Shiena Sanchez

Art Director

What is it like being an Artist, and a member of FEU Advocate in the pandemic and now we’re face to face?

The frst time I ever encountered the FEU Advocate was during the TamHunt in the frst semester of the school year 2019–2020. My attention was caught by the screaming people at the then Advobooth who were simultaneously asking me to consider joining their organization. Somehow someone managed to ask me if I liked comics, and I responded with a yes, and that pretty much paved the way to where I am today. Due to many factors, I had to apply for a leave of absence for a semester, which was then extended by the sudden pandemic. When I returned, not only had I been gone for a time, but everyone I knew had either already graduated or left the organization. The entire ordeal was similar to being in Advocate for the very frst time again, and now it’s happening online. This added more anxiety on my part, not helped by the distance that came with the pandemic and the barriers it created between my co-stafers and me. I’ve never been the type to communicate with others outside of work-related conversations unless we were close.

So, when I was named Art Director (Arts

Ofcer-in- Charge) a year after returning to Advocate, it surprised not only me, but I’m sure others as well. Honestly, it was a struggle at frst to adjust in terms of handling a new section, as well as transitioning from online to face-to-face. Being in this position also forced me to be out of my comfort zone a lot. Though I won’t necessarily classify this as a bad thing, it did help me improve not only in creating illustrations but also in managing a team or a section. The position also opened up certain opportunities that gave me the chance to write again, which is a skill I haven’t fully honed. I genuinely like this change in perspective in the medium of self-expression, not only because I’m an artist but generally just because I’m a person with much to say. I am also grateful for this change because it has enabled me to interact with people not only in my section but also outside of it.