The Ridge - February 2015 by Jimmy Hilario

TITLE: PINAG-ISA... NAGKAKAISA...ISA ARTISTS: Jose Leechiu, Antonio Lorenzo, Pocholo Ramento, Miguel de Leon, Diego Lopa, Joaquin Pizarro, Lyle Surtida, Ethan Estrella, Lorenz Rigodon, Ricky Garcia, Ronald Remudo SIZE: 6 x 4.75 ft

3 Campus News 8 Features 12 News 14 Entertainment 15 Reviews

PLAUTUS XV

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The Ridge We, the editors and staff of The Ridge, commit ourselves to the highest level of professional journalistic ethics. We promote among our fellow students a love for noble ideals and a desire to overcome personal egoism. We foster an awareness of social problems and encourage fraternity in keeping with the school’s family spirit. We love the truth thus we report with facts, without judging intentions, upholding the legitimate diversity of opinions in a calm way, without resorting to personal attacks. We seek the truth, love it, and humbly tell it.

Ro i r d i

Matthew Mendiola

Viriliter Agite

Editor-in-Chief Matthew Mendiola Feature and News Editor Jaime Tabuena Contributors Paolo Manalastas Matthew Banaag Vinnie Tan Gana Diego Pinga Gab de Lange Luis Bala Jaime Tabuena Javi Vilchez Jamie Algarra Gat Calingin Diego Ipapo Fonso Garcia Jake Consing Javi Escasa Peppi Escasa Kyle Ting Ian Pantaleon Photographers Jason Parado Nick Cruz Paolo Navarro Ed Valmorida Moderator Benjie Torralba Design & Printing Inkwell Publishing Co., Inc. ISSN 0118-0452 The Ridge is the official student publication of Southridge. It is published with the assistance of the school’s Institutional Information Office. The opinions expressed herein are the views of the respective authors. They cannot be taken as the position of Southridge as such.

SOUTHRIDGE Private School for Boys Hillsborough Subdivision, West Service Road City of Muntinlupa, Metro Manila Telephone 842-0506 to 07, 807-7719 to 21 Fax 842-1542

What does it take to be a man? This is a question every Southridge

passive statement. It calls each and every one of us to create something good with the skills and talents student must be able to answer. Our school’s we have. The motto Viriliter Agite is closely intertwined motto, Viriliter Agite, roughly translated as “Be a man”, is so simple and straightforward, but with St. Josemaría Escrivá’s Opus Dei teachings. In to truly understand it, one must first come to the first meditation point of The Way, St. Josemaría know what Southridge’s expectations are from exhorts the reader: “Don’t let your life be sterile. Be her students. Southridge envisions that her useful. Blaze a trail. Shine forth with the light of your faith and of your love. With students will become “men your apostolic life, without of integrity” who strive to I believe that one must the slimy and filthy mark be pious, have a sporting live the virtues to be left by the impure sowers spirit, hone themselves in qualified as an ideal of hatred. And light up all the sciences and the arts, and Southridge gentleman. the ways of the earth with are equipped with leadership Viriliter Agite requires the fire of Christ that you and interpersonal skills. The more than just virtue; it carry in your hearts.” Don’t Southridge gentleman serves also requires sincerity. let your life be sterile. These others, especially the needy, Anyone can do good words reflect the very core of and his zest for learning deeds, but one’s Southridge’s vision for her and virtue is rooted in his disposition and reason students. Shine forth with love for God and sense of for doing good deeds the light of your faith and of responsibility for the gifts must come into the your love. Again, sincerity he has received. Based on picture before one can determines the validity of Southridge’s expectations, say that he has truly our actions. We have to serve one can summarize Viriliter done something good. others and make the best of Agite in one word – virtue. our lives because of love. It If being a man means having virtue, can one say that practicing the virtues is is only through love that Viriliter Agite becomes a enough to qualify one as an ideal Southridge meaningful motto. Southridge celebrates her 35th anniversary. gentleman? The answer – no. I believe that one must live the virtues to be qualified as an ideal This may just be the perfect time for us to reflect on Southridge gentleman. Viriliter Agite requires everything we have done throughout our stay here. more than just virtue; it also requires sincerity. Have we truly lived up to the school’s motto both Anyone can do good deeds, but one’s disposition in action and intent? How can we still continue and reason for doing good deeds must come into to improve? As St. Josemaría Escrivá once said, the picture before one can say that he has truly “Sanctifying one’s work is no fantastic dream, but the done something good. Knowledge of our actions mission of every Christian – yours and mine.” What must always act simultaneously with our will. we do can become a worthy offering to God if only we This, after all, is what separates human acts from truly mean it. It is our mission to be true Southridge passive acts. Viriliter Agite, “to be a man”, is no gentlemen, and more importantly, sons of God.

campus news

Matthew Banaag and Paolo Manalastas

From Zero to Now Photos by Jason Parado

Last July 11, 2014, Southridge launched its 35th Anniversary Exhibit in the Basement Cafeteria. The Exhibit served not only as a walk down memory lane, but also as a window into the past achievements of Southridge. Some highlights of the Exhibit include the history of Plautus, previous issues of the Ridge, compilations of our M.O.S.T. contenders, and a large painting representing all those years Southridge has spent molding her students into men of integrity. Students and teachers alike worked hard to finish this brilliant showcase of Southridge pride. Selected members of the Grade School and High School student body were chosen to create the mural that served as the centerpiece of the exhibit. In one lively play of colors, the mural successfully reflected the entire story and vision of Southridge. The exhibit was truly the product of talent and hard work. Teachers and members of the Southridge staff even stayed overnight to make sure that the exhibit was fitting of the rich legacy Southridge has left for over three decades. 35th anniversary tarpaulins and banners were displayed around the campus to create an atmosphere of celebration and festivity in the school. Looking around the campus during the anniversary launch truly filled one with pride for the Alma Mater, as one gets to see how far Southridge has come. Thirty five years ago, Southridge had very few facilities – one two-storey building, empty fields of cogon grass, no sports facilities, and just a few hundred students. Yet, despite all the odds, Southridge held their first day of classes on July 16, 1979 and from that day on, it has never stopped forming men of integrity.

