Flashback to April Fool’s Day 2011 when I was lining up at the registrar’s office to have my less-than-stellar senior year report card validated so I could confirm my slot in 2401 Taft Avenue. My phone was out of load so I couldn’t reply to my dad who was impatiently waiting for me in Gate 3 but the main focus of my thoughts were two things: my eleven-year tenure in STC QC ended not with a fizzle but with a bang before heading off to college (cue the Easy A reference) as well as a hint of disappointment because my grades weren’t as great when many of my classmates were so satisfied with the outcome of their report cards. My mood was definitely not at its brightest until a classmate’s mom started telling me how one’s high school performance has no bearing in predicting his / her success in college right after I opened up to her about my frustrations.
The advice my classmate’s mom gave me that day is still ringing in my ears four years later. Whatever she said became the pinnacle of my motivation to do well in all four years of college. On another note, never did I imagine how amazing life has been since the moment I entered the green pastures of the university known for its signature “Animo” ambience. It was at college when I learned the tricks of the trade that I barely experienced back when I was in high school, but not without a number of inevitable mishaps along the way. Many of these moments are so unforgettable to me I could enumerate them one by one right at the top of my head, maybe even in chronological order from my LPEP to the day I left my hardbound copy of my undergraduate thesis in the secretary’s table inside the Communication Department. Whatever, I’m up to this challenge.
Where do I begin? I’ll make this simple for the sake of readability and save everyone’s energy: categorize those school-related memories as written in phrases, no matter how amazing or awful it was, just the way it happened even not in chronological order. Whoever gets the opportunity to read the next dozen lines of this entry, I hope you are able to grasp the memories I’ve had without falling asleep.
First year:
Attended a two-day LPEP orientation from May 11-12, 2011. Met the rest of LR23. Learned to dance “Live It Up”. First official day of classes as a Lasallian on May 25, 2011 greeted by an elevator line in Andrew building that reached until the Gokongwei entrance. Lunches at Papa John’s, Gravy Fix, Agno, the sixth floor cafeteria in Andrew, any restaurant known to man inside EGI. Part of the ENGLCOM cluster A that was filled with random YouTube videos and an epic group project on grammatical errors wherein my groupmates and I roamed around U-Belt despite the rainy weather. Had a huge blunder as I forgot the rest of my memorized speech in FILKOMU yet got a 3.5 as my final grade. Missed the chance to appear on Unang Hirit during their live coverage of the Centennial Celebration on June 16, 2011 because the call time was at 3 friggin’ AM and there’s no way in hell I’d want to ride a jeepney in the dark but it was compensated by spending the rest of the day with my fellow IV-3 classmates Gox and Ange. Chilled and drew doodles on paper cups at Noriter. Mang Inasal and Mcdo Retiro lunch one hot Saturday in June with IV-3 which began a string of reunions with my beloved high school class: yearbook distribution in September, Ferica’s debut in October, Ocho’s debut in March 2012. Learned ballroom dancing, drank a few shots of cocktails and had a blast with my blockmates in the culminating activity inside Razon all during FWDANCE. Roundtrips to the library to photocopy readings. Went to Grand Valley for our SCIENVB field trip and it wasn’t exactly the best experience ever for many reasons. Survived Dr. Hila (KASPIL1), Sir Graeme (INTSOCI), Dr. Buendia (POLISCI), the one and only Miss Manlagnit (INTHROP) and so many other professors that year. Got furious over my embarrassing GPA in my first term of my freshman year when almost everyone made the coveted Dean’s List left and right only to be a first honors DL the following term after miraculously getting a 2.0 in SCIENVC (aka that chemistry subject I am pretty sure I flunked the finals yet survived) and made the list once again (second honors this time) in third term. Kevs’ and Monzie’s double birthday celebration at Robinsons Galleria, Tisha’s birthday lunch at TGI Friday’s, road trip from Sofia’s condo in Marikina to Zentea in Taft during my first term break, 18th birthday celebration with friends in Chowking and dinner with dad at Shakey’s Mall of Asia. Got a new Sony Vaio Y laptop not only as a Christmas gift but also as a reward for making the DL / replacement for my faltering Acer netbook. Finally was able to convince my mom to buy me a Blackberry. Basic hip-hop to the tune of “Fireball” and “Love on Top” for our first LEAP session held on Valentine’s Day with matching yogurts and epic ice skating fail in MOA. CWTS in Caloocan, so hello white shirts every Saturday morning. Met the best college squad ever in Monzie, Jeline, Tisha and Kevs plus a lot of other friends in and out of LR23. Gave in to Kevs’ pleas and tried out for Malate where I was admitted into the Marketing and Events session. Another road trip to UST, National Library and UP Diliman for our FILDLAR documentary on Philippine ghosts complete with no-sleep, 12-hour editing including subtitling the entire 20-minute video that I finished at 5 in the morning. Enrolled together with Tisha and Kevs in Robinsons Midtown on 11/11/11, the first time we got mired in the annual MyLaSalle Hunger Games. Interview at Philippine Daily Inquirer for our POLISCI final project in which I edited the video for three days.
