MY COLLEGE YEARS WERE DEFINITELY sweet glory days. Despite my father's restrictions, I couldn't be put on a leash. The stage was my world - my oyster - although in the classroom I may have been more reserved than was expected of a stage enthusiast. My histrionic leanings did not include any tendency for rhetoric in the classroom. In fact, I had more classroom fright than stage fright. Most of my instructors seemed to like me, but there may have been some others put off by my ultra proper deportment, and my soignee dress sense. This was especially evident during my freshman year when I must have given the impression of being just another arty student, what with my permanently teased hair and modish clothes. Well, I didn't give them the satisfaction of their initial impression of me. I earned above-average grades, enough to put me on the list of honor students. However, due to technicality - losing residence when I left DWU to study communication arts at the Philippine Women's University in Manila for one semester before graduation - I forfeited the honors. I didn't make so much of that, but Dad was so dismayed at my nonchalance and negligence. He constantly harped on my failing to land a cum laude honor at least. But no matter, before I wrapped up college at DWU, I was bestowed the one honor that, to me, was my crowning glory; a title that was fittingly mine : Miss Liberal Arts.

The liberal arts department was known to have a monopoly of B-B   ( beauty and brains ) coeds, therefore, getting the Miss Liberal Arts title was no mean feat for me. It was, figuratively speaking, being chosen the gem of the first waters! How did the crown fall on my head? Who decided that it was mine? Even I myself hadn't expected it but my vanity would have made me sulk and sore at heart for days and weeks, if someone else had been given the title. That's just about how deep or shallow a woman's ego could be!

I was in my Philosophy class one morning when the office messenger came in and gave a note to our teacher who, at once announced, " Miss Ana Bella Libarios is wanted at the dean's office." Scouring my mind for a reason for the summons, I was apprehensive as I headed for the ground floor office of Rev. Fr. Hoeppner, the LA dean. Without much ado, the gentle SVD priest informed me that the faculty and himself had chosen me Miss Liberal Arts to represent our department in the forthcoming Miss Divine Word University quest. He explained that the decision was based on academic performance, personality, and moral reputation. He said that, although it was relatively easy to look into our grades, they needed more time for the other criteria since not all the instructors knew all the nominees up close. When I finally found my voice, I managed to ask who the other nominees were. Fr. Hoeppner couldn't memorize the names, but he said that he and the others had a good view of all the nominees at the valentine poetry reading presentation held a week back. So, they were in fact my little theatre comrades - Mabel, Susan, and Willeta. Any one of them could have been an equally worthy winner, but I was the lucky one!

Coming out of the dean's office that morning, I was treading on enchanted grounds. Conveying the news to my family was going to be an exciting task, I thought. Indeed, it was, as Dad listened with furrowed brows, anticipating the inevitable expenses no doubt; as Mother quietly showed her pride and pleasure; and as sisters barraged me with questions.

Well, I didn't go on to become Miss Divine Word University. The tilt, at this level, was arranged as a fund-raiser, hence it was now purely a money contest. The winner was Miss Commerce - Lee Chapman, or Baday as she was popularly known, who happened to be my sorority sister. A scintillating campus figure, and well-liked by both male and female students, Baday was a daughter of a prominent American businessman in the city. Her camp accounted for more than half of the cash put in by all four department muses, which included Miss Engineering and Miss Education as well. Incidentally, Miss Education was Efigenia "Fe" Nicolas, who had been my high school best friend and gangmate, and who, in college, belonged in another sorority. It was absolutely a major hit for the APO-AS, having merited two department beauty titles, with one emerging the university queen. For whatever it was worth, my title was enough to make me ecstatic, even if I didn't make it as Miss DWU. Miss Liberal Arts was, to me, the most appropriate title for one, who as a friend described me, was        " steep in the arts." How could anything be better than a wondrously fitting title for one who had such a many-splendored college life.