YESTHURSDAY (the long story before the night)

The biggest night of my whole life happened on February 11, 2009.
(Let me dive into cheesy drama mood just this one time)

A few weeks back, I was sitting on the Grandstand while my fellow orgmates busy themselves for the photoshoot for CE week. I can still remember how the Sunken Garden looked like that sunset. It was dry, stiff and brownish. And huge. It was hard to take in its size. And that how in a matter of weeks, we were about to fill it with people.

I could trace the whole thing to Plansem last April, 2009. I suggested to the group that we continue the UP Fair Schizofairnia series again as the Financial Project for the next school year. CE's morale was on the downward slope (failing projects, declining member participation, etc) and bringing back the project that catapulted it to the heights many years back could make a shift of path. I could bet anything that by that time, no one really believed in me. The CE fund was dwindling low then, it was completely impossible even just to make it to the bidding process.

July 2009. I submitted to Kenneth (VP for Finance) a long letter of how I plan to achieve the project. It was a long research, a long set of fundraisers (I won't go into describing each) that should end with a six-digit fund by November 2009. Of course that should have made him take another look at the prospect of Schizo 4.

The whole idea crumbled down when USC announced that the bidding is set for the last week of August. It went even heavier when we learned that bid amounts average on Php 300,000 and 30% of bids should be submitted a week after the bidding day. The first thing I thought was abandon ship. It was practically impossible.

I won't go into the details of the miracle but somewhere along the way, we had the money for the 30% down. The planning was long and tiring. We had this Excel sheet of the planned bid amounts for each night with continuous editions by Kenneth and me so as to ensure we win. We tried to contact fraternities, sororities, other organizations who have handled fairs before. No solid agreement was made. We dove into the bidding process alone and we won three nights: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Long set of reasons ends with choosing Thursday.

It was a make-or-break point for CE. A very very big risk. On one hand, we will not only amass a six-digit bank account (and the six digits doesn't just start with 1) but also boost the spirit among members and place the org back again to the top. On the other hand, we were risking dissolution of the whole organization and people carrying debts even after graduation.

I think it was the first week of October. I formed the team by simply picking who I thought had the potential of being part of it, no long interviews. Many declined thinking of the weight of the project. I myself thought I must be crazy that I am heading this project risking my very graduation. But there they were: Ryan and Carla for Programs, Charm and Ana for Logistics, Jio and Honey for Finance and Sales.

The brainstorms were long and agonizing. The themes we thought of were (1) youth participation in the elections, (2) an ambitious reunion of broken bands (think Eraserheads, Rivermaya), (3) a back-to-UP concert of all bands who came from UP (Parokya ni Edgar, Kamikazee, etc) and (4) a revival of the late 90's era. The last one appealed to most of us.

The IC reserved a day in the Plansem for the second semester for us. We listed down bands to contact, marketing lists, promotional plans, fund raising attempts etc etc. Over the sembreak, I drafted the marketing letters and delegated stuff to people. We contacted AdCore to cover publicity and Pi Sigma Fraternity for security and logistical manpower although the whole core was still within CE. The project was already working on its way. Around November, I convinced Hanna to become my co-head despite the tire she incurred from the last sem's EA. The payoff was that I had to join BACBACAN cheerdance - my first and only cheerdance competition. Hahaha.

Eventually, stuff rolled over. Bands confirmed. UP Underground volunteered to take a share of the Programs. Sponsors slowly came. That was early January. So slow we had this point that we were running in negative money. Six digits payments broken down between days. I was all awake every night figuring out how to pay this and that. I can say my most depressing days of college. It all seemed like the project is all hell bound to fail. All big fund-raising attempts before that failed. We had no money to use. It was hard taking in that I will be the reason of everybody's doomed future. And that I won't even graduate because of depression.

Then there were bands backing out because of schedule conflicts. And delayed posters. And media sponsors delinquency (they aired our ads too late). And people's academics. Yes, we tend to forget that we are still students. I had my fair share of flunked quizzes and missed problem sets and innumerable absences and cutting classes. But, I don't know. The project dissolved in my veins it became really tiring to do school work. My thesis mates can attest to that.

Well, it turned out, we managed. It would be embarrassing to dwell on the steps along the way. Let me just say that we had dedicated team members. A little extra push on everyone can take the group a long long way. The method of using orgs as ticket sellers boosted inflows big time as the team was already very busy in itself preparing for the night. Practically, we had no time setting up selling booths. Add to the fact that the UP Administration delayed the approval of the Fair. Translate: all forms of publicity within the university's building were barred.

Then came the week before the night. We were throwing five-digit cash like jeepney fares. Because of this project, I had the habit of belittling projects that range only in 5 digits. For Yesthursday, the costs went beyond... (name the price). I think my Mom almost fainted when she peeked at the Finance Excel sheet. She was really worried that I was handling a project this big.

To conclude, the days before turned out to be very very exciting. The problems were gone: payments made, little mishaps like backed out bands accepted, long to-do lists and each point quickly erased. Of course, I was still very very nervous but the excitement went beyond that. It was a climactic, an exponential way up culminating on February 11. We has last minute problems with band contracts but hell, those remaining days, I was so giddy and proud. "This is it."

This post is already long. I'm breaking it into two. Part two about what happened on the night itself and the nights after.