By Elle Miranda | August 12, 2024
The College Student Council for the School of Arts and Sciences (CSC-SAS) held a student get-together for the first time at the Peter G. Nepomuceno (PGN) Auditorium on August 07, 2024.
Previously called a general assembly, the CSC-SAS has rebranded it to a student get-together, with this year’s theme entitled ‘Inside Out: SAS Edition - Where Fun and Emotions Collide.’ Headed by the CSC-SAS Vice Governor Krishane Santiago, she explained the event aims to bring people together, share passions, and build connections beyond the classroom in the SAS community. It is also an avenue to learn about the organizations in the department and an opportunity for students to learn more about their professors.
Dr. Alfredo B. Santos, the SAS dean, welcomed the students through a virtual speech.
“Your emotions are not just reactions; they are powerful tools that can shape your creativity, fuel your passions, and drive your achievement.” Dr. Santos stated, further connecting the emotions from the movie ‘Inside Out’ to the students’ university experiences in not only academic success but also emotional and personal development.
Faculty members, along with the appointed officers for SAS, particularly Jan Ezra Salonga, the Solicitor General, and those in the University Student Government, namely Senator Deaga Bandari Castro and Senator-at-Large Jan Mari Yukio Matsumoto, were introduced. Their duties were described in the get-together as having the power to legislate bills, constitutions, and laws within the university.
In addition, the SAS students formally welcomed Professor Zeena Marie Zambrano, PhD, as the new program chairperson in the Psychology Department.
The main event is the presentation of organizations within SAS, which includes The Nexus, Communicators’ League (CL), Psychology Society (PsychSoc), and a university-wide organization, Angel Network 97.5. Each of them introduced their organization’s purpose, and staff, as well as their plans and programs for the academic year 2024–2025. With that, SAS students were also encouraged to join as they reopened their membership applications.
In an interview with CSC-SAS Governor Alexis Jan Delfin and CSC-SAS Vice Governor Krishane Santiago, they said the process of organizing this event was smooth, despite the unforeseen circumstances of securing the venue. This was said to be made possible as each member of the CSC-SAS, including the junior officers and associates, was helpful and cooperative. Also, the involvement of the previously mentioned organizations in this year’s get-together has made an impact and contributed to the success of the event.
“Yung gusto kasi talaga namin ngayon is magkaroon ng partnership, collaboration between all the organizations para matawag talaga tayong SAS. So yung pakikipag-collaborate namin with the organizations, ginagawa namin siya para maging one community.” Delfin explained.
To support their statement, CL and PsychSoc both played roles in the said event. Laurence Sagun, the Vice President for External Affairs of CL, stated they helped with the hosting, and some of their production guild members were stationed in the technical booth. Meanwhile, PsychSoc had an icebreaker that involved the participation of the students, wherein Miyuki Watanabe, the Escritoire of PsychSoc, stressed their members are free to release all their creativity.
After the organizations, the CSC-SAS presented their plan of activities for the academic year, together with the University Student Council for SAS (USC-SAS) and the USC President, Emmanuel Manalastas. Moreover, Prof. Zambrano and Manalastas held a question and answer segment wherein students were free to express their queries about the courses, the professors, and the awaited mental health break, to which they provided answers.
Following the student get-together, Tomas Quevedo, a freshman from BA Communication, is said to have felt a sense of belonging and acceptance in the SAS community despite being a transferee.
“Don’t be afraid to speak up po and if you have any ideas or concerns. Very approachable ang mga tao, and pag kinausap mo sila hindi ka nila ipapahiya or anything. Very respectful sila and approachable and sila pa nga yung nahihiya sayo.” Quevedo learned from the event.
Meanwhile, Jiel Halili, a 3rd-year psychology student and the Chancellor of PsychSoc, noted the difference between the events in previous years. The former general assemblies were held at the University Theater, in contrast to the now student get-together which took place at the PGN auditorium. In terms of the atmosphere, she observed that it is more intact, and as a student leader herself, she feels that the organizations have more recognition than before.
Registration for membership in all the SAS organizations has now reopened, and application forms are available on their respective Facebook pages. Specifically, PsychSoc is open for apprenticeships until August 10, 2024; Angel Network 97.5 is open for applications for staff positions until August 16, 2024; and The Nexus is open for applications until August 20, 2024.
Photo courtesy of Jade Balamiento
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