It has come, the end of staffing for Gold Year. I never knew this moment would come so fast. How is it that i had already staffed 5 different halls. Each and ever hall has its on unique mark on my heart and each are very different from one another...
SPOP 1: Power Rangers: Lost in OTEROdise
Thus comes T.F.O., the first one. The night before my first spop, I was filled with all kinds of emotions. I was so excited to start my staffing experience during Gold Year, yet so anxious and nervous at the same time. Although I was a returner, the format and set up of this year SPOP was new to me and I am not quite sure how I would approach the unfamiliar. However, i had confidence that i would find some way to cope with the new changes. I guess I was just the most nervous about the impact I would make on the kids. I wanted it to be more than just "orientation" for them, but rather an experience. How could i possibly do that in just two days, and not even that. I woke up that morning pretty damn tired, literally having to DRAG myself out of bed. I arrived at school ON TIME (haha) that morning still groggy. It wasn't until I saw the groups of "yellow shirt people" slowly approaching Puente that my energy started to pick up. All my worries and concern somehow just magically floated away seeing my support system report for the morning staff meeting. I knew if i had any problems or worries, i could really on these amazing people to help me out. The first day went by like a blur. There was a lot of moments where i had to think on the spot or try to work out the solution, but somehow, it worked. My next mission were those SPOPPERS..my first ever gold year spoppers. I dove head in, when i sat next to a few of them during lunch. I rememberely them clearly, they were Neal and Christina. We had good conversation during lunch and i was excited to meet the rest of them during their Mesa Court check in. I don't think i could explain the rest. It turned out to be an amazing first SPOP that although, had its glitches in the beginning, everything else started to figure themselves out. First talent show was amazing, the dance was a fun first trial, and i went home that day so satisfied and pumped for my future SPOPs.
Oterodise Staff:
L-R: Sam Renzi, Ashley Browne, Sly Edrial, Me, Jennylyn Estrella, CP Anne Chua and Ken Tran
SPOP 3: The Poop Stars of poo-poo-POOENTE
A day before i would staff my second spop, i get an email from the coords. That email came to be a shock to me. Of course I know in the course of being a returner, I would CP eventually, but to have a concrete announcement telling me that i was going to be a CP for the very first time scared the shit of me. I mean, the returners never received a "CP for dummies" manual and the only familiarity i had with CPs is my experience with my CP Alan and CP Lauren from teal year. I really didnt know much about the responsibilities of being a CP, but i did know i had to go out and get some CP gifts. Nonetheless, being a CP for a hall wasn't as bad i thought it was. Of course there were times that i was stressed out, but i think it was due to me psyching myself out and putting more stress on myself more than i should of. My biggest concern as a CP was worrying about my staff and making sure they were fine as well as the spoppers. I think i did more worrying than i had to because my staff did mroe than a fine job taking care of the spoppers. Because of them, i didnt need to have a mental freak out and i want to thank them for that. OH SPOP 3 was also the birth of the first hall romance of SPOP 2008. The love between Poo Poo Pooente and SOULtero Train. I love you Wes. You are an amazing CP and an amazing friend to talk to.
Poo Poo Pooente Staff:
Top (L-R): Jeff Fong, Sarah Bana, Regina Gayatinea
Bottom (L-R): Angie Bordador, Esther Chong
SPOP 5: CamiNOTORIOUS B.I.G.s "Blinging in Gold"
This particular SPOP is special to me because it was the "firsts" of many I had during a SPOP this year. It was the first time i truly got to experience a full CHA experience. My Cha trip was cut short the first couple times because i had to tend to the halls. I also got to go an official full SPOP DANCE experience. I consider the first dance our "guinea pig" and trial one and i stayed behind during SPOP 3 as CP (plus i was dead tired). Finally, i was it was the first time during gold year that i was able to play SPolympics. I had such a blast and they made staying up till 4:30 so worth it!
CAMINOtorious B.I.G. Staff:
L-R: Sam Soon, Diana Huynh, Leslie Akizuki, Ashley Browne, Melody Cruz and Monkey C.P. Kristle in the tree
SPOP 6: Party in Pradodise - Where my Prado people at?
When i first got my list of my staff for SPOP 6, i nearly fell to my knees. I had such an all star staff and i was more pumped than ever to get back to staffing even if i had just done SPOP 5. I had no doubt my staff would do an amazing job, and after staffing they more than made me proud. Just watching them staff, i constantly had a smile on my face. They seriously made my job as CP as easy it could possibly be because they knew what they had to do and they seriously handled. More importantly, what made this hall so special for me were the SPOPPERS. These SPOPPERs were seriously down for anything and were always pumped and excited. You could totally tell by their hall cheers because, not being biased or anything, we were the loudest hall at SPOP 6. You could hear it from anywhere "O O, YOU WISH YOU WERE IN PRADO" I had such an amazing time staffing SPOP 6 and it made me so pumped for my T.L.O.
Party in Pradodise Staff:
L-R: Steph Takeshita, Jesus Martinez, my kiddo John Kim, Diana Thai, Theresa Hsaio, Charlotte Simpliciano
SPOP 8: Bahyatt Beaches Resort
So this is it. My LAST ONE. MY LAST HALL I WOULD EVER SPOP. I didnt come into my last spop in the greatest of moods. I had a really bad day the day before SPOP 8 and i also got sick, so i wasn't really excited coming into SPOP 8. I just hoped that i would get over my sickness so i would have the energy to give my TLO my all. However, it was 2:45 pm and i was dirty, sweaty and still sick with the spoppers checking in to Mesa Court within 15 minutes. I quickly took a shower so at least on the outside, i looked fine. Slowly, the kids started trickling in and there was this magical force that just came in. When more and more people came and we moved outside for a round of dance off and and woosh, i felt a transformation. Suddendly, i felt like i had no sickness at all and i was so happy to rock the rest of spop. My ended my staff experience with one of the most amazing halls, with the most amazing staffers and the most amazing spoppers.
Bahyatt Beaches Resort Staff
L-R: Cat Pham, Paulo Aquino, Cory Ishihara-Wing, Eric Kim and Stephanie Chhun
It's pretty funny how the Olympics are going exactly the same time as SPOP this year. Just as hard as the athletes are working for their gold medals, i felt like i worked just as hard to earn a gold medal in SPOP, and after closing, i feel like i have achieved the gold medal that i wanted. I came into this year with a goal. As a returner, i would give my all into the program and give not only the spoppers, but the newbie staff all that i could offer. I put my 200% into this program and it has paid off. The results were wort all that extra responsibility, effort, hard work, drama frustrations. I would like to congratulate the first year staff on their part in SPOP. You guys have truly impacted the incoming freshmen and accomplished your purpose. To the returners, theres nothing more than i can say to you guys than that i love you and am so blessed to be in the same group of returners as you guys. There is one thing i realized this morning and this goes out to all the SPoppas. I feel like we are such a strong group and i feel like we are a band of brothers. Our comraderie is something i felt and i am so honored to be dads along with you guys.
Thank you gold year for all that you have given me. SPOP is more than orientation program, its a way of life.
