"I am neutral on new uniform issue"
-SSC President
by Mark Patrick Lorenzana

USC Supreme Student Council President Deogracias Cane is neutral regarding the new uniform issue implemented by the Students Affairs Services.

This, in direct contradiction to his campaign statements before he was elected president. In the special election issue of the Red & Black published last March, Cane said that he was “against the uniform being implemented by SAS”. He added that he and his party, the Student Power Party, did not approve of the new uniform “because of the fact that it costs a lot of money and would give hassles”.

Last summer, however, Cane said that because he was male, he could not speak for the female students, and that it is up to them to show their “girl power”. Cane, who testified against Today’s CAROLINIAN, made this remark during one of the hearings he attended. The hearings were conducted to determine the merits of the administrative case filed by Rev. Fr. Florencio Lagura, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, against Today’s CAROLINIAN. TC published a number of lampoons last semester, some of them, as well as a caricature of a semi-naked Arnold Janssen “offended the sensibilities” of Lagura, prompting him to file the complaint. TC has yet to receive the verdict on the said case this month.

As SSC President, Cane was supposed to be a member of the Formal Inquiry Committee, formed specifically to handle the investigation of the case. The FIC is composed of different chairpersons from the departments of the respondents, an FIC chair, and a representative from the Supreme Student Council, preferably the incumbent president. This composition is as mandated by the USC student manual. Cane chose to inhibit himself so he could testify for the complainant. He only inhibited himself on the same day he served as witness, saying that he was not aware of the fact that as president, it was his duty to represent the SSC in the FIC. Cane also added that he did not receive any letter informing him of the complaint, and would have not known of the case, if it were not for Lagura who contacted and informed him about the investigation.

Hon. Amir Archival Aluk, being the chairperson for Complaints and Grievances, filled in for Cane as representative for the SSC.

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"SAS head files case against studes, orgs"
by news bureau

Students Affairs Services head Nimfa Alo recently filed an administrative case against a number of Carolinians and organizations that staged a series of rallies last May 22 and 23 outside the USC main building.

The individuals and organizations concerned: Hon. Amir Archival Aluk, Lindzey Romero, Mary Troie Luna, Omar James Sievert, Victor Marlou Cantal, Anakbayan USC and UP chapters, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines, League of Filipino Students, STAND, Gabriela Youth, Carolinian Sociological-Anthropological Society, SOPHIA, and the National Union of Students of the Philippines, allegedly “ridiculed, embarrassed and humiliated” Alo, SAS, and the university by “issuing false and unfounded” statements during the rallies.

Some of the statements, according to Alo, include “Alo Diktadora”, “Alo Resign”, “Women’s Affairs Office? Anti-women; out-moded, old-fashioned, Abolish! Abolish! Abolish!” and “Dress code - O.A.” among others. These statements were issued through posters and a “freedom wall”, which anyone could have easily accessed at that time and written their sentiments on.

The people behind the rallies, Alo adds, “caused panic and confusion”, resulting to “extreme anger, embarrassment, humiliation, loss of dignity, sleepless nights and deep mental anguish” to herself and her family, as well as the SAS office and staff. Subsequently, Alo is also planning to file a criminal case against the same students and organizations involved, aside from the administrative case she has just filed.

The rallies were organized as a response to the abrupt implementation by SAS, last summer, of a new dress code that includes the prohibition of wearing of blouses that are not three inches below the beltline. A significant number of female students were denied entry to the university last May 7, and as a result, many were not able to attend their classes.

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