Buhay Alumni sa Buhay Kolehiyo (An Introduction)

    Today is July 1, roughly 3 months and three days after Saint James Academy Batch '07 graduated after more than four years of laughs, thrill, sobs, and triumph in the Catholic school who prepared us to the gruelingc calls of college life. Thus I call my new series of life in college/post-highschool life as BUHAY KOLEHIYO.

    During my years in SJA, I noticed that after alumni have graduated from highs chool, they come back (at least four months, in time for the annual Enigma) with a whole new look. Alumnuses (sorry if I violated English laws), come back with long hair (kung minsan kalbo na), and a long-dormant fashion sense now awakened. Alunmnaes come back with their hair either got prolonged or shorten, and wear more fashionably "loud". These, according to my Gepsych instructor, are signs of freedom given to them by college life right after their permanent leave from high school.  What is taboo in the school is now embraced by many alumni.

    Those are the exact things that are shaping the members of Batch 07. Many have enrolled into many colleges and universities, the exclusive, the prestigious, and the popular ones located in Manila, with the Pontifical and Royal University of Sto. Tomas taking a big share from the batch 07 population (I'll go to SJA for thestatistics in case I'm wrong), followed by sectarian and non-sectarians schools like De La Salle University-Manila, University of the Philippines, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, San Beda College, UPHD, St. Paul Manila, St. Scholastica College, Mapua Institute of Technology (soon to be Malayan Colleges), Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Ateneo de Manila Univeristy, and a whole lot more. There also some members going to study abroad such in a case of a batchmate who is the son of my dad's college buddy while those prefer to study in the provinces.

    Of course, the Jamer image of Batch 07 will slowly erode with their eventual assimilation to their new schools. Terms like "Iskolars ng Bayan", Thomasians, Lasalistas, Atenistas, Letranites, Bedans, etc. will become an ever common word for all of us and by the time we graduate, say 3-5 years later, we will call ourselves as Lasalistas, Atenistas, Iskolars, Thomasians, Tigers, Blazers, Altas, Heavy Bombers, Stags, Knights, Archers.

    Since it the first term (in the Benildean school year) has just started, we're still kinda shy with our new blockmates, since they are in the same position as us. But in the following days, we started grouping together, knwing each oher a little more and eventually disperse to form barkadas within the block. Take the case of some fellow Jamers who are frosh Benildeans, though separated with each other, they found comfort withtheir new found friends and they can all be seen together laughing, with or no contact with other block sections unless you know one of them or that they are your schoolmates in high school.

    Gold and blue are the school colors of Saint James, but you ain't be seeing it nymore as you have to raise the colors of your new-found homes. Green-white for La Salle, Maroon for UP, Blue for Ateneo, Gold for USTe, Green-white-balk for Benilde, red for San Beda, Gold-red for Mapua, etc. I don't know but the feeling of being proud of the colors of you college stemmed into your personality. Cheering on every event, whether they are the NCA, UAAP, or any other, feel mo, super proud ka na naiwawagayway ang mga kulay ng iyong mga paaralan.

    Eventually, after around two terms, initial frosh block sections will dissolve and the froshes will be mixed and assigned to a new section with a whole new set of new faces. you will have to forge new relationships for never can the bonds existed since high school can help you cope with changes but will drag you down.

    Never do we know what college life can offer to us, never can we expect what will happen but we will know a little part of us, a part of us that we never realized that itw as there all along. We find ourselves discovering who we really are and what we can really do. Oppurtunities to show our talents will give us the freedom to do our things, things we failed to show in hign school.

    A change in look is alos evident. Old secular colleges may still have to wear uniforms but hey, there's no qualms about our hair so bear with it. While liberal ones encourage to dress what we wanna dress although to some parameters with due respect to the inistitutions we are attending. Uniform or no uniform as long as you neveer regret to study to that school is okay.

    The bully will be bullied, the bullied will be brave, the brave will be scared, and the scared will become a better person. The popular does not always have to be top and that the not so smart guy can shpw what he's really made of.

The life of alumni in their college years isabout to unfold as we become more comfortable to show it all. What we thought we can't is actually the opposite. Academics is still there but it will no longer going to b like those in high school. As we create paths for ourselves, from the courses that we have chosen to pursue. Nothing can hinder us to achieve what we can do.

    Alumni of batch 07,  proud and true Jamers. values instilled in us will give us guidance to new challenges ahead. Moving on with our lives, but holding on to what was taught, what was then ignored, will soon be redeemed. Who wil make a mark, who will make us proud, who will make us ashamed, how will we ever survive. Are we to part ways for the better good.

    Iyan ang mga tanong sa isip natin. Hindi natin alam ang gagawini. Pero bilang mga alumni ng Saint James, alam natin na kahit baguhin man natin ang itsura natin, kahit pakaluhin man o pahabaan, gugupitin ng maikli tayp ap rin ito. Kahit hindi madali, kaya natin ito. Buhay natin bilang alumni ng SJA ay panghabang buhay, dahil atyo pa rin ay babalik sa ating pinanggalingan. Kahit kung tayo ngayo'y hinuhulma ng ating mga bagong tirahan, may lugar pa rin ang ating eskwela sa ating mga puso, isipa't damdamin.

Our lives as alumni have just began, so just live it.