My phone has been ringing non-stop the past few days, causing my phone battery to drain faster than usual. Not from SMS messages, nor from emails, but from Facebook notifications. While browsing Facebook last week, I came across a meme called "Taga UP Diliman ka kung..." So I checked the page and was really entertained by all the members posts. The idea is that members will continue or add to the initial statement by sharing their experiences by in U.P. Diliman, from the ordinary to the mundane. I noticed however that most of the people who are contributing to this page are those who took their undergraduate studies in U.P. Diliman so I did not join the page (I took my undergrad degree from that "lesser school on the other side of Katipunan", as some of my professors in this college would refer to. I still beg to disagree). On the same day, I came across a meme "You know you're Atenean if..." which has the same proposition with the Diliman meme, only this time, for Ateneans. So I joined the page and participated in the discussions. I must admit though that this meme is noticeably less active than the Diliman meme. As of the date, the Ateneo page only has 1,069 members, while the Diliman page has a whopping number of 26,859 members. After a few days, I also bumped into a meme called "You know you went to UP Law if..." Now this make things exciting.
What makes this meme interesting is that since I am currently a student in the U.P. College of Law, my experiences inside the institution is as fresh as it can get. I am still creating, and living, my U.P. Law story. Hence, there is more to share. Well actually, I still end up just reading all the member posts, which ranges from unforgettable experiences during class recitation, quotable quotes by Professors and blockmates, to the day to day struggles and tribulations of the U.P. Law student. However, it can be noted that those who are most active in the page are not the current law students but our beloved alumni, who are more than eager to share their version of "Malcomisms" or anecdotes from their stay here in U.P. Law. Current members of Congress, partners from the biggest law firms in the country, top practitioners both from private and government institutions, a past Dean of the college, current and past professors, fresh graduates and current students like me, are just some of the 1,772 members (and counting) who are actively participating this page. Where else can you find a venue that brings all this people together. The best legal minds in the country sharing different experiences, but discussing only one thing: their stay in the U.P. College of Law, which is our common denominator of sorts. One would expect that the younger generation will be the more tech-savvy generation and the one that would be most likely participate in Facebook page discussions. But this page is an exception. That sense of nostalgia has brought our beloved alumni back to the college of law, re-living their experience through this page. The meme has become a virtual time machine, transporting all its members back to the good ol' days.
Lisa Araneta, one of the administrators of the "You know you went to U.P. Law if..." meme, sums the experience by commenting in one of the posts: "it's interesting to note that so little has changed. The professors are still pretty much... terrifying terrorists. And the students, all a little... mad. And some of the madmen and madwomen eventually turn into terrifying terrorists themselves." Tatak U.P. Law.
Since I started writing this blogpost, my phone already received 17 new Facebook notifications. It seems it will be that way for quite some time.
Entry # 9
Mark Garrido
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