SLU grand alumni homecoming set

HOW wonderful it is to reminisce the good old college days. It will definitely be more wonderful and exciting, however, when you have others to remember them with. Classmates, batch mates, professors, friends, acquaintances and of course the small circle of friends called barkada.

Louisians will particularly experience this thrill again during the upcoming SLU Centennial Grand Alumni Homecoming on January 22 at the Burgos gymnasium and on January 23 at the Baguio Country Club.

This homecoming has been much awaited since the last time Louisians gathered was wayback in 2004.

The homecoming will be significant, timely and a historic milestone as the University is currently celebrating her centennial year from December 2010 to December 2011. The homecoming is, therefore, another memorable event etched in the history of SLU.

All graduates and non-graduates (former Louisian students) from all levels are welcome to attend the alumni homecoming. This means that even if you have attended only one or two years of college and did not actually finish your course in SLU, you are still welcome to join the homecoming.

Spearheaded by the SLU Alumni Foundation, Inc. (SLU-AFI), the homecoming will feature on January 22 a Thanksgiving Mass at 8:00am at the University chapel followed by the registration at the Burgos gym then the “Welcome Home Folks” opening program.

Homecomers will be treated to a couple of brief speeches, video presentations, presentation of the alumni attendees in batches, viewing of exhibits, and a ‘trek’ around the Bonifacio main campus for the alumni to see for themselves the improvements made after graduating from SLU.

The afternoon activity includes the usual business meeting which includes reports, presentation of scholars and envisioned projects. The “homecomers” will break up and group according to their respective colleges (now known as Schools) to elect their set of college officers.

Finally, another exciting activity of the homecoming is the Fellowship Night at 6:00pm on the same day where the alumni will enjoy cultural presentations, raffle draws, singing, dancing and interactive games.

The alumni who have the skills in playing golf will compete against each other on January 23 during the golf tournament to be held at the Baguio Country Club using the System 36 format. Tee-off time will be at 6:00am with key personalities of the city in attendance. Interested alumni golfers may contact Engr. Jonathan Lacambra (0917-422-1555) or Engr. Ely Lagman (0917-506-4321).

The homecoming fee for January 22 is only PhP 1,000 which will cover cocktails, lunch snacks and dinner, while the registration fee for the golf tournament is PhP 2,500. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the establishment of the SLU Sunflower Halfway Home for Boys, a project to be put up as a refuge to boys aged five to 17 years old who are survivors of abuse and neglect.

For inquiries or registration and payments, you may contact Engr. Boni dela Peña thru 444-8246 (to 48) local 242, or e-mail bipgmte12@yahoo.com.ph; or the secretariat c/o Kristian Diego (local 416), 2/F SLU Student Center, Assumption road, Baguio City, or e-mail kristian_diego@yahoo.com.

SLU was founded by Belgian missionaries of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary better known as CICM in 1911. Their dedication and sacrifices initiated and sustained the evangelization and educational development of the people in northern Philippines.

Fr. Seraphin Devesse built the first Catholic church in 1911 and beside it he also constructed a room which became the St. Louis Mission School where basic catechesis and the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic were taught initially to a small group of boys.

In 1952, Saint Louis College was founded by Msgr. William Brasseur and Fr. Rafael Desmedt. SLC received its university charter in May 1963 making it the first private university in northern Philippines to hold that distinction.

For the past 100 years, SLU metamorphosed into a world-renowned Catholic higher education institution cradled in the Bonifacio main campus, the Gonzaga campus, the Navy Base campus, and the new Maryheights campus.

SLU produces thousands of skilled and capable graduates annually who possess high quality education and Christian values, and who now are carving prestigious careers and professions worldwide.

With the continued trust and confidence of her clients, benefactors, and national and international partner agencies, her resolve to fulfill the mandate of being the “Light of the North” shall be sustained and relentlessly pursued in the next century.