300 Smart Words That You Should Know

·     Abate- to become weaker: to decrease in strength

·     Aberrant- different from the usual or natural type

·     Abeyance- a state of temporary disuse or suspension

·     Abscond- to go away or escape from a place secretly

·     Abstemious- not self-indulgent, especially when eating and drinking

·     Admonish- warn or reprimand someone firmly

·   Adulterate- to make something such as food or drink impure or weaker by adding something of poor quality

·    Aesthetic- concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

·    Aggregate- a whole formed by combining several (typically disparate) elements

·   Alacrity- brisk and cheerful readiness

·   Alleviate- make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe

·   Amalgamate- combine or unite to form one organization or structure

·   Ambiguous- (of language) open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning

·   Ambivalence- the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

·   Ameliorate- make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better

·   Anachronism- a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned

·   Analogous- comparable in certain respects, typically in a way that makes clearer the nature of the things compared

·   Anomalous- deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected

·   Antipathy- a deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion

·   Apathy- lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

·   Appease- pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands

·   Apprise- inform or tell (someone)

·   Approbation- approval or praise

·   Appropriate- suitable or proper in the circumstances

·   Arduous- involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring

·   Artless- without guile or deception

·   Ascetic- characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons

·   Assiduous- showing great care and perseverance

·   Assuage- make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense

·   Attenuate- reduce the force, effect, or value of

·   Audacious- showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks

·   Austere-severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance

·   Autonomous- (of a country or region) having self-government, at least to a significant degree

·   Aver-state or assert to be the case

·   Banal- so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring

·   Belie- (of an appearance) fail to give a true notion or impression of (something); disguise or contradict

·   Beneficent- (of a person) generous or doing good.

·   Bolster- a long, thick pillow that is placed under other pillows for support.

·   Bombastic- high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated

·   Boorish- rough and bad-mannered; coarse

·   Burgeon- begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish

·   Burnish- polish (something, especially metal) by rubbing

·   Buttress- a projecting support of stone or brick built against a wall

·   Cacophonous-involving or producing a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

·   Capricious- given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior

·   Castigation- reprimand (someone) severely

·   Catalyst- a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

·   Caustic- able to burn or corrode organic tissue by chemical action

·   Chicanery- the use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose

·   Coagulate- (of a fluid, especially blood) change to a solid or semisolid state

·   Coda-the concluding passage of a piece or movement, typically forming an addition to the basic structure.

·   Cogent- (of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing.

·   Commensurate- corresponding in size or degree; in proportion

·   Compendium- a collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject, especially in a book or other publication.

·   Complaisant- willing to please others; obliging; agreeable

·   Compliant- inclined to agree with others or obey rules, especially to an excessive degree

·   Conciliatory- intended or likely to placate or pacify

·   Condone- accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive) to continue

·   Confound-cause surprise or confusion in (someone), especially by acting against their expectations

·   Connoisseur- an expert judge in matters of taste

·   Cumbersome- large or heavy and therefore difficult to carry or use; unwieldy

·   Debilitate- make (someone) weak and infirm

·   Decorum- behavior in keeping with good taste and propriety

·   Deduce- arrive at (a fact or a conclusion) by reasoning; draw as a logical conclusion

·   Déjà vu- a feeling of having already experienced the present situation

·   Deify- worship, regard, or treat (someone or something) as a god

·   Delectable- (of food or drink) delicious

·   Demure- (of a woman or her behavior) reserved, modest, and shy

·   Deplorable- deserving strong condemnation

·   Dialectic- the art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinions.

·   Dichotomy- a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different

·   Eclectic- deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources

·   Eccentric- (of a person or their behavior) unconventional and slightly strange

·   Elicit- evoke or draw out (a response, answer, or fact) from someone in reaction to one’s own actions or questions

·   Elusive- difficult to find, catch, or achieve

·   Emanate- (of something abstract but perceptible) issue or spread out from (a source)

·   Enigmatic- difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious

·   En masse- in a group; all together

·   Endemic- (of a disease or condition) regularly found among particular people or in a   certain area

·   Eradicate- destroy completely; put an end to

·   Evasive- tending to avoid commitment or self-revelation, especially by responding only indirectly

·   Faux Pas- an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation.

