Silliman Beside the Sea

It's that time of the year again when it's only natural to feel nostalgic about dear old Silliman. Founders' Week is here again and I can just imagine the booth area lively with music and activities that are already part of the Silliman tradition. Student orgs spend close to a month to build these booths and God knows how much money in a bid to outdo every other frat or sor for this week long celebration.Ever the wet blanket I was in college, I didn't go to any of the Miss Silliman beauty pageants--just like most of my friends. Who cares? And I only did the annual parade in my freshmen year (what did I know?) and since the route is the same year after year after year, I inserted at the halfway point in my second year (I was too lazy to do it but with the centennial spirit everywhere, just had to). But we never missed the cheering competitions in all our four years--if only to see who outperforms the other between the College of Business Administration and the College of Arts and Sciences. Oh, but I do miss those times. Go, CBA!There's a lot to miss about Silliman University. One that stands out is the Library. I used to sit on the Lib lobby steps waiting for friends--and watch whatever football, baseball, etc. game in the open field out front. Or freeze my butt off in the Cyberlibrary--I had SA friends there who would hide my log-in folder so I could net surf more than the 40-minute per-student per-day allotment. (Thanks, guys!) Or hanging out at the reference section in the company of atlases; and of friends who acted as if we hadn't seen each other in years instead of hours. Then the next thing we knew the devil lady was bearing down on us. I think we might had overdone it most of the time just to see how the lady in-charge of that section would react. I say that the three-storey building holds a lot memories--especially of me finding out-of-the-way (of the AC blast) cubicles in the second floor and just...fall asleep. Hahaha!Oh, I miss sitting at the amphitheater--whether for a group meeting or just hanging out after exams--while acacia leaves fall around us. Or rehearsing group presentations at the Luce lobby--but I wasn't of the Luce lobby crowd who had the in clothes, in rides, and in boy/girlfriends. Or watching plays at the Luce Auditorium (I still regret missing The Vagina Monologues). Or playing Trivial Pursuit with my best friends at the recreation level of the Hibbard Hall while keeping one eye on the crush of the day, week, or semester watching TV at the far end of the room. Or being thankful I don't have a third eye while rushing through the hallways of Katipunan Hall. As a hospital in WWII, doctors, nurses, and patients' spirits still rush about--or so reports say. Or shouting myself hoarse during intramural gold/black and red/white battles between CBA and CAS; while never really caring if the College of Engineering had already won in the medal tally. That's okay 'cause they hate CAS, too.I can't believe the campus by the sea will be 105 this year. Time flies. I heard there had been a lot of changes since I was there last. I can't wait to go back for a visit. But for now, reminiscing will do before nostalgia drowns me.