Western Visayas College of Science and Technology (WVCST), which is more locally known with its former name ISAT (Iloilo School of Arts and Trade), is situated along Burgos Street, La Paz, Iloilo City. The street, which divides the campus into two sites, is often flooded even during moderate rainfall. Though the traffic is not usually heavy, large cargo trucks often pass by this street. Nevertheless, WVCST has helped beautify the street especially with the infrastructures found in the new site of the campus. This site is located northeast of the old site.
Outside the campus, a line of palm trees blocked the passersby’s view of more spacious and interesting grounds. But its blue gate, marked with “WVCST” in bold letters, leads the way to a wide straight road that stretches to more than a hundred meters. Adjacent to the main gate, there is also a small gate that is connected with a narrow covered pathway intended to make walking more convenient especially during rainy days. There are also benches along this pathway where students usually stay to discuss assignment or to wile the time away.
There are three main buildings inside the new site: Chemistry Building, Physics Building and Alumni Centennial Hall. There are also minor structures such as the guard house, a coffee shop, rescue group training center and a café. Located far from the gate, the Chemistry and Physics buildings are made more accessible by the narrow covered foot walk that originates near the gate. These rectangular two-storey buildings stood parallel to each other with the wide road in between them. The Alumni Centennial Hall is located near the gate at the southeastern part of the campus. It stood adjacent to the Alumni Park Café. This café provides twelve wooden tables, each of which has two built-in benches. Its green lawn serves a favorite spot of HRM students in practicing their bartending skills like the tricky routine with wine bottles. Located near the gate is the guard house, which stands next to a small temporary coffee shop.
Among the aforementioned buildings, the most prominent is the Alumni Centennial Hall. Its architectural structure is simple; it may even be compared to a residential building. However it stands out in the surroundings because it is newly built, having been inaugurated on September 12, 2006. Furthermore, its fresh look harmonizes with the surrounding gardens. The front lawn boasts a fish pond, which is covered with screen to prevent leaves from falling into it. Orchids, crotons, jackfruit tree, palms, and bougainvilleas are some of the plants that comprise the flourishing greenery in the garden. When it rains, frogs freely jump on the pavement near the garden.
The building has fronts stairs and a ramp that both lead to the entrance, which above it the name of the building is posted in silver metallic letters. The front wall also shows metallic sheets engraved with information about the building like the date of inauguration and the people “who were instrumental in the construction of this hall”. The phrase above the entrance that states “Foremost if I can” stands out. (Perhaps, there is a strong reason why such phrase is allowed to “stain” the entrance). The porch has a bulletin board that shows few pictures about the alumni association activities. Posted opposite the board is a list of donors who have contributed financially for the alumni association.
The lounge at the ground floor offers a warm welcome with its comfortable sofa, wide space, ample lighting and the warm glow of the colors of the walls and floor tiles. At the ground floor, there are two rooms, one is for the alumni association president and the other one is a storage room where chairs and relief goods are found. The two toilets, that are located near the rear entrance, are opposite the small storage room located below the stairs. It is interesting to note that the female toilet has more paraphernalia compared to that of the male. The small storage room looks like a small kitchen. There are plates and empty bottles of soft drinks.
The U-shaped stairway leads the way to the second floor’s conference room. Before the sliding glass doors of the conference room, there are two empty soiled plates, perhaps used as a placeholder for potted plants. There are small paintings such as a portrait of Pope John Paul II.
The conference room is almost empty saved with a long oval table, stack of chairs, some paintings done by the WVCST Alumni Artist Association and a shelf that contains centennial memorabilia. This room also serves as the artists meeting place and exhibit area. However, during the researcher’s visit some of the paintings are shown in an art exhibit in a nearby university. There are some that are interesting to note like the painting of a woman seated on a cube and a painting that call to mind prostitution among students. Both utilize the triangle as the primary form of the woman.
The sliding window that faces northeast shows a variety of vegetation at the vacant lot adjacent to the building. There are sweet potato vines, papaya, mahogany, acacia and other wild plants. It goes to show that this area has not been fully developed yet; unlike the one in the front garden. The terrace that faces northwest gives a magnificent view of the campus. From this vantage point, one can see the birds hopping on the branches of a narra tree and the students walking leisurely after the loud chime that signals the end of the class. The window facing southwest is most intriguing because from this point, one can observe the café’s customers. Furthermore, one can see more of the rusty boarding house, which is just a stone’s throw away. Usual everyday activities of boarders could be easily observed by the keen eyes especially when the boarding house’s windows are wide open. A line of laundry also shows that the boarders are WVCST students!
