The Carolinian

Media

Part of The Carolinian

Title: The Carolinian
Description: Official publication of the students of the University of San Carlos
Issue Date: Volume XXIII (Issue No. 3) Christmas 1959
Publisher: University of San Carlos
Year: 1959
Language: English
Rights
Place of publication: Cebu
extracted text: ilMIVlCKSlTY OF TUB PHILIP! LIBRARY APR 111960 VOLUME XXIII NO. 3 Official Pubi : '■ • ri c' ihe •; ■ > of the Univer-» Cijrigtmag Sssue 1959 'JK.atiu.eQ. The Christmas story, told and retold by countless genera tions, has retained much of the poetic wonder that it had of old, and acquired — in traditions and in customs — much more besides. And today, in spite of the advent of Luniks and Ex plorers that probe into the secrets of space, in spite of great inventions that none dared even dream of before, — in spite of all — the Christian peoples of the world still feel, with mingled awe and joy In their hearts, the miracle of Christmas. Christ In the manger is not incompatible with Man on a space ship. It is without fear of having chosen a hackneyed theme that we make this Issue a Christmas offering. The front cover, done in Amor’s usual style, depicts the Three Kings, traveling towards Bethlehem, guided by the light of a bright and steadfast star. They bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for the new-born Messiah. The back cover shows, in “semi-abstraction,” the Holy Family. For cur literary feature, we come up with another ex cerpt from Mrs. Manuel’s thesis for her MA in English degree. Here she talks of the bachelor in Philippine plays. Junne and Paco oblige us with “Night” and “Day.” “Night” is told with the gentle, yet engaging, touch which alone can convey the tenderness of a dawning love. “Day” drags on with the oppressed air of a man who suddenly finds himself feeling empty within. Both stories have a flaw that stands out like a sore finger: the time of happening, — Christmas — inserted for no other purpose than to produce something that can pass for a Christmas piece, hangs rather loosely, and annoys the reader; the stories can actually happen at any other time and not lose their value. But they are doubtless well written on the whole. "Three Voices of Man," which won first prise In fhe poetry division of fhe literary contest sponsored by the second year general students last semester, was written on the assumption that there are only three good subjects for poetry: war, love, and religion. Without debating the merits over demerits of this assumption, we publish the poems for their value as in dividual pieces. "War" — a graphic masterpiece — especially caught our admiration for its success in creating an atmosphere of utter desolation and pain In very few words. “A Neighborly Approach to Grave Community Problems” and “Self-Expression Through Music” are first and second prize winners, respectively, in the essay division of the literary contest sponsored by the Liberal Arts (Gen. Course) students. In the opinion of the board of judges, the pieces show a “very mature outlook.” Balt V. Quinain launches in this issue a new column under the monicker “Let’s Talk It Over.” Of special im portance is iiis defense of the College of Law (Vested in terests?). It will, in subsequent issues, run together with “Entirely Personal,” whose author, Esse), has been given a vacation. Alfredo B. Amores, the new science editor starts his career with a very ambitious project: a summary of the “con quest” of space. Our sportswriters are, out of devotion to duty, running their section despite the debacle of our top-dog—or what was thought to be one—basketball team. But their writings are decidedly uninspired. Perhaps, when better times come and we shall again hold the scepter of supremacy in basketball and other sports, they will have reason to write with more vigor and vim. “The Seeing Out” relates a sad chapter in Carolinian life. D. M. Maglalang. — We saw him last at the pier, waving ai us as his boat moved away. There were no maudlin words of parting between us, — for these we hold unmanly — but we were sure that minus one from our group was going to make a great difference and fake ouf some of fhe ring and vibrancy in fhe laughter of us who are left. We were aware of all his faults, but we saw and ap preciated his virtues also. This was possible, because he showed himself to us without fronts and shields, hypocrisy being a hateful bane to him. We learned to hold him dear, and when he left, we lost a friend. But the University perhaps lost more, for it lost all of this: A versatile and intelligent teacher (MA in English, summa cum laude), devoutly dedicated to his profession. He taught English, Latin, Philosophy, and Religion, and acquitted himself quite creditably in them. An excellent writer. He has written a novel (Of Graves and Crosses) and several short stories, poems, and critical reviews. Since, finding no hand to guide him, he was left largely alone to grope his way, his writing can still stand improvement; but it will be long before we will again read lines from a Carolinian pen that can equal the emotional power, intellectual depth, and verbal mastery found in the work of Maglalang. A good student adviser. Being young himself (he was nineteen when he started teaching three and a half years ago I, he understood the pulse and fhe heartbeat of youth and. ever lent his sympathy to them. It was no wonder that his students eagerly welcomed him In all their undertakings. Such was D. M. Maglalang, now no longer with us. ScUtoiiat Staff MANUEL S. GO Editor JUNNE CASIZARES B. C. CABANATAN Senior Editors AMORSOLO MANLIGAS Art Editor FILEMON L. FERNANDEZ RODULFO A. JUSTINIANI TEODORO A. BAY FRANCISCO A. ROBLES Associate Editors Alfredo Amores. Nelson Larosa. George Barcenilla, Carmelita Rod rigues, Truce Ordoiia. Dominador Almirante, Rodolfo Cordero, Lorna Rodrigues, Epimaco Denslng. Jr., Betty Antonio, Nelly McFarland, Renato Rances, Yolando Villon Staff Writers ADELINO B. SITOY SIXTO LL. ABAO, JR. Contributing Editors MISS ALEJANDRA FERNANDEZ Adviser REV. JOSEPH BAUMGARTNER, S.V.D. Moderator Editorial CAROLINIAN Official Publication of the Students of the University of San Carlos Cebu City, Philippines of Regular Columns Caroliniana ................. M. S. Go, Inside front cover Editorial ............................. M. S. Go 1 The Moderator Says — Fr. Baumgartner, Inside back cover Au Revoir The Seeing Out ............... N. Larosa 2 A Farewell Message — Fr. H. Kondring 3 Literary Feature The Bachelor in Philippine Plays ....................... E. V. Manuel 4 Short Stories Night..................................J. Caiiizares 6 Day ..................................... F. Robles 8 Poetry Three Voices of Man — J. Caiiizares 10 The Wounded ....................... C. Malo 11 The Apple-ritual.....................P. Yap 11 Memory ......................... A. Mendoza 11 Two Verses for Chris.mas, A. Amores 11 Obsession ..................... D. Almirante 11 Spring Conics ....................... P. Joey 11 Christmas Cards.......... J. Caiiizares 12 0 Little Town of Bethlehem ... P. Brooks, Back cover Miscellanea A Neighborly Approach to Grave Community Problems, R. Espiritu 13 Self-Expression Through Music ......................... P. Montero 14 Let’s Talk It Over .... B. Quinain 19 SCA Corner ..................... T. Ordona 20 Are We Bare Gift-Givers? ............. D. Almirante 20 Pictorials Sunday..............................B. C. & J. C. 15 Opinions What Do You Think About Christmas?.....................N. Narosa 23 Science The Greatest Show From Earth...................A. Amores 24 News Autumn’s Gold............ F. Fernandez 26 Sports The USC Football Team Bleak Year for Defending Champs Baseball Row )R. Justiniani & G. Barcenilla 28-29 A Bope "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." These words were written centuries ago, but they are just as true in our time. For today, only 34.7% of the world's population are Christians, and only 51.3% of the Christian population are Catholics. But the situation is actually more distressing than can be divined from bare statistics. For out of those who are counted as Catholics, how many really know and profess the faith as they should? Not a great number, we are afraid. Let us take the case of the Philippines, 83% of the population of which are supposed to be Catholics. Over 80% of the Filipino people live in the rural areas, and the majority of the rural people with families of six or over to support earn no more than between P8.40 and PI 4.00 a month. The city slum-dwellers have their own problems. One must eat before he can philosophize or "theologize." One must "seek first sustenance and shelter, and the kingdom of God will be added unto him" — this is the prevailing sentiment, though it is the reverse of what Christ had taught. The alternatives for a suffering man are religious faith and skepticism, or at best, indifference. Human nature, alas, tends to the second. But even supposing that a man, by the innate goodness of his nature and God's grace, wished to turn to religious faith for succor in his times of distress, illiteracy may prevent him from doing so. Of the Filipino people, 32.13% are illiterate, and very many of those classified as literate can hardly read and write. One cannot love what he does not know. One who is illiterate or even barely literate cannot, under the conditions ob taining in the Philippines, be expected to know the truths of the Catholic faith; consequently, he can hardly be expected to love it. Of course, there are many other reasons that may prevent a real profession of the Catholic faith, — among these the natural stubbornness of people who, having the necessary condition to see the light, refuse to see if __ but the principal causes in the case of the Filipino people are the ones we mention above. "And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness grasped it not." If the Filipino people have failed to grasp the light, it is not their fault. They did not ask to be born Filipinos, in a bankrupt country. We are almost sure that God. In His infinite mercy, looks upon them with kindness. Besides, all Is not lost yet. There are little things that the more fortunate Filipinos can do, little things that will eventually gather to a greatness. They can, for instance, with all the resources at their command, wage a crusade against graft and corruption in the government. For graft and corruption are the principal causes of the economic ills in our country today, economic ills which, per se and by the Illiteracy that they engender, shut off to many the light of faith. Someday, — and we hope we'll live to see that day — Christmas will have more meaning and wonder to the majority of our people, because they have become better Christians. S. Au Rfiu&iA, The Father Rector (third from left) as shown with visitors in (JSC a few days before his departure. OCT. 17 — As early as 8 o’clock in the morning, the terminal build ing of Lahug Airport was jampacked with people — USC’s S.V.D. Fathers, faculty members, fraternity and organization members, Student Council officers and representatives, "Caroli nian" staffers, representations from the city’s civic and charitable organizations, old friends and colleagues, working stu dents, and boy scouts. Quite a number was there. For to them the day was as memorable, or shall we say, eventful clicked as Father Rector hastened from place to place to pose with the waiting well-wishers. We heard the engines start and saw the propellers begin to revolve. At last the most unwelcome time—that of part ing—came. There was a suppressed si lence within us. Father Rector strug gled to get out of the crowd which pressed towards him more than ever. If he could only stay a few more min utes, someone sighed. We followed him with our eyes as he moved slowly away. hours and was not at all feeling well but in fifteen minutes or so managed to put a little something, into my stom ach scrambled for a piece of paper and a pencil and was off, totally unprepared for the interview except for a few facts about him which I had gathered from sources close to him and from an ar ticle I had read a few days back. Reaching his office at exactly four, I was dilly-dallying outside. I have had some experience in interviewing people; but I knew this time I didn’t have to worry about short tempers... or any thing of that sort but somehow I could not collect myself; neither could I con trol that miserable, animal something which pounded and seemed to leap in me. There’s really nothing to be afraid of, boy! I assured myself. Get inside and talk, I thought; but as I was about to do so, Father Rector came out. There at once I was confronted with a radiant personality, the generosity of whom was reflected in his mild, gentle face, and the kindness in his eyes. I could not move, and an unexpected, overwhelming force blocked my power of speech. It was too late when I realized he had walked away. I followed him but a cou ple of lady faculty members approach ed to tell him how sorry they were for his departure and to thank him for the many acts of charity he had done to them. He patted them on the shoulder consolingly saying they should not feel that way at all for he would be back in Cebu some other day and to forget what he had done for them. In so The SEEING OUT • by Dlelson ~Catosa as that day when their old friend, Very Rev. Herman Kondring, S.V.D. first came to assume the rectorship of this university. As memorable, but not as joyful “Charlie’s” old friend was sched uled to leave for his new assignment that day. A profound sadness settled in our hearts and drops of tears misted our eyes. In forty-five minutes we would see no more of the man who had been so endlessly good, generous and kind to us. Of the man who had been for four long years our guide and constant source of inspiration. Our anxiety and great desire to shake hands with him, to tell him how sorry we were for his parting, and to wish him “Bon Voyage” created a gentle rumpus on the scene. But the unforgettable friend, already ex hausted out jovial in answer for the warmth of the “farewell party”, valiant ly underwent the "ordeal”. Cameras At the ramp of the plane, he turned and waved at us. We waved back. We couldn’t control the already uncontrolable. Tears rolled down our cheeks. As the plane tuned in a wide curve and began to glide along the runway, we caught a last glimpse of the man we had learned to cherish and to love. TEN MINUTES after the take-off, we were back at the office of the “C” wondering where the plane would be by that time. I settled on a chair and tried to recollect the five-minutes, heart-to-heart interview I had had with Father Rector late the other afternoon. I was still hot with fever when I jump ed off my bed as I happened to glance at the wall clock. It was thirty min utes past three and it made me remem ber that Father Rector was to leave the day after, that it was my last chance of meeting him for an interview. I had tossed in bed for almost twenty-four short a lapse of time, a sterling quality of Father Rector was revealed. His iron will with which he could face one of the bitter things of life with a smile and optimism—parting from friends and associates who were like a big, closelyknit family to him. Shortly after five he came back. There were others — students and all — waiting for him but I was lucky enough to be ushered in second. Positive that I could only have a little more than five minutes I introduced myself without much fanfare and buckled down to busi ness. “Do you have any parting message for the faculty and student body, Fath er?” I blurted out, confident he had some. “Oh yes, yes!” I saw his lips twist into a warm, broad smile and his eyes gleamed as he paced the floor of his (Continued on page 20) Page 2 THE CAROLINIAN The Very Rev. Fr. Herman Kondring, S.V.D. Au Reuoii Cebu City, October 16, 1959 Having stayed for more than four years at the University of San Carlos it was quite natural to become attached to the place and even more so to the people with whom I was in daily contact. It was for the sake of the students that I was sent to Cebu, and to their interests I dedicated my time and energy. I am now leaving on orders of higher superiors. It is again the students, their problems, and their future that stand before my eyes at this mo ment. The great number of students at a univer sity as San Carlos is makes it impossible for a Tarewell CDessage Rector to come into personal contact with all of them. It is equally impossible to wish now all of them a final goodbye. I must then make use of the pages of the "Carolinian" to extend to all students my sincerest and heartiest fare well. May God bless you always. You are young and have youthful aspirations and high idealism. I pray that you may succeed in your plans and overcome difficulties and hardships by exerting all your energies and by trusting in God and in our heavenly Mother. Remain true Carolinians. Without my giving an exact definition you know what this contains: faith in God, respect and love for parents and superiors, fraternal charity for all, serious study, and a noble and cheerful dispo sition. Be always like that. I am leaving for another place but shall re main within our beloved Philippines. I also shall be privileged to continue working in a Catholic institution for our youth and our country. Au revoir! Yours devotedly in Christ, (Sgd.) Herman Kondring, S.V.D. CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page 3 ~Cite>ia>iy Sfeatutes (An excerpt from a thesis, reprinted here on permission by the Graduate School). THE bachelor often finds himself in volved with a woman—or women— in this stage of his life. He is attracted to the opposite sex and, in turn, attracts them. Many of his prob lems, mental, moral, social, financial, etc., are therefore concerned with wom en. How he meets his problems affords a fascinating and sometimes intimate glimpse into the bachelor life of the na tion. Since he, as a young man who has experienced or is experiencing the af fairs of the heart, prominently figures in many of the adventures and misad ventures in this study, he is presented first; a small minority—comprising only four representatives who are not thus involved—will be treated last. The independent, working bachelors who are the chief protagonists and an tagonists for a woman’s hand are found in six plays—"Help Wanted," “ A Ran ger Takes a Wife,” "The Hidden Sym bol,” “Christian Goes By with the Goats,” “Juan and the Magic Fruit," and “Mir-i-nisa.” The young man in “Help Wanted." is named Mario. He is responsible, honest, and serious. The friendship between him and his pal Tony is plea sant to behold—they are true friends indeed. They advise each other, joke with each other from the