Pandemic who? Org life goes on, bestie!

If you’ve been surfing the waves of the KPOP fever, you’d know exactly which song we’re referring to. Just like how that big hit (wink) band tells us, org life continues onto the digital platform despite countless communication, emotional, and connection problems that many of us encounter. The majority of orgs have stepped forth to ease the burden brought by our academics that enjoy drowning us in a sea of reflection papers and reports. The reality behind the screens and Facebook pages is harder than most would assume. Our good friend corona also posed a threat to an organization’s purpose, methods, and even its entire existence. Switching to the digital setup also meant partly—if not completely— changing the way the entire organization moves. Eye-catching publication materials, engaging content, and the countless events equate to gruesome workloads, meetings, and sleepless nights for many of its officers. Two cups of coffee and a 3 AM breakdown are now seen in something we'd react to with a heart emoji. Org life with academics is spent Photoshop, Word, and Zoom on top of demands by many professors. We’ve all had our fair share of org encounters throughout the year—to the point that the number of times that we’ve been asked to introduce ourselves to strangers has been inestimable. Whether you were that kid that got called out to do a dare or that lucky G-cash game-winner, it’s undeniable that the number of orgs that we’ve come across while scrolling through our FB feed has certainly escalated. Let’s recount the organizations in AdZU that left their mark on the AdZU community—online. The Academic Organizations Kuya Guard isn’t the first person you’ll see upon entering the gates of college life in the online setup—it’s ECA and your AOs! The Student Government cluster has kicked off the college life of our freshies through their welcoming activities. Many of the AdZU community have also set their eyes on these orgs for their concerns and inquiries. With the unified mission of promoting the best interests of its constituents, many of our student governments have dragged this purpose to life in the digital setup through opening webinars that enhance our knowledge, open our eyes, and improve our capacities. Many of the AOs counteract issues in online communication through their attempts to reach out and listen to their constituents. All these while showcasing efforts of transparency and filling the gap brought by governing through screens. We’ve also seen attempts to address pressing issues, vocalize concerns of the time, and spur the student body to action. Surely, we can’t deny that many of our academic organizations have certainly stepped up to fulfill their mission even when faced with adversities. After all, how can we forget the fun speakers that we’ve got the opportunity to learn from and the unforgettable mental health break that we got during the first semester? Service and Communications Another series of clowns, memes, and government incompetence? It’s a hard pass for these organizations. From peace-building to exposing the truth, organizations such as the SALAAM Organization, Ateneo Debate Union, and the Union of Students for the Advancement of Democracy (USAD)-AdZU run the front lines. Relentless and fearless in accomplishing their mission, these organizations have become known for expressing their passionate advocacies through their activities. Although different in their missions, the organizations have a common ground: social issues. Through the organizing of webinars, the release of publication issues and articles, participation in debate tournaments, and Facebook posts on social issues, these organizations have left many of us questioning our role in the community. More than that, they have also been representing many of the unheard voices through their activities and prompting students for active action. Even that one satiric article on a certain langga, SN, and chicken biryani grabbed the attention of many whilst keeping true to its org’s purpose. Arts and Theater Are you all for expressing yourself through music and acting rather than speaking and writing? Then there’s no denying that these orgs have surely caught your attention. The Ateneo Blue Vigors, AdZU Glee Club, and Teatro Ateneo undoubtedly gave us a whole other level of dancing than just Tiktok, a peek into heaven with their harmonies and goosebumps all over our bodies with their acting. Over and over again these talented organizations have proved that even a pandemic could not stop their talents. Tiktok for a group dance routine? Nothing was impossible for the Ateneo Blue Vigors this year as they kicked off and introduced themselves through their performances in programs, concerts, and competitions. Equipped with their musical prowess, AdZU Glee Club also soothed our ears with their voices in their song covers and concerts. The effects of soulful voices and harmonies are unstoppable online! Even Teatro Ateneo gave us another experience through Zoom. Who knew that you’d be able to feel the same emotions as you would in theaters on a screen? There’s no use in denying it—even our school talents could make you feel as if you’re watching a movie on Netflix or a cover on YouTube. Emerging Orgs Don’t deny it—you’ve also been receiving page invites from many first-year students these past few weeks. These page invites are products of many of our freshies’ self-established organizations as a way to express their advocacy. Albeit still new, a lot of these orgs stem from passion-based content. From human rights to education, these as-fresh-as-our-freshies organizations have added a new spice for youth-led organizations. We can’t deny that this attempt of starting a self-led org may be one of the many highlights of a freshie’s college career. To add to the list are two of the newly formed organizations under the Social Awareness and Community Service Involvement (SACSI): El Fuente PH and Youth Alliance for Human Rights of Ateneo (YAHRA). While El Fuente PH is a leadership platform, YAHRA centers a lot of its work on human rights. One familiar activity of YAHRA is their webinar “Human Rights: On Air” which featured the esteemed Atty. Chel Diokno. Many have lovingly referred to their org lives to be a beautiful paradox of being a stressful stress reliever. In many ways, the amount of stress from org work comes with a bucketload of passion and commitment. How lucky are we to easily access and witness this passion? It feels empowering indeed to see many organizations continue to fulfill their mission despite the changes forced upon them. While organizing an endless amount of activities is great, wouldn’t we prefer to look at quality over quantity? This then could serve as a reminder for many of us—not just orgs—to continuously stay true to our mission while exploring what we are capable of. So when in a rut because of academics, the solution is simple: join an organization and experience new things. Even a pandemic couldn’t stop the unceasing dedication of those behind the screens—org life goes on!