As my last academic year was fast approaching, I realized that I don’t have any engagements in college. The pandemic sucked the life out of me and I didn’t even notice that time was running out for me to grab the opportunities for additional credentials in my resume. Luckily, my batchmates together with our program chair initiated to form an organization for our program which was launched way back around 2021? I guess. This is when The Comm.pendium was born, it was intended to be our very own organization wherein all AB Communication Students of National University Manila can showcase their talents and skills both academic and non-academic. Being a pioneer of the AB Comm in NU Manila, our batch wanted to ensure that we leave something for the upcoming freshmen and our juniors. Hence, one of the purposes of The Comm.pendium. Academic year 2022-2023 was a major breakthrough of The Comm.pendium because it was finally filed to be a Recognized Student Organization (RSO) in the university. The executives of the organization relaunched The Comm.pendium and started recruiting working committees and other possible replacements for when we graduate. When the recruitment began, I did not hesitate to sign up because we were still under the online set-up which prevents physical interaction with other students. I took this opportunity to finally socialize and spend time to make friends with the other AB Communication students. I signed up under the Office of the President – Non-Academics who organizes non-academic related events such as the biggest event of The Comm.pendium (yet) which is the General Assembly of all AB Communication Students of NU Manila. At first, I was anxious during the orientation because majority of the participants who were recruited are juniors.I was afraid I won’t be able to fit in and interact that much with them but as time went by, when we were assigned with a task for the general assembly, my anxieties and fear vanished.
I was the only senior in our committee, except my two batchmates who were executives of The Comm.pendium, yet the juniors were warm and easy to be with. We got together and finished our task for the general assembly swiftly. For me it was an unexpected turn of events, why? First, I only wanted to add something to my resume, I just joined for the credentials. Second, I only wanted to finally get out of our house and interact and socialize with real people outside before I graduate and leave NU. In some magical ways, my experience of being a member of The Comm.pendium altered my purpose of why I signed up for it. It drove me to be closer to the juniors. I, unexpectedly, built larger connections with other people as I got to work with different types of people. The Comm.pendium gave me a chance to reconsider my view about my other batchmates whom I got to interact with only through chats and virtual classes. I became more comfortable and friendly to my batchmates and I really enjoyed being par of this organization.
To all our juniors and future executives and working committees of The Comm.pendium, may you always uphold or even go beyond the standards set by the pioneer batch. We wish you success and we wish that in your future events you will invite the alumni of The Comm.pendium. I cannot wait to work with all of you again. Thank you very much for this opportunity, The Comm.pendium.
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