inside out. With regard to women Mario plays a cautious hand. He has no desire to rush headlong into marriage in spite of a rich uncle who constantly reminds him to take a wife. No, this young man has nothing against women. But he is a serious one and desires to avoid any regrets. So he has dutifully complied with his uncle’s requests in everything save matrimony. You know me — I've been honest with him (uncle), haven't I? I've fol lowed his wishes to the letter. But as for getting married—that's out. I haven't yet met the girl I'm going to marry. When that time comes—well. I'll know it. But I think that's going to be a mighty long time, my friend. I don't want to be tied to apron strings yet. 69 Domingo Nolasco, "A Ranger Takes a Wife,” Short Plays of the Philippines, p. 68. Then a pretty woman comes to an swer an advertisement for a maid. Mario’s stern resistance at the begin ning all too soon melts before the wom an’s logic—she is a college graduate— or is it her heart? Alas for Mario! He finds himself a willing captive to this woman’s charms, and the play ends with him as good as wedded. His weighty opinions about the women vanish into thin air. Probably the entanglement in the plot, innocent as it is, is just what he needs to give him a push. Is he really different from the rest? The hero in the next play, "A Ranger Takes a Wife," does not entertain any objections against the fair sex. In fact he already has a sweetheart, Rosalia. But he has something against future father-in-laws. Valera is a hardworking and busy man, whose work is recognized and appreciated by his director. The years in the service have stripped him of his impulsiveness and impatience. He is now a prudent man who knows what he wants and aims to get it, be it in business or love. In spite of the strong disapproval of his sweetheart’s father, Valera is determined to marry the girl. “Remember, he’s going to be my father-in-law whether he likes it or not. (Ibid., p. 84) He does not give an elopment a second thought. He is too honorable for that; instead he intends to bide his time and "leave things as they are." When his friends, to help him, impersonates the bureau director before the girl’s father and is found out, Valera graciously accepts the blame. As a reward, all’s well that ends well. The other young man in the same play is amusing Castillo, the funny imperso nator of the director. New to the work, he shows it in his impetuosity and im patience. When he impersonates his em ployer, he is so convincing that he makes Zhe BACHELOR the old man appreciate his friend, Ran ger Valera. And when the game is up, he takes upon himself all the blame and clears his friend. Such a resourceful and convincing young man deserves a reward and he gets it. The director makes his appointment permanent. The bachelor in “The Hidden Symbol” is a manager of an hacienda. He is another hard-working young man like Ranger Valera. Like the ranger he too dares to love a girl of a social class higher than his. Since his ideal is the daughter of his employer, Don Emilio, he keeps silent about his love. To his employer he is courteous and fiercely loyal. When Don Emilio is made a vic tim to a frame-up, Maximo secretly ga thers proofs to pin the guilt on the real culprits, Don Felipe and his son, Luis. This speaks well of his intelligence and astute judgment of character. He is also sharp and alert, for he immediate ly suspects the motive of Luis, when he visits Don Emilio’s daughter at an un holy hour. Nor is he wanting in brav ery and resourcefulness. In one instance he scares the two scoundrels by pre tending to point a gun in his coat poc ket. In another he braves the lion’s den to accuse them of their crime. Stirred to indignation by injustice; he counsels his master against passive resistance. He explains: No. Don Emilio! I'm sorry to have to differ with you, but—why don't we fight while there Is a chance? The people are being misled by an irres ponsible labor leader. Let me open their eyes, show them. Carlos P. Romulo, “The Hidden Symbol," Phil ippine Prose and Poetry, p. 159 Maximo does not get his wish but patiently he collects evidence enough to put the two villains behind bars. Luis, lawyer and labor leader, is Maximo’s rival. A chip off the old block, he is an unscrupulous man who would court a woman for a dubious mo tive. Perhaps he cannot be blamed en tirely, for his father has made him what he is, well instructed in the art of hy pocrisy and deceit. He is the typical labor racketeer who convinces ignorant laborers to cry out for impossible de mands, at the same time mulcting them of their hard-earned wages at the least excuse. Luis plants a letter in Don Emilio’s house to strengthen the evidence against the helpless old man. Notwith standing, he shows that there is a streak of good in him when he says, “I am bebinning to feel the pangs of remorse.” (Ibid., p. 170) Still his last words re veal an unrelenting and vengeful heart: “I’ll get you! I’ll get you!” (Ibid., page 184) The shy lover is represented by Ma rio, the farmer’s son in "Cristina Goes By with the Goats.” Mario is a good son to his father and a steady worker. Of a practical turn of mind, no fancies plague him about love and life. Slow and deliberate, still he always gets what he wants. He reminds his old man: You scold me because I am not lively, but I have always done the things I said I would do. I went away to San Carlos, there where there are so many big Spanish houses and a fine presldencla. I asked the priest to help me find work and he did, and I stayed there three years— all exactly as I said I would do. And now I am back. I said that I was going to save enough money to build a new house for us, and see, here is the house. Rachel Mack, “Cristina Goes By with the Goats." Short Plays of the Philippines, op. cit., p. 48 Mario has his pride, a stubborn one. He asks no quarter from the world and gives none. Because the girl he loves has refused him once, he does not in tend to ask her again, even if he still loves her. "Once is enough,” he says. (Ibid., p. 49) His doting father, whose whole world is his son, is driven to near desperation when Mario remains indif ferent to the news of the girl’s engage ment to another man—or to her ob vious display of preference for Mario. No wonder his father sighs, “Yop are like a clod of earth; there is no under standing in you. (Ibid., p. 50) But Ma rio apparently is wise. In the end he gets his girl. Shamefacedly, the once proud Cristina confesses her love and Mario carries on from there. Shy and slow, Mario is very wise after all—he knows how to read a woman’s heart. Juan, the hero in the folktale, "Juan and the Magic Fruit,” is the country bumpkin who wins a princess! For a charcoal burner, who is supposed to be ignorant, he is surprisingly eloquent. He says to the princess, "You look just as I have always seen you in my dreams and in the sunrise and the rainbow. (Jean Edades and Charlotte Chorpenning, “Juan and the Magic Fruit,” Page 4 THE CAROLINIAN <£ite’ia’iy Statutes Short Plays of the Philippines, p. 152) His parents are proud as they relate Juan’s many feats. There's nothing that boy can't do. The hites he used to mahe! They hummed in the wind like cicadas. He builts better fish-traps than anyone else. No one can cut down a bamboo tree as fast as he can. {Ibid., p. 153) It seems that Juan is fond of . play ing a good joke too as his parents’testi fy. When the guards are ordered to seize Juan, the young man runs and hides among the crowd. Quickly, eh disguises himself as an old magician, and then approaches the rulers. His re sourcefulness does not desert him as he thinks of a way to win, over the king and queen. With the aid of a magic fruit, he makes horns appear and disap pear on the ruler’s heads. And he wins the princess. Tasmi and Achmed are the two ri in Philippine Plays vals in "Mir-i-nisa.” Achmed is bold and gay; Tasmi is reserved. Both are eloquent and brave. They have been good friends since childhood but now a woman has unleashed the fury in their hearts. Insults and wicked words fly think and fast between them. And soon they come to blows. Indeed it is hard to choose between these two — one a fisherman, and the other, a pearl diver. But a test resolves the conflict. The two dive into the murky depths of the Pacific in search of a pearl dropped by Datu Ulka, the girl’s father. The fol lowing passage reveals Tasmi’s bravery. Twice, I fought the sharks. Once, the devilfish, the mighty octopus. I killed them all with my dagger—I save my life, but I lost you forever, Mir-i-nisa! (Geronimo D. Sicam and Jesus Casino, "Mir-i-nisa,” Short Plays of the Philippines, p. 149) When Tasmi thinks he loses the girl because he has not the pearl, he ac cepts his fate gallantly and bids good bye. Achmed arrives with the pearl and is quickly exposed by the datu as a liar. Datu Ulka dropped not a pearl, but a lump of salt into the ocean! His words ring true—"While one of you is clever, the other is honest.” (Ibid., p. 149) Tasmi is an honorable man and he wins our admiration? But we should not be hard on Achmed, who is down in the dust in defeat. His love for Miri-nisa is his own undoing, but in his moment of agony he is till the gracious one: Forgive me, O Beautiful Mlr-i-nlsa. but I loved you so much that I placed you above everything else, even above honor Itself. I am lost... There is one bachelor whose employ ment is not mentioned because it is not important—Mr. Fool in "The Best Way to Die.” He is also the lone bachelor who is a dejected and rejected lover. He is a man who completely loses con trol of himself when he is jilted by a woman. Thrown into the depths of de spair, at first he weeps and then he “flies into a rage,” (Benjamin Wong, “The Best Way to Die,” Short Plays of the Philippines, p. 98) blaming the whole world. Different persons succes sively offer a number of suggestions in the manner of dying—a fast, a harakiri, a gun and sleeping tablets. As he considers these methods, a Chinese for tunately comes upon the scene and this man convinces him to forget the past and to fight "to show the world what you really are.” (Ibid., p. 103) Exit Mr. Fool. The minor protagonists and antagon ists who are bachelors entangled in the affairs of the heart are met in “Want ed: A Chaperon,” “Perhaps,” “Basket ball Fight, “Daughter of Destiny,” “Remember the Fourth,” and “Daugh ters for Sale.” The young man is Roberting in “Wanted: A Chaperon.” He is neat and well-dressed and he has his work. The flippancy and carelessness and in difference of modern youth have not touched him. For his father still has a great respect, mixed perhaps with some fear, for Don Francisco makes it his business to know children’s doings. While Roberting is a fine fellow, he has a dominant weakness—his extravagance. So he asks his father for his old allow ance even when he has to stammer for it. His expenses include extravagant gifts to his girl friend and taxi fares. He is the typical young man of the city by E. V. who still depends on his parents for many of his needs. Fred, “date” of Roberting’s sister, is a caricature of a dumbbell. This fact is stressed right at the start when he is presented as “so dumb and so dumbiooking nobody would believe it.” Wilfrido Maria Guerrero, “Wanted: A Chaperon,” 13 Plays, op. cit. p. 104) Together with his pugnacious and arro gant mother, this funny looking bache lor supplies the slapstick in this farce. There is something pathetic about him as he plays the puppet to his mother— frowning when she frowns and scream ing when she screams; when he fails to follow his mother, he is either pinch ed or sent sprawling across the stage by this offensive parent. In the exag geration of the weakness and stupidity of this character, the dramatist sounds out a warning to domineering parents who would rob their children of their independence and self-respect. Nandi is the proud young man in “Perhaps” who refuses his sweetheart, his friendship if he cannot have her love. “In evenings, whenever you’re alone think of me not as the man who loved you deeply and passionately but rather as the man who, on being re fused love, also refused friendship, “he says to her. (Wilfrido Maria Guerrero, “Perhaps,” 13 Plays, p. 197) This char acteristic of his is gathered from his face—“His mouth is firm and deter mined.” (Ibid., p. 186.) Nandi goes to a bar to drink when his engagement is broken. He is slight ly the worse for it but, nevertheless, still in command of himself. When his girl realizes she cannot dominate him, she comes back to him. Nandi’s pride calls back to mind the pride of Mario, the farmer’s son in "Cristina Goes By with the Goats.” Both men are stubborn and strongwilled, too proud to plead for their love. Yet, oddly enough their sweethearts come back to them. Perhaps the women find themselves admiring such a char acter, one whom they could look up to with respect, not one to be scorned or dominated. In “Basketball Fight” Pepito is a fool, though he is not so called. He is about to be married to a girl who is just as scatter-brained as he is. “Sugar” and “Handsome,” their names for each other, reveal their childish mentality. Pepito makes an effort to be accom modating to his sweetheart in trivial things—discarding his favorite color for his sweetheart’s and promising to hear mass at six instead of the usual nine o’clock. But an unfortunate discussion of a basketball game reveals what he really is—and the girl. They take sides and shout at each other. Feelings are MANUEL ruffled, gifts are returned, and to all appearances the wedding is cancelled. The next three plays, “Daughter of Destiny,” Remember the Fourth,” and “Daughters for Sale,” present the ba chelors at the turn of the century. The first two portray the ideal gentleman— noble, courteous, sincere, courageous; the last presents a few male character from the lower class of society. There are two brothers in “A Daugh ter of Destiny” who are in love with the same girl. Both are well-bred: They are courteous, respectful, honest, sin cere; both are new to love. Manuel is the elder. The heroine says: Manuel, you always do hero. You always remind knights of old, riding on steeds to rescue maidens (Continued on page act like a me of the their fiery in distress. 21) CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page 5 DEAR LITA: It is December again, and, perhaps, the road to Carmela is now arrayed with flowers which you, taking ad vantage of my ignorance of flo ral names, called White Stars of Beth lehem. So attractive, they were the first to delight me for I thought I had ill luck when the conductor said, I’m sorry; the machine won’t work any more. What else could a stranger bear in his mind under such circumstances. According to some of the passengers, we were yet two kilometers from the town and no other bus was traveling that hour of the night, young though it We all got off one by one and stayed on the roadsides for a while like a group of noisy picnickers. I was the only one who was quiet, and as you lat er told me, I stood there smoking in the moonlight as nervelessly as a gangster in a movie. Then, every one started to go on the journey to the town on foot. I could not act at once; I looked around wanting to find some one who would be friendly enough to say, What about you or Come along. I saw you. You smiled at me, and smiling, I slowly ap proached you. “Waiting for the airplane?" you said. “Ha? No,” I said. “The airplane is here already, but I’ll get into it as soon as your taxi arrives.” You’re a gentleman?” “So, take me for a keepsake.” “I’m going now.” You blushed and picked up your basket. “May I carry it?” I tried to take the basket from your hand. “Thank you. Don’t. I...” You held it firmly, but when I touched your hand you let it go. We walked on in silence, until it be came embarrassing and I had to croon White Christmas. In the middle of the refrain, I forgot the wording of the song. “I was being fresh, wasn’t I?” I said stupidly. You did not say anything. Appar ently, you wanted me to be definite. It takes an honest heart to know that love is dispassionate free from affectation, and tender as the ... “When I told you to take me for a keepsake,” I added. “It was all right.” There was for giveness in your voice; in fact, it seem ed that you had passed it over before I thought it was improper of me to say it. "Please, go on singing.” “I have lost the lyric. By the way, do you live in the town proper?” “Just so. Near the church.” "A friend of mine requested me to have my Christmas Eve there. I hope it won’t take me long to locate him.” “What’s your friend’s name.” “Eddie Pabroa.” “He is our neighbor. When we get there, I’ll point their house to you.” You were very kind. “Thank you in advance.” “Let me have that basket. Perhaps, you’re tired of it now?” “No. Leave this to me. Anyway, this is not heavy. And I won’t be at ease walking with a lady carrying a big bas ket, while my hands are dangling con spicuously empty.” The road was a big uphill now, but instead of inching along you ran ahead of me and stood where the moon hung so low that your shoulder would have pushed it up if you jumped. "Why did you do that?” I said il lustrating the motion of a breeze blow ing towards you with my left hand. “You think I’m childish, don’t you?” you said, somewhat worried. I shook my head. “You, if you were that, when I asked you, would have made a face at me and simply said: By gosh, to have some fun. No. You’re not childish. You’re a child yourself." “If one can both remain a child and grow to age, has he not the heart of things which is life?” “I don’t know. I don’t believe in the magic circle of timelessness of human beings.” “Oh, don’t be so dull, old man.” I paused beside you and took a deep breath of the healthy country air. Then I looked around and was suddenly struck with fascination. “There is Carmela,” you said raising your hand. “And the sea. And those are the lighted bancas of the fisher men.” “I like you. You don’t embroider it,” I said. “Beauty like this should be left entirely naked to the mind, minus the adjectives and high coloring.” “Goodness, you sound sublime.” “And what a night! I won’t forget this till the day I die.” NIGH T" ■ illustrated by | A. R. MANLIGAS Page 6 THE CAROLINIAN “I pity you.” “Your reason? How sad it is to see one affording consolation to another when it is neither needed nor expected.” "Listen. You appear to have never seen any starry night at all. For your information, almost all the nights are like this.” “Is that so?” “Some people have a silly conception of the night; they take it only as a period for sleeping. They don’t con sider it at all, or gaze at the evening sky. They are them who are perpetual ly missing half their lives.” “Goodness, you sound sublime!” “You defeat me with