In a recent round-table discussion, a student from a reputable university commented: “La Sallites are not aware (to realize, not just to know) of what is happening outside their school fence.” To bow down with humility and agree at once is foolish. But to sit down and examine ourselves, although wise, is painful, because we will arrive at the same conclusion.
What are the consequences and implications of the recent student riot at Malacañang? Did this atmosphere of violence have the same ring as the atmosphere which was created in South Korea (before the recent revolution), Japan (when Ike planned his trip), and South Vietnam (during the deposition of Ngo Dinh Diem)? Exactly under what kind of environment (smell, sanitation, health, etc.) do the people on the other side of our fence live in? Why do prisoners riot? Is it because of gang rivalries or is it because of idleness?
Questions like these certainly have a foreign ring; in fact, they may be branded as useless and irrelevant to our shirt-and-tied existence within the protective walls of De La Salle College.
But both the present and the future demand that we be aware of these problems.
The present social conditions are in a crying need for change. This does not mean that the tenor of this editorial is to ask you to offer solutions. We are not yet in a position to do so. We can only context ourselves with the first step: to bring ourselves into contact with these realities—a step which is necessary to the solution of any problem.
The future demands that we be aware now: college is only a preparation for life wherein we will be in contact with social problems whether we like it or not. Not only will awareness now absorb the shock of reality during the transition from college to professional life, but it will give us a deeper insight into the problem when we are faced with the demand for a solution.
To step up from the “society-boy” image to that of a man who is concerned with society, is the present challenge to La Sallites.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s Archives 2024 special. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSArchivesSpecial2024.
