By Kevin Alaban | March 13, 2021
Due to the limitations brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Silliman University (SU) decided to give only the senior awards among other extra and co-curricular awards for Honor’s day 2021.
Abe Cadeliña, Head of Student Organizations and Activities Division (SOAD), mentioned Thursday that initially, extra-curricular awards would not be given to students for Honor’s day 2021.
“We see it as unfair to students, kay lisud biya kayo igawas, so how can you be out in the community,” Cadeliña said.
However, Edna Calingacion, Dean of Students, convinced him to eventually continue the awarding, with at least the senior awards only.
During a regular school year, awards such as Freshman Student of the Year, Sophomore Student of the Year, Junior Student of the Year, and Most Outstanding Student of the Year are awarded to deserving students.
Co-Curricular Awards’ qualification
At the end of every academic year, SU gives recognition to students who “can balance academic and co-curricular and extra-curricular activities” through the extra and co-curricular awards.
“As to qualifications, we have the academics, that’s the QPA. Then we rate the students based on the student’s involvement in leadership, the student’s involvement in service, and then also the student’s involvement or sharing of his or her talents,” Cadeliña explained.
Based on the guidelines used by the committees involved in the selection process of awardees, a submitted portfolio containing a nominee’s list of activities that ‘revolved around the 5 Cs of Silliman education is evaluated. The evaluation system allows them to ‘pick out the involvement of students’ allowing them to rate the students.
“We focus on the unrequired, meaning on the students own volition, naghimo sya ani na activities. That is where community involvement comes in, how active [sic] the student is in church, how active he/she [is] in leadership trainings,” he added.
Service award only
According to Cadeliña, senior awards’ candidates are screened and rated based on the activities starting from a student’s freshman year, all the way up to the senior year.
Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Awards, on the other hand, required one-year involvement in the community. The limitations due to the pandemic prompted the SOAD head to exclude these awards.
Cadeliña added that he does not want to ‘lower the standards’ of the selection process. He would have to lower the standard of the system they are using if the issue of having awardees would be pushed.
“So para nako, why should I lower it down, just to accommodate na naa jud tay awardees. It is better to not have awardees than to lower the standards para lang jud masulod,” Cadeliña said.
He also expressed his apprehension, saying that he is doubtful students would qualify due to the limitations brought about by the pandemic.
“Tan-awon lang nato, once we do the evaluation if naa juy nakaabot sa cut off for the ratings, crossing finger ko this year,” Cadeliña ended.
