18. Speech Choir

According to slideshare.com, speech choirs are performance groups that recite speeches in unison, often accompanied with elements of choreography and costuming to brig the speech to life. 

At Asia Pacific College, the speech choir competition had a Christmas theme and the speech that we had to recite was the poem, "At Christmas" by Edgar Albert Guest. I can confidently say that I can recite that poem from start to end with emotion.  

The Speech Choir competition for BM 151 was basically a flop. Negative I know but the truth. We tried our best with the limited time we had but it still wasn't enough to secure a placing. I was one of the four leaders and after the result, I felt like a complete failure. I felt like I let my fellow block mates down. The other three leaders where Peter Son, Benjamin Bajet and Katherine Camacho.

Firstly we were given the actual piece substantially late compared to the other blocks.  The 2nd half of the trimester seemed to have gone by extremely fast with a ton of work that just bombarded us. It was clear that we were not prepared when the performance happened. We only started practicing with about 2 weeks to go before the actual performance. We also didn't know much about how to deliver and exactly what we could and couldn't do. But I guess that was our job as the leaders 

  

BM 151 during our performance

Secondly, the practices leading up to the performances weren't exactly prudent. After my fellow leader, Peter, finalised the entire piece, we tried teaching our other classmates but somehow it didn't seem to sink in. Much like our performance in the cheer competition earlier in the term, it was difficult trying to control some of our classmates. It was this cheer and chants competition that inspired my 'What is takes to be a teacher?' blog post. There was a lot of absentees and misbehaving students, I felt like some people just didn't care. This prompted Peter to create a set of rules and guidelines to follow. The creation of these rules came from a good place but the execution was not successful to say the least. This created a lot of controversy within the English department. 

Lastly, being a leader was harder then I thought. You need to be organised, strong, have a presence that demanded attention, good public speaking skills and also having the ability to still have fun and bring out the best in everyone. Hopefully I get to improve on my skills especially with the dance competition for PE2 coming up. 

3rd Place went to AC151

2nd Place to MA 151

1st Place to TM151

17. Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary

Yay!! Another musical. I love musicals and anything 'artsy' if you haven't realized yet. From my previous post about dance, if you haven't noticed, I am into the arts. From dance to singing, film and visual art.

I recently watched Phantom of the Opera the 25th Anniversary thanks to the ever jubilant, Ms. Eliz Reyes. Thanks to her, I am now obsessed with it and must listen to the soundtrack while trying to imitate Sierra Boggess impressive interpretation of the Christine Daaè.

Phantom of the Opera is a musical created by the musical genius Andrew Lloyd Webber , which was adapted from the french novel, Le Fantôme le O'péra by Goston Leroux. The 25th Anniversary Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall was an adaptation of the original. It was screened live worldwide on the 2nd of October 2011and was watched by millions across the world. The production was a 3 day special to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the musical Phantom of the Opera. This daring yet special idea came about from the creator Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron McKintosh who wanted to do something very special that was also different from the 25th Anniversary of Les Miserables. Since all the tickets for the 3 day special sold out in just 5 hours, the demand was still very high, therefore inspiring the live streaming of the full show.

Like mentioned above I am now obsessed with Phantom of the Opera and I can't believe I didn't watch the show when it came to Manila. I heard about it but didn't think I would like it that much. Now after watching it on DVD, I am hooked!

Sierra Boggess is in my opinion the best Christine Daae ever. Her range was impeccable, her beauty was undeniable and her acting was stupendous. During my time obsessing over her, I also watched other actresses that portrayed Christine including the original Sarah Brightman but still no one has come close to her performance.

The grand finale was something very special in itself. All the cast from the original showing all come to stage, including the original Christine, Sarah Brightman and the original Phantom, Michael Crawford. The creator, Andrew Lloyd Webber was also there to introduce the creative team of the 25th Anniversary show, the original creative team  and lastly the original cast from both London and Broadway productions. Sarah Brightman sang "Phantom of the Opera" accompanied by 5 Phantoms that played that role over the 25 years. The 5 phantoms concluded the show singing "The Music of the Night" alongside the entire cast and crew. A truly memorable way to end the show.

Sitting there watching the show on blueray DVD gave me chills so I could only imagine how the atmosphere might have felt like watching it live.

16. Plagiarism

Plagiarism, something that affects us all and I have come to realize that its a big norm here in Asia Pacific College. The first time I saw it happen, I was shocked and amazed that the professors accepted the work of the student without checking the sources. I had come from a school where plagiarism was a very big no no and would lead to suspension and loosing of your diploma.

