9 - A Celebration: SoM is the New SoAB

Last October 26-30, students and faculty from the School of Management (formerly School of Accountancy and Business) merge to celebrate the annual SoM Week.

Monday, October 26

While going to school, I thought of SoM week would be like. The event reminded me of how everyone in my previous school get excited when the third week of October come, which is also our Intramurals Week. When I entered APC, I was so amused with the vibe inside the school: the tarpaulin, the balloons and the people, talking as they are preparing for event.

Anyways, the event proper started at 9AM, where my previous school (Sto. Niño Catholic School) lead the parade with SNCS Drums & Lyre. I’m surprised that they were invited by APC to open this event. I thought that the last parade that I would be able join them was the Dayuhanon Festival last January, but with this event, memories from high school came back as if everything happened only yesterday. I missed (not really) being scorched under the sun while singing to the song played by the troupe, and I’m glad I experienced it again.

After an hour of parade from Lapu-lapu St. and going back to APC, my friends and I got to the school's parking lot and we were so tired. We came back in the school as if we’ve been through a war, though I still enjoyed the parade.

The program started with an opening prayer, and followed by the opening remarks of Ms. Victoria Nañagas, Executive Director of School of Management. She presented to everyone the new SoAB, which is the School of Management (SoM) that promotes unity among accounting and business students.

As the winner of  this year’s English Term 2 of cheers and chants competition, MA151 were given the chance to show their winning performance once again.

Asia Pacific College Dance Company (APCDC) also made the day wild through their spectacular and impressive moves that wowed the audience and make them want for more.

Last but not least, everyone became electrified as the Mr. and Ms. SoM 2015 participants walked for the pageant’s presentation of candidates. Every course supports their own representative, as each candidate show their poise and determination to bring home the crown. The parking lot was filled with a lot people screaming at the top of their lungs just to show their all out support for their own bets.

GO AC! GO AC! GO AC! GO GO GO GO!!!!!!!

…On the next days, I wasn’t able to join in other events because I decided to go home early.

Tuesday, October 27

As promised by Sir Nomer before the SoM Week arrived, that if we have a classmate needed to be out of the class due to the games, he will let us watch the game instead. Volleyball and basketball games for both men and women started this day. We watched the women’s volleyball game in the morning, and luckily, AC won over TM students.

Wednesday, October 28

I’m glad that Ms. Precy dismissed the class early after she gave a short activity on punctuations and capitalizations. Since I’m sleepy and tired (I don’t know why) back then, I decided to go home instead, and my mom was shocked that I went home that early.

Thursday, October 29

                On the 1^st subject, Sir Nomer gave us an activity, which is to finish the 2^nd and 3^rd body paragraph of our essay. The following subject, my classmates, together with Ms. Nina went to the auditorium to attend a seminar by P/Supt. Elbert Pagente about cyber security awareness. After the seminar (I went home), it was followed by a mass wherein the SoM faculty and students attended and offered  things such as canned goods, toiletries, notebooks, pens, and noodles for the people who were affected by the typhoon. It was succeeded by the Clash of Courses in the afternoon, where different courses from the students of SoM competed in different activities. Lastly, the SoM night (of course happened in the night) was enjoyed by some of our batchmates, since they were able to get a long and meet new friends in the same school.

Friday, October 30

The final day came: championship games. Every hardwork and sacrifice each student gave for this event was given a price when they were presented with their awards. In the evening, the title Mr. and Ms. SoM were crowned to Karylle Lapuz and Jennah Cruz from Marketing and Advertising. 

SoM Week was a blast! I hope that I will be able to join in other activities next year and I look forward for the upcoming College Week, hoping it will bring a lot of fun and new experiences.

