CoEng'g holds first Hard Hatting, Pinning Ceremony

Samar State University’s College of Engineering (CoEng’g) hosted its first Hard Hatting and Pinning Ceremony at the university gymnasium last Wednesday, July 3, attended by third- and fourth-year standing students from the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) and the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE).

The ceremony commenced with a Thanksgiving Mass presided over by Rev. Fr. Ionnes Llego, RN, followed by a processional march featuring 50 students from BSCE and 16 from BSEE, along with academic officials.

During the ceremony, the students were formally accepted as official candidates for On-the-Job Training (OJT) by the Director of Student Internship Program, Dr. Gil Amoyan. However, Dr. Ronald Orale, faculty of CoEng’g, in his inspirational message, disclosed that some candidates lack requirements, casting uncertainty on their OJT prospects for the upcoming academic year.

“Today marks not just a step, but a significant leap into the professional world. Yes, because you are going to experience [it]. Hopefully, I don’t know if they are really going to the industry immersion. Some of you have lacking requirements, but for those who are going to do the immersion, be aware that you’re also carrying the name of the university,” Dr. Orale said.

Dr. Orale emphasized the importance of industry immersion for students entering the professional engineering world, aiming to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical application.

“The main aim of your immersion is to observe, learn, and understand how engineering is practiced beyond the theoretical boundaries of academia. While you might find that not all practices in the field align perfectly with what was taught in the university, this does not diminish the value of your learning,” Dr. Orale maintained.

The speaker also explained that wearing a hard hat, which, according to him, depends on the specific work environment of an engineer, symbolizes not just protection but also the responsibility engineers carry.

“There are arguments that a computer engineer does not wear a hard hat. It depends on where you work. A civil engineer, for example, for myself, I’m not always using a hard hat. But I am a civil engineer… So, a hard hat is just a symbol that you are an engineer. The hard hat is not merely a piece of protective equipment. It is a symbol of responsibility you bear,” Dr. Orale said.

Meanwhile, students in Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering (BSECE) and Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (BSCpE) notably did not take part in the Hard Hatting and Pinning Ceremony.