Before I dwell into plagiarism more, what is plagiarism? Well according to Merriam-webster dictionary, plagiarism is:

• the act of using another persons words or ideas without giving credit to that person: the act of plagiarizing something
• the act of copying the ideas or words of another person without giving credit to that person(s)

Plagiarism encompasses a wide range of actions by merely writing incorrect citations to the theft of someone else s work or ideas in their entirety. There are also two types of plagiarism, one that is deliberate and one that is unintentional. This classification can determine the impact of the offense of the perpetrator. 

Reason students plagiarize:

An article released by Middle Georgia State University outlined the reasons that students in colleges plagiarize. 

1. Writing and Research Skills
• Lack of research skills: College students do not know to how properly research using other forms of sources. This is especially seen in the inability to utilize the books in the library therefore instigating students to use online sources only to which plagiarizing is more prevalent.
• Problems evaluating internet sources: Many students do not know how to critically analyze and evaluate internet sources which then allows them to plagiarize sometimes unknowingly and/or intentionally
• Confusion between plagiarism and paraphrase: Students find it difficult in paraphrasing technical jargon to which they are not familiar with. This leads to plagiarism in their work. Just remember if ever you need to paraphrase something, you must cite the necessary source(s).
• Careless note taking:If careless note taking of direct quotes and phrases are done in the initial research of students work, this could lead to plagiarized work. As the students will find it difficult to distinguish between the quoted words or phrases and their own thoughts and ideas. It is important to have a proper note taking technique
• Confusion about how to properly cite sources: Always cite your sources where need be and stick to one format in a paper. Use either MLA or APA format when citing work and keep it parallel.
2. Misunderstanding Key Concepts
• Misconception of plagiarism: Plagiarism is not only the theft of someone else 'written work'; it is also the theft of another persons ideas whether spoken or written.
• Misconception of intellectual property, copyright and public domain: Students may find it hard to differentiate between what is public domain and can be used by all and what needs cited. I rule of thumb I always follow is that if you needed any form of the scope, then it must be cited.
• Misconception of common knowledge: Many students have the misconception that online sources are public domain and therefore do not need to be cited. However all sources must be cited. This leads to improper citation of online scholarly journals and articles.
3. External Factors
• Pressure from family, competition for scholarships ad jobs: Many families can easily relate to this as a major pressure to quickly get the work done in order to not disappoint ones family or school. When the work load gets too much sometimes, students under a lot of pressure have a greater tendency to plagiarize.
• Student ethics and relationships with the College: The relationship between college and student is important because it establishes the moral ethics and guidelines that influences a students daily decisions. A student may loose what the purpose of education is by aiming for a grade instead of aiming to learn. This culture instigates the act of plagiarism as students do not want to feel like they will get low grades
4. Internal Factors
• Poor time management and organizational skills: Students often have very poor time management and procrastinate their work. When the deadline draws closer, they opt to plagiarize work because of the restraint of time.

 Therefore it is important that we always be truthful in our work. Cite sources where need be and do not plagiarize. Plagiarism is a crime of intellectual property.

External Links

http://www.mga.edu/student-success-center/plagiarism/why.aspx

http://www.ithenticate.com/resources/6-consequences-of-plagiarism

15. Media Literary

On the 25th of November 2015, a seminar entitled "Media Literacy: Mobilizing the Millennials as Socially Responsible Prosumers". The seminar was held at the Asia Pacific College Auditorium. The seminar was an initiative brought by the Publications Office to promote media literacy in APC by particularly tapping the RAMpage editorial staff. The RAMpage is the official APC magazine published for all stakeholders in APC.

The objective of the seminar was to:

1. To develop sense of social responsibility among RAMpage editorial staff and APCians in general; and
2. To create a discourse on media literacy among APCians. 

There were 3 speakers invited to address the student body;

1. Edmallyne Remillano whose accreditation's include being the head writer for the State of Nation with Jessica Soho and the secretary; talents of GMA Network
2. Jan Maynard Nualla whose accreditation's include being the program producer for Global Conversations on CNN Philippines and affiliated with Talents Association of GMA Network and Society of Asian Journalist
3. Lian Nami Buan whose accrediatations include being the associate producer for segments on the State of Nation with Jessica Soho, Associate Editor for Subselfie.com and affiliated with Talents Association of GMA Network.

