PUP Department of Communication Research launches UNDERSCORE Online
Crafted in excellence for almost three years, UNDERSCORE, a freshly established academic and research organization in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines — Department of Communication Research has finally launched its newly designed online student-led publication, UNDERSCORE Online.
The publication aims to publish research-focused and data-driven content while promoting the essence of Communication Research and showcasing the accomplishments of the students and faculty of the department.
It envisions a community that values the importance of research and data in decision making and problem-solving; and a well-informed community that is critical to existing and relevant social issues.
The student-led publication was planned last 2018 by the CommRes Department’s alumnus, Kristoffer Ed M. Bellen, and his team, conceiving a Style Guide of the publication.
UNDERSCORE’s Editor-in-Chief, Neil John Merdegia, together with the Head of Publishing Department, Arrianne Marañon, and the Head of Creatives Department, Aimie Idul thought of reviving it last year, but it has been a very challenging timeline for the department for some reasons.
According to Merdegia, his team sees the need to pursue this online student-led publication especially during these uncertain times where UNDERSCORE can play a big role in providing relevant and factual information not just for COCians and PUPians (a collective term used to refer to students of the College of Communication) but also for the public in order for them thrive in the digital and information age.
“Then there comes the pandemic which intensified our qualms if we can launch UNDERSCORE this 2020. But this just gave us more reasons to work harder and make UNDERSCORE happen,” shared Merdegia.
He also added that despite the setbacks of setting up the organization and publication virtually, the team was fortunate to be joined by driven members making the commencement of the project on time. “But everybody in the team is so driven that this has to commence in our time, we got Coleene Villanueva, Jamie Rebugio, and Khy Picaso to help us in characterizing the UNDERSCORE that we are gonna be, given the setup of this academic year,” Merdegia said.
Launching UNDERSCORE was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the hard-working staffers; guidance from the alumni; full support from the CommRes community, from its sister org — CORE (Circle of Research Enthusiasts), and the trust of the Department Chairperson and Organization adviser, Ms. Krupskaya Valila.
UNDERSCORE ONLINE will be published on Medium starting today and will cover press releases, publication insights, researches, topic briefers, and feature articles.
Polytechnic University of the Philippines — Department of Communication Research is a program designed to train students to become competent, critical, and responsible practitioners with a high level of ethical awareness in the area of communication research study and practice.
