JonJon Aberya

Winning by JonJon Aberya

Debate was something that used to scare the shit out of me. I went into those high school tournaments armed with nothing but the latest issue of The Economist while girls in black would pass by holding huge matter binders. Talk about intimidation. The worst part, though, wouldn’t come until the last few seconds before the Chair Adjudicator calls out my turn to speak. My teeth would chatter incessantly, my hands would shake and practically drip with sweat. I would clutch my notes and take a deep breath. I’d exhale, and the exhilaration of the next seven minutes would tell me everything else was worth this moment.

It was a constant inner battle. I had to wrestle with my fears and insecurities, and convince myself that there was something actually gratifying beyond it all. It was a dichotomy demanding the existence of both pain and pleasure in a single activity. It wasn't necessarily about winning the debate. It was that moment when I would feel like I'm actually making sense and what I have to say matters. And for a while, that 7-minute rush kept winning over my anxiety. That is, until frustrations led me to start giving into my fears. I found excuses to pass up tournaments. I found reasons not to train. Ultimately, I doubted that debate was for me.

This picture of how I felt about debate years ago is important in articulating how I feel about my experience in applying to the UP Debate Society. As a freshman, I was curious about the Society. Part of me wanted to get in, but an even bigger part of me just found no reason to even try. Sophomore year came, and the applications all over the University opened again. My curiosity for DebSoc came back. But more than just curiosity, this time I felt challenged. If I tried, could I make it in? Am I really bad in debate, or did I just not try hard enough before? I saw an opportunity, and I took it. I applied.

Honestly, I had to hurdle a lot of problems. Other obligations forced me to have less time with DebSoc than I would have liked, but I tried to make up for it by ensuring that such time was well-spent. I even missed the very first required activity because of a commitment I had made involving my part-time job. I had conflicts with my parents with regards to going home late several times a week, but I guess they saw how serious I was about this, and they learned to deal with it. Eventually, I got into a steady rhythm that somehow managed to go through several typhoons and major exams.

At first I also had trouble making friends with everyone. It’s an org, and I know how important it is to build relationships with everyone. My friends often say I’m outgoing, but I do have difficulty making new acquaintances. It seems unnatural for a debater, but I do admit to being shy around new company. But as the app process progressed, it became easier to let my guard down and to get to know everybody. It was interesting that this org houses a variety of students, making conversation always colorful and rich. As with all new friends, I felt a bit of apprehension in expressing my thoughts about the variety of things talked about, but this couldn’t have been any less of an issue in an org that is so open to different opinions.

My first member-friends, aside from my buddy, were mostly from the Membership and Administration Committee (MAC). It makes sense, because they were the ones I approached when I had questions or concerns. I was actually surprised at how accommodating they were. I guess I had the impression that seniority in orgs was something that was constantly rubbed into applicants’ faces. But it was the opposite with MAC. Of course, I still respected their seniority (and that of all members), but at the same time, they also respected me as an applicant. More than that, they were so supportive and encouraging. I felt their sincerity in wanting to assist all of us apps in passing through this phase. I have to take this chance to make a shout-out to Yang, who among the MAC members I must have badgered the most with all my questions about the app period. Thanks, Yang! I can’t thank you enough.

This also reminds me of the great Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero, MAC’s head. Initially, I was intimidated by BJ. We were told of his achievements when he was first introduced to us. I guess a felt like I was too insignificant to matter to him. But the more I got to see of him, the more at ease I became with him. I remember that there was even one time when he told us apps to just approach him if we needed anything. He said it in such a way that emanated sincerity (and maternal love, even) and made me more comfortable in future conversations with him.

BJ also gave me comments on my adjudication once. I was scared out of my wits at the beginning, because this was BJ—BJ, who has become a prominent adjudicator in the australasian debate circuit. And I was, well, me. No adj experience to speak of. But at the end, I was just grateful that he was the one who listened to my adjudication. BJ is like a model of a debater and adjudicator I would want to be in the future. Actually, DebSoc is full of such models. But in that particular instance, BJ gave a lot of important comments, and those became useful in my next debates and adjudications. More than that, I felt that in those few minutes he really wanted to correct how I was doing it to make sure I do better next time. Thanks, Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero, you truly are a mentor.

In fact, throughout this app period, that was exactly what I tried to do--just keep on doing better and better. My first few tambay debates were terrible. I felt so rusty and kept stuttering in all my speeches. But around mid-sem, I felt the rust slowly come off. This isn't to say that I'm a fantastic debater now, because I'm far from that. But the battle of anxiety vs. exhilaration raged on inside me every single debate. And the latter was winning.

