Speech Choir Competition

"And the true reward he's seeking is the glory of a smile", "And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for". So short but makes so much sense.

Well what can I say. After a big loss in the Speech Choir competition we can still beam up a bright smile like children on Santa's lap. We have done our very best and we will keep on doing so until we lay to rest. Dramatic much? Well it's true. When we graduate in the near future and be thrown out to the cruel realities of life, we would fight with all we have got, bearing not the APC standard but the standard that we have set for ourselves.

The only depressing thought about this is the fact that not everyone gave it their all and the majority paid for it. I don't want to snitch but I must call it as I see it, after all, if there's anything I have learned in the Academy is Honesty which is significantly essential to the Honor Code, again, I digress.

Some of my blockmates don't seem to be in the same level or degree of dedication to the performance as with the others. Some don't show up during practice, and when they do, they just sign the attendance and leave. What's worse is that there are those who stay the entire time during practice but don't participate at all. They even don't cooperate with the leaders and other members. These are the people that barely contribute to the presentation at all and even have the nerve to demand "participation" in the group for the sake of their grades which I doubt that even Buddha, Allah, or Christ can help them. They are like parasites. Latching on their host, they think of nothing else but themselves, their survival, without even stopping to think that when the host dies, they die alongside with it. When one person messes up, everyone's part of the picture. What turns my stomach the most is that these people can actually stand the idea that they are practically dragging the whole class down as they are nothing more but carcass, corpse, dead weight, decay. It's saddening that not even I, nor 3 other leaders can influence them to cooperate. It's sad that I left the academy thinking that the people there were savage, and here I am, forcing adolescents and young adults to listen as if they were infants of less evolved primates. INTEGRITY and RESPONSIBILITY, two simple words that don't necessarily require an individual to be a cadet to learn and incorporate.

At the end of the day, certain matters shall be dealt accordingly and improved in the future. As of now, we still stand proud that we have presented with complete  resolve in the face off an unbearable obstacle.

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall

Ah, it's been so long. A month has passed since I last blogged, or so I think. 

Anyway, I"M SO EXCITED to talk about this one... THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL!

Honestly, I don't know if my judgement is of any weight in value since I have never witnessed a musical play (Philippine literature such as Ibong Adarna, Florante at Laura, etc aside). This is the first time I have watched the Phantom of the Opera at all! But I must say it was superb! It was awesome, fantastic, amazing, and magnificent! It's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, and that ain't even a word, Mary Poppins! I was going to say "magical" but let's leave that to the kids and Disney, but I  digress.

Pardon me for not summarizing the story, it would definitely bore you and make this blog boring, and I do not want to contradict my excitement and kill the momentum so I'm just going to tell you how beautiful it is. Of course, I'm going to use my "professional" judgement as a Speaks member.

First, the actors. They did a splendid job. Their vocalization, their voice projection, their expressions of emotions, their gestures, everything was spot on. It is true that it takes a lot of time to rehearse this but it isn't as simple as being a movie actor. What they present on stage is pure, raw talent. There are no multiple takes nor are there any editing teams and soft wares to delete mistakes and add special audio and visual effects. What the stage actors present to the audience is nothing but days, weeks, months, and years of honed skill, dedication, and perseverance, and yes, the audience feels it.

Next would be the setting. The stage may be a big place, but it isn't big enough compared to a small room with green screen. Props have been made specially for each and every scene. Everything was handcrafted. Everything was made to be engraved with detail and precision, which overall makes the setting all the more realistic, but what really astounded me was the transitions. Ah yes, the transitions killed it. I noticed that whenever the scenes transitioned, the props where set in place as quick and as smooth. The stage lights would be cut for about three seconds then BOOM -another scene with another set of props are set on stage waiting for the actors' dialogues to commence. Ah, it was brilliant.

Lastly, the music. Jesus, take the wheel, the music was breathtaking. I didn't realize till the halfway through the play that the stage had a balcony or "second storey". It contained the orchestra. Dozens of musicians led by the orchestra master or whatever you call the awesome old dude with the stick blasted away the roof off the place with such mellow, smooth, fast-paced, thrilling, or whatever kind of music that accompanies the mood or theme of the scene! It was pure, raw music as well. There were no DJ's to mix recorded pieces, nor were there any editors as well that smoothed out "rough" parts. It was entirely MAGICAL. There, I said it, MAGICAL. It's just something beyond my belief that people can do this... people can actually combine and fuse together different forms of art and literature such as music, speech, and drama. It may be a pity that most people don't appreciate works of art like this one. Nonetheless, I am proud and honored to have witnessed such a beautiful piece, part, and parcel of heaven imparted to my life. So this is what the one percenters call "Theater". 

