Upsilons Day for UPs Roses

Quezon City – Pink petals, sweet melodies and gentle smiles a tinge of Valentine air filled the University of the Philippines Diliman campus on November 12, 2010 Friday as the Upsilon Sigma Phi celebrated its annual Day of Roses to give gratitude to the women of UP who have inspired throughout history honor and excellence in the University and in the Nation.

Clad in all-black attire and warm smiles, members of the Brotherhood roamed the different colleges of the campus grounds, handing long stemmed pink roses while crooning sweet melodies to the women they come across. Ladies in student nooks (tambayans) and classrooms were serenaded by small choirs with guitar accompaniment in traditional Filipino Harana style, and were given roses tagged with an endearing message of gratitude and empowerment.

Female faculty members and administrators were also visited, serenaded and given bouquets by these gentlemen who conveyed their appreciation to the administration for its continual support for their endeavours to create a climate conducive to learning and progress in the University while providing service to various communities outside UP.

The day started with a diffusion of members in groups of at least five doing room-to-room performances and patrolling the halls handing out roses to women. Performances started with a short message of introduction and thanksgiving, followed by the rendering of songs, and capped by the giving of roses. More often than not, audiences requested encores of the specially-chosen songs, rendered with harmonious voicing and dynamics. At the end of the day, over a thousand roses were given to the women of UP.

Professor Elizabeth L. Enriquez, Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs (VCSA) was given the pleasure of a visit at her temporary office inside the Kalayaan Residence Hall. Deans Dr. Flora Elena R. Mirano of the College of Arts and Letters, Prof. Mary Anne Espina of the College of Architecture, and Dr. Miguela Mena of the Asian Institute of Tourism were also visited in their respective colleges. Prof. Espina appreciated the courtesy call saying that it still is a great deed of a young man to serenade a lady. Dr. Mena was surprised by the call saying that shes glad the fraternity is more service-oriented and appreciative, bidding that other fraternities do the same and condemn violence.

It has been a tradition of the Upsilon since the 1980s to hold this occasion of communicating sincere affection and admiration to all women, analogous to the idea of celebrating mothers day. The pink rose is the Fraternitys symbolic flower regarded as rare and special, as it was during the olden times.

Just as rare and special as the pink rose is, the women of UP are also esteemed as being of such traits, hence deserving of pride and honor. Among the roster of notable women cradled by the university are: Prof. Solita Monsod, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Justice Cecilia Muoz-Palma, and Dr. Fe del Mundo all who have contributed greatly to the Filipino nation and the University.

The Day of Roses is the opening event of the Upsilon Month 2010 dubbed Momentum, a series of events aimed at inspiring the UP community to unite for the common goal of undertaking leadership and service through socially-focused activities geared to uplift the lives of the Filipino people.

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