The Ridge - October 2016

3 Campus News 10 Features 14 Literary 15 Reviews

SPORTS

www.southridge.ph

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PHOTO BY TOTO LOZANO, MINDANEWS

October 2016

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THE RIDGE EDITORIAL BOARD 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.

Editor-in-Chief Rocco de Castro Managing Editor Gerard Kawada Copy Editor Teo Eugenio News Editor Gerard Kawada Opinion Editor Teddy Peralta Features Editor Alfonso Maranon Sports Editor Gap Gutay Literary Editor Alfonso Maranon

Contributors Juan Pablo Abola Ethan Lee Jake Consing Noel Angelo Mempin Miguel Fermin Patrick Miranda Anton Fernandez Paolo Sandejas Joaquin Fernandez Jaime Santos Mr. Rhen Hilario Jose Tordesillas

Pictures from Wilbert Dela Cruz, Santino Andrada, Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Francisco, Picturae Southridgensis 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.

VIRILITER AGITE

SOUTHRIDGE Private School for Boys Hillsborough Subdivision, West Service Road City of Muntinlupa, Metro Manila Telephone 807-80-80 Fax 842-1542

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Welcome to S.Y. 2016-2017

By Rocco de Castro

Hey there, Southridge!

Welcome to the new school year! Hopefully everyone enjoyed his summer and, possibly, maybe, most of you are enjoying the current school year as well. Hopefully.

This school year is looking up to be especially special, one filled with change.

For the first time in Southridge’s history, the day school and the afternoon school will be joining together to form a singular school unit for the new senior high school program, which begins with the batch of 2018. Faced with a new curriculum, new facilities, new batchmates, and even new uniforms, the Grade 11 will encounter many new struggles in the new environment of senior high “When we are no longer able school, in the hopes of paving the way for to change a situation, we are future generations of Southridge gentlemen. challenged to change ourselves.”

Furthermore, Southridge has recently —Viktor E. Frankl in Man's Search for experienced a change in its administration.

Meaning The school has appointed Mr. Ferdie Cruz as the new Executive Director of Southridge, succeeding former Executive Director Mr. Joey Magalona. Along with Mr. Cruz, Mr. Paul Christopher Cheng will be joining the Management Committee as the new Associate Director for Academic Standards.

Academics in Southridge have likewise been overhauled. A base of 0 for students’ floor grades will allow for the receiving of grades even below the old base of 65%. With this new grading system, both complacent and hardworking students will likely face struggles initially in terms of their academic performance. Students will not be able to rely on traditional strategies that allow them to pass the quarter with minimal effort. Initially, this change will hurt. But on the flip side, it will allow students to develop better habits to cope with the demands of school, which will ultimately result in future success.

Beyond the sheltered walls of Southridge, change too has come. On the first of July 2016, former Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was elected President of the Republic of the Philippines, ascending from the mayoralty of Davao to the highest office in the land. His election was met with many controversies. Some see him as a menace to the safety and freedom of the sovereign Filipino people. Others see his administration as a much-needed breath of fresh air from the shortcomings of previous administrations. No matter one’s perception of President Duterte, as citizens of the Philippines and for the sake of democracy, we must support, as well as criticize our leader as is necessary.

Change, with a capital C, it seems, is not endemic to the Philippines. Barack Obama, who has graciously and faithfully served the American people as POTUS for 8 years, will be stepping down from office, to give way to a new head of state. Much like the election scene in the Philippines, the American elections are mired in controversies and particularly strong sentiments. Many want to Make America Great Again, while another many have decided to stand, proclaiming, “I’m With Her.” Whatever outcome transpires, history will be made, not only for the American people, but also for the world at large. As proclaimed by our commander-in-chief, change is coming.

Nevertheless, it’s important that we return to what the outgoing President Obama said when he began his campaign for presidency on the year of his election in 2008. He said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” With all the uncertainty and societal transformations that surround us today, we may feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of a world wrought with conflicts and hardships. For the Southridge student, the world, at times, may seem a bit too large for our drive to make a difference.

However, first, I think of the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, who wrote, “And yet in our world everyone thinks of changing humanity, and nobody thinks of changing himself.” Change for the better starts with us, and what better way to begin than with ourselves and with our classmates in our beloved school.

Welcome to S.Y. 2016-2017!

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Ang Wika ng Karunungan sa PAREF Southridge by

Rhen Hilario

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amakaila’y pinasinayaan ang taunang pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Wika sa PAREF Southridge na may temang “Filipino: Wika ng Karunungan.” Ito ay ang laging pakikiisa ng paaralan sa patuloy na pagpapatatag at pagpapaunlad ng Wikang Filipino.

