Text by Arah Sacdalan and Brylle Catague
So you thought the welcoming for this school year is over? Nah. After the three legs of the Freshmen Orientation Program, we got another taste of something new, fun, and exciting! Aimed to foster friendship, camaraderie, and closeness among the SLCM community by the virtue of the different Houses, here came Griglia de Notte: Growl. Grill. Grab!
The rainy weather did nothing to dampen the fiery spirits of Lukans as they flocked to Horeb Court with grumbling stomachs and high hopes of having a good time. It was an hour before dusk when the second-year hosts, Michael Fong and Chris de Gala, officially opened the event. To kick start the grand occasion, the upperclassmen joined forces against the freshmen and battled it out with the good ol’ game of beer pong – where instead of downing a glass of beer, the players were challenged to drink varying, weird concoctions prepared by the organizers. After several grueling sets of throws, bounces and drinks – ranging from catsup, tomato juice and the horrid “bahay kubo” mix – the upperclassmen emerged as the victors.
Then the tables were set, and the moment everyone has been waiting for has arrived: it was time to dig in. The ravenous Lukans lined up to get their share of hotdogs, barbecues and chicken. Meanwhile, the SLCM Chorale and Musician’s Circle were prepping to serenade the crowd with heart-warming renditions of timeless songs like "Video killed the Radio Star" and "Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok ko". Their charm and powerful vocals earned them a warm round of applause from the audience. By this time, the sky was already a myriad of purple, orange and black, and the ingeniously made lanterns – brown paper bag, sand, and candle were key – were lit, casting a faint, orange glow on the students who were then enjoying the campfire staple, s’mores.
So you thought the welcoming for this school year is over? Nah. After the three legs of the Freshmen Orientation Program, we got another taste of something new, fun, and exciting! Aimed to foster friendship, camaraderie, and closeness among the SLCM community by the virtue of the different Houses, here came Griglia de Notte: Growl. Grill. Grab!
The rainy weather did nothing to dampen the fiery spirits of Lukans as they flocked to Horeb Court with grumbling stomachs and high hopes of having a good time. It was an hour before dusk when the second-year hosts, Michael Fong and Chris de Gala, officially opened the event. To kick start the grand occasion, the upperclassmen joined forces against the freshmen and battled it out with the good ol’ game of beer pong – where instead of downing a glass of beer, the players were challenged to drink varying, weird concoctions prepared by the organizers. After several grueling sets of throws, bounces and drinks – ranging from catsup, tomato juice and the horrid “bahay kubo” mix – the upperclassmen emerged as the victors.
Then the tables were set, and the moment everyone has been waiting for has arrived: it was time to dig in. The ravenous Lukans lined up to get their share of hotdogs, barbecues and chicken. Meanwhile, the SLCM Chorale and Musician’s Circle were prepping to serenade the crowd with heart-warming renditions of timeless songs like "Video killed the Radio Star" and "Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok ko". Their charm and powerful vocals earned them a warm round of applause from the audience. By this time, the sky was already a myriad of purple, orange and black, and the ingeniously made lanterns – brown paper bag, sand, and candle were key – were lit, casting a faint, orange glow on the students who were then enjoying the campfire staple, s’mores.
After which, the biggest phase of the event finally commenced: the Game of Houses. Unlike the previous year wherein the freshmen were already pre-sorted before the school year began, what’s unique about this year’s sorting of houses is that, it was held outside the school and that there was live participation from the freshmen. In an interview with Jayvee Rivera, over-all head of the event, he said, “First time ito na the sorting is done outside the school. This year to make it more exciting, we decided to have it this way.” When asked further about the main goal of the sorting of the populace into houses, he added “It’s not only going to be games but also house tutorials kasi nga gusto natin holistic ang development. Nandun parin yung mga halloween movie nights and games plus syempre yung acad related stuff.”
With loud cheers and whoops, the upperclassmen divided into their respective houses while bearing their flags of Red, Blue, Yellow, Green and Orange. The freshmen were then asked to line up in rows of ten, and one by one, were asked to pick a glow stick - the color of which determined their houses. The groups lined up in the middle of the court, bent their sticks, and voila! An array of colors appeared and the new initiates were greeted with thunderous cries as they joined their housemates.
