CSU welcomes 2011 with Self-Awareness seminar-workshop

ICT Center - The Caraga State University (CSU) welcomed the year 2011 with a Seminar - Workshop on Self-Awareness held yesterday, January 13, 2011, at the St. Peter College Seminary in Ampayon, Butuan City.

The event was organized by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) of CSU, spearheaded by Dr. Luisito I. Tabada, the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Photo above and at right below: Ms. Ma. Elena L. Paulma was the guest speaker during the self-awareness seminar - workshop for the CSU faculty held yesterday. Ms. Paulma facilitated the self-reflection activity of each of the participants through the creation and presentation of the "Mandala" as one of the highlights of the seminar-workshop.

Faculty members and staff from Caraga State University Main and Caraga State University - Cabadbaran Campus participated on the workshop that started at eight o’clock in the morning until five in the afternoon on the same day.

This year, CSU invited a Carlos Palanca Memorial Awardee for Literature as its guest speaker and facilitator for the workshop. Ms. Ma. Elena L. Paulma, a Butuanon and a graduate of Urios College and now FSUU, is a literature professor at Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City. She graduated at the University of the Philippines in Diliman where she took Creative Writing and Masters Degree in Comparative Literature. Currently, she is finishing her Ph.D. in Creative Writing at the same university. She spent five years in Cenacle Sisters where she learned the values of reflection and self-examination. Ms. Paulma wrote “Three Kisses” and won 1st Prize in Palanca in the short story category last September 1, 2010 at the Manila Peninsula in Makati.

The Seminar Workshop for Self-Awareness was filled with group activities. During the registration period, participants were already grouped according to the numbers written on their respective name tags. Everyone had their chance to meet and get to know other faculty members and staff that they don’t get to work everyday. Grouping the participants in random was a challenge that all the participants had to face. Being not in their comfort zone could be intimidating, but that didn’t stop the faculty members and staff of CSU-Main and CSU-Cabadbaran from contributing in the activity.

The making of a personal and group Mandala activities were the highlights of the workshop. Mandala meant “circle” in Sanskrit. The mandala is “a reflection of who you were while you were making it”, according to Ms. Paulma.

Each member of the group had to draw their own mandala. Later on, the group had to merge their works to create a bigger mandala which they drew on the paper provided for each group. Every after the activity, group members shared their thoughts and feelings in front of their group. This is, by the way, one of the important lessons that we, as individuals, should acquire and learn. Sharing and listening should be realized by everybody if they want to embody the Four Pillars of Heroic Leadership: Self-awareness, Ingenuity, Love, and Heroism.

Photos above: The chapel in St. Peter Seminary was the venue of this self-awareness activity for hundreds of CSU faculty. Dr. Rolando N. Paluga, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, with his group mates presented their group's "Mandala" in the afternoon activity.

Overall, the workshop was a great success. Everybody was in their high spirits the whole session. Everyone learned that anybody is capable of reflecting regardless of his or her status in the institution. With everybody participating, the message of self-awareness was no doubt delivered clearly to all the participants. Thereby, the workshop had definitely strengthened the relationship of all the faculty members and staff of Caraga State University Main Campus and Cabadbaran Campus.

Note: Photos from the event are shown in slide show presentation below. If you cannot see the photos below, please visit the following links:

1.0 Caraga State University picasa album

2.0 Caraga State University facebook album

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