Graduates of Saint Louis University worldwide are invited to participate in the SLU Rambakan 2023 Grand Reunion and Homecoming for all graduates of the elementary, high school, college, and post-graduate levels on Jan. 14, 2023 for day-long festivities, celebration, and thanksgiving.
The reunion and homecoming will be held after an extended hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, as it has been also a decade since the last general homecoming in SLU.
There will be two programs in two separate venues. First is the matinee morning program at the SLU Bonifacio main campus at 9 a.m. where attendance is free of charge, and the gala program at the CAP John Hay Trade and Cultural Center at 6 p.m. which requires a fee of P1,500.
The line-up of entertainers includes Pilipinas Got Talent finalist Ingrid Payaket, World Championships of Performing Arts winner Jeff Coronado, and Lloyd Alfred Benter, all SLU Glee Club alumni; the SLU Dance Troupe and Glee Club, a saxophone instrumentalist, and a ballroom dancing pair.
Alumni may register online at https://bit.ly/3aHqcxG.
The Rambakan will kick off with the SLU Marching Band’s festive music at 8 a.m. to welcome the arrival of droves of Louisian alumni at the Bonifacio campus quadrangle before entering the Prince Bernhard gym (formerly Burgos gym), the program’s venue.
The program will start at 9 a.m. with the “Rock Mass” to give praise and thanksgiving, coinciding with its 50th anniversary.
The first Rock Mass was held in 1973 in the same venue. Rev. Fr. James “Tatang” Desmet, then head of the Religion department, asked Genesis Granadosin to organize a choir that sang excerpts from the theater musical Godspell.
The main program at 10 a.m. is dubbed “Rambakan ken Rakrakan” and will feature brief messages, entertainment numbers, raffle draws, games, and trivia contests.
New officers of the SLU Alumni Association will also be inducted into office.
Following the program will be the unveiling of the legacy wall beside the Adenauer building.
Conceived by Rambakan chair Dr. Jaime Lopez, the legacy wall made of 10 big metal plates, when fully completed, will bear the names of all the donors and sponsors of Rambakan 2023 who have contributed to the financial assistance to help future Louisians. To date, more than 1,000 supporters each contributing P6,000 have signed in for the financial assistance drive.
Aside from the metal plates, their names and photos are also printed in a 216-page full color 8 ½” x 11” Rambakan souvenir magazine available for sale online and in the venues. It features never-before-seen historical photographs and articles, alumni stories, as well as the names and photos of all legacy wall donors.
The fiesta-like atmosphere in the campus will feature food booths, photo walls, and personalized campus tours. Alumni who have not visited SLU for many years will be treated to exciting campus tours facilitated by student tour guides.
For the gala night at the CAP John Hay, registration and reception starts at 5 p.m. followed by the program at 7 p.m. Attending alumni will be treated to an evening of songs, raffle draws, looped video presentations, and dancing with music from a professional DJ.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong will be the special guest and will deliver a message.
The highlight of the matinee is the awarding of the 27 Outstanding Louisian Alumni under five categories, which are competence, creativity, social involvement, Christian spirit, and Theophile Verbist lifetime achievement. – Nito Meneses
April 27, 2024
