The Iskos and Iskas of the Philippines

It is Sunday noon. The atmosphere is a bit humid though the sun is high up in the sky.
Families are having lunch in the cement benches surrounding the lagoon. The children are throwing stones at the muddy pond situated in the middle. Students are jogging around the lagoon. This is the typical picture of the UP Lagoon during Sundays, the only day of the week when there are no classes. The lagoon has become a park for those families having quality time with each other. It has become a stress-relieving venue for UP students trying to recharge for the coming fast-paced academic week.

While observing UP students, I cannot help but compare them to Ateneo students. True enough, the differences are apparently great. These obvious differences have been comically transformed into school jokes circulated through email and text messages. The usual content of these school jokes would be the simplicity of UP students, the sophistication of Ateneo students, and the ludicrous classiness of La...