In this issue…A Night Under The Stars ………………….1

JTA-Okay……………….………………….6

Peeking At Glory……….…………………14

Keep Moving Forward….…………………22

Under The Stars is a highly anticipated annual

event hosted by one of Ateneo's most prestigious

and top organizations: the Loyola Film Circle.

Traditionally held very close to Valentine's day,

Under The Stars aims to celebrate and

strengthen the love and relationship between

friends, family and lovers not only through having

food and game booths but also watching

performances and a romantic comedy film on the

fields of Ateneo de Manila University.

However, when one mentions Under The Stars,

upperclassmen and even some freshmen think

of it as an event made for couples to go on a

date, because the event is always set so near to

Valentine’s Day. But although most people would

say that Under The Stars is an event only for

couples romantically involved, it is actually a way

for friends, block mates and couples alike to

bond and strengthen their relationship with each

other.

The first time I heard about Under The Stars

during the start of the first semester, I

immediately got excited. Apart from watching a

movie in a 50’s style drive-in theater with my very

Nightunder the

StarsWords By Hannah Gana

A

own prince charming, It has always been in my

bucketlist to watch a movie under the stars

with my barkada, and I already saw this as an

opportunity to fulfill that dream of mine. So as

months passed, I always made it a point to

look out for new details and information that

the Loyola Film

C i r c l e w o u l d

re lease abou t

Under The Stars.

I t w a s l a t e

December 2014

when the Loyola

Film Circle (LFC)

first announced

the date of the

much awa i t ed

event. It was to

be held on the

13th of February,

one day before

Valentine’s Day. Months passed and every

time an LFC member posts another poster,

reminder or teaser I get even more excited for

Under The Stars than I already was.

After months of waiting, February 13th finally

arrived, and I couldn't be more excited. I had

asked my friend from De La Salle University

and University of Santo Tomas to attend the

event, along with three of my friends from

Ateneo. Before leaving Ateneo to meet up with

my friends, an LFC member came up to me

and informed me that the venue changed from

the Cervini Field to the Bellarmine Field. After

which my friends

and I all met up in

Katipunan to eat

dinner in Sweet

I n s p i r a t i o n s

before heading

back to Ateneo

for Under The

Stars.

We arrived at the

event at around

7 : 0 0 i n t h e

e v e n i n g , a n d

already, the place

was packed with

hundreds of students. A band was serenading

the attendees. The place looked beautiful and

just how I imagined it would be; surrounding

the stage forming a U are the food booths

which offer different kinds of snacks to attend

to the people who have not eaten, and game

booths which offer different kinds of games

and entertainment

such as marriage

booth and fortune

telling booth. They

even set up a

H u g o t B o o t h

where those who

are heartbroken or

“bitter” that they

do not have a love life so near Valentine’s Day

can throw darts at balloons which, when

popped, has a motivating quote inside that

urges to move on and love themselves. Inside

t h e h u g o t

boo th i s a

hugot board

where people

can write just

a b o u t

a n y t h i n g :

s o m e w h a t

l i k e a

f r e e d o m

board but for

those who are heartbroken. There was a

gigantic screen on the left side of the stage

where the logo of Under The Stars is

permanently shown. The grounds of the

enormous fie ld

were packed with

students chatting,

l a u g h i n g a n d

bonding with their

f r i e n d s a n d

significant others.

Scattered on the

field were dozens

of red balloons and bouquets of flowers held

by women, presumably given by the loves of

their life. Looking around, I understand why

they had to move the venue. The place had

t o o m a n y

people that I

d o u b t t h e

Cervini Field

could handle

the capacity.

The program

started with

t w o h o s t s

w e l c o m i n g

the attendees,

and inviting them to try out the different booths

located at the back. They then welcomed the

bands to perform. One band after the other

Above: The hugot board!

The crowd!

performed, but what I admired about LFC is

that they did not only just get bands, dancers

and singers to perform, they also asked

students to perform slam poems and spoken

w o r d p e r f o r m a n c e s t o

showcase the underrated

talents of these artists.

