Page 71 - The Flame

FOR MANY decades, the Faculty of Arts and Lett ers (Artlets) same series of events will take place with either the same or diff er-
housed students with deep and keen passion for the social sci- ent people breaking the same rules.
ences, humaniti es, and liberal arts.
Unfazed by the dominance of science courses in the profes- Unique mark
sional world, a great number of students sti ll push through in tak- Brought by the uniqueness manifested by Artlets in diff erent
ing up liberal arts courses. aspects, other faculti es and colleges of the University express var-
As diff erent interests and personaliti es comprise the Artlets ied opinions on its students.
community, its culture remains as one of the most unique, free- “They are not afraid to speak out when they know that they
spirited, and diverse in the University. have a point in an argument,” senior Nursing student Precious
Maypa said. “They know what they want and are determined to
Inclinati on to humaniti es get it.”
The Artlets community has taken pride with its wise and witt y Being described as the jack of all trades, Artlets students have a
graduates, some of which are not only successful, but also famous, knack for juggling all sorts of acti viti es at the same ti me.
to boot. “They have an acti ve parti cipati on in extra-curricular acti vi-
Well-known students include Nati onal
Arti st Francisco Sionil Jose; politi cians
Francisco Tatad and Joey Lina; and Palan- “Artlets students do not just simply obey.
ca Award Winners Angelo Suarez and There must be a certain justifi cation behind
Lourd de Veyra, to name a few.
Having been known as the faculty that their actions. They have a lot of stories
houses the liberal arts, people would rec-
ognize Artlets students as “outgoing and to share and they are very colorful
outspoken.” Since most students of these individuals, certainly one of the most
courses are expected to be good commu-
nicators, it is inevitable to deem them as challenging to handle,”
a bit more liberal or bold, compared to
others. - Artlets Guidance Counselor Marie Lalaine Lachica-Recio
They are also among those who ex-
press utmost vigilance on issues—wheth-
er politi cal, economic, and academic. ti es,” Legal Management senior Alexis Ailex Villamor, Jr., editor in
chief of the Varsitarian, said, adding that students from the Faculty
Liberal expression always have a say on various issues.
For someone who would lay eyes on the Artlets offi cial school True Artlets identi ty indeed varies from one person to anoth-
wear, it is inevitable to be reminded of a high school uniform— er, but no matt er how diverse it could get, one thing remains the
crisp and white collared linen blouse matched with a pleated, fl uid same—the strong enthusiasm and burning passion they have for
dark blue skirt that falls just below the knees for the girls, and the things that interest them, Psychology junior Miguel Galang
black pants and pleated white polo shirts for the boys. said.
While the latt er escape the prying and taunti ng eyes of many, “What makes them diff erent from other Thomasians is their
unless somehow mistaken as fl oor engineers, the former oft en courage to fi ght for what they believe in,” he said.
suff er from being mistaken as high school students; not to men- Adding to this, senior Pharmacy student Asella Cruz said that
ti on, the various pleas for a “uniform reform” that came with criti - Artlets students “speak their minds and are not afraid to express
cisms throughout the past years. their opinions for they can easily defend them.”
Nevertheless, the Artlets’ uniform seems to transcend these Since most subjects off ered by the Faculty hone an individual’s
cruel jokes, hence serving as one of the many things that sealed oral and writt en skills, Adverti sing senior Althea Hornilla said that
the fate of the Artlets community when it comes to being recog- students from the Faculty are perceived to be good in writi ng, con-
nized. Their infamous school uniform is what makes them stand versing, and socializing.
out, if not completely diff erent, from the rest of the University’s “They have this confi dence in everything they do and are al-
students. ways updated in the happenings around them,” she added
Adding to this, its students remain true and loyal to liberal- Student Council (ABSC) President Julius Romel Fernandez not-
ism to the point that they manifest its values physically through ed that “life, love, and lore” are the fi tti ng words to describe the
the way they keep themselves. They come to class with confron- Artlets culture.
tati onal atti tudes, body piercing, and unconventi onal hairstyles, “It is life, love, and lore brimming full—a combinati on of what
makeup, and clothing as long as they are able to get away with it. we learn in school, what we learn from life experiences, and what
Although this unconventi onal physical manifestati on might we feel when both are internalized,” he said. “Our mastery resides
have someti mes been compared to students of the College of Fine on versati lity. Many think we are noisy. Perhaps, it is because other
Arts and Design or of the Conservatory of Music (and perhaps students simply could not jive into our conversati ons regarding the
other colleges with unusual disti ncti ve qualiti es), nothing beats humaniti es, liberal arts, and social sciences that easily.”
the tenaciousness of Artlets students, who resort to unique and Guidance counselor Marie Lalaine Lachica-Recio noted the in-
creati ve means of expressing themselves. quisiti ve nature of Artlets students, as well as their multi -faceted
Security guards oft en say that whenever they catch male Art- interest and personality.
lets students with pierced ears and instruct them to take their “They do not just simply obey. There must be a certain justi fi ca-
earrings off , they would fi rst try to argue and to point out that ti on behind their acti ons,” she said.
their piercing has nothing to do with their academic performance. “They have a lot of stories to share and are very colorful indi-
Students will eventually give in and obey once they are defeated viduals, certainly one of the most challenging to handle,” Recio
in the argument. added, noti ng that beneath the bold personality of Artlets stu-
However, it takes some ti me before Artlets students would dents is the liberalism and wit that seal their true colors, Thoma-
adapt themselves to the rules they must conform to. The next day, sian values, and unique mark. F

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