EDITOR'S NOTES by Maria Cristina Gorrospe

Land Before Time


Bessie, my classmate and friend from college kept mentioning it. Grey's Anatomy. "What is it about this series that keeps her glued to the tube?" I asked. Anatomy's anatomy and I have seem so many medical series on television already. Well, one day, when she probably could not take my ignorance on the series anymore, she lent me two DVDs containing half of the series' season episodes.

Twenty-one years ago I planned to be in the world of stat orders, code blues, scrub suits, syringes, scalpels, heart monitors and respirators. Yes, I once had a dream of becoming a surgeon. Twenty-one years ago, I vowed I would forego anything to be in the world of medical practice and in the land of surgery. In preparation, I trained myself to sleep for only two hours a night and I only befriend classmates whose definition of slumber party would be to be at someone's house to group study. Funny, now I am forced to watch about lives of surgeon interns because a friend lent me the DVDs.

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Student Leaders' Training-Seminar. The Office of Student Affairs conducts this yearly and I was fortunate enough to be one of the chosen few who were sent to attend it. It was held to prepare student leaders delegated the school to attend national student leaders' assemblies such as the Rizal Youth Leadership Institute.

Sixteen years ago, after attending the 1992 SLTS and being sent to the 30th RYLI, I happily became part of the pool of facilitators handling the yearly SLTS. Sixteen years ago, I would help the Guidance Center prepare the handouts on Leadership and Parliamentary Procedures. During SLTS, I would patiently guide them through their resolution writing and making motions in the first, second and third readings during the plenary sessions. Funny, now I do not even have an idea how the university prepares the student leaders for national student leaders' assemblies and my Robert's Rules of Order book is collecting dust on my shelf.

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The Non-Teaching Personnel Working Committee, the Secretariat of the International Partnership for Service-Learning, and committee of volunteers doing research work in Lawin, Pao-en and Macarang, San Marcelino, Zambales. These are only but a few committees I was busily involved in before. My fellow committee members and I only get free meals, additional leave credits, or P1,000 honoraria, but to us, they were already like eat-all-you-can buffets, month-long vacations or winning first prize in the lottery.

Eleven years ago, I would say yes to all committee chairs who would ask me, "Kitty, would you be part of the group that would…?" Eleven years ago, I would not mind if I come home late or do not come home at all to be with my Mom and Dad and sleep on my comfortable bed because there was so much paper work to do for the committee or we would have to be out of the campus for days. Funny, now I do not do as much committee work as before. Funny, I now find myself saying no to committee work because the activity would fall on dates I will be traveling or relaxing with friends.

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Trinity College of Quezon City. This was the name of my Alma Mater before. She had modest facilities -- no air-conditioned classrooms, no state-of-the-art laboratories, no Internet connection for every office computer, and a walkway that would get muddy when the rainy season comes.

Six years ago, this piece of land in Cathedral Heights was my second home. I have parents and siblings here whom I see Mondays to Fridays, sometimes even on weekends. I enjoy being with them, hearing their stories, and learning from them. They would encourage, comfort and help me find resolution to even my most insignificant concern.

Time does fly fast, especially when you have developments going on. But funny. Despite all the changes that have happened in my life alongside with the developments happening in this piece of land beside St. Luke's Medical Center and Saint Andrew's Theological Seminary, I miss my second home, my second parents and siblings, and the goings on before the time of advancement.

My consolation: A year ago, a product from the land before the time of air-conditioned classrooms, state-of-the-art equipments, Internet access, and cemented and covered walkway -- Link -- was reborn. Somehow, this paper eases my homesickness for the place I call my "Land Before Time".

As we end this school year, on behalf of the advisers, editors, publication staff and contributing writers of Link, I thank the administration and the Human Resource Development for its continued funding and publication of the paper. Personally, I would like to thank my fellow Link members for their untiring, selfless sharing of their talents and skills. Lastly, I thank our readers for your continued support and encouragement. Dakal a salamat que kayu ngan! Mabie tamu!

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