INTRODUCTION

PEOPLE
Yano
Romeo Lee
Manny Villar
Nur Misuari
Benjie Paras
Dino Ignacio
Eraserheads
Jerry Barican
Obet Verzola
Jessica Zafra
Zider Lubiano
Myla Algarme
Gary Granada
Raymond Red
Mike Defensor
Jerome Bailen
Eric Altamirano
Amante Jimenez
Miriam Defensor
Malou Mangahas

ISSUES
ID
UAAP
STFAP
US Bases
Collegian
Frat Violence
SAMASA split
SR controversy
Sexual Harassment

Sandwiched in between what was and what will be, the turn of the century can be a most engaging possibility. After all, the media has been alternately bombarding us with various portraits of a past (both picturesque and ghastly) and hurtling us into a utopian future. Given such a scenario, all may be asking - what now?

However, this year's term chose not to delve into the wherefores and whys that have been fed to a generation misleadingly labeled "X." Rather than sink into the quagmire of confusion or complacency, we had wanted to explore, review, and assess the past decade in the hopes of putting together some semblance of bearing where and when we, UP students, might need it most - somewhat of a puzzle, come to think of it, where some pieces will fit and some won't.

From an idle, and to most of us, an almost whimsical fancy came the germ for such an undertaking. In a sense, we were lucky. After all, how often does one reach the crossroads of a decade, much more a millennium? In a sense, also, we were not. For after finally deciding to pursue this project sometime in September, we were stuck in a rut for quite some time. How were we going to go about the whole thing? How do we approach something as fickle (or for some, even pointless) as a "Top Ten" list?

Compared to this special issue, the previous one, which assessed the first 100 days of the Estrada administration, was smooth sailing. It was relatively effortless given the strict parameters of the present term's mission vision of producing an alternative newspaper that will cater to the faculties of a critical and socially committed UP student.

What were the `90s for the UP student? On the other hand, how fared the UP student during the decade?

Many things were considered. That we might be accused of canonizing. That we might not give ample attention to the less prominent fields. That we might be too one-sided regarding certain issues. However, we tried to balance things. Aside from the prominent politician, there is the independent filmmaker. Side by side with the platinum-selling band is the revolutionary martyr. The anti-US bases campaign shares space with our Maroons. History, we realized, has its own quaint way of unfolding.

How then were the topics gauged? Choosing the 10 most important issues that affected or resounded loudly in UP was easy. The UP StratPlan, for one, certainly affected and will continue to affect everyone in Diliman. Ditto for the STFAP and the ATM-ID scheme in their respective contexts. Fraternity violence, and sexual harassment have been long-standing, and unresolved, problems. We also scrutinized the controversies that shook the foundations of three important institutions - the Philippine Collegian, the Office of the Student Regent, and the University Student Council.

It was an altogether different thing for the personalities. At the start, we had a list of around 30 people, which, as the weeks went by, was growing unusually longer. Realizing the impossibility of accommodating everyone, and given the fact that our personal preferences and politics often clashed, we decided to reduce our criteria to three basic things. First, he or she had to be a student of UP Diliman, though not necessarily a graduate. Second, he had to be a prominent, controversial, or influential figure during the decade, whatever his student number might be. Third, since this was not going to be strictly a Top Ten list, we freely included our Hitlers, our Maos, and everyone in between.

As expected, this special issue will raise many eyebrows. Rest assured this is not final (up to the final days of presswork, important names kept cropping up). Nor will this ever be. The approaching millennium will not mean the end of everything as we know it. It is never going to be that easy.

In spite of everything, we invite you to read on not with the cynicism of an ambivalent entity but with the vigor of a battle-scarred scholar of our university. After all, in the words of one great troubadour of his times, "next year's words await another voice."