Food abstinence: Leviticus and Marvin Harris

It always baffled me as a child growing up in very Catholic Pampanga that the entire holy season beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending with Easter Sunday was marked with all kinds of food prohibitions. And yet, the following month of May was always treated as a merry season of fiestas, in which these same … Read more

Feminizing fraternities

Short of banning fraternities in order to put an end to their violent proclivities, it may be worth considering the idea of opening their membership to women.  Of course, we expect the traditional fraternities to say they would rather disband themselves than admit women into their male-bonded organizations. Such reactions are to be expected.  They … Read more

“Lolo Ding” at 80

I didn’t think he could do it or would survive it.  But the pledge he made to each of his eight grandchildren – that he would take every one of them out on a date to a restaurant or hotel of their choice as a high school graduation gift – turned out to be one … Read more

Lament for Nino

No death in the University of the Philippines in recent memory has shaken the academic community more than the senseless murder of Nino Calinao.  There is much anger and frustration on campus these days.  At various levels of the academic community, people ask what has become of the university.  But even before we have sat … Read more