Culture is not what an organization has but what an organization is.

Dating back a little more than a year ago, I entered my freshman year in the Ateneo staying as a boarder at the residence halls. I was naive and under the weight of culture shock. In the residence halls we have our own definition of what OrSem means. Old folks usually call it the "initiation". It was a week of hard work and a lot of dancing and singing in front of a whole crowd. Rules were said and sanctions were given to those who disobey. The line that I could vividly remember was "the failure of one is the failure of all". Not only when we failed did our batchmates make up for it but also the heads of the event shared the sanctions. Now, all we thought during our participation was that this is bull**** and a complete waste of precious time but at the end of it all, I found myself a place in the system. I was and still am someone in this organization which is, by the way, ARSA. It stands for Ateneo Resident Students Association. I also noticed that every time my class ends, if I have nothing better to do, I automatically walk back to the dormitory. Good or bad it may be but I find myself at home with these people. Looking back into the "initiation", not only was it a big entry cost but also it was a view of what the organization is by living it. I guess it all boils down to it that that way of living was in itself the organization.

Dear COMM,

On Social Exchange Theory, I sincerely disagree with its stand in making relationships beneficiaries, especially on friends and "special" friends. Being a friend does not and should not require any costs and rewards. We brand some people as gold diggers, sugar daddies, sugar mommies, user-friendly, and we hate them to hell. This theory points out that all of us are somewhat like that. During a time when I had my special friend, I knew I was on the losing end. Of course, I had to spend so much time, money, and effort but did she ever ask me to buy her all of those presents or did she ever ask me to pay for her part of the bill? Absolutely not. All I ever had to do was to treat her special because that was what she was. Yes, man is a rational being but I believe that the reasons to which his actions are rooted should not solely lie on pleasure and self appraisal. Cliche as it sounds, we know it's true.

Yes, I had a good night.

I think I have found the solution to cognitive dissonance and uncertainty reduction. Last night, I went riding on the red horse. It was a wild and crazy drunken convention of drunkards. I became a participant observer. Hitting two birds with one stone, I formulated my ideas for this blog while having G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S(first class) night. Most of the people there were freshmen dormers. I did not know most of them and probably they didn't know much of each other as well. Jesus Christ was all over the place (awkward silence). After riding the red horses with the zombies, Tia Maria's Cantina became a super night club. People were screaming as they danced with the music. Everyone was fluid and had no trouble fitting in. Then I can say that alcohol is the ultimate social lubricant. Although it may have some bad side effects, it is indeed pretty good in reducing uncertainties.