·   Fiasco- a thing that is a complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way

·   Futility- pointlessness or uselessness

·   Fortuitous- happening by accident or chance rather than design

·   Formidable- inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable

·   Fractious- (typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome

·   Funereal- having the mournful, somber character appropriate to a funeral

·   Fledging- (of a young bird) develop wing feathers that are large enough for flight.

·   Fidelity- faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support

·   Flippant- not showing a serious or respectful attitude

·   Galvanize- shock or excite (someone), typically into taking action

·   Gamut- the complete range or scope of something

·   Gargantuan- enormous

·   Globular- globe-shaped; spherical.

·   Gormandize- indulge in good eating; eat greedily.

·   Grandeur- splendor and impressiveness, especially of appearance or style

·   Gradation- a scale or a series of successive changes, stages, or degrees

·   Gregarious- (of a person) fond of company; sociable

·   Gratuitous- uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted

·   Halcyon- denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful

·   Haphazard- lacking any obvious principle of organization

·   Hapless- (especially of a person) unfortunate

·   Herculean- requiring great strength or effort

·   Hiatus- a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process

·   Ignoble- not honorable in character or purpose

·   Ignominious- deserving or causing public disgrace or shame

·   Illicit- forbidden by law, rules, or custom

·   Impasse- a situation in which no progress is possible, especially because of disagreement; a deadlock

·   Impertinent- not showing proper respect; rude

·   Jocular- fond of or characterized by joking; humorous or playful

·   Jettison- throw or drop (something) from an aircraft or ship

·   Jejune- naive, simplistic, and superficial

·   Juxtapose- place or deal with close together for contrasting effect

·   Jingoistic- extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy

·   Kibosh- put an end to; dispose of decisively

·   Kinetic- of, relating to, or resulting from motion

·   Kudos- praise and honor received for an achievement.

·   Keynote- a prevailing tone or central theme, typically one set or introduced at the start of a conference

·   Kinesiology- the study of the mechanics of body movements.

·   Laconic- (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words

·   Laggard- a person who makes slow progress and falls behind others

·   Lascivious- (of a person, manner, or gesture) feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire

·   Latent- (of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden; concealed

·   Lethargic- affected by lethargy; sluggish and apathetic

·   Levity- humor or frivolity, especially the treatment of a serious matter with humor or in a manner lacking due respect

·   Liaison- communication or cooperation that facilitates a close working relationship between people or organizations

·   Loquacious- tending to talk a great deal; talkative.

·   Ludicrous- so foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing; ridiculous

·   Lucid- expressed clearly; easy to understand

·   Malignant- (of a disease) very virulent or infectious.

·   Maniacal- a person exhibiting extreme symptoms of wild behavior, especially when violent and dangerous

·   Masticate- chew (food).

·   Maverick- an unorthodox or independent-minded person

·   Mawkish- sentimental in a feeble or sickly way

·   Megalomania- obsession with the exercise of power, especially in the domination of others.

·   Mendacious- not telling the truth; lying

·   Mesmerize- hold the attention of (someone) to the exclusion of all else or so as to transfix them

·   Misconstrue- interpret (something, especially a person’s words or actions) wrongly

·   Mnemonic- a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something.

·   Narcissistic- having an excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one’s physical appearance

·   Narcolepsy- a condition characterized by an extreme tendency to fall asleep whenever in relaxing surroundings.

·   Nascent- (especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential

·   Nefarious- (typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal

·   Ne plus ultra- the perfect or most extreme example of its kind; the ultimate

·   Noblesse Oblige- the nobility.

·   Nocturnal- done, occurring, or active at night

·   Nom de guerre- an assumed name under which a person engages in combat or some other activity or enterprise.

·   Nonchalance- the state of being nonchalant

·   Non sequitur- a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement.

·   Oblivious- not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one

·   Obsequious- obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree

·   Obsolete- no longer produced or used; out of date

·   Onus- used to refer to something that is one’s duty or responsibility

·   Optimal- best or most favorable; optimum

·   Opus- any artistic work, especially one on a large scale

·   Onerous- (of a task, duty, or responsibility) involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively burdensome

·   Ostensibly- apparently or purportedly, but perhaps not actually

·   Ostracize- exclude (someone) from a society or group

·   Onomatopoeia- the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named

·   Pacify- quell the anger, agitation, or excitement of

·   Pandemic- (of a disease) prevalent over a whole country or the world.

