THE COLLEGE OF Accountancy and Business (CAB) welcomed the Class of 2030 through its launch of the Freshman Welcoming Day (FWD) at the MVP Gymnasium on July 21, introducing freshmen to the college’s organizations, student leaders, and campus community through interactive activities despite the cancellation of the Freshmen Walk due to inclement weather.
The event marked one of the first college-wide initiatives of the newly established CAB, with the Interim Student Executive Council (ISEC), the representatives of the CAB student body, aiming to provide freshmen with a memorable start to their Bedan journey.
According to ISEC Chairman Jan Loren Ternura, the interim council centered the event on creating a welcoming atmosphere for the college’s first batch of students. “We only wanted to see freshmen… walking out of the venue with happy smiles,” Ternura said.
Apart from welcoming the incoming students, the interim council also sought to establish CAB’s own identity as a newly formed college. ISEC Auditor John Vincent Samson said organizing the event came with the challenge of creating traditions without an existing “blueprint” to follow. “The one thing that we wanted to ask ourselves is, what is the CAB way?” Samson added.
The ISEC highlighted collaboration among the different organizations under the CAB in mounting the event. Ternura said the cooperation among officers reflected the kind of community, saying, “We’re all officers in our respective organizations. And I think that through this collaboration, we were able to pull off this event.”
Persistent rains prompted the cancellation of the Freshman Walk, one of the planned highlights for the program. The activity was intended to welcome CAB freshmen through a symbolic walk across the Centennial Garden and give them the opportunity to visit campus landmarks, as part of their first day as Bedans.
Despite the change in the program, the interim council proceeded with the remaining activities, including interactive booths that encouraged freshmen to engage with fellow students and student organizations.
ISEC Treasurer Miles Geriane said that college life extends beyond academics. “Do’n pinapakita na CAB is not just puro aral pero puro fun din,” Geriane said.
ISEC Secretary General Pauline Alfaro encouraged freshmen to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on themselves. “Don’t overthink it… Sana mag-make friends sila kahit magkakaiba sila ng program, kahit hindi pare-parehas ‘yung inaaral nila.”
Despite the cancellation of the Freshmen Walk, the interim council expressed optimism that the inaugural FWD served as a meaningful introduction to what being a Bedan is, with student leaders hoping that the sense of unity fostered during the event would continue throughout the freshmen’s college journey.