Intramurals go beyond mere competition; they focus on enhancing relationships, encouraging teamwork, and nurturing a sense of community. The spirit of camaraderie lies at the core of every game, match, and occasion, converting the experience from one of winning or losing into the creation of lifelong memories. Sports unite individuals in ways that extend beyond mere physical activity; bring people together by teaching vital life values like cooperation, communication, and tenacity and by creating a supportive atmosphere regardless of the outcome.
Hello everyone! Welcome to another episode of my blog this week. Today, I’m going to share with you my 2023 intramurals experience, which, a part of me feels, may be my last year experiencing this unforgettable event at the University of Cebu - Banilad. Hope you like it
2023 – This is definitely my last year experiencing the very fun and exciting intramurals at the University of Cebu - Banilad Campus. Before the intramurals officially began, we started with an early morning mass led by our school priest. Our school is considered to be part of the Augustinian Community. Many students attended the mass, which is why all floors, from the ground floor to the 8th floor, were fully occupied. I know everyone was excited for the much-anticipated confetti war between the departments. But before everything else, we sought God’s guidance so that no students would be harmed during the entire three-day event.
If you were standing on the ground floor, this is what you would see: students from different departments fully occupying the area. In the Mezzanine, all the senior high school students were standing. On the 2nd floor, you’d find the Medical Technology department. The 3rd floor is where the Psychology department is located. On the 4th floor, you'll find the Hospitality Management and Tourism department. The 5th floor is home to the Engineering and Education departments. On the 6th and 7th floors, the Nursing department occupies both floors, as there are so many of us, one floor is not enough. You might also be wondering where the Criminology students are. In fact, they are the ones assigned to crowd control in every area throughout the school.
After the mass, the opening of the event immediately began. Since our school is quite small and can't accommodate everyone at once, many students experienced a stampede, especially those who hadn’t yet gotten inside the campus. The school is small, but a lot of students were present. Fast forward, after all the opening remarks, the Campus Director announced, “Let this Intramurals begin!” That’s when all the departments, with their different color codes, officially dropped the confetti, and it was truly beautiful. My friends and I were located on the ground floor, watching as the confetti rained down in different colors. This confetti war has become a tradition here at the University of Cebu - Banilad, and it’s now trending on all social media platforms. It was even featured on Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho. I really miss this kind of experience.
This is what it looked like after the confetti war. There were a lot of colorful crepe paper on the floor, and some were still floating in the air. As you can see in the background, criminology students, janitors, and faculty members were very busy cleaning the area, because after the opening and some programs, the basketball game would start immediately. It was really nice to see and experience this kind of intramurals.
I was with my friends throughout this intramurals, and we really enjoyed the opening because we knew they had prepared well for it. The first time we joined this event was back when we were freshmen. However, after 2-3 years of the pandemic and lockdown, this was the first time we could truly participate again. We were happy that they organized this event once more, especially since it’s our last year joining the intramurals.
I was very happy to see one of my closest friends again, the same friend I mentioned in my previous blog. She was a Tourism student, and like me, we didn’t really hang out with our classmates. We were just happy to be in each other’s company and to make friends with anyone who wanted to. We caught up a little bit, and afterwards, we parted ways.
Fast forward to Day 2 of the intramurals. Since we’re not really into crowded places, we decided to have lunch near our school, and I treated my friends to Angel’s Pizza. We used to catch up on things because we’re not classmates, and most of us started our friendship during the pandemic and online classes. I love being with friends, especially when they are real. We enjoyed every slice of pizza and chicken we ordered. We exchanged stories, talked about our hospital duty, shared our hospital cases, and more.
This intramurals is really not just about sports and academics; it's also a reunion, a chance to see my friends again. In our school, when you're in your 1st year, you're surrounded by friends, but these friendships are often temporary because every semester, we are ranked and assigned to different sections based on our grades. That's why some of my friends from before are no longer my classmates, especially those who stopped attending when the pandemic began. I’m glad to see them all again during this intramurals.
Fast forward to Day 3, we watched the championship game of our department in basketball. Sadly, they almost reached the crown, but unfortunately, their opponents were very competitive. We only won 1st place this time, but we are still proud of the team because they always managed to perform at their best.
On Day 3, I enjoyed hanging out with some of our schoolmates. I loved how I made new friends that day. It was a bit tiring because we spent the whole day at the campus, just enjoying the event. However, it wasn't just sports that were offered during the intramurals. There were movie marathons, various booths, and refreshments as well. Day 3 was the awarding day, but I didn’t stay until the end because I had work afterwards and needed time to prepare. I’m so glad I was able to enjoy our Intramurals 2023, especially since it was my last year here at the University of Cebu - Banilad.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and connect with my thoughts today. I’m excited to continue sharing my journey with you, and I hope you found something here that resonated or sparked an idea. This blog is a space for growth, inspiration, and conversation, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or experiences in the comments. Feel free to share if something stood out to you. Here’s to many more stories, lessons, and moments of connection ahead! See you in the next post!