An Overview of this School Year's Events

How are you doing guys? This is a post about my take of the events that happened this school year, and I chose these events based on my interests, be noted that it is about happenings about our school, so we can have a recap of what transpired to the majestic Perps society! Isn’t that just wonderful? You might also be wondering why it isn’t covering the whole year of 2013, or 2014, but rather this school year. The reason for that is because, as a student, reminiscing a school year rather than a plain, boring, raw year is much easier for me. In fact, you think the same way as I do, don’t you? So let’s get started then!

First Semester: June – October 2013

We’re off to a great start here; the first month of the school year’s calendar, and also my birth month, June! Plain awesome, so here are some things that happened this semester, from what I could remember:

School’s Foundation Week

Omigosh! The most eventful happening in our school, the foundation week! My memory may be a bit hazy, but I could recall the winners from this fabulous event. The Nursing department won the intramurals basketball championship, with Cayetano Pangan awarded as Most Valuable Player in the tourney. The young guns from the High School department won the Dance Contest, followed by the Mass Communication and Business Administration department, second and third, respectively. Prince Concepcion is hailed as winner of the Singing Contest, with Romelyn Garcia as a close second. Also, the Foundation Week isn’t the same without the much awaited Food Festival! Held by Filipino Subject students under Sir Riki, the 1^st place goes to the Radiologic Technologist department, while 2^nd place goes to the Mass Communication department. To cap off the Foundation week, there’s also the eagerly anticipated Quiz Bee! The Mass Communication department takes its place as Champion, composed of the brainy duo of Lester Mallari and Christine Brun.

Moving on..

Second Semester: November 2013 – March 2014

Time really flies by, doesn’t it? We’re off at the second quarter of this school year, and lots of things really did happen. I could ramble about how things are going so far until the semester ends, but that will transform this post into a journal! So let’s go ahead and highlight the events that happened later this school year.

Icons ’13-14

It’s been a long time since the last Mr. And Ms. PHCM pageant. It’s been a long wait, but it was well deserved. For an event as prestigious as this, no wonder many consider Icons ’13-14 as the biggest buzz by our school. A dazzling display, to say the least, I really cannot stress out how much big of an impact this pageant is to our school. Of course, we would like to thank our beloved school director, Ms. Rosalina Pangilinan for reviving the Perpetualite tradition as well as uplifting the school spirit.

Want to read more about this article? Scroll down to the next post to have an in-depth look to this rare event! Stay tuned for more updates!

-Ticktalk627

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Mr. and Ms. PHCM 2013 - 2014: A Writer's Perspective

It was just recently that our Mr. and Ms. PHCM 2014 commenced last Feb. 21, 2014. Definitely, it is one of the most awaited events in our school. 18 candidates from different courses compete for the prestigious title of being the most handsome and most beautiful persons in our school.  So what makes this event different from the last one held last 2011? Actually, there’s a lot of changes between the two, the biggest of which is the parties responsible for the event. The most recent event was organized by the student council, breaking the tradition of school officials being directly involved. The Mr. and Ms. PHCM 2013-2014 was spearheaded by Supreme Student Council (SSC) President  Giselle Millado. But the comparison between the two events doesn’t end there guys, it is also a first that the Mr. and Ms. PHCM event introduces the candidates as icons. Yes, that’s right, starting this year, the annual pageant of the school will now be called as "Icons"!

Well, about this blog, we shall put the spotlight on the people and things that are behind the scene. The reason for this is because it will provide you guys an in-depth look of how the event was done, instead of stating the obvious. Which, is lame. Moreover, not everybody knows what happens beneath the curtains, and this blog will also give credit to the people who worked backstage.The preparation for this event is no joke, because aside from our icons, the production staff spent a lot of time and effort in making the event as flawless as possible. Imagine all the training, rehearsals, and all the effort exerted to make the event successful and enjoyable for everybody. The pressure was overwhelming on the coronation night itself, the production staff came early to the venue, and everybody was busy with their respective tasks: the Director, Floor Director, Writers, Performers, Candidates, Hosts, and Technical and Production Assistants were giving their 100 percent. The staff was composed of members of the SSC, with the cooperation of some students of the Mass Communication department. Perhaps, not everyone knows that the staff is composed of newbies. Yes, it is the first time they handled this kind of project. This doesn’t come as a surprise, because most of them are freshmen. Seeing how these first year do their best despite their relative inexperience. It puts a smile on my face that these first year students aren’t afraid to learn, and I really just feel that there is a certain camaraderie even under pressure. To say it simply, they are professional, they do things right their first try. On a personal note, I could relate with the new guys, because it is the first time I was appointed with the position of a writer. I did not consider myself on the same level as our veteran writers, that’s why I took the task half-heartedly, but my desire to really test my skills, push my self to the limit won over me. There I was, wishfully thinking, with some divine intervention, be able to perform my task without mistakes.

