No way but UP for Christmas

Time has gone by pretty quickly with the Christmas season well on its way out and spending my first December in UP was nothing short of spectacular.

Just a heads up: I'm not the best photographer so please bear with my photos. Haha

Giver of light
The first Christmas event that I went to in college and I was awestruck with the beauty of the lights surrounding Quezon Hall, especially the lantern at the back of Oble, the statue.

The sense of community that I felt during the pag-iilaw was overwhelming, plus the lights being so pretty (for lack of a better word).

This, for me, is an artwork in itself. The juxtaposition of the star and Oble and how many ways you can interpret this  gives me the chills.

In my opinion, The pag-iilaw signifies the light that each UP student, teacher, faculty, or alumni brings the world, most especially the Philippines. We guide those in the dark, like people who are less fortunate, to the metaphorical light we bring. It also means for me that offering yourself to your country, or even to the world, selflessly gives you a sort of purity which people will see. Thus becoming an ideal person for the country.

Run for a cause
The Oblation Run was next in line for the three-event UP Christmas time. I was kind of excited for this event (NO NOT BECAUSE OF THAT HAHAHA but) because it's been a famous tradition of UP and being a part of a tradition makes you feel like you're part of something, like a community. I tried to take picture, but all of them turned out blurry so I just took videos instead. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.

Just look at the crowd! It was jam-packed in the AS lobby because everybody wanted to witness this annual event. 

I luckily got a rose. One of them just threw it. So I got it. I don't know where it came from, though....

The message attached to the rose being given out.

To my understanding, the Oblation Run happens because Alpha Phi Omega wants its voice to be heard and sometimes it takes measures like running around naked to catch the attention of the public. In doing so, their advocacies (this year being the 2013 elections) will be heard or at least be noticed. I think that this run shows a bond between the brothers of this fraternity and that they have a cause, although some people miss this point and go their for the benefit of their perversion or naivete.

Idiosyncratic Lanterns

And to top all of the events off, the Lantern Parade ended the UP Christmas celebration. All of the colleges and some organizations paraded around the Academic Oval to showcase their lanterns and their talents. 

The pep squad!

 The swimming team in their swimming attire. HAHAHA

They always say that in any written work, the beginning must always be related with the end, and UP also did that with the Lantern Parade. We are all light to the country. We are expected to lead people. But this light is different in all of us, some glow brighter than others but nonetheless we are all expected to be there for the people of the Philippines. I can't imagine not being in UP anymore. It has been really good and from this time until I graduate, there is no way to go but UP (pun passionately intended).