And so it ends... or so I thought

At long last, after a series of revisions and minor improvements to our paper, we are finally getting it bounded!!! Our thesis is finally almost coming to a definite end! I was already seeing the end of the tunnel, the light out of the darkness, the sun after the night, the heaven after hell.

Unfortunately for me, I still would not be lucky to leave the university unscathed... For the first time in my four years, I finally received my first 4.0 and I am going to take my first removal exam. Of all the times i could have experimented on trying out what it felt like having that kind of grade, why did it have to be during my final stay, my final sem! Why!

I feel confident thought about how my removals might turn out but i do hope that i pass. i don't know how i fared during my finals but i think i did ok... just didn't reach the 96% that i needed. At least its a lesson learned. I wont pass a subject if I keep on skipping my classes... I just hope I do well during the removals...

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Recently, there has been a series of interesting conversation in the parser groups and i find it inspiring in a sense that i have finally proven that cs people do not sit pretty and take everything quietly. CS people think and discuss. The mark of academics and UPians. Of course, i know that they would not just talk about it but they would move forward and do something about it. I have seen these people work and they have worked with great passion and with service comparable no other. I'm proud to have been part of this department.

Here are some pieces of that "discussion":

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Anyway, what's the point? The point is, the ICPC-student part of the current ACM student chapter has been born a long time ago. And expect that it will live a long time after this batch. Why?

1.) The current Council is putting its FULL THRUST on new blood. It will be a year-long campaign for the best students in the lower batch.

2.) The International Programming Competition is a YEARLY affair. Thus, kung mawala man ang support ng students (which I don't think will happen soon), nandyan lagi ang Department upang irevive ang ACM for ICPC. Since usually once you have been in the ICPC, you will be there as long as you prove an asset to the university. There will always be a member of the ACM Student Chapter.

3.) Akin to Ia's reason, THE COUNCIL AND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IS NOT DEAD. We are here to stay.

And with regards to the previously held ACM competition, the representatives of ACM would be very happy if the complaints were posted on the official ACM groups, or sent directly to me or to any councilor or any member of the executive committee, and not on the official group of Parser, which besides the members, the two organizations has nothing in common with, and not officially affiliated in any way. Pasintabi, but my first impression is of backstabbing and cowardice.

Thank you for your time, and may all the organzations that are goal based may live long enough to witness those organizations that has no clear goals go to where they must go.

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5. As i view the "DEAD" thing, the newborn/reborn organizations shouldtake this as a challenge. Ang sinasabi lamang ni Tjay, saorganizations na kasama ako sa mga namamahala, walang lower yearstayong member.

6. Kaya nga kinausap ko na si Geomar, as CS Rep and co-Cursor, kungsino ang mag-hahandle ng Freshmen Orientation. Kasi Issue na namanito. Kung CS week nga di ba? Pero kung mararapatin, ang Orientation naito, ay magbubukas sa IBA pang maaaring maging interesado saorganizations.

7. Bakit mo sinasabi na DEAD ang isang org kung ikaw mismo ay partnito. You are just admitting to yourself na wala kang magagawa sabagay na ito. OTHER organizations (other = sa mga orgs na hindi kakabilang) is not DYING neither.

8. Kahit CURSOR din ako, it is not safe to say na 'dahil may kasunodng batch, mabubuhay na ang isang org'

9. Balik tayo sa item #5, sige, walang sophomores o freshies saorganizations ang ACM. May pagkukulang din kami siguro sa ROOM-2-ROOM,TEXT BRIGADE para sa sophies at freshies, pero asahan ng LAHAT, bythis coming semester, may marerecruit na kami. And I'm not speakingjust for ACM

10. As a
- Managing Editor, UP Parser
- Executive Treasurer, UP ACM Student Chapter
- External Affairs Committee Vice-chairman, UnPLUG
- Information and Public Relations Committee Member, UP Cursor
- Member, Department of Computer Science Student Assistants and Volunteers
sisiguraduhin ko na BUHAY ang CS Network, at I'll Be Doing This Not As A Member of An Organization But As A Computer Science Student.