Overall, the staff was pretty competent, and did their job right, yet despite these observation, and including critical thinking, there are a few chinks in the armor that I’ve noticed. Like the old saying goes, “Nobody is perfect”, I would like to point out some mistakes that could’ve been avoided. With all due respect to the SSC, there is a lack of preparation of the facilities to be used in the event. For example, the technical staff relied on one laptop, even though the minimum required would be three, one for the video effects, another for audio, and the last for reference. Certainly, it made the tasks difficult and tedious, since one laptop can only handle a few tasks at the same time. This could’ve been prevented if assignment of bringing spare laptops were done a day or two before the event. Another thing is that there’s no table for the writers, such a basic piece of furniture would’ve save the writers from the inconvenience writing on the floor. There’s not even a clean piece of cloth where we can write the spiels for the hosts. Basically, we were scrambling over the dusty floor while writing. What saddens me more is that there’s no snacks or water that were given to the much deprived, haggard, pressured and stressed out production staff. It’s kinda hard to focus on the task at hand if you’re working in such a poor condition. Now, the final nail in the coffin, is that the Mass Communication department was not given due credit for all their efforts and contribution to said event. From start to finish of the Mr. and Ms. PHCM Coronation Night, not one word was uttered to acknowledge our department, while the SSC’s contributions were mentioned numerous times during the event. Truly, it hurts my heart to see our department being brushed aside, since the event would not be successful or as successful without the help of the Mass Communication department. I think we should give credit to where it is due, don’t you think? Let us not forget to thank the respective people who contributed to the success of this event.

Just to close this post on a positive note, the saying goes true that: “All’s well that ends well”, and the event is a big success since everyone performed their tasks with great proficiency, staying calm and focused, despite all the pressure and stress they faced. BTW, in case you are wondering about the lack of pictures used in these blog, I do apologize since I was too occupied during the event, but feel free to enjoy the pictures that I’ve shamelessly copied from the FB page of Icons '13-14. Have a nice day! 

-Ticktalk627

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What's Life After School?

“What are you going to do after graduation?” that is the common and big question to the graduating students as graduation approaches. I have had this question asked to me countless times throughout the school year even though I won't be graduating this March. The more I get asked about it, the more I get pressured and realize that “ Yeah. What's life after school? ”

School is just a small world we just live in for a short span of years. Although the general perception is that after college, the journey has finally ended; but actually it is just the beginning of a long, memorable and challenging phase of our life known as adulthood. It is a new page of the book of life, which comprises the majority of it. 

Nowadays, the pressure can be overwhelming for people who are about to graduate, or who just graduated. It is one of the factors why we face issues like unemployment and job mismatch. The former is a very crippling issue that is very alarming, while the latter is much less serious, it is still very concerning. There are a lot of instances of job mismatch in our country, for example, nursing graduates seeking job opportunities from Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies, but looking at the bright side, it is quite a productive experience for them, as they may find their communication skills handy when they work abroad. Another example would be employees of fast food chains, but the bright side is that: it is still a working experience for them, which makes their resume much more impressive; if they decide to work there in the long run, that's just fine, at least they are still earning money! And that's a good thing.

After I graduate, my plan is to find job, of course. I'll be aiming for the stars: the media networks. It's totally fine with me if I start from the bottom, roles like production assistant or researcher will do, and it isn't by any means bad for a beginner. The good thing is that it is in line with my course, but in case I am unable to find my luck with the media networks, then I could settle for working abroad, with the help of my relatives to petition my papers to go there. Looking at the bright side, the money is still there, and I could use it as a stepping stone for a higher position. But enough of the rambling, let's move on to the specifics, shall we?