my own weapon.” “Okay, let’s not be serious any more.” "It’s funny. We pretend to be wise people.” “We really are.” “Hush. Some one might hear us elevating ourselves.” “Who? Our companions are far away already. They march like soldiers. Say, why do you talk to me like this, so in timately? And why do you walk with me in the first place? Are you not afraid of, of me?” "It’s your inquiring that frightens me. Well, perhaps, it’s because you looked helplessly lonely and g... harmless. And still perhaps, it’s because I’m not a misanthrope.” “Do you have a garden?” “A small one. Why?” “These flowers along the road. May be, you grow a lot of them. What are they?” I stooped to pluck one. I smelled it and gave it to you. “Oh, we don’t plant them. They just come during December. Aren’t they lovely?” “They have starform. And they are pure white! What do you call them?” They had awakened in me an interest in flowers. In all kinds of flowers.” “You’re very particular in names. They are... White Stars of Bethlehem.” “You’re kidding.” “Not in the least. They are White Stars of Bethlehem; that’s why they only come with Christmas.” “White Stars of Bethlehem. It would be a nice title for a song or a poem. Maybe, you spend your Christmas Eve here too lively, otherwise my friend wouldn’t be forcibly inducing me to come.” "How do you keep your Christmas Eve in your place?” “We paint the town red! We go to night spots and dance and drink!” “Just like that, eh?” "What do you mean just like that. Do I have to mention the details of the excitement?” “Tell me if I’m right... You also gossip on sundry topics.” “Of course.” “Laugh aloud, to your heart’s con tent. And sometimes, you steal naughty kisses from your dance-partner." You halted. "Yes. Er, yes.” I would never admit that to any girl but you. I did not understand why it was hard to tell you a lie. You held to my shoulder for sup port, slipped off your shoe and poured out the pebble in it. You put it on and we continued walking. "Then, you return home singing wild ly. beseeching whatever god there is to guide the taxi-driver who is chasing the devil." “As you say.” “And in the morning, you wake up very late with a hang-over, with a tired ness of body and spirit. You call up what had passed, and utter, It was a Night. Night spelled with capital N.” "Yes.” "You still have time to go back, and I think your friend won’t hold you if you want to. You’ll be disappointed. We don’t observe Christmas that way. Any one can do those things any day of the year. Christmas should not be made an excuse for, for tomfooleries.” “TOOOOmfOOOOleries. If you had only tempered the tone of your voice, I’d say you are angry. Why don’t you tell me how you commemorate Christ mas here, instead of cooling me off.” “I don’t discourage you.” You were sincere. “If Christmas ever means any thing to you, then keep it up. You’ll soon see for yourself how we keep it up.” "How do you know all those things? The kiss-stealing, the drive-home, and all that.” by JUNNE CANIZARES “I have a cousin in the city. He used to write us about these doings. Mama says he’s dissipated, and we’ve to pray for him, especially this Christmas.” “May I ask you a personal question?" “Yes." "Do you have a sweetheart?” “Oh, we are now in the town!” “You don’t answer me.” I was saying You don’t answer me for the second time, when the carollers played aloud their musical string instruments and sang beneath the lan tern-lighted window of a house beside the road. I could not guess whether or not it was because I was cut short that you laughed, but just the same I was pleased with it; it was a good laughter, clean and polite. We edged through children gayly playing on the streets, and since there were many groups of carollers resounding at the same instant from one house to another, I felt that it was the animated music that made us move. We passed the lit tle restaurant where people were crowd ing around a group of dancers recount ing the story of the Magi. Then we paced across the square where some lads and lassies were conversing. “This is our home,” you said unlatch ing the gate. “Oh," I said. The power of speech had gone out of me. I took a quick glimpse of the house. It was of regu lar size, painted ivory and beautiful. You reached for the basket and I hand ed it to you. You were still holding the White Star of Bethlehem I gave you. “Thank you very much. Come in for a while and have some coffee.” You be came very formal that I doubted if we ever had familiarity talked to each other a while ago. “How soon we arrive. Thanks.” "Is it you, Lita? Lita,” a woman called from inside the house. "Yes, ma,” you replied. “Come on in.” “Not now. I think I’ve to go to my friend’s house first.” “O! me!” You bit your lip and laughed. I laughed, too. “There, that house is your friend’s.” “I see, I see." "Are you sure you aren’t coming in for a while?” “I’ll just come back. I’m, I’m Ric.” I looked at your adorable face closely. “I’m Lita.” You shyly smiled. I watched you go towards the door leaving the gate invitingly open. You were so divine. Before you got inside the door you turned to smile at me. One could have easily knocked me down with a feather. I did not know how long I tarried by the gate looking at the flowers in your wide garden, but you did come out to catch me there. You had changed your clothes; you wore a well-pressed immac ulately white dress this time. “You are still here,” you said. You were more glad than surprised. "Yes,” I said, breathless. “I like your flowers very much.” “I’m going to water the orchids.” “Do you water them at night?” “No. I was not here this afternoon, and Ma forgot to water them. That’s why I’m... Orchids must be well taken care of; they’re delicate." “I see. Well, I must be going now.” I keep on remembering that wonder ful night through the months, till some how it stops to be a mere memory. That night has become a part of the other nights. It is Christmas again, and I shall come back to Carmela; I will put Eddie in a position wherein he cannot do any thing but invite me again. I shall ride by night again. I wish the bus should get stalled at the same place and I would find you among the passengers, so that once more we’d walk together to the town. But there are new things that I have to say to you. For instance, I know now that the flowers along the road are ordinary wild flowers and that they are not called White Stars of Beth lehem. But just to both of us, they shall forever be called by that name. And then, Lita, I must tell you why you are beyond forgetting. (The Beginning) CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page 7 S/us/it Sfolks FOR M1GVEI., it was a strange and different morning, and instinctively, he felt as if the whole world had been changed during the night and he was hollow from within. He was not drunk and his eyes were all right— he was sure of that, but the street and the dark elec tric wires and the apartment houses with grey galvanized iron roofs were altogether alien and meaningless to him now and he had an impulse to go away some place where he coidd re cognize and name everything again. lie was in the room lying on the springed bed, barechested, for the heat of the morning sun was oppressive and it was likely going to be a hot day. He was looking at the weird green vines climbing wormily on the wrought-iron window grill and the fragments of blue sky. There was a lingering weari ness in his heart, but he could not say why. The door of the room opened and Myrna, his wife, came in. He looked at her and he saw her frown and he was confused because the face was also a strange and different thing and yet he knew it was Myrna. He stared at it till his wife trem bled slightly and yelled: “Now what is the matter with you? Aren’t you coming?’’ Her lips were red with lipstick and he looked at them, all of a sudden remembering blood. And Myrna said, “By God, Mi guel! Don’t look at me like that! Arc you coming with me?” “Where?” he asked. Why was Miguel so different now? “Where?” Myrna retorted, “To the church.” “Why?” “It’s Christmas! That’s why! Is there anything wrong with your stomach?” "Nothing. Why?” "Because you talk like a dope or something, “said Myrna, "Why, you’re making me nervous...” “Come on, d< n’t be angry,” he said, "I’m just not myself today, you know.” No, Myrna did not know that—How could she? How could any one tell and share that lugubrious struggle of a man to find himself in the deepening shadows of awareness and to discover his affinity with this strange and different morning and with the world that seemed to have been changed during the night? "Well, all right. Now, are you coming?” his wife asked. "No, I don’t think I will. You just go ahead,” he answered, without looking at her. "All right,” Myrna said, stepped out of the room and closed the door and went away. He moved to the other window that looked down the street and rested his elbows on the sill. He saw a scurvy dog looking for food in the garbage receptacle and he watched it. He felt sorry for the dog, for it stood for all animals in their determined efforts for survival in spite of misery and He went back to the bed and lay down, but he heard the laint sound of knocking from the main door of the house. He The world seemed to have not.for red by FRANK A. ROBLES Illustrated by A, R. MANLIGAS Page 8 THE CAROLINIAN got up and went to see who it was. He saw it was an old, ragged beggar, bent by age and poverty. "Merry Christmas, Sir,” the beggar said and stretched out his gnarled grimy hand. He looked at the face of the beggar and was staggered by the brutality painted on it. Something in him shuddered. Without saying anything he gave twenty centavos to the beg gar, and the old man walked away. He almost put his hand on the beggar’s frail shoulder, and it was a good thing that the old man left on time. Back in the room, he lay again on the bed and thought of himself. He was a welder in a machine shop. He had to melt steel and get burned each day for the sake of rice and fish, only to die like all the others... For how long he had to be a welder, he would not know, and just the thought of it tired him endlessly. Afterwards he remembered the beggar. Why must a man be so brutalized? he asked. What’s the difference be tween the beggar and the dog that was looking for food in the garbage receptacle? He could not find an answer and grew more tired. Soon before lunch, Myrna was back and came into the room. He was still there lying on the bed. His wife smiled for she seemed to have realized that still her heart loved her husband. Once she kissed his lips and sat on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t mean to quarrel with you this morning," she said smilingly, looking into his eyes. “Forget it,” he said wearily. “Aren’t we going to eat yet?” He asked, but he was not really hungry. “Yes,” Myrna said, “I’ll just change my dress. We’ll have a nice chow today. Was there anybody here while I was gone?” "A beggar came. I gave him twenty centavos.” Myrna started to undress in the room. He was not look ing at her. He was sullen now and rather tired for that. “I bought some apples at the supermarket, red ones,” Do lores said. “How many?” “Five. Would you like to eat them now?” “No. Not now,” he said, “This afternoon.” After lunch, they returned into the room. He had not eaten well and his wife was a little bit disappointed and sus picious, but she did not tell him. Together they lay on the “Dewey Boulevard and ice cream,” he said, “We’re not children anymore.” Myrna became resentful. "I don’t know what’s the mat ter with you. Since this morning you’ve acted like that.” “Like what?” “Like you’re sore or something!” “Look, Myrna,” he said, "I’m not sore. I’m just tired, that’s all. Don’t you understand?" “No,” Myrna blurted out, "Who the hell can understand what you’re doing. This morning I thought you’d come with me to the church and you didn’t. I prepared a special dish this noon and you make me think I’m a school girl who doesn’t know anything about the kitchen. I think it’s because of that woman...” Myrna stood up and went out of the room. Then she came back with a bulging paper bag. “Here are the apples I bought this morning.” “No, thanks,” he said, “I’ll just eat later,” he rolled over to one side. He was tired and wanted to sleep. When he lifted his head and glanced at his wife the bulging paper bag was already gone. “Where are the apples?” he asked. “I threw them away,” Myrna answered, her voice hurt and hard. “What did you do that for?” he asked. “I merely said I’ll eat them later...” Myrna was silent for a while, then broke into a verbal torrent, the voice mounting up in crescendo and her face He rose from the bed and went to the adjacent bathroom where he washed his face, and when he got back in the room Myrna was starting to cry, still ranting out everything her tongue could manage, but he did not bother to stop her, and without saying anything he put on his clothes and his shoes. Miguel started to leave. He heard Myrna angrily shout ing from behind: “Where are you going?” When he was about to put his hand on the door knob, he felt a violent pull on his arm and it was his wife with tearful eyes and her voice trembling and broken at the top: “You have no right to do this. Where are you going? You’ll meet her somcchanged the night before, and he was walking away, hungry apples, but for white inner peace. bed without saying anything to each other. Myrna was comb ing her dark hair, her body raised on the pile of pillows. “Why don’t we take a stroll this evening, Miguel?” Myrna suggested. “Where?” “Well, on Dewey Boulevard,” she said, “We’ll eat ice cream while we walk.” “That’s silly,” he said. “What’s silly?” where?” He shrugged off his wife’s hand and opened the door and went out hurriedly and in pain, closing the door strongly with a rocking sound. He was not going to see anybody anywhere. For it was but a bodily means for a spiritual withdrawal from the strange and different morning; the scurvy dog and brutalized old beg gar; his angry wife, Myrna, and from the whole world that seemed to have been changed during the night that in the sun he was walking away from, hungry not for red apples but for white inner peace. CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Pace 9 Jhe jtypte-Mtudl by PACIFICO YAP After the meal they share an apple, the old grandfather and a little child. The hour for sleep must wait Until their ritual is through. She picks up the fruit, as rosy as her face, and gives it to him. His knife removes the peeling in bright ribbons and divides it into two. With love he gives her a piece. He counts 1-2-3. And they eat happily. OUewiMy, by AGUSTIN P. MENDOZA The early Christmas morning Mass was ended But I remained inside the church on my knees Remembering one Christmas When mother and I heard Mass together. How she used to explain things to me. How she used to teach me . .. With misty eyes, I tried to prolong The poignant recollection of that Christmas long ago When I was too happy, excited, starry-eyed, Having all the candies and balloons that Mother gave. New groups of people came in, So I decided to leave. I went out sad, but brave with hope, As if I heard the voice of mother full of love. A P • A . G .. 0 R F V . E . S T Jhe Wounded by CORNELIS MALO A BOY AT THE WINDOW: his mind wanders somewhere in a cruel world that oppresses the soul. A MOTHER WITH A FARAWAY LOOK: so bitterly is her heart wounded by the news that her only son was killed. The world is now but a smoky plain where one by one the wanderers fall, their blood sucked out by a specter that is war. We who slay at home have no time for pity for our eyes are always looking out the window. “Shall the specter reach us?'’ In this our world, people become smaller haunted by the untamed specter, as if life and war were but one. A boy, a mother slay at home: both victims of war. Xcaa Vended fob Qfotfdtvnad by ALFREDO AMORES I. Christmas Tree Oh! that 1 were a Christmas tree And you the tinsels and cotton snows Upon my green boughs. II. Thanks For December Mother thanks you very much Dear, dear December For giving me to her. O&deddC&n, by DOMINADOR ALMIRANTE A stranger am I A hermit in a metropolis With a desire gnawing me, Which shall stay a desire Until I unravel life: a labyrinth, a mystery, a dance. Suphinx^ darned by PAL JOEY Lately Love was dead in my heart. The memory of withered flower brought drought into my world. I was all alone then, sighing sighs of grief then, bewailing my fate when you came. Rains come again now. Flowers bloom afresh now. All's green anew now. Spring is nigh. Page 10 THE CAROLINIAN ®fjree Voices o/ Man 1. WAR The horror oj war is manifested Sharply by a shattered coconut tree; By the hush of ruined cathedrals: the Sacred lodgings of things recollected. The actual scene of men’s bodies blasted Isn’t as frightful as that seen when free Is the heart from anger and hate. Yes, we Are appalled by what we had created. And the sight of a legless man knifes us; The sound of a wrecked organ is hurting, Especially if heard when someone’s gone. In the backyard is the junk of a bus Abandoned, moldy, rusty, decaying, While again the blood-red light is on. 3. RELIGION My Father like the Son: the Holy Ghost: Is God. And my Church is universal. There is a strong assurance that He shall Crown me, if. on my hour I stand out unlost. Thus, I ask Him in sunshine and in frost To be at my way. There are Biblical Proofs, He will. But: I, mortal/immortal, Must not deny Him whatever the cost. On account of this, it’s written, I shall be Persecuted. Amen. Is to die in His name not to live gladly forever? I believe that He Who Is looks to me. For I keep the Faith that leaves no margin. Me, my antagonists shall not conquer. 2. LOVE The moon can never be as shy as she When it hides its face behind a thin cloud. But she’s as pretty as the moon could be When it takes away its white nylon shroud. My lonely heart beats with the galaxy, Holding dear these beauties my eyes have seen. O how sweet to call her, not you, but thee That word so fitting could never have been. But diction and syntax can only help A poet in his dying for matter. They cannot paint nor show the real self, Or the spiritual loveliness of her. I do find some cool moonshines on her lanes, And her fairness on the moon in silence. CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page 11 QHjriatmaa (Earba Qwine. I. Reflection it teas beginning when I wrote this. I mean the Christmas program. My seatmate looked what I was doing And I hurriedly put the paper in my pocket Hut the words remained in my head: This Christmas I cannot he a giver Tor nothing have I to be charitable for. If one likes to do good to me And let me choose between this and that. I'll tell him / always find it hard To ask for the thing I love to have. Only the Cord knows My need and thirst and hunger And how long and how much I wait and pray . . . If they are not fruits of selfish thoughts Or objects of vanity Sooner or later, they shall be granted to me. To acknowledge the existence of Cod is one thing To believe in His infinite mercy is another. (Muri; 11:2.1. Amen, I nay to you that who soever say to this mountain, lie thou removed and be east into the sea, and shall not stayyer in his heart, but believe that whatsoever he saith s/taZi be done: it shall be done unto him.) Although I do acknotvledge and believe. . . I am not sure I am not lacking Recause there are many parts of my essence To go together in these mental acts. So, it will be perfectly all right If the Lord will merely make me stronger To discipline myself. 