Running The “Color The Admirals Run” Vinnie Tan Gana

The Southridge Run held last December 14, 2014 was paved with many odds that we had to beat. I was appointed as the Event Head Coordinator by Dr. Lyndon Cosico, and as he briefed Hezi Rance (Marshal Head), Fonso Garcia (Logistics Head), and me on the tasks we had to fulfill, the thought of failing overwhelmed me. Despite my lack of faith in myself, my faith in my batchmates and fellow council members never wavered. The Admirals’ run was a project that we all pulled off together. Many of us had to go through sleepless nights and restless days of work to make the run possible. We were also lucky to be under the watchful care of our Southridge teachers. Mr. Arevalo, for instance, helped us come up with many ideas to help speed up the process of earning money. Mr. Valmorida, our Council Moderator, guided us every step of the way. Despite the hardships and misunderstandings we faced at times, we were able to pull it off as a batch… And so, we had the Color the Admirals Run! The night before the Admirals Run found everyone busy working – the council, committees, and the batch as a whole. We all sweat it out to make the run a success! In the wee hours of the morning, the entire batch was alive and kicking, making final preparations for the run, gathering the sacks of colored powder, checking the lights and sound systems, and marking all the marshall stations and checkpoints. When it was finally time for the run, I was so overjoyed

seeing the participants happy. Watching the runners made all the hard work worth it. This run couldn’t have been made possible without the joint collaboration of the parents, teachers, and students. We are eternally grateful to our teachers who stood by us, to our parents for always encouraging us, to Mr. Sandejas for helping the Council with logistic issues, to Mrs. Arceo in guiding the council, especially in times when the progress we made was slow, and to, most of all, the man who never gave up on us, Dr. Lyndon Cosico, our Run Coordinator who, despite the abundant number of things that we lacked and failed in, stood by us and continued working day and night to push for the success of the Admirals Run with the aid of his family. This Run was made possible by all of our efforts. It was not simply by the meager bonds of friendship and the responsibility entailed by both position and necessity. This run was made possible through the efforts of the Southridge community, a batch that, despite not being united at times, strived towards that unity. A unity in giving out our best in our own talents. Lastly, this Run was made possible through all of us coming together as a family. The ability for us to come together is the center of what makes a Southridge Admiral, as it is what made the admiral run. (More photos on page 16)

Photos by Paolo Navarro and Ed Valmorida

campus news

BREAKING GROUND By Diego Pinga PITCH TURFECT – On March 20, 2015, Southridge will have a grand raffle to upgrade its football and baseball fields. With a target of 28 million pesos, this ambitious fundraiser aims to renovate the current football field into a world-class artificial turf field (similar to the Rizal Memorial Football Field) and to build a separate state-of-the-art baseball field within the school. “Pitch Turfect” aims to augment the athletic skills of the students and to teach them the value and importance of sports. Tickets priced at 1,000 pesos each have been given to every student to sell. To inspire students to sell tickets, the event organizers have offered incentives depending on how many tickets a student sells. If a student sells five or more tickets, he becomes entitled to a raffle for an iPhone 6. If a student sells ten raffle tickets, he will get a chance to enter the raffle. The grand incentive, however, would be a trip to Europe for a UEFA Champions League game or, if the student wishes, a trip to the USA for an MLB game! The raffle prizes are grand as well. By purchasing the tickets, buyers will not only help the school, but will also get a chance to win great consolation prizes or the highly anticipated grand prizes – a Toyota Camry, Toyota Altis, Toyota Vios, and Audi A1. These will be raffled off, and all the proceeds from the fundraiser will be used for both fields.

T h i s undertaking was made possible through the collaboration of dedicated students and parents. Although it took the school some convincing to consider such a project, the board finally agreed because of what the school’s athletic program achieved and what it could achieve with the new fields. Over the years, Southridge has constantly been a formidable force in both baseball and football. Winning championships annually in various age groups really stuffed the trophy cabinet! “Pitch Turfect” aims to develop the school’s training facilities to produce even more successful young talents – not only to play professionally, but also to help the students receive scholarships in top universities locally, and maybe even internationally. Right now, Southridge has quite a number of High School seniors playing professionally in football. Rocky Plaza, 17, already made his debut for the first team for Kaya FC, a first division professional football club. With a great education, experienced staff, and advantageous facilities, the school will have everything it needs to equip its students to be the best they possibly can be.

The Southridge Vocal Ensemble By Gab de Lange

Performing in Student Assemblies, first Friday Masses, and Morning assemblies are not all that the Southridge Vocal Ensemble (SVE) has been up to this year. In the past year, the SVE has represented and given pride to Southridge in several contests and activities. It seems the rigorous practice and heart SVE has shown this school year truly paid off. Last September, the SVE ranked 12th out of the 21 schools that joined the annual choir competition “Voices in Harmony” in Merriam College. This was a major improvement from last school year’s performance where the SVE ranked 19th. The choir had a great time in Voices in Harmony, and it was really cool to see fellow classmates, parents, and teachers cheering us on from the audience. In the annual “Musikapella” competition held in PICC last November, the SVE competed against 11 other choral groups and ranked 4th place, even winning the award for “Best Choreography”– another major improvement compared to the previous year’s performance. December found the choir in Enchanted Kingdom, where we spent the afternoon performing Christmas songs and competition pieces (of course, we spent the rest of the day in the EK rides and attractions!). Spreading the Christmas cheer did not stop there. Later in December, the group made a day trip to St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City, where we sang a dozen carols for the patients and their families. It was a great experience, being able to give joy through the gift of music. The SVE was also busy in school as well. In the same month, the Admirals Business Club held their second “Fusion” concert, where the SVE and AME (Admiral’s Music Ensemble), performed pieces in the auditorium for parents and students who came to watch. Overall it was a very successful school year for the Southridge Vocal Ensemble, and from here it looks like things are only going to get better. Following our motto “We don’t stop when we’re tired, we stop when the job is done”, we know that the SVE will continue to get the job done in the future.

campus news

PLAUTUS XV By Luis Bala

corresponding virtues to further juice the originality of the plays. Despite the crippling time constraints, Southridge’s “world tour” across eight different regions delivered. III-A’s “Fratres” exposed the audience to the raw history of war-torn Berlin. III-B’s “Avo” submerged parents and teachers alike in tropical Rio. Want a tour around the daunting mines of South Africa? III-C’s “Checkmate” – which won Breakthrough – is probably the play for you. IV-A’s “Terminal” took everyone on a treasure hunt to Zimbabwe, Mexico City, and Paris. IVB’s “Estranged” stunned everyone with a cryptic thriller in East Asia. IV-C’s “Spotlight” immersed the audience in the engrossing theatre life of New York. V-A’s “After Forty” took a sideways trip to Southeast Asia in a captivating suspense story, while V-B’s “Realta” enthralled the crowd deep in Italy, within the blurring lines of family and mafia. All eight productions

were executed in flying colors, but in the end, IVB’s “Estranged” took home the gold as Play of the Season, alongside two other major accolades – Best Script and Best Actor. To honour the season’s three most charismatic productions, those re-staging in February include this year’s Play of the Season, this year’s Breakthrough Play, and this year’s Best Direction (belonging to Realta). Season XV was filled with stories steeped in history and family, in friend and enemy, in love and hate, and in pain and sacrifice. To say this year was Plautus’s Golden Year, as seen in the roster of such fantastical productions, is very much an understatement.