As the night grew, the more

people arrived to participate in

the event. As I observed

further and tried to look at the

faces of the audience despite

the darkness of the venue, I

saw that the people, both

women, men, lovers, and friends all had

glowing smiles on their faces. I saw groups of

friends simply talking to each other, tickling

each other, and teasing each other. At the far

back, I observed a group of friends having a

mini food fight, throwing ice cream at each

other’s faces. By the game booths were a

group of friends seemingly “wrestling” each

other and playing childish games such as

Nanay Tatay, Bahay Kubo and Ketchup.

Looking around, I can see how friends and

lovers alike are bonding. Because Valentine’s

Day is so near, everyone was in high spirits.

The reason, I presume, that LFC pushes that

this event be held on a day so close to

Valentine’s Day is because they want to stress

that Valentine’s Day is not only about lovers,

boyfriends, girlfriends and married couples, but

also about love that is present

between friends, classmates,

blockmates and orgmates. And

this is where I can say that

L F C c a n b e d e e m e d

successful in their endeavor: to

strengthen the bond and love

between relat ionships as

friends and lovers alike. Under

The Stars is the ultimate

bonding experience for those who want to

strengthen the relationship and have a relaxing

and overall chill night with their friends and

loved ones under the cool breeze of nature

and the light of the stars. ★

“Looking around, I

can see how friends and lovers alike are bonding”

JTA- OkayWords By Raven Lingat

Ateneo opens doors filled with opportunities for

its students. Whether it may be in different

fields such as sports, dancing, theatre, arts,

debating, business and whatnot, the school

caters to every student’s interests. There are

varsity teams, dance and singing groups, even

theatre guilds and business organizations who

are open for applicants. But for those students

who are into traveling and adventure, then the

Ateneo’s Junior Term Abroad or also known as

the JTA is the right program for them. The JTA

program which is available to all students of

the Loyola Schools enables an Atenean to

enrol in their chosen partner university and

experience life outside the country.

Several students try to get into

this program and they go to countries

such as the United States and even in

Europe. Each of them comes home with

di fferent stor ies to tel l , several

experiences and with new outlooks in

life. Hearing all these stories about JTA

coming from upperclassmen who had

friends who experienced it, and from

freshmen who had friends of friends

who had experienced it, I was not as

enlightened on the subject of JTA

until i met our student facilitator for

my intact class, Robi Atanacio.

After he shared with us his journey

as a JTA student, i finally heard all

the stories and rumors about it

come to life over the course of our

interview as he shared his first-

hand experiences. Hearing all of

t h i s f r o m s o m e o n e w h o

experienced it first-hand, all the

knowledge he gained, and friends

he made, the JTA is indeed a

wonderful experience and the

freshmen of the next batch might

want to consider this program on

their junior year.

As I waited for Robi at the

s e c w a l k f o r o u r s c h e d u l e d

interview, I scoured his facebook

page and looked for photos of him

in his JTA. I saw him with different

kinds of people in several famous

places around New York. When I

saw him walking down to where I

was seated, I saw in him the

confidence and the swagger

someone who is experienced would

have. He was not awkward, in fact

he was outgoing. Moreover, he

appeared ready and prepared for

the interview. After we exchanged

pleasantries, I started by asking

him about the application process

of getting into JTA. “It is a hard

process.” He said. First you need to

get a QPI of more than 2.8 so those

who are planning to go to JTA need

to do well on their academics. They

are going to represent the school

after all. After that, they have to get

recommendation letters from their

professors and pass them at a

respective department together

with the transcript of your grades. If

the department deemed you worthy

of going to JTA then you’re all set!

He said that when he learned

that he was accepted for the JTA,

he was ecstatic and literally jumped

for joy because of that huge

opportunity. I asked him what he

felt before going into JTA. “I was

really scared. I have been in Ateneo

all my life and being away from my

family for that long is really new to

me.” He added that living alone in

t h e

Phil ippines

i s h a r d

e n o u g h

what else in

a n o t h e r

country.

When

he was at

the airport,

he said he

had mixed

e m o t i o n s .

