Status Quo: The UST English Language Studies Society’s General Assembly
by Isabella Viktoria R. Aringo and Abigail Sabado
The UST English Language Studies Society held its annual general assembly entitled, “Status Quo” last September 16, 2016 at the TARC Auditorium (Thomas Aquinas Research Complex). The event was spearheaded by Marjorie S. Santos, President of the UST English Language Studies Society. It was also attended by the students of the AB in English Language Studies program. Ms. Jean R. Celino, a professor in the Department of English, Assoc. Prof. Judith Ma. Angelica S. Claustro, UST ELSSOC’s co-adviser, were also present during the said event.
The first general assembly discussed the upcoming events and projects for the academic year 2016-2017. Included in the lineup are the projects are the following: “This Course,” “ELSSOC Gallery,” “Project Sober,” “Lingua,” “duELS,” “Equilibrium,” “Articulate” and the “ELSSOC Night.” After the presentation of the events and projects, Dr. Camila Vizconde, the chairman of the Department of English of the University of Santo Tomas, gave the much awaited talk on the status of the English Language Studies program in the Philippines. She made mention of the abundance of the career opportunities awaiting the graduates of the AB in English Language Studies program.
In the latter part of the program, the guilds and committees were introduced together with the respective heads: the Scholastic Guild, headed by Edward Dunhill Chico; the Sports Guild, headed by Abegail Eclispe; the Phonetix, headed by Nieca Manansala; the Alumni Relations Committee, headed by Leah Dwight Abayon; the External Relations Committee, headed by Via Allison Del Rosario; the Creatives and Documentation Committee, headed by Denise Sabio and April Furio; and the Community Development Committee, headed by Precious Valencia. Each guild or committee was made to develop the skills of the students and assist in stretching their potentials to the limit. The members of the said guilds and committees were also presented.
Pamela Recio, Secretary of the UST English Language Studies Society, also launched the UST ELSSOC Blog and the UST ELSSOC Rappler X Publication. Those two that were mentioned are to be managed by the Scholastic Guild, Secretary Circle, and the Creatives and Documentation Committee. They are to be used for the purpose of information dissemination.
Before the program ends, the ELSSOC members had an opportunity to bond and spend some quality time as a whole through the several games and icebreakers such as “Picture Me,” “Tukaan,” “Human Bingo,” “Bring Me,” and “Memory Game.” Prizes were given away for the winning participants and sections. The program ended with the closing remarks by the project head, Marjorie S. Santos, who emphasized the need to give importance to the AB in English Language Studies Program and to keep in mind that the UST ELSSOC is not just a society but a family where everyone belongs.
It was the start of the #Trans4mation. This year, ELSSOC’s aim is to continue its legacy as a recognized academic society whose vision and mission are aligned to that of the university, and whose projects and events are conducted for the benefit of its members. The English Language Studies Society members may seem different individually, but as a whole, are alike due to the same longing and the same desire, to stay #AboveAllELSe.
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