upcd student here coming from fb seeing it reached upd freedom wall. Wondering how students from other colleges can help here. Sharing raises awareness but Im thinking improvement might not happen soon if we just leave it at that. I think it just speeds up the post reaching our profs and we'll just get another town hall meeting soon. I think this will loop until we communicate w profs we trust will listen to us and get them to understand and stand with us. yun lang idk how.
This is a messy endless loop of miscommunication. Some admin and faculty come out of town hall meetings thinking all students' concerns are resolved because they've been tackled one by one in these meetings that sometimes come in surprise pa. It doesn't help that at the end of these meetings when "just talk to us, are there any more concerns?" is asked, not much is expressed except temporary truce messages when some actually still feel unsatisfied but cannot or choose not to speak up in the moment. We know because we still discuss among ourselves after the meetings.
Its because some feel that when they do raise concerns in hopes that they are heard, they are met with replies that feel condescending and invalidating. Maybe you just want to reach out and sound frustrated because you're expressing honest emotions, but your words are interpreted purely as an attack and responded with hints of anger and frustration of their own, kaya di ka nalang magsalita sa sunod. It's complicated because everyone is tired, sensitive, frustrated and that can affect how either side "understands" and reacts to what's said by the other in these meetings
Sometimes it feels like each sides' trigger is the other being frustrated at the other, and the steps to solutions get buried under this. It sometimes shows in some of both sides' statements and responses, like it's too hard to be objective about it. One individual from either side puts out a statement that's easily countered or seen as weak, the rest of the relevant concerns oranswers seem watered down na in the eyes of either party. It's complicated because maybe we shouldn't be expecting the answer we want to hear, but some answers really feel dismissive.. We have a weird situation where students feel unheard, but they don't or can't truly express, so we truly go unheard by faculty and admin, that just might (keyword: might) have some in their ranks actually ready to listen. I think may difficulty rin kasi for both sides who are hurt to take statements from the other and filter out the "hurt" aspect that might sound offensive to us. This isn't to say one side isn't wrong to begin with in situations, it's just we're so deep in the back and forth idk anymore.
Some students then express their piled up unfiltered thoughts elsewhere where they feel safer, but this comes off as behind the back remarks when they eventually do reach admin/faculty. When it's brought up in meeting or side comments with their interpretations, some can't clarify because fear to speak up and explain is back.
Sitting through those meetings, I've honestly heard valid concerns and answers brought up by both sides but have seen or heard both take them not in the most objective way whether in side comments in classes or in GCs. I'm sick of the tea and shade throwing as the new normal way of handling or coping here. What steps can actually be taken
Idk if it's just me swallowed by pessimism from all the stress, but now I don't even know if either side really knows anymore what help we want or need that will actually fix this. Burden seems to be on the strong faculty and students who have the strength to communicate and for the rest to really listen