MEET: ELIZABETH MURILLO
Week of January 28, 2018
She can be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. She can be seen wearing a mustard-colored pom beanie and almost Ray-Ban glasses. She hates being called “Liz”.
Her name is… Elizabeth Murillo.
Meet Elizabeth, or as Vince likes to call her, Elspeth! She is a freshman in the College of Nursing. She is the sister of Christian Murillo, who she says she’s cooler than, and has also attended Marquette and was involved in BSO.
In her free time, she enjoys browsing for non-normie memes, window shopping for makeup and things she will never buy but really wants, and wasting time. She appreciates the occasional Vine (R.I.P) reference, and loves the color purple.
Liz is also really passionate about social justice, for which she picked up a Gender and Sexualities Studies minor. One can truly see her involvement, as she has attended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) rally on campus and the Women’s March in front of the Milwaukee Courthouse, and plans to attend future demonstrations.
Fun fact: Elizabeth absolutely hates pineapple on pizza. With the hope of signifying her disgust of the food-pairing, she wrote an essay about her hatred of pineapples on pizza and received an ‘A’.
To conclude, she says, “I’m the worst person to interview”, after the interview.
MEET: NICOLE PATRIARCA FLORA
Week of February 5, 2018
Observing muscles of posterior thighs with a smile in her eyes without a care in her mind. C’mon, she’s one of the proud representatives of the freshman class of Bayanihan. Also has musophobia.
Meet Nicole, or as literally everybody, excluding her one best friend from high school, calls her, Nikki. Nikki is a freshman in the College of Health Sciences studying Exercise Physiology and is also one of the few students admitted into the DPT program at Marquette. Her dream job is to work as an Olympic trainer, which stems from her interests in healthcare with a focus in the structure and function of the human body.
Nikki loves collecting jigsaw puzzles from places she’s visited - the Brooklyn Bridge, Venice, Santorini, and London, Istanbul and the Philippines, just to name a few. While on the subject of traveling, Japan and South Korea, the land of her loves in life; excellent salmon sashimi (hold the wasabi and ginger, please), and the K-Pop boy band SEVENTEEN, are two places she wants to study abroad at.
To conclude this week’s MEET: post, Nikki shares some advice with everybody. “Uhh, nah. Noooooh. Last wor- Noo!”
MEET: PHILIP EMMANUEL RUDIO
Week of February 12, 2018
His life is filled with adventure and wonder. Legend says he inspired The Most Interesting Man in the World and the Old Spice guy.
Meet Philip Emmanuel Rudio. He hails from Culver City, California, and attends school alongside his younger sister, Kristina Rudio (aka Zany T), as they have done since Pre-K. Phil defines zany as, “Living life, having fun, and being unique”. His career goals are to attend law school and work in the entertainment industry back in Los Angeles, either as a lawyer for a big studio or an agent for entertainment. He is very passionate in videography, traveling, and the LA Lakers. Phil is equipped with an impressive list of accomplishments - He has been to 27 of the 50 states. He has had the same friend group since kindergarten. He has met a handful of celebrities including Brenda Song, Neymar Junior, Khalid, and others. He is scuba-diving certified (license received in the Philippines). The list goes on.
On his free time, Phil likes to kick it with the broskis, watch Netflix, and perfect the Subway tuna sandwich recipe that he and his friends have spent years concocting. The recipe is: toasted flatbread, tuna, provolone, spinach, lettuce, tomato, salt & pepper, oil and vinegar, chipotle southwest, and mustard. Though it does sound very intimidating and quirky, Vince can confirm it is very delicious. It is a perfect melody of drastically different ingredients, representative of Phil and his varying life accomplishments and experiences, which all come together into an unbelievably satisfying bundle of greatness. Phil truly embodies the zany lifestyle. In his own words, “Live life. Be yourself. Be zany.”
“I Facetimed my mom, ‘Can I buy this flamethrower? It’s in my cart right now’. She saw how much it was, and she was like, ‘Are you dumb?’”.
MEET: MADELEINE GRACE MANAS
Week of February 19, 2018
“It’s Mad-uh-LIN, not Mad-uh-LINE, and don’t call me Madeleine Grace. It’s just Madeleine.”
But she’s not just another Madeleine. She is THE Madeleine Grace Manas of Glendale Heights, IL. She is a freshman studying Mechanical Engineering and has a fascination in astronomy, on which her future career goals - to be employed by NASA or to work as an aerospace engineer - are based. Madeleine also expressed interest in being a captain for a spaceship. Unfortunately, she did not meet the height requirements, so she was content on potentially being an astronaut, whose height requirements she qualifies for (minimum of 4' 10½”).
