The Philippine Society of Boston College (PSBC) begins its annual Friends and Family Weekend today with its first event, Iskwelahang BC at 5:30 p.m. in McGuinn 521.
“Friends and Family Weekend is a chance for our friends, families, alumni, and current students to get together, reminisce, and also make new memories,” said Yna Aggabo, AHANA Caucus Representative of PSBC and CSOM ’16.
The weekend, themed “No’on at Ngayon,” or “Then and Now,” will have an event each day from today until Sunday to celebrate the past, present, and future of the Philippines, and what it means to be of Philippine heritage today.
Charlotte Shih and Micah Sy, members of the productions, coordinators of PSBC, and A&S ’14, decided upon the weekend’s theme to be a modern day serenade.
“We’re excited about the entire weekend as a whole, because we all have a lot of time and energy into making it a fun and enlightening event for our membership, the BC community, and all of our friends and family,” Aggabo said.
Today’s event, Iskwelahang BC, was planned and organized by the PSBC freshmen representatives, Shirley Peng, A&S, ’17; Ryan Romanos, CSOM, ’17; and Isabella Rosales, CSON, ’17. The event will feature arts and crafts activities involving traditional Filipino Christmas lanterns, Easter eggs, tote bags, and picture frames.
The Friends and Family Banquet will be held tomorrow evening in the Heights Room at 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. The buffet-style dinner will feature Filipino food from BC Dining, free t-shirts, a photo booth, as well as Pulitzer Prize-winner and photojournalist Cheryl Diaz Meyer. The banquet is open to all but requires an online RSVP.
The PSBC, which has had the longest-running culture show on campus, will host its 22nd annual culture show, A Modern-Day Harana, in Gasson 100 at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The show will feature traditional and modern Filipino dances that were choreographed and performed by PSBC members, who prepared by attending nightly practices for a month.
“Our culture show is a dance showcase of traditional Filipino dances such as Sua Sua, Carinosa, and Tinikling with some set to modern music as a nod to the theme of ‘Then and Now,’ as well as modern dances,” Aggabo said.
Children from Iskwelahang Pilipino, a non-profit Filipino cultural school in the Greater Boston area, will also perform their Rondalla Doors dance at the show.
Continuing an initiative started last semester, PSBC will be collecting donations at the banquet and the culture show to raise funds for Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts.
The weekend will conclude with a Filipino Mass on Sunday in the School of Theology and Ministry Chapel on Brighton Campus at 11 a.m., followed by a reception and lunch with Filipino food.
“The importance of this weekend is to embrace and spread Filipino culture to Boston College through dance, food, and art, while also connecting with our alumni, friends and family,” Aggabo said.
Planning and organizing for the Friends and Family Weekend began last year after the elections for the current executive board. The e-board members discussed past heritage events at their weekly meetings and also spoke with administrators from the Student Programs Office and Bureau of Conferences, Aggabo said.
