The Lantern Parade: A Display of Unity Amidst Adversity
Friday, December 15, 2006 was a momentous day for the UP Community, specially the College of Fine Arts. It was the day for the traditional Annual UP Lantern Parade, wherein the FA students usually take the lead. But lo and behold, the whole UP Community, the media, and perennial viewers were shocked and stunned by the last minute announcement by the UP Administration/Pres. Emerlinda Roman canceling the Lantern Parade. Reason given: security threat in the campus.
Coincidentally, the day was the scheduled meeting of the Board of Regents, the highest policy-making body of the University. And top of the agenda was the controversial proposed 300-percent tuition and other fee increases that would affect over 25,000 UP students nationwide, and within the next four to ten years, roughly 1 Million Young Filipinos’ access to quality college education.
The thunder of the Cancel Order initially caused disappointment and despair to us all Fine Arts people: students, faculty and staff, as with other Diliman units. But we saw no lightning. We surmised that the Arts and the over 50-year UP Tradition were being threatened by the insecurity of some Quezon Hall power wielders. And Quezon Hall is not the UP community. The Arts and the Lantern Parade must be dedicated to the people, not dictated by some persons.
Thus our creative characters conquered their insincerity. The Lantern Parade must be defended, against lies or paranoia. We took our floats and feelings to the streets, literally.
We wished to grant FA Administrator’s request to abide by the arbitrary dictates by having a ‘merry go round’ within the College grounds. But we stood our ground. Defend the Arts; defend our freedoms against the whims and whimper of a few.
The invented threat turned the whole FA into unimagined unity. We wanted justice for all of us who toiled through night and day for the past several weeks to give our share of Christmas Joy to the UP Community Nating Mahal. And united, we have shown that Arts (and Christmas) must not be sacrificed for some Machiavellian shortcuts.
With our initiative and the corollary courage of our fellow students and faculty in other Colleges, the Lantern Parade has lived. Though a few floats did not make it (thanks to the confusion caused by the wizards at Quezon Hall), the astounding majority of FA students who joined clearly illustrates the students’ will to defy unreasonable and absurd excuses of rattled authorities (a bomb threat which turned out to be a hoax, as not even a single firecracker turned up in the bushes of Diliman. Oh, George Bush, your style blooms).
The success of the Lantern Parade displayed not only the power of a united and vigilant studentry. More importantly, we obtained victory of the Arts and Reason over autocratic and authoritarian dictates!
Students of Fine Arts, and Diliman, Take a Bow!
Defend the Arts! Defend our Freedoms!
Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty!
THE COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS STUDENT COUNCIL
