We never forget our first day in the College; the day we meet our first set of blockmates (who were once strangers we looked up on social media but now our closest friends), as well as the day we enter an entirely unfamiliar campus but now a sanctuary in this concrete jungle called Taft. It is the day we unlock another chapter in our lives as we take a step take another step towards the “real world.”
One’s first day as a frosh is always difficult, but with the right guidance, going through the first few weeks would be less intimidating. Thanks to the Student Trainers (STRAINS), the newest batch of Benildeans (bearing the ID number 118), need not worry about first day anxiety with the help of INTERAKTIV 2018. Upper class Benildean volunteers warmly welcomed over 2,500 freshmen and gave them a glimpse of what is to come during their stay in Benilde.
In Photos: INTERAKTIV 2018
“INTERAKTIV is called INTERAKTIV for a reason, to allow the frosh to mingle with other people and start their college life in the best possible way,” INTERAKTIV 2018 Project Head Ella Malibiran, who is also a Multimedia Arts student, said.
The safari-themed INTERAKTIV 2018, which happened on August 23, 24, 28, and 29, consisted of two parts: a theater program where students received a glimpse of Benildean culture and a classroom orientation which this year was turned into an Amazing Race which required students to roam around the College’s three campuses.
“Our main goal was to give a grand welcoming for the new batch of Benildeans. Along with this, we wanted to give them the basic information that they will need in order to survive Benilde,” Malibiran added.
Their goal for this year’s INTERAKTIV seemed to have been achieved judging by the numerous positive feedback given by the upcoming 118 students.
A number of freshmen expressed their gratitude to STRAINS for organizing INTERAKTIV 2018.
For incoming Digital Filmmaking freshman, Jann Liwag, “To be honest INTERAKTIV 2018 exceeded my expectations […] this is the first time I felt truly welcomed.”
“I know [Student Trainers were] very tired, yet they still managed to maintain their energy for us,” Liwag added.
“Student Trainers really took care of everything,” said another frosh, Vaughn Villacorte. The incoming Multimedia Arts student also shared his favorite part of the event, which was “[…] when we [freshmen] were at the theater or auditorium where the students had their performance about the safari […] They really gave me goosebumps.”
On the other hand, for Micah Quintos, an incoming Multimedia Arts student, “INTERAKTIV 2018 made me really excited for the years to come because I know I would be surrounded by passionate creators and really felt the Animo vibes. I’m really looking forward to a good and creative year.”
As Academic Year 2018-2019 officially kicked off last August 31, ID 118 students can take on the new challenge of college life while bearing in mind they can count on the Benildean community for support.
Photos by Kyle Bustos, Kel Santos, Tim Lubid, and Ricardo Yan II
