The Value of THE UP Experience

First published 6 June 2008
The Manila Standard Today
INTEGRATIONS
Maya Baltazar Herrera
Voyage 


The value of the UP Experience

There are no children here

This week, I went to a meeting at the UP School of Economics and I came
away with renewed belief in the value of the UP experience.

If you speak to anyone from UP – student, professor, alumnus - you will get
no Latin slogans or apologies about how the school teaches values in spite
of its outward materialism. This is not a student population that thinks
about
basketball games or memorizes school songs. This is not a school that
chooses one statement to drill into the minds of its students.

This is not, of course, to say that UP does not care about values. It is
that
UP, in its own inimitable way, believes that values cannot be force-fed.
The statue of the naked man that guards the entrance to the campus in
Diliman best represents UP's approach to all education and the respect for
students that is the center of its educational philosophy. All who come to
this university, regardless of origin, bring themselves naked, carrying
nothing
but their thirst; like the proverbial empty teacup, making an offering of
self,
waiting to be filled.

Adults

For many students from private schools, the first lesson that is learned
here is that this is a school for adult education. There are no children
here,
and that is why no parents are allowed either at freshman orientation or
during enlistment.

The spirit of the oblation lies not in a mother or a father offering up his
child to the world, it is that of the newly adult, freely offering of his
self.

I remember quite vividly that moment that drove home how different the
UP education continues to be. It was my daughter's first semester in
university and she had invited a group of her high school friends to our
house. One of them asked a classmate whether she had gotten her parents
permission form approved for that weekend's outreach activity. From the
UP population around the table came the mock horrified responses of:
"Permission? " and "Outreach?"

I thought about it and realized that all of these students were, in fact,
legally adults. I thought it interesting that only the UP students appeared
to appreciate this fact.

Even more interesting was the "outreach" comment. I think back to my own
university years and the last three years that my daughter has been in UP
and am certain there is no lack of civic activity. There are medical
missions, house building projects, tree planting, community work and barrio
work and so on. I realize now that the reaction was not to the activity as
much as it was to the use of the word.

One of the most important differences of the UP campus from all the other
campuses my children considered going to is that this campus has no walls.
Many parents fear this. They are afraid their precious children will not be
protected from the ills of society in a campus that is so open to the rest
of
the world.

But UP is open to the world in more ways than just not having the physical
walls.

Community

Being in UP means much more than being a student. This campus is
enmeshed in a community. This community is made up not only of the
transient population of students who go home each night. It includes the
many,
many students who lay their heads on dorm pillows each night, enduring time
away from families in the firm belief that this campus will bring them
closer to
their dreams. This community includes the families of faculty and employees
who live on campus. It also includes the many people who work not for the
University, but nevertheless work on campus. This community includes the
lady who remembers the brand of cigarette you smoke and automatically
hands it to you in the morning. It includes the gentleman who remembers you
like pepper on your egg sandwich or the one who knows you will dip your fish
balls into two of his sauces, who patiently waits for you to eat your three
sticks before being paid. It includes the woman who saw all her children
through college by selling peanuts every day on campus.

To a UP student, the daily heartbeat of the school is never far away from
the realities of the country. The word outreach suggests that civic activity
is
something outside of the normal, something you do once in a while. It must
be
immensely difficult to think of community as a thing apart when your campus
experience brings you face to face with all of the world's realities every
day.

Character

All of this probably explains that unmistakable sense of self that you will
find from students who come from this campus.

Here is a campus where all have the same opportunities to learn. But also,
here is a campus that will give all the same opportunities to fail. There
are no
guidance counselors who will chase after you because you have been skipping
classes. The attitude this university takes is that you must take the
initiative –
for learning, for seeking help, for realizing you need help.

That is not to say that no help exists. But it is help that is not forced
upon you.

This is a university rich in both introspection and conversation. On this
campus,
the student is constantly exposed to people – faculty, administrators,
community
members, other students – who care deeply and passionately about the world.
The conversations are almost never purely cerebral. A single graph can
provoke
comments about government policy and its effects on people.

As a result, UP is home to a student population that looks at the world and
cares.
It is easy to see pictures of protesting students and dismiss it as
radicalism. But
there are few campuses in this country where students go beyond a passing
curiosity
about what is happening in the world beyond their own lives. There are even
fewer
universities where students not only care but also actually believe they
have a
responsibility to make a difference – not in some hazy future – today.

And that, I believe, is what truly forges character. Character is not molded
by
speeches or long classes in ethics or theology. Character grows from within.
It
begins by being handed the keys to your own self and being told you are in
charge;
you now have power over yourself and your own actions – and with that power,
you
take on responsibilities.

Each student in this university goes through his own unique voyage of
discovery.
On his voyage, as he decides what he cares about, what he will fight for and
what
he will sacrifice, he crafts his own personal values. That is what education
is truly about.


