28/08/2025
𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 | 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗻
When you hear the word “𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘩,” it may sound like a fleeting promise—a string of words uttered for formality’s sake. But for the new staff of Arellano University The Standard - Juan Sumulong Campus, it meant something more. Behind the lines of the pledges they made, there lies a quiet and powerful commitment—one that they gave not just with their voices, but with their hearts.
Just another school event—or so it seemed. But when their names were called and their roles were sealed, something shifted. The positions they now hold settled on their shoulders with a new kind of weight. Not the kind that drags you down, but the kind that reminds you that you are now carrying something important.
It was the weight of responsibility, of purpose, of story.
Before the oath, they were applicants and contributors brimming with hope and eagerness to write. But afterward, they transformed and became the holders of truth—the ones entrusted with the voice of the students. They became the storytellers—those who question the unquestionable and preserve the stories of the overlooked.
The weight of responsibility was shaped by years of mistakes and learning, by long cycles of questions that began to challenge their own abilities.
“𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦,” the newly appointed Editor-in-Chief, Matt Jaolo Hile, confessed. “𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐'𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘐 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘵𝘰𝘰.”
Even so, writers will continue to pick up the pen and write as long as the pen still bleeds its ink.
The lights may have dimmed, and the applause may have faded, but the promise they made lingered long after the ceremony ended.
What follows the oath isn’t immediate recognition or glory. What comes next is the work that’s quiet, consistent, and often left unseen—the late nights when the writers stay up polishing every line, cartoonists sketch until their hands grow weary, and photojournalists rush from one place to another to capture fleeting moments. These are quiet acts of sacrifice that are often unnoticed but never without meaning.
Even amid overwhelming demands—juggling academic tasks and publication deadlines—time management should not be a stranger.
“𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴,” the EIC commented.
Each one plays a different role, yet they all carry the same weight. Editors, writers, artists, and photographers all share the same mission: to create not just out of passion, but in pursuit of the truths that need to be told—even when they begin to doubt themselves.
The new responsibilities given aren’t just roles for titles to hold; they are a way to move forward as individuals and as a team.
“𝘐𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥,” Hile started, “𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥.”
“𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴.”
Together, they do more than just publish pages. They preserve memory, ignite thoughts, and stir emotions.
Journalism is not about fame. It’s about service—stepping back and letting even the quietest voice speak volumes through words. It’s about being brave enough to share what needs to be known, even when it disrupts comfort, and most importantly, when it challenges those who prefer to remain undisturbed.
These student journalists may still be learning, still making mistakes, still figuring things out—but they are growing. They’re not perfect, but they are moving forward with intention, with their mission engraved in their hearts and pledges etched in their minds. They gave their words for honesty, integrity, and truth—and they mean it.
And so, even in moments of silence, they will keep listening. In moments when the words start to lose their meaning, they will keep writing. They will begin their stories with integrity stained with the ink of their pens, and they will conclude them with hearts that vowed to fulfill their duties.
“𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮.”
This is not just an oath—it’s a promise to write with purpose.
This is what comes next.
This is where their story begins.
Written by Genesille P. Umambac
Poster by Jade Luise Bernales