Ms. Lian focused her talk on the encouragement of writing. She talked about the basic steps needed in writing a story by breaking down each step. Showing the step by step process of writing a story was quite interesting. Personally I already knew the steps being taught because it had been taught to me already. However I found it interesting on her personal approach to writing stories. I especially liked the real life examples she stated. For example when she conducted interviews and reported on certain events, Ms. Lian mentioned that besides the pre-set questions, always have back-up questions based on the answers that you receive. It will allow for a better flowing interview. And also note taking is very important. Only jot down the important phrases that would enhance the news report when writing. 

Ms. Jan focused her talk on the influence of social media on news reporting and our impact as millennial in today's modern society. She mentioned quotes from her favorite author that tied in her message. Ms. Jan implied that we all have a voice that can be heard, that we all are news reporters in a way. She encouraged us to be more active in spreading news and important events. By utilizing our social media accounts we can become the voice of the impoverished, sick, dying etc. An important message she also emphasized on was that we should not be easily influence by things we read online and by social media. She stated the example of the recent terrorist bombing in Paris and on how Facebook users quickly changed the profile pictures and used the hash tag #prayforparis to show their support. However no-one showed support when women and children died in Syria in retaliation of the Paris attacks. The messaged that I retained from her speech was to 'think again, don't be influenced by one perspective'. 

Ms. Edmallyne was almost a culmination of both Ms. Jan and Ms. Lians speech. She talked about her experiences in writing and on how news reports in the Philippines is different from other countries. I liked her talk because she was very interactive with the students body. 

After all the speakers delivered their talks, their was a Q&A session. The questions and answers were usually very subjective in the manner.

The speakers of the seminar from right to left: Mason Davis(myself), Ms. Jan Maynard Nualla, Ms. Lian Nami Buan and Ms. Edmallyne Remillano

The only major criticism I had of the seminar was that the speakers predominantly spoke in Tagalog. I do understand that this is the Philippines and majority of the students are Filipino but still there was the few anomaly like myself that do not fully understand. This hindered in my complete understanding of the message being conveyed. 

14. Euphemism in Filipino Language

According to Merriem-Webster dictionary, euphemism is a mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is offensive or unpleasant. In laymans terms, 'it is beating around the bush'. Euphemism is a good language technique when in situations where causing too much of an offense to the person would not be good. For example instead of saying "you are fat", one could simply say "you look healthy, you eat well" or simply "big boned"

Living in the Philippines for about 5 years, I have come to realize that Filipinos have a great tendency to use Euphemism in their everyday conversation.And now that I am studying the Filipino language in Asia Pacific College, I have realized that it is very much evident in the use of the language.

Filipino virtue does not seem to depict one that is straight forward; and interpersonalism and frankness is not quite seen in the general concept and culture of the people. Filipinos are better known for their 'courteous insincerity'. Likewise the concern for not hurting the feelings of others is approached by the indirect ways and imprecise vague words.

Traditional Filipinos who practiced the courting ritual primarily used euphemism indirectly with the aid of metaphors. During the old times and much rural areas today, Filipino men would make harana (serenade) the women at night and sing song sof loive and affection. This is basically a Spanish influence. The man is usually accompanied by his close friends who provide moral support for the guy, apart from singing with him. Euphemism on sexual matters is however universal. For example, instead of saying, 'sex', one says 'making love'. But Filipino euphemisms, besides the sexual, abound because of diplomatic concern. Basically meaning having a stance that is somewhat neautral and fair to all.

Here are few examples of Filipino euphemisms used:

• Instead of saying someone has 'died'  ('namatay'), in the Filipino language, one says they 'went to the after life' (sumakabilang buhay)
• Substitute calling someone 'smelly' (mabaho) for 'smell off '~not necessarily good or bad~ (may amoy)
• Substitute calling someone 'ugly' (pangit) with 'not so pretty' (hindi kagandahan)
• Substitute saying someone is 'poor' (mahirap) with 'a little short' ~in terms of necessities~ (Kapos palad/ Salat sa bahay

External Links

http://www.phrasebase.com/archive/tagalog/82-courtship-in-philippine-culture.html

http://resources.iupsys.net/iupsys/index.php/iupsysresources/227-philippines-articles/7992-indigenization-of-psychology-in-the-philippines-2002

http://philippinestudies.net/ojs/index.php/ps/article/viewFile/1962/5012

13. Virgilio S. Almario

Virgilio S. Alma is better known as his pen name, Rio Alma, is an award winning poet and critic and also a outsatnding translator, editor, teacher and cultural manager.

