Teacher's fret

Recently I lost two vital items in my work as a teacher: I lost my voice and I lost my cool in class.

As I was preparing my presentation slides in my computer for a lecture, I overheard a student, who was just a little more than a meter away from me, make a comment to a classmate who was passing around an attendance sheet for everyone in class to sign:

Eh hindi naman kasama yung attendance sa breakdown ng grades ah.

(Attendance is not part of the basis for earning our grades in this class.)

I know that THAT is not true. One of the bases for grading a student is his presence in class activities. I rummaged through the folders in my computer, aiming to project through the LCD the document detailing how attendance IS part of the criteria for grading a student. After minutes of scouring, I couldn’t find the darn document!

Out of sheer double frustration- at the student’s insolent remark and my inability to locate The Document- I just lost it. I stood up, and with my sternest but shaking-with-rage voice, I began the lecture-slash-sermon.

University rules say that if you are absent in 20% of class hours, you will be dropped from the roll.

As a physician, you will be tasked to do things which you think are stupid but are actually for your own good.

If you can’t follow a simple instruction like signing on the attendance sheet, then you are not fit to become a physician. You will never become a good physician.

The spiel I delivered was a lot longer than what I shared above, containing a lot of medical school teacher-student jargon, sans mean invectives mind you. And almost all the time I was looking at the student who made what I felt was The Offensive Remark.

Somewhere at the latter half or last fourth of my spiel, I kind of pulled out of myself and I momentarily watched me doing the whole yakity-yak bit. At that time, I realized how silly I looked giving in to a juvenile remark I may have uttered more than once when I was a student myself.

And as my spiel neared its end, I thought I made my point clear and resolved to somehow let the class off the hook. My motor mouth moment, my first-ever in the two years I was handling classes in the university, ended with me poking fun at myself with-

And the Oscar goes to…

Nobody laughed. And it wasn’t because they were a small-minded lot. They were too stunned. For the most part I always had the chummy, friendly, one-of-the-boys teacher persona. For them to see and hear my in all my angry glory, the joke at the end of my spiel completely flabbergasted them.

I proceeded with the lecture proper as if nothing happened. But the boisterous nature they exuded earlier in the day got stowed away for the remainder of the afternoon. Good thing that happened- my voice became more hoarse with each sentence I uttered after the spiel.

The hoarseness of my voice- it got better several days after. But that instance, when I snapped, it’s been eating me still. Sometimes I’d think that the class deserved it, it had to be done, to put them in their proper place. Then there’d be times when I’d be haunted by it, losing cool in class is NEVER cool I’d think. I let them get the better of me, I let them get to me, and it shattered my veneer of invincibility and my persona of being the approachable buddy teacher. I’m still flip-flopping between these two sets of emotions…

I may have lost my cool and my proverbial voice but in the process I’m beginning to find the real me or at least the classroom me. Some teachers would prefer that they remain the student-friendly variety. Some prefer to have a Reputation of being A Student’s Worst Nightmare- only for this latter label to be debunked as an onslaught of kindness emanates in the classroom from the erstwhile monster behind the teacher’s table. Some still prefer to be all-business in class, showing nary a care to a student regarding matters outside of his/her lesson plan.

I’m still here, somewhere, aiming to strike a balance between maintaining a safe, professional distance while making myself available for them enough to be seen as more than just a chalk dust-covered figure they have to endure for the duration of our class hours.

I never knew life at the other side of the teacher’s table would be this hard. But I just pray to the Lord for the strength, wisdom, and patience to take care of these students He placed under my care.

And so I keep on keeping on, voice or no voice, whether we like it or else.

Julia Fordham in the Philippines! Live at the Ayala Malls this February!

Not more two months after Taylor Hicks rocked Manila, another wonderful performer is ready to enthrall Filipino music lovers this season of love.

Julia Fordham, the Jewel of Pop Jazz, is coming to the Ayala Malls! Here's her schedule from the AyalaMalls website:

Alabang Town Center
February 8, 2008
6:30 PM
Activity Center
Concierge Numbers: (632) 842-2782; 772-1860

TriNoma
February 9, 2008
7:00 PM
Activity Center
Concierge Number: (632) 901-3000

Glorietta
February 10, 2008
7:00 PM
Activity Center
Concierge Number: (632) 752-7272

Ayala Center Cebu
February 13, 2008
6:30 PM
South Surface Parking Area
Concierge Number: (032) 231-5342 local 324

Greenbelt
February 15, 2008
8:00 PM
Greenbelt 3 Park
Concierge Number: (632) 757-4853

*I excite!* See you there!