Well, I'm aiming to be a writer, or a producer , or host or if possible, be a DJ of the nation's hippest FM stations. I would also like to attend workshops or perhaps continue my studies to further hone my skills, all of which I'll be doing while having a part-time job. I will definitely have the time for both, since, unlike school, workshops are done by sessions.   

So, after "graduating" from the workshops, that's the time I consider myself to be prepared and trained for a writer position. The reason being writing as a hobby, and I believe I have a natural affinity for it. Who knows? After a few years, people may know the name of "Karen Libanan" as a prolific writer. There's no such thing as impossible for those who dream, and even though it will take a lot of time and effort to achieve my goals, I'll be giving my best because I believe all the hard work will be worth it. I won't stop until I make my dreams come true! 

And that's my plan after graduation.

-Ticktalk627

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The Voice of K! Issue # 1

Alright! How's it going everybody! It's finally here.. The voice of K! Where we discuss the most pressing issues of today, and dissect details and points and pros and cons and causes and effects of just about anything that crosses my mind! Well not actually anything, but I chose a few topics that would get anyone's interest. So let's get started with our TOPIC FOR THE MONTH!

ISSUE # 1

Death Penalty in the Philippines

The issue of Death Penalty here in the Philippines is a hotly debated topic here in the Philippines. To give some background to it, we used to have Death Penalty here in the Philippines, but it was abolished last June 2006. It's actually an "on-and-off" issue, since Death Penalty had been abolished before. (When the Marcos administration was overthrown, and the new Constitution abolished Death Penalty in 1987, making the Philippines the first Asian country to do so.) 

Just going over a bit of history of Death Penalty, it has been here since the times of Spanish Colonization, prominent deaths include the likes of Jose Rizal and the Gomburza.

A 1901 execution at the old Bilibid Prison

Fast forwarding to present time, we have jails packed of inmates, with crimes ranging from petty thievery to cold-blooded murder. Felons who commit the most serious crimes get either life imprisonment or forty years in prison.

The question for us is that, do these people who commit murder, rape, drug trafficking and other heinous crimes deserve to escape the clutches of Death Penalty?

In my opinion, they are offenders, and they must bear the full brunt of the law. Life imprisonment is not enough, but Death Penalty can give victims justice. Of course, it cannot bring loved ones back to life, or undo the damage done, but it will make the victims, and/or their loved ones feel better that the offender has been given the maximum punishment, and it gives deterrence for future crimes. 

However, people against the Death Penalty has a very good argument, that it may come at the cost of innocent lives. This is one fact I cannot dispute because there are some cases that are a miscarriage of justice, but I stand by my opinion, it is not enough to abolish Death Penalty. Unless moral drawbacks of an activity practice, which include the possible death of innocent lives that might be saved by it, the Death Penalty is warranted. 

There are also aspects of religion and society involved with Death Penalty. Regarding the first issue, all religions consider life as sacred, and desecration of life must be met with a punishment, even the bible has teachings about the capital punishment. "The murderer shall surely be put to death" (Numbers 35:16-18). Death Penalty also makes for a healthier society, since it will discourage people from committing a crime, as well as spare possible future victims' lives by deterring the murderers. 

Restoring Death Penalty is actually almost close to becoming a reality. Last January 2014, Senator Vicente Sotto III is pushing for the return of death penalty for two cases: drug trafficking and rape with murder. I am definitely in agreement with this, because I think this can curb the crime rate here in our country.

The success of restoring Death Penalty will entirely be dependent on our justice system. I have made some bold statements regarding my support of Death Penalty, because I do have trust for the system to improve. Like they've said: "Justice delayed is justice denied", Death Penalty won't be a factor in decreasing the crime rate or help victims feel better if our Justice system is indecisive or flawed.

Ultimately, I would just hope that whatever happens to our country, Death Penalty or No Death Penalty, JUSTICE will be observed in our country, because that is one thing every good citizen would agree to being a good thing. 

-Ticktalk627

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