Five years ago, I was staring blankly at a computer at Kuya Rex’s house trying to come up
with a single decent HS Math question to somehow pass Ferg’s fussy taste. I remember how Buduy would scribble some arbitrary words and numbers and voila,
10 Elementary Math questions done effortlessly. Justin came up with this strategy of writing and rewriting a
History question over and over again until we headed home. My batch mates disappeared
and escaped their assignments only to eat chocolates at Jer’s house. And some senior members barely had some sleep then, sharing
the same struggles I had, trying to make enough questions for the arguably,
most prestigious contest in Pampanga. This is the first time I saw how Pautakan
was made and instantly, I fell in love with it. So hopelessly in love that I
ended up running the whole show the year after.
Fast
forward this year, I am still staring blankly at my computer, trying to come up
with the right words to describe how badly I missed everything about Pautakan. This
year would mark the first time I skipped Questions Nights, the first time I
failed to write a single question and worse, the first time I will not be
attending Pautakan itself. But I will be relieved by the fact that the people
in charge now somehow learned a thing or two from us and they are experiencing
the same thrill and exhilaration we had then when we were still members of UP
Aguman.
I missed how Agumems would come up with the
weirdest set of ideas for our questions. From our ultimate celebrity crushes to a
random viral video from Youtube to trivial Guinness records, we had questions
about them all. There’s no way one can predict where our questions would come
from – unless we share the same thoughts and you stalked us on Facebook.
I missed how it feels to have your
questions read by the Quizmaster. Having your questions picked is one thing
but having your questions read is another. It somehow validates your mastery on
your assigned subject and it’s exciting to see if anyone else could provide the
correct answer. But it’s terrifying as well especially if one argues with your
answers and you convince yourself you are very sure with your sources and
solutions.
I missed creating Physics, Chemistry and
Math questions…even though most kids would not even dare to lift their pens
and attempt to solve the problem. Trust me; they are not as complex as they may
sound.
I missed spilling out some AguChismis through
Pautakan questions. If you want to know about who’s courting who, who
dumped who and who’s dating who, focus on the story before the questions and
you’ll find out the real score between specific Agumems. Really, it’s our
chance to be creative with our narratives and it’s the best chance to torment your
frenemies.
I missed attending Questions Nights to
vandalize a sleeping Agumem’s body. We are not just academic people, you
know. We have our artsy side as well. And vandalizing is a form of art legal
ONLY during Qnights. Transform a member into a panda or a Dalmatian? LEGAL!
Accessorize someone with earrings and slippers? LEGAL! You see, sleep is a
luxury most Agumems could not afford during Qnights. And those who dared to sleep suffered the wrath
of the sleepless and its consequences.
I missed running errands for Pautakan. I
probably did every role possible for this event. From being a runner, to a
paperboy, host, quizmaster, judges’ slave, photographer, subject head,
questions committee head, project head, to being a judge myself, I did it all.
And when you see how everything is running smoothly and all, then you will feel
so rewarded.
Lastly, I just missed being with Agumems. No
explanations needed.
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