Bilang pakikiisa sa inilabas na memorandum ng Kagawaran ng Edukasyon, ang Mataas na Paaralan ay nagsagawa ng mga aktibidad na magpapataas ng kamalayang pangwika at kultura ng buong institusyon. Ang selebrasyon ay isinagawa noong Agosto 22-26, 2016.

Sa taong ito ay pinaghandaang mabuti ang mga gawain at patimpalak na siyang nagpatagumpay sa buong pagdiriwang. Sa pangunguna ng Departamento ng Filipino at sa pamamatnubay ng Punong-guro ng Mataas na Paaralan na si G. Agenor Neil D. Luayon ay inilunsad ang mga sumusunod na gawain: • • • •

Videoke Kings sa pangunguna ni G. Rhen Hilario at G. Virzon Sarao Madulang Sabayang Pagbigkas sa pangunguna ni G. Rhen Hilario at G. Defle Pador Sayaw-Pistahan sa pangunguna ni G. Rod Langit at G. Alvin Avance at; Pista ng Wika sa pangunguna ng mga High School Parent Coordinators

Dahil sa ang tema ng institusyon sa taong ito ay pagkakaisa, isinagawa ang mga patimpalak ayon sa ‘per batch competition’. Hinati ang mga baitang/lebel mula sa Mataas na Paaralan ayon sa dalawang dibisyon: • •

Junior Division: Baitang 7, 8 at 9 Senior Division: Baitang 10, 11 at Taon V.

Kanya-kanyang pasiklaban ang bawat dibisyon sa mga presentasyong ipinakita nito. Itinanghal ng mga kinatawan sa bawat baitang ang kanilang pinakamahuhusay na presentasyon. Nagwagi sa Videoke Kings ang pyesang “Ngiti” ni Ronnie Liang at “Sana Kahit Minsan” ni Ariel Rivera para sa Nakababatang Antas habang ang “Remember Me” ni Renz Verano at “Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo” ni Yano ang nagwaging pyesa sa Nakatatandang Antas. Madulang itinanghal ang mga pyesang “Kung Ang Tao ay Isinilang upang maging Tao lamang” ni Emelita Perez-Baes at “Kalayaan” ni Jose Arrogante para sa Sabayang Pagbigkas. Nakaiindak namang panoorin ang mga magaaral mula sa Nakababatang Antas nang kanilang sayawin ang “Pandanggo sa Bulig” at para sa Nakatatandang Antas ay ang “Maglalatik” o Sayaw sa Bao. Ito ay ang mga sayaw na ginamit para sa Timpalak Sayaw-Pistahan sa taong ito na hinaluan ng bawat pangkat ng mga modernong musika at galaw na nagpakita ng pagiging malikhain sa mga presentasyon.

Hindi matatawaran ang lahat ng suportang ibinigay ng mga guro at mga tagapayo sa Departamento ng Filipino sa naging pagdiriwang mapaganda lamang ang mga naging pagtatanghal o presentasyon ng mga pangkat at estudyante na kanilang sinanay sa iba’t ibang patimpalak. Ang lahat ay nakibahagi upang maisakatuparan ang mga layuning mapagpatuloy ang pagpapanatili at pagpapayabong sa wika at kultura ng ating bansa sa pamamagitan ng mga programang isinagawa ng paaralan.

Narito ang mga nagwagi sa bawat patimpalak: Videoke Kings: Junior Division – Batch 2020 Senior Division – Batch 2018 Madulang Sabayang Pagbigkas: Junior Division – Batch 2020 Senior Division – Batch 2019 Sayaw-Pistahan: Junior Division – Batch 2021 Senior Division – Batch 2018 Overall Champion: Junior Division – Batch 2020 Senior Division – Batch 2018 Nagkaroon din ng pagsasagawa ng isang panayam ang mga mag-aaral mula sa Baitang 10, 11 at Taon 5 sa pangunguna ni G. Christian Vallez patungkol sa Kalagayan ng Wikang Filipino kaalinsabay ng modernong panahon.

Matagumpay ding naidaos ng buong paaralan ang Pista ng Wika kung saan naging posible ang mga naging paghahanda dahil na rin sa tulong ng mga magulang na walang sawang nakikiisa taon-taon sa gawaing pampaaralang ito. Nagkaroon ng mga patikim sa mga pagkaing Pinoy mula sa iba’t ibang rehiyon ang bawat antas mula sa bawat yunit gayundin ang mga presentasyon ng mga mag-aaral at magulang sa naturang pista.

