My Friday and Saturday proved to be busier than usual.
I had two important events calendared: I was invited again to be a member of a panel tasked on Friday to select the recipients of the academic year-end Corps d’ Elite award of the University of St. La Salle and led the campus editors’ training initiated by the Local School Board of Talisay City.
Cops d’ elite “aims to formally recognize outstanding USLS students and organizations in various fields” for their accomplishments and achievements throughout their university life.
As in the past, I was assigned to the panel to choose the Most Outstanding Student in the Field of Print Arts. The award is given to the nominee who excels in literary works and engages in campus journalism or any publication work, with his or her work contributing to the awareness of students and the bigger community on relevant issues and that the student’s involvement “has made him or her a better Lasallian.”
All five finalists in our category presented solid credentials, each deserving to receive the award.
To the Print Arts and the 11 other category awardees, congratulations for what you have done in the service if fellow students, the university, the community and society.
The winners will be honoured in an elaborate ceremony at L’Fisher Hotel on Friday, May 3.
The Friday appointment at USLS also turned out to have immense sentimental value to me as the interview venue (MM 11) happened to be the classroom where I held Journalism classes (along with MM 12) prior to my retirement from the university seven years ago.
Many memories were flashing in mind in that interview room – so many episodes really that when I posted photos of my classroom ‘revisit’, many former students also shared their unforgettable moments in our college classroom then.
Thanks for the invitation, Min Min Ponteras, senior administrative assistant for student activities of the USLS Office of Student Affairs, and Dr. Rowela Chiu, dean of student affairs.
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On Saturday, I had another opportunity to serve as a journalism educator for Talisay campus editors and their advisers when the Local School Board, through coordinator Sir Ismael Penado, assistant city administrator, invited me again to help in the LGU’s campus journalism development program held in cooperation with the Department of Education school districts in the city.
It was an occasion to renew ties with the advisers and the staff of Sir Maeng, led by the ever-helpful Ms. Karen (Borromeo-Lo) as we conducted similar trainings there with my colleague, the late Eric Loretizo, for two years prior to the pandemic.
I was blessed to have media friends and former students joining the training team.
Thanks for sharing your journalism knowhow, Nanette Guadalquiver, Philippines News Agency Bacolod Bureau chief; Mark Christopher Dueñas, USLS Marketing and Communications Center director; Yves Montecillo, RMN-DYHB anchorman; Ransom Agui, national marketing manager of a US-based online company; lawyer Joevel Bartolome, a former college editor, and former NSPC photojournalism national champion John Glen Teorima, who is a registered nurse and presently a medical student at Central Philippines University.
Most of the about 150 participating elementary and high school students from 13 schools in the city are bound for the Division Schools Press Conference scheduled May 3 and 8.
We trust the training has prepared them better for the conference and for carrying out their functions in their respective publications.
Exhausting activities, indeed, especially if we consider the extreme heat, but the weather conditions could not rob us of the pleasure and satisfaction gained from sharing our knowledge and skills and from helping shape young minds.
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Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others. (1 Peter 4:10) | NWI