The night was not over, however. With the freshmen now sorted, the five houses were given the chance to earn their first house points for the year through an eating game. Members of each house lined up in front of tables stacked with papers-covered cups containing mystery food. The objective of the game was simple: the first house to finish everything, wins. Representatives of each house were quick to gobble up their food, but in the end, the Red House, also known as the Red Horses, won this round. They were succeeded by the Yellow, Blue, Green and Orange, respectively.
With loud cheers and whoops, the upperclassmen divided into their respective houses while bearing their flags of Red, Blue, Yellow, Green and Orange. The freshmen were then asked to line up in rows of ten, and one by one, were asked to pick a glow stick - the color of which determined their houses. The groups lined up in the middle of the court, bent their sticks, and voila! An array of colors appeared and the new initiates were greeted with thunderous cries as they joined their housemates.
The night was not over, however. With the freshmen now sorted, the five houses were given the chance to earn their first house points for the year through an eating game. Members of each house lined up in front of tables stacked with papers-covered cups containing mystery food. The objective of the game was simple: the first house to finish everything, wins. Representatives of each house were quick to gobble up their food, but in the end, the Red House, also known as the Red Horses, won this round. They were succeeded by the Yellow, Blue, Green and Orange, respectively.
“For me, it was really nice and fun experience where we bonded more as a batch but also got to bond with other batches. Plus there’s food and singing which is great!” said Sheena, a freshman. Another freshman, Nics, said “The moment I stood in front of everyone’s cheerful midst and broke it was another warm welcome inside a closed-knit community.”
In an interview with Arjo De Castro, SLCM Student Council President for S.Y. 2014-2015, he said “I think it’s the first time in history of St. Luke’s to have an ihawan night. I am just happy that we were able to mingle with everybody and I’m in awe with all the participants. Basta, expect something more. It’s going to be an exciting year! Excited din kami for the freshmen kasi nga we believe that they are the select few from the applicants this year. Happy kami na super excited and enthusiastic sila sa mga events ng Student Council.” He also added an advice to everyone, that is, “Just learn to balance academics and extracurriculars. One family tayo.” The event was also graced by the presence of none other than Dr. Joanne De Ramos, our College Secretary, and the SLCM Clerks and Inters despite of their heavy schedule.
Griglia de Notte drew to a close as a total success with the lighting of sparklers. The dark courts were lit up with the beautiful display of crackling lights, an apt ending to the wonderful night of fun and camaraderie. Griglia de Notte was spearheaded by the Art and Promotions Committee of the SLCM Student Council. 2014-2015.[x]
In an interview with Arjo De Castro, SLCM Student Council President for S.Y. 2014-2015, he said “I think it’s the first time in history of St. Luke’s to have an ihawan night. I am just happy that we were able to mingle with everybody and I’m in awe with all the participants. Basta, expect something more. It’s going to be an exciting year! Excited din kami for the freshmen kasi nga we believe that they are the select few from the applicants this year. Happy kami na super excited and enthusiastic sila sa mga events ng Student Council.” He also added an advice to everyone, that is, “Just learn to balance academics and extracurriculars. One family tayo.” The event was also graced by the presence of none other than Dr. Joanne De Ramos, our College Secretary, and the SLCM Clerks and Inters despite of their heavy schedule.
Griglia de Notte drew to a close as a total success with the lighting of sparklers. The dark courts were lit up with the beautiful display of crackling lights, an apt ending to the wonderful night of fun and camaraderie. Griglia de Notte was spearheaded by the Art and Promotions Committee of the SLCM Student Council. 2014-2015.[x]
Girglia de Notte Head Organizers Jayvee Rivera (Second from the left) the SC Internals P.R.O and Naelene Lista (Third from the left), Head of the Arts and Promtions Committee, joined by Enrique Dimagiba (far left), Chief Photographer of Iatros, and Henson Turalde (far right), Externals Vice President of the Student Council. Photo by Natasha Ysabel Lee