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The Real Deal on ASSOC

ASSOC - The Archetype of Ateneo's Barkadas
While the exact date cannot be determined, it definitely all began in June 1985. A great majority of those who formed ASSOC came from the Ateneo High School batch 85, but later on the other cool dudes joined in and strengthened the core. About 80% of the 72 founding fathers were in the Air Police of which Ricky Olivares was platoon leader along with Pacoy Ortega (probably the last goon batch of APs who were allowed to use tonfas, nunchaks, samurais, mace, baseball bats, yantoks, sais, even bowling pins for batutas). There were even some carry-overs from a previous group called SMA (just like ASSOC, no one really knows what it means - Samahan ng Mag-aaral ng Ateneo, Samahan ng Manginginom ng Ateneo, Samahan ng Mamboboso ng Ateneo, etc, 1984 down).

Initially, it wasnt called ASSOC. The groups name was TROGGS, courtesy of Froi Medina. The founding batch came up with a t-shirt bearing the handle and a caricature of the persons from which the name was derived. Other initial names bandied about were Peoples Union Towards Action (PUTA) and Benigno Aquino Youth Action Group (BAYAG). Bong Banzon came up with the latter. Additonally, there were offshoot groups like the Gonads (Hec Garde, Dennis Manalo and a few others). Whether it was Blue Festin, Bong Banzon, or someone else, nobody knows for sure who conceived ASSOC, but its pretty obvious why it had to be ASSOC. Apparently, the 'actibista' names came about as it was during the snap elections and the EDSA revolution that the first batch was formally thinking of being more than just a barkada.

Kostka Ext. and the Evolution
Since there was neither a place to hang out nor a group to join, these freshmen banded together and formed their own big barkada. The original territory of ASSOC was the corner fronting the Cafeteria near the chapel. And the tambayan itself was the big, brown picnic bench that appears in the very first ASSOC shirt, the black one with the red lettering. At that time, there were two other tambayans in the area, namely, the SWS (Samahang Walang Syota), and those who eventually became the Admi kids (the benches between the registrar and cashiers at the Admi which were considered back then to be the tambayan of the sosyals). ASSOC could not occupy the present tambayan at Kostka because at that time, there was our "predecessor", the notorious SMA. Their tambayan was called KUROKS, derived from the word "kurokan" because the guys who hung out there were "barok".

Those who attended mass at the chapel and had classes in Gonzaga were annoyed and complained about the noise coming from ASSOC. So one morning, the boys arrived in school with their bench missing. Apparently, the seat of power was found near the Comm. Dept. where the janitors brought it upon orders from the Dean of Students. Undeterred, ASSOC hauled the bench back to the mainland. Of course, the plan didnt work out and the guys were told by the Admi to move out. While looking for a new headquarters, ASSOC temporarily set up right at the center of Quad under the big acacia tree, although that fell through as well due to caterpillar attacks and the rainy season. By about 1987, only the over staying folks of SMA were left. Since the numbers of KUROKS dwindled, ASSOC knew the SMA remnants and most of all, both barkadas were very akin, ASSOC took over the SMA tambayan at Kostka Ext., where it still resides.

Not much later, ASSOC earned a nasty reputation on campus as the successors of the dreaded SMA. Hence the forefathers started participating in school activities such as ORSEM, REGCOM, batch nights, etc. They also came up with fund raisers, particularly the Hang a Parol, selling valentine's chocolates, went on caroling and donated the proceeds to Boystown and the Dazers Foundation of Basil Valdez. Some even went on haranas, going to bat for their ASSOC comrades. From these projects the rest of the traditions were spawned, such as the September Storm, Octobeerfest, Christmas Party, BST, and all other gimmicks. Most of these activities were held at Al Ronos house in Monte Vista, Marikina, where some eventually became fixtures. Albeit it wasnt a conscious effort, most of the college organizations fell into the hands of ASSOC members, such as Babble and the Sanggunian. Notwithstanding, it is in Days with the Lord that ASSOC has been totally involved and immersed.

The year 1989 proved to be a significant one for ASSOC. Inevitably the founding batches (namely Bobby Chan, Hubert Guevara, Ed Martinez, Martin Angala, Dino Galura, Marlo Rustia, Paul Arellano, Jun Neri, Dentoy Bongolan, Edong Eulalia, Panx Medina, Ces Magno, Glenn Ignacio, JP Blanco, Jed Pantig, Butchie Silvosa, Gary Tulio, Rico Limpingco, Allan Agustin, Alan Almera, Froi Medina, Ricky Olivares, Ted Bernas, Omar Reyes, Jerrick Martinez, Gerry Sison, Raffy Veloso, Jon Vicente, Mike Dizon, Marco Franco, Bogs Asuncion, JJ Ignacio, Philip Coronel, Paul Santos, Ace Espanola, Raymond Santiago, Caloy Gatmaytan, Frankie Ortega, Jojo Baterna, Ato Jimenez, Joel Garma, Butch Ampil, Noel Dy, Joey Hizon, Uri Allado, etc.) graduated and the cudgels of ASSOC were passed on to the next generation (the batch of Mhel Garrido, Neil Bernardo & Bergus Padua that used to play pusoy everyday at the Caf before they signed up). It was also the same year when the unruliness exceeded on account that everybody sang the "Special K" ditty at ASSOC causing passers by, especially females, to go around. More or less, everything down to the present is a work in progress.

We hope that by gaining a sense of history, the present ASSOC would carry on the traditions, from decorating the college corridors with parols, playing the admin crowd to an american football game, raising our first flash cards when the girls would pass by the cement walk from the caf, to being at the UAAP games doing what we do best ... cheering and heckling.

(Contributed by Al Rono, Mhel Garrido, Bong Banzon, Ricky Olivares and Blue Festin)

What A-S-S-O-C really means
When people ask what ASSOC stands for we always say "Ateneo Social Services Organization for the Community", but originally we were the "Anti-Sosyal Society"--- there was a strong antagonism between the Admi Sosy People and the Guwapings of the campus (us). In any manner, the campus hunks have been Ateneos last line of defense against hostile frats and outsiders who had the guts barge into our school.