The wait is over – after two years of holding classes and events virtually due to the pandemic, the University of the Philippines – Diliman finally welcomes the first year students for A.Y. 2022-2023 on campus through the annual Freshie Welcome Assembly which was held on the 5th of September 2022. In the said event, the University Library takes part by setting up a booth to provide the attendees with an overview of its resources, services, and social media platforms, as well as to answer reference queries and address library concerns of the attendees. A photo wall was set up in the booth and a fishbowl filled with rolled papers containing QOTDs or Quotes of the Day was prepared for the attendees.
Ms. Rizalyn V. Janio, Head Librarian of the Information Services and Instruction Section, and the organizers of the Freshie Welcome Assembly 2022.
The organizers wish to provide the freshmen with a spectacular experience – one that is entertaining but educational at the same time, hence, the 5 interactive games they came up with. To play these games, a prerequisite is to register, then like and follow the University Library Facebook page, and Twitter and Instagram accounts. One of the games was “Unlock the Puzzle” wherein a picture of the facade of the Gonzalez Hall was turned into a jigsaw puzzle, then students were asked to arrange it within a minute. In every sense of the word, the game “Word Hunt” was prepared as a way to introduce players to the various library services offered by the University Library like Saliktroniko, Asksinag, and Aklat-taan. “Guess the Mystery Logo” requires participants to pick a card that contains an incomplete logo with clues about a certain database and guess its correct name. Another game was called “Are you lost, Isko/Iska?” where a maze puzzle piece with the Gonzalez Hall as the endpoint was given to players. Lastly, the game “I Spy with my Little Eye” is played by giving players one piece of paper containing two pictures that are relatively the same, and then find and encircle five differences between the two.
Freshman students accepted the challenge to unlock the puzzle and intricately solved the word hunt.
During the first half of the day, students flocked over the booth as they were highly encouraged by organizers who were giving out bookmarks with the QR codes of the various library services. Surprisingly, the number of participants to play the games exceeded the expectations of the organizers. We often hear the idiom “curiosity kills the cat”, all the more that the students flock over the booth, more students are curious of the activities that are prepared at the booth.
The University Library prepared notebooks, towels, pens, t-shirts, tote bags, water bottle containers, bluetooth speakers, and Aquaflasks as a grand prize sponsored by CE Logic Inc., Elsevier, EBSCO International, MegaTEXTS Phil. Inc, and Statista for the aforementioned games. The organizers even prepared customized sticker packs that signifies some identity or mark of the University of the Philippines Diliman like the Oblation statue, Gonzalez Hall, The University Library logo, Isko and Iska as well as UP Ikot written in a jeepney signage lettering, and street foods or commonly known as “tusok-tusok” such as “isaw” (chicken intestines) and fish balls as consolation prizes for those who played the games but did not win. Regardless of the prizes, the students indeed had fun with all the games prepared for them. Aside from the games, students excitedly went to the booth to ask reference queries such as library visits, library orientation, borrowing procedures, and online databases offered by the University Library.
Enticing prizes that await the game winners are displayed at the booth.
The booth was a hit to a lot of students and the University Library is glad to know that they left a positive impression on new students and the number of social media platform followers increased which consequently allows them to raise awareness of the library activities and programs. Freshie Welcome Assembly 2022 is indeed a remarkable event, aside from being the first-ever in-person welcome assembly since the pandemic struck in 2020 it also happened during the centennial celebration of the University Library. With that in mind, the organizers are more than willing to plan ahead for more fun and engaging games and more enticing prizes for the students. See you at the next Freshie Welcome Assembly!