Everything a-ok

My world is ok! I got to talk to my mom at the time she usually calls 7am EST/ 8pm Manila time.

My world is ok! She gave the phone to my lolo who again asked me when he’ll meet my wife. In true grandfatherly fashioned, he chided me for still not having a girlfriend.

My world is ok! I finally finished the site I had to put up online for work. Finished 70% of it anyway =]

My world is ok! My brother in law cooked fine meals- his own version of pasta and caldereta. The reason my sister and I are at least ten pounds heavier now versus Friday.

My world is ok! Hints of a changing of the guards as two tennis titans aged twenty years each copped the Australian Open singles’ title: Novak Djokovic winning over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 and Maria Sharapova prevailed over Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 6-3.

My world is ok! My pursuits to earn extra online is s-l-o-w-l-y gaining ground, 1-cent at a time- with filled Project Wonderful ads on the sidebar and at the bottom of this page.

My world is ok! One batch of students has passed through our two-week course and another joins us tomorrow.

My world is ok, more than ok. Not perfect, but ok. Thank you, Lord, so far, so good is all I can say.

PhotoHunt 94/1: Old-fashioned

With (almost) everything now available instantaneously online in multimedia format, books would seem to be on their way out. But there is still something amazing about the feel of words at your fingertips, the way they flow from a physical page, how the plot unfurls from the paper, as the protagonists' voices resound in the reader's imagination and the latter completes the author's writing process...

Our mini-library at home will never run out of space for new books.

(Starting today, I'm joining the weekly PhotoHunt. Wish me luck hehe More photos in the weeks to come.)

15th Grand Scientific Symposium, February 1-2, UP College of Medicine

In celebration of the Centennial of the University of the Philippines, the UP College of Medicine thru its Postgraduate Institute of Medicine is holding the 15th Grand Scientific Symposium on February 1-2, 2008 at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino, Pedro Gil Street, Manila. With the theme- The Brain and Behavior: Optimizing Function from Birth and Beyond- the 15th GSS is a collaboration of the Departments of Neurosciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine of the University.

The topics lined up for the two-day symposium consist of everyday challenges doctors, patients and their families and communities face. Below are just some issues to be tackled in the GSS which I personally am very interested in:

Brain and Development: IQ vs EQ, Family Role in Child Development

Dysfunction of Brain and Behavior: Autism, Learning Disabilities

Neurologic Problem in Children: Head Trauma

Bangag o Baliw: Neurobiology, Psychology, Pharmacology of Addiction

Issues in Children and Adults: Behavioral Problems, Teenage Pregnancy

Crossroads: Gender Issues, Midlife Process, Spirituality in Healing, Death and Dying

Neurology of Aging: The Aging Philippine Population, Successful Aging

Dementia: Makakalimutin lang o Ulianin na?, Pag-aaruga ng Ulianin

Neuropharmacology: Psychopharmacology in Geriatrics, Polypharmacy

Epilepsy Primary Care

Optimizing Stroke Management: Stroke Mimickers, When Medical Therapy Fails

Special Topics: Herbal and Food Supplements, The Living Will

There are other topics which I have not listed above. But suffice it to say, this two-day CME ought to cure some of my anxiety about encountering patients with neurologic or psychiatric problem NOT because of the physical harm they can inflict on me but because I HARDLY know what to do to help them.

To get to know more about the 15th Grand Scientific Symposium of the UP College of Medicine, please get in touch with the GSS Secretariat at +632.536.1319 and look for Ms. Agnes Enagan or email upcmpgim@gmail.com.

Registration fees: P2,500 for medical practitioners; P2,000 for residents in training; P1,500 for teachers/ allied medical professionals; P1,000 for government employees.

You can also visit the UP College of Medicine site or the symposium invitation at the Department of Health site. PDF files related to the 15th GSS can be downloaded there.

Blogging beyond blogging

For those who have been blogging rudderless, a reminder and inspiration from Fouad Al Farhan, a list of ideals he believed in so dearly it cost him his freedom.



