GADJA Meets UNITE
Photo by Christian Naparota
In the afternoon of Aug. 26, 2017, the Supreme Student Council (SSC) takes a fun twist to the university’s much awaited GADJA and UNITE events by hosting them both in one spectacular show. To celebrate Carolinian Pride and to properly say goodbye to USC Days 2017, Carolinians — both tertiary and Senior High School (SHS) — were invited to the University of San Carlos – Talamban Campus’ covered court.
GADJA and UNITE are two popular parties hosted annually by the SSC. GADJA stems from the words garbo (pride) and kasadya (merrymaking), and is mostly perceived by the student body as a wholesome celebration of Carolinian talent.
Diverse performances were showcased. Carolinian bands SNAP and CENCUS performed, as well as spoken word poet Erik Calzada and a special number by Raphiel Shannon. There were also dance numbers from Sezzyhood and fire dancers, Grae Godinez & Co. As a fun surprise from the council, two large inflatables were set up for the partygoers to jump, bounce and play. A freedom wall was made available to the artists of the School of Fine Arts and Design (SAFAD).
The SSC hoped to be able to say goodbye to the cold war happening between the tertiary and SHS students as they cap off USC Days 2017. They aimed to foster better relationships with the two factions, so they collaborated with the SHS Council and invited SHS Jezrelle Bigornia to play alongside Victor Jao as DJs for UNITE. Unlike GADJA, UNITE holds the reputation of being a mature rave full of electro music.
Leading this project is SSC Vice President Joahanna Veloso. “I hope we will always remember the essence of celebrating USC Days. I hope after this event, we will try our best to make them feel welcome in the Carolinian community,” she said, emphasizing how she would like the SHS to join in the merrymaking.
Although some students were present because they were required by their teachers, most of them would have been here on their own volition. The GADJA and UNITE parties are much awaited events for the students to let loose while being in university grounds. The normally rigid dress code policy, for example, was lifted.
“I enjoy the people and the activities. The rave is always nice, but this year, I’m super excited for the jump and bounce,” said Patricia Te, a fourth-year student from SBE.
Another student, Edric Absin, added, “I’m just here for the exhilarating attraction known as the jump and bounce.”
Even the student organizations were excited for the event. They set up booths all around the venue and sold water balloons, tote bags, sprays and other party goods to fund their future projects.
The said event was not funded by SSC money, but in fact, from the administration as part of the USC Days. The SSC proposed a budget of Php 170,000, but the administration struck off some elements of their plans and released Php 130,160 instead. However, with the help of some sponsors, they were still able to set it up as one of the most awaited attractions.
