THE NAME’S AKIRA and boy do I have something to tell you. My four-year college life here in San Beda is something that I will never forget. I have made a lot of unforgettable friends and memorable professors along the way which I never expected would happen. And to top it all off, my experience in working in the student publication The Bedan – starting out as a research staff, moving up to the ranks of junior and senior staff and ending it as part of the editorial board as news editor – has been life-learning moments. And with all that said, thank you!
Words cannot fully, and I mean really, express how grateful I am that the people I’ve met on campus have forever left a mark in my life. Compared to my past experiences in Paco Catholic School (grade school to high school) and University of Santo Tomas (senior high school), San Beda University – Manila is the happiest that I have ever been in terms of me socializing with different kinds of people and coming out of my comfort zone a lot – and I definitely mean a lot. As someone who was the silent type and not-so-active student, I just did a lot of character development – and there is going to be a lot of shoutouts in this column.
“…thank you is not enough to show how much I am grateful that God gave me people like you guys…”
To my friends in my CPL bloc since first year, specifically Ethel Mae Glodoviza and Jestony Lumabi, and even Pat and Mika, thank you for being my first and very solid friends along the way. I know that we had our disagreements along the way, but I just want to say how lucky I am that I was able to overcome the ups and downs of university life in San Beda. For Ethel being the genius in our projects and Jestony for the chill guy, it seems like I got the perfect formula of having friendships.
To my professor and thesis adviser Asst. Prof. Kerwin Martinez, M.A., thank you for always being that constant teacher that I can always communicate with. Whether it’s about my academics just like my recent thesis, or even when it comes to fandom moments like X-Men ‘97 and I Know What You Did Last Summer, it feels as if I was able to find the right person to look up to – to always find rest in what I love while overcoming the endless amount of academics that are needed to be accomplished.
Most importantly, to The Bedan, from the previous editorial boards up until now, and all the way to the senior, junior and research staff, thank you. You guys have always been the best moral support a guy never knew he needed. I was able to not only come out of my comfort zone but to hold on to the responsibility entrusted to me – all of you are the reason as to why I choose to continue the duty rather than back out from it. Most especially, Nate and Eli, the friends that I never thought we would be that close; Roni, Thirdy, Rizian, and Gian, all of you are worthy for more; to Rcee, Dianne, Mika, Paolo, Jannine, Jury, Shelly, Zia, Marc, Manssel, thank you for your constant communication and cooperation with me; and to the editorial board, Paul, Gian, Anne, Daphne and Phoebus, thank you for making me learn how to handle responsibilities properly.
As I have mentioned before, thank you is not enough to show how much I am grateful that God gave me people like you guys to overcome college life but also make this four-year experience as memorable as ever. And for all of that, from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much for everything.
Email me at thebedan_newseditor@sanbeda.edu.ph