Photo by Matthew Mendiola

Plautus Season XV marked its 15th Anniversary, coinciding nicely with Southridge’s acclaimed 35th Year. Perhaps the underlying difference between this year and the previous fourteen was the gargantuan expectation coming not only from the teachers, but from Southridge alumni and high-ranking PAREF officers alike. This season needed to deliver especially well to stand out among fourteen years’ worth of original productions. This year’s theme, fittingly, was World Cultures, to ethnically diversify all eight productions from each sophomore, junior, and senior class. PlauCom declared it so, paralleling the theme with an array of

3rd Apsam Race Photos courtesy of Matthew Mendiola

Paolo Manalastas

Last October 4, 2014, the Association of Private School Administrators of Muntinlupa (APSAM) held the 3rd Annual APSAM Academic Race, a quiz bee style academic competition open to private schools in Muntinlupa. The announcement of this year’s APSAM race came late, so the Southridge team, which was ultimately composed of Matthew Mendiola, Paolo Manalastas, and Joshua Alva, was formed just a day before the actual competition. Considering that the competition covered several subjects, namely English, Filipino, Social Studies, Math, and Science, we thought that it was impossible to compress weeks of training into just one night of cramming. Armed with nothing but stock knowledge, our team decided to YOLO it out, answering to the best of our abilities, but still

having fun at the same time. The APSAM race was held in the pavilion in Festival Mall. Since the actual contest was still in the afternoon, we spent the entire morning in X-Site (which made the wait totally awesome!). When competition time came, it was time to bring out the big guns. Despite the last minute training, Southridge started strong, putting in top marks in the preliminary rounds against the other 29 participating schools. Having secured a spot in the finals against the top other schools, it seemed like we had a good chance of winning. Question after question came, with each round harder than the last, and the game was definitely afoot. The easier questions asked were lessons that we already learned in school, while the more difficult ones were little bits of trivial knowledge that we had to take a guess to answer. The quiz bee seemed to go on forever, until finally, the last question was given. After the test, the judges announced a short break before announcing the winners. Our coach, Mr. Eugene Salazar, supported us from start to finish, and despite APSAM’s late announcement, Mr. Salazar knew that we would make it, and indeed we did! We were so happy when the emcee announced that the Southridge team won as the 2nd runner up in the third APSAM race. It made us proud to accept the medals and trophy, knowing that we won using knowledge that we already learned. Even though all we won was bronze, it sure felt golden to us.

campus news

by Jaime

Tabuena

Photos by Jaime Tabuena

Rotary Debate

Last January 24 – 25, 2015, the Southridge debate team, The Podium, put their skills to the test, and emerged as the champions of the first tournament of the year! The Rotary National Debate Championship, hosted by the Rotary Club Of San Francisco Del Monte, Rotary International District 3780, is a fairly new national debate competition, only being on its second year, and Southridge has cemented itself as its second Champion. The four preliminary rounds were held in Quezon City Science High School on January 24, 2015. In these preliminary rounds, each team of the eighty-four participating teams, comprised of three members, is assigned to compete with another, defending their position on a prepared motion, known as the topic of the debate. One team is assigned with the Affirmative position, defending the motion, and the other team is assigned with the Negative position, opposing the motion. These topics can range from internal migration in the Philippines to International

Relation issues regarding Iraq and the United States. To advance to the break rounds, teams needed to perform exceptionally. After the four preliminary rounds, both teams, SR A and SR B, were able to advance to the Octofinals! SR A, composed of Lui Manguiat (VA), Jet Nicolas (VA), and Gabby Leda (VA), performed exceptionally well, being the 2nd best performing team in the preliminary rounds and winning all four preliminary rounds! SR B, composed of Teddy Peralta (IIIA), Brian Cho (VA), and Jake Consing (9B), also performed well, being the 12th best performing team in the preliminary rounds and winning two out of four rounds. The break rounds were held in La Salle Green Hills. During break rounds, teams must step up their game, for a loss in a round will lead to their elimination. Both of our teams were able to advance out of the Octofinals round, but, unfortunately, SR B was eliminated in their Quarterfinal round by the slightest margin of 0.5 points. SR A was more successful, however, advancing all the way to the Grand Final round, held in the luxurious auditorium of La Salle Greenhills. In this

round, they were to go against Xavier School A, with our Admirals in the Affirmative and their opponents on the Negative in what could have been the most tense and surprisingly entertaining round of the whole tournament! After the round, all participants were then moved to Club Filipino in San Juan for the Championship Dinner in honor of the tournament’s end for the year. After all the tension from anticipating the moment of truth, the finalists were called unto the stage. The host delayed the announcement of the winners to add to the excitement, and finally, the moment of truth came – Southridge A won the 2nd Rotary National Debate Championship in a unanimous decision! In addition to winning the tournament, our debaters won special awards, the Best Speaker Awards, which are given to the exceptional speakers of the preliminary rounds. Jet Nicolas was awarded with a 7th Best Speaker Award. Lui Manguiat was awarded with a 3rd Best Speaker Award. Gabby Leda was awarded with a Best Speaker of the Finals Award. The 2nd Rotary National Debate Championship just serves to show what great accomplishments the Podium has yet to achieve.

campus news

Buwan ng Wika 2014, ipinagdiwang! ni

Sino-sino ang mga panauhing pandangal sa pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Wika 2014? Sa pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Wika, naging maningning ang partisipasyon ng Bayanihan, The National Folk Dance Company of the Philippines. Bilang opisyal na mananayaw ng bansa, nagpakitanggilas sila sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakita ng mga katutubong sayaw mula sa ilang bahagi Luzon, Visayas, at Mindanao. Sa mismong araw ng pagtatapos ng Buwan ng Wika, nagtanghal ang rondalla ng Bayanihan na siyang nagpamalas ng mga himig na tatak-Pilipino. Kasunod nito, ipinakita naman ng Filipino Martial Arts Group mula sa Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas (UST) ang katutubong sining ng pakikipaglaban at pagtatanggol sa sarili sa pamamagitan ng Arnis. Ang Arnis ang kinikilalang pambansang laro ng Pilipinas mula pa noong 2009 alinsunod sa Batas Republika Blg. 9850. Ano-ano ang mga gawain sa Buwan ng Wika? Sa taong ito, ipinagdiwang ang ikalimang taon ng “Lingas Talisik: Tagisan ng Talino at Galing sa Larangan ng Pagtula.” Isa itong patimpalak sa sabayang pagbigkas

