Oftentimes we appreciate art. We even fight for its existence. But then, we seldom analyze its educational value and its impact in our culture.
Ladies and Gentlemen, a very pleasant and culturally artistic day to all of you!
God, the grand artist and designer crafted the most magnificent piece of art humankind can ever imagine-the universe! The blossoming of the flowers is delightful and the intertwining of every part of the human body is amazing. He created man, equipped him with the gift of art and wisdom to come up with his culture that will separate him from other creations, and nurtured him with love for him to take care of His masterpieces. But what did the man do? What did you do? What did I do?
Man abused God’s most precious gift to him-the gift of art and the ability to make the universe brighter and shinier. He created bombs, dangerous weapons and illegal drugs that killed innocent children, caused hunger and homelessness and deprived the people’s right to have a peaceful community, free from fear, exploitation and violence. As the time runs fast, technology, which is a work of art, is continuously being innovated. Those technologies are astonishing, right? How human was able to design a social networking site that can connect people from all over the world remains a mystery to a lay man who is appreciative to the wonders of the world. But then, have you ever asked yourselves what those technologies brought to your friends, families and even to you? Cellphones as they connect people also tempt snatchers. Social networking sites, as they help the account owners socialize with their friends and love ones serve as a venue for cybersex, illegal drug dealings, rape and other crimes. Greed, lust and immorality enveloped the earth, and people blame it to one thing-Art.
Not only did man misuse his artistic ability, but also his capacity to create his own identity through a culture. Man’s culture became diversified. The purpose of having an identity was already lost! Men fought with each other and claim that they have to do it to protect their culture. Far different from God’s purpose, culture divided people based on their social classes, economic status and religious affiliation. It caused tribal, civil and religious wars. Culture became synonymous with competition and survival.
Man painted the universe red-not with love but with bloodshed and horror. Darkness surrounded the hearts of everyone. Government officials and powerful businessmen are combating in a political arena and are digging their opponents’ dirty past in an artistic medium called advertising. In terms of painting, the universe became the worst painting with uneven angles, rough texture and scattered colors.
Can we still return art to its original form? Can we still make use of art in an intelligent way where our end goal is the common good? Yes, we can! The answer ladies and gentlemen is Cagayan State University- College of Arts and Sciences. You might probably ask, a small College of a state university can help resolve a big issue that the world is facing now? Yes it can! The College is filled with students who are packed with different talents in arts. This is not hearsay only. The claim can be proven by the college’s piles of awards and recognitions in different fields such as debate, story-telling, essay writing and many more. The College has also produced television shows that showcase the artistic abilities of the students not only in delivering news, but also in presenting the good sides of Cagayan Culture. One of the biggest proofs of the claim was the recent PACUCOA visit or evaluation where the Liberal Arts got its First level status.
In the college, the students are honed not only to exhibit art, but also to screen what art should be exhibited. It censors their products and inculcates in their minds the value of art-which is not just to promote beauty but also to display goodness.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we celebrate the College of Arts and Sciences Days, let us look in the different activities that the Dean and the Faculty members have prepared. There are academic activities such as oration, quiz bee, poetry interpretation and extemporaneous speech. We also have socio-cultural activities such as Pop Dance, Search for Mr. and Ms. CAS and Ethnic Dance. And of course, who can forget the favorite event of every student? The sports. All of those activities though they seem to be different have only two goals-to maximize the students’ creativity by bringing out the best in them in terms of art, and to make them realize the worth and significance of art in binding the people and promoting peace on earth. At the end of the day, what is more important in playing is not what you played using creative and artistic techniques but how you played the game with modesty, humility and sportsmanship. After all, how we demonstrate art says something about our culture. We wouldn’t want our culture to be ridiculed; we only want it to be promoted by exposing the good art.
Ladies and gentlemen, the role of the teachers in this great endeavor is essential. They should educate the students on how to use their artistic talents in practicing the virtues of life. We, the students are overjoyed that here in CAS, we have educators who assist us in creating something out of art that will be beneficial to the humankind.
Here in CAS, we celebrate the Human Gifts of Culture and Arts through Academic and Sports Competition because we believe that Culture and Arts are only gifts from above, therefore they must be used properly.
Thank you very much and good day, ladies and gentlemen!
