Last term I was lucky enough to have a member of a dwindling population of La Salle graduates—Lasallites—as a professor. My professor, a known leftist (as many would consider themselves) during the Marcos regime, talked a lot about the “old days” when the De La Salle brothers would work together within and around the system to promote press freedom, human rights and the democracy.
He talked about many things that happened during that time. Since student publications were banned back then, students set up an underground student publication. Apparently, the library was used to circulate newspapers that the regime thought had been closed. His eyes shinned every time he talked about our role in ousting the dictator. He made it seem like the whole Lasallite community fought and won a war that had saved the entire country.
I was proud to be a part of the University, and I’m sure the few of my classmates who listened to my professor’s stories are as well. We have every right to be proud since we are now a part of an organization that helped topple Sid, Darthvader, the English and the Japanese combined! Well, that was, at least, how the media, politicians and opportunists portrayed the regime that surprisingly made a few good decisions at least according to some people I talked to.
But my professor who saw police officers embrace the masses and politicians stop to look back and help their constituents during what many believed would be the country’s biggest challenge—its Armageddon—did not look at all happy. It did not make sense; he supposedly helped create a better country and a better school, but his wrinkly, tired and humble face said it all—we have changed little for the good in the past decades.
Corruption is still rampant in the government, and politics continues to be at the top priority of our politicians instead of being public servants. After a few classes, I asked him if he continues to be part of the left (the real ones). He said that he finds little need for a left because a system has already been established, and that we should work to make gradual changes in the system.
He was right, but I found it hard to take that the Philippines was turned over for nothing. Surely, at least in the University, we have made progress, and to an extent, yes, but how much? My professor also found time to talk about the Lasallites. He mentioned Br. Alfred Shields FSC who brought students to the Pasig River to expose them to the issue of environmental degradation, and he mentioned about five times that the students and brothers then, especially during Martial Law, were very close.
Alumni back then, usually came back to La Salle to talk to the brothers, and to reminisce about how students knocked on their door to beg for food during a storm or how some people would hear young men crying at St. La Salle Hall, which usually meant that someone had impregnated his girlfriend. He always managed to make a smile that could only be interpreted as, “those were the good old days.”
I wouldn’t know, but everything as he quickly pointed out has changed over time, but again, shouldn’t we all be living in a better place because of the contributions of Lasallites? Shouldn’t the school improve not just in academics, but in its social responsibility aspect as well? Moreover, shouldn’t students at least live up to the nationalism benchmark Lasallites left?
To an extent, we have. The USG has created projects that aim to encourage students to recognize their role of nation building, but for the most part, true participation from the students have not materialized. What’s more disappointing is that many professors and students who show passion for freedom of speech and the democracy today have abused them much like how the Aquino administration has abused its power in the quest for justice.
I remember confiding with my professor the many issues that face the University and the student body today. He talked a bit more about how things were back then, but one thing stuck to me the day that we talked. He mentioned that it was easier for students, the academe and the administration to walk and work together because they had common goals. He added though that once the commonality (the goal to liberate the country against the dictator) had disappeared everyone went his or her separate way.
He ended class that day with a statement. He said that the only way we could move forward is if we, the administration, students, faculty and organizations, could focus on our commonalities since as he often said.
He was right. It was easier back then since “we” all had the same enemy, and as time passed by, we found out that we had more enemies; we discovered that we have many differences and focused on them. In many instances, we see the academe against the academe, students against the academe and students against each other. In one simple sentence, the enemy is among us.
But should we pretend that we do not have any differences, and that we are living in a perfect elitist world that only has first world problems as many have branded DLSU? No, definitely not. Differences define us, but it should, nevertheless, add value to the term Lasallite or Lasallian.
Differences should guide us to rightful discernment, but we should not, however, forget that we also have similarities and common goals such as progress and the desire to promote important values.
The truth is, we still have common enemies like some student organization and USG projects that aim to serve students, but don’t add any value at all, school policies that downright do not make any sense and lack of nationalism and social responsibility amongst the academe and the students, among others.
A professor once told me that the University decided to call Lasallites Lasallians to make us sound less like elitists. True, but actions speak louder than words, and the product would always speak for itself.
