UPV opens doors to 1,041 new students
A total of 1,041 new students entered the University of the Philippines in the Visayas for academic year 2006-2007. They are composed of 1,023 freshers and 18 transferees. This number is distributed among the following UPV colleges and school: College of Arts and Sciences -- 303; College of Management - 206; College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences - 24; School of Technology - 15; UPV Cebu College -- 241; and, UPV Tacloban College - 252. This year's Iloilo-based students were formally welcomed during the Opening Exercises on June 13, 2006, at the UPV Auditorium, Iloilo City campus.
The ceremony followed the tradition of previous opening programs which included the presentation of UPV officials, faculty, staff and students. Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Diana Aure, in her welcome remarks, advised everyone especially the incoming first year students to follow Stephen Covey's 2nd Habit of Highly Effective People which is "Begin with the end in mind," meaning, have a clear understanding of their purpose here in the university as well as their destination in life.
A BS Food Technology alumna in the person of Ms. Melissa Anne T. Gabriel, who is currently Quality Assurance Junior Specialist of Red Ribbon Bakeshop Inc., delivered an inspiring description of the University that honed her: "UP is home to the country's cream of the crop. A home to individuals who have an unquenchable thirst for learning, a deep desire to search for truth, a passion to pursue and unleash to unreachable limits their different talents and abilities. Likewise, UP is home to mentors who nurture our eagerness to learn, who direct our path to the untarnished truth and challenge our potentials to exhaust our inner talents to the maximum. Dear students, UP is home to mentors who believe in us more than we do ourselves..."
She, at the same time, asked the freshers to ponder upon these thoughts, "Life's lessons learned at UP will be far more valuable than the ones you will be earning with a 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 or even 5.0... We who have been endowed with the gift of intellect and unique talents and abilities are expected to do much much more. For with the opportunity of being an Iskolar ng Bayan comes great responsibilities and great expectations. I encourage you to embrace the tremendous pressure that comes with the great expectations."
John Ryan Recabar, a multi-awarded BA Broadcast Communication senior student, greeted the incoming batch and shared with them his realizations on how UP has changed his perspective about things and how it has shaped his dreams. He related that he was accepted at the College of Mass Communications in UP Diliman and the Intarmed Program of UP Manila but because of financial constraints, fate has brought him to the portals of UPV.
Cyren Mae N. Candar responded in behalf of the first year students. She echoed the expectations of her batch mates as they stepped in the University halls for the first time, as well as her personal thoughts as she starts college life.
The newly installed 7th Chancellor of UP Visayas, Dr. Glenn D. Aguilar, had a message to formally receive the incoming freshers and returning students, as well as the faculty who came back after a brief respite from classwork.
(Anna Razel L. Ramirez/IPO)