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Supporters cheering for Monique Salcedo

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SOSS challenges Ateneans to be new heroes

by Ojie L. Ocampo

TITLED “BALIKBAYAN,” the School of Social Sci­ences Week from February 5 to 9 aimed to bring the Atenean youth back to being Filipinos.

SOSS Week’s title was a play of words, said Sanggu­nian ng mga Mag-aaral SOSS School Board Chair BJ Cruz (IV AB-MA PoS).

“We saw that the OFWs are the new heroes. We wanted the youth, especially [the] Atenean youth, to know that you don’t have to be an OFW … to be the new heroes. The new heroes are really the youth,” said Cruz.

New challenges

Cruz said that SOSS Week’s theme was the con­temporary Filipino youth’s facing new challenges such as contributing to nation-building.

Cruz said that SOSS Week’s message was that instead of going to the streets, Ateneans can use their par­ticular vocations, especially in the social sciences, to contribute to participation and activism. “We are creat­ing an alternative avenue for students to participate in.”

Cruz added that a dif­ficulty in getting engaged in national issues is that there is no clear-cut opposition unlike in the Marcos regime. “So the challenge is how do you create that thread that runs across the youth without having that clear opposition?”

“It’s more of going into your specific sphere. Creat­ing impact in that specific sphere,” added Cruz.

He also said, “We are first­ly socially involved through our courses. So if you think about the nature of our courses, we are at the fore­front of nation-building and transforming society.”

“That is the thread that cuts across the schools of Soc­Sci. We have an innate calling for that,” he added.

Highlights

The SOSS’ celebration was highlighted by seven major events. First was the SOSS Fair, an exhibit of contemporary Filipinos who have brought glory to the Philippines and may inspire students to be proud of being Filipino.

The exhibit featured booths at SEC Field with dif­ferent products and visuals of Filipino accomplishments.

Another activity was the course projects where the SOSS courses featured works related to their field of expertise.

The Heroes Awards, meanwhile, featured Social Sciences students and Loyola Schools’ non-teaching per­sonnel who are considered to be modern-day heroes.

Included in SOSS Week was "Katutubo," a one- min­ute public advertisement contest where each video entry showcased a part of Filipino culture.

There was also Metro Gwapo in Ateneo. With speaker MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando, the event aimed to provide a venue for students to get to know and dialogue with their local government leaders.

The talk also informed students of the roles of the local government units and how a regular citizen may participate in government without holding office.

Another event was “Wow! Kabataan: The Ultimate Challenge,” which had teams participating in challenges that highlight the talents of the contemporary Filipino youth.

The week’s culminat­ing night was titled “Pinoy Kalye,” held at the Cubao Shoe Expo. The event show­cased Pinoy diversity and mastery in different fields such as music, dance, art and fashion.

A success

One of the organizations that participated in the event was the Management Eco­nomics Organization (MEco). MEco President Gino Aguda (IV AB MEco) said that the SOSS Week was successful in achieving its objectives.

“It was able to enjoin various school units like the student council and organiza­tions in achieving a common objective of instilling pride to students belonging to the SOSS,” Aguda said.

He added that MEco was very happy with the outcome of SOSS Week. “Both our org reps and the Sanggu reps re­ally put their heart into it.”