The last thing the UP Community needs right now is a thoughtless, hasty generalization. And today, it comes in the form of an editorial cartoon:
Photo taken from Inquirer.net
(The New Oblation: UP’s Culture of Violence)
Sure, some of you will say we deserve it. Some of you will even say it’s true. And fine, I agree with you. Our culture of violence has really defined our university. The endless hazing, frat wars and deaths in UP has risen in gigantic proportions.
But please, not at a time like this. We’re talking about a very sensitive matter. Somebody has died. And to desecrate the Oblation like that, implying the whole university and its student has turned into grim reapers looking for their next victim is a very insensitive assault on us Isko’s and Iska’s.
Personally, when I showed this cartoon to my friends, we were all saddened. Maybe because it’s true? Sure. But the portrayal of UP through a very hasty generalization is very far from the truth. Not all students in UP espouse violence. Not all are compelled to join frats. Not all agree to hazing, frat wars, or fraternities for that matter. How about those people? How about those who went to UP to study, to just study?
What will this imply to parents around the country? That we not only breed destabilizers, according to that piece of garbage in the DOJ, but killers too?
It’s so sad. This sends a foul message to its readers about the university. And we only have two entities to blame: the publication, and the fraternities responsible for this.
Let’s all fight to bring back UP to the glory it once had. STOP FRAT VIOLENCE! JUSTICE FOR CRIS!
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September 4th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
This was depressing… I don’t buy newspapers anymore (I read my news on the net) and when I do visit inquirer’s site, I seldom check the editorial.
I think it’s unfair because it implies that the UP population actually condone these violent acts. Why should the entire community be lynched for the actions of a few?
I am so disappointed. I expected more from the Inquirer.
September 4th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
@hazel Imagine my disgust (being their scholar). It was hasty, hasty, and nothing but hasty. (Sounds like tasty! I’m getting hungry! Why am I so rhymey? Oops. So sorry. Oh no!)
It was really unfair. Sapul talaga sa puso eh. Di man lang inisip how it would affect the whole community. Truly, we deserve better. And I, also, expected more from the Inquirer. Tsk tsk.
September 4th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
How sad indeed. I was a student in UP Diliman before the anti-hazing law. I thought hazing was normal then. So many years of frat violence. I’ve seen it all. I do hope this stops. I have faith Cris Mendez didn’t die in vain and that the frat violence will end.
September 4th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
Totoo naman, eh. Saka kahit bahagi ka ng Unibersidad, kung hindi ka guilty, di ka matatamaan.
September 4th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Very sad, Ma’am noemi. Shame on UP if this persists. It’s good that senators are picking up the issue. Miriam wants to go as far as banning frats and soros. I dare say go for it!
September 4th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
I think the University should refuse to recognize the violent frats. It should not let its name be attached to these gangs.
September 4th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
@ederic Actually sabi ko nga rin masakit kasi totoo. Pero not at a time like this sana when everybody’s so vulnerable. Timing lang siguro. At the back of my mind sabi ko na lang, maybe it’s necessary na rin na ganto ka-grabe ang portrayal para matuto. Pero sobrang generalization naman. Bad timing pa.
September 4th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
@Ederic yun nga nakakapagtaka sa admin eh. Pinalulusot pa rin yang mga frat na yan. Sana talaga matuloy yung bill na pinopropose ni Miriam. Although sa regulations na yan, what guarantees na matitigil ang hazing per se? Di lang naman sa frat pwedeng mabuhay ang hazing, diba?
September 6th, 2007 at 1:09 am
generalization, yes.. and that’s real sad. however, that’s my point too. the idea about eradicating the fraternities is a generalization as well since the problem really lies not on the org but who handled who. at… lalo lang cyang magiging underground which means more dangerous.
pero totoo… OA masyado yung sa newspaper. masyado naeexagge. mali na talaga yun.
September 6th, 2007 at 1:21 am
@andianka well that’s your viewpoint, although may point ka rin. Siguro we all need to rise up to the occasion and prove them otherwise. Na hindi bayolente sa UP, na hindi lahat ng frat pumapatay ng tao.
September 6th, 2007 at 1:30 am
@jmtuazon (parang twit) actually yun nga yun. dapat parin talagang mahanap kung sino yung nakapatay, as in yung humawak mismo dahil dapat talaga yung managot. yun ang dapat talagang maturuan ng leksyon. hindi naman bayolente ang UP, sikat lang kaya lahat ng masamang balita natututukan masyado.
September 6th, 2007 at 1:38 am
@andianka (oo nga LOL) yeah that’s the main point. Pero that’s not to mean na yung tao lang na yun ang mananagot. I don’t know ah, but somehow I’m forced to believe the whole frat or the whole concept of the frat is culpable in some way. There’s a need to re-structure or re-define the culture, else, it’s better to just abolish them all.
September 6th, 2007 at 1:48 am
@jmtuazon yun lang kasi mahirap. there had been moves about that re-structure re-define concept. it is on the way. talagang medyo matitigas ulo ng mga frats. however, diba halos wala pang nahuhuli sa mga nakapatay na’to dahil nakatutok sila sa pagabolish ng mga frat orgs? i believe na kung may talagang mahuli na, magigising din mga members nito. and of course, suspension, or eradication of the frat sa school pag may mga ganitong issue na. hay naku.. ang gulo kasi ng mundo.
September 6th, 2007 at 1:57 am
@andianka I beg to disagree. Wala pang nahuhuli because everyone’s afraid to speak up. Wala pang nahuhuli because everybody’s also busy covering up for each other. Recently a “katiwala” at the place where the hazing allegedly happened was bold enough to speak up. Hours later, he retracted his statement. HOURS LATER. Many things can happen in just a few hours.
September 6th, 2007 at 2:03 am
@jmtuazon errr.. yeah.. that is a problem. sigh. where’s CSI when you need one? hahahaha!
September 6th, 2007 at 2:09 am
Its the wake up call we need. Where else have you heard of a neophyte dying from hazing?
September 6th, 2007 at 2:18 am
@benj yes, yes, I realize that now. It’s like one massive bitch slap right in the face. No wonder it hurts so much.
September 6th, 2007 at 2:53 am
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September 6th, 2007 at 8:00 am
hi JM. with this statement, I think you’re riding on the same hasty generalizations you claim to be against.
sabi mo rin kailangan patunayan ng mga frats na hindi lahat sila pumapatay. why do peaceful and progressive frats have to do that? the burden of proof is not with them. you would have made a better argument if you listed accounts of fraternity related violence but you didn’t even seem to try. in fact, when you do that, you’ll realize that only a handful of frats from among UP’s many frats are regularly involved in such incidents. i think it’s unfair that for all these frats’ contribution to the university and to society, some people use this admittedly deplorable incident to generalize all of them to as far as calling for their abolition.
September 6th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Although I am very vocal about fraternity-related violence, I don’t think banning frats is the solution. Change should and must come from these fraternities themselves. Tama si Bikoy: it’s a mistake to generalize.
September 6th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
@Bikoy point taken. But what’s generally scary about this situation is the fact that nothing prevents other fraternities from doing the same. Sigma Rho, for one, according to GMANews.tv, doesn’t have a record of hazing-related death under their belt. Until now.
Somehow somebody’s responsible for the persistence of such violence because they did not prevent it from happening under their watch. So yeah, I submit to your point that banning frats won’t solve the issue. But somehow it provides a short-term solution to the problem. However, we need more than just short-term solutions.
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