A day filled with a flow of different emotions!
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Photos are mine
Happy salt air season, hivers! How is your August going so far? On my part, we are finally sailing onto the fresh start of our classes, which is why I have not been able to share with you more stories of my life. However, I am now back, ready to bring you another story!
The first week of class could really trigger a lot of varying emotions in different kinds of students. It may be due to a new environment, old acquaintances, unfamiliarity, higher expectations and goals, and many other things to consider. I, entering a new chapter as a senior high school STEM student, felt pressured, excited, nervous, and joyful — it was like feeling everything everywhere all at once. It was a new battle to be a warrior, anyway. I was set on a new quest toward unfolding a better version of myself, a preparation I needed to take seriously. A lot of things were laid out in front of me — a new set of goals to achieve, responsibilities to fulfill, and a different level of pressure to manage. Immensely exhilarating, right? (I'd love to read yours as well in the comments below.)
But for now, let's get onto the brighter part. We all expect a new school year to be filled with more lessons to learn as well as different experiences that would surely complete the journey of a student, and the Supreme Student-Learner's Government (SSLG) of our school understood the assignment. Then there was the inside-out movie-themed "pakighimamat" or "to meet" (acquaintance) party, gathering both the old and new students of our school, promoting the different science clubs, arts majors, and other school organizations through booth bazaars and performances, and most importantly, validating the different emotions felt by all!
The acquaintance party celebration started with a mass in the morning to, of course, offer the start of a new school year to God. To thank him and to ask him for guidance along the new journey.
Crowd sprouted as the afternoon program started!
Students were instructed to wear a shirt with a color that corresponds to a certain emotion from the inside-out movie. This serves as an act of expression for how they truly feel. The colors—red (anger), blue (sadness), yellow (joy), green (disgust), pink (embarrassment), orange (anxiety), indigo (ennui), and purple (fear)—were present that day.
Live, laugh, love research (repeat until true) Haha!
Sci-math club's mini gallery.
By the artistic minds and hands of visual art students!
Photo Owned by: The Bogo Times
In the afternoon, the first part of the program was the club and organization booth exploration. There was the Science and Math Club, showing off scientific experiments and a mini-gallery of past activities; the robotics club and their robot displays; a research club featuring past studies that have contributed to society; the YES-O club; a journalism booth; a campus ministry booth; a GSP (Girl Scouts of the Philippines) booth; a display of visual artists' work; and many more interactive things displayed on both sides of the school area. Each was featuring their exquisite deals to recruit new members for the club, plus free stickers were given to everyone!
Emotions everywhere!
Around 3:00 pm, the second part of the program started. Echoes of different emotions came rushing through as we were all gathered in the quadrangle for the performances prepared and lined up for the rest of the afternoon. The students were then grouped according to the emotions they were each wearing, and then random questions for random teams were asked. Games like "group yourselves according to" and "emotion chain" were also led by the emcees' of the said program.
The famous meet-up scene of the quadruplets in the film, "Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy" starring Vice Ganda.
"My spaghetti has saaaucee made with freshly-picked tomatoes from the high mountains of ITALLYY! What about yours?" Of course, another film starred by Vice Ganda, together with Awra Briguela and Coco Martin, "The Super Parental Guardians."
Photo Credits: The Bogo Times
Next was the presentation of the theater arts students, done in such a creative and interactive manner! All we thought was the pure acting performance offered by these talented individuals; however, it was brought with a twist, similar to It's Showtime's segment, Showing Bulilit. The student actors and actresses imitated trending scenes from famous Filipino films, and we were all up to guess the title. Presented were the funny scenes from "Beauty and the Bestie," "Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy," "Must Be... Love," and more. As the scenes were getting more familiar to everyone, they were all raising their hands, doing everything to be noticed by the hosts, to be picked to answer for a prize that greatly awaited. With that, joy dominated the whole area! It was all laughter and amusement that we could hear the whole time.
Bini Kurasistas!
Photo Credits: The Bogo Times
BINIgnit in our area!
Tell me WHYYY they get the the "vibe"
The showcase of talents did not end there. The performance offered by the dance majors stirred up joy in all BINI fans as they danced the day away to the hit song, "Pantropiko." Plus, the surprise presentation brought by "BINIgnit," which is composed of boys from the STEM department, showed off a dance of "Salamin" by BINI. Joy in everyone did not hold back as we witnessed another mimicked presentation of the Grade 10 Backstreet Boys, bringing us back to the 19's with their performance of the famous "I Want It That Way." It was a show of entertainment that everyone wanted to last.
Everyone else was excited for the announcement of the raffle winners. Each was holding tight to their tickets, hoping to hear their ticket numbers being called. Luck was not on my side at that time, but what would be the probability of being chosen out of hundreds of students, right? Still, we had a fun time cheering for those who were luckily called to receive the different prizes prepared by the SSLG.
What a sight to remember and keep forever.
Beautifully captured by: The Bogo Times
Before we hop onto the latter part of the program, let me share with you the part that left us all in awe. The lighting of the floating lantern! We were in a big circle as it was being worked on. It served as a symbol of light that would guide us in the sense of the new school year. It took a few minutes before it totally flew off to the sky, and as it did, everyone was shouting and singing along at the majestic sight. We could see that the other emotions, except for fulfillment, left the students' faces.
The feels were there and it will always be with me.
After that momentous part, my friends and I were back to having a feeling of "fear." But it was not in a bad way. Part of the program, which was to be done on the last part, was the balloon splash. However, we were already seeing other students carrying water jugs, obviously preparing for it. We, however, did not want to be part of it since we don't want to ride off the bus wet.
The talented music majors that we have admired!
Eventually, our fear went off as the band performance followed the floating lantern moment. The band, encompassing no other than the selected amazing talented music majors of our school, has never failed to bring us jamming moments ever since. They have always been performing a variety of songs known to everyone, serving vocals and talents in playing instruments. We sang our throats out to Sabrina Carpenter's "Please, please, please" and Jessie J.'s "Price Tag," and many other songs followed. The band performance was always on the latter part to make sure that we all went home, bringing with us the feelings that each song offered and the footprints of joy and enjoyment that we had during the day.
As the time came for the balloon splash to start, I, along with my friends, ran away to leave the crowd. We were barely laughing as we reached our classrooms and went out of the school to escape the splashing part.
The last photo I took, all of them soaking wet after the balloon splash, before rushing home.
It was a way to start the new school year. To take a break from all the confusing emotions that academic pressure gives us. To feel validated, seen, and appreciated by the amazing peers who get it! Whatever or however you may be feeling, it is never wrong to take a different turn and enjoy the fun times offered. It was a reminder that, despite the exhilarating mix of emotions classes made us feel, it is okay to enjoy and have a short time of fun.