Honor Excellence

Two words are seen in front of all blue books in the University of the Philippines - honor and excellence. During exams, many of us UP students burn the midnight oil for an uno, or a good grade, or to strike a grade that would at least keep us hanging on our dreams. However, we all know that excellence is not defined by the uno, the CS/US or the summa cum laude. Excellence is not an achievement awarded to you one day. Rather, excellence is a value - something to be lived by on a daily basis.

Honor is possessed by those who live as principled students, principles of honesty, loyalty and integrity. Excellence is also a function of honor. When you cheat in an exam, you have committed dishonesty and you have broken the code of honor. Without honor, no one deserves to be called 'excellent.' This is why honor came before excellence.

Honor and excellence work together to make up for a true scholar. So do the words 'student' and 'leader.' We are students first - learning, growing, responsible, and most importantly, realizing the value of education. When we've realized this we can go beyond the responsibilities of a student - lead other students, represent and fight for them.