Love Letter

Dear freshie,

Hello dearies. I’m Charisse. Or may I say, your ate Char. I’m an alumna [this word makes me sound really old] of the best-est dorm in the whole UP-niverse, *drum roll* Balay Lampirong Freshmen Hall 1. I am now in UP-Diliman, but oh no, I will never forsake this dorm. So here I am! I have a [not-so-short] story to tell you dear freshie.

Not so long ago, I was one of the amazing, incredible, talented, beautiful, intelligent, [insert egotistical adjective here] centennial batch of Hall 1 dormers. I once inhabited room 102 with my obsessive-compulsive, extraordinary roommate and my over-achieving room-hopper-mate [You know who you are]. Every room in hall 1 has a story to tell. Ours was a story of daily slumber parties, gossip girl marathons [it was the fad during our batch], girl talks and endless episodes of coffee dependency especially during finals week. Just like you guys and girls, I walked those corridors, bathed in the shower room, slept in that bed, studied in that carrel, paged with that ancient paging system, partied in the multi-functional lobby, hydrated with that dispenser, made coffee with the overused heater, did my vanity in that lobby mirror and walked in and out of the glass doors of hall 1 every single day. I also have my share of [short-lived] dorm crushes, spine-tingling “ghost” experiences and pasaway moments that until now, only a single soul knows.

Oh well. My reminiscing of my hall 1 memories has practically took up the introductory part of this blog post. I bet you got bored reading my nostalgia and skipped to this part. That’s alright. It’s just that there are too many great and wonderful things to write about hall 1. But I must go to the very core of this blog post. The part where I tell you one of the few good decisions I did while I was a freshman. And that was the decision of becoming a part of the House Council. I was the Liaison Officer of Balay Lampirong House Council 2008-2009.

When I decided to run for office, I had no clear idea what I’d get myself into. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Ten teenagers were given this enormous task on their tiny, inexperienced hands. We were like a dull pencils being sharpened. We had to face real-life issues- money matters, internal conflict, apathy of dormers- that altogether forced us to act and think as young adults with responsibilities. Every activity was like a huge hurdle that we had to conquer. Being in the House Council was an additional 12 units. Haha! I have to say that I’ll carry as a status symbol the success of the Lampirong Days during our batch. It was a time in my life that exhaustion became my friend because I was already used to it. I'd return to my room like a lantang gulay. Even in my dreams, I'd still think about the activities we'd have to plan. And yes, dear freshies, I lost weight during the preparation week of Lampirong Days. It was that crucial. I became a House Council major.


But at the end of the day, it was all worth it. All the gallons of sweat I perspired, the creative juices I excreted, the number of hours of sleep I gave up were all paid off. At the end of the year, I’ve found friends in my fellow House Council members. Through the storms, we somehow found good company in each other. I found the better version of me. I learned to use my initiative, to work with different personalities, to work under time pressure, to practice professionalism and most importantly, I learned to become a leader. I survived being a House Council without sacrificing my academics and I sure do deserve I pat on the back. It's a bragging right!

I have bigger responsibilities as a student leader right now, but the core values I learned in being a House Council officer help me every step of the way. Being in the House Council made me realize I am capable of leading and achieving if I give my heart into what I am doing and If I sincerely go the extra mile.

Sooo, to the Balay Lampirong House Council 2009-2010, I hope you get inspired and encouraged with my story. Awaken the leadership potentials in you! You go gerrl! Remember the parable of Talents in Matthew 25 and bear in mind that being in the House Council is a stepping stone in growing those talents you have in you. Whatever burden you have, there is a God that is so much bigger than your problems. I congratulate you for taking the lead. Being the wallfower is boring. So step it up guys. You have a long way to go! ((:



A forever hall 1 lover,
Charisse <3