Every new beginning comes with its fair share of the unknown, and for Benilde’s newest batch of Frosh, INTERAKTIV 1.0 was theirs. Held on Aug. 24 and 25 at the Design and Arts (D+A) Campus Theater, the annual orientation facilitated by the Student Trainers (STRAINS) was organized by the Center for Student Life (CSL), Student Involvement Unit (SIU), and Benilde Culture and Arts Unit (BCAU), carrying the theme, “Courage: Discovering Who You Will Become."
The event invited students to step into Benilde without knowing quite yet what to expect and to find, somewhere along the way, that they belong.
The journey begins
Spread across two dates, INTERAKTIV 1.0 organized its sessions by program, giving each batch of Frosh its own slot to step into the unknown. Aug. 24 marked the first part of the event with its morning session, setting the bar for the energy maintained throughout the event. The afternoon session carried the same vigor, which extended until the morning session of Aug. 25, and the culminating session that afternoon.
This spread, however, was not the original plan. INTERAKTIV 1.0 was originally set to run its sessions across Aug. 19 and 20, but the repeated class suspensions brought about by the inclement weather led to the merging of the Aug. 19 programs into the Aug. 24 and 25 schedule.
Mapping out the paths
INTERAKTIV’s program was built in different layers, with each showcasing a different type of adventure. First came the Opening Program, where Frosh were formally welcomed through their ingress, introduced to INTERAKTIV's chants and traditions, and given a first sense of what the event stood for. This gave way to the Classroom Program, where rotating icebreakers and activities, covering both the campuses and School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS) blocks, let new students interact more closely with their orientors before an open forum closed out the segment.
Finally, the day built toward its emotional high point in the Closing Program held at the 5/F Theater—a theatrical performance by BCAU following two travelers on a journey to Animora, a place filled with mystique, in search of the four elements to obtain the treasure of the vast land.
Dance performances from Romançon Dance Troupe brought energy to the stage, while a musical play by Dulaang Filipino added heart and narrative depth. A fashion show followed, spotlighting the campus' dress code with flair, alongside a shadow play from Karilyo and voices raised in song by Coro San Benildo. All these performances were tied together by one central message—that the pursuit of the four elements mattered less than the journey itself.
For Frosh who had just moved from lobby, to classroom, and to theater over the course of their own day, this parallel was hard to miss. Their day, much like Animora, was never really about the destination.
Beyond the first step
Rainbow Mendoza, ID125, from Multimedia Arts (ABMMA) and Assistant Project Head of INTERAKTIV 1.0, shared in an interview with The Benildean that the event's success was hard-won. "It was a rough patch at first," she recalled, describing how suspensions and weather-related setbacks nearly threw the entire program off course.
That sense of purpose, Mendoza explained, was rooted in the event's theme, which was welcoming Frosh into a world they have yet to fully understand. "We wanted to welcome them as much as possible kasi bago pa lang sila," she shared, adding that the goal was to help new students feel at home even amid the uncertainty of starting in the College. For her, INTERAKTIV could be summed up in three words: "fun, warm, and welcoming."
Echoing that same spirit was Sophia De La Cruz, ID126, from the ABMMA program, who shared what had stood out most about her first official Benildean experience. "’Yung sa theater part na, kasi sobrang ganda ng performance nila," she said.
For De La Cruz, INTERAKTIV offered an early glimpse into what Benilde stood for. "Seeing that many schools are mostly academic, ‘yung Benilde is mostly artistic—students can let out their talents more," she added, calling the school "Benilde plus talent."
INTERAKTIV 1.0 gave the Frosh their first taste of Benildean life. Yet beyond the games and performances was a primer to the community itself—one built on the courage of trying something new. With their first adventure behind them, the next one is theirs to make.
The unknown is still there—but now, the ID126 students definitely know they don’t have to face it alone!
Open the map and guide yourself toward the next adventure by visiting STRAINS’ Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
