Chapter One: Something New
This is actually my place. My roommate is Edison, and we're decorating our room over at Valley West Apartments. The date is June 1997, and in nearly a week is my 18th Birthday. In about two months, I will beginning my first semester at San Jose State University, majoring in Computer Science. The worst part about my major is that I really don't know what it is. My family knew and watched my skills with a computer grow. What the heck! My first semester was an interesting one. My classes included: Comm 20 (B-), Comm 41 (B+), Math 20 (D-), CS40 (A), and Physics 60 (A). The best part about that first semester was the feeling of cleansing, something new and refreshing. My years of high school aren't worth mentioning. I disliked a majority of my life at an all boy school. The greatest motivation can come from the torment and embarrassment that one's peers can easily take advantage of. Coming to a new city, to a new school, and meeting new friends with the help of old friends can really build a firm foundation.
Before I began my education, I was involved in a singing group, P.R.I.M.E. We were singing for almost half a year when we all decided to move into the same apartment. The hours of practice was fun, but I knew that I wasn't going to be dedicating my life into it. I wanted to pay attention to my college career in computer science. I was told this major needed a lot of study time, and I was getting comfortable with college life. Being the first year at a Cal State University in San Jose, my education will begin two years from my first day of class. The day that I finally took school seriously was actually three and a half years into it all. The reason why distractions were put in my path is because I was curious, just like any other person. Who would really want to ignore what school can give us, besides education. Walking through the student union, we collect flyers, free shirts for signing up for a credit card, and the faces of different organizations trying to persuade us to join their club. Oh, what the heck, I guess I'll go up to this table. I approach the banner and read the name, Akbayan.
My first semester of college was mostly dedicated to my friends that I met from A.M.P., Alliance for Minority Participation. This was a pre-engineering program that paid each individual for doing. Even though I was a computer science major, I still took some of the same prerequisites. I met a lot of people through this program, like Liza, Francisco, Sheryl, Michelle, Robert, Vontay, and many other people who I would be hoping to take my Calculus and Physics classes with. These people came, and, within one year, went. I don't know if it was me that left or if it was their busy schedules, but I guess I needed to find my way, or group of friends.
Eventually, through the semester, my interest in Akbayan grew. The passion wasn't as serious in the beginning. I was quickly brought into the circle because of my family connection with my brothers. I had two brothers that were already part of the club that had sparked my life to be where it is now. I don't know if my life would be different if I never had my brothers be there to help uplift my wanting to be in the club. The organization had some interesting people in it, but I still continued to be with my engineering friends. That semester, the only events that I attended were meetings, Winter Formal, and Friendship Games.
My first Friendship Games was the most amazing, but not the most memorable. In 1997, I took my very first drive down to Los Angeles with Edison, Melvin, and Francis. This memory may want to be very collected because it may be the only Friendship Games I speak of, besides 2003's. The moment we arrive at the hotel, we drop our stuff and immediately go hotel hopping with the boys. And of course, I was the designated driver. During those days, I hadn't taken a drop of alcohol yet. We met up with the most outgoing individuals and their hotel rooms full of drinks, guys, and girls. Coming from an all male school, seeing so many females was all so new to me, and I liked it. At the same time, I wasn't afraid to just go into any room at the Holiday Inn. I was offered drinks every moment I turned my shoulder. My answer was simply, "Sorry, I'm the designated driver." They congratulated me with the choice I made for the evening. At the end of the evening, my carload and I were locked out of our room with nowhere else to sleep. We went room hopping and chilled with some people we met. About an hour or two later, around 3am, we knocked on our door and the door slowly creeked open. After a few words of attitude with our roommates, we all slept comfortably. The whole weekend went well. We finished 7th with games and somewhere with SPUF. We came back early after a day at CityWalk (a hateful place).
note: The beginning of my memoires of college.