I remember debating recently in front of a panel with their backs against a glass wall. I saw my reflection while giving my speech. For a split-second, my mind deviated from my speech and, in seeing how I’ve rediscovered an old passion, acknowledged how grateful I am that I applied to DebSoc.

Yes, debate still scares the shit out of me. But that only makes me appreciate more the intense joy I feel when I develop an argument that's actually pretty decent, or make a case-busting POI. Whether I get in or not, I feel like I've already won in this app period. I can only hope that my efforts would ultimately extend to getting the grand prize: more years with the Society.

Erismith Prado

Sure as Hell by Erismith Prado

Disclaimer: This article requires your utmost reading patience. Skip through if you think it’s too long. If not, well—yay! Somebody read my entry.

Before you put your hand on that door knob and twisted it, clockwise, with all the strength your hand could wring, you suddenly think of what awaited you as you stood there, hesitantly—you remember your debate yesterday and wonder, if you'd fare any better today. You entertain the thought of just turning around and running the hell off—you won't bear the risk of having to create more hung arguments, more dead-air, more humiliation. But before you even have time to consider, you find your hand moving by itself. The door clinks as you enter the Econ Caf. You purposefully move forward, a man with a mission. To hell with whatever was inside, I'm in. Various sights, smells, sounds and feels, suddenly assault you: a view of BJ jumping up and down, a whiff of BJ's new perfume, the auditory sensation of BJ's high voice reverberating on the walls of the caf, a jolt from BJ, like a mother would a wayward child, slapping your wrist, and, uhm, BJ (So is BJ an assault on the senses?).

There’s an art to it, really—how to understand BJ, how to be around BJ, how to please BJ (hey, no undertones there), much so how to write about BJ—that top adjudicator, situational narcissist, great debate constructive critic and perpetual UPDS character (BJ would love this). And that’s not romanticizing it (I mean BJ) than is strictly necessary. He's really that much hard to put a finger on (Hey, you. Yeah, you snickering there—I know what you're thinking—cut it out).

The steady, wavy movements of his hands, the loud, high strung voice of his, the helpful debate advice, the panacea to any debate ailment, the brutally frank, jocular attitude—all this add up to the single, revelatory vision of a (or the) BJ Guerrero. The one and only. Tadah! OK, so now I'm finished with the obligatory BJ praising.

You know it’s only BJ who could think up of a task like this. Really, I’m not surprised. Not that I have anything against this—in fact, I’m all for it. Not for purely sentimental reasons, so I could whine all I can for the next few paragraphs about my experiences, how they've changed me and all—I'm not really much that kind of guy—neither wanted to nor could do that. What I'm thinking instead is, it’s good that there’s something like this, a lens, if you will, with which to view the past application process in hindsight, so you could review yourself again, take a bird's eye view of whatever the hell happened this past month—and reaffirm yourself, of your place (consider it an obligatory self-evaluation process). The only danger to that probably is how upon being forced to regurgitate, like some bulimic poring over the contents of his/her (have to be politically correct here) little spill, whatever has happened this past month or so, what I have felt about the app process—which has positively been good, very good in fact—may change upon retrospection.

I'm not even sure if something of the sort has already begun to happen with me—you only remember the failed debates, the hard-as-hell matter exams, the disappointment in being unable to put yourself up to standards, the cut-throat competition, all throughout the application process, you're almost tempted to wonder—is this truly debate, or is it flagellation? Is this supposed to inspire enthuisasm, or masochism?

Out of sheer frustration and major ego de-boosting, you start considering jumping out the window or lying down in the middle of the university avenue, customary food for any tire willing to come your way. But then upon hearing encouraging words from those divine beings, debating gods (from my vantage point anyway), the MAC members—veritable extensions of BJ himself, you slowly regain your sanity, start thinking straight, begin appreciating everything.

You get to spend time with them, you talk about the application process, and then you realize that the phenomenon of pain and pleasure, as evinced in the debsoc application process, is not limited to the confines of a bedroom, dominatrix leather outfits, whips, and screams of the codename California. It can also be seen towards the end of the application process—when all your hard work would pay off (hopefully it would). If it doesn’t—well that’s all the more reason to work your ass harder, isn’t it?

