Pete

Loose pages from an old journal fell from a storage box this morning, while I was getting my life organized. I came across an excerpt that I took down from a former co-faculty’s “open letter” to the UPLB community during the height of the Chancellor David, et. al. brouhaha. While I wasn’t a big fan of Pete back then, I admit now that he did have a few a couple of one redeeming qualityies. This excerpt from that impassioned open letter makes me forget—if only for a moment’s rest from these chores—his atrocious dorkiness and bouts of depravation.


“If teachers fail to defend themselves in principle and in action aginst any power that robs them of their rights and dignity, what right do they have to teach students of lesser means and privilege that they could likewise defend? If chancellors and chairs could command obedience and concensus by force rather than by reason, then of what use are teachers of Philosophy who cannot prove by example that knowledge of logic and reason is necessary or even a “good” thing? But shadows only thrive where ignorance and fear remain a cave and a prison, and people have no other choice but to be deceived.

I refuse to be deceived.”

—Ulysses Aureus, Instructor of Philosophy, Dept. of Humanities, CAS, UPLB, 2000-2003

extra: I had a major crush on his dad back in my literary grasshopper days in UPDil. I guess Pete got his name from the Joyce novel. Hmm. No comment.

My Childhood Library

One of the highlights of my week was the trip to my old grade school/high school, De La Salle Zobel. Although I have been back there several times since I graduated in--well, I won't tell!--I had really only been back for some specific events that allowed me only enough time to go to one place--the Zobel theater. This would usually be for the Pacquiao fights.

Last Wednesday, however, Prof. Malu, Prof. Neri and I were invited to check out ZoobTV: DLSZ's radio and TV studio. We walked around some parts of the campus, some offices (met the Bro Pres). All throughout the "official business" though, I have been waiting for the right time to ask Mrs. Balgos (the one who entertained us) if I could perhaps go and check out my most memorable hang out during my 13 years in DLSZ: the library.

She said, yes of course. It's still there, where I remember it to be: at the basement of the main building. Malu and Neri obliged and was more than happy to check the library out with me. I really had one mission there. I was eager to see if all the books I have read as a child were still there.

Well, waddya know?!?





Sadly, a lot of the old Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Dana Girls have been discarded because they were so old and destroyed already (according to the current librarian). I couldn't even find Bobsey Twins anymore, and most of the Judy Blume novels. But I was ecstatic to find that some of the books still had their old call cards and two still had my name on them!!! (WOWOOWOW!!!) \m/ astig di ba???!