Sa taong ito, tunay na ipinakita ng buong institusyon na ang Filipino, bilang Pambansang Wika ay hindi lamang palatandaan ng identidad ng pagka-Pilipino.

Ngunit ito ay lunduyan ng karunungan sa patuloy nitong pagwawagi sa paglaganap ng intelektwalisasyon bilang Wika ng umuunlad na bansa.

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Singapore IMC: The Journey

by Juan

Pablo Abola

W

ould you trade 12 Saturday mornings, 1 weekend, and 6 weeks of summer to be able to go to a foreign country? Given that this time was spent learning and doing math, my guess is that most students probably would not. But that’s just what I did. I joined the Mathematics Trainers Guild, commonly known as MTG, and undertook its intensive mathematics programs to have a chance to go abroad and represent the Philippines in International Mathematics Competitions (IMC).

From July 29 to August 1, the Philippine delegation of over 300 students, organized by the MTG, went to Singapore to compete in the 12th Singapore IMC. On our second day in Singapore, we joined the delegations of various Asian countries, such as China, South Korea, India, and Singapore, to compete in advanced mathematics. The student participation of each country reached the hundreds, and the venue of the 12th IMC had to be at a top Singaporean university. We were organized

The Amazing

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by level and brought to our respective classrooms, where we were given the test.

How hard was it? Let me put it this way: We students were rigorously trained by the Philippines’ top mathematics teachers and professors daily for six weeks over the summer, and I still happened to guess around 40% of the questions.

In the SIMC, to earn a certain medal (gold, silver, or bronze), one would have to attain a corresponding score on the given test. In preparation for this, our training included a mock exam, where the minimum scores (out of 100) to earn bronze, silver, or gold were 40, 55, and 70 respectively, and I believed I had a fair sense of the test. However, leaving the Singaporean classroom, I was almost positive I was not going to receive a medal.

The following day, the delegations from all the participating countries gathered in the university for the awarding ceremonies. I was anxious to discover if I had merited an award. The organizers, however,decided to announce only the gold medalists (of which I was not part) and the top scorers for each batch. The silver,

ASDC 2016

Consing

he Asian Schools Debate Championship (ASDC) is a debate tournament that is open to every single school in Asia. In it, high school students debate in lively and intellectual discourse on important issues facing the world, such as human rights and the Refugee Crisis. It began in 2009, founded by the La Salle Debate Society. On that year, Southridge became the first Asians Champion with a team composed of RJ Lim, Marty Gonzaga, and Justin Jabines, and since then, our very own Podium has always had a place.

One feature that characterizes the ASDC is its incredibly festive experiences.

Given the exposure to incredible food, new people, and new countries, it has always promised unforgettable experiences for its participants. I, for one, will never forget such nights spent walking to 7-Eleven to buy food at 10:00 o’clock or the countless kwento sessions we had or the crazy night of Championship Dinner. It was not only just for competition and glory. From Michael Phelps to the “Police,” Southridge always returned with captivating and amusing stories to tell; stories like that of ASDC 2016.

This year, the Asian Schools Debate Championship was hosted by the Methodist Boy’s School, deep in the heart of Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.

For this competition, we had sent two teams, one composed of Teddy Peralta, Gerard Kawada, and me and another composed of Nico Meer, Julio Jimenez, and Marco Zulaybar. Mr. Benjie Torralba, the Subject Development Officer for English, who is also Podium’s moderator accompanied us to this tournament. We arrived a day prior to the tournament so as not to miss out on sightseeing and

bronze, and merit awards were to be revealed privately by each delegation.

On that evening, the Philippine delegation gathered for dinner, followed by the heavily anticipated awarding.

The MTG officials first announced the merit awardees. I was not one of them. Then, they proceeded to announce the bronze medalists. Once again, I listened closely, hoping to have gotten a bronze medal; but again, I was not called. There was only one award left to announce: the silver medals. This was crucial. I would either get silver, or nothing.

I got the silver medal. And the Philippines topped the 12th Singapore International Mathematics Contest.

In retrospect, the Singapore IMC was a surprisingly fulfilling experience, even with or without the silver medal. Although I sacrificed so many free days to train, I believe that the experience of putting myself out there on the international scene and making a name for both my country and myself was an honor in itself, of which I am grateful. I believe it was worth doing, and I might even try it again next year. Maybe.

food eating. On our first two days in KL, we decided to go out to their malls; they were huge, beautiful, and of course, overpriced. The night before the first day of the tournament, we decided to partake in a Malaysian 2-year tradition for the Podium, Breakout. Breakout is an escape room game sporting several themes.

