Hereafter, Wonderland: After Paskuhan

By Christina Marie Peñaranda

The night after the fireworks display on the 19th day of December 2022.

Thomasians started to leave the campus by 9 p.m. as the lights closed one by one. The

annual Paskuhan festival had finally ended after three years of waiting since the

pandemic. After all, the most awaited event had eventually come to an end. The magic

gradually slowly faded away. However, the night is still young. There is still more magic

left by the street of V. Conception Dapitan. Despite another long year break, the After

Paskuhan Party had finally come back. The main event might be over but the after

event has just begun with even more intense.

The crowd became wild as the blaring music made its way through the streets of

Dapitan. The Biggest College Street Music Festival in Manila had finally returned in its

seventh year. With an affordable price of five hundred pesos with free drinks, how can

you say no to that? The Music festival only took place once a year, immediately after

the celebration of our Paskuhan tradition, and it also featured some of the most talented

and well-known performers in the country these days. Our main attraction for the event

is Denise Julia, a young Filipina R&B musician with her famous hit NVMD, which went

viral from TikTok and other social media platforms. Al James one of the most famous

and well-known rappers in the Philippines. It is impossible if you haven’t heard his

songs from those parties you’ve been to, like Ngayong Gabi, Repeat, Pahinga, and

many more. Marina Summers, one of the youngest and most notable Drag Queens in

the country. She is the runner-up from the first season of the reality competition
television series Drag Race Philippines. She also released her song, Divine, I have

arrived, and her latest release, Ride 4 Me. Of course, we wouldn’t forget our

homegrown Thomasian Talents and DJs. We couldn’t start the party without them.

There is no more such thing as silent evenings in Dapitan because the streets are

now filled up with people. The evening was magical, with everyone singing along to

every song and dancing the night away with their barkadas. The song's beat

synchronized with the beaming lights around the stage. White and red confetti drifting

through the air. The night lights shone brightly with the moon around the dark streets.

As the party goes on, you can hear the chants and the crowd's noise. And, of course,

what is the point of this party without drinks? The taste of alcohol is like necromantic. It

has a bittersweet taste that you can feel the burning sensation from your throat down to

your chest. It’s like entering a wonderland once again. The moment was surreal and

mystical. It’s like stepping out from the real world and embracing the extraordinary side

of it, meeting new and eccentric people as Al James threw his drink in the crowd to

bring the hype up even more. It’s rare to live in the dream and escape from reality for a

moment.

Every College student deserves a night out after a stressful week from the finals,

especially if you are hung up after the concert. It is the perfect time to celebrate your

success from the dreadful hell week. It should be a memorable night with your friends

right before the Christmas break starts. We must spend the whole night while we still

have the chance to have fun before entering the war again for the next semester. You
can finally mingle with our fellow Thomasian students, alumni and even meet anybody

outside the university. Having fun is never a crime unless you can take full responsibility

for yourself and also for your friends. After so many years of staying indoors during the

pandemic, the night should be a memorable and unique experience for us. Our college

life will only be complete with experiencing the beauty and magic of nightlife after

spending three years studying and locking ourselves in our rooms without even

rewarding ourselves after we pour out all of our blood, sweat, and tears to finish the

term. There are only a few years left for us to complete our college experience. We've

missed out on all of the fun and excitement that has happened in these previous years.

The pandemic stole every moment we should have in this university. We also deserve

to release our stress and frustration in our bodies and make new memories as a reward

for ourselves after surviving the whole term. Just take a break for a moment, unwind

from the pressure of everyday life, and let go of all of our worries in the past. So, let’s

savor every moment we have before we move on to the next milestone of our lives.