us revise the objective again because it’s like we’re shooting two birds with one stone and it’s would be difficult to do it especially we just started the college fair. We went back to where we started, presented it to OSA then presented it to the VPLS and BOOM! We got the approval J

Let me clarify my points here. What I’m saying is it is okay to have rules and of course to follow rules we just don’t need to exaggerate it. I’m not a hater of OSA, I’m just saying that there are instances which happens this way and all we have to do is assert what we really think is right besides, we really don’t need to put philosophical stuff on all aspects J

See-I-Pee

Structuration is the process by which systems are produced and/or reproduced thru members’ use of rules and guidelines.

 Before I proceed with the story, allow me to give you a bit of background about the Ateneo fair. There had been a fair about three decades ago in the Loyola Schools but unfortunately, it had to stop its operation and the reason until now is yet to be confirmed. The first theory is because during that time, there had been a financial crisis in the Philippines which made it not possible to have a fair; the second theory is that it was during Marcos’s regime as the dictator in the country so everyone was repressed and last, it was not a very good time to celebrate as an LS community because of the societal turmoil due to Macos’s regime.

So, as the Secretary-General of the task force, I say that it is not easy reviving the fair especially because we are the ones setting up the foundation of the Ateneo fair culture. We initially do not have rules and guidelines in establishing it except that we have to consult to the student body, then to the administration and we also have to talk to different offices. Yes, hassle it is.

Along with reviving the college fair tradition, it is not only crucial to create a plausible impact to the community but it is crucial to start a clear backbone of guidelines and rules on how the college fair will operate. Although we certainly will follow the guidelines of the different offices of the Ateneo we will still have to create guidelines on what to do and not to do but more than that we also have to properly create the structure of the fair. I’m not saying that what we are doing right now must also be done for the rest of the fair but at least be able to come up with the guidelines which will serve as the backbone of the fair and will still allow inputs based on the evaluation stage and in the near future. The team is in a way struggling with its internal procedures although the group is okay with doing the project itself.

The Ateneo College Fair Code of Internal Procedures is on progress. Hopefully, it will serve its purpose well for the core team as well as in properly implementing the project.  J KTHNXBYE! :D

WE, Think

It’s been more than a year now since we crafted the college fair. Alas, after months of planning, talking to various student bodies and consulting most if not all administrative offices, the Loyola Schools Vice President’s Council finally approved the project. The Ateneo College Fair Task Force is the official student body dedicated to the planning and executing the college fair. Originally, the group was mainly composed of Management Engineering students but now, it’s more diverse and less prone to groupthink.

As West and Turner puts it, “Groupthink is defined as a way of deliberating that group members use when their desire for unanimity overrides their motivation to assess all available plan of action.” And as how I see it, groupthink is way more dangerous than how it seems.

The Ateneo College Fair have gone through several approvals from the Sanggunian ng mga Mag-Aaral ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila Central Board—both last year’s and this year’s—, to the first ever House of Representatives—which was composed of all Block and Course Representatives and several student groups—, to the Office of Student Activities—which they themselves call it a slaughterhouse because of the very bloody assessment and planning stages— and lastly to the VP’s Council. These approvals were never “bara-bara.” And although the diversity of the members of the task force could be justified by the affiliations of its members, in a way, have not been saved from the detriments of groupthink.

Even before the group was approved, the group decided, although subconsciously, that the main goal was to get an approval no matter what. On the first two presentations to the Sanggunian, the college fair was denied although the task force remained intact. But during the third Sanggunian presentation, there seemed to be a change of heart. The Sanggunian finally approved the college fair. Along with its approval were four specific points were also granted. After several weeks, Drew made a statement to the Guidon and to our surprise what he was trying to say was that the Ateneo College Fair is NOT a Sanggunian project but has granted an institutional support to the group. Quite weird, huh? But here’s what’s more interesting, the Sanggunian gets to decide where the profit of the college fair will be. Now, that’s weirder.

This is one of the what-the-fuck moments of the task force, if I may say. We were caught up in quite a biased ruling. They have given the college fair an institutional support but it’s not a Sanggunian project and they get to decide where the profit would go. This I think is due to groupthink. The task force wanted an approval and got it but not realizing that the deliberation for approval was biased. The task force accepted the conditions for approval without considering other options.

