Of Responsibility and Discipline

By Arvin V. Rodriguez

(Vol.XXX  Issue No. 3, Editorial Cartoon)

For an institution like the Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) whose actual training ground for students are held within the country and the scope of engaging in the definite world focuses on local involvement, perhaps holding an on-the-job training (OJT) abroad is a splendid avenue to develop one’s ability better. 

Just recently, companies from Malaysia and Singapore, through Southland College Vice President for International Cooperation and Research Vince Sinining and University President Henry A. Sojor, came up with an idea of sending NORSU Engineering and Industrial technology students abroad to work, learn and at the same time, earn.

Sinining has chosen NORSU among other universities and colleges across the country since he found the students appearing on national news and topping board examinations. He believes that when students are introduced further to actual job involvement, they will be ready to face the real world in the future. 

This development deserves praise for boldly taking higher steps in advancing students’ actual learning experience. If the proposed plan happens, students’ participation on the international field will solicit remarkable optimisim for future jobs. With this, students must be thankful to the administration, to Sinining and to the companies for giving them the opportunity.

We can say that students are given the chance to enhance their skills which are focused on performing real job tasks but this does not mean that they can learn everything from the training since there are no structured lesson guides on the workplace. 

Hence, students must perform well because this opportunity calls for dignity and moral discipline. Students must employ their skills that would improve their knowledge on real-life experiences. They must follow proper guidelines set by the company in order for them to acquire necessary learning and to adapt to the environment and last long. More so, they must impose good values on themselves so as to sustain delegated objectives and when they are given complex tasks, they can accomplish them effectively and efficiently because they have already mastered the routine. 

Students who will attend this international job training must value even the simplest thing in the workplace. This would keep them going despite downfalls. When they are given complex rule, they can still manage it since they have already mastered basic tasks on the training. And when they set things at the valuing level, they can achieve what they desire. 

Thus, we hope that these students to be sent abroad for on-the-job training will show what they are capable of in such a way that they can bring NORSU’s name to international prominence and that they will use what they have learned for the common good of the people in general and the university in particular. 

Ambitious but Possible

By Paul Anthony M. Eso

(Vol.XXX  Issue No. 2, Editorial Cartoon)

If Negros Oriental State University is a human body, the administration has undoubtedly made the university look outstanding on the outside. We are talking about the tall buildings, renovation of classrooms, admirable colors repainted unto the walls, brick-floored entrance, the not-so spacious canteen, and the hundreds of computers acquired to give students an avenue for learning.

All these things are good. All these things are so good to be true. The university has never looked so admirable since the last four years. But some things were left unattended. Some stones were left unturned. They have forgotten how untidy our premises have become.

Students can testify to how uncomfortable our comfort rooms are every time we walk in for some quick-releasing of used body fluids. Freshmen in the first place have been welcomed by the odorous smell coming from these rooms. Water supply has been a constant problem since last year and the odorous smell caused ruckus to many Norsunians. This is not the kind of school we wanted.

Garbage are dumped everywhere. Hills of trashes are evident on certain areas near the Administration, College of Business and Accountancy, and College of Industrial Technology buildings. These university-areas-turned-dump-site have existed long before the 2012 graduates enrolled in this university. This is not the kind of school we wanted.

NORSU delivers high-class education. No doubt. But top-rate educational instruction should be accompanied with a clean and green environment conducive for learning. These two must come together as one. When one of them is out of the picture, there is a big problem. 

But the university officials responsible for this should not get all the blame. After all, it is us students who often use the comfort rooms. It is us who cause these rooms to get dirty and smelly. The garbage hills around the campus are the products of our own doing.

The trashes stuck in there are the remains of our happy eating at the canteen. The wrecked chairs and tables in there are proofs of our ignorance after we break each chair, one after the other. A regular city garbage truck cannot carry all the junk that we have.

With this, we suggest that we set a date at the calendar “ a special date where all Norsunians will have the chance to work hand in hand in solving out this problem, a day that each of us will have his or her own share of picking up the garbage he/she once threw in the trash bin and shovel it into the garbage truck. As for the water supply, we ask the higher-ups to install water tanks in every comfort room.

This idea requires long-time planning, and a few garbage trucks are needed to clean up the whole NORSU area. This idea is nothing but ambitious. Yet everything is possible. We can borrow garbage trucks from neighboring municipalities and ask them to help us with this one.

Again, everything is possible. The Local Government Unit and the Norsunians working together towards one cause has never sounded so good.

This is also a call for the NORSU administration and for the Student Government. This is just a suggestion. Any better ideas that will be presented are very much welcome. Since this is your job, this is also our job. All Norsunians await for your call for a cleaner and greener NORSU community. 

Partly a part, partly apart

By Ranulfo Repe

(Vol.XXX  Issue No. 1, Editorial Cartoon)

We have finally come to the dawning of a new school year. The university is pleased to welcome all freshmen, transferees, and returnees with a wide smile. With a sure increase of enrollees, it could be said that Negros Oriental State University is an institution no lesser than other high-class universities in the province.
But how does it really feel like to be a true-blue Norsunian?
Evidently, there are a lot of students who seem to have successfully enrolled themselves in NORSU but have not really felt the essence of being one. Perhaps, here is the answer to that.
Being apart. It is quite a sad thing to still see a lot of students who remain lax and indifferent about the events happening around them. They are consciously aware of some anomalies and probably misconduct of some administrator or faculty member yet they remain mute. They are witnesses to acts that order on abuse by some teachers, yet they act blind and pretend not to see the real picture.  They are aware that they have the abilities and skills that they can use for the common good yet they remain secretive, saying that they are shy or that their skills and talents are nothing compared to others. They are students with capabilities, strength, power and knowledge to make a difference for themselves and for the community yet they remain ignorant, indefinite and unsure.
Be a part. It is high time that all students become a part of something that benefit themselves and the people around them. This state university is a good ground for excellence in almost all fields. Various organizations, institutions and small groups have been put up for the empowerment of students.
We have the Kabilin Dance troupe for aspiring dancers, the Kabilin Choir for golden voices and the Kabilin Band for music makers. We also have The NORSUnian, the official weekly student publication of Negros Oriental State University, an institution that seeks to fight for the welfare and rights of students thru paper and pen. At the same time, the institution hones the writing, drawing, and photography skills of students. Then, we have The Pylon, the official yearbook of Negros Oriental State University, which seek to empower students thru developing the graphics designing and writing skills of individuals, among others. We have more or less fifty organizations under the League of Student Organizations in the academic, religious and special interest categories.
There are a lot to choose from. Unless you have not graduated yet, you still have all the chances in the world to participate and be a catalyst of change. We assure you it is all worth the effort and sweat, knowing that you have become a part of something, be it an organization, institution, or group.
This academic year 2012-2013 opens with a lot of opportunities offered for you. It is for you to decide – to remain apart, or to be a part.