Round up of changes

By Cheeno Luang

(Vol. XXVIII No. 1, Editorial Cartoon)

Apparently, most neophytes were too religious and excited to attend the first week of classes in Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) Main Campus I and II, and the System as a whole while many continuing and returning students did not even bother to set foot in class. Such are amongst the many noticeable episodes in the first few days of schooling in the institution. Aside from all of the first day blues and anticipations, there are other obvious sights and notable events that caught the attention of many students and even the community while producing different impressions and remarks.

One of the most noticeable sights in the university that dragged different reactions is the color red that is painted and highlighted on most buildings in the university. At first, it turned out to look awkward since the main colors of the buildings is believed to be based mainly from the NORSU hymn which is azure blue and lily white. The NORSU community felt anew given the idea that they are not used to the color red.

From the opening of the main gate will embrace colors white, blue, yellow, and red in the College of Law building when entering. University President Henry A. Sojor reasoned that said colors are actually based and inspired from the hue of the Philippine flag. However, Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Benjamin Valencia added that such were based in an old Chinese belief that color red is a sign of good luck and fortune.

But were those hues appropriate colors for a school building? Anyhow, no matter how colorful the buildings will be, what is more important is the promise of the acquisition of knowledge that the institution will provide to its students. Alongside the changes of the institution is the new enrollment system. It was first put into implementation this semester with College of Industrial Technology (CIT) as pilot college. The end result was claimed to be a success since long queues were lessened because encoding of subjects was done in the said college.

The plan was supposedly a departmental enrollment system where encoding will be done this time in the respective colleges. But requirements like computers, sufficient manpower, and proper venue were not met by most colleges that was why the first plan was cancelled. Inquiries were raised: What happened to the many computers promised to be bought? Why not mobilize the many students and other faculty and staff for the manpower? Why not utilize vacant spaces of the respective colleges’ buildings? These are only queries that need to be answered and at a point a suggestion for the concerned officials to do something. The only thing that remains is the hope that the departmental enrollment system will aid the longtime problem of queuing.

Another transformation of NORSU is the changing of the name of then College of Technology Education (CTE) now to College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM). Together with the new name of the college is the transfer of courses – BS Tourism from the College of Arts and Sciences is now part of the CTHM programs while then CTE technology courses namely Bachelor of Technology Education, BS Aviation Maintenance, and Diploma of Technology are now moved to the CIT. According to Sojor, the transfer of courses was set so that concerned colleges can offer relevant programs. He continued that this will also help students acquire better skills since facilities and equipment of courses are available at the new assigned college.

If transferring of courses can provide students better acquirement of knowledge and skills, why is it that some of the technology students from then CTE now CTHM are already having problems that include difficulty in room assignment, conflict in subject schedules, and professors to teach their major subjects? It might as well be a good move if the administration had prepared some plans before implementing such action.

However, some of the many changes in the university are worth-praising and commendable. These items might have negative effects, as expected in every new implementation; but there are still positive outcomes as well. What matters most is how these changes are being held, handled, and addressed properly. More to go with round up of changes!

Hopefully

By Paul Anthony Eso

(Vol. XXVII No. 29, Editorial Cartoon)

Hopefully

Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) has been known as a university that has the longest queues during enrollment. This is because of two reasons: the large number of students and the poor enrollment system.

Enrollment in NORSU has always been spiced up with complaints and irritations since time immemorial. Well, who would not? Early in the morning, the closed entrance of some offices in the university are already flocked with stressed faces of patient and impatient students who sacrificed waking up at dawn and going to school just to gain a front turn in a long line. Complaints and murmurs would usually arise. At the height of the grumbles and mumbles, some personnel come in late, move like there is still ample time to chill and relax, and leave the office early with plenty of reasons in hand. In the lateness of the hour, they begin marking and stapling papers and unnecessary documents and tell the students to go to the other line for completion. Outside, one can hear the eerie voices of babbling and cursing mouths due to the inconsideration and favoritism of some criminology students and staff on-duty. Others also exchange unpleasant words after allowing a late friend to insert in the never-ending line.

Unfortunately, though most students come to school before sunrise, it is next to impossible for them to be enrolled on the same day because after finishing one long line, other long queues await the following day.

These scenarios had been the common setting during the past enrollment period. Every Norsunian endured hardships just to be enrolled on time.

