Naging mainit na usapan sa Facebook ang isang viral post tungkol sa mga graduating students ng University of the Philippines (UP) noong August 3, 2024.
Pinuna ng isang user ang pagiging “burlesque and vulgar” ng mga estudyanteng sumayaw sa entablado matapos tawagin ang kanilang mga pangalan.
Aniya (published as is), “Are you really UP graduates? You're not even original. This antic was performed before by students of a little known school in the South - to widespread condemnation as it made a mockery of a solemn ceremony. And you didn't even look half as good at it.”
“As State scholars, you are held to higher standards, yet you would go down to the level of burlesque and vulgar.”
“I believe they belong to the batch that didn't take the UPCAT, who didn't have the brains or talents as regular UP students. These people don't deserve to wear the sablay.”
Mayroong mga sumang-ayon sa opinyon ng Facebook user.
Subalit inulan din siya ng batikos mula sa mga netizens na hindi sang-ayon sa kanyang paniniwala.
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THE KAL RECOGNITION DAY
Ginanap ang KAL (Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura) Araw ng Pagkilala sa mga Nagsipagtapos 2024 noong August 2, 2024, sa Teatrong IBG-KAL sa University of the Philippines - Diliman.
Kabilang sa mga pinarangalan ang mga departamento ng Art Studies, English and Comparative Literature, European Languages, Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas, at Speech Communication and Theatre Arts.
Sa unang bahagi ng programa, aakalaing tipikal na recognition event ito.
Subalit, nang tawagin ang mga mag-aaral na tatanggap ng parangal mula sa BA Theatre Arts and Associate in Arts Theatre, nag-iba ang ihip ng hangin.
Mula sa traditional graduation music, tumugtog ang hit song ng BINI na "Pantropiko."
Sunud-sunod na ring tinawag ang mga estudyanteng pararangalan, at imbes na tanggaping ang kanilang medal o diploma, ang bawat isa sa kanila ay may kani-kanyang entry bago tanggapin ang award.
Mayroong sumayaw, nag-bending, rumampa, nag-pose, at may nagdala pa ng measuring tape sa stage!
Pinatugtog din ang iba pang PPop songs, gaya ng "Salamin, Salamin" at "Lagi" ng BINI, "Amakabogera" ni Maymay Entrata, at "Gento" ng SB19 sa kabuuan ng pagtawag sa graduating students mula sa BA Theatre Arts and Associate in Arts Theatre.
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NETIZENS’ REACTIONS
Dahil maituturing na “unique” ang ginawa ng mga estudyante, hindi sila nakatakas sa pamumuna ng isang Facebook user at ilan pang netizens na sumang-ayon dito.
Ang mga sumusunod na comments ay published as is.
Sabi ng isang netizen, “Ginawa nilang parang noontime show ang graduation nila. Graduation is something supposed to be solemn. Why did they have to do that?
"Ok…i expect bashing because of what I just said.”
Ang sabi ng isa pa: “what i can't understand is why did the school admn allow this to happen?? it brought down the respectability of the school they had established. i supposed a group of students approached them and they agreed. why?? it has nothing to do with why and how these students got their bachelor's degree, no connection at all!!
"they all have parties after these where they could do all of these till they drop dead!! how did the school admn feel one day after this ceremony?? ashamed, embarrassed, idiotic??
"if not then we foresee worse things to come!!”
May nagsabi rin ng ganito: “Is this necessary to receive a diploma in Theater Arts now? its funny if spur of the moment and just a few, but it looks degrading and boring sa mga iskolar ng bayan. Buwis din namin yan. Panatilihin ang simple at marangal na pagtatapos. Sa graduation party kayo mag show. ????”
Banat naman ng isa pa, “Mahilig sila sa sablay, kaya sablay nga sila ????????”
Ang punto ng mga netizens, hindi raw dapat pinayagan ang ganitong uri ng asal sa entablado dahil pinababa nito ang reputasyon ng UP bilang isang well-known and well-respected university.
