Division Schools Press Conference 2009

A pleasant morning to everyone!

My respect to our distinguished Schools Division Superintendent, Dr. Yolanda V. Carpina. I also exhort the admirable woman and the reason for Cavite’s glorious moments in Campus Journalism, to Dr. Elpidia B. Bergado.

Another year had passed and we find ourselves once more in our traditional DSPC here in Tanza Elementary School in preparation for the next exhilarating, back braking, nerve-wracking but should I say victorious year of Campus Journalism just like before.

For myself, I call this event a defining mission of a school paper adviser which is also a vital instrument to open the eyes of our young pupil journalists for positive social change and nation building.

Campus Journalism is not just a tool of information inside the school in the hands of the school paper adviser and student journalists. When it is used by those deeply imbued with the spirit of truth and driven by a passion to serve so many, it can transform attitudes, instill cherished values, inspire and ennoble hearts and minds reached and touched by what it convey. So Campus Journalism is a moral compass of our school, our community and our country as a whole. Campus Journalism is a significant mean for better communication.

But it is ironic that in our world today, when advances in communication have grown in leaps and bounds, there is a lot of miscommunication, confusion and disconnection. Truth has become more elusive You only has to look at our society nowadays.

This year’s theme evolves on the topic, Freedom of Expression: A Right and A Responsibility. It means that, as a vital segment of a free society, campus journalism is expected to abide by the journalistic standards in the proper use of language, images and ideas in order to promote this national messianic endeavor which is the Millenium Development Goal.

It is a huge responsibility and it rests in our gifted shoulders my fellow school paper advisers. The contents of the school paper we are going to publish count. Let us write and publish developmental communications and articles rather than those stories of fantasies and make believe which are very common in most television shows. Though we are dealing with children, let us show them that that can participate in the change that all of us are dreaming of. Let us publish the real thing in our real world.

Obviously the media nowadays contributes tremendous influence in our world, but most especially, and somewhat disturbingly, too, on children and young people. Indeed, some claim that the formative influence of the media rivals that of the school, even the Church and maybe even the home.

The annual DSPC is considered a beacon of light for student writers. They are trained and honed to various journalistic way of writing like news, editorial, feature, sports and others. This is one of the nourishments for their growing mind, body and soul.

And we, school paper advisers with the support of our school principal and in the case of those in the private schools their school administrators and owners are the blacksmiths who will mold their lives as good and law-abiding citizens, as honest and caring persons and as responsible adults. Make this our mission, our foremost mission.

Let us consolidate our effort and work unselfishly to put once more our beloved province of Cavite in its shining glory in the regional and national schools press conferences this year.