Lorenzo Miguel S. Buenaflor

ng mga estudyante ng mataas na paaralan. Ginamit bilang piyesa ng nakababatang antas (Baitang 7-9) ang tulang “Ako ang Daigdig” ni Alejandro G. Abadilla, ang Ama ng Makabagong Panulaang Filipino. Samantala, ginamit namang piyesa ng nakatatandang antas (Taon III-V) ang tulang “Burges sa Kanyang Almusal” ni Rolando S. Tinio, Pambansang Alagad ng Sining sa Literatura at Teatro. Sa naturang patimpalak, nagwagi sa kategorya ng nakababatang antas ang Baitang 8-B, sa ilalim ng pagsasanay ng kanilang tagapayo at guro sa Filipino na si G. Lorenzo Miguel S. Buenaflor. Nagwagi naman sa kategorya ng nakatatandang antas ang Taon IV-B sa ilalim nang pagsasanay ng kanilang tagapayo na si G. Adrian B. Bagayaua at guro sa Filipino na si G. Rodrigo G. Langit, Jr. Upang bigyang-wakas ang Buwan ng Wika, nagkaroon ng prusisyon, misa, palaro, pagtatanghal, at ng masaganang salo-salo ang paaralan noong ika-29 Agosto 2014. Iniaalay ang matagumpay na pagdiriwang sa karalangan ng Mahal na Birheng Maria at ng patrong si San Jose.

Bakit mahalaga ang pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Wika? Ang naturang pagdiriwang ay bilang pagtupad sa Proklamasyon Blg. 1041 ng dating pangulong Fidel V. Ramos. Layunin ng pagdiriwang na ito na isabuhay ang ginagampanang papel ng wikang Filipino tungo sa mas maunlad na komunikasyon ng pagkakaisa, pagkakabuklod-buklod, at pagkakakilanlan. Dahil dito, maigting itong ipinatutupad taon-taon ng mataas na paaralan sa pangunguna ng prinsipal na si G. Luis M. Sumulong, Jr. at ng puno ng Departamento ng Filipino na si G. Virzon L. Sarao. Kaagapay din nila ang mga guro sa Filipino na kinabibilangan nina G. Miguel Victor Q. Arevalo, G. Rodrigo G. Langit, Jr., G. Lorenzo Miguel S. Buenaflor, at G. Dean A. Bascon. Para sa taong ito, ang tema ng Buwan ng Wika ay “Filipino: Wika ng Pagkakaisa.” Sa panahon na maraming suliranin ang kinakaharap ng bansa, binibigyang halaga ang wika bilang isang instrumento ng malayang pagpapahayag ng damdamin na makatutulong upang makapagbahagi ang lahat ng mamamayan ng mga solusyon at hakbang tungo sa mas maayos na bansa. Gamit ang wikang sumisimbulo ng ating pagkamamamayan, nilalayon ng wikang Filipino ang mailapat ang isang diskursong makabansa, komunikatibo, at demokratikong pakikisalamuha sa pagpapatatag ng republika upang magamit ang wika bilang pantulong na hakbang sa pagkakaunawaan. Ang Buwan ng Wika ay isang pagdiriwang ng sariling kultura. Patunay na ang wikang Filipino, kung pagsusumikapan nating mapaunlad, ay mananatiling buhay at magiging matagumpay sa kanyang pagtahak sa estado ng intelektwalisasyon. Isa itong paalala na ang buhay ng wika ay nakasalalay sa mga gumagamit nito. Nagpapakilala ito ng isang malayang bansa–malaya mula sa kolonyal na pag-iisip, kolonyal na hinagpis, at kolonyal na nakaraan. Mahalaga ang pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Wika, sapagkat laman nito ang mga katotohanang magpapataba sa ating mga puso bilang lahing Filipino na may sariling kultura at pagkakakilanlan. Ang pagmamahal sa sariling wika ay pagmamahal sa katotohanan–sapagkat ang pagtangkilik sa katotohanan ang siyang tunay na magpapalaya sa atin.

The PODIUM Conquers Malaysia by

Benjie Torralba

Even before school year 2014 – 2015 officially started, the Podium, the official debate team of PAREF Southridge School, has already opened the season by participating in the Asian Schools Debating Championships (ASDC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last June 2 to June 9, 2014. The contingent was made up of Jet Nicolas, Jaime Tabuena, Lui Manguiat (SR A), Brian Cho, Teddy Peralta, Andy Concejero (SR B), Gat Calingin, Diego Ipapo and Joseph Marasigan (SR C). Also accompanying the team as adjudicators were Thirdy Santos and Angelo Valerio (Batch 2014), coach RJ Lim (Batch 2010) and former Podium moderator and current English Department head Mr. Benjie Torralba. 45 schools (around 120 teams in total) from 8 countries all over Asia participated in the ASDC. Southridge was one of four schools who represented the Philippines; the other three being Woodrose, Ateneo and San Beda College Alabang. After a gruelling 7-round elimination over 2 days of competitive debating, only SR A proceeded to the Octofinal rounds (top 16 teams) in 12th place and faced Woodrose A who finished in 5th place. After a very tight competition, Woodrose won over Southridge in the Octofinals ending the Podium’s bid for this year’s ASDC. The team went home with beautiful trophies for the octofinalists, a special trophy for Lui Manguiat as one of the top ten novice speakers and a luggage-full of new friends, pictures, and memories from Malaysia.

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Relive

Strive The afternoon did not end the day’s

activities. In our year’s first High School Student Assembly, we were given a talk by Senator Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV on the virtue of hard work and its significance in our daily lives. The talk touched on topics including the importance of working smart and efficiently, the vitality of perseverance, and ended with the message to strive to make a difference and impact those around through diligence. Being the former Chairman of the National Youth Commission, Senator Aquino’s speech echoed the words of St. Paul in 1 Timothy 4:12 urging us to “... Not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for others in speech, behavior, love, and faith”. Through the examples he showed in his talk of youth around the country inventing ecologically-friendly contraptions and organizing programs in order to make life easier for their communities, Senator Aquino encouraged us to strive for excellence in all things-- especially in the service of those around us. Whether we’re given 35 seconds to hit a shot or 35 years to make an impact, one thing is clear. We are all capable of changing those around us. But the more untied we are, the more of an impact we can make. Thirty five years later, Southridge remains standing as a beacon of excellence and integrity that is constantly being revived and strived for. What we have accomplished so far is only the beginning, only the first hatch cross of a blank canvas that future generations will paint. In 35 years we have accomplished much. But the greatest benefit we can get from the last thirty five years are the learning experiences we can draw from them and apply for the next 35 and beyond.

