I can’t say that I know BJ through and through apart from the UP debate society app process but I do know that I have seen him before and I couldn’t forget him. Sometime in September last year, I was hanging out at Vinzons just before training and there I saw BJ. It wasn’t a coming-out-of-the-fog-imagine-BJ-running-toward-me-at-the-beach sort of thing; I’m not in love with him, you know. But still, he made an impression. There was a group of people as if in total panic and in the middle of chaos. Everyone was amuck. And then out of nowhere came BJ. I don’t know what it was about him but he simply said, “order!” and all was well. I realized then that the ecstatic people I saw were the new members of the Up debate society. BJ talked and all listened. (even me, who wasn’t supposed to be listening, pretending I was eating. haha) That was when I entertained the thought of applying for UPDS. I always wanted to debate but knowing debaters and knowing myself, I did not think I was up to par. To make a long story short, I applied and I’m here, typing my last requirement before JDC.
On the onset of the app period, BJ was the guy to look out for. I was dead scared of him for I only knew him from his achievements, his occasional hellos and that faithful day in Vinzons. I had no clue. On the night of my fifth tambay debate, probably around 8pm, BJ invited us to dinner. During about an hour and a half of giggling and dicing, I concluded, BJ is gay. To my surprise, he turned out to be an adventurer as well. At around 10pm, he decided that now would be a good time to cruise along Libis, Fort and ultimately, the place to be, wherever that was. I was thrilled but being the sissy me, I obeyed curfew, went home and lost the chance to party with a rockstar. Since then, I’ve always looked forward to dinners out after his debates with stellar adjudications.
BJ is a person of extremities. He is a person who commands great respect but is willing to laugh at himself. He can be as serious as serious can get and yet still be able to smile and say, don’t take it as if it can kill you. He is one of the people I’ll miss once this is over. His personality and “BJness” allows for a better MAC.
MAC is a committee that runs like a swiss clock. No hitches, no glaring mistakes and like no other. MAC is Macbeautiful, serving millions at a time. This is the committee whose members I get to interact with most often. When MAC is present, I’m sure to have a fun debate. I don’t know if they mean to, but they’ve made the app process bearable and fun. Usually, in all honesty, for the life of me, I do not revel in adding work to my already heavy load of academics, but debsoc tasks don’t seem like work at all with MAC. Most of the time, talks/interviews and getting-to-know-you’s don’t seem scary at all. They allow me to get to know debsoc, the fun, the frolic and the fabulous people. They initiate the discovery of personalities. I believe that if it weren’t for the members of MAC, I wouldn’t have my evening buddies after hours. If it weren’t for them, I’d be going home a mess every night after grueling debates. In fact, for the first time, because of them and other people, I see humor in debating. Imagine that. Before the application, debate is only serious business, fast talk and jargons I couldn’t understand.
As for the rest of the application process, all I know is I loved every minute of it. I got to learn a lot and I got to do what I’ve always been amazed at. I met people who I can consider to be potential life long friends. I know I’ll miss the sometimes harsh criticisms that make me strive to do better. I know I’ll miss the adrenaline rush of pushing for quota, requirements and my 7 minute speeches.
This is going to be over in three days. I know I’m afraid but I also know I’m glad I did it. Getting to know debsoc over the past few months allowed me to get to know some of the most colorful personalities and some of the most memorable characters ever.
It’s almost over. It’ll be almost a year since I saw BJ and the successful applicants of 2006. When September ends, I might be at vinzons listening to BJ again. I may be pretending to eat again but I’ll know I’ll smile at the thought of my app period.
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