Chainsaw Man, Pikachu, and Red from the "Angry Bird" in one room.
Instead of a comic convention, the scene above took place during a university exam at Batangas State University Lobo Campus, located in the northern part of the Philippines.
The characters were worn as anti-cheating headgear by students of an agriculture course, who went viral after their lecturer, Angelo Ebora, shared footage of their designs on his social media pages on Mar. 19, 2024.
According to videos and photos uploaded by Ebora, besides characters from Japanese manga and mobile games, his students also turned up with designs incorporating their course subject.
Image via Angelo Ebora/Facebook
Image via Angelo Ebora/Facebook
Household items like rice cookers, baskets, and a cupboard box for alcohol also made an appearance.
Image via Angelo Ebora/Facebook
Image via Angelo Ebora/Facebook
Image via Angelo Ebora/Facebook
Initiative to help alleviate students' stress
Speaking to Filipino Television Network News 5, Ebora shared that he asked his students to wear the anti-cheating hats because he wanted to "alleviate his students' stress during their exams", in addition to reminding them about the importance of academic integrity.
While designing and wearing a creative headgear was not compulsory, those who turned up with one would be given five additional points on their exam papers, added Ebora.
Additionally, to help his students enjoy the course more, Ebora also encouraged his students to incorporate the theme of agriculture into their headgear designs.
When almost 70 students showed up to their exams wearing their anti-cheating hats, Ebora was deeply impressed as he didn't expect his students to take the initiative "so seriously", reported Filipino media outlet ABS-CBN News.
"I was also very proud of them," said Ebora.
Creative anti-cheating hats not new concept
While this is reportedly the first time that anti-cheating hats appeared on Batangas State University Lobo Campus, the same concept had previously been executed by university students in other parts of the Philippines.
In October 2022, students at Bicol University College of Engineering in Legazpi City also went viral for wearing anti-cheating headgear to their engineering midterm exam.
Similar to Ebora, the professor of the course, Mary Joy Mandane-Ortiz, was looking for fun ways to ensure integrity and honesty in her courses.
While she had initially asked the class to make simple designs out of paper, her students surprised her by turning up with headgear made from household items, like egg cartons, as well as those inspired by Halloween and their favourite anime characters.
Top images via Angelo Ebora/Facebook