#ust2013

Here's a promise I kept to myself. A pre-graduation treat to myself (as I look back into my best year in college) and for my followers (those interested, haha!) as well. I now present snippets from my planners for A.Y 2012-2013.

2012:

January/Enero

Excerpt from a Jun Cruz Reyes reading from our Retorika class with sir Eros Atalia, one of my favorite professors in college.

"Quand on aime, on doute souvent de ce qu'on croit le plus." (In love we often doubt of what we most believe.)

Random quote from a book I picked up from the library when I was searching for Maxims.

Neo-centennial page, plus more random anniversaries I made up. :)

Neo-centennial free lechon and fireworks!

Charles Bukowski quote. One of my favorites I used for my Art Appreciation performance.

February/Pebrero

Was a busy bee during February last year mainly because of Finals, OJT requirements etc. Also, I was hospitalized on Feb. 3-14. Missed Valentine's Day.

March/Marso

Went to an awesome free concert before the last day of school. Presented my work "Ang Kalaban" for our Retorika finals.

Five cities in a day for our OJT hunting. First leg of our OJT in Ayala, Makati.

April/Abril

Excerpt from Lourd de Veyra's Insektissimo.

Holy Week at the Castro's in Bulacan with my blockmates. Then, watched the WrestleMania live screening at Trinoma.

Got the sports beat and covered FilOil, V-League and D-League games. Had the best April of my life. It didn't feel like work at all. :) 

May/Mayo

No UST games was a problem. Anyway, enjoyed watching ADMU, San Beda, DLSU, Letran, NU and other schools too. :)

Best birth month to date! I was working almost everyday in the sports beat and had lots of exposure to names, games and built a lot of friendships, too. On the last day of OJT, we hitched a ride with Mr. Quinito Henson and it was the best. :)

Also felt that I was almost there. I don't exactly know what 'there' is pero yeah.

June/Hunyo

Went to NU for interviews. Best time! :)

Went to my first NCAA game to support Letran.

First time entering the QPav for the UST-Perps tune-up game. Met coach Aric del Rosario. <3 I'll never forget! July/Hulyo

Growling Tigers' UAAP '75 Pep Rally.

Katawa si Khasim Mirza when asked about being beaten by the current Tigers. Sabi niya malakas daw Tigers kasi natalo nila yung mg professional ballers na and that's a good sign for the upcoming UAAP. Sabi pa niya "Ang laki ng ulo ni Fortuna, nahe-head fake ako." =))

First game of eliminations: UST-ADMU!

One of my proudest moments! Hahaha! Choz. Tigers ako eh. Best time with my friends! Pag ang tagal mong di nakapag-cheer (bawala kapag nasa cover/media row) sobrang saya mag-cheer mygash. I went crazy nung nalamangan na Ateneo tapos sobrang konting seconds na lang. HOLY SHIT THAT WAS AWESOME.

Segment shoots for our "Tomasyudad" documentary which bagged a prize for the best audio-visuals at the Philippine Student Quill Awards. :)

August/Agosto

Watched this game media-courtside with Randolph and Bong. Eventually had to transfer to regular seats (to establish not being biased as media people) because we literally just couldn't stop shouting and cheering. I died at OVERTIME. I swear.

Good advice to future journalists from Mr. Kane Choa, our Broadcast Communication teacher. September/Setyembre

I think this is from Ramon Bautista. This was the time everyone was literally cramming up for 10 pages of papers, papers everywhere.

Second game of eliminations: UST-ADMU!

LOL AYOKO NA MAG-EXPLAIN SA NANGYARI! Haha! I let my mom and my brother Miguel watch, too, since my brother wanted to see if Karim Abdul and Greg Slaughter were really that tall. :)

Went to the Manila International Book Fair with the best people, too. Plus! Ate Kath's birthday dinner after the game at Don Henrico's. :) BEST TIME!

One of the most stressful days: Final presentation of our section's hardwork. Our documentary is sometimes shown in the televisions of buildings, especially at the Main Building. :)

October/Oktubre:

First game of the UAAP Finals: UST-ADM!