WHY DO WE BLOG?*

1. Because we believe we have opinions that deserve to be heard, and minds that should be respected.

2. Because societies do not progress until they learn to respect opinions of their members. And we would like to see our society progressing.

3. Because blogging is our only option. We do not have a free media, and freedom to assemble is not allowed.

4. Because we want to discuss our opinions.

5. Because we think.

6. Because we care.

7. Because blogging has had a positive effect on other societies and we want to see the same result in our society.

8. Because blogging is a reflection of the life of society members. And we are alive.

9. Because blogging is gaining increasing attention from media and governments. We want them to listen to us.

10. Because we are not scared.

11. Because we reject the cattle mentality.

12. Because we welcome diversity of opinions.

13. Because the country is for all, and we are part of it.

14. Because we want to reach out to everyone.

15. Because we refuse to be an “echo”.

16. Because we are not any less than bloggers in other societies.

17. Because we seek the truth.

18. Because our religion encourages us to speak out.

19. Because we are sick and tired of the Saudi media hypocrisy.

20. Because we are positive.

21. Because blogging is a powerful tool that can benefit society.

22. Because we are affected and we can affect.

23. Because we love our country.

24. Because we enjoy dialogue and don’t run away from it.

25. Because we are sincere.

I'm sure majority of bloggers' body of work would spell out the reasons why s/he maintains her/his online presence... But, really, why DO you blog?



*Lifted from Ahmed’s SaudiJeans.org, who translated into English the original words from Fouad’s blog.

A walk down memory lame

(Or why I ought to let sleeping dogs lie. Or my EDSA Duh-oh's)

I've spend a good part of the last two hours rummaging through my horde of mementos from the past. In so doing, I've opened a self-inflicted wound that I thought healed well already.

I blame Dr. Em Dy for this one (Just kidding!). I was surfing my Entrecard inbox, I came across her site and there I saw her entry on EDSA DOS, with a corresponding link to the Blog Action Week: Bloggers Remember People Power 2.

Eager to share my own EDSA 2 experience and the photos which I took with my uber-reliable KB10 camera, I swam through years of accumulated clutter for that one precious album that contained about 26 photos from our class's EDSA Shrine moment. Unable to find the hardcopy of said photos, I tried my luck with our almost-defunct med school class website to see if EDSA 2 pics were uploaded. NADA!

For some reason I wandered into my Multiply site, accessed our class Multiply site which yielded no EDSA 2 pics still. Might as well check updates posted by your Multiply contacts, whimpered a small voice in my head. And that was my undoing.

I saw from the site of one of my best friends from high school, pictures from my ex-girlfriend's wedding.

*sigh*

She's just SO beautiful. Joy personified.

And I'm happy for her.

*sigh*

Really, I am.

(Mom and Pop, yes, I AM ok =])

Arresting bloggers

The great thing about Entrecard is that it allowed me to see the so-much-bigger blogosphere out there.

It can be a bit overwhelming, the array of blogs. There are myriad blogs on making money online, cooking cakes, looking for homes, caring for pets, writing a book, and bashing your government. The blogosphere is a living, breathing, growing slice of cyberspace that fuels life as much as it is fueled by it.

And the Philippines is not to be left behind. I saw that at least two bloggers- Ms Noemi and Karlo have already whipped up teasers for the 2008 edition of the Philippine Blog Awards. This ought to be a very interesting next few months, as excellent blogs and bloggers come to the fore and the best of the lot receive the coveted trophies (and quite possibly more hits and feed subscribers!).

Despite the small-minded posturing of officials and local media’s protestation (with the backing of foreign journalists and news organizations), the freedom of speech enjoyed by denizens of the Philippine blogosphere is a clear indication that we still have much to be thankful for in our country.

In a stark juxtaposition, there is a Saudi blogger- Fouad Al Farhan- who has been arrested last month by his government for criticisms he posted on his website. This incident pretty much escaped many of us since it happened in the middle of the holiday rush. I myself learned of this incident when I saw Ahmed, the blogger who fills the pages of SaudiJeans.org (one of the handful of non-Filipino blogs I try to read regularly) as he was being interviewed on CNN sometime after Christmas. This post is rather late as well. But I wander off track yet again.