Alma was born on March 4, 1944 and grew up in Camias, San Migueal de Mayumo, Bulacan in a rural subsistence farming community. From this humble begining, he co
mpleted his degree in A.B Political Science at the UNiversity of the Philippines.

His poet career started in the summer of 1963 where he succesfully started Filipino modernist movemnet in peotry alongside Rogelio Antonio Lamberto. In 1967, he came out with hus first collectio of poetry and peoplas and some Makinasyon. Ten more collections followed including bilingual selected peoms from 1968-1985. His poetry was then  published by the UP press in 1998 in a two volume collection titled My First Millenium.

Besides being a prolific writer and advocate for literature, he is also a devoted educator. Begining his teaching career at lagao Central Elementary  from 1969-1972. In 2003, he was appointed Dean of College of Arts and Letters at the University of the Philippines. He also provides workshops of Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA) which is an organization of peots who write in Filipino.

List of Notable Awards

Philippines National Artist
University if the Philiipines Centennial Award
Amado V. Hernandez Award
Balagtas Award for Poetry and Essay
Palanca Award for Poetry
Poet of the Year by the Commision the Filipino
Southeast Asia Write Award
Bulakeno Honor Award of Fold (1993)
Gawad Guide Arts (1992)


Poetry Collections 

Kung Bakit Kailangan Ang Himala
(University  of the Philippines Press, 2007)

Tatlong Pasyon Para sa Ating Panahon
(University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, 2007)








External Links
http://www.upd.edu.ph/~updinfo/octnovdec08/articles/almario.html
http://tagaloglang.com/Philippine-Literature/Filipino-Poets/virgilio-almario.html

12. Parasyte (Part 1)

I have never been into manga or anime or really anything to do with that sub-culture. Not that I have prejudice against the people who love it or anything, I just never found it interesting. So the idea of watching Parasyte wasn't too appealing to me at first.

After watching the movie, I have to admit, I am pretty impressed and could only imagine that the manga and anime are probably better and more in depth then the movie itself. 

Parasyte is a Japanese is a science fiction action horror film, perfect for the Halloween period I must add. The plot follows the life of a teenager, Shinichi, who's right hand has been infected by an alien named Migi. The aliens enter the humans through the ear canal in order to take control of their brain which then control their bodies. Migi fails at taking control of Shinichi so they both have accept the fact that without each other, they both will die. Eventually they learn to work together and kill other aliens that were after Migi and Shinichi, just like Mr. A. 

The storyline was quite interesting but also confusing at times. But I guess that would be natural for me because I have zero experience with manga and anime. I have to applaud the CGI and special effects that created these aliens. They surely did not have the same budget of big Hollywood film but they sure did an amazing job with the special effects. Simply proving a good point the 'less is more'. It wasn't too much but just enough. I'm sure the CGI gave justice to the writers and illustrators who created the 'parasyte' alien. I liked how every alien was different in the way there face opened to show a monster with sharp piercing teeth and multiple eyes. Truly disgusting and terrifying. 

For me the best part of the movie is the real world themes that they taught me. One that a love of a mother is undying and forever-lasting and secondly with the over-consumption and use of natural resources, humans are killing themselves slowly. This seemed like a re-occuring theme throughout. Especially at the end when the main 'boss' alien says that his mission was to kill off all humanity. Also this is seen when the female protagonists watched a scene of TV that showed the over consumption of natural resources. 

I would have never thought that manga's had important messages in it as well. The undying love of a mother was portrayed through Shinichi's mother, who was always there for her son. She loved him unconditionally and the loved was portrayed beautifully. Even when Shinichi got infected, he was obviously troubled and took the anger out on his mom, but she just let it go. When she got infected by Mr. A, another powerful alien, Shinichi was heart broken and broke down in front of her, telling her how much he loved her and how sorry he was. The ultimate test was the one of the last scenes where Shinichi was facing off Mr.A who was in his mothers body. Migi fell asleep and couldn't help him, so Shinichi was on his own. His mother though supposed to be dead, came through the infection and killed Mr. A, therefore killing herself. Shinichi praised his mother for saving his life. A truly touching way to end.

The last scene created great anticipation and suspense for part 2. It's going to be a war. Humans vs Aliens. Though my original sentiments assumed that I wasn't interested, I can now say I am looking forward to part 2.