But if I really wanted to examine just how positive an effect UPDS has done to me, I need not look far for an answer. You simply conjure a what-if thought process where you didn’t push through the debsoc application. I’d be carrying my lifeless carcass of a body to an institution was so hyped to study in before and which upon entering I had quite some trouble adjusting to—something I never expected. I do this every weekday for the next 4 or so years, try to enter UP law and become a lawyer, so I could feed myself three times a day, say to myself this is what I’m born to do, serve society (the old bull), and then be happy—but such things seem so formulaic, so lacking life. It invokes the unholy image of likening UP college life to meat grinders—put something in, out comes the finished product. What’s so fun about that?

I know I’m not speaking entirely for others, and I’m not even asserting a fierce generalization here, but I truly believe the only way I could fully enjoy UP life is to have an org—one that pushed me to my very limits, one that improved me in every aspect, one that had the most interesting, not to mention intelligent, people UP could boast of, and one that could open up entirely new experiences for me. Well, you know what the org is. To think, it makes all the hardships you’ve been through worthwhile, if only to give you the slightest chance of getting into such an organization. Sure as hell.

Sell Any Ginto?

Addicted by sell any ginto?

Last year, I looked forward to entering university and trying out new things: dodgy sun-tan orange isaw, winding routes to the Math building, and racing from one end of campus to the other. I was fairly certain that my high school interests (i.e. obsessions with Canadian paper and arguing with boys) were going to remain firmly in the land of yellow gingham. "Yeah," I told my fellow IDEA baby, "Debate and I are on a break." And so we were. I went my way (damn you, Math 17) and left debate to the hands of the experts (I'm talking about you, Nicolo Cabrera and Claudia Poon).

Then a few months later, the withdrawal pains kicked in. I lovingly remembered the matter-cramming sessions, the laughs over made-up words uttered during a heated speech, and even the sense of disappointment after a particularly bad debate. Despair after drawing OG for the ninth straight round, smug amusement when an opposing team finds itself boxed out (it's called karma, boys), and heady relief of making it past the break-- all these are feelings I acutely missed. So I took the chance of applying to UPDS, even though I was (or rather, am) afraid of not being decent enough for college-level debate. In a matter of a year I was back at Econ, hoping to be accepted to the only community I ever felt at home with.

It's tough, finishing a ton of tambay debates and playing eenie-meenie-minie-moe on matter exams, but I want to say it's worth it. I certainly hope that the hours of making bola and humiliation for the sake of learning will pay off and I get into UPDS. But I have a feeling that if I don't, it wouldn't hurt too much. I made friends, which I totally am glad about since I have always been intimidated by the thought of forging social relationships, and I learned slang (at last! Aw aw!). I found fellow football fans (Victoria Concordia Crescit), television geeks (Love Sylar), and trippy food fans (ramyun is best served hot). I discovered people are funny and interesting because they don't care about being too loud or too normal. Weird is good. Debate is good.

The application process is not as impossible as some people think. It certainly isn't a frat. Not when those expert jugglers in MAC have got all bases covered. If there was a television series about the travails and triumphs of MAC members (Eureka! New reality show idea!) the theme song would be Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross. Incidentally she's got the va-va-voom style MAC has.

If you need me, call me/No matter where you are, no matter how far/Just call my name/I'll be there in a hurry/On that you can depend and never worry.

But if there has to be one thing the UPDS application process needs to have for future debaters-to-be, it would be adjudication sessions where applicants can actually listen to the discussion among members adjudicating. I really think that would have helped me understand adjudicating more. Or maybe it's just me. I'm rotten at it.

Whenever I start talking about debate my little brother covers his ears and goes lalalalalalala in a high-pitched panicky voice. Such is the manner in which debate has once again taken over my life. Articles torn from TIME and pamphlets from the World Bank are strewn all over my bedroom floor. I have to dodge the stacks of matterloaded books in order to get to my clothes. I can't go to sleep without hearing George Alagiah on the evening news, nor can I leave the house without reading the ticker on BBC World. My habit of building cases for newspaper headlines has returned, slowly but surely. Debate has wriggled its way into my heart, but I'm not sorry about it.

BJ is a rainbow lollipop
Once he starts he can't stop
He's got the looks; he's got the heart
BJ is so very smart!

He's here and there
He's everywhere
Too cool for school
BJ, you rule!

Jessica Hermengarde

This House Believes. By Jessica Hermengarde

THBT BJ is God’s gift to mankind.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me speak to you about the wonder that is BJ! He or (she) is God’s gift to mankind.