F E A T U R E

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS by

Matthew Mendiola and Jamie Algarra

Southridge has produced many successful alumni, men who are now professionals in the various fields. Some have become prominent in government, business, medicine, the academe, while others have chosen to venture out into the entertainment industry, holding careers in music and the arts, among others. Many Southridge graduates have finished their studies in the country’s top universities, including Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle University, among others. Several Southridge alumni have moved on to take graduate studies in the United States. We were able to interview two such alumni who best exemplify the notion of the ideal Southridge gentleman - Chestnut Heredia of SR Batch 1989 and Tonton Mapa of SR Batch 1984.

Chestnut Heredia

What year did you first enter Southridge? Why did your parents decide to enroll you in a school that had just recently opened?

My parents transferred me from La Salle Greenhills to Southridge in 1979. It was Southridge’s first year. My parents were very involved with newly formed PAREF then and so I had no choice :). I had to take the school bus from our house in Quezon City to Southridge everyday for 10 years! How does Southridge compare now to how it was like when you first came into the school?

Southridge has changed in so many ways. The school was very small then and almost everyone knew each other. Imagine... we were only 14 in our batch then. And students came from all over Metro Manila, from Quezon City, Makati, Pasig, etc. Now we see mostly students from around the Muntinlupa and Paranaque area and many too from further down south. Southridge has grown a lot but there are still many tangible and intangible things that have remained. I miss those days when we only see a few buses on the side of the road waiting for dismissal. No cars, no parking lots. What made you decide to let your sons study in Southridge? What makes Southridge stand out as a school?

Aside from the good education (which is a given) and many other good things that Southridge brings to the table, what makes Southridge standout is how it makes sure that each and every student receives holistic formation, that is, in academics, sports, the arts, and in their spiritual life. As parents, we want our kids to grow up well-rounded and not at all lacking in spiritual and moral character. I think that's what Southridge can really be proud of. Plus the fact that I am an alumnus makes it even an easier decision to send my 2 boys to Southridge. What do you envision for Southridge? What aspects of academics, personal formation, etc. could still be improved on?

Well, I envision Southridge to remain the same. Meaning, growing not too big like the other schools. That way, each student is ensured of proper attention from teachers. When the student to teacher ratio gets too big, then many aspects of the education suffer. I envision Southridge as having a more and more support from its alumni. I think that this is very important. We got the alumni association started again and we hope this will continue to grow with more support of younger alumni. How has Southridge molded you into the person you are today? How has it helped you achieve success in your career?

I definitely owe Southridge a lot to who and what I have become today. I can honestly say that I hold God as the center of my life and our family thanks to the

formation Southridge has given me. There are many other traits that Southridge has inculcated. I am proud to say I got the virtues like hard work, discipline, and perseverance from my alma mater. But after many years spent in Southridge, I realized that it really is love for God that is the most important lesson I learned from the school. And if that is everyone's attitude and approach to life, how can you not be successful? Do you have any anecdotes or stories to share of your memorable experiences in Southridge?

We leave our home in Times St. (where Cory and P-Noy used to live) at 6:30 in the am with Mang Julian as our driver, then go to new Manila to pick up more students, then pass through Ortigas to another terminal in Greenhills. We come out EDSA to pick up Mr Escasa and the Piedads in Polymedic Hospital. We end up in Magallanes for the last terminal before finally ending up in Southridge. It got so boring that every single day I would sleep as soon as I got on the bus.... same seat for 10 years and wake up when the bus stops right in front of the main building (all 4 buses from different areas of metro manila parked at 7:30 am. The football field had no grass. It was just rocks and dirt… There were snakes and all sorts of creatures everywhere especially when it rained! Often times there was no water flowing from the faucets… Imagine no air-conditioning in the rooms (in the 2nd floor of the main building)!! The heat… I can still feel it now! haha Many many more.

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Tonton Mapa

What differences are there from the Southridge you grew up in with the one now?

The most obvious differences between the Southridge I grew up with and today are the physical ones. Our uniforms were different; the grade school had short sleeved polo shirts with brown pants, and the younger ones had short pants. High school had short sleeved polo barong with dark brown pants. Our gala uniforms were also different. The uniforms today are more distinct and more practical. The school population was much smaller, less than 300 students and just one section per level when I graduated in 1984. Because we were so few we were like a family and we knew a lot of boys in the younger batches. Today there are around a thousand students and several sections per level, but it's good to see that even if the school is bigger there is still a sense of family and boys know their schoolmates in other levels. The facilities were also much simpler. When we started we just had one unfinished building and no football field or basketball court. For PE we had to jog to the football

F E A T U R E

field in Alabang Hills. During the time I was in Southridge a second building was added, half of what is now the auditorium and chapel building, at the time it was our multipurpose hall and cafeteria. It's good to see that the school has more buildings and rooms and facilities today. Back then we didn't even have a science lab. Another obvious difference is in the curriculum. Back then we had Latin for 4 years of high school, and had Philosophy for 2 years of high school. We even had Spanish for 1 year in high school although that was an experiment and wasn't continued. Some of the subjects they have today seem quite interesting and the projects are very unique compared to the more traditional way of teaching before; I think I still would have enjoyed going through it today.

writing. It instilled a love for learning, an appreciation of hard work, creativity, and the importance of striving for excellence no matter how difficult. We really felt the motto Viriliter Agite. Most of all I was exposed to the example of very very good people, my teachers and my friends, from whom I learned much and who continue to be good friends until today. What made you decide to send your son to Southridge?

It's near where we live and it's familiar to me. I know the system and many of the teachers and officers. And of course I'm grateful for what Southridge gave me, how it influenced me growing up, and I hope that even after what has changed some of these good influences and lessons would be picked up by my sons as well.

Were there any memorable teachers back then? If so, who were they?

The first director, Dr. Antonio Torralba, was very witty and funny but also expected high standards of behavior and work from us. He was my English teacher in 1st year high school and first encouraged and guided the development of my writing. Dr. Paul Dumol was our teacher in Spanish and in History. He also directed the Christmas plays. He helped me be develop an appreciation for culture, history, and our country. Mr. Toy Estrera was our Latin teacher and made us grow to love and appreciate Classical culture. With him, classes were not just education in Latin but education about life. Mr. Manny Escasa was our class adviser and taught us English Literature, Composition and also Philosophy. He looked very different then, with lots of thick black hair and a full beard, he looked like the Brazilian football player Socrates and was quite intimidating, we called him Darth Vader. All of them were brilliant, witty, demanding but fair, and developed our love for learning. They were some of the best teachers I ever had and we were very lucky to have them. I still fondly remember things they taught us, not just subject matter but lessons in life.

Would there be anything specific in Southridge you want your son to learn?

