College, and beyond

To say I was a handful throughout the last four years of college is an understatement, which is probably why I’m having a hard time “officially” closing that chapter on this blog. I don’t know where to begin because quite frankly, I’ve had a lot of “beginnings,” from various organizations I joined to making friends who are now barely acquaintances.

But I think it’s unfair to post about anything else before I write the obligatory college entry, so, here I am, one week after graduation, trying to put everything in a nutshell.

For now I would like to ignore the Atenean tendency and not talk about magis, men for others, excellence or service that my education instilled in me. Do I believe in those ideals? Yes. Do I believe I have practiced them? Definitely. But I remember being an awkward freshman once and being unaware of what all of those values were supposed to mean. Really, that’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you didn’t graduate with an inkling of a social conscience then I don’t know where underneath St. Ignatius rock (which to my non-Atenean readers is our patron saint btw) you were living.

Those phrases, as nice as they sound, are representations of what I’m expected to learn. And I did, but not without getting lost, drunk at times, crying,  utterly ashamed, guilty, embarrassed and slightly heartbroken and betrayed first. What I remember most about college are the moments I didn’t really know anything at all (even though I thought I did.)

To me college is about the trifecta of experience, exposure and experimentation, which I believe plays a big factor in most aspects of love, life and career. College is about growing as a person, and you achieve that once you get most (if not everything) out of your system first. Change your hair. Take a risk. Make a mistake. College is the playground that grants you that freedom high school didn’t and the safety net that the real world won’t. You know what you genuinely like once you do what you don’t like, right?

I was a lot of things throughout college, but if anything, it only brought me closer to understanding who I really am and what I am capable of doing. Meeting all kinds of people from different backgrounds and with colorful personalities only made me see the people I can truly call my friends or the like-minded spirits I want to spend my time with. But each one, regardless of whether or not we’re only acquaintances now, taught me a thing or two about college and how to deal with the life beyond it. And for that, I am forever grateful. Thank you.

I can be…

...that ACOMM Vice President for Projects/career/ empowered woman/busy bee/

... Party girl, circa post-high school/ original Power Hour kid days

... Thespian, circa Blue Repertory/ All Shook Up Days

... Hipster, circa Status Magazine days (okay maybe people still call me this haha)

I can be part of these great community’s and barkadas.

a3 blockmates

URock days at NU 107. TRL = The Rica and Lisane Show

Student facilitator, circa INTACT days

UAAP family circa courtside days

NCAA girls circa courtside days

NCAA boys circa courtside days

ACOMM <3

Ateneo Student Leaders Assembly, Batch 9 and Facci core Batch 10

Blue Repertory

Singles group and extended family

ILTGN throughout the years

Original Power Hour days when Michi, Cara (and even myself) were still there

To the different boys who have taught me a thing or two about like and love

Guidon (Beyond Loyola and G magazine)

Xanland condomates

But the best part about college is coming full circle to the people who stuck with me from the very start.

My favorite girls

Facundo family

The working world awaits and more change is bound to come my way. I might not end up in the job of my dreams, and who knows what kind of personalities I might have to deal with. But one thing college taught me is that change is inevitable. Embrace it and you’ll continue to find yourself and the people who will stick around along the way.

Cheers to 2010!

What I love about anticipating the new year is reminiscing about the one that just passed. It’s a unique kind of conclusion that you can only arrive at once you’re nearing the end of an experience. Each of those 365 days may be unique and separate on its own, but as a whole, it’s interesting to see that there’s actually a common thread you didn’t even realize that you were subconsciously spinning. It ties the year together in a simple knot, and maybe if it’s been a good year, with a lavish bow as well.

That’s what I’ve noticed after doing these end-of-the-year recaps for 3 years. 2008 was a series of life changing moments. 2009 was about meeting people who’ve impacted me greatly. Now, after compiling this year’s review, 2010′s recurrent theme was this: investing in myself, pursuing the things that I wanted to do, and truly starting not to give a f*ck about what anyone else thought.

Overall, it was a good year that pushed and pulled me in all kinds of unexpected directions. It broke through my apathetic facade that  for once I cried (a lot) – for the good times and the bad, for the hopes and the disappointments, for taking the risk and then falling, for the moments when life felt shitty and the friends and family who helped me flush that shit down the toilet afterwards.

I feel that 2010 was the year I truly came to be – with my friends, family, work and most importantly myself, that I expect 2011 to continue being anything and everything but less. Cheers to my 2010 ! Thank you to those who made it particularly intoxicating!

Shameless plug?

It was only recently brought to my attention that my picture is on Chalk & Rebound Magazine. So, this entry is either 1. a shameless plug or 2. shameless vanity. Either way I guess just grab a copy now?

NCAA & UAAP court side reporters. I have no idea what this article is about but all i know is that I look kinda masungit haha.

