Core Memory Unlocked: A Night of Songs, Stories, and Silliness

When the working day is done; Oh, girls—they wanna have fun
-- Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (1983)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.png

Hello, Hivers! One college student is in your area, and I'm back with a story to unpack! Have you ever wondered how school would be without the friends you met along the way? Well, if you ask me, I'd say my life would be totally different if I had not met them. Now that we're in our last year of college, nostalgia hits me like a train (although it's too early for that hahaha) as I stare at my ceiling; we've come so far, yet we only had so little time left, so I guess I'll just make a blog about that one night where we made the most fun recently.

It was the last day of our campus' intramurals. The highlight of the day, or night, I supposed, was a pageant to determine who would be our Mr. and Mrs. PASUC* —because what is a Filipino event if there's no pageant in its program, right? We were getting ready to watch it because our juniors would be our department's representatives. However, we were flabbergasted--char* hahaha—shocked to see that a massive crowd had already settled at the venue, leaving us no room to watch the pageant. Such unforeseen circumstances lead us to believe that we were pretty unfortunate that night. However, one of my classmates suggested that we should hang out at the campus oval since most of the students also gather there in circles. And so we did.

It was definitely the best decision that our group has made as far as the night goes. Second, we have decided to bring a Bluetooth speaker and microphone. And you guessed it right! It might sound stereotypical, but what is a Filipino gathering without karaoke? Plus, we're all college kids who are going to graduate next year (Hopefully! Claiming! Manifesting!✨ ), so we decided to make the most of it. After all, the night is still young, and so are we!

As we gathered in the middle of the bustling area under the glow of the moonlight, surrounded by students walking by, some were also playing games, some were sharing stories and laughter within their circle, and others just hung out, lingering in the cool evening air. Armed with our portable karaoke, bags of snacks, and contagious energy, we turned that one unfortunate night into something unforgettable and far greater night than I had ever since I entered college.

Oh, how we sang our hearts out! From singing love ballads to pop music, we even tried to rap; our playlist was as chaotic as we were. Our main singer of the night was @milesinverse-- her energy was unmatched! The best part? We didn't care how we sounded or that we were literally turning the oval into a concert stage in the middle of at least a hundred students, nor that they cared about us, too, which made that night fun! The crowd around us just gave us a curious look and smiled; some even cheered, hahaha—amazed at how brave we were.

_{See? I told you @milesinverse was the Karaoke MVP that night, @roseandshine's the second.}

But nothing prepared them when we started singing these three songs: Girls Wanna Have Fun, Dancing Queen, and Breathless. These songs weren't just music—they were anthems for the night.

When Dancing Queen started playing, it was like magic. We all got up, dancing like no one was watching, twirling around under the glow of our phones' flashlights. We sang, "You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life…" at the top of our lungs, and for those few minutes, we truly were having the time of our lives. The laughter, the carefree dancing, and the sheer joy of being surrounded by my best friends made everything else fade into the background.

Then came Breathless by The Corrs and the singer? one and only @alianagrandeur . I think that song just hits differently, doesn't it? We all tried, especially her, (and funnily failed) to match Andrea Corr's soft yet powerful voice, but that didn't stop us from belting out the chorus. "Go on, go on, leave me breathless…" we sang, barely able to catch our breath from laughing so hard. We're literally breathless after all that singing and laughing, hahaha.

_{@alianagrandeur definitely slayed Breathless}

And, of course, the night wouldn't have been complete without Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. When that song came on, it was as if it had been written just for us. We waved our arms, danced like we wereperforming a ritual, and turned the oval into our very own stage.

_{Doesn't this reminds you of Genshin Impact's Hilichurls dancing to a bonfire?}

That moment felt so raw and honest, like a snapshot of pure happiness frozen in time. But honestly, we were all living in that moment, no matter how fleeting it seemed. One of my classmates then decided to treat us to some pizza, and not only was food shared, but also stories. But the key behind this all was "freedom". It felt like we had hit "pause" on all the stress of schoolwork and deadlines, especially since some of the most unhinged academic plot twist happen around November. It was just us, the music, the food, and the bond that made everything else blur and disappear for a while.

_@nanaspeaks

_{I thought I was gonna be blind after this picture-- the flash was too bright hahahaha.}

_{@milesinverse being a victim of @alianagrandeur's blush-blindness.}

As the night wore on, the crowd around us thinned as the others decided to go home. It was pretty late, after all, and the campus grew quieter. But our little circle stayed, singing and laughing until we couldn't anymore-- it was already past 11. However, we were sure that it was definitely a core memory-- it's one of those nights you wish could last forever, but that's the beauty of it. The fleeting nature of moments like these is what makes them so precious.

Looking back, it wasn't about how perfect the night was but how we turned imperfections around as long we were together (although it's a shame that we're not complete). Those little moments—hitting notes that exist or may not exist, echoing laughter, sharing one mic because we all wanted to sing—are what made the night magical.

_{@roseandshine scrolling her spotify playlist and trying to find a song she could sing}

I realized that you don't need fancy places or expensive plans to make memories. Sometimes, all you need is a good set of friends, a karaoke mic, and the willingness to look silly in front of strangers (I know I told you before, but let others say it's cringe, but if it's fun, don't let it bother you).

So here's to that unforgettable night on campus and to many more like it in the future. And here's to the friends who make your school or college years the best years of your life. And here's to living in the moment because sometimes, that's all you really need.

Because at the end of the day, girls just wanna have fun. And boy, did we ever.

_{"Girls just wanna have fun" but I see two guys in this photo. Yeah, well, we might be super duper close classmates but some of them also have their forever mates. So, yeah.}

Just a quick note on these:

*PASUC - stands for Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges.
*Char - short for charot, is a Filipino slang used to indicate a joke or sarcasm -- it's like saying "joke" or "just kidding".

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