On allowance

Media

Part of The Carolinian

Title: On allowance
Creator: Cinco, Lilia
Language: English
Year: 1953
Rights
Fulltext: ET us agree on the meaning of the "home economic" co ordinator. He is the person directly in charge of our allowance at home. So that his popularity is controversial. He is either popular or otherwise among his dependents depending upon whether the month is just beginning or just ending. In which case he is the best and most thoughtful father if at the start of the month that familiar registered mail with the pink check is re ceived. The relationship existing be tween the "coordinator" and his dependents whom he fondly refers to as his "liabilities" or "pensionados" . . . though we insist on our status of being potential assets ... is one delicately calling for as much astute psychology as that used at the "Peace Talks" in Korea. So that added to the intricacy of social living is the inevitability of student psychology on the bread winner of the family. Gosh, but whenever I touch on the subject of allowance, there al ways flashes across my mind a red danger signal. Beware, you're treading on dangerous grounds! One has to be on the alert in or der to get around. Steady, sure and always in good grounds with psychology. Most of all, sympathe tic! Or else. . . sorry we can't af ford that now. Young as we are and inexperienced at that... so our old folks say and so let them have peace on their day. . . we already On Allowance know the meaning of money. The thing which like love makes the world go round. Atomic age and materialism! Among the student populace we can detect when it's fun time because it is fund time. The barometer of the gallantry and chivalry of the knights-on-the-dustyarmor and the chic-ness of the po pular coed like any other youthful mood rises and falls depending upon the moon. Although in this case it is the result of approximate ly one travel of the moon than the romantic atom itself that we are concerned about. As the face of the calendar acquires more crosses, meaning that the month fastly wears away, so does the dormitory or boarding house acquire more cross faces of interns. No money gives no fun. Naturally, resolutions spring up like living up to the bud get, less "halo-halo", and lesser movies more studying, etc. A wee wee saying forces itself into print . repentance comes last. But who wants to talk about repentance? . . .makes us feel old. Let bygones be . . . But some of these are vicarious experience. I had my first encounter with the psychology involved in asking money from, and of all sources, the comics. Comic books are not en tirely abominable from the stand point of an intellectual aristocrat, maybe. Way back when the world was yet more rosy, 1 was terribly fond of comics and Patsy Walker appealed to me most. She really knows the psychological moment. Moreover she can make that mo ment on her Dad. Can she get re sults! Unfortunately, I happen to be one of the later children There are elders, I mean. They go off to other places to study. It comes fi nancially that they write letters back home Home, the sweet place where the pliable heart of the co ordinator is, naturally. What love ly letters! How very sweet and re assuring. Often they are sentimen tal, telling how much they cry their hearts away during a fit of home sickness. These sentiments are worded up in well-chosen, effective, academic expressions surely, one thing true, they have not wasted 35# JjlLa Cine# their time harkening for the dismis sal bell during their grammar and composition classes. These letters come in a group pattern, done in three letters in an inactive period of a month. The first paragraph in the first letter usually expresses their deep appreciation and grati tude for sending the amount of a less than a hundred to a few hun dred pesos. How lucky it is to have such understanding Papa and Mama. The second to the last pa ragraph of the same avoid any ref erence to money. Why should there be? There are several other things to say. He misses the home cooked fried chicken so much al though perhaps the sub-conscious gets the better of him, he tells how he devoured oh-so-deliciously the very last bones of the chicken at Max’s. But mind you, he did eat in such a way that he did not have to look like the real "provinciano." Well, anyway, he is allowed a few moments of extravagance, isn't he? Or he should stay home. That was (Continued on page -11) OCTOBER, 1953 Page 25 Commerce • First USC Fraternity Formed; Rector Gives Nod From out of the conference tables of Dean Lolito Gozum of the Col lege of Commerce, the first Greeklettered fraternity in the U of San Carlos came to being last August 23. Immediately after completing the finishing touches of their organ ization, the seven charter members, headed by Dean Lolito Gozum and his staff, called on the Very Rev. Fr. Albert van Gansewinkel, Rector, to secure the final stamp of approval on the newly-organized fraternity. Significantly enough, Fr. Rector im mediately gave the green light for the seven charter members to roar off into a big start. The fraternity, after receiving the blessings of the Fr. Rector, was per sonally christened "Alpha Kappa Alpha" (Men and Leaders) by the University head. Dean Gozum ex pressed the hope that the fraternity will foster a close thread of bro therhood, and a high level of schol arship, among its select members. The dean underscored the need of well-organized student groups to promote leadership, and to harness the hidden talents of students. The college plans to organize similar student organizations among the lower classmen. The traditional stink of initiation was much evident in the campus last August 23 to 29. The seven charter members, namely, Alfredo