When we presented to the Office of Student Activities, this issue has been brought up. The OSA talked to us about it and when we went out of the office, we were like “What the hell? What were we thinking when we got the approval?” It took us several more meetings to settle it.

Indeed, groupthink is a pain in the ass. We have to first be critical on what we want before we actually go with it. We’re not supposed to just go with the flow and be okay with the conditions on what we got. 

Last Friday Night

“Oh come on! It’s a party!”

Yesterday, Raiyne celebrated her 18^th birthday in Fiamma along Jupiter Street, Makati City. I was super hyped up the week before the day of the celebration since it’s going to be my first time in Fiamma. Based on the pictures, which I saw when someone posts on facebook, Fiamma is a bar which really is for the classy people.

Francis, Ian, Mae and I met at EDSA Shangri-La before we went to look for the hotel Raiyne rented. We left the mall at around 8pm expecting that the ride will only take 30-45 minutes since the mall’s quite near the hotel. While Francis was driving, we talked and reminisced about the scandalous events in Laguna during our block’s summer outing. We were quite confident in going to Makati because the three of us already searched for the place in Google Maps until Francis noticed that we were going the wrong way. We should have u-turned already but unfortunately, the car went up the skyway so we had to take the u-turn slot after the skyway. In short, it took us quite some time to figure out which way to go. The three of us noticed that Francis, block’s Logistics point-person and definitely our close friend, was already tired because of the long drive.

“Kung hindi lang ‘to mabait, ewan ko nalang kung ano na nangyari sa atin,” one of us said. It took quite a while before I realized what he meant. I asked myself several times, what’s in it for him, aside from the fact that he’s also invited to the party. He wasn’t and isn’t supposed to drive us just to attend Raiyne’s debut but he still did it.

From the hotel to Fiamma, same thing happened. The place was just a 10-15-minute ride but it took us almost an hour to get there. “Nahihiya nga ako sainyo eh, dapat nandun na kayo nag-paparty na rin kasama sila,” he mentioned when we tried to make the atmosphere light. “E mas nahihiya nga kami sayo, kapagod kaya mag-drive,” was what we replied.

I felt the excitement as we entered Fiamma—loud music playing, everyone’s dancing, glasses are everywhere. Ian, Mae and I decided to get our drinks since most of our block mates already did; some even had three glasses already. We went back to the table and talked. As I was seated there, my eyes were all over the place. I was curious to see what was happening to the place. Little did I know that my sociologist-wanna-be subconscious have already taken over me. Seconds after, I found myself roaming around and searching for people whom I know.

Luckily, I found one. Cheng was there. He was my English-literature block mate for three semesters. We talked a bit. And I got the chance to ask him what he was doing there. And when his reaction was like -_-, I decided to ask whether he’s usually in Fiamma. He said yes. Before I left, I noticed the girl he was with, probably his girlfriend.

I continued with my quest to search the place. I noticed that there were “bouncers” who were guarding the staircase to the second floor. When I reached our table, I couldn’t help but to look for the answer. Sadly, I failed. Although, the answer could have been one of the many reasons and scenarios which it thought of.

It was midnight when the crowd has gone wild. Seeing these people dance—male to female, female to female—in front of me made me feel awkward or is it really still considered dancing? After several minutes, most of them were snugging even if they hardly know each other. After several minutes, some left the one they were originally snugging with. And others even had new partners.

Others say that when someone’s drunk, he isn’t aware of what he is doing but I claim otherwise. When someone’s drunk he definitely knows what he’s doing although he thinks everything he does is justifiable because he is drunk. This could be what the mindset of most of the people in Fiamma was. Other’s expected to merely have fun. While some had different plans on enjoying the night and whatever it was, everything boils down to the theory of Social Exchange. Everyone planned how they are going to introduce themselves with someone. Everyone prepared actions and gestures should they need it when they want to reject someone. Everyone estimated how they are going to deal with other people. Everyone had their own expectations whether they’re usually there or it’s their first time. Everyone is affected with the outcome of how they communicated with the people they hate and want. This is social exchange. You calculate how you are going to present yourself because in return you want to get a positive response but others fail to do so. The reason why they get disappointed in a way and also the rationale why others prepare a contingency plan should there be flaws.