What makes Fouad special is that he was one of the first bloggers in Saudi to write unashamedly about the ills of their society without hiding behind a pseudonym or pen name. He refused to back down despite the harassment he was said to be experiencing online and in the real world. And the fears of many of his friends and supporters materialized two weeks before Christmas when he was taken into government custody and to this day remains therein.



Whatever our motive is for being online and keeping blogs- to make money, teach others how to bake a cake, sell a house, show off our literary skills, or criticize government- I believe that we shouldn’t take such an incident sitting down. Even though there would be some of us would be hard-pressed to find Saudi Arabia on the map, let’s remember what Martin Luther King, Jr said: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Please sign the online petition to free Fouad. If you need more information or updates regarding his case, you can visit SaudiJeans.org and Fouad’s very own blog.

God bless all the possible finalists, winners, and organizers of the 2nd Philippine Blog Awards, God bless Fouad and his family.

Blog on!

28

If I were younger, I'd hate it since it meant it was time to drag myself out of bed to prepare for school. But on a Sunday and my birthday at that, it is such a treat to be roused from sleep by my parents, even if it was just a phone call from the U.S....

We were supposed to go to Tagaytay today for my birthday but due the semi-inclement weather, we were prevailed upon to just stay in the city. My siblings and I went to mass at the Greenbelt chapel; had a massive lunch at Greenbelt 5's John and Yoko (the finest salmon sashimi in town if I may say so myself); bought a flat iron to replace our busted one; strolled some more through the mall; visited Anne at Heritage Park; headed home to sleep off the lazy day. I went online, answered emails, prepared my materials for my class tomorrow.

That's pretty much how my birthday went. No rushing off on a personal retreat to the hinterlands of Sagada. No fireworks, no mega-celebration. It's a typical day. And I'm not the least bit disappointed by how it unfolded.

This day is, for all intents and purposes, typical- since a typical day for me is just blessings-filled. (If time with family and the deluge of greetings from people who value you enough to spend time to send you warm birthday thoughts aren't blessings- I don't know what is.) This day is a wonderful fiber in a wonderful tapestry of a life that I'm weaving daily- replete with challenges, hurdles, and victories- mini and major ones. This day, simple as my rundown of today's activities may suggest, is no less a celebration of life. And what a life it has been!

There are times that I am deluded enough to believe that I am God's favorite. There are times when I feel that I am receiving more than my fair share of blessings. All who are dear to me have ample daily provision, good health, and the zeal to pursue their own lives' paths and pleasures. My parents are coping well in the U.S. I've been fortunate enough to do a lot of traveling the past year. While most still struggle for the direction their life is to take, I feel that I've found my calling in medicine and the academe. I belong to a Catholic yuppy community who nurtures my faith as I journey Christ-ward. I am single but not lonely. My blog has six loyal readers!

And should I cease to be before I finish my work at the loom, I pray that what I've made of myself so far is pleasing to God and of benefit to even just one person.

Not as old as the U.P. but as happy and proud to be still alive, equally excited about what the future has in store...

Hello, Entrecard! Goodbye (?), Entrecard!

I’ve just realized that I haven’t written anything really, really original over the past several weeks. But what I’ve done is a lot of reading, mostly blogs I’ve come across thanks to the nifty thing called Entrecard.



Entrecard is an advertising system that runs on sheer patience and persistence. First, a blogger creates a 125x125-pixel “calling card” which s/he “drops” unto a fellow Entrecard system member. You drop a card by clicking on a widget in a member blog or website, which records your visit to that particular site. You earn credits as you drop your Entrecard calling card on blogs and when you receive dropped cards. Plus, you can affix your calling card for 24 hours to a particular blog when you purchase the ad space on the Entrecard widget on that blog. That calling card ad contains a link to your site; meaning, an ad placed in a popular blog can translate to more hits for your own blog.

As I read what I wrote above, I sense that I hardly make any sense! Better visit the Entrecard site and Karlo’s PinoyBlogero site with Entrecard FAQs for more information.

Since becoming an Entrecard member, there really is a very, very substantial increase of traffic to my blog. The number of blog hits courtesy of Entrecard helped me get the typical number of visits in a 30-day period within the first 11 days of January.

