22/08/2025
𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 | Cheers have faded, drums stopped beating, lights no longer flashing, and music fell silent, yet, the last note lingered a little longer. The Week of Welcome (WoW) has ended, but its echoes remain stitched into the hearts of every Spartan who walked through the bustling campus grounds that week. What seemed like a fleeting celebration became more than just a welcome, it became a spark, igniting connections, camaraderie, and pride within the USTP community.
During WoW, the campus transformed into a living carnival. From the lobbies to the halls of DRER, food booths filled the air with tempting aromas while souvenir stalls lured passersby with keepsakes too irresistible to ignore. “Naubos ang allowance, pero sulit!” one Spartan joked, balancing barbecue sticks in one hand and milk tea in the other, as if holding precious gems. Freshmen clutched their activity cards tightly like maps, following each mark toward the next booth, each stamp serving not just as a task completed but as a milestone earned. Beyond the food, games, and prizes, every booth became a small gateway to discovery, a chance to explore, belong, and carve out a space in the vibrant Spartan community.
But WoW was never just about booths and activity cards. It was about people. Freshmen who once stood timid in their orange-accented uniforms began chatting with college ates and kuyas, laughter spilling from every tambayan and booth corner. Where silence once lingered, conversations began to bloom. What started as hesitant introductions became connections, bridges built between students who, just a week prior, were strangers under the same Spartan name.
This spirit of unity reached its peak during the Spearcode 2025 General Assembly, WoW’s ultimate showstopper. PAT-AVR became an arena alive with thundering music, squid game masks, flashing lights, and an electrifying crowd. For one moment, there were no sections, no levels—only Spartans standing together in synchronous rhythm. Chants roared, feet stomped, and voices merged into one, proving that community is strongest when hearts beat in unison.
Behind the scenes, another heartbeat fueled WoW, the perseverance of the SHS Spartans. Every afternoon, benches became stages of determination as students rehearsed tirelessly under the dipping sun, voices hoarse from endless chants and bodies aching from practice. Hunger gnawed, exhaustion pressed heavily, yet their fire never dimmed. And when the finale came, the bleachers trembled beneath stomps and cheers as the Spartans roared together—not just as students, but as one tribe. Their hard work paid off when they earned the title of back-to-back 1st Runner-Up, proof that their passion could set the entire campus alight.
Now, the confetti has settled. The booths are gone, the drums silent, and the cheers replaced by lectures and quizzes. Students sit inside classrooms, pens in hand, but their minds drift back to chants, busy pathways, and the pulse of the crowd. Yet this is not distraction—it is transformation. WoW gave every Spartan more than just memories; it gave them belonging, confidence, and a name they carry with pride.
The Week of Welcome may have ended, but its spirit lingers—woven into every hallway, every tambayan, every heartbeat of the campus. It lives on in the students who now walk these grounds not just as individuals, but as Spartans, united by a week that welcomed them home.
Words by Ishie Salvaña
Art by Bjourn Dagala
