649

650

Marie Charmaine F. Alvarez

AB Literature (English)

One day you’ll meet a stranger. The look in her eyes is

unmistakable. Everything falls silent before it. Then she
smiles and you feel as if you’ve known her all your life.
Afterwards, in the moonlight, she names the stars like
children do. You’re learning her. It is then that you’ll feel
that you’re close to a mystery.
 651

Kristina Paula T. Atendido

AB Literature (English)

“She died as they all die. They do not live long. But she
made Sto–oa happy, for a moment, and on her death he
translated her into his center, to burn in the heart of a star
and comfort him through the long night.”
—Neil Gaiman
652

Karla Maria Ana V. Batiquin

AB Literature (English)

“Kae has it all in the cards. She’s creative, intelligent and

articulate. Her wonderfully sardonic sense of humor only
serves to highlight her already amiable personality. She’s
got the enviable ability of being able to go for sleepless
nights and still have a ready smile on the next day”—
collated write-ups from similarly sleep-deprived friends.
In which case, if any of those hold a grain of truth, it is
because of wonderful traveling companions who have left
their stardust on me: Blocks B & E, EB2006, and the faces I
remember (whose names may have been forgotten) in all
the classes I ever took. To the teachers and their absolute
gravity: to JL who taught me how to read, and to V-sensei
who taught me how to write. This universe is unceasingly
expanding, and you all burn brightly like this one. ”And
it came to me then. That we were wonderful traveling
companions, but in the end no more than lonely lumps of
metal on their own separate orbits.”
—Murakami Haruki
 653

Ronna Jomari G. Capili

AB Literature (English)

The ironic thing about Ronna is that she makes you

feel small. How could someone so petite (and is always
mistaken for a frosh!) do that? Probably because we’re
dwarfed with her powerful personality, excellence in
academics and fondness for achievement. If you piled
up all her achievements, it’ll most likely be taller than her.
Definitely a good version of the Napoleonic complex. She’s
a little friend with the biggest heart. Ronna is passionate
and extremely animated. On stressful days, she dances
along to a catchy song while everyone else collapses
into their beds. But what you’ll really love about her is her
faith. She strengthens people’s faith in God as well as their
faith in other people. Ronna is determined, outspoken,
compassionate, talented and God-fearing. In short, (no pun
intended!) she’s the kind of person the world needs. She’ll
ride on the wings of her dreams and make a difference.
With her pink chucks and bright big eyes, she sure is
geared up and ready to take on anything.
654

Elisa Regina B. Claustro

AB Literature (English)

A cheerful person.
Has priorities.
Strives for excellence.
Finds time for everything.
Good with beginnings.
Believes in God, in love.
Responsible, dependable, enduring.
She’s not perfect.
Forgetful at times.
Doubt and fear cloud her heart.
Has difficulty finishing.
Can’t find enough time for herself.
Limited.
Easily persuaded.
Falls apart when no one is looking.
 655

Barbara May M. Cruz

AB Literature (English)

Barbi: “Oh no! I just woke up!” It’s a wonder how she
survived school considering that she barely got any sleep,
being a perpetual procrastinator who provided a bit of
comic relief in her frantic cramming mode.

Perhaps, its her intellect that she refused to acknowledge.

Most people misunderstood her: long curly hair, thick-
framed glasses and a different sense of style might have
made her seem like an artistic introverted genius, but she’s
actually a total “koboy”.

Pushes for individuality; hates conformity and trends

(not to mention speaking in front of class or taking oral
exams & making small talk because she thinks she sucks
at them).

