Many learners consider school their second home, spending hours upon hours attending lectures and working on required assignments. However, when the pandemic erupted, things changed. Instead of school being a haven for learning, it became a risk to students' health. Hence, distance learning has taken over for the past two academic years. Amidst the challenges and struggles, MSU-IIT reopened its doors for face-to-face learning this academic year, 2022-2023. With this long-awaited school year upon IITians, CASSayuran interviewed 10 Arachnid freshmen from different programs and asked 'what is the essence of CASS?'
The freshmen interviewees provided a variety of perspectives when asked about what they think the essence of CASS is, correlating terms and expressions such as "freedom", "connection", "innovation", "breath of fresh air", "humanistic", and "empowering" to be the college's true essence.
Three months into the first semester, English Language Studies Major Eula Grace Logarta, described CASS as a place where freedom is abundant. She opined that "We are free in the sense that our opinions matter in a much bigger picture; not just for our own but for everyone in our college and institute" and further noted that while most colleges have to follow a particular structure in order to belong, in CASS, they are given a platform that serves and express them the best. Logarta mentioned that there has never been a moment where she regretted being a part of CASS.
BA Psychology student Menchie Mae Emperio answered the same question: "I see CASS as a breath of fresh air. Owing to the fact that the school hones students not only to have academic excellence, but also to have moral competence." Albeit mentioning that her first semester has been quite challenging so far, she pointed out that CASS has continued to push her to unleash her greatest potential as a student.
Meanwhile, Jay Mark Gac-ang, a History major, expressed how he sees CASS as a "blessing", detailing it as "a practical, needed, and empowering college that enables students' potential to help them contribute to the field of social sciences." He remarked that being a part of CASS has been both "challenging and fun", the latter word pertaining to the fact that he has met good people and found friends along the way.
Arvy Gwynneth Araña, a BS Psychology student, narrated her thoughts on CASS by emphasizing, "I love the fact that we can embrace both freedom and friendliness as students studying the humanities; as well as how we are able to give importance to matters of life that do not just involve our studies." She framed her opinion by saying that "giving significance to things that are often taken lightly and seeing others through a humanistic perspective" is what CASS stands for. Like the rest, Araña mentioned that she could not see herself anywhere else but in CASS.
BS Philosophy - Applied Ethics student Izshi Niña Nikola Saluta compared the likeness of CASS to that of a "tree". She elucidated on this by commenting that "though deeply rooted, CASS is freely waving along the wind; its teachings and values are deeply integrated with our culture, but at the same time, it also freely complements the passions and goals of the students." Hence, she reckoned that for her the essence of CASS follows two values which are "connection and innovation." Connection pertains to students' connection to their classmates, society, school, dreams; and Innovation, which stands for their desire for continuous improvement and creativity.
Meanwhile, Fer Princess Faith Tripoli, a Sociology Major, shared how hard her first semester went since she came from General Santos City, so it took her much time to adjust and blend in. Now, she sees CASS as a "thread" of her dreams and stated that "Being part of CASS allows me to aim [for] what I want in life slowly and beautifully." "Sympathetic" comes to her mind when asked about the essence of CASS.
Frances Joanna Balaba, a Literary and Cultural Studies major, admitted that during her first semester, she encountered some "adjustments" since her course program was not what she wanted in the first place. Along the way, by attending lectures, she eventually appreciated the program; even when it was stressful, it was a "happy stress" for her. According to her, if she thinks about CASS, what comes to her mind is that "It deals with how the world works, not biologically speaking, but how the society works, the culture, especially that I am a BA LCS major". She added that it is more like critical thinking and that one must have an exhaustive perception when in CASS. She ended her statement by saying that the essence of CASS is "Mind-opening".
Amid a "hectic" experience dealing with essays and projects during the first semester, Ayesha Faiz, a Filipino major, still chose to look brighter. "My first sem was also pretty fun since I made friends and acquaintances from other departments and was able to hang out with them." Her perception of CASS is "a place where people can express themselves and stand their ground". "It was a place where I think I can grow myself and be able to fully express myself and with the help of the people that surround me", she added. She articulated that CASS is "the essence of freedom to speak" and "stand with no boundaries" as long as it is valid as present and it genuinely visualizes the department of social science. "It is a freedom to gain confidence for interaction and communication to share knowledge of various fields. The essence of being able to develop relationship[s] with individuals from different places with varieties of culture, I envision a genuine confidence with well-mannered perception".
Meanwhile, April Aveguil Pamisa, a Political Science student, shared her experience in CASS as "Quite exciting and at the same time challenging" because she was not used to this kind of University life due to the pandemic. However, on a positive note, it was a new experience for her. She also shared how it was fun to meet new people like her classmates, despite the diversity in religion, beliefs, and different stances in their faith. Considering that they are all Political Science students, it was challenging to know they have different stances on whom they side. She emphasized that she sees CASS as her stepping stone toward becoming a lawyer in the future. For her, "The essence of CASS is the students itself". Because without the students, CASS would not stand as a College. "Students are the center or the core of this college," she said.
Finally, Johanne Ecarma Abas, a Panitikan student, stated that his experience during the first semester as a CASS student was a pure delight. "I wasn't expecting such memorable and almost unexplainable fun". As a first-year student, he assumed it would be similar to high school. "In college, as I spent my last year as a teenager before turning 20, I treasured every moment, joined organizations, had fun in activities, showcased my skills, and, of course, was true to myself. CASS pointed me in the right direction; I received a lot of good things, not to mention", he shared. He also conveyed that he gained a block family and best-loved Professors. He said he also learned plenty, mainly through seminars, meetings, and symposium activities and hopefully, it will continue next year. "In addition, I found my experiences in the first semester as a member of the KAPILAS-BAYAN organization and as the first-year representative to be outstanding because we were working together to accomplish a specific objective(s) and were constantly reminded of the clause that "teamwork and family also come with an effort and good output."
In this organization, he stated that we foster integrity, love, and support for the CASS, MSU-IIT students, and the entire University. On the question of how he sees CASS, he admitted that "actually, I thought CASS was an arts and issues school. But CASS is more than that; it is a college of arts and issues that can positively perceive, obtain lessons that one hasn't encountered, and make students critical thinkers for their own benefit." He added that CASS is a College of Arts and Social Sciences where students can express themselves, learn not to be afraid to speak up and always act, and often find solutions and be open to all. "CASS is more than just arts and social issues; you'll learn how to speak, act, think, find, and execute skills that will benefit you for the rest of your life," he said.
Casa is an informal Spanish word which translates to 'house' in English.
About the Authors
Rona Marie Julaica Alison
Rona Marie Julaica I. Alison is currently taking up BA Sociology as a Freshman Student at Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). She took up Humanities and Social Sciences and graduated from Molave Vocational Technical School in her Senior High School. She joined journalism from 2014 until 2022 where she qualified for National Schools Press Conference on Online Publishing as the News Writer. Currently, she is a member of CASSayuran as a News Writer.
Andrea Ross Sedero
Andrea Ross L. Sedero, first year BS in Psychology, is one of the News Correspondents for the MSU-IIT CASSayuran Publication. Born in Clarin, Misamis Occidental, she is currently 18 years old and is someone who watches romantic comedies and reads manhwas in her spare time. Andrea first became involved in Journalism back when she was in Grade 4. After joining her elementary school's press organization, she competed yearly in the Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC). She was a Copyreader for three years in elementary and a News Writer for four years in junior high school. Her proudest achievement in the field was when she placed 4th in News Writing during the 2019 Regional Schools Press Conference held at Gingoog City. Today, she aspires to continue her craft and hone her writing as face-to-face classes resume.
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