Mankind defined as UP debate society, as only those of superior intellect deserve to be called human.

Gift defined as a beautiful parcel waiting to be unwrapped.

God defined as the mystical force that created BJ.

Let us discuss the nature of a gift. A gift is hardly a gift unless it’s a fancy package. It has to have un-grepa wrapping paper, and ribbons that frame the box as wonderfully as yang’s hair frames his face. BJ clearly meets this standard, Madam Chair, as he is evidently good looking and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. His hair is amazingly clean cut, leading others to believe he is heterosexual.
His eyes pierce right through you, whether or not he intends it to do so. His smile brightens up any place, that’s why they don’t bother to turn on the lights in the Econ walkway when we debate. If BJ were straight, he’d have a long line of chics waiting for their sigsheets to be signed and their sorry asses asked out on a date. Hahaha.

But more than the fancy package, a gift has to be of use, and for it to be of use, it has to be unwrapped. BJ is being mercilessly unwrapped by the application process. His repetitive adjing for countless tambay and graded debates, his precious time spent in front of his laptop poring over applicant requirements, his endless need to sign this and sign that, his efforts to organize everything, show us ladies and gentlemen, that he serves his purpose in debate society, that he is a gift to them-- unwrapped all too harshly it’s almost like stripping. ;)

THBT the MAC committee is the anti-thesis of power tripping.

Frankly, I expected the members of the MAC committee to be scary, applicant-eating, people whose end goal is to make all of us cry like motherless babies.
Instead I met wonderful, even-tempered upper classmen who spent their time getting to know us, and encouraging us to improve all throughout the application period.

Thank you to BJ, Yang, Biboy, Celeni, Jovan, Nico, Pluto, Dimple for not giving us hell… well not yet at least. Haha.

TH does not regret applying.

I remember asking my fellow applicants one day if they feared the idea of not getting in after all the hard work (because I certainly did). I thought they would immediately nod and vent out their feelings; instead, I got such mature and objective answers, which reminded me once again of how one should handle oneself in the world that is college.

They told me that ‘of course it would suck,’ but that they think the application process is its own reward. We learn a lot of things merely by applying to UPDS. We learn to speak constructively, to matter load and actually ANALYZE and USE the matter, to work with different people, to listen and filter ideas, and above all, to be patient and persevering all throughout the application period.

We were also able to test ourselves, to see how far we can go. On my part, I never thought I’d face such a long and tedious process in my first semester of college. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed the things we had to go through as debsoc applicants. I felt I was investing my time and effort in something worth it, something I can always look back on as a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience.

Above all, I cherish the friends I’ve made, both members and co-applicants alike. I remember sulking during the early part of the school year, because unlike my friends in other universities who had blocks to regularly hang out with, I only had random acquaintances from classes. When I started applying to UPDS, I took comfort in the fact that I could go to their “tambayan” if I had nothing to do or no one to stay with. I liked that I was able to build relationships, beyond a simple conversation or a class-related question. If ever I don’t get in, what would suck the most about it is the fact that I’ll miss everybody.

Overall, I say the application process is worth it. I wouldn’t have chosen any other way to start off my life in college. =)

Renier Bongga

The insistent annoying fly by Renier Bongga

Still finding out if it was sheer masochism, or impulsiveness, or the noble and Miss Universe-worth answer which is pure love to debate or genuine interest to join the org, I swallowed all my elephant-sized reservations and applied for UP DebSoc. Of the many things I'm ignorant about, I had at least one tautology- I am certain that this is gonna be bloody for me. Or so I think.

Blood is a cheap commodity, compared to the big part, if not all, of my dignity that I lost (about to lose since it's not yet done) during the app process. The app process was rich of all the underlying principles MAC wants to teach us or to make us remember. Kapal ng mukha? People went gaga over the boldstars in the applympics.The scrutiny of adjing in open areas where people could hear. Resourcefulness? Talk about the debates in the econ exterior, the formal attire we had to wear in Vinzons. Competitiveness? It was a race. Whatever sugarcoating applied to it, it was more of a race. Never mind the money struggles I had to face, the absences I had to make, and all the butt-aching and calorie-burning tasks I went through, because there were more to see.

There is BJ. He is the menstruation that happened for the third time in a month, the bungang-araw that came in winter, the twenty-five cents left on your entire body and bag after you've been harrassed by a hold-uper and you're just halfway home. He's the (not an) enigma.