He was sad

because he

was going to be away with his

family but on the other hand, he

had the feeling of excitement

because of this new adventure,

new friends and most of all, new

memories that was in store for him

in this new country. This is a huge

step and he was hoping that all of it

would be worth it. His family was

there and were really sad to see

him go. But he made learning and

experiencing

new things

a s h i s

motivation.

Coming into

JTA, he was

just this shy

a n d

r e c l u s i v e

guy but after

c o m i n g

b a c k , h e

b e c a m e a

c o n fi d e n t

a n d s e l f -

rel iant person equipped with

experiences and happy memories

that’s why he said that the JTA for

him was one of the highlights of his

college life.

After I asked him some

q u e s t i o n s a b o u t h i s J TA

experience, his face was painted

with a bright smile. I can definitely

see his happiness especially when

reminiscing about the past. “What

w a s y o u r b e s t

memory?” I asked. “It

was the bell drop in

New York on New Year’s

Eve” answered Robi. I

asked him why and he

said, “I guess because it

was one of the first few

days I was there. It was

definitely a bucket-list

experience. I always dreamt of

being there” He was putting his

hand up seemingly mimicking how

the famed Time Square bal l

dropped during New York’s New

Year’s Eve celebration. Robi added

that the people he was with made

t h e e x p e r i e n c e m u c h m o re

significant.

Moreover, when I asked him

about the realizations he gained on

this trip, he said that he was able to

realize how vast the world is. “The

world does not revolve around the

Philippines. Different people who

come from different

walks of life, who are

different in race and

re l i g i o n a l l c o m e

together in that place.

It highlights how our

differences can help

u s c o - e x i s t a n d

become unified.” he

said.

Fordham University is where

he studied and being there, he was

exposed to different kinds of

people. There were Asians, African

Americans and other races and he

was able to interact with them.

Some even became his closest

friends. According to him, the

people he met there are the ones

who made his stay memorable. “I

“The people he met there are the ones who made his stay

memorable.”

had so much fun memories with

them while I was there. I met new

people, built friendships, took

classes and we even travelled

together.” He said that they made

him feel like he was really part of

the Fordham community despite

just staying there for how many

months.

“ I a m

also a different

person now. I

am more than

just that kid

w h o w a s

scared on the

a i r p o r t a n d

had second

t h o u g h t s

about leaving.

I a m m o r e

independent

now. I can say

that I have really gone a long way

and the months I spent in the JTA

program are definitely worth it.”

Robi added. He needed to budget

his money. No one was there to do

his laundry for him. He said he

needed to sustain for himself. He

learned how to cook simple dishes

which he doesn’t really do before.

He also learned how to do his own

laundry, pay his bills and commute

through the city. These experiences

m a d e h i m

m o r e

independent

and he said

that he was

able to bring

these lessons

when he went

back home.

But he said

that the JTA

i s n o t a l l

about travel

and meeting

new people. It is also about

academics. He said that the

c lasses he took were qu i te

Robi (left) and I

overwhelming but it was very

helpful for him especially in making

him decide whether to pursue law

or not. He said the professors were

insightful and are quite considerate.

He was also exposed to a

different culture while living in

America. It was definitely an

exh i la ra t ing exper ience and

learning there the culture of another

country; he was able to appreciate

more the culture we have in the

Philippines. Because when he was

there, he told me that there were

times where he was craving for

Filipino food and was happy

whenever he sees fellow Filipinos

living there.

Just as he was answering

the questions, he pulled his phone

and showed me pictures of his trip.

He had photos with his friends. He

had a photo with the Statue of

Liberty which is one of the iconic

places located in the United States.

He was really happy as he was

pointing to me the people he met

and the experiences he had with

them.

I asked him my last question,

“What is your advice to people,

especially the freshies who want to

avail for the JTA when they become

juniors?” He gathered his thoughts

for a while and answered, “I guess

my advice for them is just take the

plunge. At first, I was not really

keen on going to JTA. But then the

opportunity is too hard to pass up. I

definitely learned a lot. And I can

say that the investment I put into

JTA, the return to me is something

I’ll never trade for anything in my

college life.” Laughing, he added

tha t t he f reshmen who a re

interested in the JTA should now

start saving up, and doing well in

their academics if they want to get

into the said program.

