Monthly Column from the Editors

If there’s one word to describe this particular issue of Elements Online, it would definitely be “diverse”. The past month sported an interesting assortment of returning events and a promising pioneering one. In addition, these events were organized by four different departments within Ateneo Celadon, making “diverse” quite an understatement. In this edition of Elements Online, we in the Documentation and Publications department wish to bring you up to speed with this diverse set of events. With that, we hope that you will be able to experience what our talented writers felt during the events as you read through their articles below. We wish everyone an exciting and fun-filled November ahead!

Patrick Ang and Aaron Medina

Writing Editors

REACH 1: An Afternoon Filled with Fun and Hope

Written by Cheska Chong

Responding to Encourage Action towards Care and Hope (REACH) is a series of 4 outreach programs with Celadon’s partner communities. The aim for this event is to establish a long-term bond through the sharing of the Chinese-Filipino culture, as well as the community values and practical skills that will help them further dream, believe, and hope. Last September 28, 2019, the first of this series, REACH 1, partnered up with Tugon Ateneo to visit CRIBS New Beginnings, an organization that caters to girls who have been sexually abused. Various activities were conducted there such as the making of bracelets, painting of face masks, and dancing of OrSem songs for the kids in the community. The student volunteers, or ates and kuyas as the girls called them, had a great time bonding with the girls. One of the most memorable experiences for the girls and the volunteers was when the girls gave their ates and kuyas hand-made bracelets as a token of gratitude, as well as when the girls and volunteers danced together in unity. REACH 1, beyond the shadow of a doubt, was an unforgettable experience that will forever stay in the hearts of those who participated in it.

TAN: Reaching Further with New Partners

Written by Denise Joaquin

To commemorate the birth of ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, Ateneo Celadon annually holds Teachers’ Appreciation Night (TAN)—a gala dinner for university faculty accompanied by the giving of tokens and personal letters from students. On October 4, teachers and students listened to the stories of distinguished professors in “Teaching New: Innovation Rooted in Tradition”. Celadon, in partnership with the Ateneo SALT Institute, Teachers’ Formation Institute, and TALAB, organized the two-part talk series for the 2nd Annual Symposium of the JJ Atencio Lighthouse for New Learning. Following the talks, faculty members joined the gala night and celebrated over food, freebies, raffle prizes, and performances by saxophonist Joshe Tiu, six-member indie pop band O.K. Club, and the faculty’s own Mr. John Lemuel Lenon. The teachers enjoyed the day dedicated to them, having time well spent with colleagues and students beyond the classroom walls.

HR Technical Skills Training: Empowering the Next Generation

Written by Joshua Dy

Last October 7, 2019, new Celadoneans attended the HR Technical Skills Workshop. Full of passion and burning with excitement, these fresh faces heard inspiring talks about the various core teams of Ateneo Celadon and received enough pointers to fill a panda’s belly two times over. From the famous shot-calling programs heads to the unsung heroes of the secretariat committee members, several veterans came to share their stories and light the way for this new generation.

CALL: Learning One’s Identity in Culture

Written by Jamie Lao

 The Cultural Awareness and Leadership Lab (CALL) was a four-day workshop that focused on broadening perspectives and encouraging leadership among the delegates. CALL made its first debut last September 27, 2019 as the event commenced with the delegates having to overcome specific challenges to find their respective groups. The second day, October 4th, tested their group dynamics as they attempted to solve bewildering puzzles in an effort to retrieve information that they would be needing. On the third day, October 11, the delegates were placed in a serious business context wherein they had to make a choice: to stand for what they believe in or to come up with a compromise. Finally, on the last day, held on October 18, the delegates graduated after they had finished a fun-filled amazing race. The event concluded with a special surprise from the CALL team, with the delegates going home with happy hearts and sweet smiles.

Junior Editor Program: Transcending Beyond One’s Skills

Written by Kaitlyn Tan

The Documentation and Publications department successfully conducted this year’s Junior Editor Program (JEP). Themed “Transcend”, the four-day program aimed to equip the DocPub staffers with various skills. Participants chose between three tracks: photos, videos, and writing. Starting on October 2, each track was challenged to accomplish tasks under time constraint on proofreading and sorting photos and videos. The more technical side of the workshop followed on the second day, October 9, with storyboarding, filming, post-processing of photos, video editing, article arrangement, situational analysis, and topic consultations, all of which helped staffers for their final JEP outputs. On October 16, the photos track participants presented portfolios on the theme of “reflection”, the writing track with their proposed feature article topics on the theme of “meaning”, and the videos track with a teaser on the theme of “lifestyle.” On the fourth day, last October 18, a series of activities brought all participants, regardless of track, as a team. Afterwards, the program adjourned with the graduation of those who have made it thus far. Not only did this program enhance the technical skills of the staffers on their respective tracks but also the social skills necessary in the field