---I LOVE THIS LINE:

"The conversations are almost never purely cerebral." -i agree, esp neuro

It's been ages since I last posted here.

Much like an abandoned sanctuary.

Oooh. soo many comments.

tsktsk.

kill!

I'll be reviving this pretty soon.

weeeh. konting tiis na lang tapos na ang classes! haha. just a lil more waiting to do! the past few weeks was crazy.. hehe. last weekend we watched 300. ang cool tlga! tpos, last nyt i watchd music and lyrics.. grabe na LSS ako sa song! hehe. anyway.. nung thursday kina Val kami natulog bcause we had to practice for KARATE! haha. everybody's kungfu fighting.! woohoo.heheh. and guess what. after some technical problems... at nagpa burn pa kami ng cd for 60 bux,, aun naka 95 din kami sa presentation namin! haha. tapos we went to AS watch kami ng finals ng ibang dance na PE ang cute. hehe parang talent show! hehe. aun then we went back to PGH nagpa xray kami ni KAMBAL at BOTTLE. haha. laf3p sabi ko pareho kami ng bra ni mitchie eh nakalimutan ko andun nga pala ung mga xray technicians na mga guys pa tlga.. tawa cla ng tawa. heheh. wla lang.. aun.. finals na sa anat sa tuesday! yeeepee. ehhe. tapos sa thursday  dito kami sa laguna ,matutulog! haha. ewan ko nga kng san ko sila papatulugin eh. haha.

here we goo!!! eto ang mga nangyari d past year... ( thanks bez enemeeh!! love you!)

survey about the past year:

PLACES:
1) PLACE YOU HUNG OUT THE MOST IN THIS YEAR:
rob, OSA office, McDo, BookSale, Cinemas in Rob

2) FAVORITE NEW PLACE YOU DISCOVERED:
PAOTSIN!!! ang sarap ng food grabe!!!

3) PLACES YOU WENT ON DATES:
rob, greenbelt.. ahhihihih.

4) FAVORITE VACATION SPOT FOR THE YEAR:
ako ang babaeng walang pahinga

5) PLACES YOU MADE OUT IN (OR MORE) THIS YEAR:
sa ano.. hahahah!!

PEOPLE:
1) PERSON/S WHO TAUGHT YOU ALOT THIS YEAR:
si MASTER ELOI genius!

2) AN OLD FRIEND YOU REDISCOVERED THIS YEAR:
grabe naman.. hehe.wala.

3) PERSON/S WHO TOLD YOU THE NICEST THING ABOUT YOURSELF:
mga boilalu. ah...si RAMIE ANNE!!! hehe

4) PERSON WHO DID SOMETHING REALLY GREAT FOR YOU (AND WHAT):
si kuya.. bday parteee!!!

5) PERSON YOU SPENT THE MOST TIME WITH THIS YEAR:
Earth Worms Cards Society

6) PERSON YOU DID SOMETHING REALLY GREAT FOR (AND WHAT):
wala ata. haha.

7) SOMEONE YOU WISHED YOU TALKED TO THIS YEAR:
wala. i met him already!!

SOMEONE WHOM YOU STARTED A GREAT NEW FRIENDSHIP WITH:
Therese and mga OSA people!

9) OLD ENEMY/S YOU MADE PEACE WITH THIS YEAR:
wala naman ako nakaka away eh...

10) SOMEONE YOU LOST THIS YEAR:
tito jimmy.

11) PERSON/S YOU KISSED THIS YEAR:
MARAMI. --> NOT MY BOY FRIENDS HA. HAHAHAHA

12) PERSON WHO MADE YOU LAUGH THE MOST:
BEANS. MYKA

13) PERSON WHO MADE YOU CRY:
hai..wala na.. binaon ko na sa baul!

14) PERSON/S WHO YOU DISLIKE WHEN THE YEAR BEGAN BUT ENDED UP BECOMING GOOD FRIENDS WITH:
no body. wala akong kaaway.

15) PERSON YOU HAD A CRUSH ON THE ENTIRE YEAR:
si CHAA!!! crush of all time!!! last year pa nga ata eh!

16) SOMEONE YOU WISHED YOU APOLOGIZED TO:
no one.

17) PEOPLE YOU WENT OUT ON DATES WITH:
too many to mention..

1 FRIENDS YOU WENT OUT WITH ALOT:
earthworms and taong faura..

19) COOLEST PERSON YOU MET THIS YEAR:
si boypren IGGY ang boypren nang bayan! damn gwapooo!!!

STUFF:
1) CLOTHING ITEM YOU WORE MOST THIS YEAR:
mga tshirt dress..hehe.

2) NICEST PRESENT/S YOU GOT THIS YEAR:
casssssshhh...

3) FAVORITE SONG FOR THE YEAR:
a-ramalamalama-kadingky-kadingky-dong!

4) COOLEST EVENT/S FOR THE YEAR:
talent show!!!

5) NEW HOBBY YOU PICKED UP THIS YEAR:
dating!!! haha.