Considering the surrounding infrastructures, WVCST Alumni Centennial Hall is remarkable. It surely captures the eye of anyone who steps on the wide open space of WVCST new site.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Map of a Block
Body Language
It was seven-thirty in the evening right after my dismissal class. I waited for a jeepney outside the university where I work. Since the streetlights did not give ample light, I had to be observant with the passing vehicles to make sure that I flagged down the correct jeepney, the one bearing the word “La Paz”.
Two headlights approached. I intently looked, eager enough to know that the headlights are those of the jeepney that I had been waiting for. But as the vehicle came nearer, I noticed it was a private car after all. It was a red car, in which the driver seemed to be in no hurry. The car had an open window and as it passed by right before me, I saw the driver was looking at me. So, I looked back. Well, I actually stared long enough to know whether I knew the driver or not. He could be my friend or my student. It turned out he was a complete stranger. But there was something strange with him. He got that searching look. He seemed to be scrutinizing something or someone. I was afraid that someone was me. Was he looking for a friend? I did not think so because almost everybody owns a cell phone. If the driver wanted to meet a friend, exchanging text messages would help. Maybe the driver was just enjoying a leisurely drive. But in this hot humid polluted city, driving could be best done with closed windows. Unfortunately, I did not find out the driver’s purpose because his car disappeared from view without stopping.
It was intriguing to note that the red car was followed by a white Toyota. . It was like a video playback with few changes. The car’s window was open and the driver had the same “look”. The driver’s look was penetrating and somewhat scrutinizing the bystanders along the street. It even abruptly stopped near me. I thought somebody would go out, but nobody did. I also observed the car had no plate number!
My companion commented that those cars also passed by the same street a few minutes before. Now, that was interesting! A group of men, shall we say affluent men, were searching for something or someone near a prestigious Christian university as the midterm exam approaches. Maybe my imagination had gone wild, but I could not fool myself with what I had seen and with what I had heard before. As I recall, I heard over the radio that situations like I have observed outside our university did happen. According to the radio commentator, female students who were in dire need of money for tuition fee payment fell victims with these unscrupulous men. These students served as “prostitutes” in exchange of money. It was miserable but it was happening, according to the radio commentator.
I did not want to jump to conclusions. But considering the circumstances, we may hypothesize that those men in cars were the ones referred by the radio commentator. If they were, then I was nearly mistaken to be one of the female students whom they were looking for. As I recall, I have conveyed a different message by looking inquisitively at the passing cars. The drivers might have thought that I was “interested” because I was exuding the body language that they were looking for, the long scrutinizing searching look. Words are not needed to convey a certain message. But sometimes for a particular body language to be understood correctly, we need to consider the culture and the location.
I was grateful that the drivers were careful enough to observe my body language. Maybe as they abruptly stopped in front of me, they have seen that I was not the one they were looking for. After all, I have not made the final move; that is, I did not join them in the car.
Definitely, I have not seen enough. Given enough time, I should have delved further. It would be a researcher’s treasure to see how a female student and a man in a car exchange body languages and eventually come up with a common understanding. Nevertheless, it would be a teacher’s despair.
Typhoon Frank
I was really shocked that radio stations were all talking about Typhoon Frank and the flashflood. I heard news that I never thought would happen here in Iloilo like rescuing people who are on their rooftops and finding headless corpse.
After the typhoon, a lot of people are still talking about Frank. Their stories were just like fiction. It was really hard to embrace the reality that Iloilo is badly hit resulting to the increasing number of homeless and hungry Ilonggos. I just feel lucky I was spared from the suffering brought about by the disaster.
The typhoon is not just about disaster though. I think this is God’s way of testing human values. With the rapid improvement in technology, men have become too arrogant. We disturbed the river to build dams and bridges. We cut the trees to give way to housing projects and business establishments. Hah! With just a few hours of strong winds and heavy rains, infrastructures that took years to complete are gone. Nature is indeed superior to the arrogant man. We should have been more considerate to our natural resources because when natural disasters occur we are helpless.
I also believe that God sent Frank to relay a very important message, that is, to detach ourselves from our material possessions and to value to people around us. Several properties, which many people thought to be their valuable possessions, are now destroyed with muddy water. But these people still survive, because of the good Samaritans around them. Without the car and the bungalow, flood victims survived but they will live a different life. It will be a life full of sympathetic people and not full of unresponsive material possessions.
Though I am not a flood victim, I also experienced some discomforts like the lack of electricity and the scarcity of potable water. On the positive side, the lack of electricity gave me the opportunity to talk to my co-boarders who are usually watching television. I also have the time to exercise by fetching water at a nearby well. I realized that typhoon Frank gave me the chance to reflect and to value the people around me. I experienced serene moments that are free from technological advances like cellphones and internet.
