2018: Year in Review

We all have our own ORSEM experience, good or bad. Well, it is the very first thing we’ll experience as an Atenean, that’s why I would say it’s something that I’ll always remember. The thrill of going to college when ORSEM approached only escalated. It was unfortunate, however, that it was cut a day short due to weather concerns. On the day of ORSEM, that was when I met my block for the first time. I didn’t think I’d enjoy my block very much because honestly we were very different in terms of interests and all that, but I was pleasantly surprised when we really hit it off as a block. I actually think the events of ORSEM really helped with the block’s relationship because if we didn’t have one then we would just be a group of people in the same course studying the same things. That’s why I love my Secmobs and TNTS for making it a memorable one.

ORSEM took place the whole day until 9 PM at night. Although it was only a day, it really did feel like 2 days jam-packed into one. From performances from Babble, CADS, O-Film, etc, to the tours of the school, I enjoyed every single second of it. Until today, whenever I hear our ORSEM song, I can’t help but dance to it, and I know my fellow freshies, now sophomores feel the same. At night, I had a mini reunion with my old school-mates from Sacred Heart School - Ateneo de Cebu. It was also nice to see familiar faces there. In the night events, there were performances from bands and very talented freshies. It made me realize how Ateneans are so talented and really stand out, which motivated me to stand out in my own way. ORSEM actually inspired me to also volunteer for ORSEM. Aside from that, I’m also going to perform for Babble this year in ORSEM, so I’m very excited for that.

When you dorm in Ateneo, ORSEM isn’t the only thing that will welcome you to the Ateneo community. The dorms have their own ORSEM, called ARSA ORSEM, ARSA being the Ateneo Resident Student Association. ARSA ORSEM, is a two week long orientation seminar that aims to acquaint the freshies to not just the Ateneo Community but also to the community within the residence halls. There were so many events in ARSA ORSEM which really helped me become close with my FCC, which is our dorm family. We had Urban Challenge, where we went to explore Manila, ARSA EXPO, where we dressed up as characters as we completed a number of tasks, and an Amazing Race, an obstacle course challenge with your FCC that culminated in a mud crawl. The picture on the left is a picture of me and everyone who came from my old school before after the infamous mud crawl.

ARSA ORSEM, although it may seem just that, is not all fun and games. Many events were made, so we can learn how to live as a dormer, like how Urban Challenge challenges us to know how to navigate through Manila only using public transportation. Other events like the welcome dinner and the retreat taught us how to be grateful with what we have, and also to consider that, in ARSA, we believe in the four pillars. These four pillars are Service, Integrity, Solidarity, and Accountability. In every ARSA Project we hold, we have to assess whether our goals align with the Organization’s goals. The last event in ASRA ORSEM was Salubong, which was the culminating event in ARSA ORSEM. It was super fun as we navigated through school in blindfolds as our Hits and Heroes, our guides, brought us to our destination, where we there were performances and awardings. ARSA ORSEM will always have a place in my heart.