MMSU TURNS 45, GEARS UP TO ACHIEVE MORE FOR THE FUTURE

by Addison Pascua

Highlighting its long list of achievements and milestones in the past years, the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) celebrated a month-long festivity for its 45th founding anniversary celebration which commenced on January 6, 2023.

Anchored with the theme, “ACHIEVE-ing more for the future,” the university formally kicked off its celebration with a Thanksgiving Service held at Teatro Ilocandia on Jan. 6, joined by thousands of faculty members, stakeholders, and students.

After the thanksgiving service, the opening of the annual Garden Show and Trade Fair took place at the College of Law grounds, featuring research-based products and technologies and quality products of various exhibi- tors from Ilocos Norte.

“As we position MMSU to achieve more in the future, let us continue working and innovating so that we can see a significant increase in the number and diversity of achievements next year,” University President Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis said during the start of the celebration.

After the kick-off events on Jan. 6, the celebration continued with various activities and programs that spanned the whole month of January. This included the following: Tree planting, Unveiling of Brag Wall, Launching of Indigeneous Food Research Consortium, Anniversary Convocation, Stakeholders’ Forum, Technology Showcase and Farmer’s Forum, Alumni Day, Teatro Normal Production of “Ang Lagusan”, Launching of

Futures Thinking/ Digital Systems, MMSU Upen House Professional Journey Across Cultures, Academic Journey Across Cultures Retirees Day, PRAISE Awards, Watwat 5.0, Students’ Day Parambak iti Away, and Launching of the Philippine Television Network (PTV) Ilocos Norte Transmitter.

As part of this year’s founding anniversary celebration, the University Student Council (USC) also spearheaded various contested activities which were conducted face-to-face and at different colleges.

Among the different student activities conducted this year are the following: Master Chef- MMSU Edition, Vocal Quartet Competition, Students’ Products Showcase, Dish-gardening and Flower Arrangement Competition, King and Queen Fisher, Debate Cup,

Blood Letting Activity, E-Sports Tournament (ML, PUBG, Valorant), Techno-lympics, Fun Run, Zumba, Aero-dance Competition Project Pitching Competition, and Dance Parade and Light Show Competition.

Moreover, a bloodletting activity was also organized by the College of Health Sciences (CHS) and the College of Medicine (COM), in partnership with the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) on January 23.

Adding more color to this year’s celebration, a series of performances and talent exhibitions also took place at the Garden Show and Trade Fair from January 16 to 27 wherein students from the different colleges and laboratory high schools showcased a variety of performances.

MMSU vocalists showcase singing talent in Vocal Quartet competition

by Addison Pascua

Fueled with their harmonious overtones and melodic voices, students from Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) sang their hearts out as they exhibited their singing prowess during the Vocal Quartet competition held at the College of Teacher Education (CTE) Outdoor Stage on January 17.

Composed of four members each, a total of 10 groups from the eight colleges and two laboratory high schools serenaded the crowd and judges with their own renditions of their respective song choices.

The competing teams were adjudged based on the following criteria: Musicality and Voice Quality (30%), Harmony (30%), Stage Presence (30%), and Costume (10%). The winners, however, will be announced on January 30 during the Students’ Day celebration.

In his message, Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS) Director, Dr. Jan Rich Guira expressed his gratitude to CTE Student Council for hosting the said competition and vowed to continue imposing inclusiveness, especially in the conduct of different student activities.

“We promised that our programs at OSAS will be more inclu- the majority of the contestants will be coming to Batac. But since the sponsor is CTE for this activity, I told them the activities will be conducted at their college. And CTE and CIT (College of Industrial Technology) never failed to amaze us,” he bared.

Meanwhile, CTE Dean Dr. Aris Cajigal said such a competition is a great avenue for students to exhibit their skills and talents for the common good.

“Indeed, this event is a manifestation that our mandate as a university is not only to develop the skills and competencies of our students to become productive professionals in the future but also to give them a platform to develop their talents and skills in the arts such as music,” Cajigal underscored.

“Also, this event is a display of an important platform by which our students harness their artistic skills and talents in singing so that we harness their youthful energies and make them into something that is useful rather than being influenced by bad associations, by fake news, and by bad publicity,” he added.

The Vocal Quartet competition is one of many activities prepared in celebration of the month-long 45th founding anniversary of

STUDENT PRODUCTS SHOWCASED IN UNIVERSITY-WIDE BAZAAR

by Graziel Ramat

With the aim to give the Stallions the chance to launch their innovations and increase their market visibility and customers, Student Councils (SCs) from the different colleges of Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) displayed their products during the Students’ Product Showcase on January 18.

Spearheaded by the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy (CBEA) SC, the event was in celebration of the festivities for the 45th foundation anniversary of MMSU.

The Laboratory High Schools of Laoag and Batac, as well as the College of Health Sciences (CHS) and College of Engineering (COE), showcased their mouthwatering and aromatic food products which mainly consisted of sweets and pastries. On the other hand, the College of Teacher Education (CTE), College of Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology (CASAT), and College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development (CAFSD) displayed their students’ artworks and merchandise composed of tote bags, shirts, mugs, bookmarks, and notepads with different designs.

Meanwhile, the College of Art Sciences (CAS) and the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy (CBEA) opted to promote the small clothing and cosmetic business of their students. Generated from their respective researchers, the College of Industrial Technology (CIT) showcased their handcrafted sandals and bags made from water hyacinths and banana stem fiber yarns. They also showcased their different research innovations like the Smart Locker Pilot Scale, Integrated Electronic

...continue to page5

ON-POINT ARGUMENTS. CHS student argues with strong points and delivers with eloquence in the Debate Cup hosted by the Graduate School at the MMSU Student Center on January 21, 2023.