Vega, Alfredo de Jesus, Benjamin Arriola, George Guy, Juan Ferrer, Jerome Lim, and Antonino D. Tancinco underwent a solid week series of initiation rites unsurpassed in point of recklessness and originality. Yet, beneath all the heedless hilarity and limitless madness, the four aims of the Alpha Kappa Alpha shine out in bold relief. The aims are: a) to develop goodwill and the spirit of brotherhood; b) to develop leader ship; c) to mold character; e) to promote scholarship. Following the final rites on Au gust 29, 1953, a luncheon was par taken by the charter members to gether with Rev. William Cremers, SVD, Regent of the College of Com merce, and Dean Gozum. Mean while, it was learned that the fra ternity will expand its membership with scholarship as a basis. • Jaycees Off on A Good Start, Report Disproving the age-old dictum that "pre-election promises are only made to be broken," the USC Junior Chamber of Commerce, spearhead ed by action-minded Jaycee Presi dent Alfredo C. Vega, kicked off a good start with a highly-successful party in honor of the New C.P.A.'s who hurdled the last board exam inations, and an impressive induc tion ceremony for the Jaycee and class officers of 1953-54. The affair set a 100% attendance record by all commerce and secre tarial students, sources revealed. The party was easily the choice for the main social event of the first half of the semester, it was learned. Between sandwiches and ice cream cups, commerce faculty mem bers, in an spirit of camaraderie, laughed and dined with their stu dents. The new CPA's, namely, Bienvenido Teves, Gabriel Balmori, Rosario T. Rodil, Laura Castillo, Vi cente Cabanlit, Vicente Chiong, Lu ciano Atillo, and Baltazar Calumba, were the recipients of countless ac colades from professors and students alike. The executive committee charged with the over-all supervision of minor committees, was composed of the following: Mr. Alfredo C. Vega, Chairman; Mr. Antonino D. Tancinco, co-chairman; Lim Suy An, Anto nio Alvarez, Juan Ferrer, and Isaac Villas, members. The chairmen of the other minor committees were: Finance — Miss Febes Tan, Miss Lopez; Refreshments — Miss Felisa Lopez; Decorations — Mr. Lim Suy An, Mr. George Guy; Program and Invitation — Mr. George Guy, Miss Fe Hirang; Music and Transporta tion — Mr. Juan Ferrer, Mr. Alfredo de Jesus; ladies — Miss Merceditas' Borromeo, Miss Angelita Mausisa. • List Jaycee Resolutions Recently Passed Jaycee officers, freshly inducted, buckled down to brasstacks when three highly-important resolutions passed the JCC legislative mills. President Alfredo Vega of the Jay cees revealed. In a gesture of loyalty to the Filipino flag, the Junior Chamber of Commerce formally requested the USC administration" to take a hand in requesting the ROTC unit in charge of the flag ceremony to al least use a whistle to call the at tention of everybody in the campus On A£touance (Continued from page 25) part of college life for well round ed personality. He then writes about his visits with relatives to fulfill the duty of the ambassador of good-will from the province. Now ’ the heart of the economic coordi nator of course is touched over his son's thoughtfulness. The next pa ragraph narrates how a group of big names in the campus approach ed him for their fraternity. What a rare honor it should have been but he turned that down politely. Mem bership is very expensive. Papa... and I would not think of abusing your generosity. It is more than enough that I'm here. Is that not the noble gesture of his son's good intentions? Thus the first letter ends.. . thus the weak heart of the coordinator is done for. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and how! So the answer of the father to the son is a go signal for the membership in the frat. Boy-oh, boy! I could hear him sing in his bathroom. Now, the second letter begins. No money-matter is mentioned, at least to avoid any cynic impression on the part of those left home that he only writes when he asks for money. Very wise indeed. He burned the midnight candle be cause that cruel professor of his who simply gives him the .nervous break-down was going to give them a long quizz. However, he survived with only cross-eyes, and (Continued on next page) What U SjuMlan . . . (Continued from page 21) blows descend on the hapless heads of the workers. But none of them had been as incredible, as stunning, as this one. At first most people assumed that it was too drastic an edict to be enforced. But we soon understood that Stalin was in earn est. Twenty minutes was the mar gin between the limited slavery of ■free' workers and the total slavery of forced-labor contingents." (I Chose Freedom, p. 313.) while the Filipino flag goes up or down daily." Another resolution of the Jaycees provided for the weekly publication of "The Commerce Newsheet,” a two-page paper to report on the cur rent happenings in the College of Commerce. Page 31 OCTOBER, 1953 (Continued from page 16) Answer To “tyM OLIVA VALENCIA... the darling of the Lib’ Arts Team... simple... I mean, she's not fond of cutting any kind of grease or war-paint on her delicate face. She rather prefers to stay just as she is, the Pandora (without the box of plagues, of course) of the Gods! The whole team was really proud to show her off. The GREEN-GOLDIES (Commerce team, that is) had Miss CARMEN LEANO for their sponsor. She is a real sample of the stock of beautiful girls stored at the COMMERCE DEPARTMENT Store. From the many pretty Portias, Diana Arong was chosen as the sponsor of the team of the College of Law. She proved that a white dress can also be very attractive even in a basketball game. Representing the H.E. team... eh! excuse me... this department is not represented in the