EDITOR’S NOTE
Since elementary, I have been fascinated with journalism. I would sometimes face the mirror
holding a comb that serves as my microphone pretending, I’m a field reporter. With a burning
passion, I applied for a position in my high school’s publication and eventually got accepted.
My high school was filled with memories of winning school press conferences. The idea of
hearing my name as part of the top 7 in awarding days of those competitions always made me
shiver as I know that it’s not an opportunity that is being served to every student’s plate.
On those days, I became victorious but was also defeated. And on those defeats, I shed a lot of
tears because of the insecurity that builds within. The insecurity of falling short and of being not
enough. Despite the humps and bumps, I continued being a campus journalist which led me to the
Mindanao Varsitarian.
It is only in December 2020 that I got my first national exposure in the journalism industry, not as
a campus scribe but as a professional journalist when I got accepted as a correspondent at Daily
Tribune, a national newspaper outlet based in Makati City. I also have my bylines in Mindanao
Gold Star Daily based in Cagayan de Oro and Mindanews based in Davao up until now.
Through the years of being a campus writer and a freelance journalist, the very one thing I learned
is that being in this industry goes beyond chasing awards and medals. It extends beyond conquering
insecurities when victory gets out of hand. The genuine victory lies in effectively performing our
role as a purveyor of truth and watchdogs of society.
In an era, full of disinformation, historical revisionism, and rampant red-tagging, I encourage you
to fight and speak truth to power. We are in a period where historical facts are being revised,
dissents are being silenced, and activists are red-tagged but as a community, we must hold the line.
No one should turn a blind eye to many atrocities that have been committed. Now more than ever,
it has become even more crucial for students to seek historical truths and fight disinformation.
As I take this new position of being your new editor-in-chief, I want to bring into this aspect the
importance of having a healthy democratic process. When we aspire to a nation where our voices
are heard, minority and marginalized groups are represented, government officials are being held
accountable and the like, we must also do the same in our university. The Mindanao Varsitarian
will be with you in this cause as we amplify the unheard voices and be a reliable source of news
through our shared stories.
This semester, the whole editorial board is thrilled to unveil to you our special issue entitled
“____”. While this edition presents opinions on the pressing issues that have long been existing
decades ago and remain unsolved until this day, it also welcomes a new leadership- a new
leadership every MSUan hopes will bring change to the decade-long rotten system.
This issue will not be fully realized without the hard work and dedication of the writers and visual
arts team of MV. Their talents and unwavering commitment served as the bloodline of this piece.
It is also just to acknowledge our advisers, consultants, and the administration for helping us in the
completion of this publication. And to the studentry of MSU, it is because of you that we exist and
will continue to exist. For as long as your voices remain unheard and stories remain untold, we
shall prevail.
IVY MARIE A. MANGADLAO