I AM ABOUT to bear witness to the second Bedan integration of my lifetime (no, I’m not old, just stuck in an unfortunate circumstance), yet another blasted reminder that I have overstayed my welcome in the great red school of Mendiola. An amalgamation of thoughts and emotions fill my noggin, some good, some bad, while most… sentimental. But through the mambo-jumbo that occupies the mind of a living relic, a query stands out: “How does this year’s integration balance the scales between tradition and modernity?” 

*Cue flashback montage, accompanied by the melody of harp strings* ahh yes, I remember it like it was just yesterday. The beating of the drums, the comfortable heat of september sun, and oh! what’s this, the savory flavors of chicken oil, and soy sauce. We were battered up into human sized tempura, as we crawled our way through the harina arena. 

I would say it was a physically embodied metaphor for what was to come in college life. We were marinated and prepared to face the deep end, just like how tempura faces its consummation in the deep fry. 

Those were good times… fond memories to look back at after six years of college. But as an old timer (but young enough to know the meaning of the phrase skibidi sigma), one may ask if this year’s integration would carry the same UMPH that the batches of yesteryear had experienced. I can already hear the possible grumblings of fictional characters I’ve made up while writing this opinion piece (purely satire). 

“How could you say that you have been initiated if you didn’t experience being blind folded and made to crawl through pools of soup made of who knows what? Can you really say that you have been integrated if you haven’t tried playing chinese garter while smelling like mama’s homemade adobo marinade? Or is it really a rite passage, if you didn’t need to book a certain red and yellow motel along recto ave. with friends to wash off the stench to make it to the bonfire later in the evening?” 

But alas! all these questions are for naught, as the spirit of Bedan integration lives on, whatever form it may take. 

Just as how the tides of time roll in favor of change, traditions eventually evolve to the rhythms of social demand. And this year’s integration, I believe, could set precedent for a more environmentally conscious integration, a Laudato Si centered initiation, if I may. 

To wrap up the ramblings of this Bedan of nineteen years, this year’s integration is a testament to a Bedan’s capability to harmonize the songs of tradition and modernity. Breathing new life into long-standing practices that make up the Bedan identity. So, what if you don’t get splashed with Filipino seasonings, it doesn’t make you less of a Filipino, more so, less of a Bedan. What matters is that after five long integration-less years, the iconic tradition is back and bigger than ever. 

Kudos to this year’s student council, for taking on one heck of a challenge, and manifesting the event into one big happy surprise. You’ve allowed this unc a chance to experience one last full circle moment before he leaves the gates of the Lion’s Den.