2. OiBone The pasture is greener than what is usual Anti roses are white and red in the heart. Perhaps, in other lands it is falling snow And sleigh-bells ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling. Such is not the ease here in the Philippines. Recause while their sun is getting soft. Ours is always shining bright. Rut the difference does not count ll hen the talk turns to Christmas, Recause the gospel is: This season is for the souls, Spiritually alike in al1 men in all places. Aiow it is good to light candles in the night And read the Bible, a chapter or tico. That shall be profitable Io the brain, The accomplice alien we commit our sins. Christmas gives us the singular opportunity To simultaneously be ourselves Mutually erase wrongs, misdeeds, offenses. And ugly signatures in the minds, till tt"e are clean enough To see blessing in the air. Our songs are holy, inartificial again, And roses are white and red in the heart. The nnuiA are divine the wordings homelike, They tell as well as praise.. . And the-belts sorting the globe Are annulled By the poetry of Jesus. The carols haunt us like a perfume. Page 12 THE CAROLINIAN A NEIGHBORLY APPROACH TO GRAVE COMMUNITY PROBLEMS by ROLANDO ESPIRITU Miscellanea D UR1NG the sixteenth century, begging and destitution were re garded as criminal in England. A vagrant caught begging was whip ped and for further offenses could be put to death. In the early days of the Industrial Revolution, desti tution was thought of as a neces sary evil, second only to overpo pulation. Almshouses were then built where the young and the old were herded together, as well as the tubercular and the insane. Poverty was then regarded as a disgrace so that no attempt was made to study its causes. Not until the second half of the nineteenth century did the scholars gain better knowledge; philanthropists and so cial workers became interested, and public opinion developed in behalf of a more systematic and human treatment for the poor. Today, society is blind to the way the gaunt-faced destitute wan der in the filthy nooks of cur neigh borhoods. We are faced with the problems of juvenile delinquency, the care of the aged dependents, the mentally diseased and feeble minded persons, and finally, the worst of them all and the most ignored - commercialized prostitu tion. Poverty has always been regard ed as the concern only of those who desire to be charitable rather than a community responsibility. To the vagrant paupers, broken families requiring help, the abused, the neglected, the delinquent and other handicapped children abandoned by their parents, and the women in the dark, we owe the duty of providing an environment where they can be taught to be sell-Suflicient members of the community, where facilities and useful occupa tions develop a healthy outlook on life. Our dependence on philanthro pic societies to ease the destitute of their daily afflictions is indeed unfair. Every citizen of the com munity must cooperate in a syste matic approach to the problem. Ir respective of religious belief or disbelief, all should help in working out plans -- educational, recrea tional or cultural. The concerted effort must not limit itself to rescuing those who have already fallen into pauperism but must include in its scope the wage-earners to give them many advantages which could not otherwise be enjoyed by them within their individual means. Vi gorous efforts are needed today in the neighborhood organizations to make service available, to offer in tegrated patterns of services to meet the varying needs of the neighbor hoods, to coordinate services to prevent overlapping and overlook ing, to provide opportunities at the neighborhood and district levels for people to form groups to change social goals and create new ones. In carrying out these functions the keynote must be the participa tion of the people in a neighbor hood in this community undertaking. A committee of social agency re presentatives may put up a project for the prevention of juvenile de linquency. Community clubs with in the neighborhood may be formed to promote community projects in the form of recreational programs. It may be a group of citizens pledged to solve some specific com munity problems. A group, for in stance, may be formed to take charge of cultural activities while another group may take care of the moral aspect of the undertaking. The latter may launch a drive against the maintenance of bawdy houses and arouse public opinion against the perpetrators of this in decent practice. Often, we see hundreds of ragged children living animal-like, sleeping on dirty sidewalks; minors linger ing at bars and getting involved in drunken brawls. The picture is clear that delinquent parents and broken homes produce delinquent children. This unfortunate portion of society appeals to our conscience, our sense of duty. THE AUTHOR The lack of recreation facilities has been frequently thought of as one of the major causes of the in crease of juvenile delinquency. "No decent place to go" is heard many times. Through community coopera tion and organizations, this will cease to be a big problem. There will be a study of available sites for recreational centers, playgrounds for children, and suitable places for community group meetings. The following are suggested recreation al activities: 1. Hobby groups 2. Music appreciation 3. Athletics and Sports 4. Dancing 5. Radio workshop 6. Outing activities, such as camping and field trips 7. Games 8. Dramatics 9. Community service groups 10. Clubs to foster close relation ship among members of the community. (Continued oil paye 14) CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page 13 Miscellanea FrOM THE standpoint ot artistic insight, the art of music is the most creative, most direct, and most ex pressive. The poet pours out his feelings through beautiful verses; the sculp tor, through the use of his chisel and hammer, creates his ideal form or figure; the painter, with brush and canvas, uses color to interpret his sense of beauty; the dancer uses rhythm of music and dance-steps in presenting his theme, but the musi cian, particularly the composer, combines beauty of verse, form, rhythm, color, and other factors in order to express himself. By musician, we mean the com poser, or the interpreter, or the listener, as long as their aim is mu sic — its beauty and its truth. How does each one of them suc ceed in expressing himself through the art of music? The Composer. What, after all, do we listen for when we listen to a composer? ls_ it the rhythm, the melody, the form, or the tone-color that he infuses into his musical composition? Yes, all these. Moreover, we also apprehend the creative musi cian himself. His work is an em bodiment of the fullest and deepest expression of himself as a man, of his experiences as a fellow being. His personality may be streaked with frailties, (no one is perfect!) but whatever is fine in his music comes also from whatever is fine in himself as a man. by PETE MONTERO Every artist's work is, of course, an expression of himself, but none so direct as the creative musician's. The Interpreter. The middleman in music is the interpreter. No doubt, so many of us, if not all, at one time or another, interpret music either by the use of our voice or by some musical instruments. Unfortunately, however, when we try to interpret, our general tendency is to imitate — we fail to use our own musical intelligence. By imitation, a per son never really interprets, unless perhaps some emotional or physical The Author excitation accompanies the act of interpreting. We are trying to drive home the point that an interpreter should use mind and heart in order to succeed in transferring his thoughts, moods, and emotions to other people. In performing a piece of music, the interpreter does not stick im movably to the notes and modula tions set down by the composer. There is also a creative interpre tation in which a piece is expressed according to the way the interpreter understands it, and according to the emotional appeal of the music to him. With these things in mind, the interpreter expresses himself successfully. The Listener. We all belong to this great group, but, characteriz ing various types of listeners will probably help us understand better how we can express ourselves by listening to music. The first class of listeners, that to which our younger generation belongs, consists of the "foot-listen ers", who hear music with their feet. To them, a few unorganized tones sounded rhythmically, mean music; that is, if the rhythm is enough to stir their feet to execute dance steps. It is only too obvious how these foot-listeners may be likened to the Indian war-dancers. In time, the foot-listeners advance to become "heart-listeners" who respond emotionally and physically to music. When the heart-listeners hear music, the mood and emotion suggested by the music is aroused in them. The third group consists of "head-listeners" the most advanced of them all. Head-listeners create a A Neighborly Approach ... (Continued from page 13) The State can help these child ren very much. Unfortunately, it has failed to enact legislation to safeguard the rights of these child ren to a good home, to proper care, to education, and to respect. When we meet a beggar and we hand out a few centavos, we feel we have done enough. But that is the least that we can do. In the United States a new system of co operation is widely practiced. If a neighbor discovers that the family next door is in need, he goes to one of the agencies of the commu nity and reports the situation. The agency sends a visitor to study the family situation. If the father is out of work, the visitor will procure another position for him. Or it may be that some of the members of the family are sick. Not only will the visitor attempt to provide immediate relief in the form of fuel, groceries, and medical assistance, but he will also seek to remove the cause of the unfortunate condition. The vi sitor in this system is the most im portant character because he is the very person who sees the actual situation of the indigent family. Hence, there is great stress on neigh borly intercourse. The visitors are on guard to prevent them from sink ing into unbearable misery. This system has three advantages. First, the poor family develops an inti mate relationship with the visitor. Second, it has a good moral effect on the poor, bringing them into con tact with higher standards. And finally, it shows the rich the actual conditions under which the poor live. # situation when listening to music. They consider the composer's theme and the interpreter's mood. However, the real music-lover whether he is the composer, the interpreter, or the listener, combines all three. Music is not for the in tellect alone; it appeals equally to the feet, to the heart, to the head, which means physically, emotion ally, and intellectually. Finally, Music as an art is both creative and interpretative. The thoughts, moods, and emotions of an artist are conveyed to his fellow men, like literature, in true and beautiful terms. In endeavoring to be true, the composer, the interpreter, and the listener give their own hon est selves — their deepest thoughts and tenderest feelings that ennoble our humanity and uphold the ideals of the sublime art of Music. # Page 14 THE CAROLINIAN A Mass opens up a Sunday, and since in the Consecration. when the priest transforms the bread and the wine into tin- Body and tile Blood, the Lord become- phvsicallv present, we can say in triumph that at that sacred moment lie is here in person to give us this day. A while after, we leave the house of worship with a certain profound feeling that comes when one has done an act of goodness. 3 I'lie shops eleiwnleiwn lire closed again, shutting up in the . ininel the picture! of machines working, customers bargaining, and the congeries of things for sale. . Industry is replaced lt-1 passivity, and the struggle for 1 subsistence is set aside in favor of an inward desire for peace", for ever} little- thing which offers us comfort. contentment. anJ above all. feirtituele. Occasionally. during Sunday we- fletck let beach resorts anel swim in the- sea. etr me-re-ly walk alemg the- windy slmre. now anel lhe-n casting small 'tones inlet the- water. Or slanel where- the- he-ache-el bancas are- anel watch girls in bathing suits rush inlet the- water. Cheerfully, we- peer inlet the- future- anel indulge- in the- elre-am etf living long unele-r the- same- slate- etf fun anel pleasantry. In a courtyard the- office-people producing sounels like- that e barle-neler. On the- long bench on oJ. fetr their turns etr whet have had 1, commenting on a masterly stro sent the- tennis ball across A large number of us v isil the theaters. There, just by sitting still, we* journey through the* years, witness a story, and see a land of make-believe* unfurled before* our eyes. Inspired. we* take* the* place* e»f one* e>f the* starring characters, anel act his etr her retie* with finesse- and elegant simplicity. In th cue!, etf ceturse. we* fetrgel the* se-emndre-l. idolize the* beret, and aelmire* the* he*reiine*. are potentates with network bats, f bottles being uncorkeel by an adroit e side sit those who are waiting llteir bouts, sipping soft drinks and :e of a colleague that nevertheless the street. Al the plaza we seek friends and w<- wish to he acquainted with. We talk about the jam sessions, the parlies, tile picnics we had lalelv attended, and tin* dances we like to learn or have no taste for. We eat much ice-cream and buy balloons, and nobody will ever • ell us to behave according to our age. We meet happy lovers, as well as lonely fellows pulling out their loneliness. Inside the fence of a public playground, children are yelling, shrilling and crying for joy. They play seesaw: ride the merry-go-round: rock the swings: climb the bars, and glide on the slides with life and spirit. They cut jokes, and laugh freely. Then, it is time to go home. Their fathers and mothers call them and away they go. shouting good-bye Io each Ihe night disposes other, of its initial dimness. Miscellanea diet’s T)a lie O ver • THE CASE OF THE LAW STUDENTS: The college of law students have been christened with provocative names, affixed adjectives by a segment of with equally repulsive . . the not-too-understanding intellectuals in this sanctum sanctorum. It is alleged that they are throwing their weight around in the classroom, in the library and in the lobby with blatant impunity. To say that law students are by nature noisy people, might be a fatal admission. But you see, the profes sion of law being their business. They have to argue and debate on this or that intricate provision of law with the end in view of getting the right interpreta tion on its intent and meaning. True, they create a public disturbance in consequence thereof. But that is incidental. Honestly, they cannot effectively practise their profession with their mouths shut because argu mentation and debate is its prime requisite. But de spite the fact that they are being misunderstood as regards this particular character trait, they will ma nage to smile. • SUBVERSIVE Gnawing subtly at the core LOYALTY: of our democratic way of life is that kind of destructive loyalty spurred by fear and not by love. Have you noticed the following cases? An employee cannot complain of the unfair labor practices of his boss without fear of unceremonious dismissal; a son cannot call the attention of his father's "adult delinquency" without fear of the leather belt; a student cannot stand up and question his professor's inconsistencies without fear of failing marks; a member of a political party cannot denounce the deleterious effects of his party's policies without fear of expulsion. This is dangerous because a situation where one's line of thinking or reasoning is limited to a simple "yes" or "no" is a fertile ground for the inroads of communism, which advocates thought control or regimentation. Unreason able intolerance must be eliminated right now if we want to remain free. • LET'S HAVE A Almost every day, we are BREAK WITH GUNS fed with newspaper accounts AND STEEL BLADES: of shootings or killings here and there. Why can't we learn to settle our differences with ice cream or to fight them out with bare fists? Imagine the predica ment of being "herded" into the prison cell like cattle — loss of the dignity and honor you once possessed and the personal sufferings day in and day out inside — what with little food, hungry mosquitoes and rigid prison regulations. With ice cream, after a snack, the • by BALT V. QUINAIN possibility is not remote that what was once a burning hate may turn into fervent love. Or if the protagonists want to make it more dramatic, a fist fight is advisable. With bare knuckles, after the boxing bout, all that is needed is chill the bumps with ice cubes and shake hands. As a matter of suggestion, you can have an other round the next day. In that way, there will be no killings, no funerals and no "widows." I don't think "fisticuffing" the whole day would kill a man as long as they face each other at the start and stop when one shakes his head for a break. It's those without nerves that are so fast with guns or steel blades. • OUR PARENTS ARE Every now and then, we read DELINQUENT TOO: in our metropolitan and local papers moving accounts of scandalous and deplorable acts perpetrated by youths such as vandalism, hooliganism, gangsterism and other misdeeds happening all over the country. How to cope with juvenile delinquency is admittedly one of the most serious problems confronting the home, the church and the state. It is common knowledge that it is far easier to prevent a mistake than to correct it. An objective approach in analyzing the sad predi cament of today's youth does not permit the home to be excluded since it is one of the most important factors to be considered when trying to understand much of the deplorable conduct of the young. Some parents do not realize, for instance, how good imitators children can be and that whatever misbehaviour they unconsciously commit at home invariably influences the minds of their brood. An important factor in the solution of the problem is for the parents to provide the young generation with a decent background in the home with all the require ments in good precepts that it implies. At least that's one way to help minimize if not eradicate this growing social cancer, which threatens their children's imma ture hearts and innocent minds. In short, they must set up an example worthy of emulation. But unfortunately, the way parents "behave" now adays is often not very edifying to their young. (With a great waste of saliva). They preach for others to follow this or that age-old virtue and do just the opposite. Unless adult delinquency is eliminated among parents, one can never expect juvenile delin quency to vanish. For the roots are the life-blood of the tree. # CHRISTAAAS ISSUE, 1959 Page -iS Miscellanea by DOMINADOR A. ALMIRANTE ^re We Ware Qift-Qivers? As the Det-ember wind blows with penetrating coldness, we are once again ushered into a world of joy and hilarity: Christmas. Now the spirit of the Yulctide season pervades the atmosphere. The air is filled with heavenly music of the carolers’ choruses. One’s life is at its brightest, gayest. Everybody is genial and kind-hearted. At no other season of the year is one’s heart so light. With the spirit of Christmas goes the joy of giving. One finds pleasure in the thought of having entered into the feelings of others. Without that, there is no giving; without that giving, there is no gift. For as one writer puts it: “A gift without a giver is bare.” In this age of materialism, let us examine ourselves, whether or not we are bare gift-givers. Do we give with a warm heart and with a genial face? Or do we give with the attitude of being annoyed and with a frowning look? Do we give without expecting anything in return? Do we give because we feel it our duty to give regardless of the station of life of the recipient? God chose that Jesus Christ should enter the world through a lowly stable. He could have chosen a palace with all the grandeur, affluence and abundance. