| InTACT and the End of Summer |
[May. 31st, 2008|03:32 am] |
| [ | Feeling... |
| |  awake | ] |
| [ | The music in my mind... |
| | Entourage Season 4 | ] |
-sigh- Block Y...
It's been almost four years since InTACT with block Y. I remember having to wake up extra early Monday mornings to be able to make it to the 730am InTACT session; the GDs and reflections and, of course, Jen and Olive. I remember the idealism I had, sincerely believing that InTACT was an integral part of the Ateneo education, and everyone who disagreed with that (hahaha!). I remember the exposure trip; the incriminating bus-ride conversations and doing origami and coloring-books with the kids. I remember when that picture was taken. We all look so young. Hell, we were young; young and impressionable, young and stubborn. We've all changed so much since then; not only in the way we look. I look back and I find that I miss those days. I miss the faces in the picture. Young, stubborn freshmen.
Almost four years later, I've come full circle. When the school-year starts, I'll return to InTACT, no longer as a young freshman, but as a Homeroom Adviser for the InTACT program. Yep, I'll be the one students, who find the program utterly useless, will hate. I'll be the one they curse for having to wake them up early and/or eat up 50 minutes of their precious time. But, after four years, I still find necessity in the InTACT program. Not only is it there to help the freshmen adjust to both the academic demands and the culture of the Ateneo, but to me, it is quintessential for one to be able to truly call oneself an Atenean. It sets and strengthens the groundwork for building the Atenean. It starts at the very core: in the spirit.
Contrary to popular belief, InTACT is not meant to force Ateneo culture onto the psyche of the student body. InTACT delves in, more than anything, formation, both of the mind and the spirit, merely using the long-standing culture and traditions of the Ateneo as tools to do the job. The students are, in turn, given the tools to be able to grow in maturity, reflect on what is truly important, and make the most out of what the Ateneo offers despite all the stresses one will inevitably encounter. Think of InTACT as an early taste of Theology and Philosophy - subjects that teach us to think and reflect and find what truly matters. It allows us to look at our choices - our course, our organizations, our future career plans - and see what will truly benefit us, not merely in the monetary sense, but as persons. It is a formation-based program that gives us the tools necessary to be "successful" in a radically different way. This, I believe, is what sets apart the Ateneo culture. It is a culture that forever quests for the ideals of Ignatius and Don Quixote de La Mancha - holistic spiritual growth.
This is why I believe so strongly in the InTACT program. It is what transforms young, stubborn freshmen into not only Ateneans, but into madmen; mad as martyrs and poets who see the world as beautiful and worth dying for. Such is the idealism of the Ateneo culture. It is the "...teach me to be generous..." and "...to give and not to count the cost." It is learning how to be faithful to the white and blue and all the things that Mary represents. Of all the things InTACT hopes to inculcate, the one thing that caught my eye is teaching freshmen how to pray. Prayer is opening up oneself enough to be vulnerable. It is a wounding. It is allowing all the enormity of beauty penetrate you. With that, with all of God's beautiful works filling us up, hopefully one can be nourished into fuller growth. All this makes all those smiles in the photo above all the more meaningful.
On that note, I must say that the last couple of weeks were quite busy for me.
I finalized my application into Masters in Counseling Psychology. I had my interview and was advised two Mondays ago. I was interviewed by Dr. Macapagal and it went rather well. I was just asked why I wanted to take masters so early and why I chose Counseling Psych. "We have no problem accepting you," Dr. Macapagal said. I signed up for three classes: Quantitative Methods (higher Statistics that, I am told, should be gotten out of the way early), Introduction to Counseling Psychology, and Advanced Personality. I might be forced to drop the Intro. to Counseling Psych, though, if my InTACT class schedule conflicts with it. All things considered, I'm pretty much going to grad school this June unless something goes wrong; like, REALLY, REALLY wrong.
As you already know, I applied for a position as Homeroom Adviser in the InTACT program. I had my interview Wednesday last week and was interviewed primarily by Sir Chris Castillo, a former Sibolista (batch '99), but a panel accompanied him. I think it went well since I got accepted, but even without the results of the application, I felt it went well. I said everything I wanted to say and it all made sense to me. I guess it helped that I read the overview of the InTACT program. I knew what I was talking about. Apags and Mondy also applied, so I might be working with them, too. I'm very much looking forward to this.
What you probably don't know is that I also applied for the High School. The problem was that only one of the FOUR people I asked gave me a recommendation letter, Ms. Laforteza. The other three, though they said they'd be happy to give me one, didn't. I tried to follow up, but to no avail. None of them replied. I went to meet Ms. Laforteza last week. She wanted to interview me a bit before writing up the reco letter. She informed me that though I was applying late, she'd be leaving for Singapore to pursue her masters; thus, opening up one slot for a teacher. Sadly, I never fully pushed through with the application because my requirements were incomplete. Also, having already been accepted for InTACT, which I preferred over the high school, I didn't feel the need to anymore.
Summer vacation is finally ending. I'll be starting the school year along with all the med school, law school, and college students. I'll also be working. Looks like a pretty exciting year ahead. With that in mind, I'd very much like to see a lot of people before they all move on with their lives. This might very well be my last chance. Shout-out to all them peeps! Let's go out! |
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