“To hold a pen is to be at war.” - Voltaire
Our university is the microcosm of our society, and whatever we do within our academic institution will always have an influence as to how we shape our society. And that might be the biggest challenge present to us, campus journalists. We are called to remain critical not just with the issues that surround the four corners of the classroom, but first and foremost we are fated to go beyond and deal with the issues that encompass beyond it. A responsibility that we accept with every moment the tip of our pen touches its paper.
I always ask myself one significant question before I start writing a piece: “Why do I write?” A constant question that is so simple, yet the answer will always have its complex layers. It is not necessarily hard, but it should be addressed carefully. May it be a poem, a column, a news article, or any literary piece, it is important for us to ask ourselves the purpose of why we must write that particular piece. And the crucial part here is: The kind of purpose we have as to why we write will reflect the kind of writer we are, and in extension, will be a test of character and expose the kind of individual we are becoming. That is why before an artist can liberate the truth of the world, he will first liberate his truth as a being. And I believe that the previous statement is a collective and constant challenge present not just with campus journalists but also with every writer alike. We must write with a purpose that is much bigger than ourselves because every word that we write and do not write can influence the lens of how people view their social realities, and society itself.
From a historical point of view, campus press played a crucial role in conserving freedom of speech and expression in our country, especially during the Martial Law of the Marcos Regime. And even after that, the role of campus publications thrived toward shaping a democratic flow of discourse in the country. This is a testament that the youth cannot be silenced especially in times of political crisis, and that campus press should not be restricted and permitted to ‘cover school events only’. Academic institutions must recognize the fact that campus publications are not only answerable to the journalistic needs of its student body, and that its responsibilities to shape public opinion must transcend outside its institution, whilst realizing its place in societal transformation. We can conclude that at the current height of our social, economical, and political situations, the call of the society for an ouster is adjacent to the call of the student body for a more humane mode of ‘learning’; the call of the society for mass testing and vaccination is adjacent to the call of the student body for a 100% and more efficient distribution of learning materials; the call of the society for better compensation for the country’s frontliners is adjacent to the call of the student body for a no-fail policy amidst an alienating mode of education; the call of the society for a more competent handling of a pandemic is adjacent to the call of the student body for a “ligtas balik eskuwela”. The pulse of the society will always correspond to the pulse of the student body, and vice-versa.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are experiencing a political shift where people are being more critical with what is happening outside their echo chambers and are now (on a constant basis) questioning the political will of its ‘leaders’ and other governing entities as to how it addresses the same. With this said political shift, there is already a demand that every information released on every platform must be socio-politically significant as possible in coherent to the truth and sentiments of the people. Providing the people with facts that are significant to their collective situations will organize a plea that is true to the majority, thus, amplifying the voices of the unheard. And now that this crisis affects every aspect of our lives, the degree of the dilemma that is present in our country extends to the situation of every sector in our society—and that includes the academic sector and its institutions. And therefore, the way we tackle issues inside the university will reflect how we tackle issues outside it, and once again, vice-versa. The relationship between the two has always been there, it just so happens that at the current climate of the society it is now more visible because the problems of the country are now explicitly and directly influencing the situation of every academic institution and students in the country.
There is no excuse on why campus and student publications cannot engage actively with discussions and issues outside of their institutions, because more critical than ever, their role in shaping public opinion and preserving democratic discourse should be practiced and recognized.
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