Media Literacy Seminar

The Media Literacy Seminar was held last Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015, at the APC auditorium. They discussed... well... Media literacy.  Well, just what is media literacy?

According to the Media Literacy Project, it means that it is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Media literate youth and adults are better able to understand the complex meessages we receive from television, radio, internet, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, videogames, music, and all other forms of media.

In other terms, one must be able to "read between the lines" when faced with a medium. One should be able to see and understand deeper, hidden, more complex messages that the author wants to communicate with his readers. One must not be hollow or narrow minded. "An open book, an open mind", as I would say. As objectively as possible, one should not only rely on what he sees in plain sight, he must check all the surroundings, scan the perimeter, and check out all possible angles to the issue at hand. These are the characteristics of a media literate individual.

Ah, the four most oftenly used media by people today. It is true that to be media literate, one must have good anlytical and critical thinking skills, but I feel it still lacks something. I believe that a true media literate is someone who not only has the skills, but also the responsibility.

As the New Age develops, almost everything we need and want rests in the palms of our hands. All the information in the world literally at our fingertips. But just how do we use the information we possess to do good or at the least, NOT do harm?

When you're on Facebook and Instagram, you don't have to post photos of your food, your outfit fot the day, or your stupid-ass face crying cause your boyfriend left you when he woke up from the nightmare he was in. You just don't simply lay information about yourself like that on the internet for everyone to see then feel bad if they bash you for it, and feel worse if nobody gives a shit. Same goes for you, you shouldn't be using Facebook as a tool for you to bully or offend someone. Cyber-bullying laws will eat you up, believe me.

Same goes for Twitter, in which I find no necessity to tweet about every single thing that you do day-in and day-out, 24/7, like some socialite robot. Though it was created to be a site where one can express themselves, it doesn't mean that you have to type your curses and cusses everytime you're mad at someone or something. That ain't no fckin' ranting machine! And when your building's on fire or a robbery is in progress, dial 911 not "tweet" or "publish". 

What we gained in technological advancements, we lost in human evolution. Yeah, that's my unpopular opinion, come see me if you got a problem with it.

We have lost humility everytime we post pictures of us at eating expensive food, drinking ridiculously priced coffee, and wearing clothes so foreign, they're from Mars. We do these things to achieve a certain level of self worth which we believe that the public would determine for us. With great anticipation, we would be waiting for likes, shares, and positive comments that we have been hoping for the moment we posted.

We have lost tolerance and respect. For every post made by one, another shall oppose. And not just any regular opposition, a lot of cussing and insults are included. We bash people for their opinions even if we are not offended by the difference of their perspective. We bash people because just like the first reason, we want attention. And we get this attention from those who are unpleased by the other person's opinion. You see? For the sake of a 20-second fame, we disrespect and hurt our neighbors just because they see things differently than us.

We have lost curiosity. This is the most crucial of all. We have lost the drive to find out the truth. Influenced by the New Age's technology, we have been spoonfed of all things we believe are "sufficient" to us. What the news channels report, we immediately believe. What we read in posts and tweets, we like, favorite, and share. In short, we commend those that share information no matter how incomplete or tampered it is simply because we couldn't find it in ourselves to look and find out for ourselves. Simple as that. We just simply take in and absorb everything that the media flashes in front of our eyes, hypnotizing us, manipulating us like we're some sort of puppets. We are made fools not by the media but by our lack of thirst for knowledge, thirst for the truth. We are simple "satisfied" with what is given us. And losing curiosity is tantamount to losing our humanity. Einstein would be so dissapointed at us right now.

Something to ponder on...

Plagiarism

Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work or borrowing someone's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense. 

In other words, plagiarism is an act of  fraud. It involves both stealing someone's work, then lying about it afterwards.

Now you might ask if words and ideas can really be stolen? Well, to begin with, the expression of original ideas are considered to be intellectual property and is protected by copyright laws just like original inventions, as long as it is recorded in a medium such as a book, recording, or whatsoever.

