Incoming first-year Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (BAJ) students were welcomed and oriented as they began their college journey during PUP Journalism Guild's (JG) "Camp Half-Blood: A Journey to the Guild" at the College of Communication Audio-Visual Room on Friday, September 29.
The event returned to campus grounds for the first time since 2019, after it shifted to online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students and professors of the course shared valuable experiences and tips with the students in preparation for the academic year.
Assistant Professor Prestoline Suyat welcomed the students to the university and focused on why they chose journalism after the number of enrollees jumped from the 30s to 50 per block.
Suyat stressed that journalism is a social responsibility and pointed out the importance of using terms in their articles for context.
"Kung ito ang pinili nating kurso, meron po tayong responsibilidad. Hindi lamang tayo nandito para magpakahusay, kundi i-develop ang ating critical thinking... Napaka-importante po ng ating silbi sa ating lipunan."
JG also gave a sneak peek into the college's facilities and organizations students can join.
PUP-BAJ alum and Rappler multimedia reporter Jairo Bolledo also shared his journey as a journalism student at the university and reminded them to always look back on why they took their course.
"Kapag na-lo-lost kayo, hanapin niyo ang core niyo kung bakit kayo naging journalist. Ano ba ang malalim na dahilan kung bakit niyo pinili ang journalism at kung bakit kayo nagpapatuloy."
Representatives from sophomore to senior year presented their previous journalistic outputs to give the freshman students an idea of their possible final projects.
Selected students were also invited as panelists to answer the students' queries and provide insights and tips during the roundtable discussion.
Article: Lourence Angelo Marcellana
Graphics: Cathlyn De Raya
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