This is for the URock jocks. I think I said something about tips for Christmas shopping for your boyfriend. I should’ve put a disclosure that 1. I’ve never ever shopped for a boyfriend because 2. I’ve never had one and 3. I’m not really the shopping type.

Cheerleader effect

What do you get when you inject the typically testosterone infested courts of basketball with a some estrogen? A cheer dance competition!

To wrap up the court side stint the courtside reporters of all the NCAA schools helped host the cheer dance competition complete with jersey dresses, short skirts (as in REALLY short skirts) and a whole lot of energy.

Now normally I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a cheer leading uniform. Even though I can be abnormally hyper at times and am able to pump up people pretty well, it’s a common misconception that I can pass for a cheerleader. Firstly, i’m not really built for it. Secondly, it’s because I never wanted to be.

But admittedly I am over exaggerating and it’s really not that bad especially once you get pass the general stereotype. Perhaps it’s just because i”m secretly jealous of their flat stomachs and ability to defy gravity through their bodies. They make fearless look fierce.

Plus,  it is fun to wear the uniform. The cheerleader effect is that it’s hard not to act the part when you’re wearing it. It’s even harder not to take all sorts of pictures because as girls, we’re vain like that.

Save the cheerleader? This time maybe not. Click to see why

Courtside conclusions

Paul Riceour says that identity is remaining the same throughout the changes which is exactly how I can sum up my stint with UAAP/NCAA. It’s only been my first year court side reporting and already I’ve represented 2 different schools in 2 different leagues under 3 different coaches. Whew. If that’s not change then I don’t know what is!

Undoubtedly, this season has been quite the ride for me, especially with the whole UAAP debacle. Personally, it was a test of character, purpose and growth. I had to make important decisions not for anyone else but myself which is difficult when there are just so many voices telling you what they think is right for you. At times even my own thoughts contradicted themselves.

But I found that when push came to shove the best choice was to listen to the one that got me started in the first place. The one that was still pure and untainted by the marks of circumstance. I had to ask myself again: Why did I audition to become a court side reporter to begin with?

Whether it was NCAA or UAAP or FEU or EAC, at the end of the day it was a basketball game to me and the rules were pretty much the same no matter where I was. I still got everything I hoped to gain: experience, growth and most importantly, a lot of cool stories to share. Everything else was just a plus.

After one of my games I remember telling my parents how much fun I was having and how much I enjoyed my team including the players and the coaches. And although my parents were initially against my decision to join NCAA, they could see from the smile on my face or from the enthusiasm of my kwento that I had made the right choice. The end doesn’t justify the means. The means is the end itself.

Like the Generals who are only on their second year in NCAA I was fairly new at this. At the beginning of the season we were both just names who no one really knew the story behind. And that was the task given to me by my producer hours before I reported for my first game. Not only did she say that she expected a lot from me but she challenged me to find out and share who the Generals were on and off court. And I think by finding their story, I found my own.

So, thank you to the boys and coaching staff of the EAC Generals who made me feel at home with NCAA. Thank you to ABS who gave me this opportunity in the first place including all the FD’s I made friends with. Thank you to Coach Nomar, previous coach of EAC for being a friend as well as a coach to me. And most importantly thank you to my parents who watched every game, whether on TV or live, and took me there too.

I don’t know where I’ll end up next year but one thing’s for sure. Although it was an unfortunate beginning, it was definitely a promising ending to a story that’s definitely one for the books.

Click for pics.

When life throws you basketballs

If anything, one of the most important things I’ve learned from court side reporting is to always be ready. After all it is a live broadcast and time doesn’t wait for any body.

One of the things that made the initial report nerve wracking was that I didn’t know what to expect. As much as I familiarized myself with the process, no amount of preparation could fully prepare me for that first game. Experience is truly the best teacher because there are just some lessons that are meant to be felt rather than taught.

But never feel too comfortable because you never know what kind of basketball life could throw at you.

In other words, anything can happen on and off the court such as:

• The player you’re originally supposed to interview hasn’t shown up yet so you have just a couple of minutes to pull new questions out of your ear that’s relevant to your new interviewee
• After your half time Samsung report you end up going out the wrong end of the gym  so you have to run across the court to make it to the dougout in time to hear the half time huddle
• Your ear piece starts going funky and you can’t hear the panel introducing you so…
• You’re either not smiling when the camera is on you or panic begins to tongue tie your words
• Your player is injured so you have to investigate but that means less time to write/practice your report or in my case being disconnected from what the panel had already said about it
• Or my personal favorite: You’ve been waiting to deliver your 1Qtr report since the game started but your FD tells you to do it after the first time out. And just when the buzzer sounds he’s frantically motioning at you to come back. And as you hear the panel start to announce your name you’re still running back in a hurry!

So far that has been my experience in a nutshell. Ultimately I’ve realized that the ball is round and so is court side reporting. Anything can and will happen so you have to learn how to deal with the pressure with a smile.