Photo by Cristina Sim
In his second year on the OrSem stage, Niño Moreno (3 AB EC) amplifies his playful persona. However, the seasoned host assures everyone that he’s still “your kenkoy buddy (na sobrang pogi, dahil sabi ni mommy!)” And his tagline says much about how he continues to view himself as a fun-loving friend to everyone, including the freshies.
However, being playful does not mean that Niño is always a bundle of energy. Surprisingly, this happy-go-lucky boy-next-door uses quiet moments at the dorm to wind down after a day’s work of academics and social interaction. After that, Niño emerges recharged: Ready to meet new people, sing karaoke with friends, and to participate in organization events, like those of the Ateneo Resident Students Association.
Given his heavy workload outside OrSem, Ninõ hesitated to return despite his O-Host experience. But his hosting mentor, Issa Baraquel—a three-peat O-Host)—
challenged him to remember how he felt during his own OrSem.
“My OrSem gave me a lot of new [opportunities] and a fresh start in Ateneo,” he explains. Ninõ remembers how his O-Hosts hailed from different backgrounds and how that helped him see his own potential. “It gave me a chance to realize my talents in hosting,” he adds.
Now, Ninõ is ready to further hone those talents. He notes the differences of his hosting technique from OrSem 2018: Tayâ, given how “very sporadic and, at times, bombastic” he was.
“At times I would just say what I wanted to say and do what I wanted to do—very uncalculated,” Ninõ says, as he recalls his first O-Host stint and his fear of being taken as a joke. “[But] this year, I’m more aware and have more [substantial] content to say.”
Niño certainly has more advice to share this time around. As OrSem 2019: Silay encourages freshmen to take a glimpse of the future, he tells freshies to take that leap of faith—just as he did when he decided to gun for O-Host in the first place.
“Explore your limits,” he says. “Everyone’s telling you to do everything, because college is a place to explore and to reinvent yourself.” And as someone who returned to OrSem with a new perspective, Niño shows just how much the freshies can learn from the road ahead.
