An Academic Year Has Ended

To end the academic year is as satisfying as starting the first one. Papers have been graded. Performances have been reviewed. No more messy desk filled with students' activities. Whether the students are happy or disappointed by their grades, the question "Have I done enough this semester?" troubles me occasionally. This is the best time to reflect on the things you did and plan for the upcoming new academic year.

I will not be talking at length the various activities I did with the students enrolled in my classes. I might write a separate post for that. If only students are given enough room and platform to do social change, the first thing that they will do with that opportunity to go out and provide seats for other people to talk more about social change. The students at first are hesitant to share their thoughts and sentiments about the state of their communities (most of them have already accepted that what they have is a norm). By providing them an assurance that their opinions will not inflict harm to themselves, they naturally open up and provide their critical stance to certain issues dear to them and to their families. So we did an activity where they could express their dissatisfaction and provide their own solution to their problems. Lo and behold, they were able to teach me about their community which might take me a year to know. From their insights, several things must be done. As part of this community, the university where I am teaching has a role to play. It should not be apathetic to the plight of the community members. 

A university is the heart and mind of the community. It is not an apolitical institution: they should actively engage in politics. The politics that they must bring is the politics of the masses: it should protect and promote the welfare of the oppressed, the less fortunate, and the marginalized. I disagree with other people saying otherwise. By doing so, the university becomes the enabler of injustice. The university hones the young members of the community to be critical. It develops individuals who can provide solutions to the problems he/she identifies and works hard to make it a reality so many people will benefit from it. That is their main obligation. 

Currently, I am busy planning my lessons for next academic year teaching load. Hopefully I will be doing better than what I did this year. 

Sidenote: I haven't written much on this blog since last February 2025. I hope to update this blog frequently.