Page 73 - The Flame

about the Faculty’s journey through the fast food chains yet. Students were taught we have also become more open to gender
years. to be independent and persevering in using discourse,” Batan said.
the library to find their needed educational
Conservative set-up material. A small canteen was also present Debarment cases
The Artlets is an offshoot of the merger on the ground floor of the Main Building One of the remarkable developments
between the College of Liberal Arts and the where students satisfy most of their food that characterize the Artlets community is
Faculty of Philosphy and Letters (Philets). cravings. the emergence of many student organiza-
The Philets was then considered as one of tions, opening a wide range of opportunity
the best colleges in the University for its ex- The merger for the students to explore.
ceptional and talented students who made As the Faculty administration merged However, Batan opposed the continu-
waves in their respective fields even at a the Philets with the College of Liberal Arts ous springing of extra-curricular groups
young age. in 1964, the degree offered by the Faculty and affiliations, saying that it contributes to
Established in 1896, Philets traces its
roots to UST’s 19th century Philosophy
program. As it gave a prime emphasis on
the science of Philosophy, the Faculty’s “The discipline fostered by the professors and
curriculum imbibed wisdom among its stu- regents produced more prudent and watchful
dents, eventually producing a great roster
of alumni that include National Artist Fran- students, especially during classes,”
cisco Sionil Jose, Philippine Daily Inquirer - Ramon Francisco, 1967 Literature graduate
founder Eugenia Duran-Apostol, and for-
mer senator Francisco Tatad, among oth-
ers.
As it offered Bachelor of Literature (Litt. was changed from Litt. B. to Bachelor of the rising debarment cases among fresh-
B.) programs in Philosophy and Journalism, Arts (A.B.). men students.
Philets produced the top writers, artists, The courses originally offered in a Litt B “Is that the reason why you are here in
and members of the academe in its time. degree were also transformed into liberal school? Emphasis should be given to the
According to Ramon Francisco, a 1967 arts courses, having a wider scope on read- curricular activities,” he said. “Organiza-
Summa Cum Laude graduate of Literature ing, writing, and the humanities. tions should function in a way that it en-
and now Associate Editor of Manila Bulle- At present, the Artlets offers a wide hances the academic research of students.
tin, the Philets era was a period character- variety of courses aside from Philosophy, They should also help them study more.
ized by extreme conservatism of the then Journalism, and Literature. These include But contrary to what is happening, these
administrators of the University. Asian Studies, Behavioral Science, Com- groups are just turning out as mere social-
He added that it had the culture of lim- munication Arts, Economics, Legal Man- izing agents.”
ited social relationship between boys and agement, Political Science, Sociology, and
girls as they were barely allowed to talk to the recently offered English and History Present-day changes
the person of the opposite gender. Corri- programs. With the continuous advancement of
dors were then separated into two wings— But just like a kingdom that lost its old technology experienced by the present
one for males and the other for females. grandeur, the present generation of Artlets generation, a wide array of opportunities
A short glance was considered a form of is faced with criticism of being lowlier com- also opens to the beneficiaries of this de-
admiration, while a nod was seen as a form pared with the products of the Philets. velopment.
of greeting between a man and a woman. One facet that notably changed the Batan recognizes this advancement as a
“Because of this, students then were make-up of the college is the upsurge of tool that will aid most students in learning
more concentrated and focused on their student population. At present, Artlets has more, than as a hindrance that poses nega-
Photo by MICHAEL JUSTIN C. DE VERA
studies,” Francisco said. an estimated population of 3,800 students. tive effects to its users in general.
“The discipline fostered by the profes- Dr. Clarence Batan, Ph. D., a Sociology He said that this advancement may bear
sors and regents produced more prudent professor and 1995 Artlets graduate, said negative effects especially when abused
and watchful students, especially during that during his time, students have to shift and taken in the wrong context. However,
classes,” Francisco added. “Also, the mea- from one building to another just to attend he noted that once its full potential is maxi-
ger number of students enrolled to the col- classes. mized, technology can greatly improve the
lege might have justified the case.” “Now, these cases are lessened because living standards of men.
Known by many as the “big little col- the administration have strategized and did Contrary to criticisms, Batan noted that
lege,” Philets was known for its few but renovations so that everybody can be ac- the flame of student activism in the Faculty
brilliant and talented students in the fields commodated,” Batan said. has not gone dim, but has just been trans-
of philosophy, journalism, literature, and However, Batan explained that the in- lated into different forms. He added that
the humanities. Moreover, Francisco add- crease of student population affect the eth- Artlets students have not gone passive, for
ed that the skills of Philets students were nic and cultural diversity present in the Fac- they show resistance in completely differ-
further honed because of the diversity of ulty. He said that since the administration ent avenues available such as networking
student organizations present In the Fac- accepts Filipinos from all over the country, sites, blogs, forums, and the likes.
ulty. Artlets must open themselves to the differ- With all the changes witnessed by the
“There were many student organiza- ent cultures that exist in the Faculty. Artlets community, the old glory of the Phi-
tions then,” Francisco recalled. “We had a “The issue is that we lack the celebra- lets community remains and continues to
Spanish organization, The Blue Quill (pres- tion of the diversity of culture,” he said. flourish, bringing the best in all of the stu-
ently The Flame), and Pax Romana.” On the other hand, Batan recognized dents who proudly carry the Artlets iden-
He added that the lifestyle of Philets the way Artlets perceive gender equality. tity they possess.
was marked by extreme simplicity for there “We have become tolerant in letting the “Change is inevitable, but always
were no computers, air-conditioners, and opposite gender express themselves and choose to do it for the better,” Batan said. F

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