How to work very hard, to value and love hard work, and how to be creative. Patriotism, to know and love our country and have the desire and sense of purpose to serve our less fortunate countrymen. The virtues. What it means to be a man of character. Love for learning and the humanities. The meaning of true friendship. And lastly, how to behave like a gentleman in public, especially around girls.

[

The Book of Life: Dare Take a Peek? Review by Diego Ipapo

Were there any traditions or events that existed before? Among these, were there any that you want to bring back?

The Christmas play was one of the highlights of the year along with Fathers Day. All the members of our families went to Southridge to see our classrooms decorated for Christmas, our Belens and parols which were all entered in contests. The highlight was the Christmas play which was a production of the whole school. We worked on it (students only, no parents) for many weeks before the night itself, staying late for rehearsals and to produce our props. Mr. Dumol really pushed us to a high standard of excellence for these plays. The Literary and Oratorical contests were also important events. These were chances for us students to demonstrate our talents compared to our peers, and being the best in the school held great honor. For oratory, our champions went on to win the British Council Shakespeare contests going up against college students, and after beating them 3 years straight the organizers had to award us hall of fame so we would stop joining and embarrassing the contestants from the universities. Can you tell us any other memorable experiences?

Once my classmate was bitten by a snake. There used to be so many snakes in the land surrounding Southridge, different species, and we would go hunting for them for science club. One time I was hanging out with the drivers of the school buses and they caught a cobra by the creek. The creek back then was a natural creek like you see in nature. I watched as they killed the cobra, cut off its head, skinned it and stripped off its internal organs then chopped it up and made it into adobo. I also remember being part of the first Ridge school newspaper. Our first class retreat. Making the first yearbook. And of course the historic graduation day as the first batch. How did Southridge help you grow as a person?

Character development and a solid formation in our Catholic faith through clear and rigorous teachings. Love for the humanities especially history, literature and

The Book of Life was one movie I really looked forward to. Everything about the production captivated me, what with the incredible graphics, stellar cast, and intriguing plot. The film was directed by Jorge Gutierrez and was produced by Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Hobbit movies, and Hellboy). The film starred Diego Luna, Zoë Saldana, and Channing Tatum as the main characters. Set in the fictional town of San Angel, the Book of Life tell the story of two

best friends, Manolo and Joaquin (voiced by Luna and Tatum, respectively), who become rivals for the beautiful Maria (Saldana). While they fight to win Maria’s heart, the spirits La Muerte (voiced by Kate del Castillo) and Xibalba (voiced by Ron Perlman) take interest in the friends’ rivalry, and they wager on who would end up marrying Maria (La Muerte betting Manolo, Xibalba betting Joaquin). Things seem to be turning to La Muerte’s favor at first as Maria is shown to be reciprocating Manolo’s feelings back, but a twisted turn of events occurs as Xibalba interferes with the human affairs of the trio, and Manolo loses his life in the process. However, the movie doesn’t end here. The story extends to Manolo’s journey through the afterlife as he makes a perilous and breathtaking adventure back to the world of the living to be with Maria again. My eyes were glued to the screen the moment the film started. The vivid animations brought the movie to life, and the wonderful play of emotions really tugged the audience’s heartstrings. The film also talks about finding courage in the face of adversities, finding one’s identity, and being true to one’s friends and loved ones. The Book of Life is definitely a film worth watching, so if you haven’t seen it, why don’t you dare take a peek? [continued on page 12]

N E W S

September 2, 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) releases its first video of the beheading of a journalist; this is just one of many atrocities ISIS have committed just in the year 2014 alone, ranging from massmurder, suicide bombings, hostage taking, human trafficking and the beheadings of their prisoners. ISIS have been such a threat not only to the Middle East, but to the rest of the world as well. Even now the international community does not know how to deal with ISIS. To understand how ISIS formed, one must first understand that Islam is composed of two major opposing sects, the Sunni (orthodox branch of Islam) and the Shia (political branch of Islam). Saudi Arabia and Iraq have the largest number of members of the two sects. With both countries having no separation of church and state, and with both countries wealthy in oil, extremists of the opposing sects have been funding groups to fight against their opponents - one such group is ISIS. ISIS was prominent from fighting in Iraq and it has already controlled parts of northern Iraq, after Bashar Al Assad started a civil war on his own people. Soon ISIS was at war with almost every faction and was able to beat them because because of their fire power and military strength. They soon established a state in the areas and claim to uphold the Sharia Law, the law of Islam. ISIS has proven to be a formidable group of terrorists, and countries like the United States have already intervened, conducting a series of airstrikes and ground operations in the past months to attempt to settle the worsening situation in the Middle East.

EBOLA Uncovered

Here’s a brief look at ISIS (from CNN). Facts: Started as an al Qaeda splinter group. Also known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Islamic State (IS). The aim of ISIS is to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and in Syria. ISIS is known for killing dozens of people at a time and carrying out public executions, crucifixions and other acts. It has taken over large swaths of northern and western Iraq. The group currently controls hundreds of square miles. It ignores international borders and has a presence from Syria’s Mediterranean coast to south of Baghdad. It rules by Sharia law. ISIS’s initial strategy for revenue was through extortion and robbery. Recently, al-Baghdadi’s strategy shifted to generating resources through largescale attacks aimed at capturing and holding territory. Unable to serve under the new Iraq government after Saddam Hussein’s military was disbanded, former Iraqi soldiers became ISIS fighters, according to Middle East expert Fawaz Gerges. Leader: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: Very little is known about al-Baghdadi, but a biography posted on jihadist websites in 2013 said he earned a doctorate in Islamic studies from a university in Baghdad. He formed the militant group in Salaheddin and Diyala provinces north of the Iraqi capital before joining al Qaeda in Iraq. Al-Baghdadi was detained for four years in Camp Bucca, which was a U.S.-run prison in southern Iraq. He was released in 2009. After ISIS declared the creation of the so-called “Islamic State,” he began using the name Al-Khalifah Ibrahim, and now goes by that name with his followers

By Diego Ipapo The Ebola virus, formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness that has the potential to wipe out populations if it escalates into a global pandemic. The virus is transmitted to humans through contact with wild animals, and it spreads to other people through human-to-human transmission. The Ebola virus first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks – one in Nzara, Sudan, the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter originated in a village near the Ebola River, the disease’s namesake, and the outbreaks occurred specifically in remote villages near tropical rainforests, although the most recent outbreak in West Africa was a mix of both major urban and rural areas, together. The fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family were thought to be the natural hosts of the Ebola virus, but it was later discovered that one can get Ebola through exposure to the blood, secretions, organs,

or other bodily fluids of other infected animals such as primates. The rural areas were prone to infection because of contact with infected hosts. Approximately, the time period from infection to the development of symptoms would take humans about 2-21 days, and humans are not infectious until they develop the symptoms, which include: • The sudden onset of fever fatigue, • Muscle pain, • Headache and; • Sore throat Succeeded by: • Vomiting and diarrhea, • Rash, • Symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function and (not found in all cases); • Internal and external bleeding Currently, there is no licensed vaccine to treat this deadly disease, but two potential candidates are undergoing evaluation. Governments should remain vigilant in making sure that the people who cross their countries’ borders are free of the disease’s symptoms, and governments should be ready with quarantine facilities to isolate potential carriers.

