With energy that pulsed across the hall, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) welcomed its new batch of frosh through INTERAKTIV 2025, the annual orientation program staged by the Student Trainers (STRAINS). Held on Aug. 28 to 29 and Sept. 2 to 3, this year’s event transformed the D+A Campus into a multiverse of connections and performances that celebrated the vibrant Benildean culture.
Carrying the theme “Multiverse,” INTERAKTIV highlighted the campus’ diversity and the shared creativity that bridges each program. Icebreakers, fashion shows, and live performances lit up both morning and afternoon sessions. Each student who arrived carries a thousand possible futures, and INTERAKTIV’s stage became the bridge where those timelines met—along with the sharp lights, steady beats, and the first taste of what it feels like to belong in Benilde’s kaleidoscopic community.
Opening the gates
Rifting together activities that showcased the Benildean spirit, INTERAKTIV reintroduced Benildeans—new and old alike—to what it means to share a space built for imagination. One such that served as the highlight was the powerful performance by the Benilde Culture and Arts Unit (BCAU), featuring a lively musical that showcased the college's commitment to inclusivity and artistic excellence.
For Juan Raphael Pantoja, ID124 from the Deaf Studies program (BAPDST), the opportunity to sign alongside music was a way of embodying inclusion. “I’m trying to share the message that everyone has the chance to shine,” he shared in an exclusive interview with The Benildean. “Like me, Deaf people have that skill, that creativity. My creativity is showing sign language. My performance is to inspire not just the audience, but also others who may not always feel seen.”
Beyond showcasing inclusivity, the event served as a powerful testament to the transformative nature of the college experience. Franz Odeja, an ID123 Film student and a fellow performer, reflected on the meaning of the showcase for students on the cusp of their journey. “Through our performance, what we wanted to say to the Frosh was: enjoy it,” he stated in an interview with The Benildean.
For Odeja, the day distilled creativity into connection because “it showcased the way we connect and at the same time, allow inclusivity within our students and our campuses.”
One step forward
This spirit of openness and self-expression was deeply felt by students like Maria Didal, an ID125 Hospitality and Luxury Management (BS-HLM) student, who reflected on her experience during an interview with The Benildean. “It felt like a lot to take in, but eventually, when it all sank in, it all felt like this was going to be worth it. Because I feel like they're very open. I can fully express myself here.”
Sofia Isabel Bavalo, a fellow BS-HLM Frosh, echoed this outlook with her own reflections on the Benildean community. “When it comes to Benildean culture, on what it was shown, I feel like it is very extraordinary and really open and welcome to everyone,” she shared. The experience during INTERAKTIV feels like an invitation into a community alive with warmth and a genuine embrace of everyone’s unique journey.
Though its schedule bent to storms and suspensions, INTERAKTIV stood firm, showing, in true Benildean spirit, that creativity always finds a way to gather people back together. From the energy of its performances to the quiet connections formed between strangers-turned-classmates, the program reminded everyone that beginnings are less about perfection and more about possibility.
For the Frosh who stepped into Benilde a little wide-eyed and uncertain, INTERAKTIV was a reminder that beginnings don’t have to be intimidating, for they can be electric, inclusive while being unforgettable. And as the newest Benildeans step into their own unfolding timelines, they carry with them the spirit of this multiverse—one that thrives not in uniformity, but in the brilliance of many voices coming together as one.
In this space where boundaries dissolve and possibilities multiply, the true magic of the Benildean experience continues to unfold. Watch out for more adventures in the multiverse by visiting STRAIN’s Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
