MY VALEDICTORY ADDRESS: DON’T COMPLAIN OVER THOSE SWEATS!

This photo wasn't actually from my yearbook photo. I just edited to look like one :)

Indeed, I am a competitive person! But this character has not made me become an awardee from last month’s graduation. Being competitive, I guess, is not enough. However, I never ever ever ever in my quirkiest mind dreamed of having such award. I just thought that I should bring this competitive alter-ego behind me to surpass the pressure of that mind-stuttering-jaw-enlarging-bone-breaking-pancreas-dewing course. So, to fully scrutinize and fulfill this competitive alter ego behind me, I thought of doing something that could somehow put me to higher spot, something that every competitive student dreamed of. Tadang! It’s the VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. Month ago, it was my musclemate-overly-smart-weird-smiling classmate Dean Cris Acabo who delivered this opportunity. So I was thinking, what if I could take his place, what if I could be in his 9-inch shoes, what if I could be the one wearing that medal for  few minutes. So I have this address, something personal, something different I thought, something that fits my character.  

He didn't even let me borrow his medals! HAHA. Lol. That is my musclemate-overly-smart-weird-smiling classmate Dean in the left side doing our signature pose. :)

MY SPEECH:

Today, in this very moment, my dear Batchmates, we might be wiping our sweats because of this very warm greenhouse-like building. We might feel uncomfortable because we are like sitting millimeters away from each other that no single ant could even pass-by in between (well, I guess this is an optimization purpose). We might also feel embarrassed because our crush is behind us looking on our wet-dreadful hair (which some of us spent hundreds for it). Or we might get bored because in front of you is just an ordinary handsome and sexy man delivering his not-so-significant speech (ehem). But hey, these UNCOMFORTS right now are no match from the experiences that we all had! We sometimes have to climb like a mountain-far just to reach A606 or E606 that we can’t use those elevators because those vandals are harassing us (my personal disposition), but then we suddenly hear from a sexy-blonde classmate that there is no class (suicidal feeling, an option could be jumping from that floor to the ground, and blame the teacher for not telling the class in advance). We sometimes extract our very mind just to answer a non-coverage topic which cost 1 point from a 50-item exam and made us not to sleep for weeks because we miss to answer that non-coverage portion of the exam for the reason that it is not covered in the discussion (clear!). I hate that (personal disposition again). We sometimes cry for a missed exam like it’s the end of the world and try to call our loved ones and family to ask advices on what to write in a suicidal note (Is that even possible?). We sometimes took our break for 10 minutes but unfortunately that time was spent only for running and dashing to that far canteen (cause I’m from engineering and I just need rice, no viand, and the engineering canteen businessmen were not offering that promo) and compete with some zombie-like-they-never-ate-for-years studs. That 4, 5, 6 or whatever years we had in college is so aaaaahhh. If we could just quantify all the energy we spent over those years, we might as well empower the whole Cagayan de Oro and beat STEAG and earn BILLION and get rich and get cars and get castles and drink coffee in Starbucks daily!

So my Dear Batchmates, I only have 1 point in this address of mine. DON’T COMPLAIN OVER THOSE SWEATS! This UNWEARY situation right now is far from the sacrifices our parents had gone! These SWEATS are not even a significant fraction from our teachers who did their best every after exam to adjust our grades so that at least ONE could pass (tragic isn’t it). Let’s us think beyond the atmospheric situation of this greenhouse-like building. We should be THANKFUL and HOPEFUL that because of those sweats we had all over the years, it made us worn these un-ironed Togas, it made us grant to take a step towards our future goal. And because of these sweats, we feel alive and that we should aspire more to become the person we want to be. So, SWEAT more, LIVE more, ASPIRE more. Congratulations BATCH 2013 of Xavier University! God bless me more, and also with you. CHEERS!