There’s really no pegging Enzo Tan (4 BS CTM): He’s the quintessential jack-of-all-trades, the school’s very own renaissance man. While known for his merits in filmmaking, Enzo’s activities range from music, writing, photography, and even cuisine—he currently co-runs the stall Chile Chicos in the John Gokongwei School of Management Student Enterprise Center (JSEC).
For such a busy man, Enzo keeps it pretty chill for the most part. His large stature belies his lovable, gentle nature, and with the tagline, “your kinda hype, sorta indie, big boy softie,” Enzo couldn’t have summed himself up any better. He can charm with his sweetness and at the same time inspire with all that he’s capable of. These traits have always made him prime O-Host material, and luckily for the freshies, he finally got his shot this year.
Even before being an O-Host, Enzo has always lent a hand during OrSem season. Apart from auditioning to be a host since his sophomore year, he was also a SecMob volunteer and the assistant director of the O-Film for two consecutive years. Now, Enzo has stepped up to a whole other level by not only hosting the show, but also being one of the O-Film’s main co-directors.
This love for the event goes back to Enzo’s OrSem, where he saw the uniqueness of the Ateneo experience. “I couldn’t get any sleep the night before so when I got there, I was just so overwhelmed,” he recalls. “Everyone was shouting, dancing, throwing up their signs—I did not know what to expect.”
All this made a lasting impression on Enzo, who realized that OrSem was a sign of things to come. “For me, [OrSem] was really just a show of the new experiences and interests that will come my way,” he adds. “A lot of the things I do now I never expected to do coming out of high school.”
With all the uncertainty ahead, Enzo advises the freshies to simply brace for the unexpected and accept the changes as they come. “Whoever you think you are right now, hold on to that with a grain of salt,” he shares. “Your stay in the Ateneo will provide new experiences, either fun or traumatic, that will help uncover aspects of yourself you never knew you had.” And from a guy who directs films, writes for Young STAR, makes music with his band, and runs a JSEC stall all at once—there definitely is no arguing with the results.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article cited Enzo as the main director of this year's O-Film. This was edited to reflect his position as a co-director. We apologize for the oversight.