Not too late!

EDITORIAL

Not too late!

(Vol. XXXI Issue No. 2)

“Everyday is research day, accreditation day and quality service day”. Hence, each and everyone as expected by the university president, should work stiffer in meeting the requirements as set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Lately, our university president has signed a memorandum of agreement containing the partnership between NORSU and three Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). These NGOs namely Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) Bahaginan , Gawad Kalinga (GK)  and  Saceda Youth Lead (SYL) will serve as partners of NORSU for the entire year.

The Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) is a non-government organization that allows people to impart their skills, build capabilities, and promote international understanding and action towards changing the world into a fairer place for all.

On the other hand, Gawad Kalinga (GK) Community Development Foundation is a Philippine-based poverty alleviation and nation-building movement. GK was able to launch the Isang Milyong Bayani program wherein volunteers from various nations donate 4 hours of their work per month in order to assist in some community-based activities. GK also offers programs including Child and Youth Development, Community Building, Green Kalinga, Bayan-Anihan, GK Kalusugan Community Infrastructure and Center for Social Innovation.

Completing the three new partners of NORSU is the Saceda Youth Lead (SYL) which gathers teachers, student leaders, NGO workers and leadership practitioners from all over the Philippines and Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN). SYL aims to identify and discuss the societal issues and challenges that affect basic education.

Indeed, we commend the idea of this newly partnership! These NGOs are truly helpful to some certain degrees.  First, it calls for a professional involvement among teachers and students. Second, this would encourage Norsunians especially the teachers to take part as volunteers for international linkages. Lastly, this would uplift the university’s social welfare and external relations thus supporting the area number six of the accreditation requirements which is—the extension and community involvement.

As of the press time, Negros Oriental State University becomes a low performing school on the public’s eyesight due to several programs of the university that were recently downgraded by the  Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities (AACUP). In fact, it is said that those downgraded programs must substantially attain the level of excellence (level 4) by year 2016; otherwise, they will be subjected to immediate closure.

Year 2016 is yet far to go, therefore, it is not too late! As we see, the newly held partnership serves as one of the plus factors in accreditation. Well, that was just area number six. There are still other areas that are to be improved. We believe that with the cooperation of the admin, faculty and staff and students, we will be able to save our university’s reputation. This is a school for “poor and deserving” students and we want that our future children and grandchildren to still could afford enrolling in this school that provides “quality education”.

T he ‘Scarface’ Rule

By Ranulfo Repe

(Vol.XXX  Issue No. 6, Editorial Cartoon)

If you are a returnee—sophomore, junior, or senior student—of this university, you could have remembered the infamous face of the tall, dark, and…never mind…security guard who usually lifts his shoulders like a robust master of the gate. He was a policeman who confiscates unworn IDs, a fashion critic who prohibits students wearing sleeveless blouses and slippers to enter, and an icon of enragement to the students for his unwanted aura. He was better known as ‘Scarface.’ Rude right?

But he is nowhere to be found now. It could either be because of the insistent demand of the students to have him ousted or because of another issue, which we do not know.

Whether he is still working as a security guard right now in another institution or not, a security guard like him must surely be re-employed in this institution. You might protest and contest this idea, but you should hear this out.

When ‘Scarface’ left the university before the start of this semester, we could see some Norsunians entering the premises of this institution in not-so-appealing attires. If you are aware of the decency this university observes in terms of the dress code, then you have the idea that wearing sleeveless blouses, mini-skirts, and slippers inside the university are not advisable. In fact, these are the apparels that will never pass in the standards of ‘Scarface’ when it was his time to stand in front of the entrance gate, which is also the right thing to do.

Though there was a ruckus last school year on how this impolite security guard implemented the rule, it seems that there is a need for the strict re-implementation of the dress code. There have already been a good number of Norsunians who were spotted wearing slippers, sleeveless blouses, very short pants, and mini-skirts inside the university—attires that look less of an educated man who claims to be studying in a university.

Moreover, we ask the committee in-charge to strictly implement the dress code policy or more so, pass a memorandum specifically stating the shoulds and should nots of the policy. The realization of this already-sabotaged-dress-code is what this university needs, not only because this has been what was done in the past, but because this is what we believe is right and proper for university students like us.

Not a Recreation Station

By Karlo Billy Rubia

(Vol.XXX  Issue No. 5, Editorial Cartoon)

The 30-hour use of the Internet Research Station (IRS) located at the fourth floor of the College of Arts and Sciences building per semester is one of the many benefits a Norsunian can enjoy after enrolling himself in this university. The research station provides access to students to the internet and search for random facts which are of great help to their education. The computers can be used by all registeread Norsunians for making their projects and creating presentations using the many features of its software.

However, it seems like the aforementioned are not the only reasons why the IRS is opened for students access. After overcoming the past issues on slow internet connection, dirty PCs, unaccommodating personnel, and unauthorized access to social networking sites, the personnel of the said research station are yet again faced with complaints from dissatisfied and confused students.

Aside from research purposes, the computers are also used for gaming and movie watching. During the students free time, some of them would make use of their 30-hour budget just for entertainment. Behind this scenario is the disturbing fact that the IRS personnel are allowing the students to play computer games and watch movies as long as they do not flock in one unit and make unnecessary noise. Other students whose intention of researching for their school projects and assignments are left with no choice but to wait for these people to finish playing before they can use a PC. It would just be quite disrespectful if the IRS personnel would tell a student to log-out to give way to another student.

Other students reasoned out that instead of researching for their school lessons, they would just resort to gaming and movie watching because some of the PCs do not have internet connections. This is another dilemma the IRS personnel should take into account.

In the first place, why are the IRS personnel allowing the students to use the computers for gaming and movie watching? Who gave them the authority to have those PCs opened for entertainment purposes? Did they not know what the IRS mean? Obviously it does not mean Internet Recreation Station, but Internet Research Station. The two are very much different.

With all the students airing their concern about the inappropriate of the IRS, which has seemingly turned into a recreation site rather than a research station, we hope that the personnel assigned would do something to address this predicament. We do not want the students to get discouraged with the facilities of this university which were built for the improvement of their academic performance.

This is a university which aims at empowering students through providing competent instructors and sufficient facilities. If these facilities are not properly used according to its purpose, then there is no reason for us to use it anymore.