However, what is depressing is that some people took advantage of the situation. Some would grab this opportunity to advance their political career or to promote their business. Others still have the nerve to steal the properties of typhoon victims. Nevertheless, I salute those who have sincerely helped.
I believe we only have to embrace this disaster because it happened for a purpose. Though it brought diseases and even death, it also brought out the best of some people.
Why I took up Ph D in Science Ed?
As a child I had been very ambitious in my studies. I always aimed to be the number one in class. I even asked my parents on what is the highest degree one could earn and they told me it is the doctorate degree. Without any hesitation, I indicated in our high school yearbook that my ambition is to be a doctor. My uncle was beaming with pride because he thought I would be a doctor of medicine. He did not know that I could not set aside my childhood dream of becoming a teacher. So, after high school graduation I took up Bachelor of Secondary Education with the goal in mind that I will earn a doctorate degree before getting married. Well, I observed in our society that child-bearing could really be hurdle in finishing a degree.
Back then, I just blindly followed my dreams without analyzing the reasons for setting goals such as being a doctor or being a teacher. It was because analyzing my reasons would just clutter my mind. Nevertheless, I was strongly motivated and I finished my Masters degree two years after graduation in college.
Now that I am enrolled in a Ph. D. program and I am taking up a subject in Philosophy, I realize that my reasons for pursuing a degree are important because those reasons serve as my strong motivations to push through with my studies despite the difficulty. It took me several days to reflect and think why I am taking up Ph. D. in Science Education major in Math. I know “just because” will not suffice. The following are my reasons.
First, I want to bring out the best in me. I believe my intellect is the best gift that I received from God and nurturing it is the best way to say “thank you” to my Creator. Even though, I am not a fast-learner in mathematics, I believe that I am somewhat capable of learning. It is my dream to contribute something significant in the field of math. Perhaps, a theorem or a solution to a problem could be my contribution. That is why there are instances when I feel frustrated because I cannot even master simple concepts in our present subject, abstract algebra. Nevertheless, it is better to dream big and achieve half of that dream than to dream nothing and achieve nothing.
Second, teaching requires continuing education. Some of the knowledge acquired in college are inadequate in today’s educational arena. Though some trends in education can be learned through seminars and workshops, graduate school is more organized and focused. It is shameful if I have insufficient knowledge to teach a particular subject. I have to admit I cannot learn everything there is to learn, but at least I could take a bigger share of the pie of knowledge.
Third, I have developed my love for mathematics and my ambitious self is telling me to improve math education through research. In college I hated research. I was aware of its importance, but I could not grasp the principles behind it. Furthermore, it is time consuming and costly. However, I believe that research-based education is the current trend and it is a strong foundation for educational institutions. Thus, I am here trying to be at peace with the subject that I once hated.
Fourth, earning a degree will help increase my salary. I did not consider the financial aspect when I chose education as my course. Now, that I am in my mid-twenties I recognize the importance of money since my parents want me to be financially independent. I believe that investing a considerable amount of money for my graduate studies would be compensated with the augmentation of my income.
Fifth, I just want to have fun. It is relaxing to take a break from teaching and to play the role of a student on weekends. Meeting new friends and studying math are definitely fun!
Why Am I Created?
My friends recommended me the book Rick Warren’s A Purpose Driven Life, but I didn’t bother to read because I asserted that our purpose as human beings is to glorify God. I argued that this has been clearly learned at home and church and no best-selling author could change that. With a pile of readings to do, I didn’t think Rick Warren’s words would make my life easier. But then again the question, “Why am I created”, reverberates and I was actually a little bit encouraged to read Rick Warren with the hope of enlightening me with the reasons of my existence. As I think it over, I was afraid my answer will just be a copy of Warren’s answer. So, a Purpose Driven Life was returned to the shelf with the hope that termites and cockroaches will not be interested to devour the best-selling book.
I want my answer to be original; that is, it originates from me based on my experiences. True, it took me a long while before I could come up with a sound answer that is because I believe that the reasons why I am created could best be explained by my Creator. Why did He create me? I’ve tried to ask Him why? Definitely, because of my limitations I could not directly discern His answer.
I just opt to observe my surroundings and learn from the people around me as well as from my experiences in order to know the reasons why.
