Heritage Builders, Order of Horace B. Silliman awardees to be honored
the Weekly Sillimanian
August 22, 2007

 

     For the first time, SILLIMAN University (SU) will honor deceased faculty and staff who have served the university for over 20 years, and recognize top donors of SU programs and projects.

      Ten members of the faculty and staff who have already passed away and have served in the university for over 20 years, will be recognized as Heritage builders.

      Each of their names will be permanently inscribed on a brick wall that will run along the SU Avenue near the university House, going towards the boulevard fronting Silliman Hall, and up to the side of the Administration building. The unveiling of the wall is slated on August 28.

      SU President Ben Malayang III said; “from the janitors to the deans, they will be recognized as heritage builders. It is about celebrating the lives of faculty and staff of the university who [have] dedicated more than 20 years of their professional career with Silliman. It is simply to acknowledge this commitment of service by that simple but meaningful gesture of permanently placing their names on the wall.

       “Since we’ll start on 2007m we’ll have ten adobes. Then hopefully in the next years, the frontage of Su Hall, towards the sea, will be filled,” Malayang said.

      Malayang added that in case of storms and big waves, the wall will also serve as a protection of the SU Hall and the sea. Being 104 years old, the SU Hall will the oldest standing in the Philippines and preserving it is deemed necessary.

       “We are going to inaugurate the concept of the wall on Founders Day. Before the Outstanding Sillimanian Awards ceremony ends, everyone will be requested to rise in silence to acknowledge that behind those that become Outstanding Sillimanians are many faculty and staff who dedicated their lives in making Silliman education,” Malayang explained.

      As of press time, the list of faculty and staff to be honored has not been finalized.

      Meanwhile, on August 25, twenty one different individuals, families and groups will be given the honor of the Order of Horace B. Silliman at the Silliman Hall grounds.

      Office of Information and Publications director Mark Raygan B. Garcia said that the purpose of the award is to give honor to those who have been helping build a greater Silliman and achieve the foals of the university through donations of capital assets such as land, buildings and negotiables.

      The award, which was conceptualized by Malayang, is named after the philanthropist Horace Brinsmade Silliman whose $10,000 donation sparked the rise of Silliman University. The awardees were chosen based on their overall contribution to the university. According to Garcia, the nominees will be held just outside Silliman Hall near the bust of Dr. Horace B. Silliman.

      Order of Horace B. Silliman awardees