6) BEST BOOK/S OF THE YEAR:
bio books of AV HALLARE!!

7) BEST MOVIE/S:
happy feet--> i love!!!, silent hill, step up, at kung ano ano pang movie...

MOST SHOCKING NEWS HEADLINE OF THE YEAR:
(elise tama ka!!!!) --> PAK XET! GUILTY SI SMMITH?! MALANDI KA NICOLE!

9) FAVORITE FOOD FOR THE YEAR:
mcdugal pa rin!!!

10) FAVORITE NEW ARTIST THAT CAME OUT THIS YEAR:
up dharma down ---> agree!!!

LESSONS:
1) WISEST THING YOU DID THIS YEAR:
saved it!

2) STUPIDEST THING YOU DID THIS YEAR:
those guys.. ick!

3) BIGGEST CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE THIS YEAR:
naka uniform na kami!!!!!

4) BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF THE YEAR:
passing bio and the majors! damn!

5) SOMETHING YOU LEARNED THE HARD WAY:
mag aral mag aral mag aral! u faild chem na di ka pa rin nadala!!!!

6) GREATEST LESSON YOU LEARNED ABOUT:
uhmm.. too many to mention!!!

7) BEST JOKE YOU'VE HEARD ALL YEAR:
PIRATES OF CARRIEDO!, CELLPHONE: CAN NOT BE REACHED

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR:
tumaba ako langhiya!

9) BIGGEST BLESSING OF THE YEAR:
oooh. a lot. pero may pahabol talaga.. DEC 20!!! love it!

10) BIGGEST THING YOU DISCOVERED ABOUT THE WORLD:
it's mean

11) BIGGEST THING YOU DISCOVERED ABOUT PEOPLE IN GENERAL:
adjust adjust adjsut

AND LASTLY:
1) GOALS/DREAMS FOR THE NEW YEAR:
pumasa kahit 3 lang!!!

2) PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEXT YEAR:
ooohhh... sana naman.. makita ko na DGR mates ko.. ahihi. 2 years na!!!!!! 

ooh. waiit. i've got another word that i just learned for the day! haha. it's abdominoplast.. actually it's one of those they call tummy tuck jobs. Hey in fairness, a lot of actresses here in the Philippines get one of those and they're actually not ashamed of it! hehe. now.. again i wonder.. ads in the states would probably look like christmas offer : tummy tuck in San Jose or something like that.. but how bout here in the philippines? tangaling ang bilbil ni mang jose! hahahah. just a piece of my mind.. 

tummy tuck in San Jose

tummy tuck in San Jose

back to the toronto plastic surgery thing..haha. i really can't get over it. hmm. if you were to have a plastic surgery..what 'job' would you have? a nose job? boob job? hmm.. probably if i were to have one i would like a...boob job. hahahah! no really im serious. but i dont want any of those watermelon sizes! hehe.. oh and probably a liposuction?! heehe. goodbye fatz!

oh and by the way... another thought in my mind here, in rob there are a lot of gays  walking around looking like supermodels! I mean they look damn great! like they're real women or something! Hehe. maybe in the states they do it into places like Toronto Plastic Surgery or something like that.. but how about here in manila? hmm.. i wonder. would it be something like "PLASTIKAN NI ALING ISING" hahaha.
just pouring out my thoughts...

it's really depressing here in the phils. espescially the past few weeks when a lot of storms have hit the country. sometimes i wonder, how people like Bill Gates, George Lindemann Sr., and all the other tycoons and out there have a life like? haha. I remember when me and my college frnds talk about graduating..and getting rich.. we imagine the stuff we would probably be doing like..

SHOPPING
GETTING THE HOTTEST AND NEWEST PHONES
HAVING A CAR..AND A CHAUFFER
DONATING A BUILDING IN UP MANILA... "FAITH TAYTAY HALL" or something like that..

haha. wisshful thinking!!!

George Lindemann Sr.

in my previous post, i was talking bout rhinoplasty, well.,..it just came over to me that a lot of people are getting plastic surgery nowadays. One site i saw was on Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery where you could see before and after pics of their patients. It's really amazing sometimes to see their transformation via those pictures! hehe. But of course  those kind of operations would really cost a lot.

Last night, i sent a message to a wrong recepient. Apparently the message was for 'some one' but then I accidentally sent it to my aunt. Too bad. I'm so dead. haha. Actually iniiwasan ko nga ngaun si tita eh! lagot tlga ako! hahaha. huli. as in huli talaga!

oooh.. gossip girl! hehe. This is like a celebrity gossip of some sort. hehe I'm the celeb! and when my family members would interrogate me... i'd say.. "we're just friends" oh? diba? showbiz! haha. ai naku.. i'm so absent minded talga! i have no idea what i was thinking when i sent that message! I pressed cancel but too bad the message was still sent! I AM OFFICIALLY DEAD MEAT.