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes when he could have been garbed in costly garments. All this demonstrates the great love of God for the poor. Today we celebrate Christmas with pomp and splendor. We spend lavishly for a sumptuous Christmas dinner. And whom do we welcome? Our rich ‘compadrcs’, our wealthy businessmen-l'riends, the powerful big shots in the government, and the politicians. Do we remember the poor? If they ever came to beg, we dismiss them by giving the left-overs and drive them away like some vexatious pests. The birth of Jesus Christ in the Manger has taught us that Christianity is not just something to be outwardly displayed to the world. It means more than that: It must be something felt deep down inside one’s heart. Another Christmas is here. One of the searching questions is: Are we bare gift-givers? If we are, we are celebrating Christmas all our own way, not as Christ wanted it to be. j* SEEING OUT .. . (Continued from page 2) office thoughtfully. "There are two things I would like them to bear in mind.” He took a deep breath, then continued. “First, and this applies to all, I would like them to strive hard at all times in order to continue to live by the Christian principles and ideals for which this university stands and to try to emulate the blessed life of Christ in every way possible by warding off temptation and receiving the sacraments. As for the students, I would like them to delve deeper into the vast ocean of knowledge through books and experien ces they may encounter in this univer sity and to complement their teachers’ efforts to impart whatever knowledge they have. And lastly, for the faculty, I would like them to give full support and earnest cooperation to any under taking the incoming Father Rector is going to carry out as part of his pro gram, an attitude which they have so laboriously and commendably shown to me.” Obviously, to Father Herman Kondring what he asked us for was not wanting in the course of his rectorship of this university. At this juncture, we would like to mention some of the many important achievements of the good Father, if only as a passing tribute. Although “very satisfied with the progress USC had made” at the time of his assumption of office, nevertheless, he set himself to the gigantic task of “building a new boys’ high school with ample grounds for sports and for the accommodation of boarders, extending the graduate school, and finally, opening a college of medicine.” Even if this last project is not yet realized, we can well see that the new building is anything but complete. In the meantime, we can only wait and see. Judging from this angle, we assert here, with pride and confidence and without fear of contradiction, that the (Continued on page -10) | SCA fauna ----------by TRUCE ORDOSA______ ERRATUM When Brother Jess Alcordo was un animously voted president, he vigorously demurred at the offer of the coveted presidential seat: “I am not worthy of it...” He also disclaimed being a Chemical Engineering scholar as slated in last issue’s "Corner”. To do him “justice” I apologize for the campaign leaflets’ mistake. I took the informa tion from them. SETBACK The Radio-l)ramatics cell was all set for “The Rosary Hour” presenta tion. But what made the whole thing a could-have-becn, was a notice from the studios on the day before the pre sentation, that it would have to be post poned until after the elections. It was a real "wet-blanket” treatment, the frustrated members felt, but, anyway our kudos for your cooperation, boys; we still intend to call on you when the ACTION The most outstanding activity of the SCA was the sponsoring of the bingo games last September 6. The profits will be given to the missions. With gratitude, the SCA doffs its hat to Mr. Juan Aquino, Jr. and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Fraternity members for their selflessness which helped to make the affair a thundering success. The SCA also sponsored a drive for the poor; the response was over whelming. Mostly through Fr. Pedro and Fr. Schoenig’s efforts, the SCA’ns were convinced that the Blue Army had a good cause; thus a series of member ship campaigns typical for the spirit of Catholic Action was triggered and the SCA, together with the Legion of Mary and the Sodality, was able to add more men to the Blue Army in its drive for world peace. The drive is still going on. The induction of the members last August was quite impressive with ,the Special Chinese Cell added to the SCA and with the presence of Fr. Rector and Fr. Pedro. The Cultural-Educational unit was adjudged the best unit. PLANS At this writing, the SCA is plan ning to go caroling if Brother Pete Montero will be available. The CulturalEducational unit may sponsor a sym posium, and Brother Jess Alcordo may see to the approval of P70 from the SSC, of which he is the vice-president. The money will be used for SCA ex penses. J Page 20 THE CAROLINIAN THE BACHELOR IH THE PHILIPPINE PLAYS f Continued from page 5) literary ^Features risking their lives and all. Vidal A. Tan, "zt Daughter of Destiny," Philippine Prose and Poetry, op. cit., page 203. When the lottery gives him the chance to speak to the girl firbt, he asks Mang Berong boyishly to teach him the art of wooing. Awkwardly he practices on the mind. Then a misinterpretation makes Manuel think that the girl he loves has accepted him. The engage ment is announced. But Fate is cruel. The God of War intervenes and spills his life-blood on the battlefield. He dies a hero and ironically fulfills the truth in the girl’s words. Ilodi is the younger brother who is just as shy as Manuel. For does he not ask Mang Berong about love, too? A man of honor, be keeps his part of the bargain when his brother wins the lottery. At first he raises objections: “And how about Lourdes. Doesn’t she have a say in this matter? Is she to be regarded as a prize to be disposed of by .the toss of a coin?” (Ibid., p. 215.) Nevertheless he gives way to his fath er’s wish. When his brother wins the girl, Rodi almost breaks down, but he hides his anguish. He congratulates his brother and wishes Lourdes “all the happiness in the world.” (Ibid., p. 223.) During the Revolution he visits the family fur tively as he is now a soldier like his brother. The guardia cit'iles catch him and make him a prisoner, although his arms are bound he insults and threatens the corporal who makes a pass at Lour des. As a result he is knocked uncon scious. Fortunately Filipino insurgents arrive to rescue him and the rest. In another historical play the bache lor is an army officer of the Revolu tion—Captain Sixto Arguelles. He is a type in his bravery and straight forwardness and courtesy. He is indi vidual in his simple directness and pride. Captain Arguelles docs not mince words in stating his intentions. “A soldier must be direct and straightforward in expression. In the first place, then, I pray, I ask for the hand of your daugh ter in marriage,” the man announces. (Mariano Berbano, “Remember the Fourth,” Philippine Prose and Poetry, p. 246.) He is very much a soldier in deed. When he is refused by the father, he accepts the decision then and there. Not once does he plead for himself. He answers, “Sir, I respect your wishes. We could never be happy without your blessing.” (Ibid., p. 247.) Captain Six to Arguelles goes to battle and bravely meets his death like Manuel in the pre ceding play, without marrying the girl he loves. The bachelors play a minor part in “Daughters for Sale.” There is Don Juan, a prosperous landowner who finds himself a suitor before he knows it. His credulity is the cause: He swallows hook, line, and sinker, the tale that one of Don Pelayo’s daughters is sec retly in love with him. Surprised and flattered, he lays siege to the woman’s heart in spite of her cold reception. But Don Juan will not accept “no” for an answer now that he has started. His patience wears out the lady’s resistance and he gets her finally. Oh, yes, he is very proper -and formal about it. He first informs his father of his honor able intentions in the traditional style. Then there is Aurelio, the proud and ambitious young man and the lover of the youngest daughter. The rumor of the father’s desire for rich husbands travels fast and reaches his ears. Stung to the quick, his indignation and con tempt for this mercenary scheme rouse his determination to make good and prove his real worth. He gets a good paying job—and the girl too. The last is Miguel, lover of the third daughter. Like Aurelio, this man is ready for a lover’s quarrel. He angrily demands an explanation of his sweet heart’s newspaper advertisement for a husband. Master of the situation he then coolly declares that he is leaving for his work in a distant place only and only when the girl goes with him. There are three plays that have prin cipal male characters not involved with women. “The Living Dead Man” in troduces Pakito and Columa, the chief protagonist and antagonist respectively; “Coward of Bataan” presents Cesar, prominent in a play dominated by women; and the third, "Sabina” reveals Antero as the chief antagonist. Quick wit and a glib tongue save the day for Pakito when meets the famous bandit chieftain, Columa. Pakito is out searching for his employer, a captive of the same bandit. In the same forest he runs into a panting constable pursued by Columa. Eagerly Pakito convinces the hunted to lie down and pretend to be dead. When the bandit appears on the scene, Pakito slyly informs him that has just killed the lieutenant. By flat tery and superstition he gains the ban dit’s confidence and entertains him with stories of his (Pakito’s) "feats” in the past. In no time he has Columa eating out of his hand. His cleverness, re sourcefulness, and courage stand him in good stead. He saves the constable and later his master. Columa is well described by Pakito who dares to tell the bandit that the latter is “very brave and powerful, but being a savage, he is very ignorant, credulous, and superstitions.” (Trinidad Rojo, “The Living Dead Man,” Short Plays of the Philippines, p. 137.) This bandit would have captured the constable save for his weakness — vanity. The constable’s uniform, which he carries, delays him in crossing the river. His reason? "I want to wear a uniform my self so I’ll look like a king among my people.” (Ibid., p. 138) "Coward from Bataan” portrays the growth of character, Cesar. Cesar is the lazy good-for-nothing who fritters away his time in drinking and gambling, seldom coming home before midnight. When he learns that his father died a coward on the plains of Bataan, shame, a great shame, tortures him. But his own mother sadly tell him he is coward too. For does he not shirk his obliga tions to himself and to his family? And to his motherhood even as she is writh ing under the iron heel of the conqueror? Bitterly the truth sinks in and Cesar makes a decision. He joins the guerril las. The Japanese capture him and, with his glorious death, Cesar redeems his father. The tragedy “Sabina” presents An tero, the typical young man of the bar rio who makes himself the self-appointed guardian of his only sister’s morals. He is a promise of the stoic and stolid and conservative farmer that he will be. He plays the foil to his high strung, passionate sister, Sabina, who constant ly defies barrio conventions and moral ity. For one thing, Antero is more re spectful to his elder’s than Sabina. When the resentful Sabina disobeys her elder’s wishes to open a window, An tero warns her, “Don’t you touch the windows! It’s Grandma’s wish!” (Se verino Montano, “Sabina,” .'I One-Act Plays, p. 12.) And when Sabina again tries to light the lamp, Antero jumps to restrain her. He is checked only by his uncle. “Let me alone!” he shouts, “she makes my blood boil!” (Ibid., page 15.) He resents openly his sister’s affair with Mr. Price. She informs him that she loves the American. Helplessly, he reminds her, “It’s only three months since you’ve known him.” (Ibid., p. 22) He says further, “I don’t care what your wild heart tells you! What I care about is your own good self, do you hear me?” (Ibid., p. 23.) Antero has nothing personal against the foreigner. But he is wise enough to realize too well Mr. Price and his kind. He warns Sabina that the Ameri can will leave her. So when the girl reassures him that Mr. Price will mar ry her, he retorts, “Get married to him then, if you can! But if you don’t, I’ll show both of you where to enjoy your pleasures.” It is night of Mr. Price’s return and Antero locks the gate. When the Ameri can calls out to Sabina and the girl re sponds, Antero forgets himself. Blind ed by his smoldering resentment, he slaps his sister fiercely and stalks away. Sabina wakes up to the ugly truth when Mr. Price tells her he is married. Realizing her mistake she cries out piti fully to Antero to forgive her. But An tero pushes her away. He is a picture of scorn — “My God! Don’t come to me! Don’t talk to me! Don’t dare tell any of us anything!” (Ibid., p. 40) Sa bina’s suicide closes the play. Antero, who really loves his sister, is too over come to answer the curious questions. His wrath is all spent, ft CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page "21 AMIDST a world of political crises, economic problems, and racing arma ments, the month of December opens the door which lets in the rush of Christmas festivity. Christmas is a rich page read and turned; it spills its riches across the years through the bleak December days, and brightens the sunless season with tidings of "peace on earth to men of good will.” Some men obscure its spiritual beau ty by making the whole season a "shop ping orgy”, and trying to enjoy it the way the advertisements promise they should. When a person gives a friend a gift and the friend fails to recipro cate, what happens psychologically? The true worth of Christmas is being ex ploited by our commercial impulses. Men are sunk in their own petty material affairs. Do we call the whole system a holiday or an allergy or both? When we think of Christmas as only as a matter of outward activity, however grand, we are "preparing the Inn and Romeo Lovin neglecting the Manger. We are deck ing the Inn and crowding it so full of festivity and merriment that there will be no room for the real meaning to be born”, and we destroy its spirit by our selfish desires of gift-possession. Christmas is something symbolic and historic reminding us of our human frailties. It belongs to the domain of the spirit. Being of the spirit, it ema nates from within ourselves and par takes of the Divine. It liberates itself from the confines of matter. What do you think of Him then Who was born in a despised area? What do you think of Him coming into the world and being born in a stable instead of in a cozy bed in a palace? Why did He leave the imperishable majesty and glo ry of heaven? These are big and proper questions for each one of us to weigh. It matters little what the world thinks important. For the proud Inn which seemed so im portant that night has vanished, while the Manger has remained and stood stur dy for centuries the fair test of time. And applying this to ourselves, the Inn which symbolizes the body crumbles to pieces, while the Manger which repres ents the soul survives and lives forever. The meaning of the Nativity of Christ Wfjat ©o !?ou ®bin A****************************************** (^attdcictecl NEII' (Note: When the second issue of the ”C” came out of the press, this staff member had a hard time finding a topic fit for this column for the Christmas number. Christmas, so they say, has been the subject of similar columns In other school publications year in and year out. Partly believing them, I would have changed the topic had it not occurred to me, that Christmas, no matter how trite a subject It Is, Is still the best for the best season of the year. Its broadness and beauty as a subject can never be described in a thousand and one saccharine terms or in countless issues of school publications. However, the contributors were given freedom as to the particular aspect of Christmas they would like to write about. So here we come up with another dossier of opinions about the happiest time of the year!) is as simple as the Peace, Love, and Goodwill that He brings and as com plicated as the Animosity, Hatred, and Greed that men harbor. His coming into the world marks the inauguration of a new era, and the “fountainhead of man’s hope.” If all men would only be guided by the