·   Paradigm- a typical example or pattern of something; a model

·   Paragon- a person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality

·   Paroxysm- a sudden attack or violent expression of a particular emotion or activity

·   Paucity- the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity

·   Peccadillo- a small, relatively unimportant offense or sin.

·   Pedantic- of or like a pedant

·   Penultimate- last but one in a series of things; second to the last

·   Perennial- lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring

·   Perpetuate- make (something, typically an undesirable situation or an unfounded belief) continue indefinitely

·   Peruse- read (something), typically in a thorough or careful way

·   Pervasive- (especially of an unwelcome influence or physical effect) spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people

·   Picayune- petty; worthless

·   Pinnacle- the most successful point; the culmination

·   Placid- (of a person or animal) not easily upset or excited

·   Platonic- (of love or friendship) intimate and affectionate but not sexual

·   Plethora- a large or excessive amount of (something)

·   Polarize- divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs

·   Polemics- a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something

·   Portend- be a sign or warning that (something, especially something momentous or calamitous) is likely to happen

·   Posit- assume as a fact; put forward as a basis of argument

·   Potable safe to drink; drinkable

·   Pragmatic- dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations

·   Precarious- not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse

·   Precedent- an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances

·   Precocious- (of a child) having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual

·   Preemptive- serving or intended to preempt or forestall something, especially to prevent attack by disabling the enemy

·   Pretense- an attempt to make something that is not the case appear true

·   Primordial- existing at or from the beginning of time; primeval

·   Pristine- in its original condition; unspoiled

·   Prodigal- spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant

·   Procrastinate- delay or postpone action; put off doing something

·   Proliferate- increase rapidly in numbers; multiply

·   Promiscuity- the fact or state of being promiscuous

·   Protégé- p a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person

·   Protocol- the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions

·   Proverbial- (of a word or phrase) referred to in a proverb or idiom

·   Prudent- acting with or showing care and thought for the future

·   Pulchritude- beauty

·   Raconteur- r a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way

·   Raillery- good-humored teasing

·   Raiment- clothing

·   Raison d’être- r the most important reason or purpose for someone or something’s existence

·   Rambunctious- uncontrollably exuberant; boisterous.

·   Ramification- a consequence of an action or event, especially when complex or unwelcome

·   Rancor- r bitterness or resentfulness, especially when long-standing

·   Rapacity- aggressive greed

·   Rapprochement- (especially in international relations) an establishment or resumption of harmonious relations

·   Ratiocinate- form judgments by a process of logic

·   Recalcitrant- having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline

·   Recant- say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, especially one considered heretical

·   Recapitulate- summarize and state again the main points of

·   Reciprocity- the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one country or organization to another.

·   Recriminate- make counteraccusations

·   Rectitude- morally correct behavior or thinking; righteousness

·   Redact- edit (text) for publication.

·   Redolent- strongly reminiscent or suggestive of (something)

·   Reflexive- denoting a pronoun that refers back to the subject of the clause in which it is used

·   Rejoinder- a reply, especially a sharp or witty one

·   Salacious- treating sexual matters in an indecent way and typically conveying undue interest in or enjoyment of the subject

·   Salient- most noticeable or important

·   Salubrious- health-giving; healthy

·   Sangfroid- composure or coolness, sometimes excessive, as shown in danger or under trying circumstances

·   Sapient- wise, or attempting to appear wise

·   Sardonic- grimly mocking or cynical

·   Sartorial- of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress

·   Satiety- the feeling or state of being sated.

·   Saturnine- slow and gloomy

·   Satyr- a man who has strong sexual desires.

·   Savoir faire- the ability to act or speak appropriately in social situations.

·   Scintilla- a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling

·   Scion- a descendant of a notable family

·   Secular- denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis

·   Sedentary- tending to spend much time seated; somewhat inactive

·   Serendipity- the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way

·   Sinecure- a position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit.

·   Sojourn- a temporary stay

·   Spurious- not being what it purports to be; false or fake

·   Supercilious- behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others

·   Tabula Rasa- an absence of preconceived ideas or predetermined goals; a clean slate

·   Taciturn- (of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.

