An exhibit for Shades of Gray: Solstice opened on March 24 at the Greenway Square of the Taft Campus. As the newest collaboration between the Benildean Press Corps (BPC) and the Center for Campus Art (CCA), it displays the literary and artistic excellence of its participating students. 

Amidst the physical release of Shades of Gray: Solstice, the official literary folio of the students of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, the opening of the folio exhibit offers the Benildean community a glimpse into the turning points of students’ lives. These turning points may also be called the middle world, the moments of lying in wait, all of which reach a single outcome from the numerous possibilities of life.

Flowers for the in-betweens

Attendees of the exhibit opening were welcomed to the program by Maegan Lacson, an associate of CCA and the event host. Shortly after, Ms. Dayanara Cudal, Head of the Student Publications Unit (SPU), gave her opening remarks, noting how BPC “always joins forces with CCA for folio exhibits,” and invited students to “enjoy the stories and artworks.” Ms. Dindin Araneta, Director of the CCA, also expressed her happiness to work with the SPU on this exhibit and shared how she had suggested to “turn the pages of the book into posters so that people will come and read them.”

The Literary Editor of BPC and ID122 Film (ABFILM) student, Cheyenne Atupan, then conveyed her gratitude towards all the contributors of the folio, saying it is “yours as [much as] it is mine.” She wanted everyone to “reflect on time, the [moments of] running, looking at stars, [stories of] college applications.”

Following the speeches, ID122 Music Production (ABMP) student Jairah “Jai” Joakhyn Carlos and ID124 Governance and Public Affairs (AB-GPA) student Jude “Dane” Danielle delivered a dreamy performance in line with the theme of the Shades of Gray. They played songs such as Torete by Moonstar88 and Bright by Echosmith, livening the mood further. Carlos and Danielle are both BPC literary writers.

Sharing their stories

A live reading session gave the opportunity for several writers to read out their pieces from the folio. 

First up was Anne Margarette Perez, an ID123 Multimedia Arts (ABMMA) student, who read an excerpt of her piece O’er the Roofs of Massachusetts. Jorel “Jors” Magistrado, an ID121 Animation (ABANI) student and former BPC Editor in Chief, read out the last and most intriguing lines of a piece titled Cycle. 

Meanwhile, Danielle read their whole poem titled Born of Marble, with its title repeating like a mantra. Atupan also read an excerpt of their piece The Accounts of the Disappearance of Selenita Vidal. Mariah Grezelle Corpuz, an ID122 ABMMA student and BPC’s Karilyon Editor, read their piece titled Alpas sa Alapaap. Lastly, Limmy Limbo, also an ID122 ABMMA student and Ad Astra’s Associate Editor, read an excerpt of a wistful piece called UV Expresses and Long-lost College Applications.

Hanna Mendoza, current Creative Director of BPC and an ID123 ABMMA student, stated in her closing remarks that, “We have answered Solstice's call to adventure” and “[to continue] celebrating the art and literature of the students of Benilde.”

However, the closing remarks were not the end of the program. Attendees were treated to a backbending performance by drag artist Mamser, with the song And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going by Jennifer Hudson.

Lasting sentiments

In an interview, Atupan spoke fondly of the theme for Solstice. “...it’s like derived from the idea of seasons. I wanted [everyone to] give their flowers to moments that somehow pass, whether they’re boring, whether they’re peaceful, or whether they’re very chaotic. Because those moments deserve as much credit as [the] credit [we give] to the future, our goals, the past.”

For anyone going through the shifts and transitions as narrated in Solstice, Atupan suggested to “Just feel. Don’t fight it. The only way out is through, and that’s important.”

Meanwhile, Perez considered that the message of Solstice was for people to have their own identities, to flourish, and to embrace others. “A door closes, and another door opens for you. Like new opportunities, new beginnings,” she said.

As an associate of CCA, Lacson noted the challenge of exhibiting materials close to paper in an open space and the main struggle of “turning a book into something you can post on a wall.” As an ID120 graduate of the Arts Management program, she thinks of students first when it comes to exhibits like these, questioning “How does this best showcase the works of the students and their talents?”

On supporting students’ interest in literature, she believed that “it all falls back to doing more projects like this and it shouldn’t only be limited to this office. I think this office proves that there is something more we can do with literature. So, it’s something that other courses should be open to exploring and seeing how their courses can interact with literature.”

Lacson asked that visitors “Enjoy the show and take into mind that these are student [works], basically the future of our creative industries coming in.” 

Lastly, Atupan also said for visitors to expect “Something they haven’t seen in a long time, because we haven’t really had exhibits displaying literature. I want them to expect beautiful art, prose, and poetry.”

Whatever changes you may be going through, this exhibit assures that you are not alone. The exhibit for Shades of Gray: Solstice is open for visitation until June 21. Read through the complete folio here.