Full of laughs!
Visual. Creative. Forgets things – a lot.
Also excels in lounging.
Soul-hungry for realness, validity, learning, & substance.
656

Camille Francesca A. de los Reyes

AB Literature (English)

Camsie makes me see that communication is not the

only key for a relationship to work. It’s about listening to
her babbling without the expectation of a response; it’s
about saying corny antics that make her laugh; it’s about
not feeling uncomfortable in quiet moments with her; it’s
about her typing “:D” in YM to say “I miss you,” “I’m fine,”
“Update me”; it’s about receiving her weird poems through
text from out of the blue, March 26, 2005 “may poem ako:
mahirap maging bunso/mahirap din maging panganay/
mahirap pa maging tatay/mas lalo na maging nanay!”; it’s
about letting her have solo time with her music, books, and
films; it’s about her listening; it’s about getting to know her
continuously, and accepting each other’s flaws; it’s about
understanding her and her lot of diverse issues; it’s about
big hugs, speaking gestures, annoying noises, laughs about
nothing, secrets, and being together when everything is
down and against us. And this is about her sharing a perfect
friendship with me.
—Diana Favila
 657

Jill Julie V. Genio

AB Literature (English)

Much like a well-made Indie pop song, Jill has the uncanny
ability of cheering up everyone she encounters. With her
smart words and catchy, light-hearted demeanor, she
touches you even without trying. And whenever she’s
gone, you’ll find yourself looking, hoping for a rewind
button, because you know that somehow, everything’s
just better when she’s around. She’s effortlessly loved,
admired, and sought after for her incredible music taste
and her top-league mind and God knows what else. The
possibilities for her are endless—the world waits for Jill,
smiling.
Things that come to mind when thinking of Jill: Jeff Buckley,
Robert Smith, Zen Oreos and strange conversations,
bunnies, Burgundy, “Tali”, her ROCK*PAPER*SCISSORS
shirt, flowing skirts, girl talk, coffee, and moments when
laughter is really proven to be the best medicine.
658

Ma. Cristina V. Lobregat

AB Literature (English)

The English Dept + Sonata + Nick Hornby + the Bebs  +

coffee + CSI + Tali trips + Dencio’s dinners + Taggu + happy
birthday spaghetti +
M&M’s in Sir Vince’s office + the gorgeous Arete family +
Spockets + Mehngtols + SPAM with sugar + scrambled eggs
+ Haroun and the Sea of Stories + Shel Silverstein + Long Leg
Lou and Short Leg Sue + Girl Goddess #9 + U2 + Children’s
Books + Cause Way dinners + North Park nights + Issa’s
Pajero + Ferdie a.k.a the dwende mobile + Pat and Enrico’s
Love Juice + Iron Bartender + communal bathrooms at the
beach + Ineng’s Barbecue + Still Life with Woodpecker +
Anna’s birthday paella + hotdogs with syrup + Van Gogh
+ curly hair + flip flops + linen pants + burgers and pizzas +
Los Otros + movies that make you cry + corny jokes + cows
+ Balabagan + Sanggu + mom + dad + Martina + Tito + Sofia
+ Bella the demon dog + the beach + our toothpaste-colored
house + lit majors who rock + the S.H.I.T.s + David = Cris
 659

Clarissa Maria Rosario C. Tobias

AB Literature (English)

“Sometimes, change can be so gradual you don’t even

notice it happening. You suddenly don’t mind sitting
alone at a coffee shop, nor do you mind walking instead
of using a car. You start watching the news a lot and
find that conversations about the state of society are
actually interesting. Then there are the discoveries,
and rediscoveries, you come across. That the drama
of ‘telenovelas’ is partially true. That heartbreak can
be physically manifested. That meeting new people is
intoxicating. That music is a healer. That friends are anchors,
buoys, lifesavers. That family is home. That goodness of
heart is still in vigorous existence. That idealism and hope
are needed. That life is passionate. That change should
not frighten us, but instead, dare and inspire us to discover
more. Because there is so much more coming.

“What do we leave behind when we cross each frontier?

Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was
left behind and the excitement of entering a new land.”

—Ernesto Guevara de la Serna

660

Ysmael Y. Yuzon
AB Literature (English)

Right up.