Outside of being a nerd, she is a music geek and is very well versed in instruments. She’s currently in a K-Pop phase, but outside of that genre, she listens to anything but country music (howdy). She also loves to run, and was very involved in her high school’s track and field and cross country team (Madeleine promises to join Marquette’s Track Club next year*). She has experienced the highs and lows through many years of running in the form of placements. It is inevitable that a runner places a low ranking in a pack of runners, but Madeleine uses those losses as motivation. Madeleine’s determination to succeed stems from her loathing of underperformance and failures. In the words of lyricist, vocalist, style icon, and artist, Big Sean, “Last night took a[n] L, but tonight I bounce back”. She seeks criticism in order to constantly improve - a mindset in which all should have.
Lastly but not leastly, she encourages those to take risks and to be confident. She describes BSO as “welcoming, open, and friendly”, and is not afraid to be herself amongst the organization. She wants to be remembered in the club as THE Madeleine Grace Manas of Glendale Heights, IL.
As her closing statement, she leaves advice to those who aren’t too active in the org. “Take risks, try something you’re not used to. Of course it may be intimidating at first, but it’ll be all good later. Just take that leap of faith.”
*editor's note: You'd better join T&F Club next year >:)
MEET: CHRISTIAN PAUL LACANDAZO APILAN
Week of February 26, 2018
Imagine this:
You walk into Brooks Lounge. You see a tall, handsome, wavy-haired cutie eating in a booth alone. You approach the booth slowly, as you tend to get nervous around attractive guys. “He is pretty buff,” you think to yourself, “He must be an Asian baller, because he definitely has the height and the muscles for it. He's also thiccer than a bowl of oatmeal!” You take another step forward with the intention of introducing yourself. You take a deep breath. As you exhale, air exits your lungs, creating an airstream in your trachea, providing the energy for vocal folds in your voice box to produce sound, but as soon as you move your lips, you are interrupted by a sudden, “mmmMm! Oh yeah, baby! mmMm! Zoo wee mama!” Your eyes widen as you notice his garlic-Parmesan encrusted lips fasten around a juicy Wingstop chicken wing. The sight of this disgusts you, but you continue to watch in fascination. You wonder how anybody could enjoy fried chicken as much as he does. Hey wait...he looks familiar.
He indeed does look familiar, reader. His name is Christian Paul Lacandazo Apilan.
Meet Christian, a freshman in the College of Health Sciences studying Exercise Physiology, who is also a DPT program admit at Marquette. His passion for sports and sports science are a product of his upbringing, which include his time spent shadowing healthcare professionals, his parents’ influence on pursuing a career in healthcare, and his great experiences as a dedicated student athlete 😤💯(Instagram @asianballer30). Christian’s dream is to work in a hospital or for a sports team, specifically the Chicago Bulls. He credits his motivation* to his fervor of being able to help those in need, and his family and finances "Marquette ain’t cheap, yo", he adds.
Christian first joined BSO in hopes of meeting new people and making friends. During the first general body meeting, he saw that people in the organization were already very close to each other. BSO seemed like a family, but seeming so almost dissuaded Chris from becoming an active member. I (Vince) can agree that these pre-existing relationships that people have with each other, plus the upbeat energy that they radiate, when viewed by an outsider, is very very intimidating.
Fast forward one semester and a half, and now Christian is one of the most popular, sought-after boys in Bayanihan, right next to Ming Hsieh. For those who are a bit shy, Christian says, “Don’t be afraid to talk with others. It can be a bit cliche but don’t be afraid to get comfortable with each other. But also know your limits.”
*Christian also credits Grace and a meme we can all relate to, “Pain is temporary, GPA is forever”.
MEET: KRISTEN GABRIELLE CECILIA SARUCA NUGUID
Week of March 26, 2018
Imagine this:
You attend a Golden Blues concert in Weasler Auditorium with a group of your bros, who are all looking to have a good time listening to live music. You go because you hear that there are cute girls that are singing tonight, and you want to try your luck with one of them. You sit down and take a glance at the stage. In the group of Golden Blues, you spot two Filipinas.