11. Sinabi mo sa akin na Quality than Quantity. Binabalik ko sa iyoyun. Quality than Quantity. Think!

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As long as there are those who have the passion and vision to keep these going, I do not see any reason why any of these orgs are going to die... The people who have been active this past year started a good thing going, its up to those who succeed them to keep it alive...

Most CS people usually start being active with department and college activities starting their second year but they usually peak on the third year... It is during this time that you guys have to step up...

We had our turn, now its yours....

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This is true.

Madalas ang mga freshmen and sophomores choose not to be too involved in the extra-curricular aspect of college because sa mga panahon na yun they're purpose of getting in college is to study well and graduate with honors just like high school. siguro ganun naman tayo nung simula diba? until after 165 and 155 and 133 and 145 and 192 and the dreaded 198 (fear it!). then they realize college life can't be all about this. and by the time they open themselves to orgs and other extra-curricular stuff, they realize they should've been involved earlier. its a vicious cycle.

this is not only evident in organizations but in the department itself. during the CS week, all organizations with support of the department (this is a big deal), chipped in to reach out to the cs community with the hopes to getting the cs students together, regardless of year or affilation. we want to celebrate the birthday of our course, what we will be studying for 4, maybe 5 years(hehe).

it's definitely much better than the past cs weeks! but honestly the reception could've been much better. maam joyce had other classes cancelled already so students can participate sa activities but only a few showed up. sabi nga ni hitch, you come 90, and i come 10. tayo yung 90 ok? hehe. we've reached out and it's up to the others (lower batch special mention) to offer their hand. that's just how it works.

apathy = dead. i've realized that "how to solve apathy" is a rhetorical question. sa lahat ng groups na nasalihan ko ni isa di makabigay ng concrete solution. take note ma'am guev says this is the worst problem of engineering. something that she plans to abolish if possible. but then again the solution would have to come from us, not her.

so enough about that. i would like to take this opportunity in behalf of the past cs reps to thank all you guys for a job well done! parser is the epitome of "reaching out to bringing the cs community together".

I'm sure that from the great job you have done, you have formed a following that can replace your talents or even exceed them (hint ulit sa mga younger batch).

Good luck to all our endeavors!
Mabuhay ang CS!

PS sensya na ngayon lang ako nkapost ulit dito kc patapos na ang thesis namin! yeah dammit!

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personally naman, i don't think apathy is the problem... nor do i view it as a problem. everyone has different priorities when we enter college.

aminin, we knew for a fact that we are going to graduate summa cum laude when we were during our first years... when we stepped into our second year, we thought that magna would still be fine.... when our eyes opened during our third year, we thought, pwede na cum... but after facing a lot obstacles, we now start to think that, at least we're graduating on time... but then... at least i did my best...

but along the way, we learned a whole lot more than just cs. we also learned to work together. we joined groups. we became involved. we became aware. we started understanding why we didn't have the best equipment or that we didn't have labs for all our majors.

the thing is, coming from a course equally tough as the es series, each of us has our own priorities. we can not dictate the priorities of others. but we can open oppurtunities for those who want to explore...

i remember when i was at my second year, there was this group that i wanted to join but unfortunately i had an exam during their "orientation" only to find out that they accepted all those who applied. i guess it was and has always been one of my frustrations. had i known that these oppurtunities where there for me, i would have grabbed them.

but the point is, in case hindi na clear, there is always a need for us to make known that there is life aside from academic life as a cs sudent. yun sana yung plan namin this year, kaya most of the activities we had were for the freshies and sophies... we aren't sure yet if it worked.

i just hope that next year, everyone within the network would work together. as i told some of you, we didn't want to divide the cs students into different orgs but rather have the orgs serve the interest of every student. magkaiba yun! masaya kasi kung may mga people na member ng cursor, na member din ng parser na member din ng acm. or pwede iba't ibang combination. wag lang pabayaan ang acads... =D

as what chicco said, thanks for all the help you gave us... we may not be the best in our jobs but at least we had you guys to help us... proud ako na tga dcs ako... proud ako na mga tga dcs nag-iisip, may paki, nagtutulungan... you won't find that anywhere else...

salamat ng sobra!