Intramural games. Isn't it just too bad? Some think that the H.E. and the Phar macy and the Secretarial Depts should really be represented at the games, don't you think so? After all, WOMEN are fast advancing for recognition now-adays... oops! my mouth! As for the games..,, who cares about them? Tom my will take care of them. In this col umn, the people are more important. Drawing more cheers from the Lib' Arts roosters was E RARA... the cheerers didn't find any difficulty in cheering for him. All they had to was scream and yell "Rah, rah!" and that was it... he got all the rooting he needed. Truly, RARA played surprisingly well... he is far from being unattractive too! But wait, here's something you should know—he's an "Ex-Sem"—no, don't ask me what this word means... try to dig for its mean ing yourself. And here's something else, he plans to enter... ooh'. That does it! The other night it was, I think, when our attention was caught by a bunch of dopes with painted faces performing some antics at the basketball court. They wore their shirts the wrong way. "Now, what are those crazy people doing?", asked one girl. "They are doing nothing but acting like real crazy individuals!" remarked another. Yes, they were really acting like crazy people... tracing their footsteps and doing all sorts of silly ordeals. You see, whether they like it or not they had to do so or they would have gotten a real beating from their bosses. This act ing nitwits (pardon me for using this term) were neophytes of the new com merce fraternity introduced for the first time here in USC by Mr. GOZUM. What we have been seeing were their initia tions. This Frat has a sister sorority, loo. (Continued on page -U) Studying the scene of the crime, Lt. Haukee was interested in the usual arti cles he saw on the dead man’s writing desk. Everything indicated that the Professor was a southpaw: the pen-holder being to the left of the inkwell; the ash tray and typewriter placed on the left side of the desk. Incidentally, too, the desk must have been made-to-order to be convenient to nobody but a left-hand ed man. Lt. Haukee argued that the criminal must be one who must have failed to notice this one peculiarity of the victim and proceeded, after shooting him, to plant the gun on his victim's right hand. Otherwise, he must have believed that Magno was actually righthanded when he saw the framed photo of Magno on the wall. This photo show ed Magno holding a pipe .with his right hand. (Close investigation revealed that in printing the positive copy of the pho tograph, the negative was erroneously inverted.) Further, if the murderer were a person known to Magno, Magno could have re mained seated as he entered. But Magan aching back. Really, he is not wasting the opportunity. See, whereas your brothers are sacrific ing in Manila to be real men you here are only good for barn dan ces, and jam sessions. What else could we do than imagine our "pensionados" to have wings at their back or halos over their heads? But the most sincere and im portant of all these letters is the third and last one in the month. It embodies their secret hopes that their daily bread will not be de layed. If it is not too much, that is. This letter is short. Sometimes it is long with the last paragraph expressing the most important point. Usually this does not contain any note of optimism except in the gen eral one saying that he hopes that someday he'll amount to something which all of us-will be proud of. The letter is written with such ur gency, it is not legible sometimes. So what heart of a loving Papa and Mama would not leap to the Post Office with such line as "Between me and starvation is only sixty cen tavos"? Poor, poor son. He must now be transparent with hunger! no's chair had been pushed far back which could only mean that Magno was caught in surprise. Surely, Tony Guia could not have caused this impulsive re action unless he had a gun drawn when he entered. But a ruthless, cold-blooded murderer would hardly show his weapon until he is that near to his victim that there could be no missing the target. And yet, Tony Guia knew he could not risk his neck in any such murder know ing just too well that he alone, other than Mrs. Magno, had a motive. On the other hand, Mrs. Magno and Nida were both, of course, familiar with the victim and they couldn't have placed the gun on his right hand. Lt. Haukee lost no time in placing Artemio Bemol under arrest for the mur der of Prof. Magno. Bemol later con fessed that he was a member of the local Communist Party and that he was sent to liquidate Magno after their hav ing failed to induce the latter to join forces with them. One thousand volts of electricity stormed into Artemio Be rnal's body a month later. (Continued from page 31) What brain could study when the stomach is empty? True maybe, but clever. One thing I believe in, "pensionados" are prolific letter writers. However not all negotiations with the home economic coordina tor are done typographically. A more difficult situation is that of one who stays in town and at home be cause there still is a highly com mendable college for him. My sym pathy pats his shoulder. Poor guy. He is the most taken-for-granted type. This is more so in houses where budgetting is not popular. Don't worry over him. He is at home. He'll not starve. Give him sixty centavos for transportation and coke. Of course protests come from him regarding the preservation of his ego thru only a meager cen tavo. But he is at home. Never worry. So hold on to Mitchum and Hayward. I'll be seeing you three months from now at the Center Theatre if and when the old cow, I mean, Papa, God bless him, final ly declares an open-pocket policy {unconditionally. Page 32 THE CAROLINIAN