Now, every year we celebrate the Ateneo Fiesta. Months ago, my school’s oldest (existing at that time) building was burned to the ground. Burning with it the instruments where the institutional band practices, equipment from other offices. The sad part was that, it wasn’t just that building that got burned. 

One side of its neighboring building got caught in the flames taking with it the computers from the laboratory, documents from offices. Not only that, the cafeteria was also swallowed in flames, books and documents from the School of Law were not saved. 

All this left students shocked, faculties and staffs homeless of their offices, and alumni plagued by depression by the idea that their childhood building no longer exists.

what i am writing is how it all began, originally we were told to upload a photo. but since i find that a photo cannot represent how i feel, this time-lapse video could. also this is my blog so suck it up.

Now, why the video? This 8-second time-lapse video are of students, teachers, parents, and staffs of the institution who have come together to form a giant human formation that says ‘RISE ATENEO’. 

How I look at this situation, is that all these people have come together, they are brought together not because an incident has knocked on their door but because it is within our tradition to get together. We have only become stronger by this.

This is what makes us being truly Tested by Fire. Animo Ateneo indeed.