BEYOND RAIN: Kudos, Kalutan strengthen UPang bonds

Recognizing student leaders and fostering camaraderie among freshmen, PHINMA University of Pangasinan (UPang) concluded its inaugural combined First Week Hi! (FWH) celebration through KUDOS and Kalutan ed UPang on July 10, as participants pressed on despite intermittent rains.
Spearheaded by the Supreme Student Council (SSC), KUDOS: Recognition of Student Councils and Organizations recognized nine departments and colleges, 10 Local Student Councils, and 41 student and university-wide organizations.

Under the College of Education and Liberal Arts, the UPang Network of Student Educators for Excellence in Understanding STEM (NEXUS) made its debut as the college’s newest organization.
Following the university’s removal of the Mass Communication program, the University of Pangasinan Association of Communication Students was officially dissolved as one of the institution’s recognized organizations.

Furthermore, the university also recognized six accredited probationary organizations: NEXUS, the Speech and Debate Guild of PHINMA University of Pangasinan, and the College of Information Technology’s registered student organizations—Computer Security Guild, Digital Arts Society, Data Science Society, and System Developers Alliance.

“You are more than students continuing another semester. You are mentors, role models, and sources of inspiration for those who are just beginning their own journey,” SSC President Reevo Atkins Doria told student leaders.

Afterward, the university’s hallmark, Kalutan ed UPang, set in motion as freshmen and select student councils and organizations prepared their grills, food, and refreshments along PHINMA Avenue.

In an interview, Adrian Peralta, a freshman Political Science student, shared that the inclement weather made his Kalutan experience even more memorable, as they demonstrated teamwork, resourcefulness, and cooperation to ensure everyone stayed safe and had something to eat.
“I believe that we are not just classmates; PHINMA UPang brought us together to build a new family and to make us feel that the university is a place we can truly call our second home,” Peralta added, recalling his Kalutan experience.

Above all, amidst unforeseen challenges, UPang Flames showcased their camaraderie and bayanihan spirit during Kalutan, with students and organizations trading food, offering meals to faculty and staff, and, most importantly, helping one another protect their food and relocate during the downpour.

As the five-day Rio Week First Week Hi! celebration officially concluded, the UPang community continues to embrace new beginnings while carrying forward the spirit of unity fostered throughout the week.