Miss Mo ‘Yan, Paulinian! SPU Manila Community Warmly Welcomes SHS and Nursing Students
by Sydney Leila Reyes | The Paulinian
Photo Cover by Stephanie Jacob
St. Paul University Manila – SPU Manila welcomed the Senior High School Department and the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences students on the first day of classes, August 7, 2023.
The opening ceremony was led by Dr. Christian Prado, SHS Homeroom Coordinator, at the school quadrangle. Senior High School Students gathered with their class advisers before their homeroom session. After the short orientation, they proceeded to their respective rooms for advisers’ time.
The Student Affairs Office Head, Ms. Mary Marjiemae Lorenzo, together with the officers from the Supreme Student Council, visited classrooms throughout the day, providing students with back-to-school kits for the upcoming academic year. The kits included a fan, ball pens, notepads, and a copy of the Paulinian Gleaners’ Prayer. The said prayer will be said throughout the school year, in flag ceremonies and classes.
At the Our Lady of Chartres (commonly known as Pedro Gil) Lobby were booths set up to welcome the students. SPU Manila’s Marketing Office had a photo booth, encouraging students to post their first day experience on social media. The College of Arts and Sciences Student Council (CAS SC) handed out free lollipops with inspirational quotes to students who passed by. There was also a message box, where students had the option to either write their own messages or pick one from the box. According to CAS SC President, Ms. Reine Maureen Larga, the intent behind their booth was to motivate and uplift the spirits of Paulinians. “After a long period [during] the pandemic and [while] taking classes online, shifting back to a full face-to-face class can be a challenge. As simple as it seems, we believe that the messages would help them feel a sense of belonging in the community,” Ms. Larga said.
Several student organizations also participated in welcoming Paulinians back home. The Paulinian (TP), the official student publication of SPU Manila, held short interviews with students asking them what they are looking forward to in this new school year. Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Earl David Ong, shared, “Having this [interview] interaction with the SHS Paulinians was an initiative that the editorial board and I came up with. Personally, I want them to feel the Paulinian spirit, what I felt when I entered SPU Manila, through this short interaction.” Days prior to the first day of school, TP launched their first Spotify playlist of the year entitled “Balik Eskuwela Beats: Miss Mo ‘Yan, Paulinian!” The playlist can be accessed on the official page of The Paulinian SPUM on Spotify.
On August 14, 2023, SPU Manila will open its doors to the other college departments for the first academic year of full face-to-face classes.
