MERGED: Silliman University

[Sand Man]

---

wow that photo could have been in the 1960's i guess? when the regular dormitories on Ravello Field (east side of the gym) were still non-existent

I would wager 1920's. That photo was very old and my father was in Silliman right along that time (1960's).

... the "wall" at Doltz Hall is no longer there, they washed it with white paint

WHAAAAT?? Mutherfvcker! That wall meant so much to so many people! Damn these academics and their one-track view of the world.

I feel incomplete already.

[tophat]

@skully: pls indicate the courses and year attended with these distinguished sillimanians...and all relevant info...like mr barbers stayed at doltz or woodward ba to sya...hehehe

[tophat]

WHAAAAT?? Mutherfvcker! That wall meant so much to so many people! Damn these academics and their one-track view of the world.

I feel incomplete already.

brad, that is what happens when walls dont mean nothing to people in power...we will miss the silliman we once knew...

[skullyboy]

Distinguished Foreign Sillimanians



Hall Hibbard

Former CEO, Lockheed-Martin Aircraft Corporation, USA
SUES 1917



Prakit Pradipasen

CEO, Siam Commercial Bank (Bangkok, Thailand)
BSBA 1974



Dilok Balakanich

General of the Royal Thai Army and Head of the Royal Thai Military Academy
AA 1931



Gerrit Siwabessy

Minister of Health, Republic of Indonesia
LHD 1974



Paul Pfeiffer

Multi-awarded American artist, USA
SUES 1978, SUHS 1982

[skullyboy]

My Dear Old Silliman

By: Aiken Emmanuel Quipot
Writer: The Weekly Sillimanian

My towering fascination to this school dates back way before I took my first stroll on its hallways. Nothing beats the view of a cornucopia of students – the greatly intellectual ones, student bums who in spite of their brilliance chose to stay extra long in college (which I probably would fall into this category), there’s the “average student” whose goal is to get over school with nothing but passing-rate grades (they are the ones who ironically look uber laidback despite the university’s cruel demands), and of course the “hoppers” (overly intellectual people who hops from one course to another, and to another, and to another because they would most likely fit in to all but constrained by money and time). This is just one of the million things how Silliman ultimately, in one way or another awed me and captured every bit of my system.

While my column refers to “My Dear Old Sillimn”, allow me to stretch the roll a little longer by bringing up the things I miss about this school the most.

Shorts and Slippers - In my so called “career” as a Campus Ambassador way back in college, there’s no dying of the fact that aside from how the school actually look like the most desirable place to study, shorts and slippers get most of the compliments and utmost respect from the thousands of visitors (foreign visitors, alumni, exchange students, teachers, students from various universities in the country) I’ve toured around the campus. Maybe the thought of wearing such outfit and still show excellence in class is some what a boon. But yes, although it’s been said many times in many ways, Silliman’s identity lives in such an outfit. To quote Ian Casocot, “I actually found it liberating before when I can go to my classes wearing only slippers and shorts. I don't do those anymore, but I felt that was very silliman.”
I remember in a Freshmen Orientation years ago where a video of a man completely dressed up in suit and tie saying “Welcome to Silliman…” and then later on strips off his clothes only with shorts, t-shirt, and slippers left on and said “This is Silliman!” In my optimism, I do wish it would remain that way.

The Cottages - These are the cute native cottages you see around the campus. But these are not just another old wooden house you frequently see everywhere. They hold a very crucial part in Silliman’s outstanding historical background. Take the “End House” near the Carson Hall for example. This cottage was built by Albert Fourot in, a teacher in Silliman School of Music who devoted his life in teaching music to aspiring musicians. He’s also the founder of the “Men’s Glee Club”. “End House” was a haven for artists with enough room for art exhibits and a reasonable-sized stage to hold small music recitals. There’s also the “Missionary Home” located beside Nutrition and Dietetics building, originally the dwelling of one of the world's pioneer in Science Research particularly on Myrmecology Dr. James W. Chapman and his wife Ethel and children. It’s heart-wrenching not to see such momentous house anymore. The cottage has lately been demolished to give way for the construction of the main building of the College of Nursing.

The Freedom Wall - As a theatre artist in college who hikes nightly from the school gate to Woodward Little Theatre and back, It has for all time been good to pass by and see the freedom wall knowing its significance in campus and its matchless tradition to the Doltz Hall residents.

Moses Joshua Atega said on his Facebook, “I am proud of the tradition of how one would earn a space on the Freedom Wall. A graduating Doltz Big Brother would select from his small brothers, the one chosen would then show the design to his Big Bro before its finally announced as the successor. It's a bond of brotherhood: the show of care for the small brother. Sometimes both the Big and the Small bros would decide to share the space with the small brother's commitment to protect the space in all four years of his existence in college. It's all awesome to witness how some would gather extra coins from room to room for them to have money to buy the expensive concrete paints and brushes…” , “One small bro tried to offer me 1k just for him to be assured of a space, I decided to give him my space without taking his money. I wanted it to be his way of healing from the unnoticed need for attention. I see the colors as screams of unheard voices.”

