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.