Got a free ticket from a random stranger and a very good seat too! Seated beside an Ateneo alumnus, I swear baka nagkapatayan na kami kung di kami edukado. HAHAHA. I was shouting in fron of his face "___________ BAKLA!!" or "REFEREES AYOS NAMAN!" and laughed when someone from the blue shirts missed something. But at the same time, he did those stuff to me as well. GOOD GAME, YOU PERSON. BUT WE'RE NOT BLIND HERE.

Also, Finals week already started and the UST community is facing back-to-back Finals on and off court!

Interviewed Aljon Mariano for our SportsJrn video magazine and we also fell in line for three hours at TYK to buy our Finals Game 2 tickets.

Forever proud of whatever we accomplished Growling Tigers and UST!

O, di ako bitter! Haha! Babawi kami next year! :)

November/Nobyembre:

Started covering the PCCL at the Arena in San Juan. Naapakan ako ni Gabawan, zomg. Always getting the best of both worlds when covering UST-Letran. :">

No December/Disyembre. Probably to busy with thesis. :(

But this is the back pocket of my 2012 planner. Random ID's, regforms, quizzes, its of yellowpad etc.

2013

January/Enero:

February/Pebrero:

My six word memoir from the retreat activity: I DON'T ALWAYS HIDE BEHIND WORDS.

Hindi pa ako nakakapag-enroll sa college, inisip ko na kung anong mangyayari sa akin sa thesis months ko + defense. Ngayon nairaos ko na. Glad to have awesome thesismates. 

March/Marso:

That's a random song lyric (forgot what) for the last day of school. Umamin na kayo, mag-sorry, maging open sa mga kaklase niyo dahil hindi niyo na alam kung kailan niyo sila makikita ulit. Who knows

it might be too late.

That concludes my pre-graduation treat for everyone. And so that I may have something to look back on being this was the best academic year I had in my lifetime. :) 

It's probably weird to say this now, but I've had both my weakest and best points in UST. I sure did felt alone for a solid time, being sick made it worse. At times, I wonder what it'll be like if I died or something and I think God did save me (despite my black, resentful heart) because I haven't met people that would actually turn things around to make me happier.

Being a sportswriter wasn't even on my plan but I enjoyed it a lot more than originally planned. This is a confession: I took the sports beat because I wanted to see him for weeks of our summer break/internship. I didn't know anything about writing for sports, any terms or any rules. One day I decided "Heck I wanna see you" and so I did at my sports beat, enjoyed it terribly with my friends and mentors. And I got my wish and saw him for weeks. It sounded crazy from the start, but like anything else, you'll grow to like and appreciate it. Then you begin to love it and it becomes a part of you. 

Kumbaga, gusto kong habulin yung pangarap ko, tapos siya pa pala nagpakita sakin na iba yung pangarap ko (pero kasama pa din siya) charot.

And I would like to believe that I've done a great job in covering sports (even after summer season).And I wish my stories gave you enough reason to blog, support, cheer and be a Thomasian you are destined to be, kahit di sports or academics yan. Sabi nga ni Charles Bukowski, "Find what you love and let it kill you." <3

I never imagined in my whole life to be rubbing elbows with some of the greatest athletes and coaches in the country, let alone meeting them for once in my lifeor even whispering a congratulations or a happy birthday. I guess I am just so lucky and if I'll not do this for my whole lifetime, at least at one point in my life I can say "Hey I knew that person, and I think he knew me too!"

For all the amazing people I have met, for those who left and I have left, for those who stayed, thank you for everything. Those who believed, doubted and prayed, thank you for I have prayed for all of you. Thank you for giving me strength and continue to pray for me.

Thank you UST, I will always be proud of you. And I hope in the near future, it is your turn to be proud of me. And I will strive to do so.

I am Maxine Patricia S. Serafica, ID number 2009-002923, Bachelor of Arts Major in Journalism 2013, Thomasian, this is my story and now it's yours, too.