Flightless Falcons
Editorial
Aside from various dreams in life, students may also have ambitions during their academic years whether from academic excellence or co-curricular activities; and it is the duty of an institution to ensure that those scholastic goals will be foundations as they step into the real world.
For the Team Kalasag of Adamson University one of their dreams is to represent the university in the prestigious annual event participated by different student delegates from all over Asia to showcase the skills Adamsonians have when it comes to creating different automotive innovations. Team Kalasag is composed of selected graduating students from College of Engineering who qualified and are supposed to compete in the Shell Eco Marathon Asia 2019 last April 29 — May 3 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
However last March 29, the final day for submission of papers, it was announced that Team Kalasag will no longer be able to join the said competition.
During the test run made by the team together with the Team Adviser Engr. Lester Alfred Olasiman, Team Manager Clark Baldoz, College of Engineering Dean Engr. Evelyn Q. Raguindin, and Vice- President for Financial Affairs Fr. Rafael K. Eloriaga, C.M, it was witnessed that the prototype car was performing well — different from how it failed to run during last year’s Shell Eco Marathon.
Team Kalasag spent almost a year remodeling Charity, the name that they gave to the prototype car. From a battery electric engine, they modified Charity to a lighter vehicle which is now a gasoline-powered engine. Despite the funds Team Kalasag has been receiving from the university, it was not enough to fund the expenses for the equipment and materials needed. Fr. Eloriaga even said during the test run that if there are huge competitions such as the Shell Eco Marathon, the university is willing to support the team financially. Meaning to say, the university is not clearly aware of the project.
The students admitted that they even have to tighten their food budget in order to buy the equipment needed and also went to different junk shops to find recyclable materials which they can use to develop Charity. Tuyo, boiled egg, and rice, have been Team Kalasag’s source of energy during the times they have to stay late nights at AdU just to finish their assigned tasks for the vehicle. Team Kalasag have also endured health concerns. There were no enough laboratory safety gears to be used whenever they work with hazardous chemicals.
How the students showed work ethic and high aspirations to represent AdU in the world stage despite of the obstacles is beyond admirable. Team Kalasag could have just focused on their studies as graduating students but they exerted time, effort, and money for the university but in return received abandonment. After Charity have passed the Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Shell Eco Marathon Asia 2019, Team Kalasag was already preparing for the third and final phase to enter the event but they were forced to pull out from the competition.
It was almost a year of sleepless nights, perseverance, and determination for their dreams and for the university yet, it all went to nothing and disappointment.
Compared to its counterparts which supported their students, it was a shame for AdU considering that Team Kalasag has the chance to be the Philippines’ flag bearer. It did not just affect the university image to the Shell company and to its university counterparts, but also to other Adamsonian engineering students who aim to bear the banner of the institution in such events like Shell Eco Marathon.
The moral of the issue does not just imply for what happened with Team Kalasag. May the university be reminded on one of its missions as a catalyst of social transformation that empower its students to become agents of change, and that before promoting innovation, the change must start with how the university treats it students first.