These are considered as acts of plagiarism:

> turning in someone else's work as your own

Ah yes, most of us have done this. Even as little kids, in elementary, even as we grow up in high school, we have done this somehow. When for example, you are due to submit an art project and you nothing about art. You ask your mother or your siblings to "help" you make it, then when judgement day comes along, you tell your teacher straight in the eye that you've done it yourself.

This may have also happened in our adolescence age where we reach the age of reason. We start to think clearer, smarter, wiser, but all the more coniving. When asked to submit a project, assignment, or paper, we bribe our colleagues with money and favor to do the work for us. But take note, even if you do pay someone for their labor and efforts, you are still committing plagiarism if you declare it as your own.

> copying words or ideas from someone without giving them credit.

This probably reflects to most teens nowadays. The rise of Tumblr. Good grief. Dramatic, emotional, insecure, socialitical teenagers would post random pictures and stamping them with a a barrage of quotes and "wisdom words" without crediting the author or owner of the quote. For the sake of social praise, people would just about do anything. *sigh*

> failure to put a quotation in quotation marks. 

Now this, unlike others, is mostly accidentally committed. Some may forget to put a quotation in quotation marks probably because they are rushing or cramming, the like. In other words, an honest mistake.

> giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation

Ah this! When you are unsure of the author or source of a quotation you have used, try to look it up on the internet. When worse comes to worst, just say "credits to the respective owner/author" instead of just blatantly using it and placing "anonymous".

>  changing the words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit

> copying so many ideas and words from your source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not

These last two are related. It doesn't matter if you do not copy the statement completely, word-by-word, but changing the words and retaining the entire meaning of the statement, changes nothing. You are still plagiarising the work and and euphemisms like "I'm just paraphrasing" won't help you either. It's like taking my G-Tech pen, rubbing off my name and throwing the lid full of bite marks won't make it any more yours than it is mine. At the end of the day, it still belongs to me, I still bought it,

So before you tap your keys or stroke your pen, remember to make sure that the words you use aren't somebody else's.

Sources:

My good friend Merriam W.

http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/what-is-plagiarism/

Parasyte

Parasyte is a Japanese literary work  that has many adaptations. Iwaaki Hitoshi's manga (Japanese comic) has made its way to becoming an anime (Japanese animations or "cartoons"), and into a live action film.

As you can guess from observing the photo above, the film Parasyte is about.... parasites...

The story revolves around Shinichi, a Japanese high school student living with his single mother, and the human host of Migi, the extra terrestrial parasite that resides in his right hand since it was not able to succeed to his brain and take control of the body from there. Later on as the story develops, this pair would not only be partners in survival, but also the best of friends, as two different ideals, and two different cultures collide.

Due to the Earth's unhealthy living conditions with garbage and pollution destroying the habitats and the environment everywhere, extra terrestrial life forms, or "parasites" descend from the sky in a mission to change the world by hosting to human beings and eradicating the race itself. Sleeping soundly in bed, literally soundly in bed as he listens to music, earphones plugged tightly in, a parasite failed to penetrate through Shinichi's ear and nose. As he woke up and got up to a wild panic, the parasite quickly leaped and burrowed itself into Shinichi's arm, making its way to his brain, their main destination. Acting swiftly and wisely, Shinichi tightly ties his arm with his earphones, making use of them as if they were a tourniquet to prevent the parasite to move up any further.

The following day, Shinichi would then discover the foreign body living in his arm. He would later realize that the alien was his hand itself! Creepy and trippy, right? Now, these parasites are quite intelligent. They have the ability to gather a lot of information with very short periods of time and in with this, the host and the parasite have been communicating with eachother ever since, exchanging information and knowledge essential not only to satisfying their curiosity, but also helping themselves to survive.

Why did I mention survive? Well again, the main objective of the parasites is to take over a human being's body and eradicate all human beings in the world, replacing them as the superior creature, or the "alpha dog". Migi, Shinichi's parasite residing in his right hand, also in ethymology, literally means "right hand" in Japanese, cannot kill Shinichi for he requires Shinichi's living cells and nutrients to survive. When it comes to survival, these parasites know what's best for them and just like every other creature, they are only interested in their own survival. Other parasites that they encounter find their pairing or tandem as a threat to their general objective, hence, everybody tries to kill poor Shinichi and Migi. 

