The end of a school year always seeks to contrast itself—goodbyes are made to the outgoing, but greetings are just waiting to happen. If you have been accustomed to a certain face, signature look, or unforgettable profile in campus and are just not ready to bid farewell—don’t fret.
These four personalities might have slipped past public scrutiny the past year, but come June, their sheer talent might not be able to escape the limelight so easily.
Ashley Gosiengfiao: The next big internet celebrity
There is no denying that in this digital age, the fastest way to be distinguished from a sea of six billion would be to go viral. While these Internet celebrities are usually known for only just one thing—that guy from DeviantArt with an artist’s eye or that girl from Lookbook with a knack for clothes—a starlet deems to break through the norm.
Ashley Gosiengfiao is not too unknown a name. Back in 2003, she and her older sister Alodia placed third in a cosplay contest and were on the cover of Culture Crash Magazine. Ashley is also the lead in Hymn of Siren, an all-girl rock band.
“I was born with [an] ear [for music],” she says. But the model-musician is pursuing a fresh track: photography. Her work isn’t amateur—models have commissioned Ashley to take photos for their portfolio and politicians have asked her to do shots for their campaign ads. “I like taking portraits, people like my sister, and cosplay shoots.”
What is different about Ashley’s photos is her expressive style. “I want [my photos] to have emotion,” she says. Her photos are effortlessly whimsical, as she has the knack for making the photo’s sentiment become more palpable a casual browser.
Ashley’s quiet demeanor might have masked her celebrity status, but her penchant for conveying emotion would beg to differ. Her personal style is testament to this. Today she would wear a t-shirt and a pair of Chucks; tomorrow she would show up in boots, miniskirt, and leggings—homage to her love of Asian fashion.
The incoming BFA ID senior is on the fast-track to becoming the Internet’s latest addition to the pool of “cewebrities,” but don’t expect fame to get to her head. Her ventures into different aspects of culture—music, modeling, and photography—already give Ashley a leg up from the other hopefuls out there.
True to form, she says, “I just go with the flow.”
Klieg Lights: The next big hit band
From Blondie, Janis Joplin, to the Indigo Girls—there is always something decidedly subversive about bands with female leads. Klieg Lights, with vocalist Len Calvo, is no exception.
“It was just a hobby. We didn’t even expect to be playing music at this point in our lives,” she says.
Their debut album, Pikit, under Roller Toaster Records, is equal parts anthemic U2 arena rock, atmospheric Bat for Lashes, and densely melodic Up Dharma Down minor chord progressions.
The album is epic in every sense of the word (“Pikit” is 7:28 minutes!) and being so, it’s one that requires patience. From the break-up track “Oras Mo Na,” to the shimmering “Kriminal,” Kokoy Amante and Mikko Quizon’s guitars swell against Len’s glowing synth leads, each song a labyrinth of atmospheric build-ups and triumphant climaxes.
The album’s centerpiece “Sa Huli,” which cries, “‘Di ka sinisisi ng mundo,” inspired by a bad break-up experienced by Len’s sister, had been a huge hit—especially to people who have had their own share of failed relationships.
“It’s for anyone who’s experienced loss,” says Len. “The song is basically addressed to the person who feels that she’s burdened by the world.”
It’s evocative, emotional and heartbreakingly gorgeous music, sure, but more importantly, it’s music everyone can relate to.
To survive with a female lead, a band usually has to be naturally badass or irresistibly dangerous (the good kind, of course). Klieg Lights, meanwhile, get by with simply sounding supersonic.
Stephie Sy: The next big host
Rising above the cacophony of excited chattering, hyper-ized dancing, and that inimitable first-day-of-school buzz, the voice of the Orientation Seminar (OrSem) host greets the incoming freshie. It’s a position that requires presence, charisma, and a natural flair for performing. After all, who else can pull off the Banana Dance and the Pacific Ring of Fire?
Stephie Sy wowed her audience in each hosting event, with the ever-present smile, youthful energy, and onstage experience. “I really started [hosting] in high school,” she says. “I was into performing arts.”
Her start in the hosting gig came when she won a contest to host a variety show in the Immaculate Concepcion Academy. This experience led to her trying out for OrSem host this year, which she likens to an adrenaline rush.
“Every crowd is different, so you don’t really know what’s going to happen. You need to find what the crowd likes,” Stephie says. “That nervous feeling then goes away, and you begin really enjoy it.”
Aside from hosting OrSem 2009—with a big possibility of an encore next year—she wants to broaden her horizons, expand her hosting career outside the university and makesure that she doesn’t let go of her love for performing arts. A very active member of Tanghalang Ateneo, she has appeared in productions TALAB and Metamorphoses, as well as in the dance show Rhythm in Blue.
So next year, watch out for the pretty face behind the voice reverberating through the Covered Courts. You might just find yourself looking at the face of the next muse of the theater and the stage.
