Of reunions and anniversaries

February is usually the time when practical balikbayans come home from the USA and Canada because their winter is still harsh, fares are cheaper and oftentimes there are reunions. Another reunion? Yes, but this time with schoolmates and peers, not family-centered but school-focused.

Why do people come home from faraway places to be with senior friends who can hardly hear, aging classmates who ask about your state of health or next generations who have no idea why you came home in the first place? Maybe they come home to celebrate that they can still attend such get togethers?  That one is strong enough physically to withstand the rigors of travel to see old friends and reminisce old times. This is an activity not available to many anymore. Many have passed and many have been ill, so it really is a celebration to be able to meet old friends and still understand each other.

I am so looking forward to February because our university sorority is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. And our batch, a motley group of 12 coeds formed in the 70s, is celebrating our 50th year of friendship and sisterhood. I wonder if today’s kids will even read a boring piece on history of sororities and fraternities so I am counting on millennials to do the translation of our ideas and ask younger people to consider joining a group on campus. Why did our older “sisters” (as we call each other) get together back in the day, almost a hundred years ago?

These women are not ordinary students. If I mention some of  their names – Maria Kalaw Katigbak, Gloria Lucero Monzon, Lourdes Paredes San Diego – they are names now found on street signs because they did something notable back in the day. Way before Gloria Steinem started the women’s movement in the United States, these university lasses already made waves on campus. Yes, it was in 1931 when they formed it and in 1933 the sorority was recognized by our state university as an official group worthy of being called a university organization. That is a supreme honor not available to just any group that chooses to get together. You need to have a purpose and a good reason to gather women to achieve certain lofty goals while in school.

Way before the women’s movements for equality and gender equity came about, there already was a group on campus that pushed for a common goal. These may be for excellence and purpose in extra-curricular activities, for cultivation of arts and culture, as well as conduct intelligent discussions about relevant socio-political issues. Thus Sigma Delta Phi was born and nurtured through the last 90 years and hopefully into its century.

History does repeat itself and it is our hope that today’s youth emulate the values our forefathers and mothers had. We worked for a better citizenry, inculcated good values that women can carry through their lives even beyond the campus and out into the world. The sorority produced diplomats, ambassadors, public servants, artists and writers who helped shaped the world we live in now. The association allowed its members to grow to their full potential, but still mindful of values, ethics and good manners and right conduct.

So why do we bother with celebrating our nine decades of existence on campus? Because we think today’s students need to see a balance between excellence in academics and pursuit of other achievements like arts and culture. To see a future where students grow into good citizens who find purpose in contributing to society, especially during these trying times.

For this purpose, we are going back to campus on Feb. 24 with a “BALIKADA” –  a street fair featuring different decades (dekada) and what they did in history for the last 90 years. Come and see what you can relate to among the various decades – from the 30s to present.

And the next day, Feb. 25, we celebrate eight sisters who have made their mark in society in various fields – diplomacy, business and in the arts, among other pursuits. This is what we call The Mariang Maya awards, given every five years to sisters who excel in their chosen career paths. It is indeed an honor to have been awarded along with other achievers like Solita “Winnie” Collas-Monsod, Ces Oreña-Drilon and Anita Magsaysay-Ho. There are more awardees who you may know publicly as Nora Daza, Betty Go Belmonte (this paper’s founder), Nelia Sancho, Nancy Reyes and Araceli Limcaco-Dans. They all  did something out of the ordinary, even while excelling in academics in school and pursuing careers after their campus life.

If you know anyone who has done wonderful things on campus and belonged to Sigma Delta Phi, do let them know that we are getting together for this very important celebration. It is also notable that SDP existed not just in the UP Diliman campus but in UP Los Baños as well. So do spread the news that this organization actually is still very much around, 90 years after.

It is not everyday that we find a group that is still around after 90 years and celebrates its achievement on campus where it all started. But with the hope that history repeats itself, we hope that this generation and the next ones will continue to produce citizens who can introduce change in our country and make this a better place.

Sororities can remain relevant because students cannot work alone in the pursuit of excellence. You do need a supportive group behind an achiever, a rallying force to cheer you on.

In this modern day scenario, we still remain as social beings. And a group who can embrace and support you is better felt physically on campus and not just in virtual life or augmented reality. You need warm bodies and gentle hearts along with it. And who knows, you may also have a street named after you, in the next generations ahead.