During the performance, you catch yourself staring at the Filipina on the left. She has the voice of an angel. You feel a tingly sensation running down your spine. It’s the same sensation you get when you pass by Victoria’s Secret. You think you are interested- wait, did she just look at you? Woah, she’s waving at you. Her smile brings butterflies to your stomach. You squint just to make sure you’re not dreaming. Her eyes don’t look back at you the way yours does at hers. You look beside you, and you realize she is waving at your friend, Kyle Mendoza. She must be Kristen. You soon realize that you have no chance. Dangit.
Meet Kristen Gabrielle Cecilia Saruca Nuguid, a sophomore in the College of Nursing here at Marquette University. Growing up, she was surrounded by a family of lawyers and doctors who have all influenced her in her career path. Nursing encompassed her career passion - healthcare, accompanied by the ability to maintain a more personal relationship with her patients. She is also driven by her willingness to help everybody, not just those in need. Kristen enjoys giving back to the community, and nursing is her way of showing it.
Motivating her are her BSO lineage, friends, and family. As the first child in her family to attend an institute of higher education in the U.S., she feels that she needs to work her heart out at her passions, not only to set an example for her younger brother, but also to meet and surpass the expectations set by those around her. Kristen’s lineage, the Saging Savings, also motivate her. She says, “Seeing Sush, Hanna, and Vince progress and improve over these past two years, not just in E-Board, but academically, have inspired me to better myself.”
She encourages all members to be active in BSO, because for her, BSO was a perfect way for her to transition from high school to college. “There’s no harm in putting yourself out there because BSO isn't quick to judge. Each class genuinely cares about another and their well-being. We hold lots of awesome events, and if you don't participate, you’re missing out - don’t regret not doing stuff!! Live in the moment and take risks!”
Lastly, a quote she lives by: “Start each day with a grateful heart.”
Meet Abigail or as some people may call her, Abs/Ab/Abby! She is a motivated, fun, and fierce sophomore studying Psychology and minoring in Dance! She enjoys and relates to her Psychology classes and is thinking about applying to P.A. school. Dance is a big part of Abby’s life, which is why she chose to minor in it. What most people do not know about Abby is that she is a Ballroom world champion! She has been dancing since she was around 3 years old and enjoys competing and performing!
Abby started off as a ballet dancer, but then decided to pursue Ballroom dancing. Since then, she has won many dance titles and in the summer, she went to the Fred Astaire World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada and pretty much won everything she competed in. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering in her community. Ever since her experience in Battle of the Bamboo last year, she has wanted to be more involved in BSO. This year, not only is she one of our choreographers for the Latin segment in our Fashion Show, but she is also one of our Battle Coordinators for Battle of the Bamboo!
ABIGAIL MONTALBO
For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.
-Audrey Hepburn
KRISTINE
RICAFRENTE
Baking the stress away. Reminiscing on her high school bowling team days. Playing piano, ukulele, guitar, violin, and that yung 5th grade recorder. Running marathons...on Netflix. You can catch none other than THE Kristine Ricafrente doing all of the above.
Meet Kristine Anne Ricafrente, AKA Rica, Stine, or Salty Rice Kristy – a reliable, quirky, cheerful junior in the College of Nursing! Her dream job is to work as a pediatric nurse in the Chicago area, since she is from the North suburb of Chicago, Wilmette. She credits her interest in nursing to her family members who are also nurses. Kristine has always had an interest in healthcare, but later realized that she wants to do it to pick people up when they’re down. Although she’s never necessarily imagined saving someone’s life, she feels a sense of accomplishment knowing that she impacted somebody’s life in a positive way. Outside of BSO and stressin’ over the #nursinglyfe, Kristine is also a member of Project Beyond-2, a part-time member of K-Club when her Ading Kathy makes her go, and is a volunteer at La Causa Crisis Nursery. She is also passionate about improving oneself, food (all of it), and continuously learning. Some things that not many people know about Kristine are that she has watched To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before seven (7) times in the past month, has never watched the Harry Potter series past the first movie, and she drinks tea every day. “I drink it more than water. Prolly only around a cup a day, if anything. And that water prolly comes from tea tbh. Someone should give me water. I’m dehydrated af,” she thirstily says. This year, Kristine is really looking forward to Fashion Show, family points, and spontaneous hang outs such as group movie dates, karaoke, and game nights.
To conclude this MEET: post, Kristine would like to remind others to “be yourself af. Wait no. Those aren’t my last words. What are my last words? uhHHHHaaahHHH when I die my last words will be ‘I did my best lol’.”
> IG: kristine.rica
> SC: kristine352
