UP @ 100: Ang Galing Mo!

“Narito kami’t nagpupugay sa unibersidad ng aming buhay…” *lalala.

These are some lines from the theme song of UP’s centenary. The line “UP Ang Galing Mo”, which is one of the celebration’s popular slogans, capped it. The song is sure to linger not only in the ears, but more so in the hearts of those alumni who attended the kick-off ceremony, especially the younger ones (like me… lol), since both melody and lyrics were able to capture the attitude and the spirit that makes one a proud UP alumnus. It sounded pretty much like any OPM rock song heard on the radio (which was cool), but it was the words which surely made the alumni look back on those years of hard work and fun they had in the university. The opening event was held in front of the Quezon Hall. Two of the activities which I thought were cool were the showering of confetti and balloons from the helicopter which was hovering over the venue (while the program was about to start), and the daredevil stunts skydivers bearing emblems of the different UP campuses did up in the air. The latter specifically left me in amazement. Imagine watching them like tiny dots up in the sky later to see them come alive with their colourful parachutes landing in an area at the side of the University Avenue! Whew! Haha… Astig! Another thing other people did probably appreciate was the lighting and relay of 100 torches carried by prominent alumni and students (like Ryan Cayabyab and that 100 year-old alumnus who was an engineer) of the university around the Academic Oval. President Roman mentioned in her speech that the lighting of the torch was a symbolism of the university’s “desire for knowledge” – a principle in which the institution is highly built on. She further explained that the cauldron represents “Excellence, Service, and Leadership” – three things which the university has been an example of, and which it aims to instill in the lives of each of its students. The event was, without doubt, monumental for it recaptured UP’s glorious moments – most important probably, that one of taking its part in the country’s contemporary history by producing some of her best, productive, and outstanding citizens. Indeed, enough reasons for me to sing “UP Naming Mahal” with pride!