Second year:
First term was the worst in all of the 12 terms I’ve had as a Lasallian. Advanced enrollment as a perk for being a first honor DL the previous term, resulting in long breaks with less company since my friends had different schedules. Don’t get me started with WIKAKUL and CITIGOV. First time to cross-enroll for MATAPRE in a frosh block coming from the College of Education (CED) where I was supposed to get a terror professor but ended up having a chill one in Sir Rigs instead. All those times I made sure my Blackberry’s battery is fully charged because of BB Social and constant hour-long recordings of Miss Velasco’s hilarious yet mindblowing lectures in INTFILO. All those suspensions. The qualifying examinations for Literature I failed twice, causing me to be delayed for a year which also directly led me to my decision to shift to another degree program. Being in GENDERS A55 aka the best among all the floating subjects I took in my entire stay, among which I was part of Luntiang Tadhana or the play we did for our finals. Got almost grounded for my poor performance in the first term but was then redeemed by two straight terms with very good grades, including a first honors DL award in the third term. Met new friends in all of my floating subjects. My experience as a student telemarketer for the Development and Alumni Relations Office while meeting some of the best colleagues. Tisha’s birthday celebration around Makati with the friends. All those times we watched films. Shopping trips with my girls. That moment when I watched a Cinemalaya film for the first time at Trinoma with only around 100 pesos left in my pocket. Attended Kath and Khar’s debut / concert and reunited with my HS friends. Applied to shift to Comm Arts and AB Psychology; got accepted in both but I didn’t hesitate to confirm my slot in Comm Arts. All those adventures when Monzie and I shared a SEVEN HOUR BREAK on Mondays and Wednesdays. That epic University Week concert and LEAP in 2013. Applied for Green and White and Green Giant FM, got accepted into both. Watched my former blockmates’ play for DRAMWOR then went to Exile with my girls on the last day of the school year.
Third Year:
Officially made the transition from Lit to Comm Arts. Studio tour in ABS-CBN for our INTBROD class. Bought a SLR for FOTOCOM, only to make it more useful than expected. Learned the following terms: overexposed, underexposed, rule of thirds, long shot, wide shot, close-up shot, portrait, landscape, panning, shutter speed, ISO. All those trips to UP Diliman, Quirino, SM Mall of Asia, and where else just to complete our FOTOCOM portfolio. Endured an hour-long line just to get a free Mochi after the Green Archers beat the Blue Eagles. Tried to keep myself awake from the boredom of MASSCOM every Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8AM. Stayed in school after my classes to boothman for the Green and White yearbook registration. The unforgettable first Student Media Congress, Green Giant FM DJ Hunt and the first Lakan Cup with my org. Watched Citizen Kane, The Bicycle Thief, Broken Blossoms, Singin’ in the Rain, Rashomon, etc. for my INTFILM with Sir Doy, the professor who went on to be my thesis mentor a year later. Made pitches for public service campaigns and stories for CONCEPT with Direk Joey. First time to do street photography, produce a horror / action / comedy film and music video for VPRODUC, learn how to write a decent screenplay, write an annotated bibliography, create my own radio show and public service announcement (PSA) for RADIPRO, write a police beat for WRITING, go to a lambanog distillery in Laguna for INSERCH and attend an overnight teambuilding activity for Green and White. Conquered Dr. Diaz and INSERCH by finding out I was a 0.2 points away from failing the subject and be potentially delayed for a year altogether the day after New Year’s Day 2014. Witnessed the DLSU Lady Spikers and Green Archers basketball team win championships in the same year. Watched the deciding game of the epic UST vs. DLSU UAAP men’s basketball finals October 17, 2013 = Animo Night aka the best night ever. Edited subscribers’ write-ups and revised my literary pieces for the yearbook not once, not twice, not thrice but FOUR times. Interviewed a travel agent and a high school principal, learned InDesign for PUBLISH while enduring Sir Gary’s endless stories on Christmas Island. Got extremely disappointed with my third term grades because had my RADIPRO grade been 3.0, I would have made the DL again.
Fourth Year:
The Virgin Labfest and Cinemalaya 2014. Met a bunch of personalities everywhere. Attended the second Student Media Congress. Produced a talk show, news program and game show for TELVPRO. Wrote a lot of screenplays and one-page concepts as a romantic techie story for a DIRFILM final project as part of my WRIFILM with Direk Joey. Sleepless nights and missed events due to Sir Groyon and his gut-wrenching NARATIV class in which I made a Narrative for Dummies booklet, wrote on my seedblog everyday for three months, and made my brain hemorrage by writing all these nine-act structure plots, character profiles and plot / character-driven narratives. MSMEDIA speaker series, watched a bunch of Pinoy indie films for INDIFLM, pitched a documentary series about people in photographs and interviewed TV editors, directors and executive producers for PRODUCE, stayed in school until 9PM and made a post-World War II horror film for DESFILM. Accepted the challenge of doing thesis alone, took two tries before my thesis proposal for the Agatha’s Six screenplay got finally approved, defended it on April 22, got 3.0 and had it hardbound for the University archives. The whole experience of being a production intern for my practicum in Matanglawin at ABS-CBN and Probe Productions for Dr. Tullao’s lecture series.
Everything and everyone encountered that school year.
There are so many memories of college I just want to remember for the rest of my life. Surely there are some moments I’d rather forget yet the pain it caused me through those experiences made me a stronger, better person overall.
Thank you to LR23, my CAM classmates, friends, professors, colleagues from Green and White, colleagues from my Matanglawin experience, Malate Literary Folio and Green Giant FM, START teammates, friends from different batches, family and God Himself for giving me four of the best years of my life. Truly, you made me a proud Lasallian. You made all these experiences worthwhile.
Will be writing about my graduation week in my next post!
