Happy Birthday, Quitos! by AJ Elicaño https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl ew you're old en-us 2017-07-17 07:41:33 UTC 2023-06-02 05:20:27 UTC hello@padlet.com HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARTNER aj_n_elicano https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178838876 Quitos,

In the song "Louder Than Words" from the Jonathan Larson musical TICK, TICK... BOOM! (the thing Larson wrote before writing RENT, about his life before writing RENT), the lead character, Jon, sings about his anxiety at turning thirty, ending the chorus with the lines, "Fear or love, baby, don't say the answer / actions speak louder than words."

(The song also ends with the "Happy Birthday" melody, sans lyrics, while Jon blows out the candles on a cake, because he's artsy like that.)

I find that this is a good way to speak of growing up. Getting older is marked by fear (because it's scary as shit) and also by love (because there is also so much reason to love and be loved), and growing up happens when we choose which wolf we feed and ride into the battle of life.

Ever since we met in Lit class--and especially since we really met in InTACT--I have found myself constantly inspired, amidst the many terrors of this life, by how you choose love and how you keep choosing love. You ran classes even when I was in the room, you take leadership roles even as a lancer, you pick understanding even when it would be easy to wallow in pain. You do spreadsheets and people in a world that says you have to pick one or the other, and you kick butt at both. I know we talk a good game about how we're scared to people, but your actions have, indeed, spoken louder than words, and they speak of less fear and greater love. (Hell, you stand in front of people and lecture, which you and I both know is about the scariest thing ever.)

It's perhaps fitting that your birthday comes around when your leadership in InTACT really starts getting into gear. I have no doubt this will be challenging, but I also have no doubt that you'll be great--not because you won't ever suck, but because you'll take the times when you suck and figure out how to suck well. Know that I'm very proud to have stood beside you and worked with you, and would do so again in a heartbeat.

And so, on this, not exactly the anniversary of our fairly epic teamwork but exactly the anniversary of your birth, I have these things to say: keep doing you and keep choosing love. Thank you for making me a better teacher and for being an amazing friend. Go forth and set the world on fire.

Oh, and happy birthday, I guess.

Much plove,

AJ]]> 2017-07-17 07:45:53 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178838876 a picture of a whiteboard on a background that looks like a blackboard aj_n_elicano https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178840093 postmodernity or some shit]]> 2017-07-17 08:08:02 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178840093 Dear Sir: https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178843023 Happy birthday! 😄 
Hope you have a wonderful 24 hours + thousands more to follow suit. 

Thank you again for introducing Ateneo to us and for being the best InTACT SF we ever could have hoped for. The roller-coaster ride wouldn't have been the same without you and Sir AJ making sure we survived getting through the gate. ]]> 2017-07-17 09:05:24 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178843023 u weird. ele111195 https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178843746 Hi Quitos! Happy Birthday! I just wanted to wish you a great day and an even better year.

Even if we only got to know each other on my last year, I'm thankful for all the conversations and the bad jokes. U weird but thats what makes u awesome hehe~ 

Sincerely,
Ele Gealogo :D]]> 2017-07-17 09:18:57 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178843746 I didn't think that it was necessary to add titles to birthday greetings but this website said there should be one so here it is (by Fall Out Boy) https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178853542 HI QUITOS HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! I'm not the most affectionate person in the world--in fact, I'm fully aware that I can be unnecessarily shady--but I'm going to put that aside to greet you properly because I could not ask for a nicer, meme-ier (is that a valid word) SF to have during my freshman year. And hey, you contributed to giving me the push to apply as an SF myself! I'd say that's something.

Thank you (and Sir AJ Elicaño Microblog) for being there for my block. I really appreciate that you guys were honest and true to your meme selves because it didn't make us feel ashamed about being weird in general. And my gahd, thank you for just being around. I don't know how else to say it anymore.

Really looking forward to working with you this year!! I hope I can make you proud as I pass the meme torch (if it were a thing).


🌟 Marty🌟

]]> 2017-07-17 12:40:30 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178853542 hi sir quitos (abridged version) https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178853842 Happy birthday! I want to tell you everything here, but it would be so mushy and ICKY! Hahaha joke.

I only get to see you during breakfast time recently, but I'm thankful for the short (at least) 2 hours with you. I really appreciate every minute I've spent with you, every wifi-reset you've done for me, every sad story you've shared with me, and every corny joke you've forced-fed upon me. I know the days don't get easier as you grow older, but I hope you know that I'm willing to go through all of that with you.

Here's to more dad songs™ to jam to!

- P-squared (Peggy Pitero)

P.S. I'll save the rest on my birthday post on your wall mismo.]]> 2017-07-17 12:44:42 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178853842 Cheetos = Quitos https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178859546 Hi Quitos Happy Birthday!!!! Alam mo ba sometimes I forget ur name but like I remember the chips and I say oh yeah Cheetos. I'm not actually sure I know where I'm going with this line of thought but hey this is my birthday message to u man so unless somebody else edits this I'm pretty sure you'll get the I remember Quitos= Cheetos line. BUT ANYWAYS I THINK UR A PRETTY COOL DUDE AND THAT WE SHOULD DRINK MORE OFTEN.

BUT IN ALL SABAWNESS I HOPE WE DRINK SOON AND THAT U HAVE AN AWESOME BIRTHDAY

HANG SOON MAN
- Nathan Nepomuceno ]]> 2017-07-17 14:00:54 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178859546 https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178965242 happy... birth... day...]]> 2017-07-18 15:06:55 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/178965242 happy birthday!! https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/179085239 hey quitos--thanks so much for taking time out of almost every week to invest in making sure that our block could find our feet in ateneo. i know i speak for a lot of people when i say that we're very grateful you were aways insistent on bucking the set intact modules for approaches that were a lot more personal and a lot more fulfilling--it means a lot. happy birthday again, and see you around!! 
-Andy]]> 2017-07-20 01:47:07 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/179085239 EYYY HAPPY BERTHDAY https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/179088976 Happy Birthday Quits! Can't believe I'm stuck with u for da next 4 yrs HAHAHAHA jk jk. But its been great working with u and can't wait to do it some more. For the Freshies!!!
- Greggy]]> 2017-07-20 02:31:43 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/179088976 Quitos the despacis https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/179105029 Hey hey hey!!! Happy birthday Quitos!! I've known you for so long but I keep getting to know more about you hehe I hope you enjoy your day and you always stay smart with everything you do hihi. Never forget your amazingness and your kindness that has made you all of these friends over the years hehe. much love friend
-mika moosh]]> 2017-07-20 06:06:23 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/179105029 Happy Birthday Quitos! https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/179128699 Happy Birthday bro! Kinda forgot to do this so idk if youll still see this hahaha. Plan something with the EnLit block soon miss you guys hahaha.
-JJ]]> 2017-07-20 14:29:46 UTC https://padlet.com/aj_n_elicano/xth6li5m38yl/wish/179128699