“Success is where opportunity and

preparation meet.”

As I ended the interview, I can say

that I learned a lot about the

program. The JTA is a program that

an adventurous Atenean should go

for. Even I, became interested in

going for the JTA now that I think

a b o u t i t . T h e m a t u r i t y ,

independence and friendships one

will gain in this experience are

priceless. Opportunities come at

the most unexpected time and if

that opportunity presents itself you

need to grab it. As the saying goes,

“Success is where opportunity and

preparation meet.” So if the

opportunity comes knocking, be

open to it, grab it but be sure that

you are prepared for it will be a long

road ahead of you. ▲  

Want to join the Junior Term

Abroad?

☑ QPI of 2.8 or higher☑ College Sophomore☑ No F or W in any subject

☑ No major disciplinary offense

For more information, visit the Ateneo website!

JTA CHECKLIST

Peeking atglory

Words By Anton Escolin

In the whole Ateneo campus, there are

numerous places and landmarks that you

will notice. These are buildings that hold

historical significance to the school, and

have memories that Ateneans will hold

forever. The place that I will be featuring

is not a classroom or church, this place is

a landmark that most people see

whenever they go to Loyola Heights.

Since the place takes up a lot of space in

the school, it can also be noticed from the

outside of the school. To add, it holds a

lot of memories that I will never forget as

well as some that hurt. The iconic,

gigantic and historic Blue Eagle Gym is

the place that cannot be neglected by any

Atenean.

When you walk going to the Blue

Eagle Gym from the Loyola Schools, you

will see that it is surrounded by

numerous trees in the side across the

Moro Lorenzo Field. These trees will

remind you of how old and

classic the place is. These trees

are even taller than the gym’s

height itself. The gym can be

located near Gate 2 of the

campus in between the grade

school and the college. When

you are driving from the south

bound in Katipunan Avenue, you

will get a glimpse of a gym that

is covered all white with an

eagle in the middle. This eagle

marks the representation of the

Atenean in sports. Going to this

p l ace becomes a un ique

experience because of the

things that are inside of it. The

Blue Eagle Gym serves much

more than a basketball court, it

is also home to the judo team

and some of the school’s

biggest achievements.

The basketball court of

the Blue Eagle Gym presents

itself as the main attraction of

the whole place. It is the center

of the gym and a lot of games,

practices and festivities are held

here. The court is surrounded

with blue-colored seats with four

sides. These seats spell out the

name “Blue” for the width side,

and “Eagles” for the length side

of the gym. Above the stands

you will be able to see some

rectangle-shaped banners that

represent the championships of

the Ateneo Basketball and

Volleyball teams. During my

elementary days I would visit the

gym to watch some games, I

always thought on how it would

feel if you could help add a

banner there.

In my fourth year in high

school, I became lucky enough

to be part of the Ateneo High

School team as a student

manager. I may not be a player,

but I was still able to help the

team by providing statistics and

being a time-keeper during

practice. During this time, I really

enjoyed being a part of the

team, because it was like a

family environment. During this

UAAP Season, the team was

able to have our games at the

Blue Eagle Gym.

Being a manager

and having games

at that venue, it

felt totally surreal

because you have

a h o m e c o u r t

advantage. Even if

the arena does not

c o n t a i n a i r -

conditioning units

l i k e M O A o r

Araneta Coliseum, you can still

feel the natural breeze that

Loyola Heights has. In the

surroundings of the court words

like “Ateneo”, “Blue Eagles” or

“Go Ateneo”, these show how

playing here is different together

with the banners hung above.

