Underdogs No More: The Night CMNS Stole the Spotlight at SANGKA

Hi, Hivemates!

I’m Seth, and this is my first time posting here in the community. I’ve honestly been holding onto this story for a while, unsure how to start — but I figured, why not now?

I didn’t expect much from this week, to be honest.

Just thought it’d be the usual — classes, more assignments, and trying not to fall behind.

But out of nowhere, things started to feel a bit different.

Everyone was talking, moving around more, and I kept hearing stuff here and there.

To be honest, I didn’t think much of it at first. I figured it was just another regular school activity — something we’d sit through and forget the next day.

But then, little by little, something shifted.

You could feel it.

There was buzz in the air. Like… maybe this time, it’s different.

And it was.

This one actually felt like we could breathe again — like a reset button after months of nonstop academic pressure.

And that’s when SANGKA happened.

A Bisaya word meaning “battle,” and that name couldn’t be more fitting.

SANGKA is this annual event where all seven colleges in our university compete in everything you can imagine — sports, pageants, talent shows, spoken poetry, e-sports, and more. Everyone shows up, and everyone brings their best.

As someone from the College of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (BS in Applied Mathematics), I’ll be honest — people don’t usually expect us to dominate these kinds of events. We’re known more for our calculators than our chants.

But this week?
We showed up differently.

From the very first day, I was there. I stood with my collegemates, cheering with everything I had. Whether it was a basketball game or a dance-off, I lost count of how many times I clapped until my hands stung or shouted until I could barely speak. I saw my fellow students — some of whom I’ve never even talked to before — giving it their all on stage, on the court, under the lights.

And it felt personal.
Because every time they won, it felt like we all did.

Then came Mr. and Ms. CSU.

The most awaited part. The entire campus was buzzing. Every college sent their representatives, and it felt like the whole university gathered just to witness it. Phones were up, students were screaming names, waving signs, praying for the crown.

And you know what?
Our college brought it home.

We were crowned Mr. CSU — again.

Back-to-back wins. The noise that erupted from our side was unforgettable. I saw people cry, scream, hug strangers. For a moment, all the differences between us didn’t matter. We were just one — proud and loud.

When the final scores came in, we placed Top 3 overall.

Engineering and Education may have taken the top spots, but this meant everything to us. Because we’re usually counted out. We’re the ones people don’t expect to make noise.

But this time? We didn’t just show up. We made a statement.

To my collegemates, teammates, and everyone who performed, fought, played, and cheered:

You did that.

And you made us believe in ourselves more than ever.

This whole event reminded me of something I almost forgot:

College isn’t just about solving problems on paper and honestly, I don’t even think it mattered who won in the end.

What stuck with me was how it felt — all the cheering, the laughing, everyone just being there without thinking of school stuff for once. That kind of moment? You don’t forget it.

SANGKA wasn’t just some big event with trophies and titles.

It reminded me that our college, even if others don’t see us as strong, can actually show up, be loud, and fight hard when it matters. That we matter too.

I’m really glad I got to be part of it.
And thank you, Hive, for letting me tell this story — it means a lot.

Let’s keep cheering each other on.
And hey, don’t forget to show up for yourself too.

Catch you in my next post!

The first photos is edited by Canva.