Above: The Ebola River, stretching as long as 200 km; a tributary of the Democratic Republic of Congo

s p o r t s

For The Love of the Game By Diego Pinga As I look back at the moments of pride and heartbreak during my High School life there is one common denominator, Football. From victories, to dismal defeats, football will always have a sentimental impact on my life. I can write about the worst loss or the most unbelievable victory, but I think I should write about where it all begins, commitment. It takes a great deal of commitment to be a part of the varsity team. Three days a week, for two hours, kicking and screaming at each other, sounds like my kind of fun. With it, you have to strive to improve as well. Making sure that you improve in every training session is part of the commitment. This is what pushes you, and the team forward and hopefully gets the results. Every training session is a challenge for everyone. A challenge to yourself; where you have to pretend to be indefatigable your coach. It challenges your team; wherein you have to let the team grow at the same time remain a strong united group. And a challenge to the coach; I can tell it is not easy coaching hooligans. Although, what makes all this worth it is the love every player puts into the sport. We love tackling, scoring, working as a unit, and improving as a whole. It makes travelling across Metro Manila, with all its crazy drivers, worth it- Especially if you come home with a smile from a feat. You undoubtedly make new brothers and unforgettable experiences. There is one side, however, that isn’t as fun. It doesn’t involve the strenuous running sessions, and it’s when your commitment is really tested. It’s when your girlfriend (if you’re fortunate enough to have one) is throwing a party the night before a championship match. You know you have to sleep early. You know playing on a hangover won’t help you play at the peak of your powers. Will you go? That’s when priorities come in. That’s when your commitment and love for the game will reveal itself. That’s one of the hard parts of being a student-athlete. No I do not have a girlfriend, if you are wondering. But yes, I’ve missed out on tons of parties to the point wherein I was labelled “MIA”. Missing In Action – if you were wondering. It isn’t easy, I can tell you that, but it is so worth it. It’s the hard times and the moments of ascetic decisions that ultimately build a person. I am grateful for what the school, through the sport, has taught me and the rest of the team. I expect that the future generations will excel from the same training the school is blessing us with. With the help of the rehabilitation of the football field and qualified professionals handling the football program, the school will have to get a larger trophy cabinet. I could never repay this experience.

Inside a Student Athlete By Fonso Garcia

Being a varsity player is no easy task; it is both mentally and physically exhausting. Most people would laugh when they see an athlete’s report card; the highest grade one would probably see in a varsity player’s report card is a 98 in P.E. But excluding P.E.? Probably between 85 to 88. Most people, however, don’t have to go through what these athletes go through almost everyday. An athlete arrives in school at around 7, attends classes until around 2:404:20 sometimes has a 1-hour break but usually almost right after dismissal proceeds to training, which can last until 8 PM. So if he’s not playing he’s extremely exhausted because varsity training is not like a P.E. class wherein you just play and play, varsity training ranges from, fitness training, to coordination training, to tactical training, to technique training and so on. Not only that but

most weekends they have games which aren’t exactly held near their houses, with a maximum travel time of 2 hours and a minimum of 45 minutes. Most athletes have a lot of extra curricular activities, so a student athlete has to learn to juggle grades, training, games, extra curricular activities, and their other activities. This is what makes varsity players special; we can serve as good role models by beating the odds and studying well to get good grades. This is because we know our priorities as students and as true men of integrity. As we celebrate Southridge’s 35th anniversary, we also celebrate more than three decades of producing student athletes – gentlemen who are truly pious in sporting and spirit.

EN T E R TA I NMEN T

Poems

by Jake

Consing

“Faults in our Fate” T’is not our fault To be born to poor Or sickly Or unseen by Grandeur’s narrow gaze Or untouched by Venus marvelous grace; Born to live A life not worth living. We are born by A cruel lottery draw Knowing not the outcome But living it day by day. While the draw is made and the die cast, Let not Adam’s fault hold you down. For you are the blacksmith of your life. Let not Clotho’s hand take control. For you are the weaver of your own fate No matter how unjust the toll Beg not to be at heaven’s pearly gate For you are the forger of your own soul. The Admiral Four years is all I’ve been. Four years of learning, Four years of warmth. Learning so beguiling and puzzling Yet learning so interesting. With people I’d never know I’d meet, And friendships I will never forget. That is what Southridge means to me. Tis’ not only a school of academics, But also a school of bonds. Four years is all it took, and four years is what I have. But if only I had more time For it seems as if The spirit of the Admiral can never fade. More so, the spirit of Southridge.

Stories

PANCHITO BY PEPPI ESCASA

What Friends Are For

Caleb just sat there, unable to comprehend this torrent of feelings rushing through him. He’s gone. He just left. I’m alone. All alone. Sid in disgust put down the book and pushed it aside. Another sob story, he thought. Can’t people come up with anything original these days? For the past weeks Sid’s been spending his time reading, reading, and reading. Sid recently got this job at GaBooki, a website, and recently an app too (available on GApps or iTunes), that makes reviews for books, categorizes them, sells them, buys them, rates them, and whatever you can think of. Sid was first sent to the programming department, because of his meager background in programming. In reality he was just a fresh high school grad looking for a way to earn a quick buck before college started. A burly man, Yorrick, Sid’s boss walks in. “Sid! Here’s a new set of books to rate. They’re new releases and parents have been sending multiple requests about the ratings. I need them by next week.” “Yes boss!” Yorrick walks away leaving Sid alone in the room once more. Now Sid has been transferred to the reviews team. After helping GaBooki design their own app they realized that Sid wasn’t all that good in programming and that it would be cheaper for them to have Sid do the review instead. Of course Sid contested, saying that it wasn’t for him the app wouldn’t looks as cool as it was now. Sid takes out his phone and goes to the app, admiring the simple and easy interface the GaBooki app had. Back to reading. Sid picked up one of the new books and tried to get as comfortable as possible in his bean bag chair. At least they gave me a comfy place to read in. It was a small room, filled with books. The only furniture was the bean bag chair, a wooden chair and desk, and a small lamp. On the desk was his laptop, already on the GaBooki site so he can post his next review. I need a life. Sid opens the book and began reading. Sid opens the book and began reading.

