FEU's virtual yearbook

Yearbooks are no longer hard but soft.

Graduating students of FEU this year will be the first-time receivers of advance-styled yearbook compiled in digital versatile discs (DVD) that some students describe as unsentimental.

Admissions and External Relations Office (AERO) Director Albert Cabasada III said that the new yearbook is tagged as virtual. It contains photos and videos of graduating students, personal and educational background information in DVD form.

Still traditional

However, some students still prefer the traditional yearbook.

“Good to know na nakikisabay tayo sa technology. But when I consulted the academic organizations, they still wanted to have the hardcopy yearbook. Even me, I still want the traditional yearbook,” said Jean Carla Nartatez, Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance Student Council (IABFSC) president.

But a senior Accounting student who chose to be unnamed prefers the new one. “Okay ‘yun kasi mababawasan kahit papa’no ang babayaran namin t’saka modern na rin tayo ngayon kaya sa tingin ko magiging in ‘yan.”

Old vs new

The virtual yearbook is electronic while the traditional one has an adverse effect to the forests, cited Cesar Pacis, Computer Services Department (CSD) head, when asked on his view of which is a better yearbook.

Pacis described the traditional yearbook as environmental-friendly because papers are biodegradable compared to plastics.

According to Cabasada, the virtual yearbook is cheaper than the traditional and it can be distributed to some companies that partnered with FEU. However, Cabasada did not show the difference in prices between the two.

According to him, graduating students don’t need to pay anything for the picture, unless they want to get printed copies. Furthermore, he said that out of six poses, students have to choose two to be included in the virtual yearbook costing P58 and the DVD copy which costs less than P400.

Which is which?

AERO and Institute Students Councils (SC) faced dilemma on which photo provider to work with for the virtual yearbook.

Cabasada said that the photo provider underwent a bidding process wherein Photo Concept was chosen as the photo provider.

However, Nartatez said, “Hindi talaga gusto ng students ang Photo Concept.” She added that there was no representation of students during the bidding, though the criteria were shown.

Nartatez said, “We would want to have another bidding so that we can choose a photo provider for our institute, but I think it’s late na.”

But Cabasada cleared that if the SCs wanted to change the photo provider for their institutes, they have to seek for the approval of the Office of Student Affairs and Community Services Dean Adelaida Fronda.

Inter-institutes’ clash

A senior Fine Arts student who did not disclose her name said that the photo provider for the virtual yearbook of Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts is Color Point.

It is also supported by a statement of a 4th year Fine Arts student. “Color Point ‘yung sinabi ng SC sa’min na photo provider para sa virtual yearbook.”

But, Ivane  Grace Managuit said, “Ang Color Point nag-propose sa IARFA. Ang Color Point inilabas lang namin sa students so kung magustuhan nila, wala na kaming magagawa dun.” But then, she said that they still follow the University’s photo provider—Photo Concept.

In the case of Institute of Arts and Sciences, Department of Communication Chair Generoso Pamittan cleared the issue regarding mass communication students having a different photo provider.

“That’s not true. Number one, we follow the University policy. We will never engage in any contract with a photo provider which is not approved by OSACS. Number two, we did not plan to have the traditional yearbook because we respect the virtual yearbook,” Pamittan said.

source: FEU Advocate