Here is Katy Perry’s recent music video about Friday night which definitely gives a preview of what happened last Friday night :P Enjoy watching!

"Social Smoking"

Everything is socially constructed. You are socialized in society. You learn the values that come along with it as you grow up.
-Professor Jayeel Cornellio, Introduction to Sociology and Anthropology 21

Both my grandmother and my dad, who I used to grow up with, smoke. Yet, as I grew older, they taught me not to because it is bad; it even says “WARNING: Smoking is dangerous to your health” in the cigarette packs. Years have gone by; they both got sick because of smoking. According to my dad’s doctor, a puss was starting to build-up in his throat while smoking was one of the reasons why my grandmother is having health complications.

This is my uber cool grandma who allowed us to take a picture of her while "drinking" a year ago. 

 Since elementary, I’ve learned how to socialize with people. In grade five, I have been elected as grade-level representative having no knowledge that I actually won the elections; I only knew about it when I was called to the stage and mentioned as the grade-level representative. After which, I’ve worked with fellow students and faculty members to accomplish projects for the betterment of the school and my constituents.

In high school, I’ve been very active in co-curricular activities. Interact Club of Metro Sorsogon sponsored by the Rotary Club of Metro Sorsogon was one of my many organizations which helped me socialize with people and opened my eyes to the reality our community is facing. General Assemblies, Social Nights, Parties, Induction Nights, Seminars name it; I’ve been there and worked with different kinds of people from chain smokers, heavy drinkers, corporate people and many more. Yet they are way too different when they go to these events than the way they actually behave in daily lives.

 With the Rotaract Club of Metro Sorsogon and Interact Club of Metro Sorsogon Officers during the induction ceremony.

From left to right. Rotaract officer, Mark Jamisola (President), Jocelle Mutia (Vice-President), Lovella Borbe (Secretary) and Robert Labalan (Finance Officer).

When I got here in Manila where smog is almost everywhere, I blamed smokers because of it. I even rejoiced when I heard that smoking pockets in Ateneo where shut down. During my whole stay in Ateneo, I met and socialized with various peers from my real block mates to En-Lit block mates.

With my lovely block, Block R ♥.

With my English-Literature block mates and Dr. Carol Nuñez, Sem1, 1st year.

There seems to be one night which I consider to be the turning point of my life in the issue of smoking and socializing. We ate dinner as a block somewhere in Katipunan then decided to go to one of our block mate’s house to drink. We played a drinking game called circle of death and it seemed that all the shot glasses were aimed at me. An hour or two passed and I finished one long-neck Matador bottle all to myself; thanks to my block mates who planned it all along and I just knew about it the day after. On the same night, I was so drunk yet I still managed to go the front porch and noticed two of my block mates smoking. I went there without planning to even try smoking yet one of them offered and said “Here, try this.” I don’t know what the devil was on my mind and without hesitation, I tried. And they said my first puff was wrong, “You’re faking it.” They told me told me to inhale ‘til the smoke gets into my throat and expel it out after. I did it. The feeling was different; it was soothing and I felt relieved.  

The days after, the line I drew from smoking slowly got blurry because of socializing. For me, it’s okay to smoke as long as you do it not because your body wants it rather because in a way, it helps you in dealing with people. Besides in the corporate world, I’d be having deals with some smokers and smoking with them will help in sealing the deal. “Pakisama” as they call it.  

In Comm 11, we tackled cognitive dissonance theory which in a way explains why we still tend to do something even if we know its risks. I compromised the risks of smoking and in a way, my health (which I think will have minimal and curable drawbacks), to socialize with more people.

Yes, I am one of those people who are aware that smoking is bad for the health yet I do it rarely. Besides, smoking one or two cigarettes won’t hurt. :P

One of the many ways to tell people to stop smoking. :)

DISCLAIMER: I rarely smoke.