The first game we completed had a murder mystery theme. Honestly, the only reason we got out was pure luck, something we actually used both in and out of our debates. The rest of our stay was composed of long nights, difficult rounds, and small meals. We debated a wide range of topics from the fight against ISIS to parenting, and after 2 days of non-stop debating, reading, writing, and thinking, the defining moment came: Break Night.

Break Night is a tradition held by most tournaments wherein the teams proceeding to the Finals Series would be announced. This year, it was held in a glass house with great music, food, and people. A band was invited to play and did an excellent job of stirring up the crowd with great songs. It was a party to remember, with our current captain Gerard Kawada dancing for all of Asia to see (a moment which has been immortalized on the ASDC page and on cellphones from all around Asia). Finally, the moment came when they announced what we have all been waiting for: the breaks. We sat on our seats,both nervous and exhilarated for the results. We waited patiently for our team names and by the end of the night, Southridge A was announced to be the 10th best team in Asia and Southridge B being the 3rd best novice team in Asia. Unfortunately, the tournament only broke 8 teams in the Open Break, and we were only a mere two points away. Despite this, the last days of the tournament ended with our team in the Asian Semifinals, among the 4 best novice teams in Asia, and members in the top 20 best speakers in all of Asia.

ASDC was the experience of a lifetime, and it’s one we will never forget.

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New Men at the Helm by

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Teo Eugenio

hange really has come this year. After all, only three things are certain in this world: change, death, and taxes. From the new cafeteria caterers to our new chaplain, this school year brought many changes to various parts of the school. The changes I’d like to mention, though, are the changes in Southridge’s administration.

Some old positions this year have new faces, and we’re seeing a few others return after some time on the shelf. This year, we have a new Executive Director, Mr. Ferdie Cruz, who was formerly the principal of Afternoon School. Mr. Abet Dakila and Mr. Ariel Marcera are the new principals of Grade School and Afternoon School, respectively, with Mr. Dakila returning to the position after at least six years. The position of Associate Director for Academic Standards, which has not been filled in about five years has been filled by none other than Mr. Paul Cheng.

The position of Head of Institutional Information Office, which also saw a period of vacancy, is now occupied by Mr. Cholo Kawada, and the position of Head of the Teacher Professional Development Office is now occupied by Mr. Luden Salamat.

Mr. Cruz, as Executive Director, is not in charge of any particular thing. He’s more of the conductor of an orchestra, making sure that everyone is working in harmony and that things are running smoothly. As a member of the Management Committee (ManCom) together with Mr. Cheng, the Associate Director for Academic Standards, Mr. Leo Calderon, the Associate Director for Finance and Administration, and Mr. Ariel Crisostomo, the Associate Director for Personal Formation, he focuses on management and planning. This year, he wishes to push the entirety of the school towards the same goal: to work on the little things often neglected, making sure that they are done well. After all, if one can be trusted in the little things, then one can be trusted in the big things as well. This year, an emphasis is also being placed by Mr. Cruz on unity: unity in terms of administration, unity in terms of education, and unity in terms of the formation given to the students, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and moving in the same direction.

Mr. Cheng, as Associate Director for Academic Standards, is in charge of the academics of the school. This year, he intends to do two things: clean up the academic system of the school, improving the state of the education given to Southridge students, and document many of the things being done in order to set a good foundation for raising the standards of the school’s education system in the future. He knows that Southridge students turn out to be well-formed people in life, but he also wants Southridge students to excel in math or the sciences when they graduate. In terms of this year, however, he is really more focused on cleaning up and documentation.

Mr. Dakila, as Grade School Principal, is in charge of the operations of the Grade School. He ensures that the academic formation is being delivered, that teachers teach their subject matter well and give the right assessments. In addition to the academics, he also oversees the order and discipline of students in Grade School and makes sure that the personal formation program of the Grade School is being implemented. He set a theme for the first year of his return as Grade School Principal: Thinking School, Learning Community. This means that in every classroom, there must be reading, writing, and discussions happening. Students should be able to think for themselves, make sense of what they are learning in the classrooms, and demonstrate what they have learned. Mr. Dakila agrees that

the Grade School is the foundational level of learning. Basic skills must be honed during this time, so this stage is very crucial to the development of children.