As if he's wearing an invisible mink coat adorned with porcupine thorns. I can't approach him most of the time. There's no shallow reason for that. He's no goody-two-shoes to me. I explain how I adjed and he looks at me as though I'm bound to eternal damnation, as if I've adjed totally miserably. The stare tells me I did. He speaks the verdict of the debate as cold and sharp as he could (sometimes, he opts not to, but I haven't experienced that), as true and clear as he could, that even I would like to pounce myself for debating so stupidly. He can convince me that I have the mind of a premature cockroach and I don't hate him for it. All these but I still couldn't not respect him, because I know he's right. (Shame!...on my part ok?)

There is the losing and regaining of self-confidence, patterned to how many times I suck and not suck so much in debates from first tambay to third graded, from mini-mock to the mocking reaffirmation that I don't belong.

But here comes the (coincidentally) members of MAC. Make Anyone Comfortable can even be their motto. I splurge in the mud of self-doubt and someone from this committee tells me I'm not the worst case, only bad. Just playing around. Seriously, and often unbelievably, they have the talent of patching up one's hopes when the rebuttals, POI's, and bluffings have torn it and made it into a Prada bag. They juggle what they can juggle, the legworkers of DS they are (no pun to other committees, there's the other leg if you assert your hardworkings) and still make you believe either that you're the best debater in the world, or you can be in the future.

So many time spent. So many people met. So many things on the line. It wasn't just blood and tears and eye-bags after all. At first, I wonder how I wildly fight to live up to that choice, how I had many chances to defer but I didn't, how many things I had to give up- and disregard all that and anticipate the next tambay debate, adj, kupalan, etc. All the inconveniences and I still stay.

Then, when I sing in the bathroom, it all falls into place. The reasons why come like I had the voice of Charlotte Church and I sang for soul redemption.

It's about not caring, or wanting to shed all those, for that gleaming but faint chance of membership. The membership I want because it means more than just a title or gangsta feel. It's more of, mushy as it sounds, knowing it's worth it, knowing that you owe it to yourself. Like nothing would ever be more right to do.

Jowee Pasensiya

This is my quest to follow that star, no matter how hopeless... by Jowee Pasensiya

While I was reading the blog entries of my co-apps, I think majority of them thought that the “BJ” they should talk about is Benjamin Joseph Esposo Guerrero, who is the very famous MAC Chair. Although BJ is nice to me and I already consider him as my friend, I would rather talk about a different BJ. As an applicant of upds, I know I have a lot of things to fulfill, (i.e. debate and adj quotas, sigsheets, internships, whatever!) and I must say that all those things are part of the BJ or the Big Job that we’re expected to do. The responsibility given to us is not easy believe me. You have to learn how to balance acads with org work since the app period requires you a lot of time and effort. It would be helpful also if you’d read broadsheets everyday and buy the economist magazine every week. Unfortunately for a student like me it’s really hard to save up since when i'm in school I also get to spend a lot (i.e. food, transportation, unnecessary expenses, etc.) I really think that the big job is important because even if it will not assure you of a slot in the org, at least it can improve your chances. And even if everything is equally hard and stressful, at least at the end of the day you’ve learned something from it.

The whole app process even if it’s not yet done is really tiring but enjoyable. It’s enjoyable since you get to learn a lot of things. It’s when you meet a lot of intelligent, weird, moody and not to mention pretty girls. For a person lacking in social skills, I know that the whole app process is a challenge I have to take. For the reason I don’t really understand, I’ve been very shy all my life so it’s never been easy for me to mingle with other people but I’m really trying my best to catch up and socialize with the rest. I feel a bit uncomfortable when I’m exposed to a new group of people but thanks to my ever-reliant buddy and some debsoc people since they made me feel as if I can share to them everything I have in mind, especially those things that concern the app process, which mind you is very tiring since it requires you to devote substantial amount of time and effort.

When everything gets rough, that’s when MAC comes in. They’ll let you know what you should do and they’ll inform you the things you need to improve. MAC is composed of nine interesting people, who I think deserve a place in this entry.

Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero: He’s the VP for MAC but according to him, he’s the “Queen” of the org. He may be snob at times but BJ would always be there when you need someone to talk with. If you have problems in terms of the entire app process and you don’t know who to talk with, BJ is the man (or the other way around)! Believe me, he seems to be a snob but BJ is really nice and friendly too.

