By RACHELLE MARIE GUTIERREZ DANGIN
It was our way of showing them that we’re not pure talk and write; we also know how to have fun.
It was our way of proving to them that we’ve got a direction, a place in the job industry.
TWO MAIN GOALS.
ONE SPECIAL EVENT.
We, the Communicators of U.P. (COMM-UP), the official organization of the Mass Communications students in the University of the Philippines Cebu College celebrated the Mass Communication Days on February 21-24, 2007.
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UP Cebu Mass Com students enjoy
a four-day affair of fun and learning. | | Centering on the theme, "Mass Comm Graduate: Asa ka padung?" (Where are you going?), the event aimed to promote camaraderie among the students and help define the career path of Mass Comm students.
True enough, the four-day affair was packed with activities that helped achieved these goals.
Some people think that we, as Mass Comm students, only talk and write. Wrong. We also know how to have fun.
Take for example four of our activities: Interactive Exhibit, MassCommazing Race, Gawad Papuri 2007 and Mis-Communication 2007. The Interactive Exhibit showcased the different articles, photos and radio dramas. Derived from the popular Amazing Race, MassCommazing Race challenged our physical and mental ability as we defied obstacles and clues. Gawad Papuri 2007 honors ten fun awards to ten deserving students. To name a few, the Sleeping Beauty award is given to the one who usually sleeps in class while the Abra Kadabra award to the one who suddenly puffs out of nowhere. The Mis-Communication 2007 is an impersonation pageant wherein each candidate must imitate a media personality.
Not only were we able to enjoy the activities but we also got to bond with each other. The MassCommazing Race was tiring yet it was all worth it because we had so much fun running around the campus. The Gawad Papuri and Mis-Communication allowed us to explore our wacky side and make use of our creativity.
During the opening program, we invited three UP Cebu Mass Comm alumni, who are now successful in their respective fields. While feasting on Cebu’s native delicacies such as galletas, otap and barquillos, we listened to their stories. Dianne Arni Nicolas, May Macapobre and Narsheen Artiaga testified about their lives after graduation. They narrated how they landed in their jobs and how helpful their experience as a Mass Comm student is.
On our second day, we had our "Balik-Talent" lectures. As its name suggests, we pooled talents – former students of the said program. They are to discuss in detail their fields of interests, the jobs they landed. We called back Jeanette Japzon to talk on public relations, Randy Gorion for radio broadcasting, Odinah Sagun for event management and Sunshine Mauro for call center.
Moreover, in the afternoon, we also had a forum on Media and Globalization. We learned about the ability of the media to set public opinion. Media has been an agent of change, may it be good or bad. With the forum, we came to know the role of media in this globalization.
These three activities opened our minds. It broadened our horizons that as Mass Comm students, we’re not limited to a career as a journalist, reporter or advertiser. It somehow corrected the traditional thought that Mass Comm graduates have less job opportunities. With the activities, we realized that we have many options to take as a profession. Indeed, there is more to Mass Communications. Now, where are we going? To the world. As Dianne Nicolas puts it, "we’ve got a world to conquer".
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STAGE ACTORS. The whole cast and crew
of Pregenesis smile for a victorious
restaging. | | And speaking of the conquering, we’ve got another place to conquer too – the acting world! In the last two days of our event, we had an acting workshop conducted by a local talent center. We were taught how to modulate our voice, to focus and imagine. Furthermore, we also restaged an original play entitled Pregenesis. Featuring 2nd year Mass Comm students, the play showed a legend of how things were before the creation.
With these activities, all the more were we convinced that we do have a place in the industry. We may not end up in front of the camera; we can always work behind the scenes, as part of the production crew. In our course, we are also taught technical stuffs, so that make us at par and suitable for the job.
I’m in my second year as a Mass Comm student and I admit I do doubt about my future. I’ve got so many dreams, so many fields of interest I wish to try. I took Mass Comm, believing that this course will help me turn these dreams into a reality.
But guess what? After the Mass Comm days, I realized I made the right decision. Right now, my future isn’t still certain yet but I’m pretty sure that when I graduate from this course, I have a deserving place, a rightful profession.
After all, I do have a "world to conquer!"
(The author is currently on her sophomore year, taking up Mass Communications at the University of the Philippines - Cebu College. For comments and suggestions, email scubul@mb.com.ph.)
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