8 - Trash the Ash

The number of young people today who smoke is constantly increasing. The problems that teenagers face nowadays were more likely to lead them to habitual vices like drinking alcohol or smoking. Some of them believed - incorrectly – that smoking will help reduce their stress and make them look like they can handle the problems instead of looking insecure. What they see in adults, also can affect as if they would become more mature by acquiring such habit. For females, a significant reason for them to smoke is the desire to look confident. According to a study, it shows that today, youth smoking rate is roughly 50% greater than the smoking rate of adults. This is very alarming, which is why our home, Asia Pacific College stands to solve this problem.

APC recently become concerned about the increasing number of young smokers among their students, that they have decided to strengthen the anti-smoking campaign. There are a lot of people who suffer from lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is why APC fortify the campaign to save many lives before it’s too late.

The question: Is everyone will have a positive response for the campaign? Will all of the youth smokers stop smoking? The answer: no. But for real, how could we have a solution for this problem? Let us first understand why it is hard for people to quit smoking.

When a person quit smoking, his or her emotions become different the way it is before. Even if they aren’t a type of person that is sensitive and emotional, the longing to smoke can make them turn into such person. They may find that it is tougher to stay in control, keeping their nerves calm and their temper low. For teenagers, some decides to avoid their parents, since thinking about their lack of love and guidance for them makes it worse. These are some of the feelings that youth is going in quitting smoking, which is why it is not that easy. Gratefully, there are methods to handle through these approaches and to handle one’s temper and anger.

The greatest treatment is avoidance. This is real for any illness, as well as taking away the symptoms of it. If you know what makes you mad, you can simply avoid it. After knowing what makes you angry the most, you must avoid what causes you to satisfy your desire to smoke. For many people, the cravings are caused by going back to places, individuals and memories from their past that have them smoking a lot. Once you start missing smoking, the tendency for you is to begin to feel uneasy, grumpy, and easily enraged. Effort to clear your mind is a step to simply handle the situation. This could include avoiding people and places that reminds you a lot in doing such things, but it will be an essential step to make changes to your life if you are going to take this seriously.

Lastly, seeking help to people makes everything better. Find someone you know who CAN HELP YOU A LOT. I tell you, talk to a family member or a friend who you trust the most, and they will never fail you. Ending certain vice, like smoking may not be easy, but through effort and help from others, one can successfully go through with it.

7 - Aliens on the Loose

Humans dominate the world: both nature and one another. No creature has done so much damage to our home, but sadly, this is just the start. As we see on the news today, some living organisms manipulate the environment, like for example; plants that are supposed to be harvested by the farmers are wasted because of bunch of pests that destroy it. But what if one day (hope not), these will become much worst like you’ve never think before? What if instead of chomping crops and other plants, these pets pests start seeking for human flesh? Or kill bodies to be in human form? Or somewhat rule the world?

Parasyte is an action horror film directed by Takashi Yamazaki, starring Shota Sometani, which features alien-like parasites that moved to the earth to take human hosts. The movie revolves on Shinichi Izumi, a student who lives with his mother in Tokyo. One night, a bunch of mysterious wormy alien-like creatures oddly land throughout Earth, and Shinichi was one of those who had been chosen to be a host. Going inside the head through the ear of their victims as they sleep, they eat their victims' brains and take over the bodies. But when Shinichi is selected by one of these beings, though, there's a minor problem. When he was lying in bed with his earphones on, one of these creatures is forced to find alternative opening into his head. The parasite went into Shinichi's palm and tried to reach his brain by going up his arm, but he held it using his other hand. In the end, the creature did not make it to get into his brain so instead of being able to control the parasite’s host, it can only control Shinichi's right arm and hand. Enforced by their common need, the creature (which Shinichi named) Migi (word for "right") promises Shinichi that he will protect him as long as he is with him.

As Shinichi copes to hide Migi from everyone, other parasites became more able to sense them. Sooner he finds himself as a target of madness of those who have effectively taken over the brains of their human hosts. Throughout the movie, both gradually come to know and understand each other as each tried to fight for their own goals.