true meaning of Christmas, selfish ness, avarice, and pride would die a natural death. “War, with all its horrors, its brutal ity, its devilishness, would be an utter impossibility. Peace on earth would become a glorious reality.” Romeo Lavin, Liberal Arts C. Olarte CHRISTMAS is a season which can mean nostalgia to the stoic, a reason for rejoicing to the depressed, and surcease to a poor man’s destitution. It is the strongest bond that makes the world feel as one—without the use of force. It is that time when we re-create in our minds the coming of a “Man" who was to suffer for man — Jesus Christ. And I believe that it is most appropriate then that we give due tribute to Christ. Centuries back, the symbol of Christ’s coming, a crib with a child in it, was a sine qua non; now, it is a contingency. Every Christmas, I am inclined to be lieve that we are getting more and more un-Christian in our mode of celebrating it. Each time, I am bewildered by the merry-making, I gape flabbergasted at such effronteries as we, Christians, in dulge in and gloat over with bacchana lian satisfaction. We are consumedly obsessed by the craving to make merry. And if, perhaps, we were asked by a well-meaning stranger why we are re joicing, we’d suddenly feel like the cen tipede who forgot how to walk because he could not tell which foot to move first. Today’s popular concept of the cause for such maudlin joys seems to be an opulent, reindeer-drawn sled riding, gift-showering, bearded old man from the poles—Santa Claus. If I must use a "Clan” member’s way of putting it, I think today’s beat gen eration is getting more “ring-a-ding”, which is a word for anything puzzling, hard to find but somehow amusing. Maybe the way it celebrates Christmas is its escape from its terribly sick con dition. But what a pusillanimous and sacrilegious escape! Concepcion Olarte, Education Tommy Matela AS CHRISTMAS hangs around the cor ner, pervading thoughts of the exem plary virtues of our Lord, Jesus Christ, come to my mind—the virtues of simPAGE 22 THE CAROLINIAN k Sellout (Ckratinas? SON LAROSA A******************************************** plicity, humility, refinement, kindness, forgivingness, love and thoughtfulness. These were the virtues which made him great. Our Lord was never arrogant, God the Son as He was, and was born in a manger with the animals. He never wore the hypocrite’s mask. Generosity was his mark—He helped those who needed His help. The passion for re venge never found room in His Heart— to those who threw stone at Him, He threw bread in return. Christ did everything for our sake because He loves us—He saved us from death as a consequence of sin by His crucifixion. But how many of us follow the Divine example set by our Saviour? Many of us, I’m sure, have completely deviated from the virtues He has set and are busy to pave our way to hell. But with the advent of His coming, only a few days from now, we may look forward again to the pleasure of seeing most of us start to wake up from the lethargy of our glaring defects and change for the better. Tommy Matela, Commerce WE HAVE great reason to be in deep gratitude to political and religious lead ers centuries before us, for their advo cacy of the commemoration of the Na tivity of Jesus of Nazareth with a spe cial feastday. For Christmas is one time of the year when we awaken to the truth that no prize is more reward ing and valuable for the struggles against temptations while we’re on earth than heaven itself, as Christ said in one of the eight Beatitudes “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This was not only an empty promise. God translated his words into action when He gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to us. Christ is the greatest gift from Heaven. E. Talaid He dwelt with us, as man, as God, be cause He loves us infinitely. Nothing is nobler than to spend Christmas in the spirit of love of Jesus and His mother. Let’s flock to Him once more and ask his forgiveness for the sins we have committed and offer Him our love be cause only by so doing shall we come to realize the true meaning of Christ mas. Erlinda Talaid, Liberal Arts CHRISTMAS is Christ’s birthday. To my mind, it is a sacred occasion for it is the coming of our own Redeemer who had to give Himself up for our sins. And I believe it should be religiously, spiritually observed. By that I mean we should celebrate Christmas in accord ance with its meaning of peace, love, and goodwill. Unfortunately, as it is now, Christmas has become a red-letter day for fanfare and extravagance; for ostentation, and even debauchery. Ac tually, I don’t think we make ourselves happy during Christmastime; I doubt if we know at heart what the coming of Christ really means — until today, we don’t. Rather we go deliriously wild, so wild that policemen have to stand vi gil round the clock. To be merry, we do not have to be extravagant nor un disciplined. It would be better if we were to think this over seriously. Agapito Manlangit, Commerce A. Manlangit “PEACE on earth to men of good will” —to all of us, this phrase, no matter how short it is, expresses the real mean ing and spirit of Christmas. But it is a sad thing to note that this no longer holds true in this world these days. For we live in an era of crass materialism, and mankind is becoming more material istic each day. Man grabs with greedy shrewdness — money, other worldly pos sessions, anything he can lay his hands on—while the grabbing is still good. However, the decent man should not despair about materialistic man’s dis torted sense of morality which brings him down to the level of the brutes. The very coming of the Son of God paints a blue ray of hope on man’s ho rizon. It offers him the best chances to reform and to devote his life to the service of God. This is made possible through the spirit of Christmas. This spirit burns everywhere and finds its way into the hearts of men already softened by the coming of Christ. It fosters Christian charity where charity is due, in places where it is unheard of. The spirit of Christmas is too great for the power of man—invincible, unquench able. Let any man try to deny it or even stamp it out from the conscious ness of other men and he’ll wind up in utter defeat. This only proves, once and for all, the existence and the power of an Almighty Being, without a begin ning and without an end. Janet Go, Secretarial Dept. IN MY CASE, I will talke about a particular aspect of the way Christmas is celebrated in the Philippines. This age-old custom always plays a great part in the Christmas celebration every year. It is made popular through the activities of people, particularly in the towns and barrios. A very beautiful custom, caroling has also been a constant source of honest income for poor families. As long as the little something — money or any thing—is received in good faith, every thing goes fine with it. However, there are those who think that the money given to them is what really matters. If only a small amount is given in exchange for the little trouble they have in singing, they grumble under their breaths. What’s more, they call the owner of the house names, vandalize his things, cart them away if chance allows. It is my hope that this abuse of the custom of caroling among some of us, gets corrected this coming Christmas. Gloria Presno, Education STUDENTS go home to their families during the Christmas season. Christ mas is a time of togetherness: the joy in a parent’s eyes at the sight of his children, and vice-versa. Yes, I will go home also. But father is dead. I do not know how I shall feel on my first Christmas without him. Fed Anto, Liberal Arts CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page 23 Science • by ALFREDO B. AMORES • S^CIENCE, circa 1938 ushered man into the Atomic Age. SCIENCE, circa 1957 brought man, nay, rocketed man into a whole new fascinating age — the Space Age. Ironically, it was the Russians who initiated man into the new age when on October 4, 1957 she launched the world's first artificial satellite into orbit — Sputnik I. After that came more space vehicles. The US pencil-shaped Explorer I orbited and bolstered the free world's morale. Other space probes such as Project Farside, Project Argus, Luniks and US moon-probes joined the spacial circus. The findings of all these space inves tigations have proved fascinating and have radically changed some of our time-honored concept of the universe. Vanguard I for ex ample proved that the earth is actually slightly pear-shaped and Lunik III suggested that the moon may be egg-shaped after all. ALL this is made possible only because of our advanced science of rocketry which de veloped around Newton's innocent observa tion that action equals reaction. Rockets them selves are not new. In recorded history the Chinese were the first to use rockets. Theirs then were very much similar to our local ver sion of ICBM's — the "kwetis" which is of course used for more peaceful and festive pur poses. ROCKETS of design and purposes as pre(sent-day ones were considered before as fanta sies and were extensively used only in sciencefictior adventures. It was only after Germany gained England with her "vengeance weapon number two", commonly called the V-2 roc ket that the world fuly realized the awesome military possibilities of rockets. It will be noted that Germany developed rocketry to such a degrer and refinement that our present liquid fuel rockets are of essentially the same con struction as the V-2. AFTER the defeat of Germany, the US cap tured L about 100 V-2 rockets and nearly the samelnumber of German rocket scientists under the leadership of Dr. Wernher Von Braun when they overrun the V-2 assembly plant in the Hartz Mountains. The Russians captured a similar number of German rockets and rocketmen * HOWEVER, the US did not use them in the manner that Russia did. She used them for upper atmosphere research and ramjets re search, a field in which, the German rocket men practically know nothing. In so doing the US lost five precious years to the Russians in the space race. The Russians used their rockets and rocketmen in the field they know best and immediately set up a long-range missile program. Sputnik I crowned the suc cess of this program. SEVERAL reasons have been advanced by many qualified sections of the United States. Among these is the military reason. The UNITED STATES at that time did not feel pressed for a rocket crash program be cause of her impressive triple-ring of overseas military bases and her equally powerful Strategic Air Com mand. The Russians, however, de void of an equally impressive bomb er force had to rely on a successful missile program. But at any rate, what may be the reason behind America's course of action, it was probably her mistake number one in the impromptu space race. The US satellite program was not begun until 1950 in connection with her participation in the Inter national Geo-physical Year (IGY). The three US armed services, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force submitted their respective propo sals for the satellite program. The Airforce Project Atlas was turned down because it could not promise a delivery date. The Army's Project Orbiter and a pro posal to place a minimum satellite in orbit without instrumentation as soon as possible in order to gain international prestige over the Rus sians was likewise turned down.* It will be noted that as early as 1948 there were proposals to put a satellite in orbit. However, lacking in military value, it was ignored. The NAVY's Project Vanguard was readily accepted. It was a sophisticated plan to place a sa tellite in orbit complete with instru mentation and data-gathering de vices. THIS was probably her mistake number two. As it turned out the Vanguard project was plagued by a series of "successful failures" so that the Army and the Airforce were finally given the nod to join the space race. The Army promptly placed successfully into orbit Ex plorer I 118 days after Sputnik I. Later the Airforce launched success fully a giant 4-ton Atlas satellite as part of its Project Score on Decem ber 18, 1958. The Vanguard pro ject was not given up, however and the Navy was able to launch successfully three of her ten Vantafluard satellites. HOW do things stand in this space race? Joseph Myler, writing for United Press International had this to say: "xxxx There is no doubt that our satellites and probes have pried more secrets of closed-in space than Russians have. America has put 12 satellites into orbit to their three. It has launched three space probes PAGE 24 THE CAROLINIAN and so have they. Two American probes got only a quarter of the way to the moon. One went into orbit around the sun. "BUT in all categories the Rus sians were the first with the most. They launched the first satellite and the first sun rocket. They were the first to hit the moon and the first to launch a rocket into an earth moon orbit." TO the US credit might be add ed Project Farside, less publicized though equally spectacular. It shot the first earth matter outside the earth's gravitational field. There was also the Abie-Baker project which produced the first animals to taste of space and come back alive (the Russian space dog Laika was not recovered). The fact that the US satellites are smaller than of the Russian (except the 4-ton giant Atlas satellite) is actually a triumph in miniaturization. Van guard 1 for example, weighs only about 21 pounds though fully instru mented. RUSSIA'S Sputniks and Luniks have virtually shocked America out of complacency and into imple menting a crash space program de signed to overtake and surpass the Russian space lead. National Aeronautics and Space Administra tion head T. K. Glennan predicts that in three to five years from now the US may have rockets twice as powerful as Lunik III and in six to seven years clustered giant rockets capable of hurling tons of matter to interplanetary space. THAT these two super-powers will finally catch up with each other in the space race is just a question of time. It is therefore best to view these new marvels neither as Fiussian nor American achievements but, as someone pointed out, as achievements of mankind. For in deed, the military threat of these SATELLITES, loaded with nuclear bombs can be placed into orbit. At a given command from an earth base these deadly satellites can finish the war — and mankind in less than an hour. A military base on the moon or even earth-based war rockets like the ICBM's are just as devastating. HOWEVER, even this very dark and foreboding cloud of their des tructive threats has its silver linings. The utter destructive capacity of these war devices makes war fu tile and obsolete. With these de vices, nothing can be gained by war — only for self-destruction. In an all-out war with atomic and space age war machines a power can only be defeated, if not totally annihilated — together with the rest of mankind. THE peacetime uses of these vehicles are as marvelous as they are varied. AMERICAN space instruments for example discovered a deadly radiation belt around the earth thus helping find a safe course for fu ture space travellers. Russia's Lu nik III gave us our first photograph of the hidden side of the moon. ROCKETS can send mails half way around the globe faster than the postman can deliver it to your house from the post-office a block or two away. A stationary of or biting satellite can serve as tele vision relay stations making global television possible. SPACE vehicles can also serve as observatories. Lunik III and the earlier satellites have proved to be novel astronomical tools. Russia has already announced plans to send a space vehicle to observe our neighboring planets. A more earth-bound use of these space observatories would be for a more accurate weather forecasting Science that aging and cancer might be caused by some cosmic radiation which constantly bombards the earth. If this can be proven, a way might be found to shield the earth from this deadly radiation. SPACE satellites too can prove or disprove Arhennius panspermy theory. Nobel prize winner Svante Arhennius contends that space is teeming with microorganisms and life spores. Some of them will no doubt perish in space but will con tinue to live in suspended state of animation for months, for centuries or aeons until they settle upon a planet which happens to come their way. If planetary conditions are ideal, life evolution begins. The panspermy theory can also explain the mysterious appearance of plagues from centuries to centuries. If his theory is proven a way might be found to protect the earth from further invasion of harmful bacteria. This will then lead the way towards the elimination of all bacteriacaused diseases. THEN, too, there is the fascina•ing possibility of interplanetary travel. To this end both the US and Russia are preparing space vehi cles and spacemen for man's first taste of space. JUST when these things can be fully realized one cannot definitely say. But we can judge our progress by noting that barely two years af ter the first earth satellite orbited, we made a rendezvous with the moon. Even before this issue will be out, major breakthroughs might be achieved which will greatly ac celerate our progress in this space adventure. INDEED, Man has at last come to a great crossroad. With his The Greatest Show From Earth (THE SPACE EXPLORATIONS) space vehicles is poised over the entire mankind as mankind too is the beneficiary of their peacetime uses. THE military possibilities of these space vehicles are as horrible as their peaceful uses are a tremendous boon to mankind. and a better understanding of wea ther mechanisms and finally wea ther control (How would you like snow in Cebu?). SCIENTISTS are also sending lower animal forms to space to dis cover the effects of cosmic radia tion on them. There is a theory well-expanded science of atoms, rockets and space he can build himself a heaven-on-earth or blast his earth to hell. Every rocket blast ing off to space, every beep-beep of a space satellite transmits not only its scientific message to earth but also a more important message as well — love one another or die CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page 25 NEWS AUTUMN Pull over you the memory of what once was. The memory of what once was is cold. Pull over you the cover of what has been and feel its tingling gold. Rev. Fr. Herman Kondring, S.V.D., rec tor of this university for the past five years, has left us. We remember Fr. Kondring primarily for his being one of us. For one thing he is a Filipino citizen. We remember him too, for his fatherly and compassionate dealing with the students and faculty members of the university, his excellent public relations with the Cebuano community, and the