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On December 11, the University of the Philippines' Office of Public Affairs decided to celebrate the holiday season by launching a star-studded video of UP alumni lending solidarity to their alma mater by doing one simple thing: reciting their student numbers.

 

 

"Do you still remember your student number? Have you memorized it so well that merely reciting it brings back memories of UP? What else reminds you of the University? What else are to you #TatakUP?" the UP said in a Google+ post.

 

And it's certainly no surprise that these celebrity alumni remember their student numbers many years, even decades, after they graduated.

 

Essentially little more than a serial number assigned to all incoming freshmen, the humble student number is the first palpable confirmation of one's acceptance into the institution's august halls.

 

There's something of a clandestine mysteriousness to one's student number: one never really knows where it came from, or how it was arrived at. It's also a test of age of sorts, since the first few digits reveal the year you entered university.

 

But the humble student number is used for everything from enrollment to tracking grades—so it stays with you for the duration of your student life, and beyond.

 

And so, for most, it's more than just a number—it's a badge of honor and nostalgia. — GMA News