The MSU Houston, Texas Reunion 2009

I am here in Houston, Texas for my college reunion. I graduated from Mindanao State University (MSU)in the Philippines. I am posting this to highlight my attendance to this gathering.

To give you an idea of MSU,I copied this from the MSU official website:

"Created under RA 1387 as amended through authorship of Senator Domocao A. Alonto, the Mindanao State University was established in Marawi City on September 1, 1961. Dr. Antonio Isidro, former Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University of the Philippines, was its founder and first president.

Formal classes opened in June 1962 with 282 students, 19 faculty members and staff, and three core colleges: Community Development, Liberal Arts and Education.

After more than three decades of operation, the University has grown into a multi-campus University System with seventeen colleges and degree-granting units in the Marawi campus alone.

The Marawi campus enjoys a triple-center distinction as the Regional Science Training Center, the Regional Carabao Center and one of the country’s Centers of Excellence in Teacher Education. The University has also opened itself to the outside world through her cooperative linkages with major universities of Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. When it comes to the educational dimension of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), MSU is among the leaders of the Philippine universities.

There are six other autonomous campuses with different thrusts distributed in strategic locations throughout Mindanao: MSU IIT, MSU General Santos, MSU Sulu, MSU Maguindanao, MSU Naawan and MSU Tawi-Tawi. Under the propulsion of a unique and noble mission, each campus is making strides towards excellence."

MSU is the only university in the Philippines with a special mandate of integrating the cultural communities into the maintream of the nation's socio-cultural and political life by providing them with oppurtunities for quality and relevant public education for their self development and providing trained manpower skills and technical know-how for the economic development of the Mindanao, Sulu (Basilan and Tawi-Tawi) and Palawan region.

In the Philippines and anywhere in the world you will find MSUans on top of their chosen fields, either as an enterpreneur, educator, scientist, engineer, doctor, etc. Every year, there are MSUan board topnotchers especially in the engineering and education field. One of my batchmates was Top 1 in the Mechanical engineering board.

So, what is an MSUan? MSUan is the term for a student or alumnus of Mindanao State University.

I couldn't find the exact words that would aptly describe the coined term. One could go about this on a general scale or on a more personal approach. So I consider a way to tackle this and decided to make it something personal but with a global relevance.

On that note, I chose to pen something that echoes my distinct voice, experiences, and ideals as an MSUan. And to simplify it even further I'm going to approach it acrostically.

M - Mindanao. Although not all of us are Mindanao natives, once you have stayed in MSU, you get to imbibe the culture, the mindset, and the pride of the Mindanaons. MSU is a melting pot of Mindanao culture. It boasts of a studentry, faculty, and staff as diverse as the peoples of the world. Wherever an MSUan goes, he bears the emblem, sojourns and sufferings of Mindanao in his heart. He is an advocate for Mindanao at heart, no matter where he may be or what his circumstances are.

S - State as in government. An MSUan has firm ideals regarding the government, and these ideals are not founded on what the government can do for him but rather on what God can do for him and his government, as well as what he can do for God and his government. 'S' is also for the spirit that drives an MSUan to endeavor for progress and development, to pursue his dreams and goals, and to scale to greater heights in every life's facet.

U - University that is like no other to every MSUan. With its distinct academic culture and excellence. Huge portions of MSU students are scholars and provided the whole world with highly valuable manpower that has made significant contributions to the global workforce. Therefore, 'U' also refers to the entire universe out there that MSUans have conquered. Almost every country in the world harbors Filipino professionals and among these Filipinos, you're most likely to find an MSUan.

Our first University President, Dr. Isidro once said: "Ideas are movers of the world ... The capacity to develop good ideas as well as the power to transalate them to reality ... these are the hallmarks of a true MSUan. " The main puropose of these Houston Reunion 2009 is to gather MSUan from all over the US to foster closer relationship among alumni and gather ideas and formulate plans on how we can give back to our Alma Mater. The question posed for everyone is "HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO REACH OUT AND LEAVE A MARK FOR MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY?" and ponder on this "Every little act of unselfish volunteerism by every MSUan for Mindanao State University will surely lead to better and safe learning, living and working environment at our dear Alma mater and the surrounding communities, and better, united and stronger MSUans worldwide." I am sure this is going to be a sharing and gathering of ideas and movers of different expertise. The seed will be planted on the grounds of our Dear MSU, but when they bear fruits, they will be harvested all over Mindanao, the Philippines and hopefully the world. After 22 years I will be able to see friends, dormmates, classmates & schoolmates again. I am going to dinner with fellow alumni tonight and I am looking forward to capturing challenging but happy memories of campus life...