A U-Week of

Memories and
Braveness

By: Sheridan Lei E. Montero

BSN-N06
I've never been fond of social gatherings or any events that require
socialization because I am an introvert, and I like keeping my space
and my circle small. Hence, when I learned that our institution would
be celebrating its 60th anniversary, my initial reaction was more
depressed than happy because students will be able to enjoy
themselves and have fun without having to worry about homework
and quizzes because academics will be put on hold. So, when u-week
arrives, I was force to somehow go out of my comfort zone and
interact with people I am stangers with in order to get by, and survive
the week, and as per requirement of my college, attendance is a
must. I didn't really have a choice but to develop some courage and
take on the challenge.

Throughout the celebration, I was ecstatic and anxious at the same time. I am
ecstatic due to the prospect that I'm going to be able to experience the thrill
of entering a horror house and finishing the entire course of an escape room,
since I was always an avid reader and listener of mystery crimes. I am anxious
because I am uncertain of what will happen since I am unfamiliar with the
event considering this is my first time participating in the celebration despite
attending the school for 3 years now. However, with the many food stalls, I
am able to eat comfort food, and it somehow lessens my anxiety. I was also
able to witness all the exhibits of the different colleges available in the
institution, and to say I was amazed is an understatement. They are able to
present the distinct areas of their colleges through an interactive exhibition
of the different courses under that particular college. By the end of the
celebration, I had participated in the mass dance or the playground demo,
and I think it was the highlight of my whole experience of U-week. The weeks
of preparation and enduring the heat of the sun for practice really are worth
it since we delivered pretty well what was expected of us and beyond (words
of Sir Francisco Palma).

I was skeptical at first if I would enjoy the U-week considering I am anxious

when put in crowded places, and being with a lot of people in the same place
at the same time can be overwhelming, but I celebrated the 60th anniversary
of the UNO-R just fine, and for that I am really proud of myself. The U-week
didn’t just provide me with new more memories that I will surely cherish, but
it also made me realize so many things, like, we shouldn't let our fears get the
best of us because it will only keep us from the beautiful things life could
offer, if we just lived out there and explored. At first, I didn't factor out the
fact that, by coming out of my shell, I was able to meet new people and
befriend kind souls. Fortunately, I pushed through my fears and was able to
create new memories with my friends and classmates, and at the same time, I
witnessed and experienced the fun side of being a college student.
U-week memories