Yang: He may be brutally frank in terms of adjudicating but I really think that he’s the friendliest among the members. If I’m not mistaken he’s one of the primary movers of the “Seven Deadly Questions”, and if you’d ask me if the questions are really worth answering, I really don’t know because most of the questions are very hard to answer. Anyway, the “Seven Deadly Questions Game” is really fun. Even if you don’t like the question, you have no choice but to answer it and I assume that’s the primary challenge of the game.

Paula: I rarely see her during debate trainings but I get to see her twice a week. She’s pretty, well dressed, very articulate, and not to mention she’s also sexy. I think she has this resemblance to female newscaster Rhea Santos. Like everyone else in MAC, she looks like a snob but the moment you talk to her, you’ll find out that this woman is also fun to be with.

Pluto: This guy is very funny. I think he’s the most kikay among the male upds members. I haven’t seen him debate so I have no idea if this guy is a killer or what.

Celeni: Even if we see each other often, we never had the chance to sit down and spend the next 15 minutes together. That I guess is one of my regrets because I really think that Celeni is a very funny girl. The way she carries herself is also amusing and I’m really looking forward to be her friend.

Jovan: Although Jovan is nice, I think he has to eat more. Hehe. He seems to be very quiet just like me.

Biboy: I guess he’s one of the most competitive members of upds. I’ve seen him debate several times already and I must say I’m a fan, it’s just that he has this very high pitch of voice that is a bit unusual since he’s a very big guy.

Nikko: Like everyone else in upds, this guy looks like a snob. But when I had a chance to talk and spend some time with him, I realized that he’s really not.

Dimple: I rarely see her during debate trainings so I have no idea if she’s nice or what. But I guess she’s friendly because she always carries a smile on her face not to mention I was able to get her signature without any challenge at all.

I’m grateful that I applied for UPDS not only because I know that it will help me in terms of future reports, paper works, job interviews etc. but I’m more grateful because at least I’ve met a lot of people who can be my friends in the long run. It has always been my dream also to be featured on national T.V. and I’m positive that debsoc can make that elusive dream come true. Haha. Peace.

Anna Porcelana

Learning how to Masterdebate by Anna Porcelana

A normal person would rather choose to spend nearly two months of his time studying, playing, flirting or even watching plants grow in their yard over applying for UPDS. Arguably, the DebSoc holds the title for the most competitive application process, from the Apps Olympics to the Tambay Debates, Tambay Adjes, Mini-Mock, the Graded Debates and the dreaded Matter Exam. By sheer length ang complexity, the process has completely stretched me beyond my former bounds, I had to struggle with severely conflicting schedules and tempting holidays all in good hopes of making it. I will never forget running across the campus in search for condoms and sanitary napkins or even hitching a ride with a complete stranger delivering ulam. Even debating in Vinzons over limited space and light, to sit in Econ building just to manage my quota was worthwhile. Our buddy made sure that we were ready for all the things that we would be facing, from case building to adjing our buddy made sure that we were all in the right track. Looking back the buddy bid fee which I used to think was irrational is now justified, I feel that we undercompensated our buddy’s effort and patience with us. All in all the process wasn’t just about getting grades higher than 75 but rather an intrinsic checking of desire to make it, because as I have heard the app process is just a warm-up of all the stretching that I will have to make assuming I get in.

What added flavor to the process are BJ and MAC and in order to be able to talk about them properly I have to define them first, BJ, contrary to the misnomers who shallowly define such as blow job or buko juice, is a word (not an abbreviation) used to define something which adds positive value to somewhat negative scenarios. For example; if you are lonely, all you need is a BJ and everything will be alright. If you think that you can’t appreciate things anymore, just get a BJ and you’re all set for seeing the beauty of life. As far as research is concerned, BJ will be placed in the thesaurus as something synonymous to appreciation or hope. The only rule about BJ is that you must pay it forward, meaning that if someone BJs you it is imperative that you BJ someone else who desperately needs it.

This then leads me to MAC (Membership and Administration Committee), how is MAC anyway? MAC is a spawn of the concept of BJ because throughout the process, MAC is the main cursor of the applicants, helping us through the whole process by giving out tips about sig-sheets, making us physically fit through the Olympics and helping us figure out strategies how to increase our chances of getting in.

In summation, the process has promoted my whole outlook about debating and it has made me realize that I must follow the BJ principle which is useful in everyday scenarios. I had a taste of the UPDS life, and it is tough and worthwhile no matter what.