The articles in this collection range from heartfelt reminiscences of daily encounters from the early days, to carefully crafted tales of youthful adventure and mischief, to personal accounts of historical campus events, and sentimental tributes to beloved community figures. All of these essays pierced together form a colorful tapestry of experiences that not only captures a pocket history of the University of the Philippines, but reflects the pioneering spirit and rich character of those who, literally, first broke ground in this campus and laid the foundations of what Narita Gonzalez sometimes refers to as a campus “community.”