SUPPORTERS DEFEND
Gayunman, mayroon ding mga netizens ang nagtanggol sa mga graduates.
Ang ilan sa mga ito ay alumni ng paaralan.
Isang user ang nagdiin na ang naturang event ay hindi ang supposedly solemn ceremony o actual graduation na tinutukoy ng may-ari ng post.
Aniya, “This isn’t the actual graduation of the students. This is the CAL Recognition Rites for graduating students. The actual 'solemn ceremony' you refer to is in the University Graduation Rites. There are at least two occasions that the students don the sablay—the college and the university graduation.”
Ang sabi naman ng isang netizen: “I’m from UP (passed UPCAT and all) and hindi ko sila kinakahiya. I don’t judge them for this. They’re theater graduates, and they were hamming it up. And mukhang college graduation ‘to, not the university graduation.
"So as long as hindi sila nagnanakaw, pumapatay, nandaraya, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just dancing. Which is both art and self expression. They’re decently attired. They worked hard to finish their schooling.
"Graduation is a celebration of their achievements. And if the college permitted them to do this, who are we to shame them or make an issue of this?”
Katuwiran naman ng isa pa, “THEATER ARTS graduation, Atty. These are expressions of their personal feeedoms and nothing to do with Sablay or UP or state scholarship.
"Sa hirap na dinanas, sa mga 3, 4, 5 etc. bago Sumablay, they just probably wanted to celebrate in their own artistic language. Pangalan nila ang tinatawag pag-akyat nila before they do their acts, let us accord them their choice kung paano nila gustong maalala sila sa graduation.
"Yung graduates ng ibang mga kolehiyo plackards ang dala, that is their consensus. Iba ibang trip sa Peyups.”
May nagsabi rin ng ganito: “Theatre Arts group naman kaya pabayaan na. Let it slide. Ika-career nila yan eh. They have to be extroverted, outrageous. Their biggest battles are still ahead of them, and they’re going to need every little bit of spunk and sass in that battle. Hindi puedeng mahiyain.
"If you are even a little bit familiar with the struggle stories of the stars (Peter Dinklage, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Steve Harvey, etc.), you will sympathize with these kids and encourage this shot of tacky cheekiness before they step out into the hard and cruel streets of Manila.
"I’ve known people from Mass Comm which I think is an allied program of TA. Those people were a brilliant bunch, if a little bit off-kilter. Pero yun ang kinailangan sa course nila eh. Mala Robin Williams at Jim Carrey.”
Sabi naman ng isa, “Speaking as an alumnus of the College (and of the Department), 'proper decorum' is so subjective these days.
"For as long as I can remember, this has been a tradition for our recognition ceremonies - with no issue to our community - parents, graduates, alumni, professors, and even our staff.
"We're entitled to our own opinions, sure. But imposing them on people is a different story altogether - all the more when our recognition ceremony is about celebrating US: our individuality, our spirits, and our crafts.
"This, in the same way that lightning rallies have always been embraced and welcomed as part of UP grads.
"P.S. I graduated in 2015 and have been ushering since 2012 with no violent reactions whatsoever from anyone for something that's clearly ours and nobody else's.
"Might be best to not talk over things which we're clearly not a part of.”
Giit ng mga nagtatanggol, wala raw mali sa ginawa ng mga estudyante lalo pa’t theatre arts graduates sila—isang kurso na talagang kilala pagdating sa pagiging creative and expressive.
Gayundin, hindi raw ito ang kauna-unahang beses na ginawa ang ganitong eksena sa UP.
Noon pa man ay tradisyon na ito ng unibersidad ngunit hindi naman tumanggap ng ganitong klaseng kritisismo mula sa netizens.
At press time, wala pang inilalabas na opisyal na pahayag ang UP KAL ukol sa insidente.
Samantala, nananatiling matatag ang prinsipyo ng Facebook User at patuloy na sumasagot sa mga iniiwang komento ng netizens sa kanyang post.