Contents: The Rizal Hall (RH) in Contemporary History: The Department of Social Sciences (DSS) at the Forefront | Rizal Hall: DPE's Haven |

Rizal Hall@100: Recollections

The Rizal Hall (RH) in Contemporary History: The Department of Social Sciences (DSS) at the Forefront

Our very own Rizal Hall – the home of the College of Arts and Sciences – has now been closed to students for more than a year due to the current pandemic. While CAS staff and faculty can enter the premises subject to existing health protocols and safety guidelines, the corridors of this building have now been completely devoid of student activism and vibrant happenings. During its heydays, thousands of students trooped in and out of our college as they scamper to various floors of Rizal Hall. How we now missed campus mob rallies, alternative classroom learning experiences, student council debates, oblation runs, lobby exhibits, and all.

Rizal Hall houses six departments, including your Department of Social Sciences (or simply DSS) which is located on the third floor. The present renovation of Rizal Hall entails the relocation of DSS from its present site to a new and modernized location on the second floor. Since 1973, Rizal Hall has been the home of DSS when it was first known as the Division of Social Sciences. From then on, courses that were offered and subsequently developed include BA Political Science, BA Development Studies, and BA Social Sciences (Area Studies and Behavioral Studies tracks). In 1999, the first graduate programs of CAS opened under the DSS Master of Management program.

Notable figures from DSS once walked through the halls of this building, including the nationalist historian Renato Constantino, the foremost activist Edberto Villegas, and the American historian William Henry Scott to name a few. For almost fifty years now, our department has always been at the forefront of political discourse and social debates on local and international issues. Needless to say, we shall continue this tradition as we march into the future.

Rizal Hall: DPE’s Haven

Rizal Hall is a haven of the Department of Physical Education (DPE). It accommodated the DPE office in the Alumni conference room when the old Sports Science and Wellness Center (SSWC) was demolished to pave the way for the construction of SSWC. Also, it became the venue of our PE classes such as Foundations in Physical Fitness, Arnis, Aerobics, Philippine Games, Fencing, Social Dance, and Modern Jazz. The open area near the theater, the parking area, and some classrooms in the building were utilized as learning spaces. The nearby buildings such as Student Center and Gat Andres Bonifacio (GAB) building were also used by the PE students as venues of Weight training, Circuit training, etc.

Usually, when we are in SSWC, we got to interact with our CAS colleagues only during faculty conferences, meetings, seminar workshops, and Christmas parties. When we were transferred to Rizal Hall, we had more opportunities to interact with our colleagues. Also, it will take us only a few steps to attend the committee and council meetings in the designated rooms and theater respectively. Moreover, it is easier for our admin staff to submit the documents to the Dean’s office.

Last year, the Phase 2 renovation of the new SSWC started. Again, the DPE office was transferred to the Alumni conference room. The smooth transfer allowed the department’s work to be uninterrupted. Lectures and classes were held as usual in the different areas in Rizal Hall.

We are grateful to Rizal Hall for always opening its arms to us whenever we need a second home, the DPE’s haven.