To share some linklove-

Here are the (current) top card droppers to my site:

Joan Joyce, a true net-re-Pinoy who writes anything and everything she wants to rant about

Hulag, writing a self-motivation blog as a procrastinator who learns to move

Saphrym who believes the mind is a terrible thing to close

Urutora no Hi, a Japan-mad tourist

My lucky number 13, blogging about her life experiences including personal matters and professional career, thoughts and ideas about what she likes and what she know

Malinesky, one of my best discoveries from my own Entrecard dropping, a blog absolutely brimming with positive energy and charm that I immediately linked to it; a must-read

Pinoy Entrecards, a group blog of Pinoy writers who have the Entrecard widget in their blog and love for the Philippines in their heart

Art Constellation, featuring how her art and life look like

Homesick For Abroad an expat who’s fallen in love with the bigger world outside his own country

Photos from Northern Norway offers a unique and amazing view of the world from beyond the Arctic Circle

These are the sites where ads I placed garnered for me the most hits:

Turnip of Power offers tips and tricks of the Entrecard kind

Everything Everywhere details Gary’s globetrotting; one of the best travel blogs I’ve ever read; with great insights about the Philippines and Filipinos

Malinesky

Pinoy Entrecards

Nappy Time, contains the travails of a single mom, a corporate junkie, and finding the perfect adventure, literally or figuratively

The Different Faces of Me, a blog about the food that she cooks, her recipes, music and videos, her daily experiences and feelings, her likes and dislikes and the graphics that she makes

DigitalFilipino.com Club, a community of e-commerce enthusiasts

Pusang Maganda is a photoblog about anything under the pink sun

Dulce Negosyante helps you make money Online through blogging, affiliate marketing, website flipping, adsense and a lot more

Diwata is a Jewish lesbian who works as a maid- or so she says…

BUT, amidst all this increased traffic, I’m thinking of quitting Entrecard. I’m simply too hooked, with the card dropping and all. The little time I have online I spend dropping cards that I’ve accumulated a small loot- just over 200 credits actually- to the detriment of my blog (since I’ve been too distracted to write new materials). So I’m thinking of quitting Entrecard altogether (after I’ve honored my commitment to my advertisers of course)- so I can get back to my real interest, to keep an honest-to-goodness blog. I’m even thinking of giving all my credits away. *sigh*

What do you think?

Amazing Bloggers 2007

This is a long overdue post, but I’d still want to "bestow" my own Amazing Blogger stamp on the following online/real world people for the engaging posts in their respective blogs and for their willing contribution to make my own blog more colorful by the welcome onslaught of their comments and tagboard messages (read: pawang mapagpatol sa mga hirit ko hahaha). I wish I had the time (and widget?) to tally their comments but regardless, in no particular order, these are my Amazing Bloggers:

Carlo, the jetset travelista
Aryo, the islander lawyer
Nina, the MD to be of UPLB
Ding, the multi-talented multi-tasker
Loud Cloud, the net’s secret best-kept
Benj, the one-who-is-not-so-different-after-all
Pepper, love in the form of a doctor
Doray, the wonderful councilor

Thank you for your amazing friendship, here in cyberspace and beyond! Blog on =]

Never lost, always found (10): Our Christmas miracle

Last November, I began a short inventory of things, persons, and events I am thankful for for the year 2007. As December was yet to unfold, I just quipped that the way things were unfolding, I am just excited to experience how the last month of the year goes.

Last December 24th, about 5pm Philippine time, my sister received a call from my mom. We were already on our way to my brother in law’s home in Bulacan where we were to spend Christmas Eve. After just a few sentences, my sister passed the phone to me. I talked to my parents in the US, at four in the morning, East Coast time.

My dad wasn’t feeling well. He said he has this dull epigastric pain (correct me if I’m wrong, Pop. I know you’re reading this!) that prevent him (and my mom!) from getting any sleep. Since my dad isn’t the one to complain about bodily aches and pains, I got quite worried. I asked all questions pertaining to his pain and after a few minutes I readily advised them to seek emergency room consult as soon as possible.

And consult they did. At around 6am (7pm in Manila) they were at the ER and he underwent lab exams. By around 9am (10pm), we got word that he’d be undergoing a surgical procedure in his gallbladder. By 12nn, he was in the operating room. By 4pm he was already home, resting from his Christmas Eve visit to the hospital.

Thank God for this happy ending.

But in all honesty, it was one of the worst moments to be in. I am a doctor, stuck here in the Philippines, aiming to save the world, when I can’t even take care of my own parents. I can’t help but feel… Impotent.