There’s so much going on in the movie (and I admit I’m so fed up with all the emotions); one time you’ll laugh, the next you’ll find yourself sickening on violent killing spree, and sooner you’ll find yourself tearing up because of emotional incapacity of watching sad scenes like what happened in Shinichi and his mother in the near end of the film (please watch this film because I don't want to spoil too much on how epic this movie was!!!!!!). The film became progressively dark as the development followed; funny moments became lesser and more dreadful moments are presented.

If you want to watch a horror film and at the same time you want to follow a certain interesting plot (unlike any other horror films that doesn’t give importance to its plot and instead, give too much unnecessary jumpscares), 10/10 would recommend this for you!

6 - The Bizarre Vision of Reality

There are different types of theatres in accordance to the different types of genres that exist. One particular theatre is the Theatre of the Absurd, which shows an idea that does not keep an eye on an answer to a valid explanation. It takes the pointless idea and turns it into something interesting, which is why some people were left confused and tangled with boggling ideas in their mind after watching this type of play.

Last October 9-10, Asia Pacific College’s Teatré Phileo presented "Ang Tatay Mong Kalbo", which is an absurd play that emphasizes the silliness of human existence. In the play, words lost their capability to convey sense.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Santos

The story started with Mr. and Mrs. Santos in their living room, exchanging casual talks about their dinner, the news of the day and a family who all happened to share the name of Gin Santos. The ridiculousness in their words disturbed both of them.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Reyes

Hepe and Maria

The play sustained as the doorbell rings, and Mr. and Mrs. Reyes, arrived. Mr. Reyes thinks he used to know Mrs. Reyes before. But even after he believes he has proven that he and Mrs. Reyes are married and having the same child they were both telling, the Santos' maid reveals that Mr. Reyes has only piled up a surprising set of twists of fate. When both the couples met and talked, more senseless dialogues happened when they argue in many pointless things. The connection between Maria, Mr. and Mrs. Santos’ maid and Hepe succeeded the concluding chaos of random words into which the characters descend. The humor in the play resides primarily in the coated absurdity of the characters' verbal interactions. At the play's climax, a horrifying message is said as the characters gave another some of nonsense phrases. The play ended when the lights are on for Mr. and Mrs. Reyes, talking the same way Mr. and Mrs. Santos started the story.

All in all, the actors, as well as the technical team gave justice to the 'entertainment' factor a play must have. Even though I didn’t understand most parts of the play, I guess the message it conveys is the difference between man and woman in conversations. Women typically just want to be heard, men, on the other hand, usually offer a quick solution to what was being said. The clash between both sexes can never be denied because of both preferences and beliefs that existed even before.

5 - Overwrought Tale of Misfortunes

For the star-crossed lovers in the Hong Kong-Singaporean romantic film "Turn Left, Turn Right," timing is an enduring problem. It becomes one for the audience as well: Longing for a childhood friend, clearly destined for each other, but soon their twisting and silly road to find each other again suggests only impatience.

How to kill yourself with a HQ photo 101

Directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai, the film is not without flashes of charm amid its clichés, and leads the characters of Takeshi Kaneshiro as John Liu and Gigi Leung as Eve Choi long for each other appealingly. Their delayed pleasure plays out over the years, after Eve lost her bag that contains John’s phone number. The characters’ desire to meet each other since the day they met again, and got separated once more built an idea that defines love as the most powerful emotion that most of us will ever experience. Even if they are both sick and tired, they do their best to connect with each other again while troubles came in their way. 

In general, this was a cunning directed film with positive, amusing characters and is perfect for one who’s eyeing for a bittersweet love story. I learned a lot from the movie particularly that sometimes you have to take few risks to get what you want in life, and that no matter what happens, it is always possible that one day you will find what you are looking for. Happenings in one’s life are unexpected. Yet occasionally, all you need is faith – the bond John and Eve shared was exceptional and if anyone finds a love one like that in their lives, they are truly lucky. It suggests only that true love will always find a way to come back. I did look beyond to the heart of the story and found it really charming, thus, the plot really touched my heart and made me smile throughout watching the movie. The tones of the script and eventual ending are what make the film delightful.