Mr. Marcera sees being Afternoon School Principal as being the class adviser of the entire Afternoon School unit. He monitors how the teachers are teaching, talks to the students about how to excel in their academics, and promotes cleanliness, among other things. He cites his experience as a class adviser in High School as something that helps him manage things now that he’s in a higher position. A higher position comes with bigger responsibilities, such as setting a good example to the Afternoon School teachers. To him, being principal means one cannot demand something from one’s unit without showing it to them. This year, Mr. Marcera implemented the peer observation system in the Afternoon School faculty.

This allows any member of the faculty to observe another and gives feedback on his teaching. This also trains the teachers for the future, because he notices that positions are never permanent and always change. He wants his teachers to be ready when they need to step up.

Mr. Kawada is the Head of the resurrected Institutional Information Office this year, after it was shelved for some time. He is in charge of all of the school’s image and presentation, as well as all of its publications. This means that the Viator, The Ridge, The Junior Ridge, and Parents First are all under him. He also runs the school’s official website, Facebook page, and Twitter account. This year, one of his projects is the Southridge Pride Project. He has been putting up all of the posters featuring the achievements of students, teachers, alumni, and parents.

He hopes to one day have a Southridge Walk of Fame. Using the school’s social media accounts, he keeps the school informed of current events with Happening Now and the school’s history with Blast from the Past. He keeps up-to-date with all that happens in the school with his Web Development Team, composed of students and teachers from every school unit. They also assist him in the improvement of the school’s official website.

Mr. Salamat, as the Head of the Teacher Professional Development Office, handles the learning and professional development of the school under the office of the Associate Director for Academic Standards. He helps equip teachers with the knowledge, skills, and motivation needed to carry out their tasks. His office is more strategic than reactive, assessing skills and knowledge and determining the appropriate training needed to grow and develop these skills and knowledge. This year, he is collaborating with the Principals and Subject Development Officers in order to analyze the teaching standards of the school and train the teachers to become more effective. The monthly Faculty Development Sessions are now part of a year-long plan to focus on a different monthly theme, and so far, Mr. Salamat has received positive feedback about these Sessions. A New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) has also been developed this year, and it aims to help beginning teachers understand the school’s culture and improve their teaching skills and attitudes.

He plans to create an individual Professional Learning and Development Plan for every teacher and a more effective and needs-based Summer Training Program for the Teachers.

With all these people filling both old and revived administrative positions, this school year and the future school years are sure to be full of improvements in every aspect of the school.

A Message from the Student Council Chairman by

Teo Eugenio

Hey Admirals!

In the three and a half years I’ve been part of the Student Council, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a group of individuals as enthusiastic as the ones I’m working with now. These guys really stepped up and pushed the boundaries of what the Student Council can do, and they continue to do so. For example, we decided not to organize the annual Southridge Run this year in favor of exploring other possibilities, other kinds of projects, in order to avoid being stagnant and monotonous. We wanted to switch things up a little and ask the students about the kinds of projects they wanted to see this year.

One example of this was our E-Games Tournament fundraiser. None of us intended to organize an e-games tournament originally, but since it was suggested by a good number of students, we were inspired to hold one in the First Empire internet café in BF. The fundraiser may not have been as financially successful as our movie screenings, but the

feedback we got from our schoolmates was amazing. We’ve heard stories about how students in the younger batches made friends with students in the older batches because of the tournament, or how the tournament brought old friends closer together. I can barely remember a good number of times when the Council has received feedback like this from their both their younger schoolmates and some Afternoon School students. This is really the kind of feel we’re aiming to give each of our projects this school year.

Another of the upcoming fundraisers this year is the Family Bingo. This is the main fundraiser that’s supposed to replace the Fun Run. If the E-Games Tournament emphasized camaraderie and the Movie Screenings appealed to barkadas who hang out in the malls, the Family Bingo will focus on, well, families. We’ll be appealing to families who would like to bond over some healthy competition with other families.

Aside from the Family Bingo, we’ll also be holding

an Art Exhibit. This aims to expose the artistic abilities of Southridge students as well as raise funds for the nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus Paris. We’ll be showcasing the best paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, and music that the school has to offer, and most of these works of art will also be up for sale.

Just so their names are known, this year’s Student Council is comprised of Luis Minglana (Grade 7 Batch Representative), Miguel Bayani (Grade 8 Batch Representative), Raja Felipe (Grade 9 Batch Representative), Javi Mapa (Grade 10 Batch Representative), Stephen Apolonio (Grade 11 Batch Representative), Ryan Danao (Year V Batch Representative), Paolo Sandejas (Member-at-Large), Jaime Santos (Memberat-Large), Jose Tordesillas (Public Relations Officer), Rocco de Castro (Treasurer), Nico Meer (Secretary), Lorenzo Prieto (Vice Chairman), and yours truly as Chairman.

