As campus life comes back after two years of an online setup, the Ateneo First Year Onboarding Program (AFYOP) welcomed Ateneans from the pandemic batches to explore the halls of Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) Jacinto Campus through the Simula Campus Tour.

SIMULA Core Head Facilitator John Paul Sapsal detailed that what makes this year’s AFYOP different is its blended modality that caters to both physical and virtual interaction.

“We tried to tap into the plans of last year’s AFYOP Core, which unfortunately weren’t pushed through. For example, the preparations of our AVPs were done onsite; all of them were shot on site,” he said, referring to the structure of this year’s AFYOP.

Sapsal further told Atenews that AFYOP utilized SAMAHAN’s webpage for the students to efficiently reach out to their facilitators and built linkages with organizations in AdDU to maximize engagements.

“We partnered with a lot of organizations. Because of that, there’s this sense of oneness in the community that amidst AFYOP being an OSA-led program, the students, regardless of the organizations they represent, are included in starting our new beginning,” Sapsal added.

Training and Development Head and AdDU alumna Mariah Shane Ng also shared that one of their significant challenges for this year’s AFYOP is the Campus Tour training for facilitators who never experienced a face-to-face setup in AdDU.

“Since most of our facilitators are online babies and we have a campus tour this year, it is very important pud na ma-introduce kay online babies na mga facilitators ang school. Kailangan na mu-face sila sa campus tour, ready pud sila. Sila mismo kabalo na sila mu-guide sa new students, new sa Ateneo campus,” Ng told Atenews.

Along with the Simula Campus Tour from July 4 to 12, the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo-Davao (COA-D) also conducted COA-D RecWeek: Student Org Fair 2022, showcasing booths of SAMAHAN Departments and organization assemblages.

COA-D Chairperson Patricia Madronero stated that they have looked into the data and considered many factors in planning their hybrid setup for the organization fair.

“The challenge for us is to practice or maintain the health protocols [and] the proper minimum health standards. [For] the structuring of booths, kailangan malayo siya to each other. We really measured the parameter,” Madronero told Atenews.

Despite facing various issues and adjustments during the preparations, Madronero believed that the org fair was made possible by the student leaders’ efforts, passion, and desire to conduct a face-to-face event. 

“This is one way for them [Ateneans] to know how Ateneo brings clubs together, what is a vibrant university org life, and what should they expect in the coming years, knowing we can do limited face-to-face events,” she said. 

The COA-D Chairperson hoped they could bring more people together and build a community of Ateneans who consider the university their home.

Registration for the SIMULA Campus Tour is currently open for enrolled Ateneans, while incoming first-year students do not need to register.