These banners give inspiration

for the team to play better. I

asked current Ateneo Juniors

Basketball team member Dale

Termoso on playing here, he

said “Masaya maglaro sa Blue

Eagle Gym lalo na

k a p a g y u n g

A t e n e o c r o w d

sumusuporta sa

a m i n . ” . T h i s

shows that this

p l a y i n g v e n u e

may not be as

glamorous as the

other venues that

basketball games

are played in, but

for Ateneans they have a pride

and privilege in playing at their

own home court. When I asked

him about the Blue Eagle Gym,

his tone was generally positive

and that playing here makes it

better for his team.

“I became lucky enough to be part of the Ateneo High

School team as a student manager.”

One experience in the

Blue Eagle Gym was when I was

able to have a chance to train

with the

A t e n e o

J u d o

T e a m

back in

H i g h

School.

I n

second

y e a r

high school, I joined the

Judo organization and I wanted

to learn and explore the sport.

Upon starting they invited org

members to train with the varsity

team. I’ve always wanted a

chance to represent my school,

and I saw this as my opportunity

to do so.

The place that we train in

is called the dojo. Judo and

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are the martial

arts that are being practiced

here. Unknown to many the dojo

stands behind the bleachers of

the gym across Katipunan

A v e n u e .

When you

w a l k u p

the stairs

g o i n g t o

d o j o a

wheel of a

truck. You

w i l l

w o n d e r

what a wheel of a 10-

wheeler truck is doing beside a

Judo training area. To explain

this, the athletes use a hammer

and continually hit the wheel.

Beside the wheel, some gym

equipment are also located

there. The things outside the

dojo, gives you a first impression

of what the dojo truly is. In the

façade of the dojo banners are

hung at the top of the window

and door. When I looked at

The championship flags

these banners, they represent

the championships that the

Judo team won in the past

years.

When you enter the dojo

during the training hours of the

Ateneo Judo team, you will be

astonished at the things that

they do here. Men and women

wearing thick, white and durable

gi’s, also known as their uniform.

There will be judokas violently

and gracefully throwing their

peers to the ground. The place

ground of the dojo is filled with

blue and white mats that will

protect the judokas whenever

they are thrown. The dojo’s size

may be only as big as a

classroom, but a lot of things are

can be done here.

When I started training

with the team, I saw it as a way

for me to learn something new

and be a part of a team. At the

start I was optimistic about the

sport judo, however I had really

difficult time in coping with the

difficult demands of the sport. I

struggled enormously every

training session because of my

lack of strength. This struggle

led me to stop training and

eventually quit the sport. After

the d ifficu l t exper ience, I

regretted quitting because I blew

my opportunity to help give the

school glory.

Another place to take

note of in the gym, which is not

noticed by most people is the

trophy gallery. Situated at the

small entrance across the Henry

Lee Irvin Theater, when you walk

up the stairs you wi l l be

welcomed by a great quantity of

trophies won by Ateneans

throughout the years. The

trophies situated across the

UAO or University Athletics

Office reminds Ateneans of how

the athletes exert their so much

of their effort in getting one of

these hardware. The trophies

range from second runner-up

finishes to the championships

that people celebrate every year

in the bonfires.

That UAAP Season we

had a chance to add a

trophy to that gallery

together with a banner

at the rafters at the

gym. Our team was

bound to face the

team that beat us in the last

game of eliminations, and they

o w n e d a t h r i c e - t o - b e a t

advantage. That finals series

opened us an opportunity to get

back and fight again. Sadly after

heartbreaking games that we

could have won, our team failed

to seize the chance at another

championsh ip, a t another

banner being raised at the Blue

Eagle Gym. As a consolation

prize, the team received a silver

trophy, which I saw at the trophy

gallery when I visited it again,

but it would be better if it was

gold together with a banner

being raised.

The Ateneo freshmen will

be having their cheer rally here

upon the start of the

school year. In this event

the teams that will be

competing for the school

will be presented to the

freshmen. This is also a

chance for them to learn some

of the famous cheers of the

school such as “One Big Fight”,

“Halikinu”, and many more. The

students together with their

block mates will be filling the

storied establishment. The cheer

rally is much more than a

requirement for their InTact

classes, it will remind them of

the excellence that Ateneans

should have because of the

banners above them. Hopefully,

One Big Fight!

it can inspire them in their

Ateneo journey, and help them

strive for excellence, just like the

features of the gym.

