Forward is the Only Option
Just when everyone thought that 2020 could no longer be salvaged, Korean Pop Music’s retro era comes to the rescue! From BTS, Seventeen, Twice, G-Friend, to… UP Circuit?
New beginnings, a totally new world. Entering the nation’s premier state university can be quite the challenge for incoming freshmen — all made further difficult by a global pandemic and the retreat to online learning. A freshie has to pace themself with asynchronous learning, and the search for friends to brave the next 4–5 years with is substituted with strangers staring at each other across a Zoom meeting. The UP experience demands for people to brave hardships with, in which many turn to student organizations for.
Notwithstanding the challenges posed by the Coronavirus Pandemic, Circuit chose to adapt to the situation — repurposing its Application Process to the “new normal” to give support to freshies amid difficult times. It is in the hopes that the applicants will be able to adjust easily through a fun adventure alongside their co-applicants, in discovering and finding themselves — all through Circuit.
For Ira Santos, an applicant of Batch 20A, joining the organization has helped her find the balance between academics and having fun. She recounts, “Circuit has helped me push my boundaries especially as I am an introvert. They [members] taught me that it’s okay to reach out and meet new people even through online means. Through this, I was able to talk to people with common interests, discover new things, and learn to ask for help when I need it, acads-related or not. So, with this org I felt that I could not only survive being a freshman in this pandemic but also come out stronger through their support and guidance.” Other applicants also share the same thoughts in which, although everything has gone digital, the love and support of the members can still be felt even from a distance.
The sentiments of the applicants are at par with incumbent Membership VP Almira Muro’s motivation for carrying on with the application process despite the stacked-up odds and difficulties posed by the pandemic. “We all need some kind of support system, especially freshies as they enter the university (virtually) since mahirap itong transition [from the usual face-to-face type of learning to purely online learning] na ‘to,” Muro emphasizes.
True to its core function of guiding applicants, particularly freshies, through the nitty-gritty of the organization, the institute, and the university as a whole, much of the Application Process remains unchanged — yet recalibrated for online, asynchronous, and decentralized interaction. Common-sense measures such as bringing the Tambayan online via Discord were implemented, wherein applicants and members can meet up, study together, and de-stress from academic pressure every once in a while through Game Nights and Movie Nights. Moreover, the Buddy System itself has been redesigned; Instead of leaning on a single buddy to guide you through the entire process, applicants now have an entire “buddy circle” to brave the experience with — each composed of 2–3 applicant-member pairs. Kamustahan Sessions are also held every week for checking on the applicants’ well-being, within and outside the App Process. Long story short — a large chunk of the app process happens on Discord, even review sessions held by Academic Affairs!
Much of the different activities and requirements pertinent to the App Process have also seen their own revamps. Instead of the timeless tradition of asking for the pen-written signatures of members for one’s signature sheet, apps are now tasked with filling up a virtual sigsheet with either conversation screenshots with or the selfies of members — all with their signatures drawn on. Sigsheets, along with apprenticeship tasks submissions, are all coursed through Google Classroom, thus making it easier for each division to assess and grade applicants’ performances en masse. Beyond making the app process flexible and suited for the situation, much of these changes have been made with the goal of reminding applicants (and members) that, despite the difficult transition to online learning, they never walk alone.
“Surely, nothing compares, but the times don’t call for comparisons, only patience and imagination,” said Patrick Flores, a professor from UP Diliman’s Department of Art Studies in a Facebook post. Truly, this online experiment of ours is a great challenge, and is not something that any of us had asked for. Nevertheless, it has also called upon our capability to adapt, to channel creativity and ingenuity — a call that Circuit has heeded to.
Looking forward is sometimes the only option, especially with the challenges that we face today. As our applicants are gearing up for a new chapter in their lives, one question rings clear: Are they finally ready to feel the beat and dance to the rhythm of their college lives with Circuit?