steady rise in the standard of the univ ersity. Fr. Kondring has been assigned rector of the Diocesan Major Seminary in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Mr. Demetrio Maglalang, too, has left us. The “little genius”, a professor in the College of Liberal Arts, poet and erstwhile contributor to the Carolinian, fiery and fearless writer, has gone away in search for greener pastures. We fondly hope he finds them. Rev. Fr. Edward Datig, S.V.D. To take the place of Fr. Herman Kondring as rector of this university Fr. Harold Rigney, S.V.D., one-time rector of the University of Peking, is expected to arrive soon. In the meantime, the headship of the university has been en trusted to Fr. Edward Datig, S.V.D., the new vice rector. Fr. Datig was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 14, 1912. He was educated in the SVD schools in the United States and went to Vienna to study theology. Later, he went to the Gregorian University, a Jesuit-adminis tered school in Rome where he obtained an S.T.B. (Bachelor of Sacred Theology) degree. He was ordained in August 1939, whereupon he began his active service for the SVD, which has recent ly brought him to this university. A holder of an M.A. degree in teacher education from the University of Chi cago, Fr. Datig assumes his position in the university with a wide experience in the field of education, having found ed and headed the famed Mt. Mary Teachers’ College in the young Republic of Ghana in West Africa. His last as signment was the setting up of an SVD program for overseas personnel at Georgetown University and the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. with special emphasis on the be havioral and social sciences. An English seminar, to which teachers of English in private schools in the city and province of Cebu were invited, was held at the audio-visual center of this university from Oct. 28 to October 31 inclusive. The seminar dealt with the teaching of English as a second lan guage. Two more faculty members of this university arrived recently from their studies abroad: Professor Alejandro Tan toco, a West German Government scho lar and Mr. Gervasio Riconalla. Profes sor Tantoco specialized in engineering techniques at various electrical plants in Germany, like the Prussian Electrical Company in Kassel, Hessen, the Bava rian Power Company, and the Pump Storage Power Station Waldeck 125 M.W., while Mr. Riconalla obtained a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of St. Louis, U.S.A. He was recently the guest speaker of the Cebu Chemical Society where he dealt with the up-to-date orbital concept of atomic structure and also took note of the disparity in student and technological problems here which results in differ ences in areas of emphasis in chemical education. The USC Art Association under Ca rolinian artist Amorsolo Manligas went on its first monthly outdoor sketching party to Bantayan sa Hari, Look, Mandawe. Equipped with drawing boards, water color sets, drawing and charcoal pencils and several kinds of drawing pa per, the members enjoyed themselves painting the surrounding landscape. The University, in observance of the parish priest week, held a symposium on September 16 presided over by the vi car general Msgr. Esteban Montecillo, D.P. The first discussion group led by Jess Estanlslao featured Mr. Pete Mon tero who spoke on “Our Parish Priest” and Mr. Filemon L Fernandez who took as his subject. “Our Duty to Support our Parish Priests.” Miss Sonia Tandnco of the second discussion group led by Amosa Velez, discoursed on the “Parti cipation of Lay People in the Work of the Parish.” The Portia Club, an exclusive organ ization of women law students of the University, held its annual induction of officers early last September. Judge Elena Ruiz Causln was the guest speaker and Rev. Joseph Watzlawik, the Portia Club adviser, was the induction officer. Miss Luz S. Catan Miss Luz S. Catan, Acting Dean of the College of Pharmacy, has been appoint ed permanent Dean of the department. Miss Catan took her bachelor’s degree in this university and her Master’s at Manila Central University. Mr. Vicente Pllapll, A.B. graduate of this university, enplaned for the United States last September where he will major in history and minor in some other sciences at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Maria Gutierrez, a member of the USC faculty, conducted the four-day seminar. Mrs. Gutierrez has just re turned from the United States where she took up the study of English as a second language at the University of California, Los Angeles. After complet ing her course at the UCLA, she at tended a seminar in linguistics at Ann Arbor, Michigan. She also made a stu dy tour of the United States. Mrs. Maria Gutierrez Page 26 THE CAROLINIAN NEWS S GOLD Mr. Maglalang's literary contest, thought to be a dismal flop, rallied at the last moment after the original dead line with a total of sixty-six entries. Proclaimed winners at a literary-musical program on Sept. 27 were: SHORT STORY DIVISION: 1st prize, no award; 2nd prize, Vanica Za. Pasinio for “Love in the Ocean”; 3rd prize, Orlinda Alducente for “These Prison Walls”. POETRY DIVISION: 1st prize, Junne Cahizares for “The Three Voices of Man”; 2nd prize, Orlinda Alducente for “Augustan Reveries”; 3rd prize, Elsa Quejada for “Sonnet No. 2”. ESSAY DIVISION: 1st prize, Rolan do Espiritu for "A Neighborly Ap proach to Community Problems”; 2nd prize, Pete Montero for "Self-Expres sion Through Music”; 3rd prize, Israel Q. Doronio for “On Whom the Blame Falls”. The Board of Judges was composed of Professors Esperanza V. Manuel, chair woman, Avellna Gil and Leonor Borromeo, members. Jesus Estanislao USC bet Jesus Estanislao copped first place in the Knights of Rizal-sponsored oratorical contest held last Oct. 20 at the university audio-visual center. The Board of Judges was composed of Supt. Ricardo Trinidad of CSAT, chair man, and Dra. Fortunata Rodil of USC, Supervisors Damaso Morales, Angel La brador, Buenaventura Canoy of the Bu reau of Private Schools, members. Mr. Estanislao was one of the three rep resentatives of Cebu in the regional con test held at the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion auditorium on Oct. 26 where he placed second to Mr. Alfonso Cleto of Silliman University. The Thirteenth Annual Declamation Contest under the auspices of the Teachers’ College, was held Sept. 27 at the USC Social Hall. Proclaimed win ners were: Bonita Suson, first place; Remedios Almirante, second place; and Antonietta Santos, third place. Their “The Soul of the Violin”. "The Bad Boy”, and “Don’t Say Diet”, respec tively. The Board of Judges was com posed of Mr. Robert Yost, Mrs. Concesa M. Baduel, and Mrs. Avellna Gil. The West German Ambassador to the Philippines, Baron Friederich von Fiirstenberg and his wife paid a visit to San Carlos late last September. They were pleased to observe the progress the in stitution has made. The Shell Company of the Philippines recently donated to the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department a gasoline dispensing pump. This ma chine features the following parts: a semi-rotary type pump unit, a meter as sembly, an air separator assembly and a computer assembly. The machine will greatly benefit the students in their laboratory work. The Alpha Kappa Alpha fraternity of the College of Commerce feted last September 20 its sweetheart, Miss Rose Marie Aguas. The affair took place at the residence of Mr. Roberto Chong Osrneha. The Builders’ Fraternity of the Dept, of Architecture and Civil Engine ering held their annual induction and pinning ceremony at the La Suerte Ter race. A USC chapter of the WEVISAC has been formally organized with the fol lowing officers: Benny Agravante, pres ident; Juan G. Lopez, vice president; Pa tricia Mayol, secretary; Cecile Espinosa, treasurer; Guillermo Clemente, auditor; Ben Fabroz, Rey Quisido, pros; Zosimo Julom, Eddy Muyco, sgts.-at-arms. The WEVISAC is an association of the stu dents coming from the provinces of Neg ros Occidental, Capiz, Iloilo, Antique, Aklan and Romblon. The fourth and the fifth of a series of fortnightly lectures sponsored by the university featured Fr. Francis Oster who spoke on the basic principles of televi sion and Fr. Eugene Verstraelen who gave a talk on “Linguistics and Filipino Lan guages”. Tournament Results: CHESS: 1st place, Ernesto Dorola (Secretarial); 2nd place, Alberto Laborte (Law); 3rd place, Oscar Abuzo (Law). TABLE TENNIS: Men —1st place, Arturo Fernandez (Lib. Arts) ; 2nd place, A. Villamor, Jr. (Law) ; Women — 1st place, Pureza Trazo (Commerce); 2nd place, C. de la Cruz (Lib. Arts) ; VOLLEYBALL: Men — 1st place, Engineering; 2nd place, Law; Women — 1st place, Education; 2nd place, Secretarial and Commerce. The USC varsity football team play ed a one-to-one tie versus the U.S. Troubadours last mid-September at the Boys’ High School playgrounds. Peter Brujordet of the Troubadours dislocated his right leg in the game. The USC Legal Aid Bureau held another convocation at the air-condition ed audio-visual center late last Sept ember. Guest speakers were barristers Vicente G. Balbuena and Erasmo Diola who related their adventures and misad ventures while taking the bar. Elected officers of the newly-formed USC Registrar’s Office Employees’ As sociation were: President, Slzto LI. Abao, Jr.; Vice President, Juan G. Lopez; Sec retary, Marciano LI. Aparte, Jr.; Trea surer, Concepcion Pacana; Auditor, Ro dolfo Cordero; PRO, Romeo Lavin; Lia ison Officers, Roberto Baniel, Jr.; and Sesinlo Belocura; Adviser, Mr. Jose V. Arias; Moderator, Rev. Fr. Edgar T. Oehler. S.V.D. SECRETARY-GENERAL'S OFFICE PERSONNEL CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page Sports ON THIS SIDE o/ Commeflce ★ ★ ★ (Jnl/iamwia/ C/amfis i USC (/earn OF ★ The College of Commerce, after three consecutive years of frustra tion, finally was crowned champion of 1959 USC Intramural Basketball when the “Accountants" toppled the College of Law "Barristers", the de fending champions, 58-54. Both teams were bearing a 5wins-l-loss card when they entered the court for the showdown. The first three minutes of play saw the teams scoreless. Shaking off his guard, "Barrister" Veloso broke the scoreless spell with a running jump shot. Mediano and Salazar drove to give the Lawyers a 6 to nil lead. Skipper Bobby Rosales caught fire and layed-up twice for the Accounttants. Moran followed with an un dergoal blast. Elizondo jumped to give the Comerciantes their first lead. The score see-sawed several times but the Accountants held on to lead the first half, 27-21. Mediano opened the second half with his favorite jumpshot. Veloso, taking advantage of the Account ant's slackened defense, penetrated the keyhole twice to even the score, Tl-Tl. Trinidad retaliated with a (Continued on page 30) THE USC Green Soccers this year is a rejuvenated team; composed mostly of young faces eager to prove their capabilities for the honor of the university. The loss of the services of Asian Gamers Anito Trinidad and Julio Umadhay hasn't dampened the fighting spirit of the squad. Old reliables are still in the line-up. Nilo Alazas of William Lines fame, the team skipper, has still the speed and hustle that wowed many Formosan fans in Taipei. Veterans Orlando Yu, Carlos Saa, Pepito Fajutrao and Rolando Rubi are playing finer and sharper. The USC Eleven would have been badly crippled had Coach Geronimo Llanto not been able to find these sure-fire replacements. Jose Mari Abad, hot on the golf course but still hotter on the football turf as left-out of the Green Soccers. It can still be remembered that Jose Mari outstroke Philippine amateur champions Luis (Golem) Silverio and Francisco (Boy) Reyes and captured the championship trophy during the last Southern Open Tournament at the Club Filipino Golf links. Fleetfooted Jose Alazas is a man to watch for this coming football season. Agile and slipery, he best suited his position as center-forward of the team. Green Soccers' goalie is a tall wellproportioned, clean-cut man, Jose Sotelo. Other fine materials of the team are Ernesto Codina, Miguel Caballes, Camilo Go, Ignacio Rosello, Aloysius Sahadoen and a lot of new upcoming faces. The Cebu Football League hostilities witness not a few USC footballers, who are permitted by the University to play in the CEL; they shine in the teams they played with. Ten USC Green booters played with Casino Espanol. Imon Chemicals, CEL first round cham pion, counts three USC contingents in their line-up: Alazas brothers (Nilo & Jose) and Camilo Go. In their tie-breaking game for the CEL first round pennant, Imon Chemicals, led by Jose Alazas' two sizzling goals made shambles of (Continued on page 30) USC FOOTBALL TEAM (*13 Regulars) Kneeling, left to right: Edgar Azcona, Rolando Rubi*, Aloysius Tolok*, Ernesto Codina*, Cristobal Javier, Miguel Caballes*. Jose Martinez, Jose Mari Adad*. Standing: George Barcenilla (C-Sportswrlter), Carlos Saa*, Aloysius Sahadoen, Jose Alazas*. Dayllnda Ajir (Muse of the Team), Rev. Fr. Robert Hoeppener, SVD (Team Moderator), Nilo Alazas*, (captain), Orlando Yu*, Bernardus da Silva, Marcelino Paras, Geronimo Llanto (Coach). Not In the picture: Jose Sotelo*, Pepito Fajutrao*, Ignacio Roselle*, Romulo Panares, Camilo Go*, Hubertus Wagolebo. Page 28 THE CAROLINIAN by RUDY JUSTINIANI & GEORGE BARCENILLA New FACES sport the college cage diadems this year. The former champions have got out of the way, although hopeful that at the turn of the year the crown which they had worn and fought so much for and lost will be theirs again. The NCAA followers sat up stunned upon seeing the San Beda Red Lions, starless and no pre-tourney favorite, gobble seven straight wins, repulsed, and then go on to dethrone the powerpacked Ateneo Blue Eagles; proving San Beda's "Coach of the Year" Rius' theory that precision — and not power — basketball wins games. UE Red Warriors, UAAP’s defending champions and strong con tenders for the crown, missed the plum by a slight margin, losing the tiara to tjje Santo Tomas Goldies, fruitless campaigner for the last three years, in a battle that emerged as one of the classics of the nation's number one sport. San Carlos U Golden Warriors, top heavy with individual stars couldn't fit them into the right groove of a cohesive combination Playing at its best, it's a bettor's dream; on their off-days, a bum's choice for 1-2-3 favorite to lose. For a top-rated college team in the country that got keelhauled by the so-so CIT Wildcats, in a game that was dreamed to be the Warriors', it can offer no excuse except attribute the ill-luck to an ill-timed schedule. The UV Green Lancers, last year's CCAA runner-up, eventually grabbed from USC the crown thru a heartbreaking score, 69-68. The CCAA circuit which in the south commands all the glamour comparable to Manila's NCAA and UAAP is as unpredictable as the Los Angeles Bums winning this year's World Series pennant. For the prognosticators of sports, the prophets and wise-seers, it was a bum prediction. Their crystal ball gazing had gone awry; they were fooled by the signs of strength which........ there. Indeed, this year hasn't been exactly fruitful to the defending champions of NCAA, UAAP and CCAA; all teams got out their dug-out minus the halo they wore last year and wist fully looking back to what we call "the good ole' days". The Inter-Collegiate defending champion, UE, has started a wobbly campaign for the retention of the crown. Seeded but faced with tough opposition, UE has a silm chance of re taining the Inter-Collegiate pennant. Another cage dethrone ment before 1959 winds up! It's no longer quiet on the base ball front after the 1959-1960 Cebu Baseball League, local version of Manila's bigtime MBBL, opened last September 20 at the Abellana Ball park. Shunning colord palabas and fanfares — all that's reserved only for basketball, the number one sport of the land — the CBL folks started the business at once after the play ers' oath-taking ceremony. USC Green 6 Gold Sox, CBL run ner-up to Noel Motors last year, crossing bats with Caltex Opon Terminals, smacked the ball flying, signalling the opening hostilities. Caltex Terminals, to celebrate their debut in CBL's society of swatters, fought spiritedly to pull the rags from under the seeded Golden Soxers. The Carolinians, after the seven innings game which turned out to be a free-scoring affair, topped the Caltex "Oilers", 13-11. Victory number one for the Golden Soxer! The next to tackle the Carolinians were the Cebu Normal School "Maestros". Their game on Octo ber 4 was under protest by USC. The teams agreed to a replay around the middle of December. The third assignment for the Gold Soxers was against the Cebu School of Arts & Trades who forfeited the game. Golden Soxers' second vic tory! # Why the dearth of victories on the part of defending cham pions? Why, in spite of the presence of practically the same line-up of players of last year, did the champs fail to spirit away the crown for themselves? The reasons are varied, the excuses many, and blaming one another has always been a part of each defeat. Maybe the law of averages has simply caught up with them and there was a frown on Mother Na ture's face every time champions took the court. Overconfidence might have played a great deal in the losing of favorite teams and "prima donna" airs of stars might have swelled the heads of hoophet's top practitioners. Or maybe as the overworked idiom goes, "every dog has its day"; and maybe this year is the underdogs' field day. And don't get me wrong. I'm having a ball myself, quite clear; loving to see the day when the Golden Warriors will be out there in the thick of the fight, though scathed yet riding high. # USC BASEBALL VARSITY 1959 '60 1958-’59 CBL Runner-up Front row, left to right: Rizalino Labrador, Camilo Tapales, Rogello Damalerlo, Angelino Coja f Playing Coach I, Rev. Fr. L. Bunzel /Athletic Moderator!, Ildefonso Mongila /Captain), Erasmo Caballero, Toribio Baring, Robin Tumulak. Back row, left to right: Rodolfo Justinianl /C-Sportswrlterl, Roberto Iratagotla, Humberto Mlllado, Cerilo Abendan, Celso Batucan, Tiburcio Cadungog, Crispin Daytura, Alfredo. ?!