Today, the Freedom Wall stands nothing but an empty white wall, dreadfully stripped from its long-preserved legacy. Though the university has its reasons for erasing the wall, I personally think that erasing such product of tradition is not the solution.

The Old names of buildings - Nothing. I just miss calling Arts and Sciences building as A/S, Oriental Hall as O.H., and so on. But then again, the renaming of buildings is an effort of some sort to preserve the memory of those who served the university. I only hope the university wouldn’t go off board by renaming the amphitheatre into someone else’s name.

The Luce Auditorium - There’s nothing more rewarding than to perform at the Luce Auditorium. Lucky for me, together with the Silliman University Kahayag Dance Troupe and to the number of theatre production teams I’ve worked with, that we were able to get the utmost privilege of performing on the Luce Stage a hundred times. During my interviews for TWS with world-renowned theatre artists, the luce never failed to astonish them with its acoustics. And because of that, Microphones were not even used for theatre plays! However, the recent installation of the new seats busted the theatre’s remarkable acoustics. True, it is undeniable to notice how fabulous the new seats look and how comfortable they are to sit on, it can never replace the grandeur of the old Luce as to acoustics is concerned. During one of my talks with a highly esteemed theatre director Evelyn Aldecoa a couple of years back, she said that a theatre’s acoustic design do not guarantee a perfect acoustic. Great acoustics happen only by accident. And luckily, the Luce got it flawlessly.

But nevertheless, in spite of it all, second to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the Luce Auditorium still remains the best Theater in the country and has earned the nomenclature of being the “CCP of the south”.

Frisbee on the east and west quadrangle. Yes, it was refreshing to observe students playing Frisbee on the east and west quadrangle as students enter into the portals of knowledge. It did add to the unique identity of Silliman besides being a university of higher learning in the Philippines, it showed just how holistic the school was. As regard to the ban of Frisbee on those quadrangles, SU Law student and SUSG vice president in ______said, “the University has good grounds to do so. In addition to the fact that there were incidents of windows being broken, the whole idea of transferring it to other areas in campus is really anchored on the University's move towards preserving the landscape of the two main quadrangles (east and west). No problem with that, because after all, it gives the main quadrangles good ambience. No problem for the frisbee boys/girls as well because after all, they're still allowed to play in some other places.”

Would there be a ban on Frisbee and other sports in cases where frisbee discs for instance and softball balls reach and break windows of the buildings around their new designated fields? What really is the rationale behind the transferring?

These changes made me miss the Silliman that was - The Silliman which I and the rest of the alumni know, and the Silliman which captured my heart way before I took my first step into its halls. To end my piece, I leave everyone the notion of constant reinvention and its downside. Constant reinvention leads to degeneration of the well cared-for legacy. If we continually provide for the future what happens to the past? If only those provisions included preservation of what went beforehand. Remember the past is equally important as the future.

[Sand Man]

brad, that is what happens when walls dont mean nothing to people in power...we will miss the silliman we once knew...

Sadly, you are correct.

That wall was a big part of the Silliman heritage, it's been featured on so many year books from Sillimanians I knew since I was still in grade school.

I can tell you right now any of the alumni who will be visiting there this coming Founder's Day will be dismayed to see that Wall empty. It was supposed to be the lasting symbol of the unique freedom of expression one can only find in that campus.

[colby]

bag-o pa lang biya ko naka visit sa Sillimna. Wala hinuon ko ka agi dapit sa Doltz...wala na ang WALL...wow, the wall is actually part of my PORTAL, kasi diba that was part of the identity of SILLIMAN. There are so many things going on at Silliman, new bulidings, gates, etc. I hope na the things that were part of my college life are still there. Perhaps sa students sa present some of those things wala'y meaning but for an Alumna like myself it means so much..

[tophat]

Perhaps sa students sa present some of those things wala'y meaning but for an Alumna like myself it means so much..

actually i mourn the loss of the silliman of my time. i feel the new administrations care less of tradition. harvard, stanford, west point and other institutions of high repute try to maintain their heritage in their buildings and grounds but the modern silliman is on a rebuilding craze seemingly.

i heard guy hall will be renovated pud gani kuno. the registrar will be transferred to hibbard hall. hmmm...

[skullyboy]

Silliman Run 2010
22 August 2010
Ayala Center Cebu

sponsored by the Silliman University Cebu Alumni Association Inc. in cooperation with the Sugbuanong Pundok sa Silliman

[Johnny]

up.up..........