By Marielle Orbong

Loud clamors and warm cheers surrounded the senior high school community as students, brimming with curiosity, took their time interacting with the creative booths set up across the first-floor foyer of the Ateneo Senior High School building. Occurring throughout the whole week, this is what a glimpse of a typical day during Council of Student Committees (CSC) Advocacy Week 2024: Ilaya looked like, with each display prepared by various Sandigans and Special Committees welcoming enthusiastic crowds to showcase their objectives.

While all of them emphasized their own goals, the preparation of Bluebook, Fair Committee, and Mapulon resonated in sharing a similar goal — echoing the vivid experiences of Ateneans through their own, unique ways. Looking at the bigger picture, beyond the colorful moments that all three of them brought to the student body, they conducted their booths with a greater purpose in mind—fostering  meaningful growth within Ateneo.

Yesterday’s Rewind

Recalling our past, we might view a series of unforgettable and remarkable memories replaying in our thoughts. 

Aiming to spotlight these memories, Bluebook sold relatable stickers and established a memory wall entitled “Bente Kwatro-Singko,” that enabled students to relive and reflect on their senior high school voyage thus far. They generated a variety of prompts to engage everyone to share their recollections, which they can write on a notepad and post to the board.

This served as an avenue not only for reminiscing about the wonders of yesterday but also for cultivating a welcoming environment for the community to voice out their sentiments by sharing them with the other students as well. According to their overall secretary, Danica Guerrero, the organization embraces the accomplishment of being an effective space in promoting their mission, considering the smiles reflected on everyone’s face after visiting their booth.

“Feeling ko na-provide namin ‘yung justice ng advocacy namin in giving the students the freedom to express their emotions, their experiences, and their memories here, and to share it with everybody else,” she expressed, noting their achievement with enthusiasm.

Aligning with one of the book’s core missions and visions, the remarks written in each notepad are more than just simple letters, as the words ignite the essence of their theme, contributing to the possible write-ups to be added to their batch’s yearbook. Moreover, witnessing the fruit of their ideas, the overall secretary shared her happiness and fulfillment.

“Everyday, kapag bumaba-baba ako and tsini-check ‘yong booth namin, puno lagi ‘yong booth and minsan may mga lumilipad pang sticky notes. I became happy and it was so memorable, kasi first time lang din namin mag-organize ng ganitong booth,” Guerrero exclaimed, delighted with the number of students who interacted with their organization’s booth.

Concluding their CSC week, Bluebook was able to exemplify the key role of being a safe space for the students to share the rewinds of their past experiences and to be heard by others as well.

Present’s Presence

Going back to the current moment, it is undeniable that the stories we confront as students may not always be as remarkable as we expect—in a positive way that is.

With senior high school being tough at times, Mapulon fashionably steps in to strengthen various mental health advocacies through the jewelry products they prepared named “Kinang.” In collaboration with Anything by YHD!, the organization displayed pieces, with each design having its own meaning that reflects the core of their advocacy such as their butterfly necklaces fostering ‘growth, rebirth, and beauty,’ butterfly pieces with purple awareness ribbon for those with health challenges, and their semicolon necklaces showcasing the beauty of continuing in life with solidarity with those who are struggling.

Mapulon co-head, Shemariah Uy shared that their booth not only raised funds for their upcoming elderly outreach program in 2025 but also deeply touched their organization’s mission to promote the concept of caring for the whole person by reminding both wearer and onlooker that each of us has our own story of growth and renewal.

She happily emphasized that “Being given the opportunity to share the advocacy behind the jewelry to our customers is one of the most personal ways that Mapulon members have been able to share about the diverse aspects of wellness which are in need of awareness and support.”

Aside from successfully imprinting the significance of recognizing the aspects that Ateneans feel and face in the present, she stated that sharing the meaning behind each of their jewelry pieces with those who purchased them was the most fulfilling part for her, as she saw her fellow students show interest not only in wearing the designs but also in understanding the meaning that each piece carry.

“I hope that these pieces of jewelry will continue to aid the wearers in spreading awareness regarding the issues connected to them, as well as encourage them to keep growing in Cura Personalis!” Uy shared enthusiastically, carrying the dream of leaving a lasting symbol from the products they sold.

The overall mission of Mapulon proved that each of us can still shine in our own ways despite the challenges we bear, just like the symbolization of their booth “Kinang.”

Tomorrow’s Sneak Peek

Moving forward, what awaits in the future matters just as much as the best things that happened yesterday and today. 

Aiming to prove the importance of having a good outlook in the days ahead and to entice the whole senior high community for the upcoming events in the following months, the Fair Committee launched “Fair-pect Chance,” which is a special raffle intended to encourage student participation while underscoring the Fair’s objective of being a pleasant and memorable event. They intended to utilize this chance to promote the event, encourage participation, and foster a sense of community.

With the charisma of the booth attracting attention, the organization’s overall head, Ava Tan, acknowledged her delight in witnessing the success of their preparation, making it a ‘powerful platform,’ to cultivate involvement in line with the committee’s objectives. Through this result they garnered, they not only left a meaningful experience to the students by highlighting community pride and the importance of giving back, but also contributed to the school’s Christian Service and Involvement Program and scholars.

Reflecting on the greatest influence this week left her with, she remarked that the students’ effort played a huge part in making their booth successful as well as in instilling a significant purpose in the community.  Aside from these memorable encounters, Tan added that “The excitement of engaging with others and the anticipation of winning tickets creates a fun and memorable experience for this year’s CSC Week.” 

Aligning with these accomplishments, the organization extends its appreciation to the CSC for being an avenue to strengthen its core mission and advocacy. This experience went beyond leaving a lasting experience for other people, as it also opened opportunities to promote healthy relationships between the organizations.

In Tan’s own words about the performance of Fair during CSC Week: “The collective efforts and the visible impact of everyone’s contributions made the experience so fulfilling, leaving participants and committee members with lasting memories and a deeper appreciation for the value of teamwork and community. Further promoting what the Fair Committee and CSC as a whole stands for, doing all that we do, forever in the love, light, and service of others.” 

Capping off this week-long event opened doors to shed light to the ASHS community on how the organizations forming these sandigans and special committees serve as the backbone of the school in reminding us to be persons with and for others by empowering the various advocacies they have.

Despite being anchored towards various initiatives to promote their unique objectives, the booths they displayed served as evidence to prove that looking back on the most memorable experience in Ateneo just like what Bluebook did, aiming to grow day by day with the reminders of Mapulon, and looking forward to the future from the Fair Committee are some of the best key ingredients that make the short duration of CSC advocacy week a lifetime memory.