FOR THE SECOND consecutive year, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Student Council (SC) spearheaded the University’s Valentine’s Day celebration with a fair and concert titled “Will You Be-Da One,” held on February 16 at the Lydia Tan Sy Building ground floor.
The annual event kicked off with a lively introduction by hosts from the SC Executive Committee (SCEC). Meanwhile, students on campus also indulged in the various booths set up at the Lydia Tan Sy Building, including those providing free food, a wedding booth, and a confession booth.
The SC First-Year Representative, Beige Benedict Campbell, delivered the opening remarks during the program proper, which was then followed by a performance from the Bedan Musicians’ Guild (BMG), taking over the stage while playing the audiences’ song requests.
Following this, budding Filipino singer-songwriter, Paolo Sandejas, performed along with his band, playing a total of four songs, including the hit OPM track, “My Girl.” Afterwards, there was a segment where both the audience and the hosts interacted in preparation for the next performer, indie-pop band Over October.
During their performance, Over October graced the audience with a taste of their music through performing five of their hit songs. Moreover, the band’s rhythm guitarist, Anton Rodriguez, expressed his deepest gratitude to the Bedan community for inviting the band to perform, while adding how “it’s always such a good experience to go to different schools and see ‘yung culture and mga tao and that’s something that we look forward to. We hope to come back again sana, hindi next Valentine’s kasi masyadong matagal pa.”
Concluding the event, the main organizer and the SC’s Second-Year Representative, Mitziko Yema, delivered her closing remarks by thanking the participants and the committee involved in realizing the program.
In an interview with Yema following the fair and mini concert series, she declared the program a success, stating “I saw naman ang combined help ng SC [and] we were all planning and seeking for a success kasi nakita naman naming sa mga nag-attend na nag-enjoy sila kasi,” she explained.
She, moreover, explained how the event was made possible by the help of the school committees’ collective effort, beginning with the brainstorming of ideas, submitting numerous drafts about the event and overcoming set-backs, such as the rescheduling of the program multiple times due to the Eucharistic Celebration of Ash Wednesday which coincidentally falls on the same day as Valentine’s.
Considering these circumstances, the year-level representative also extended her appreciation for the effort of the SC officers and volunteers, saying that “without their help, sobrang magiging stressful ‘yung event buti na lang may cooperation talaga, so I’m really proud of the SC officers and SCEC volunteers na tumulong.”
On another note, amidst the backlash to the event regarding its lackluster attendance and the “unpleasant” message it could send to the performers, Yema explained that the program was not a concert, but rather was a “fair” because the performers were meant to be “a fun event segment” while attendees enjoyed themselves to concessionaires and the booths.
She understood that students had schedules conflicting with her organized event and furthermore tells the Bedan that she had spoken with performers Over October and Paolo Sandejas about the fickle participation of students.
Having no complaints circling the issue, both performers found their invitations to the institution to be as “steppingstones” in their growing careers in the music industry, according to Yema, and were rather “grateful” for their appearances within the University grounds.
On that note, the SC officer added that “what’s important was there were still students who dropped by and enjoyed the concessionaires and bands.”
(with Prince Piolo Tagarino)