Opinion
Editorial: Moving downtown — a quest for space and quiet
Aquinas University of Legazpi (AUL), now officially University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi, is well known for being an outstanding university when it comes to Disaster Risk Management and Preparedness.
Just recently, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) awarded AUL with a perfect 10 or a 100% evaluation rate for its recent Fire, Earthquake, and Mass Casualty Drill conducted on July 4. The university seems prepared for the worst possible future scenario but we probably cannot say the same for the present.
The preparation for the relocation of the College of Business Management and Accountancy (CBMA) to the Peñaranda campus is said to have been in the works since 2015. But for some reason, the allocation of space seems inadequate. What happened to its preparation? Did the university focus more on the unforeseen events rather than preparing the immediate needs of its students?
If worse comes to worst, dismay and disappointment towards the lack of preparedness for the move might just be the fuel that will drive away the students and make them want to transfer in another school. The challenge now for the university is to keep the CBMA students motivated to stay and study. To be able to do that, the university should always be on the lookout for the well-being of its students. If it has to be an adjustment of location, it should be a location of the same quality. The standards should not be lowered just because of the new environment.
In the new residence of CBMA, the sound of breaking glass from the adjacent building, the Metro Glass Marketing, can be heard and make the rooms behind it disadvantageous for learning. The distraction goes beyond the four walls of the classrooms. Focus and concentration have become luxury items for CBMA students and graduate students alike in the Peñaranda campus. Even with the library provided for, students studying inside have a hard time finding peace as the library seems inappropriately situated at the ground floor and surrounded by classrooms. The walls are not thick enough to filter out the inevitable scurrying of groups of students passing by the hallways. CBMA students then either shamelessly share the library with the grad students or find a relatively more peaceful venue like the canteen. When such options are not available, they either wander off somewhere outside the campus or decide to give up on reviewing for their exams. There is also no clear provision whether CBMA students are welcome to stay in the library which causes confusion for both tertiary students and graduate students. The arrival of students from CBMA has also started becoming a nuisance to the general atmosphere of the campus. Most students in the tertiary level are not as quiet and disciplined as graduate students since most are under their 20’s.
Another concern is of security. The depository counter seemed inappropriately placed outside the library. The lack of personnel in-charge of guarding and overseeing the belongings deposited at the counter is a risk factor because in the instance of loss, no one will be held liable. More alarming than loss is the lack of guaranteed security from the identity verification machine up to the parking space of Peñaranda campus. Students with vehicles can no longer be assured of the security of the university as far as the parking lot is concerned. If the parking lot is already filled, students are left with no other choice but to look for an alternative parking area outside the campus.
Tertiary students are also inconvenienced during exam period. Access to the cashier has become difficult for them. There was an instance when some students were misinformed that they may acquire their exam permits at the Peñaranda campus and not need to travel to the main campus. As it was really not the case, they arrived late for their exam since they had to go to the main campus. Other facilities already paid for by CBMA students have become inaccessible to them such as water fountains and a clinic. Hospitals and pharmacies are close by but it is not logical that students avail of services outside school premises when these should be readily available inside the campus and is already part of the school fees.
Proportionality and space are also issues that need to be addressed. In comparison to the rooms at the Rawis campus with a maximum capacity of 60, Peñaranda’s rooms are capable of accommodating approximately 25 students. Students overcrowd which affects their mood and their participation during lectures. Similar with the overcrowded classrooms, proportionality also doesn’t apply to that of the ratio of the library’s capacity and the total population of CBMA plus that of the graduate school. As a result, the air-conditioning units cannot function as efficiently as it can only do so much for a small overcrowded room. Moreover, the classrooms, besides being a learning ground, also seem to be a breeding ground for mosquitoes which often catch more attention than the day’s lesson. With a growing population of 719, it should be a given that the studentry be provided with ample and conducive space for studying so as to maintain and further academic excellence.
Space, a limited quantity at the Peñaranda campus, is of abundance at the Rawis campus. After years of having no visible development or construction of new facilities, a covered court arises exciting the athletic side of AUL. The covered court will be of great benefit to the AUL community especially to the varsity and school organizations, as they will have a bigger space for practice and official games and extracurricular activities. But at the beginning of the semester, was it not said that this year was defined to be a year of focus on academic excellence? The irony then lies on where the school chose to give more importance to. The University seems to have invested more on the wants than the immediate needs. Is not the lack of training ground for students a heavier burden than the absence of an extra occasionally-used playing ground? Wouldn’t it have been better if instead of a covered court, a new building to accommodate the Senior High school students was given more priority?
Turning 70, AUL has been through so many changes and surpassed diverse challenges but through and through, we must never forget that a university cannot be considered a developed university if one party has to suffer due to certain developments. ■ By Aquinian Herald Editorial Board 2017–2018