But the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, mercy and faithfulness, on the eve of our celebration of His birth- He gave us a lasting present- health and healing to our family.

It is by no coincidence that my mom FINALLY gained the confidence to get behind the wheel just a couple of months before Christmas. She was the one who drove our dad home from the hospital, going to any and all places for errands, etc. All in God’s perfect timing.

It is also a blessing that our aunt, my dad’s sister, Tita Vicky or Tita Bong (who pops in here every so often) was spending the holidays with my parents in South Carolina. At least my mom had somebody with her (who is also in the health professions) to help her- from sorting through jargon to taking care of our convalescent Pop. All in God’s perfect planning.

While in Bulacan, I can hardly feel the Christmas Eve festivities knowing the state my parents were in. But I know it’s a reality that I’ve to face sooner or later: they’re not that young anymore. That sooner or later the tables will be turned and that they’d be the one who’d need taking care of…

But I am just grateful to the Lord- for His immeasurable gift of life and love. He gave me parents who remain steadfast in the midst of trials, humble in moments of triumph. I am just grateful that on the eve of our celebration of His birth, received our Christmas miracle.

I have to admit that my faith faltered a bit. But sometime, somehow, friends whom I texted to pray with us reminded me to keep the faith. God sent His Son to save all of us. If God made THAT possible, surely it is easy to grant healing to my father as he gets operated on an almost-insignificant body organ. Keep the faith, Ian!

I never realized how apt my pre-Christmas post was until I really (re-)experienced God’s love on Christmas eve. And if God made our Christmas miracle possible and all the happenings of 2007 possible, I cannot begin to imagine how 2008 will turn out to be.

War vs Waste Weekends

Let's start the new year with a renewed, fresh, more positive, and clutter-free life! Join the Waste Market on the dates and venues specified above. Out with the old, make space for new blessings (hopefully not white elephants)! Save the environment and save up for the future!

University of the Philippines Centennial Celebration Kick-Off January 8, 2008

UP: Excellence, Service, and Leadership

in the Next 100 Years

Everyone- especially past, present, and future students, faculty, and REPS of the UP- is highly encouraged to join the launch of the UP's centennial year!

Program of Activities for the

UP System Centennial Kick-Off
(From the UP Centennial website and the memo to its constituents by the UP Manila Chancellor dated December 29, 2007)

January 8, 2008, Tuesday

7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
Mass at the PGH Chapel in UP Manila

9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Centennial Celebration Launch Program

at the UPMASA-PGH Science Hall in UP Manila

11:00 – 12 nn
Assembly for Motorcade (PGH and Tipunan/NIH)

12nn – 2p.m.
Motorcade from UP Manila to UP Diliman
Assembly of the celebrants at the University Ave. in UP Diliman

2:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Motorcade from UP Manila meets the other UP College Units contingents in front of Lung Center in Quezon Ave.

2:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Motorcade proceeds to University Ave.

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Arrival of Motorcade at University Ave.

4:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Skydivers with banners land in open area next to Plaridel Hall

4:30 - 4:45 p.m.
Tambuli and ‘Kwitis’ signal start of ceremony

4:45 - 4:55 p.m.
Doxology

4:55 - 5:00 p.m.
The Philippine National Anthem

5:00 - 5:05 p.m.
Opening Remarks by UPAA President Ponciano E. Rivera, Jr.

5:05 - 6:00 p.m.
Centennial Flame is passed around the academic oval by 100 UP alumni

6:00 - 6:10 p.m.
UP System President Emerlinda R. Roman lights the centennial cauldron
Carillon is played with 100 gun salute by the UP Rifle Team

6:10 - 6:12 p.m.
President Emerlinda R. Roman opens UP Centennial Year

6:12 - 6:17 p.m.
Assembly singing of “UP Naming Mahal”

6:17 - 6:30 p.m.
UP Pep Squad performance

6:30 - 6:45 p.m.
Revelry

6:45 - 7:00 p.m.
Chancellor Sergio Cao invites assembly to the Concert
Assembly moves to the ampitheater

7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
Concert at the ampitheater

9:30 - 10:00 p.m.
Fireworks

Never lost, always found (9): New year, new hope

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

(A traditional Gaelic blessing)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!