In the past years, the Office of the University Registrar has been working so hard to bring a stress-free and a better enrollment system for the university. And indeed, improvements were seen in the past years. From the manual enrollment system which could turn everyone impatient because of the seemingly endless long queues, it leveled up into a full-swing computerized enrollment system. The computerized scheme had somehow made the enrollment of this university a little better compared to the past years.

But just as when we thought the computerized enrollment is already the answer, we then realized that it was only better than the past systems but it was not good enough for this university. Problems and complaints continue to arise. Lines are still long. This is because computerized enrollment could only gratify 1, 200 students every day.

University Registrar Reymil Cadapan, upon seeing the annual dilemma of the students during enrollment, proposed a departmental enrollment system to the NORSU administration which could not only help lessen the burdensome sight of complaining students but will also help deans evaluate students’ grades easily. This idea got a big ‘yes’ from the university president with a word that the departmental enrollment system will be implemented next enrollment period. Also, the deans and the students responded positively to Cadapan’s suggestion and promised for their support, seeing that the whole enrollment issue has disturbed and brought discomfort to many.

After years of witnessing the same problem during the enrollment, hopefully NORSU will have a good enrollment system this time. If the departmental enrollment system will push through, it is expected that the coming enrollment will have a smooth flow.

Hopefully, it will be realized and give Norsunians an easier enrollment. A better enrollment system will create a new positive name for the school. A better enrollment system will lessen the students’ burdens. Hopefully, the departmental enrollment is already the answer for the quest of a better enrollment system.

A touch of apathy and ignorance

By Cheeno Luang

(Vol. XXVII No. 28, Editorial Cartoon)

A touch of apathy and ignorance

The recently concluded Student Government of Dumaguete City (SGDC) I and II national and local elections have demonstrated the indifference of the majority of Norsunians to select their leaders. The votes for every candidate in different positions were tallied and elected officials were already announced. But, the bigger number of Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) student population in SGDCI totally snubbed the polls.

Unlike SGDCII elections, SGDCI had registered a lower turnout of voters. MCI Committee on Elections (Comelec) results revealed that there was only 33.91 percent or 1,872 of the 5,522 SGDCI student population that have exercised their right of suffrage. Of the five colleges permitted to vote, the February 26 national and local polls became a subject of skepticism because most students just ignored the elections – if that was such.

One of the perennial problems of the SGDCI for so long a time now is the less participated, if not snubbed, elections - an election that is as silent as a desert, an election that never was. Most of the local elected officials were uncontested and if opposed, there were only two or three candidates that vied for the different electoral positions. However, for the SG topmost seats, there were two candidates for the presidency, while the vice-presidential position was uncontested.

More than that, the College of Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Allied Health Sciences (CNDPAHS) had no candidates in any of the national and local electoral positions and in the end, have not cast their votes. According to Comelec, the students have no interest to join in student politics because most of them were concentrating in their studies.

Questions were raised if the information-dissemination campaign for the polls were done. But, Comelec claimed that they have done their part in circulating posters on bulletin boards of every college that contain information on the filing of candidacy and the date of the election. The commission cited in defense that most Norsunians just did not mind reading the announcement. The Comelec added that many students have no concern on exercising their right to vote.

On the other hand, there was an electoral forum conducted. It is aimed to educate students on the voting process and to know their bets more. But then again, it became an election campaign. Most of the candidates, as expected, laid their platforms and plans.

In such case, there were reasons why those things happened– reasons like no support from the faculty and staff, and even the candidates’ families. Subsequently, outgoing student-leaders have not come to think of leadership training to their probable successors. It just proposes that some of the incumbent officials have no concern to what will happen to the next administration. Others might also claim that they have done one, but the query remains – have they done it smoothly and honestly?

This only proves that Norsunians have no interest on SG matters and affairs. On the other side of the coin, most students just complain and only criticize the SG administration. But have they come to realize that they chose that student-leader? Or have they ever remembered to cast a vote? Realizations come in the end but the problem comes over and over again if students will not make a move by participating in SG elections.

CNDPAHS students might be busy with their studies but are the other colleges not? If a simple casting of vote becomes a problem in SGDC, how much more outside the school – the Philippine political battle? If students could not exercise their right of suffrage in NORSU, how could they ever go for the May 2010 polls?