·   Tangential- of, relating to, or along a tangent

·   Tantamount- equivalent in seriousness to; virtually the same as

·   Tautology- the saying of the same thing twice in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style

·   Teleological- the explanation of phenomena by the purpose they serve rather than by postulated causes

·   Temerity- excessive confidence or boldness; audacity

·   Temper- a person’s state of mind seen in terms of their being angry or calm

·   Tempestuous- characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion

·   Tenet- a principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy

·   Tendentious- expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one

·   Tenacious- tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely

·   Tete-a-tete- a private conversation between two people

·   Thaumaturge- a worker of wonders and performer of miracles; a magician

·   Titular- holding or constituting a purely formal position or title without any real authority

·   Toothsome- temptingly tasty

·   Tractable- easy to control or influence

·   Transient- lasting only for a short time; impermanent

·   Tryst- a private, romantic rendezvous between lovers

·   Tumid- swollen

·   Ubiquitous- present, appearing, or found everywhere

·   Umbrage- offense or annoyance

·   Unassuming- not pretentious or arrogant; modest

·   Unbridled- uncontrolled; unconstrained

·   Unceremonious- having or showing a lack of courtesy; rough or abrupt

·   Unctuous- excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily

·   Ungainly- awkward; clumsy

·   Unilateral- performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a particular situation, without the agreement of another or the others

·   Unimpeachable- not able to be doubted, questioned, or criticized; entirely trustworthy

·   Unsavory- disagreeable to taste, smell, or look at.

·   Vacuous- having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless

·   Vagary- an unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone’s behavior

·   Vainglorious- inordinate pride in oneself or one’s achievements; excessive vanity.

·   Vapid- offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging

·   Vanguard- a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas

·   Vehement- showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense

·   Venal- showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery

·   Venial- denoting a sin that is not regarded as depriving the soul of divine grace. Often contrasted with mortal

·   Veracity- conformity to facts; accuracy

·   Verdant- green with grass or other rich vegetation.

·   Vers libre- another term for free verse

·   Vignette- a brief evocative description, account, or episode.

·   Vociferous- (especially of a person or speech) vehement or clamorous

·   Wanderlust- a strong desire to travel

·   Wane- (of the moon) has a progressively smaller part of its visible surface illuminated, so that it appears to decrease in size.

·   Wanton- (of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and unprovoked

·   Watershed- an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.

·   Wayfaring- (of a person) traveling on foot

·   Weltschmerz- a feeling of melancholy and world-weariness.

·   Wherewithal- the money or other means needed for a particular purpose

·   Xanadu- an idealized place of great or idyllic magnificence and beauty

·   Xenophile- an individual who is attracted to foreign peoples, manners, or cultures.

·   Yahoo- a rude, noisy, or violent person.

·   Xenophobic- having or showing an intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries

·   Yawnful- yawning, as the result of boredom, tedium, or the like

·   Za-zen- is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary religious practice

·   Zeitgeist-the general beliefs, ideas, and spirit of a time and place

·   Zest- lively excitement

·   Zenith- the strongest or most successful period of time

·   Yammer- to talk in an annoying way usually for a long time

Philippine Daily Inquirer (March19-23 issues)

                

                Nowadays, Journalism profession is offered to both male and female. Unlike before, this career is mostly dominated by men since women were viewed as caretakers of the family and not as professionals. Even during the ancient times, the rights of women are often discriminated for it is believed that women are just there to produce children. And they are even proud whenever they produce a baby boy and get disappointed when it is a girl.

                With the advancement of our society, the outlook for women changed and they are no longer just “baby makers.” Their skills are not only limited to the four corners of their home for they are now given the rights to do what men does. And sometimes, more rights were given to females and we have this thinking that men should always prioritize and respect women.

                On the March 19 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), most of the byliners were women. The top story entitled ‘Senate hits peace panel’ was written by Leila Salaverria. And for that day’s issue, 4 other female writers dominated the page. Out of the 7 by liners, only 2 were male writers whose articles focused on the Disaster Risk Reduction frameworks and the recent Mamasapano tragedy.

                Meanwhile, on the following day, the numbers of female and male writers were both 3.  One story about the British boy band 1 Direction was included in the front page which was written by Tina Santos. All the other stories mostly focused on the political issues like the BBL and the Mamasapano clash.

                For 3 consecutive days, the banner stories for the Philippine Daily Inquirer were written by a male writer named Nikko Dizon. Most of the stories written by Dizon concerns the health of President Benigno Aquino III (PNoy) saying that he collapsed on around midnight, March20, without him knowing. Also, one of the stories written by Dizon focused on the release of text messages between PNoy and Purisima to help the investigation of the Fallen 44 case.

                Only one female made it to the front page, Nina Cabeja, writing about the rallies made by office workers behind Makati Mayor Jujun Binay.

