Behind these Pretty Faces

TourismO Ateneo

Behind these Pretty Faces

Gracel M. Bulalacao

            When I took my first stride in Ateneo as a Tourism student, I was enthusiastic to see and discover my co-tourism students and mug up different things about this course since it is not converging in tourism single-handedly but also major in Development Tourism Management. In other words we are not just limited to have a line of business in being a flight attendants and tour guides but we can do more than what we ponder of this course at first.

            Ateneo de Naga University offers a distinct course that would make the profile of the graduates of Tourism students differ from other academes offering similar course. On the other side of this story is the unrelenting stereotyping about the Tourism students. Honestly, I really don’t give a damn care to what they round about or what they think of us, it is what they perceive and what they believe in so I respect that and I don’t have personal grudges. I’m not saying we are impeccable but who would imagine that even some instructors give their own side comments to tourism students and really, this make my high appreciation of them gone down. Maybe I cannot blame them if that is what they experienced that Tourism students just have this pretty faces but an empty-minded.

However, they cannot make a sweeping statement like this to all the students from this course bearing in mind that they do not know all of us. On our own side, we will just hang onto substantiating to them that we are not what they think of. Just try to be one of us and see the different façades of these tourism students. Think of this, why others don’t try to put their shoes in ours and see how it feels like to be treated that way we don’t deserve. unknown to them is, behind these pretty faces are the humorous people, behind these pretty faces are the highbrow people, behind these pretty faces are the outgoing people, behind these pretty faces are the thoughtful people, behind these pretty faces are the full of zip people, behind these pretty faces are the artistic and brilliant people, behind these pretty faces are the very down-to-earth people, behind these pretty faces are the one for all, all for one strong suit of these people and behind these pretty faces is what make TourismO Ateneo unique. We are unified. I am not swaggering out, I am just being frank. For being with them for how many years, we have come across judgments, frustrations and rejections but I can still say and I will constantly be confident of, we are not that straightforwardly affected for the reason that we know who we really are. Just try to be us and effort to be with us and you’ll find out that it is more fun being with these silly, chatty, naughty but tenderhearted people and you’ll certainly look forward to being with us. It is proven because I grow into being part of them, these are the things that I will always look forward to. We may be just tourism students to others, maybe a stress-free course for them, but it is not the course you take that defines you, it is how you carry yourself. How was I able to say these things about us? I’ll say yet again, try to be with us and see for yourself.