Look! A Smoke signal!

Matthew Banaag

The Book Life

COMICS THE SCOUT BY JAVI ESCASA

Smoke signals are used in places like this as a form of communication since there isn’t any electricity!

“What’s eating you hon?” “Nothing,” Rex replies. “You seem down today, anything I can get you?” “No, I’m fine. Really.” Alyss just shrugs he shoulders and walks away. Another customer calls her attention. Don’t be so hard on her, Rex thought to himself. She’s just watching out for you. Rex just lost another job, this time at some small time restaurant two blocks from his house. It really wasn’t much, just a small place that could only fit fifteen people at most. It always smelled like roasted hazelnut and had a warm friendly atmosphere. That’s where he met his soon to be best friend Clay. Stop it! Remembering this won’t get you a new job. Moping around won’t get you into college. Rex just stared out the window and watched life go by. There was a little boy with a bright red balloon walking by. Beside him was a woman, probably the mother, who was holding an umbrella the same red as the balloon. It was sunny that day, so it was probably to keep her skin from getting burned. “Rex?” A sudden jolt goes through Rex. “Is that you?” Rex turns and sees Clay. He’s a head shorter than Rex, but wider and stronger. He always dressed in a way that most people wouldn’t give him a second thought, but when he spoke one can never forget that voice. It was deep and raspy; one would be surprised to find out that he doesn’t smoke. “Hey Clay!” Rex fakes a smile and offers his friend a seat. Clay takes the seat opposite of Rex and looks his friend. “Rex, are you my friend?” “Uh, yeah. What’s up?” “I just lost my job, and I need help.” Rex perks up at the new, though almost guilty about it. “Really? That’s tough.” “Yeah, you know anyplace?” Rex scratches his chin, feigning thought. “Nope.” Clay just sighs. “Thanks anyway.” As he stands up to leave Rex grabs his hand. “Hey, wait up buddy. You see, I lost my job too if you haven’t noticed.” “Really?” Clay really seemed shocked about the news. “Let’s look together; I’m sure there’s an establishment out there just waiting for two fresh young employees.” “Rex, you’re 5 years my senior, I’m already 27. I don’t think we count as “young” anymore.” “Shut up Clay, just leave the talking to me.”

R E V I E W

Destiny Video Game Review by Kyle Ting

Destiny is an online first-person shooter game developed by Bungie and published by Activision which aims to revolutionize modern games for the next generation consoles. Destiny is available for the Xbox One and 360, The PS3 and PS4, and rumours of a PC release (don’t get your hopes up). The game takes place on Earth after the Darkness. The Traveller, a mysterious vessel that sparked the golden age of humans and allowed them to colonize the other planets on the Solar System, sacrificed itself to protect man and the last city on Earth. You are a Guardian, born from the Light of the Traveller, and your task is to take up arms with your friends to defeat the Darkness.

THE PROS: When you start you must choose among three classes: Hunter, Warlock and Titan, each with their own unique abilities and play style. A lot of character customizations are available among the three races; Human, the human like Awoken and the robotic Exo. You are launched into an amazing open world with very smooth lighting effects and crystal clear graphics. Each class has its own subclasses with different play styles and awesome super attacks. Special Events occur at random where you and others take on hordes of enemies or take down a very powerful one for rich rewards. Destiny has a lot of weapons and armor, each with their own unique name and look. Take two of your friends and battle against bosses in Strike missions to earn rich and amazing rewards or take five of your friends in an epic raid mission to test your coordination and skills. Destiny has a very fun and action packed Competitive Multiplayer selection, and your companion, Ghost, is voiced by Peter Dinklage, +1 for that. THE CONS: Sadly there is no such thing as a perfect game, even Destiny. Levelling is pretty fun but the amount of grind in order to level up is too high. The closest server for the Philippines is in Australia which means a crooked connection every now and then. The rich storyline and lore you experience at the start of the game is the only piece of the storyline you’ll get until you buy the expansions packs. The only other place to get the game lore is from the Bungie.net website, but that means you have to exit the game in order to learn more about the game (WHAT?!). All the quests are equally good, but some of them just seem to repeat. The same goes for the weapons, enemies and accessories, which are at times just “re-designs” of the weaker and common items and enemies. Random rewards mean that even if you did the best in your team, you’ll have to choose between a common reward or nothing at all. FINAL JUDGEMENT: 7/10 Destiny is very fun and will take you on an adventure. I recommend playing Destiny with friends.

The Music Scene By Ian Pantaleon Last May 2013, I was able to enjoy the privilege of watching Slash perform in Manila. For those of you who are not familiar, Slash is a renowned rock guitarist who used to be part of the legendary rock band ─ Guns N’ Roses. I felt very excited for the show, expecting a sold-out venue and an electric atmosphere. However, things didn’t turn out as I imagined. Despite the awesome and ear-splitting performance of Slash and the band, only a few spectators showed up. The mosh pit was half empty, and there were barely any people in the other areas of the arena. While actual reasons for the concert’s poor attendances remain unclear, this must somehow indicate how the majority perceives rock music these days. In a generation where pop culture and electronic dance music are prominent, will there still be room for rock n’ roll? Well, whatever people think, the sad reality is that the genre that once ruled the music world is slowly losing its reign. The rock and roll lifestyle has always been strongly derided, mainly because of its bohemian nature. From the use of illegal drugs, to crazy stage acts, a lot of its aspects contribute to its negative image. Its bad reputation includes controversial incidents like John Lennon’s ‘More famous than Jesus’ quote, Axl Rose’s attacking of a fan, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers performing naked with only their socks on. Largely to its detriment, rock and roll is partly recognized for its idiocy. Rock isn’t all about foolishness, though. Throughout the years, it has also become a symbol of unity, love, and peace. An example is the Woodstock Music Festival which took place in the town of Bethel, New York in the year 1969. For those three days of the festival, 400,000 people gathered in the same place to listen to good music and have a great time. It was an amazing festival indeed and showed that rock is not all too bad. Live Aid, which is a dual-venue concert, held simultaneously in Philadelphia and London in the year 1985, also showcased one of rock’s enduring legacies. It served as a benefit concert for the then gripping Ethiopian famine at that time, featuring rock icons like Queen, U2, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and a lot more. Although rock isn’t as dominant as it used to be, it will always have a special place in the history of music for the memorable songs, artists, and unforgettable moments it produced and the heavy influence it has brought to contemporary music. Without these classic rock acts, other modern bands today that drew inspiration from them wouldn’t have thrived. It may be argued that rock is getting obsolete, but no one can doubt the fact that it significantly changed the world. While rock may not last forever, it will remain embedded in the hearts of classic rock purists of all generations.

Color The

Admirals Run (Story on page 2)