^zos, Ramon Cabrera, Alberto Villarin. CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page 29 ROTC expected, our commandant Just AS we had interview with the (published in the last issue), drew some sharp retorts, from the cadet officers. From the gripes they aired, it seemed that somebody was try ing to pass the buck to them. ( We were also informed that some of them were getting not-too-wholesome ideas about the writer besides. It was just a good thing Sgt. Papellero made things clear.) There is no intention here to take sides in whatever differences of opinion the commandant and his cadet officers may have, nor to fo ment a rift between them. But, per sonally, we believe that the per suasive discipline policy of the commandant, noble as it is, is im practical, at least as far as the USC ROTC corps is concerned. Persuasive discipline depends greatly for its effectivity on the willingness of each and every cadet to submit himself to military rules and regulations without being or dered to. Yet it is a fact that hardly one percent, if any at all, of our ROTC cadets relish the idea of military training. Unlike the PMA cadets, our ROTC boys are in the ROTC not because of love for soldiery, but because the law com pels them under pain of a six-months regular military training in army camps. They do not intend to be come soldiers. Precisely, they are in school pursuing some other line of study. The first batallion under Cdt. Lt. Col. Bronola went on an excursion to Quarry, Danao last September 27. Objective: to develop esprit de corps. "To bolster the morale of the various ROTC units and to inject more fun into ROTC life", the area THE USC FOOTBALL. .. (Continued from page 28) Shell's highly-favored Gasmen, 3-1. Shell with two Asian Game performers, Cenen Marino and Elino Estrada and veteran Tony Merino on their side could not stop the educated boots of young Alazas with the fine defensive performance of full-back Camilo Go. I believe that with rich materials as these, expert coaching and excellent regular training may make the USC Green Soccers one of the hottest teams in the country. So it's up to Coach Geronimo Llanto and Team Moderator Rev. Fr. Robert Hoeppener, SVD to infuse more punch and spirit into the team for the glory of sports and the university. # i G-3 scheduled the first annual com pany close order drill competition for last October 3rd in the morning at Camp Lapulapu, Lahug. USC's representation consisted of a model company of model cadets picked from all over the entire corps under the command of Cdt. Lt. Col. Guido P. Escober. USC romped away with the first prize in platoon drill (the partici pating platoon was handled by Cdt. Capt. Romeo Mantua), but we cop ped only second place in company drill. Sgt. Papellero told us though that the public was for giving San Carlos the first place. We did not find this hard to believe because Guido really wowed the public and the inspectors as well with the ap parent ease with which he tackled the company drill problems in the last tactical inspection. Then a surprise inspection by Lt. Col. Villareal of the Philippine Army Headquarters yielded this not-too-surprising fact: the USC armory is the best and the cleanest in the whole third military area! i 5 5 » * * * ............-...___ : If these are any indications, the $ USC ROTC corps may yet redeem $ its lost prestige come the annual * tactical inspection sometime in » February or March. Meanwhile, let's keep our fingers crossed. The Commandant, Capt. Jose M. Aquino wishes to convey his thanks and congratulations to all those whose unselfish cooperation and de votion to duty made the October 3rd feat possible. "With the show ing the boys made, I guess I won't be talking through my hat if I pre dict a successful comeback by our corps to the limelight," he declared. But as 1 said, let's keep our fingers crossed! # COLLEGE OF COMMERCE ... (Continued from page 28) beauty from the right lane. Moran charitied on Barrister Creer's infrac tion after Elizondo flipped on Reyes feed to hand Accounting a four-point bubble, 37-33. But Veloso, Mediano and Salazar countered with their quartercourt sallies to regain the upperhand, 41-37. Barrister Alerre free-throwed on Relampagos hold. College of Law roared to end the third quarter with a four points lead, 45-41. The "Lawyers" maintained their fast break at the start of the fourth quarter to up their precarious lead. But timely interceptions by Reyes and Rosales proved the strategy fu tile. College of Law managed to score only 9 points against Account ants' 17 points during the last quar ter. The Accountants, after gain ing the upper hand, stalled the leather until guntime. Highest point-maker f©r the Ac countants was Bob Rosales with 21, followed by College of Law's Fred Veloso with 15. Stand-outs of the Accountants: Roberto Rosales, Jose Elizondo, Chito Trinidad and Cesar Moran. College of Law: Fred Veloso, Raul Mediano, Valentin Salazar and Alfonso Alerre. # 5 * » * ♦ 5 » * J SEEING OUT... (Continued from page 20) Diocesan Seminary (Major Seminary) of Vigan, (Ilocos Sur), in general, and the faculty and student body in partic ular, will profit much from his rector ship there. But what strikes us as most impres sive is his benevolent charity. A fellow staff member of the “C” told me of an incident he witnessed which affords us a general view of the character that is Fr. Kondring. One day, a man in tattered clothes, ashen from undernourishment, pushed in the door of the Rector’s office and was immediately ushered to his pres ence. "Father,” he began, his voice trem bling with emotion. “I need some help.” Fr. Kondring, touched by the implor ing words and the pitiable sigfit, ob ligingly dipped his hand in his pocket and brought out some twenty pesos. "At least, this will solve your problem temporarily.” Then with other sympathetic words he led him to the door, but not without assuring the man of a permanent job in the university. One example for many of that unfail ing kindness of Fr. Kondring. We who have been its beneficiaries for so many years will never forget him. By all standards, he has shown himself a kind, honest, and great man, true to his vows to God. # CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 Page 30 SECCION CASTELLANA EN ESTE ano escolar, ha sufrido nuestra Universidad una variante, en lo que podriamos llamar rutina del periodo ad ministrative asignado a los dirigentes y Rectores de la misma, cuyo periodo minimo de actuacion fue siempre de ties anos. Hacia el 25 de julio de este ano se recibio en nuestra Uni versidad una noticia extra-oficial que se considero como una falsa alarma pero que fue confirmada como cierta y con caracter oficial el dia 28 del mas citado. Nuestro querido Rector Rvdo. Padre Herman Kondring habia sido nombrado Rector del Seminario Mayor de Vigan, en la provincia de Ilocos Norte. Con el hondo sentimiento de quien se ve bruscamente separado del padre, del amigo, del consejero, tuvimos que aceptar la voluntad de la divina Providencia, como una prueba a nuestra vida de ensenanza en este Centro Docente, y este acto de conformidad tuvo su recompensa, pues si bien se decia que nuestro amado Rector debia tomar posesion de su nuevo cargo no mas tarde del 15 de Agosto, siguio siendo nuestro Rector hasta el fin del primer semestre del presente ano escolar. En la reunion de despedida que la Facultad ofrecio al Rvdo. Padre Herman Kondring, expresaron su sentimiento por la inevitable marcha de nuestro Rector encomiando al mismo tiempo la labor del Rvdo Padre Kondring en los diferentes aspectos de su actuacion como Jefe Administrative de la Uni versidad de San Carlos. Permitasenos considerarle, aunque a grandes rasgos, como educador. Era el Rvdo. Herman Kondring Profesor de varias asignaturas y entre ellas de Hamada "Filosofia de la Education” la cual comprende dos cursos de estudio, para los que desean licenciarse en Education. (“Master in Arts in Education”) Debido a esto tuvimos el privilegio y al mismo tiempo el honor de contarnos en el numero de sus discipulos y podemos afirmar que sus clases tenian un interes peculiar. No es el Padre Kondring el profesor comun de una clase de Filosofia, no; en el pudimos apreciar al el ilustre Pedagogo llevando de una manera clara y sencilia la intrincada materia filosofica de la education a la mente de sus discipulos. Las dudas y discusiones que surgian en la clase sobre los diversos sistemas filosoficos de la Education en los tiempos del paganismo; en los primeros siglos de] Cristianismo y tiem pos feudales, y en los tiempos modernos y contemporaneos, tenian bajo su acertada direction soluciones tan convincentes que no daban lugar a la duda. Y esto es debido a que el P. Kondring no es el “Maestro que trata de confundir y eclipsar al discipulo con el brillo de su sabiduria, no, es el “Maes tro” que a imitation de Jesucristo, Maestro por excelencia, con vence y atrae a la verdad, con su logica clara y convincente, con la sencillez y oportunidad de sus ejemplos, con su bonddadosa sonrisa apreciando el prabajo de sus discipulos, en sus clases se aprende porque existe en ellas gran compenetracion de ideas entre el "Maestro” y los discipulos. Esta es a grandes rasgos el Rvdo. Padre Kondring como Educador. Comprendemos pues que la divina Providencia haya inspirado a los Su periors del Verbo Divino su nombramiento como Rector del Seminario de Vigan y estamos seguros que bajo su direction intelectual, moral y religiosa, dicho Seminario dara optimos frutos a la Iglesia Catolica en Filipinas. Teodor a Messa JLa. EL GENESIS nos revela que despues de haber creado al hombre Dios exclamo: “No es bueno que el hombre este solo demosle una companera”, e infundiendo en Adan un suefio misterioso formo Dios a la mujer de una costilia del hombre. Al despertar Adan de su sueno hallo junto a el a la mujer y al verla tan bella axclamo, “Esta es came de mi came y hueso de mis huesos”, es decir es un ser viviente de mi misma naturaleza, y en aquel mismo instante, Dios comunicandose con ellos les nombro reyes de todo lo creado y procreadores de la especie humana. Vemos pues que del hombre creado a su imagen y semejanza el Creador formo a la mujer. iDe ahi se desprende la superioridad del hom bre sobre la mujer en su origen? No, la sujecion de la mujer al hombre tuvo su origen en el pecado original, cuando Dios condend a nuestros primeros pa dres los trabajos, a las enfermedades y a la muerte, y al mismo tiempo dijo a Eva, (que culpaba de su caida a la serpiente) “por haber escuchado a la serpiente y seducido al hombre a la desobediencia, quedas desde hoy sujeta a la autoridad del hombre y seran mayores tus sufrimientos”. Pero Dios no abandono al hombre en su caida, en su infinita misericordia el Creador maldijo a la serpiente y le dijo, “Has vencido hoy a la mujer y por ella ha entrado el pecado en la tierra, pero dia vendra en que una mujer quebrantara tu abeza dando el Salvado al mundo.” Ilegada la plenitud de los tiempos crea Dios la mas bella criatura en la persona de “Maria” y preservada de toda mancha el Padre la elige para ser la madre de su Hijo divino y la esposa del Espiritu Santo. Y el Verbo habito entre nosotros, y en el Nuevo Testamento Jesus santified en el Sacramento del Matrimonio la union del hombre y de la mujer en vinculo indisoluble que solo la muerte puede romper, pues como dice San Pablo quedan hechos “una sola came”. La mujer queda dignificada en el Nuevo Testamento como unica esposa, companera del hombre y madre de sus hijos, y aqui es donde empieza la influencia de la mujer cristiana en la vida social, porque la familia es la base de la sociedad. El hombre sigue siendo el cerebro de esa sociedad pero la mujer el corazdn. Fisicamente el hombre es mas fuerte; en los problemas de la vida resuelve el hombre con decision, la mu jer con su intuition, con sus refinados sentimientos, en una palabra con su amor; y si alguna vez se han de enfrontar grandes crisia en la vida co mun del hombre y de la mujer esta es la mas fuerte iPorque? Porque la mu jer es todo sentimiento, mas dada al sacrificio, y el sacrificio es el crisol que purifica y fortalece. La mujer no vive para si misma vive para cuanto la rodea, ella se entrega gustosa al sacrificio porque no mira los medios sino el fin, el futuro mas que el presente y se complace pensando que de su sumision al sacrificio puedan brotar grandes beneficios para los que ama. La mujer tiene tan vivo interes por to do lo existente, que parece como si el Creador la hubiese nombrado guardadora de la vida; y segun nos dice el Muy Rvdo. Fulton Sheen, “En sus brazos recibe el primer aliento la vida y en sus brazos entrega la vida su postrer suspiro.” La Historia nos demuestra cuan grande fue la influencia de la mujer en los grandes hombres, y podriamos afirmar sin temor a equivocar—nosque en nuestro difunto Presidente Ramon Magsaysay, su esposa fue sin duda la fuerza callada que le impulso al exito y al bien durante su vida, porque la mu jer mueve al hombre hacia ella, y mas tarde le sostiene y anima en sus gran des empresas, por medio de su admira tion, de su confianza y de su amor. Pero la mujer no debe olvidar que toda la consideration y exaltation con que se la respeta y venera en nuestros dias la debe a Maria Santisima, la mujer por excelencia, que al decir de Donoso Cor tes, “Es tan pura perfecta y excelsa Maria, Que el Padre la llama hija, el Hijo la llama madre y el Espiritu San to la llama esposa.” Nosotros la llamamos tambien madre, porque por ella nacimos a la vida de la gracia, y la mujer imitando a Maria debe procurar que en la vida social y politica de nuestra amada patria se note la influencia de la mujer catolica, luchando por la fe de Cristo, con su action con su ejemplo y con su ayuda, lo mismo que Maria Santisima ayudo a los apostoles en la propagation del Cristianismo para que la luz de Cristo brillara entre los hombres. Por Teresita T. Vergara Page 31 CHRISTMAS ISSUE, 1959 'W.ikanq. (PUJupljnA Pangulong Tudling; Pagninilay Isang gabing sakdal panglaw nagluluksa ang paligid, Madilim ang papawirin kalikasa’y naiidlip, Umaambo ng bahagya ang amiha’y humihihip , Sa pisngi ng kalangita’y i walang talang maririkit, ; Lagaslas ng batisan > ang nauulinig ; At ang kalawakan ang tangi kong ! nakaniig; | Sa ulilang budhi’y nagtanong kung bakit Sa buhay ng tao’y marami ang hapis, Ang ligayang natatamo’y dagling-dagling pumapanaw ; Naluluoy sa kamandag | ng dusa at lumbay. . Ganito nga kaya I ang buhay sa lupa, | Lagi kayang sasadilim i buhay ng dalita, | Di na kaya aaliwin ; ng alak ng tuwa Buhay na nalugmok sa pait ng pagkadusta? Ito ang buhay ko, o gabing madilim,. . Buhay na naunsyami, sa dusa’y . nalibing, , Buhay na nagsumikap ligaya ay ] kamtin ■ Nguni’t ang natamo’y kapaitan at i hilahil. j Tula ni D. M. A. | Kalatas ng Fatima Sa taong 1960 ay may isang mahalagang pangyayaring magaganap sa kasaysayan ng kristiyanismo. Sa taong iyan ay nakatakdang ihunyag sa buong daigdig ang nilalaman ng ikatlong kalatas na ibinigay ng Malial na Birhcn Maria key Sister Lucy noong nagpakita siya sa nayon ng Fatima noong taong 1917. Kung ano ang nilalaman ng kalatas na iyon ay walang nakababatid maliban kay Sister Lucy. Isinaad niya na kung mabuksan na ang kalatas ay “may ilang magagalak at marami ang malulungkot". Sa kuru-kuro ng mga paring nagkaroon ng pagkakataong makipag-usap kay Sister Lucy, ay maaaring may kinalaman sa ikatlong digmaang pandaigdig o sa katapusan ng mundo ang nasabing kalatas. Sinabi raw ni Sister Lucy na kung hindi magbabalik sa pananampalatayang kristiyano ang bansang Russia, sa lalong madaling panahon, ay tiyak na magkakaroon ng digmaan at maraming bansa ang papanaw sa balat ng lupa. Walang sino man sa atin ang may nais na magkaroon ng digmaan o ano mang salot o sakuna, kaya kailangang tuparin natin ang mga tagubilin ni Sister Lucy. Sang-ayon sa kanya ay ipinamamanhik ng Mahal na Birhen sa lahat nang kristiyano na ipanalangin araw-araw ang pagbabalik-loob ng bansang Russia. Sa madaling salita ay nakasalalay sa atin ang kapayapaan ng daigdig. Magsikilos tayo hanggang maaga pa upang hindi natin lasapin ang hapdi ng pagsisisi sa bandang huli. TE0D0R0 AMPARO BAY 'atfQahontf t^ambana ni Manuel S. Satorre, Jr. NAWAWALA na ang dating ningning ng mga mata ni Esperanza sa kagugunita niya sa kanyang makasaysayang kahapon. Batid niyang tuluyan nang naglaho si Roberto, mula nang siya’y iniwan nito. Sa pagkakaupo’y malayang dumadaloy ang mga patak ng luhang bunga ng matinding pighati. Ang mga paningin ay laging nakatitig sa pintuang gagalaw-galaw dahil sa hihip ng hanging amihan. Ang kahapon ay parang isang pangarap lamang. Sa tindi ng pangungulila’y nagbabalik sa gunita ang masasayang suyuang paraiso ng kanyang puso. “Hello honey, marami ba ang gawain mo sa opisina ngayon?” ang kalimita’y naitatanong niya kung dumarating si Bert mula sa tanggapang pinaglilingkuran niya. “Hindi naman gaano dear” sagot ni Bert na sinasabayan ng mapagmahal niyang mga halik. Masayang-masaya sila noon. Bawa’t galaw ng pintuan, ay siya rin namang galaw ng gunita ni Esper. Sa pintuang iyon siya inakay ng kanyang mahal noong sila’y nag-isang dibdib. Nagsumpaan sila sa dambana ng Diyos at sa harap ng mata ng tao na magmamahalan habang buhay, subali’t sa pamamagitan ng isang pagkakamali lamang ay gumuho ang kanilang daigdig, sampu ng kanilang mga pangarap. Isang pagkakamaling hindi gaanong malubha, sapagka’t ito’y isang pagkukunwari lamang na di ninyo marahil maiintindihan. Lubos na lubos ang pagtitiwala ni Esper sa kanyang asawa. Nguni’t bakit niya ito inusisa at pinilit na patugaing mayroon siyang “kulasisi” gayong wala namang batid niya? 0, ang babae nga naman! May kahinaan ang damdamin ni Bert, kaya hindi niya napigilan ang sarili na pagbuhatan ng kamay ang asawa. Lumisan siyang nanunumpang hindi mag babalik sa piling ni Esper hanggang hindi ito nagbabago ng ugali. Patuloy sa paggalaw ang pintuan, patuloy ang pagdaloy ng luha ni 'Esper. Unti-unti nang lumulubog ang araw sa kanluran. Ilang sandali na lamang at lalatag na ang kadiliman, kadilimang hinihintay-hintay niya sa pagbabakasakaling kasama nito ang kanyang naglahong dambana, ang dambana ng kanyang kaligayahan. Masidhi ang kapaitan ng pagsisising binabata ng kanyang puso, sukdulan na ang kanyang kapanglawan. Malupit ang tadhana, malupit... Sa kabila ng lahat ay batid niyang walang dapat sisihin liban sa sarili. Ang nakalipas ay wala na, nguni’t ang gunita nito’y laging ipagdurugo ng kanyang puso. Page 32 THE CAROLINIAN Glinstnids comes bill once (i i/eur. find thdI. llieij say is plenty. Gul wed still wish you Gliristrnas Gheer, If it conies leu limes of twenty! {"Wlerry (^kriAtmad to ^/ou/ Editorial £) little ®oton of Jfetijleijem O LITTLE TOWN of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee to-nighi. How silently, how silently, The wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming, But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him still The dear Christ enters in. For Christ is born of Mary, And, gathered all above, While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wondering love. ng stars, together im the holy birth! sing to God the King, ce to men on earth. O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin, and enter in, Be born in us to-day. We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell; Oh come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel! by iBrnuks