The Blue Eagle Gym

taught me to have the hunger to

pursuit more things for the

school. Despite having struggles

and heartache whenever I go to

this place, it gives me more

motivation and desire to be able

to work harder as a person. The

Blue Eagle gym presents itself

as a constant reminder to

Ateneans to strive for more and

learn to love the school. Getting

a chance to represent the school

is one big adventure that an

Atenean should experience,

because it brings out the best

out of you. ■

Did you know?Trivias about the famous Blue

Eagle Gym

Unlike most gymnasiums, the basketball court is oriented perpendicular to the orientation of the building.

It is a frequent venue of NCAA and UAAP games!

Before it got its name, it was inaugurated first as the Ateneo Gym.

The stadium was built in 1949, three years before the Ateneo de Manila moved from its Manila campus to its current main campus in Loyola Heights

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Eagle_Gym

Keep

Words By Jason Yodong

I got the chance to interview him even in these

very busy times nearing Finals week. I have to

say, the things I’ve learned about him will

leave you thinking about how you are doing

with pursuing your dream.

Talking to Niko felt like I was in a movie

with a hit New Yorker actor with a tough New

Yorker kid accent in every word he spat out.

Niko was born and raised in Queens, New

York. At a young age, in 2nd grade, Niko

played with his brother and his brother’s

basketball team in a practice session. After

having a taste of what playing “Ball” is, he

loved it ever since. With an excited look on his

face, his eyes all widened up and a big smile

on his face, he talked about his experiences of

Basketball. All through out middle school he

trained without rest until he got in various

Basketball teams inside and outside school.

He even played in summer, winter, spring

break, and any other breaks they had. When I

asked him who his idol was, he smiled and

adjusted his seat, “My brother man, he got me

in the game and he was my first teacher.”

movingforward

Now, a f te r yea rs o f

playing wholeheartedly to be

better and better in his skills,

Niko is now training with

Ateneo’s Basketball team B.

Standing only 5’6 and playing

against giants is a really tough

challenge. Although Niko is

faced with many obstacles to his

goal he still perseveres to reach

it.

I o n l y k n o w N i k o

Yuvienco as a funny, out going

person. I met him in the first

semester since we were lab

groupmates in Chemistry. He

stands with his chest popped up

reaching the height of my eyes.

He has short dark hair and thick

eyebrows, which he likes to use

to make the Rock (wrestler)

eyebrow thing. He loves to burst

out unexpected jokes and he

never fails to make us, his

groupmates, laugh our butts off.

I assume he takes his studies

seriously since he carries around

notes most of the time and read

them when he has the time. “

Such a comedian, he should

actually do shows if he has the

t ime ” , Reyna, our o ther

groupmate said. All in all, I see

him as a funny and smart kind of

guy. He is the easy-to-be-with

guy.

I honestly did not expect

that he would be an impressive

Baskball player. When I saw him

play in the Ateneo Covered

Courts, he was passing through

Giants like a ghost with no

intention to stop until he gets

the ball to the rim.

After watching him play

and waiting for him to change

from those sweaty jersey shorts

in to nice clean denim jeans, we

walked to sec walk to continue

with the interview. He stopped

me when we were about to

leave and said, “ Wait, you gotta

let them know. This court right

here, is my second home. Haha

”.

I wondered how a New

Yorker ended up here in the

Philippines. I mean I understand

that he’s Filipino but

how’d he know

about Ateneo. He

sa id du r i ng h i s

playoffs, nationals

his team competed

with teams that

h a v e F i l i p i n o

p l a y e r s . T h a t ’s

where he heard

about Ateneo, he added, his

mother went to Ateneo. He took

a giant leap of faith by taking

this opportunity to have a

chance in making it big here in

t h e B a s k e t b a l l w o r l d o f

Philippines at the cost of his

great distance from his loved

ones. “It’s crazy living alone, I

honestly miss home so much

but this is what I want”, he said.