                The british boy band 1 Direction made it again in the front page and this time, the writers were a male and a female. On the March 22 issue of PDI, 4 writers were female and only 2 writers for the front page were male. And among these females, Senator Loren Legarda wrote an article about nature of disaster risks.  The 3 other females wrote about the social networking sites such as the joining of Inquirer.net to facebook. And the other is about Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago ruling Twitter and Facebook with millions of her followers.

                For March 23 issue, men dominated the page having a total of 4 over 6. Two of these articles were written by Nikko Dizon focusing again on PNoy. Meanwhile, Maricar Cinco wrote an article about a new found specie of tarantulas.

               

Out of the twenty-one writers during the five-day issue of PDI, eleven were female writers and the rest are male. Most of the topics written by men focused on government meanwhile, the females were stretched up to writing news-features. Nevertheless, both men and women wrote articles about the Senate which is the highest beat in the paper industry.

(Photos by: Janine Perea)

Despite having positive ratings on his early terms, President Benigno Aquino III is now called for resignation by different organizations and church leaders saying that he should give the Filipino people a fresh start and a new government.

                With the recent clash between the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Font (MILF), the public questions the commanding ability of the president endangering the on-going peace process between the MILF and the government.    

        

                The mission, which was referred to as Oplan Exodus led to the deaths of 44 SAF officers and the death of one of the FBI’s most wanted terrorist, Zulkifli Abdhir, dubbing the incident as the biggest loss of the government elite force in the Philippines.

                “Bilang Commander-In-Chief-, hindi pwedeng mag-blame ng lower officials kasi yung chain of commands ay sa kanya naka-direct. Nagkasala siya sa Fallen 44 not by commission but by omission kasi hindi niya nagampanan yung role niya,” Jenina Avancena, Editor-In-Chief of The Flame, official publication of the Faculty of Arts and Letters said.

                Kabataan party-list Representative Terry Ridon emphasized that the president should not use resigned PNP Chief Director Allan Purisima as his ‘fall guy’ and that Purisima’s resignation is an admission of guilt over the clash.

                “Masyadong mataas ang tingin natin sa pamilya Aquino kaya natatakot tayong maghalal ng ibag opisyal. Na-set natin yung standards na kapag ‘Aquino’, magaling ‘to,” Avancena added.

            

                      On the other hand, University of Sto. Thomas (UST) Assistant Professor Jose Tolentino Olivar II stated that it has been embarked in the Filipino culture that whenever they wanted to oust a leader, Filipinos join hands for a revolution or do signature campaigns.

                “Kusang nagbibitiw ang isang leader sa ibang bansa. Kapag alam niyang hindi na siya karapat-dapat at hindi na niya nagampanan yung tungkulin niya,” Olivar emphasized.

                Olivar also said that Anti-Aquino groups should take into consideration the process of impeachment knowing that the election is already next year. He also stated that the public should just wait for the end of Aquino’s term.

                Another professor from UST under the Faculy of Philosophy, Marc Aldous Baccay said that the public serves as a critic which is a good thing for the leaders to know what they need to improve on their work.

                “Kelangang isipin yung consequences kapag na-impeach si PNoy. Between him and Vice President Jejomar Binay, our current president is more practical,” he stated.

Baccay also reiterated that asking for an official to step down every after crisis is not healthy for no official is considered perfect. He added that the circumstances that came in during Aquino’s term was not planned.

                “Nakaka-awa ang mga Pilipino kasi ang criteria lang ng kanilang pagboto ay ‘Who is the lesser evil?’. Wala bang ‘Who is the best?’” Baccay said.

                As for the upcoming election, the criterion for the next president, as pictured by Avancena and Olivar is that someone who is willing to point out the bad sides of politics and someone who the Filipino’s trust and fear.

                

        Majority of the students who attended the Faculty of Arts and Letters Speak Up forum gives the council frowning faces saying that they were not satisfied with the answers last Feb. 10 at AB lecture hall.
 
       ABSC left a drop box outside their office to let the students voice out their thoughts about the recently concluded Face to Face event with the student leaders and the administrators.
    
      The suggestion papers contain smileys and sad faces to indicate the performance rating of the council who answered every issue during the forum.
      
       Most of the entries shaded the sad face saying that the council was not able to clearly answer the questions especially about the lost fund issue.
       
