Having concluded my first term as a student-leader, I have come to understand that editorship is a sacrifice—one that takes precedence over other commitments, academic workload, and social life. Yet, I sometimes wonder what life would be like to not commit too much, to not assume greater responsibility, to not pursue anything more than what already sits on my plate. However, I delved instead into positions that challenged my capabilities, thus venturing into externals work, project management, and video production. Tiring, admittedly. Exhausting, even. And every time, friends always ask me, “Why?” I write symphonies that are then translated into compositions, but I, too, lose the words to articulate what I do, what I think, and what I feel. And still, I carry on.

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HEIGHTS Ateneo has exposed me to an expansive, thorough exploration of the self: the queer, the nonconforming, and the devoted. In assuming editorship as a sophomore, I was graced with opportunities to exercise agency, practice creativity, and refine flexibility. The HEIGHTS Online staff is its own “wander into wonder” that encompasses journalism, social media, website management, and photos and video coverage, alongside countless partnerships. The workload is demanding and spontaneous, but I thank my staff and co-editor for doing the work and keeping me in check, respectively. Greater than this, however, is the love and effort I continue to witness from everyone I have met in the publication and organization.

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A dear friend from the English staff constantly reminds me of why HEIGHTS’ role in its immediate community and larger context is necessary: to uphold excellence in art and literature and to create a community that respects and learns from its members. The difference between my two-year stay and his one-year membership is his profound, unparalleled love for HEIGHTS despite only joining last semester. If anything, you experience chance encounters with strangers you wouldn’t bother to perceive, but interaction is the catalyst that brings people together, and what one interaction has caused us is a friendship sentimentally cherished and deeply cared for. Having participated in the 2025 Editorial Board Race was a dreadful period, but my friend held my hand firmly, as we grounded each other with our purpose for becoming aspirants. Hence, I carry on.

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Sa kabila nito, naranasan kong maging pinuno ng proyektong Halimhim sa Matanglawin Ateneo. Hindi biro na humawak ng mga komite na siyang nag-aasikaso sa logistics, branding, promosyon, at iba pang aspekto na kaugnay sa pamamahala ng proyekto. Naurong man nang paulit-ulit ang mga patayguhit, taas-noo kong ipinagmamalaki ang gawa at tiyaga ng aking mga kasapi. Subalit, maayos man ang daloy ng programa, nakuha ang mga angkop na tagapagsalita, at marami ang ginamit na estratehiya pang-marketing, hindi ko kontrolado ang bilang ng mga dumalo sa mismong talakayan na, sa kasamaang palad, hindi umabot ng dalawampu. Gayunpaman, kung basehan lamang ang mga numero, nalilimitahan ang tagumpay ng talakayan mula sa ibang mga kalakasan.

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Halimbawa na rito ang karangal-rangal na trabaho ng mga Tagapamahala ng Social Media, kung saan walang tigil sila at ang kanilang Bagwisan sa pag-uulat ng mga nagbabagang balita sa loob at labas ng pamantasan. Ang Tindig Loyola, na naglalabas ng mga update ukol sa 2025 Sanggunian Elections, at ang Tindig Pilipino, na nagpapaskil ng mga report ukol sa 2025 Midterm Elections, ay mahalagang mga inisyatiba na inuugatan ng pamamanata ng publikasyon: Buhayin ang kuwento ng mapagpalayang Pilipino upang mamulat at magpamulat sa katotohanan. Sa “Bantay Halalan,” ikinakampeon nila ang tunay at walang sawang pamamahayag na pinababayaan ang sukat ng tagumpay base sa mga numero, kaya umaapaw ang aking respeto sa kanila at sa trabaho na kanilang ginagampanan sa pang-araw-araw na pag-uulat. Sa gayon, patuloy lamang ako.

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The GUIDON Sports has also drawn out my largest growth as a writer and a person. Truthfully, my opportunities in the staff are vast, given the scope of sports that I could write on, learn about, and appreciate over time. However, the staff’s potential has only been limited to sports coverage and assistance for administrative offices—a restricted exertion of what Sports could further explore in the form of collaborations and projects. With this in mind, the seeming unlikelihood of interviewing Ateneo alumni became a reality after repitching a supposed article to become a video production—the eventual revival of The GUIDON Sports’ The Film Room. Consequently, voicing out an aspiration does eventually reach like-minded individuals, of whom I am grateful for.

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Among the people who supported this vision were two very dear friends—editors who have always moved forward with the truth. In their resolve to persistently serve the publication, the Ateneo, and the people, they maintain level-headedness and openness to discussions related to their respective staffs. Be it covering sports for the love of the game or capturing truths in the field of photojournalism, I have become one of the many witnesses to their service and leadership, and I am forever thankful for the friendship I have built with each of them. Prompted by their work ethic, they are my first inspirations in college to carry on—to choose to serve rather than to leave everything behind. What I have learnt from them in the past year is what I currently carry with me and will continue to carry for the rest of my life—all this to say that I shall always carry on.

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Sometimes, I wonder what life would have been like if I had not pursued journalism—to remain stagnant and secluded and to keep my plate as it is with whatever it is filled with. Although, doing so would not have allowed me to encounter friends whose passions have touched my own, whose presence has illuminated brightness in my life, whose perseverance has taught me to carry on. In fact, my dearest friend is living proof that, despite all the responsibilities that pile up on his plate, he will do everything he can to make time for his loved ones; that no matter how tired and exhausted he may be, my friend still carries on. People inspire me, and they push me to carry on; that while I may not have immediate answers for the simplest questions, I know that my intentions are set in stone, thereby guiding my movements, decisions, and actions in spite of extreme obstacles.

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I still commit to a lot of work, assume responsibility, and put more food on my plate. I still want to experience, to try again, to challenge myself. I still do things in the name of art and literature, para sa mapagpalayang panunulat, and for the love of chronicling sports. I still narrate stories that matter to me, to someone, to a community. I still navigate college life with the intent of writing substantially and articulating effectively. I still believe that hurdles always exist but will ultimately be overcome with great determination, even when you have to fall down repeatedly before you conquer it entirely. I still get tired, feel exhausted, and doubt my decisions. In response, I try to still until I become still, and then I’m not still again.

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And still, I carry on. And still, I do it with love.

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Jules Aranjuez refuses to settle with living vicariously because he wants to experience life alongside the people he loves most. He hopes to do that during college, fearing he won’t have that much freedom when he enters the workforce. If anything, though, he lives with the hope that everything he does—no matter what, why, or how he does it—matters to him and to others. Thus, he dedicates this column to Kai Magboo, Thea Tomaneng, Bea Frago, Jillian Santos, Luis Licas, and Brylle Principe. Moreover, Jules is the former Associate HEIGHTS Online Editor and the current Managing Editor for External Affairs. What a mouthful to read out loud, I know. Regardless, he resides in the fact that the position he has held and is beginning to hold means something to him and to HEIGHTS, and he trusts and believes that it’ll all be worth it. So, he carries on.