The GUIDON

The GUIDON is the official student newspaper of the Ateneo de Manila University. It is a part of the Ateneo's Confederation of Publications (COP), including Heights and Matanglawin.^[1] The GUIDON is published monthly from June to March.

The GUIDON is one of the founding members of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, along with The Varsitarian of the University of Santo Tomas, The Philippine Collegian of the University of the Philippines Diliman and The National of National University (Philippines).

It has four sections, namely: the Main (which include News, Opinion, and Sports) section, the Beyond Loyola section, the Features section, and the Inquiry section. The Inquiry section deals with explanatory and investigative journalism while The Beyond Loyola section tackles issues outside the Ateneo campus and deals with national and international affairs.^[2]

Aside from the four sections which are in print, The GUIDON also has an official website and an online magazine.

The GUIDON is currently on its 87th year.^[3]

History

Before 1929, the students of the Ateneo de Manila persistently demanded for a newspaper that would provide them with information on school activities and achievements of the alumni. To answer to this need, The GUIDON was founded on June 22 by 1929. by Rev. Frank O'Hara, SJ, with Manuel C. Colayco as the first editor-in-chief.^[3][4]

In the 1930s, the paper immersed itself in national issues with a Catholic slant, and loudly protested a proposed divorce bill. Its operations ceased when the World War II broke out, and operations resumed in 1946 under the editorship of Max Soliven. As the paper began to promote peace, its goals expanded from recording Ateneo history-in-the-making and serving to include pieces that were more socially relevant.^[5]

The 1950s saw the paper displayed abroad, with numerous awards given to it. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press consistently recognized the excellence of the newspaper.

In the 1960s, The GUIDON filled its pages with the feasibility of coeducation in the University. In addition, critical appraisals of the Ateneo system sought to bring the Atenean "down from the hill"—a protest to the dominance of the elite in Philippine society.

In the 1970s, the paper involved itself in the greater national situation. The years leading to martial law saw Volumes 38 and 39 of The GUIDON produced as Ang Pandayan. The paper's Editorial Board likewise found itself split, leading to publication of two versions of The GUIDON. However, before the legitimacy of either one could be established, Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, forcing both papers to temporarily shut down. In 1973, The GUIDON was the first student newspaper to resume operations after martial law was declared.

After women were admitted to the university beginning 1973, coeducation began to affect The GUIDON, who had Chao Chuatico appointed as its first female editor-in-chief. The assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983 paved the way for the paper to be more involved in national issues. Since then the paper has actively covered and critiqued issues of national concern.

Due to advancements in technology, the 1990s witnessed the abandoning of cut-and-paste methods for updated computer technology. In 1995, the paper came out in two separate sections, instead of one as it had in the past. The GUIDON also grew as an organization, creating staffs like Operations, Human Resources, and Marketing. During this period, the paper also increased its involvement in legislation, proposing amendments to the Campus Journalism Act of 1991.

The Athlete of the Year Award from the 1940s was renamed The GUIDON Moro Lorenzo Award for Sports. The paper's Research Department was rechristened the Inquiry Team. The GUIDON also came up with Pamaskong Handog, an outreach program.

The GUIDON 's recent history saw the separation of Features and Inquiry from the main section. In the year 2003-2004, the human resources arm Training and Development Team was formed, assigning Willard Cheng as its first manager. The Operations staff was also rechristened the Externals staff. The full-color Beyond Loyola section, which deals with social, political, and economic issues outside the Ateneo, was created by Associate Editor Paterno Esmaquel II in 2007.

The GUIDON 's lifestyle magazine was also created online. From being the alternative Alt+G, the e-zine g magazine was launched in 2008. In 2012, it was relaunched as Katipunan Magazine.^[6] In 2014, the website was relaunched once again as Vantage Magazine in an effort to bring it back to the Atenean.

Sections and Staffs

The GUIDON has six writing sections, four design staffs, and three organizational staffs. These are:

Writing Cluster

• News
• Sports
• Beyond Loyola
• Features
• Inquiry
• Vantage Magazine

Design Cluster

• Photos
• Graphic Design
• Video Production
• Digital Media

Organizational Cluster

• Training and Development
• Externals
• Social Media

Editorial Board (2016-2017)

Special Issues

Blue Ballot - The GUIDON's special coverage of elections, including national elections, Ateneo freshmen elections, and Ateneo's general elections.^[7][8][9]

Grad Mag - a special project created by senior GUIDONeers for graduating seniors. It features special events, significant teachers and students, and other important issues featured in The GUIDON during their batch.

Special Projects

ACED-The GUIDON Workshop - a tie-up with the Ateneo Center for Educational Development, this workshop invites students from public schools who are interested in journalism. Selected GUIDONeers instruct and give them tips on basic news writing, editing, photography, lay-outing, and others.

Pressplay - a tie-up with The LaSallian, De La Salle University's official newspaper, this is an annual student press convention in cooperation with the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP). It features seminars in writing, editing, photography, and art. Contests are also held for the participants, composed of other student publications.^[10]

Notable alumni

• Max Soliven
• Ricardo "Dong" Puno
• Fr. Horacio de la Costa, S.J.
• Chief Justice Renato C. Corona
• Justice Antonio T. Carpio
• Jose Mari Chan
• Pia Hontiveros (CNN Philippines Chief Correspondent)
• Paterno Esmaquel II (Rappler Multimedia Reporter)
• Jing Castañeda (ABS-CBN News Reporter)
• Jeff Canoy (ABS-CBN News Reporter)
• Willard Cheng (ABS-CBN News Reporter)
• Ryan Chua (Former ABS-CBN News Reporter)

References

External links

• The GUIDON official website
• Vantage: The GUIDON's online magazine
• Katipunan Magazine: The GUIDON's online magazine
• g: The GUIDON magazine
• Blue Ballot
• Blue Ballot 2007
• Blue Ballot 2008
• Blue Ballot 2009
• Blue Ballot 2010
• Blue Ballot 2010
• Special Website for the Ateneo Sesquicentennial

Student newspapers in the Philippines
Adamson University – The Adamson Chronicle Ateneo de Manila University – The GUIDON, Matanglawin Central Philippine University – The Central Echo Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba – The Page, The Squire, Ang Kabalyero, The Knight De La Salle University – The LaSallian De La Salle University – Dasmariñas – Heraldo Filipino Divine Word College of Calapan – The DWCC Gazette Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology – EARIST Technozette Lyceum of the Philippines University-Laguna – Voyage Polytechnic University of the Philippines Taguig – The Chronicler Saint Louis University – White and Blue Silliman University – The Weekly Sillimanian Tarlac State University – The Work Trinity University of Asia – Trinity Observer University of Asia and the Pacific - The Bosun, UNIVERSITAS University of St. La Salle – The Spectrum, The Lead Magazine University of San Agustin – USA Publications University of San Carlos – The Carolinian University of Santo Tomas – The Varsitarian University of the City of Manila – Ang Pamantasan University of the Philippines Diliman – The Philippine Collegian, Sinag (publication) West Visayas State University – Forum-Dimensions Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan – The Crusader Publication