Both are convinced

That a sudden surge of emotion bound them together

Beautiful is such a certainty

But uncertainty is more beautiful.

P.S. If you're looking for the movie, click play and thank me later.

4 - The Enemy in the Mirror

Let’s admit it, if we will go back in what we have learned during our previous history classes, we will consider Antonio Luna as one of the incomprehensible figures, as we haven’t know much about his story. However, in Jerrold Tarog’s Heneral Luna, starring John Arcilla, we saw that Luna played an important role towards our country's liberation through his challenges as the commander of the Philippine revolution during the American Occupation. The movie describes how Luna’s life, and how his constant fidelity and patriotism to the country become the reason of his own breakdown.

Heneral Luna is not only a work of art, but a gift to the nation in a different vital moment of its past. It touches one’s emotions and make one ponder, which are two important elements of a good movie. It revealed Luna’s role in the fight for freedom that cannot be ignored and the actual violence of war, the blood and sweat of Filipinos who brawled for freedom. Until the end, Luna displayed exceptional courage in front of his enemies, which brought important message to very one of us: to face our demons boldly. This idea opened my mind to what is the reality we are living in, that even before, our greatest enemy is ourselves. Take as an example of people blaming the government for everything miserable happening to the society, but can’t even make simple changes to themselves. How ironic right? Even until now, our nation is filled with people pulling each other down, just to prove something, instead of seeing the brighter side of an idea that will surely benefit others the most.

If you’ve already watched the film, and you come out of thinking what has happened to humanity, I believe that it is a part of a bigger picture. It may even be losing the greater point, that our history is occupied of teachings about ourselves; lessons, that apparently, we have yet to apply, lessons that we reject. The glitches that were present in our society back then are the same ones that we are still facing now. The time has changed; the wounds have not.

“Progress is impossible without change, 
and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

- George Bernard Shaw

Nevertheless, the film made me feel more proud to be a Filipino, like most historical films do. We need more 'eye-opening' movies like this. Other than the film itself, we need to rethink and wake up, and stand for our nation before future will leave us with nothing but ourselves.

3 - My Daily Doses of Heartaches

Yes, you read it right. Heartaches. I’m so used to them. Almost every day, I get to experience heartaches; at least not just in the aspect of love. It feels like my daily life will never be the same if I do not feel some sort of it.

My definition of heartache is to a certain degree near to disappointment. Yes, I always disappoint myself. Disappointments are one of the things that I cannot live without, like a person having maintenance medicine for the rest of his life. Every time I am disappointed, I am stunned by the emotions. A day without disappointments is beyond in my wildest dreams. I mean, who doesn’t want to live in a world without disappointments? Who doesn’t want to make everything perfect by the snap of one’s finger? I wish I didn’t have to make mistakes before learning from them.

I remember when I was a kid (and even up at this present time); I have been so used to imperfection, that even in my everyday life, I loathe it. I will never deny that at some points, I want to be better, but half of me dislike perfection because this means people will talk about you and when they do, it is more likely something against you. I never really like it when people talk about me. I like attention, but the mere fact that people talk about me for any kind of reason it is, it upsets me, makes me lose my mind and my motivation.

Though it gives me miserable feeling, I suddenly started accepting it. The feeling of heartaches (disappointments) is so astonishing; it makes me think over and over again. I like overthinking thinking a lot even though my head gets so drained and painful after all. The pain given by heartaches is too beautiful to be described but in a nutshell, these heartaches make me feel that I can always be a better person; that every downfall I’ve been through leads to something big in the future. These heartaches remind me that I can always develop what I’ve already started and that there is always a room for improvement in every mistake I commit.

I just like the feeling but I never like it when I am the one who tears the hearts of others. That is a very different thing, okay? I just like it when I am the one who feels it and not others.