Chi-RhoA Legacy.

By Julie Anne Ines

Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix.

In this quotation, Christina Baldwin clearly stated that change is something that happens unexpectedly. Nothing or no one can signal you when it will come; it is an unvarying thing that can either make you or break you.

Luckily, the change that came about 60 years ago in this school was more than something that made it; it served as an identity of who the Maria Katipuneras are, and what their views are regarding issues facing their teenage lives, their school and their nation. In 1952, the outline for Chi Rho was just written in a piece of paper being debated upon by the faculty, staff and students of this very institution. It is doubtlessly a change that did not only require time and effort; it also necessitated a good amount of funds. Finally, after everything had been said and done, the first ever issue of Chi Rho was finally printed and consequently released. It became an instant buzz at Maryknoll College.

Chi Rho is one of the earliest cruciform symbols used by Christians. It is formed by superimposing the first two letters of the word "Christ" in Greek, chi = ch and rho = r. Although not technically a cross, the Chi Rho invokes the crucifixion of Jesus. By the year 350 CE, the Chi Rho began to be used on Christian sarcophagi and frescoes. Certainly, the use of the name Chi Rho for the school paper represents more than just words and articles on paper; rather, it signifies the values and beliefs of Miriam College on how they should express their ideals and opinions.

Chi Rho started out as the Maryknoll College Student Organ. Nowadays, we can still find the original Chi Rho newspaper printed way back in 1953 at the school library. During those days, the school newspapers were released monthly and printed in a bulletin form, which is very different from the newsletter and magazine types we have now.

On the other hand, what is almost completely retained in Chi Rho for sixty years is the same hierarchy of the Editorial Board. It consisted of the Editor-in-Chief, the News Editor, Literary Editor, Features Editor, Business Manager, Circulation Managers and Contributing Editors, along with their moderator and faculty adviser. In these positions, the first members of the Editorial Board were able to start and develop the concepts of Chi Rho. In the first releases, you usually found on the first page A Letter from the Dean, which was filled with words of wisdom and advice from the dean, with the purpose of lifting student morale and motivation. There were also editorials that spoke of the importance of the strong faith in God. Occasionally, there had also been a Meet the Faculty section, which focused on different faculty members and revealed sides of them unknown to their students. Another was the Whos who on the Campus section, which consisted of the names of the important people in Maryknoll: from the deans to the student council up to the freshmen college officers. Containing the most articles was the Features Section. They had the Movie Spotlight to give students ideas on what to watch at cinemas and what they could possibly expect from it, along with Tips for Teens or Teen Corners focusing on how-to-dos, while still upholding the Maryknoller image. Furthermore, unlike the Chi Rho we have today, the school newsletters way back had the High School Section and the Grade School Editors, which usually consisted of poems and stories on how a child views life in the loveliest manner.

With no doubts, Chi Rho had been a change to the entire Miriam institution. Now, it continues to undergo more series of change, in order to improve and develop its content, so as to further connect with its readers. To inspire and touch the students lives and make them see the world through a different perspective have been Chi Rhos intentions since 60 years ago. Now, we bear the fruit of the women leaders who began the school newsletter. It was a means they thought of to simply connect with the student body in a much deeper level that eventually became a school legacy.