But that's not the only thing that should be taken notice. As one of the parasites attempt to kill Shinichi and Migi, Shinichi lands a fatal blow to the parasite, leaving him bleeding on the floor and left him for dead, so as they thought. In a series of unfortunate events, Shinichi's mom happen to pass by and encounter the dying body and was killed by the parasite in the necessity of transfering to a new host. Being shell shocked, Shinichi was attacked by the parasite, almost killing him if Migi didn't go out his way to save him. Once fully recovered, Shinichi made a promise to himself to eradicate all parasites in existence, bringing forth an opposing party to the dominating force.

The anime Parasyte or Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu, has no major differences with the original plot and story sequence of both the manga and the live action film. Aside from some minor events and fillers, which are required to fill in with content a 24-minute episode of thirteen, the story outline, setting and character portrayals have been quite accurate. It may be more gorish and more detailed, but hey, I wouldn't want to see a 2-hour film filled with actual human blood and intestines scattered all over the pavement now, would I? 

Shinichi and Migi in the cover of the anime adaptation of Parasyte, Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu; "Parasyte: The Maxim"

There are many lessons and messages that the sotry wants its readers and viewers to grasp. One of them depicts the true love and maternal instinct of a mother. When fighting the parasite in the form of his mother, as Shinichi was about to be struck by a fatal blow, part of the mother's body was still there and defelcted the blow, saving him. This may also showcase the idea that no matter what you become, you will always be youself. Another is taking responsibility and having a sense of duty for the welfare of not only yourself, but of many as well. This was shown when Shinichi decided to hunt down every parasite and eliminate them.

If you have watched this excellent movie, you would know why is "happiness" spelled that way.

You see, it spelled with a "y" instead of an "i" because Chris Gardner once said that "happiness" is something that can never be achieved but will always be possible to pursue, and the pursuit of this is what makes life more interesting. I believe that it is true that absolute nirvana cannot be achieved, but "happiness" is such a vague and wide concept. It is something that is limited by perspective but unrestricted by reason. In your pursuit of happiness, one must know what his (own) happiness really is, the true meaning of it. Just like the title Parasyte. Parasite refers to an organism that utilizes a host and resides in it, benefiting from the host's cells and nutrients, while the hosts are harmed. It is commonly used nowadays to a connotative meaning, depicting free loaders or home bums. "We take and take, receive and receive, yet we do not give anything in return". With that simple statement, we can now ask ourselves or engage ourselves in the pursuit of the true defenition of a "parasite". In this context, between the human hosts and the extra terrestrials, which is real "parasite"? Just thinking out loud.

The Man Who Saved Me

What is a hero and how are they defined? What makes them different from everybody else? What is it that makes them distinctly and significantly apart from others? How is heroism attained?

Simple. Perspective.

A hero used to be people who have fought and died for a greater cause. It is someone who have saved the lives of many or the ideals of many. Then as time passed by, heroes became the ones who could fly, spew web, run fast, lift cars, and shoot laser beams from their eyes. A few more years came and heroes were seen as the ones who respond to a fire, or those that fly to foreign land to fight and die for their country's interests, or perhaps those that bring the "half- dead" back to life. Basically, a hero is someone who comes to your aid when in dire straights.

And like others, this is how I saw my heroes, until I realized that these people can't save me. I realized that my problems, my "enemies" are beyond their duty and ability. And then te panic hits.

As the son of a military officer, I have grown disciplined and regulated. I used to have a protocol of things and objectives. With this, I took the spot of batch top notcher from the 1st to 4th grade in Don Basco Technical Institute Makati (DBTI) till I transferred to Immaculate Heart of Mary College (IHMC) in which I was also awarded a few medals and got myself a couple of recognition. As a kid, I was always bullied for this. You see, there are 3 types of boys in DBTI when I used to be there: The bullies, the gays, and the normal kids, including the goal oriented ones. My bullies definitely didn't find me to their liking. I have no clue as to why they hate me to the core, but I am determined to continue my studies to honor my family. These kids then now take it to their fists to vent out all the rage, jealousy, envy, anger, and bitterness they have against me. I would be verbally bullied in class, regardless of the teacher's presence (since a trip to the principal's office isn't news to them), then they would wreck my projects and assignments, they would rip my papers, and they would sometimes hit me. I didn't tell my parents because I was so afraid back then. I was afraid that my parents would do ungodly things to my "friends". Believe me, I've seen my mom and dad pop a couple of nerves before, and it would make massacres look like fiestas. 