      “Sa nangyaring Student Dialogue, hindi naman nila nasagot ang katanungan na kung nasaan ang 50k. Bagkus ay ipinaliwanang lamang nila kung bakit hindi ito maaaring sagutin na siya pang nagpalabnaw ng isyu,”STRAW Committee head, John Robert Magsombol said.

        Also, Magsombol added that the council challenged the Artlet community to be keen observers, logical thinkers and make those who are related to the issue responsible.

       “Hindi natuldukan ng event na ito ang mga agam-agam ng mga tao bagkus ay nagluwal pa ito ng hindi pagtititwala sa AB council,” Magsombol stated.

     Other issues were also brought up during the forum but the students wanted to clear the issue about the lost fund first before jumping into another issue.

     When asked whether the council should hold another student dialogue, Magsombol said that the council should resolve the things that were mentioned on the first dialogue so that they can give more concise answers.

      On the other hand, two days after the forum, Artlets continued to ask the Faculty admins and leaders the question “Nasaan ang 50k?” during the AB parade.
 
        With this year’s “Trip around the World” theme, each course was expected to dress up like their representing country. And they have to do a chant in front of the AB building for the judges to have a better look of their props and costumes.
  
      During the parade, second year Journalism students were shouting “Why not here?” and “Uruguay is for LGBT rights!,” and when it is their time to stop in front of the building, they blurted out “Nasaan ang 50k?” which leads to a fuss in the social media network.
  
      “What we did during the AB Parade was no different. It was the proper avenue to voice out our message not just to our fellow Artlets and the AB administration but also to the whole University,” Xavier Gregorio said.
   
     In response, “You could've shown a little respect. But the purpose of our parade was not to voice out disgruntlements. You should've just shown propriety in behalf of our society and the Artlet community,” second year student, Natasha Isidro commented.
 
       Nevertheless, both of the sides are saying that the issue about the lost 50k is still unclear and that the forum was not enough for them for there are no definite answers given by the council.

 

Photo by: Janine Perea

To finally discuss the issues surrounding the AB community, the faculty student council (ABSC) held a face to face dialogue event with the board of management, administrators and selected AB students with their Speak Up Forum at AB Rizal Hall, February 10. Although it is a talk between students and admins, the absence of the faculty dean, Michael Anthony Vasco, who was expected to be a part of the said dialogue was intrigued. "Is there a particular thing na itinatago niya sa amin? Bakit parang lagi siyang (Vasco) umiiwas?" Marcelli Papas, The Flame writer, asked the administrator. "Since two of our admins are already here, we need someone to supervise the office during their absence," ABSC Vice-President External Krystyna Nicole Feliciano explained.

Photo by: Janine Perea

The AB community was given the chance to ask the ABSC and the administrators limiting to one question per student and no follow-up questions are to be answered. Also, the AB COMELEC members filtered questions from the drop box outside the ABSC office. After almost 3 months, the student council voiced out their stand about the lost P50,000 which was supposed to be used for the Athena Cup, NGO fair and the Staff's General Assembly.

Photo by: Janine Perea

"Yung nawalang 50k, hindi siya naging hindrance sa performance at duties ng ating konseho," ABSC President Marie Jann Klaire Lazo stated. "Lahat naman tayo dito tao. Lahat naman tayo dito nagkakamali." Feliciano added. ABSC Vice-President Internal Dominic Castro also said that they are just ordinary students and they were just given the opportunity to serve. Also, he added that as students, they need to attend to their academic standings as well and cannot devote their full time as student leaders. From the statement given by the council last November 22, the lost fund was said to be gone last October 23. And when asked about what the council members did during that day, each of them responded saying that they were attending personal matters and was not present at the ABSC office at the day of the incident. As a to not have the same mistake, Asian Studies Society President Allen Amarillas suggested that the council should install CCTV cameras inside the office. But Assistant Dean Nancy Tabirara disagreed with Amarillas' statement saying that CCTV cameras are prohibited inside offices. The issue about the late opening of bank account was also brought up. "Summer before the start of the school year pa lang inaayos na namin. Pero pabago-bago ng requirements kaya hindi namin siya agad naayos," council treasurer Julienne Avila stated. "You are a student council and not an event organizer," John Magsombol, organization committee, said implying that the council should held more responsibility to gain credibility. Aside from the lost money, issues such as the Type B uniform was also opened up. ABSC defended that they still need to finalize whether they should require the students to buy the uniform knowing that this will just add to their expenses. Other matters surrounding the AB community were also tackled in the forum and the council and administrators answered each question thrown in by the students.