He lived in New York all

his life, leaving for Philippines

surely is a hard thing to do for

teenager. “ I was so scared

when I got here ”, he added. “ I

mean I have family

here but I don’t

know them too, I

didn’t know anyone

here”, he said, “ I

w a s l o s t “ . H e

postured up and a

i n h a l e d s l o w l y

through his nose as

if he was trying to

calm himself down. He said

getting a little teary eyed that he

misses home so much. It’s

amazing how he lived away from

home on his own. I can definitely

say he is strong.

I asked him, “ Why don’t

you just go home and study

there in the States if you’re

having a tough time here in the

“I want to make it big here in

the Philippines, man. I want to

be part of PBA.”

Philippines? ”. “ I want to make

it big here in the Philippines

man. I want to be part of PBA ”,

he said.

PBA is the NBA of the

Philippines and if you get in

there, you can surely say that

you’ve made it big here in the

Philippines. That was Niko’s

goal. That’s what years of

p l a y i n g i n t o u r n a m e n t s ,

regionals, nationals since 2nd

grade was for, to make it in the

PBA.

When you’re reaching for

something, you need to take a

step at a time or else you’ll lose

your foot ing

and fail. Niko

h a s b e e n

t a k i n g o n e

step at time all

through out his Basketball life.

Now he has taken another step

in being part of Team B of

Ateneo’s Basketball team.

I asked him, how it was

like to be part of Ateneo’s

Basketball team. “ They are

really good, I can’t wait to play

with them on real games.”, he

said. He trained with them last

year, from July to August. Since

he was just Team B he didn’t get

to play in real games yet. Sadly,

team B isn’t gonna make it for

Niko.

For a guy like Niko, he

didn’t waste his time thinking

that he was not gonna make it to

Team A or “I’m just Team B so I

really don’t have to do anything,

I can just relax”. I did see him,

l a s t y e a r ,

a l m o s t

e v e r y d a y

playing in the

A t e n e o

Covered Courts with the Team

B. I go there because that’s

where I meet up with my friends.

When he plays, he always has

“When you’re reaching for something, you need to take a

step at a time or else you’ll lose your footing and fail.”

this look of determination. His

eyes focused on the basketball

rim, with his body moving with

i m m e n s e

speed. He is

s u c h a

phenomenal

player, with

his small size

a g a i n s t 6

footers, you

really can’t

miss him. He

plays like this

every single

t ime I see

him and he

j u s t g e t s

be t te r and

better.

N o w

that his time training with Team

B was over since the coaches

attention was all on Team A for

their preparations, he’s just

relaxing and waiting for his try

outs next year. “ It was great to

have trained with Team B, man.

Even though we were not

p l a y i n g f o r

real games,

they still gave

t h e i r b e s t

efforts when

we play and

they helped

me give out

my best as

w e l l . ” , h e

said.

N o w t h a t

h e ’s b e t t e r

than ever, all

h e c a n d o

now is wait

f o r t h e t r y

o u t s a n d

make it to Team A. I’m saying

this as fan of Niko, he can make

it and he will. “ I, aside from the

blessed tall guys, have an extra

hard time playing in the court

but you got to do what you got

to do. You gotta keep moving

forward. ”

I think Niko’s a great role

model for people having issues

with self doubt. Sometimes

people think they are not good

enough for “this” or “that”, some

people just think that those

peop le who a re g rea t i n

something were just born with

the talent to do it. Niko is an

exception to that statement, to

that common negativity that

most people have. He is an

inspiration to those who have

big dreams for themselves, that

even though he is faced against

all these odds, of being short in

terms of Basketball, he is still

moving forward towards his goal

and that is what we need. We

need someone like Niko to look

up to and open up our hearts

and be encouraged and be

brave to face our challenges to

reach our goals. Like Niko said,

“Keep moving forward.” ✓

Meet the writers

Anton Escolin, Peeking At Glory

Hannah Gana, A Night Under The Stars

Raven Lingat, JTA-Okay

Jason Yodong, Keep Moving Forward

We hope you enjoy your first year in the

Ateneo!