There was this one time where my bullies really crossed the line when they brought me to the restroom and swung a couple at me. As I hit the deck, they take my notebooks and drop them in the toilets, Once I got up, I went straight home and played my music. That's when I had an epiphany that have changed the course of my life and brought me up to what I am today. I realized that The Beatles, The Carpenters,Air Supply, Westlife, Backstreet Boys, and Richard Marx (yes, I'm an 80s and 90s kid) won't save me with all their love songs. I needed someone who understands me, someone who understands the struggles, someone I can relate to and he the same. And that's when I found him on the internet. My savior. My whigguh.

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, Slim Shady, Eminem. Why him of the million rappers out there, especially during the early 2000s? It's not because he was the 1st and only white one, but because he was different. He had a different reach among all the other rappers, this is what made a huge impact on me. He didn't rap about the hoods, the streets, gangs, killings, and what not. He rapped about his life, his struggles, his achievements, success, and downfall. He rapped about being bullied when he was a kid, his failed marriage, and the sad fact of losing everything you have once you prioritize something else other than family.Even to this day, he has never rapped about cars, women's behinds and bosoms, riches, fame, and cars. He has also never mentioned "the N-word" his whole career. This is what makes him different from other hip hop artists, and this is what makes him dynamic.

Everytime that I feel down low or angry as hell, I would always have something to come home to. I would go to my room and blast my speakers. When asked to stop, I put on my headphones, blaring. Every lyric, every word play, every line, and every rhyme, I study them, I absorb them, and they make a direct contact with my soul.

Why the obsession? I'm not obsessed. I see the man as my savior, my remedy, my therapy, my medicine. I revere him. As a military oriented family, what officer says, soldiers do. I am not allowed to complain or make any unnecessary statements. When something goes wrong, there is no such thing as "explaining" or "reasoning", there is just "his" perspective. That's when I ask Em for consultance. Once I put my headphones on, he makes me want to fight my problems, fight my fears. "Once more into the fray, to the darkest path I'll ever know. Live and fight another day, live and fight another day."

At the end of the day, heores aren't always historical figures, superhumans, people doing their job.

It will all come down to the value of their existence, and the value of their work to the alleviation of your problems.

The album that started it all.

SOM WEEK!

The day that all School of Management (SOM) students have been waiting for has finally arrived. 

Monday, the start of SoM week. This is the week where all students are given the chance to participate in various events such as games, sports, and pageants in the even that their professor is kind enough to permit them to do so. 

SoM week began on monday, October 25, at the parking lot of the school grounds. The parade was to officially start off the week. Hosted by Abigail Viray and Dhaile Osh of APC Speaks, and lead by the marching band of Sto. Nino Elementary School, SoM students began to march towards Magallanes and back. The walk was a bit tiring and the heat was problematic, but all negativities have been set aside for the sake of a merry moment. After all, it is the start of a "classless" week. 

A photo of Xavier Daroy and I as we march along Lapu-Lapu St. Adjacent is Mason Davis and his "sexy back".

On the third day of SoM week, I played badminton to represent Business Management and  Business Management Group (BMAG) respectively. My men's doubles partner was Carl Pagala of Accountacy 151. He's really good even for a player. I on the other hand, haven't played much of badminton, but proud to say that I have held my own. The most difficult part of the games were playing against Joshua Adato, an Airforce badminton player, and also a Speaks member. In the end of the day, Carl and I bagged a silver medal.

After the game, I went straight to MPH 1 to report to my duty as a Running Man facilitator. Running Man is a game organized by BMAG officers and members inspired by The Amazing Race that was held in almost all floors of the campus including Basement 3! It was indeed a tiring day but costs that amount to nothing as we have gained joy in our hearts and smiles on our faces.

BMAG members as Running Man facilitators from BM 151 gather for a photo after an exhausting day.

In the last day of SoM activities, a friday, it ended with the last, most awaited event of the week - Mr. and Ms. SoM. A couple of representatives from each of the courses have showcased their beauty which took form of different themes and styles. A lot of students watched as they supported their friends and blockmates who were participating in the pageant. 

A silhouette of a female contestant as she enters the stage.

At the end of the day and a successful celebration of  SoM week, and as the students went home, the joy, laughter, cheers, and memories that have been left behind filled the air of the autiorium and the gym till the next school week commences. 

The squad and I as we watched in amusement during the Mr. and Ms. SoM pageant.