For sure, I was not created to destroy the world. That is so un-Christian and anti-God. Thus, I believe that there are good reasons why God gave me temporal existence in the universe. I believe that I have the purpose to protect God’s other creations. I think that is also the purpose of other human beings, even Adam and Eve! But, because of too much demands from the increasing population we tend to do things that destroy the natural resources. A good example is our demand for electricity. Right now, political leaders here in Iloilo propose to construct the coal-fired power plant to feed the city’s hunger for electricity. I have participated in the campaign of Greenpeace to “stop coal”. But, deep inside me, I believe I have not done enough to fulfill my purpose. Still, there’s an issue on global warming, deforestation, pollution and waste management. Sometimes, when I try to think of our purpose to protect God’s other creations, I feel guilty. I have not planted a tree for a long time. I have not even participated in helping the victims of oil spill and I have not been too vigilant on recycling.
Another reason why God allowed me to be alive is to perform certain roles in this world. I was created to be a teacher in order to help students learn. I have been created to be a part of a community and to take part in nation building. I am also here to be a student, a sister, a daughter, a friend and a neighbor. I am here to radiate the Love of God through my passion in teaching, my zeal in learning Math and my enthusiasm to help others. Like me, every person is created to be responsible in fulfilling our different roles to make our community harmonious. Like me, every one has the right to exist in this world.
I have seen only the tip of the iceberg in determining the reasons of my creation. Perhaps Rick Warren’s A Purpose Driven Life is worth reading after all. Perhaps, he has been sent to help me answer the question, “My Lord, why am I created?
My Philosophy
In this fast-paced world, one seldom finds time to contemplate one’s philosophy. With our culture that values the temporal physical objects, I am glad to be enrolled in a course that allows me to think beyond what is tangible and to appreciate the essence of our life through philosophy. Thus, I am glad to open my mind and to seek for the truth.
As a math teacher, my philosophy is not particularly based on any particular dictum. Though it may be flawed, it is summarized as follows.
Nature of reality
Reality is a mental-physical universe created by a universal God. The physical universe and the forms or ideas are not conflicting, but co-existing. Example, the book exists as a physical object and the universal idea of “bookness” is also real. Even though idea is important in mathematics (e. g., idea of infinity of numbers), it is not superior to matter.
Reality is not based on the individual interpretation of the senses because it exists independent from being perceived. It is, therefore, not phenomenological. Reality is determined through one superior God, who is perceived in various forms and who is worshipped in different names.
Source of Truth
God is the source of truth. Through scientific and natural laws, man can seek for truth. As opposed to the beliefs of many people, science is an instrument in proving the existence of a universal God. However, some phenomena are not empirically verifiable because man’s knowledge is limited. Furthermore, truth is not based on subjective choice or feelings.
Nature of Human Motivation
Man is a naturally bad (sinful) rational being. Therefore, man must strive to cultivate the gifts endowed by God and to follow the will of God to be worthy of salvation.
Nature and Source of Human Values
The universal moral law established by one universal God is the basis of values. We can understand much of it through reason. It is not also based on the acceptance of the majority. Thus, in our society our government made wrong decisions because they consider the whims of the majority, even though they are in conflict with the universal moral law.
Purpose of Education
Man is endowed with intellect and talents; hence, the purpose of education is intellectual discipline and the development of moral character. Our educational institution must also strive to guide the learners in achieving self actualization and salvation of the soul.
Nature of the Teaching-Learning Process
The development of uomo universale is important in education. Learners must aim to be knowledgeable in various subjects and teachers must regard all subjects as equal in importance. Some subjects, such as music and literature, must be given importance even though learning those subjects do not directly relate to the survival of man.
“Ngaa kinanlan ko pa magtu-on algebra? Indi ko man na kinanlan magtig-ang!” (Why do I need to study algebra? I don’t need it in cooking rice!) is a famous line a Filipino learner would ask.
I would like to emphasize that the physiological needs of man (like hunger) need not be the only basis of the curriculum; however, it must also be considered. Thus, our educational system must also offer subjects that hone the skills of man in cooking, gardening, and homemaking.
Teachers must also offer classroom activities that relate theories to real life experiences. As John Dewey suggested, learners must be involved in real-life tasks and challenges. Math could be learnt via learning proportions in cooking or figuring out how long it would take to get from one place to another by mule. (wilder.com)
Simply stated, teachers and students must not be bias between experiential learning and learning for the love of the subject.
From idealism to empiricism, my philosophy (also known as rosemariesm) seems to be inferior. I may not have the capability to defend it from critics, but I take pride for having developed it for me to have the basis of my principles and actions. My sincere gratitude also goes to all philosophers especially Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Without them, rosemariesm would never exist.
Reference:
http://wilderdom.com/experiential/JohnDeweyPhilosophyEducation.html
