LU 1 First Semester Events
I wasn’t able to update this blog regularly about the memorable events of my first semester, so I thought of summarizing them in one post.
1. Freshmen Welcoming Assembly
All incoming freshmen of UP Manila were gathered in the Girl Scout of the Philippines Auditorium along Padre Faura for a welcoming assembly. There were performances from different college and university-wide organizations, speeches from guest speakers and UP Manila’s Chancellor, and of course, a mini rally from the UPM’s student council. It felt surreal watching other UP students run up to the stage, carrying banners and placards while demanding for free education. For the last fourteen years of my life, I attended a small, private school located in a safe, peaceful village. This day marked not only the beginning of a more challenging academic journey, but also the end of comfort and familiarity. This feeling was underscored further after the assembly, as I crossed Taft avenue for the very first time, exposed to the heat of the sun and the smoke of pollution, walking past beggars and street vendors, just to attend my afternoon classes in Rizal Hall.
Handog is an annual event for freshmen, consisting of a Mr. and Ms. Freshie pageant and several inter-block competitions. This was the first event that required our block to work together, so it was quite difficult to assign committees and coordinate with each other. We had people selling Spanish bread to raise funds for our pageant reps while others participated in the inter-block competitions, shooting and editing videos and creating publicity materials. The actual event was definitely memorable because of the performances of the pageant reps, but what made it even better was the fact that the two blocks of INTARMED bagged many awards.
3. All Orgs Fair and UPCM Org Applications
During the All Orgs Fair, UPM organizations set up booths in Rizal Hall (aka CAS) to promote their org. To be honest, I did not really check out the fair. I wasn’t interested in joining university-wide organizations. However, I did check out Christ’s Youth in Action because I want to deepen faith and find a community of people who share my values. All the members I’ve met so far are friendly. Even though I’m not as active as I would like to be, many of them still greet me when we see each other around campus. Aside from CYA, I also checked out the organizations of my mother college, the College of Medicine. Most, if not all, CM orgs host a small event where CM students can get a glimpse of the org’s activities, members, and application process. I was not able to attend all, but I signed up for the organizations which interested me, such as Medical Students’ Society and PAGSAMA. Aside from this, I also signed up for the VolCorps of the Medicine Student Council (MSC). Yes, quite a handful, but since I’m still an applicant, the load is not heavy… yet.
This is not an official event organized by UPM. My blockmates just decided it would be fun to show up to class wearing our high school uniforms. It helped that there is no dress code in UPM. It felt good to wear my white blouseb and school skirt again, and it was also entertaining to see how my blockmates looked in their old uniforms. Looking at the photo we took as a batch made me feel super nostalgic for my high school days!!
From what I know, all History courses in UPM require one field trip per semester. In our case, we had a field trip to Batangas, visiting the shrines of famous heroes such as General Malvar, Apolinario Mabini, and Marcela Agoncillo. The scenery was beautiful (sorry this is all I could say, I’m not good at describing things lol), and the shrines were very informative. Also, having chips and packed lunch while riding in a bus made me feel nostalgic again for my high school days! After the field trip, we were required to submit a two-page reaction paper a few days later. It was worth 30% of my final Histo grade - already had four 75′s in our daily quizzes (RIP), so you can imagine the EFFORT I put into writing that paper.
TRP is one of the most-awaited annual events in the College of Med where students showcase their talents for dancing and performing. CM organizations and LU I & II students are required to perform a dance number, while LU III-V compete in a chorale competition. I don’t like dancing or performing (at all), but I REALLY enjoyed TRP. Since I applied to two orgs, I had a total of THREE dance numbers. I was even placed in front for all three, so you can imagine my initial apprehensions about the whole thing. But during the actual performances, I found myself smiling at the crowd and trying to pretend I’m a good dancer. Aside from this, it was fun watching the other performances, especially those of the upper levels. It amazes me how students in med proper (with a schedule of 8-5 every day) found time to choreograph their performances, much less rehearse regularly. I was also amazed by the efforts of the MSS members to organize the whole event. TRP was probably the highlight of my first semester tbh.
I wasn’t aware there was also an Oblation Run in UP Manila. On its scheduled time, my blockmates and I positioned ourselves in front of the CAS library on the second floor. Soft screams and laughter could be heard once several naked men started walking along the hallways holding placards. Somehow, it felt like my official induction into UP (LOL).
This took place at the end of the first semester, after finals week. Similar to the one in Diliman, each college is required to make a float/lantern that will be paraded along campus - or in UP Manila’s case, along Taft Avenue and Padre Faura. The actual lantern/float was made by LU III students - they did REALLY GOOD, can I just say - while the props were made by LU I students. I feel really GUILTY for not helping out as much with the preparations for the lantern parade, and I was even late for the actual parade. But I arrived in time to witness the announcement that our college won first place. When “College of Medicine” was announced, cheers erupted from our side. I found myself surrounded by people jumping and chanting the college’s cheer, and the whole thing just felt surreal. It was a great way to end the semester.