That’s all from me, Admirals, and I hope we can work together to make this year fantastic!

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Rocco de Castro

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review

I watched Tondonero on it’s 6 o’clock showing on September 10; that was the Southridge Theater Guild’s final performance of the highly acclaimed school production. Directed by Stephen Apolonio and written by Alvaro Elane, Tondonero was a breakthrough and innovative production, having been Southridge’s first bilingual play.

The play highly resembled the multi-award winning Broadway production Hamilton; both plays effectively incorporated the use of musical elements like rapping and singing, to great and entertaining effect.

Regarding the visuals and technical of the play, there has been a great appreciation among Southridge students, faculty, and family alike for the arrangements of the music and lyrics used in the play, as well as the very well-made set. To much acclaim, the Southridge Theater Guild has been regarded as novel and innovative in their style in the creation of these plays. The play is littered with contemporary quips from recent urban Filipino lingo and culture, of which their popularity has been attributed to social media; such examples include the use of “Pak! Ganern!” and even Pokemon Go. Very much like the highly celebrated Hamilton, Tondonero brings forth millennial values and trends to entice primarily its young target audience, us, the Southridge students.

Based on the events of the Philippine Martial Law Era, Tondonero follows the life of two students, Pasyo and Ali, who have been abducted by corrupt and sinister government officials, after having demonstrated protests regarding the abduction of their own teacher. Locked away in Intramuros, the two student-prisoners were introduced to prison chief Temilon and Prime Minister Pepi, other inmates, and later on the unlikely band of brothers known as the Tondoneros. Pasyo and Ali befriend the Tondoneros and join them. They learned about the history of the Tondoneros and Intramuros, and how the Tondoneros once tried to escape, albeit with a much regretted consequence. One thing leads to another, and Temilon murders Leo, ang hari ng mga Tondonero. On the other side, internal conflict forces Temilon to try and murder Prime Minister Pepi, due to the PM’s growing conscience and awareness of the evil they are doing. Thinking Pepi too wounded to live, Temilon leaves him to die alone inside Intramuros. Ali finds Pepi almost dead, and in reparation, gives Ali the code to disable the killer shock collars. In the final uprising, the Tondoneros overcome Temilon and are freed. Such is the end of the play, with a simple plot with lessons for those of us who care to take a closer look.

The play initially portrays the prime minister as the evil and malevolent villain, frequently using raised voices to command his subordinates, in contrast with the more servile and seemingly obedient Temilon. However, as the play progresses, the Prime Minister is seen to have gained touch with his senses, and begins to try and rectify the evils his administration has been doing to achieve their own goals. This is when the dynamism of the characters is seen. The once servile Temilon begins raising his voice towards the Prime Minister, and Temilon becomes the ultimate villain of the play. His manipulation of his personnel, prisoners, and most especially the Prime Minister are revealed. Practically speaking the play reinforces the idea of looking at history as not the product of a single man’s actions, however powerful, but rather as the result of a myriad of characters and people, each with his or her own personal agenda. Now, when taking into the context of Philippine history, this idea also supports the possibility of Martial Law as not being solely Marcos’ fault, which has actually become a common viewpoint as regards its cause. However controversial the notion, it still provides food for thought.

And such is the purpose of any play.

Furthermore, I find that the play holds an increasingly relevant insight into more modern Philippine history. With the recent change in our executive administration, the Philippines has seen a substantial rise, to say the least, in extrajudicial killings and a supposed state of lawlessness; there also is significant support for the burial of Marcos as a hero.

Thirty years after our liberation from Martial Law, there seems to be a societal inclination to return. Tondonero is a great addition to the means for waking the youth up to the very realities of the future confronting us with the controversies of the new administration.

However, as with any play, there were a few flaws in the play. Such is only natural.

There seem to be plot-holes in parts of the plays. One such example is the use of a deus ex machina style salvation at the end, with the unrealistic and miraculous timing of the prevention of the mass execution of the Tondoneros. The character development of the Prime Minister was not very evident, and the dynamic change in his conscience was striking and sudden.

Nevertheless, despite all these things, I believe that the Southridge Theater Guild’s first performance of the year was a landmark production. Chock-full of entertaining contemporary Filipino quips, moments of absolute scriptwriting genius, and exceptional rap battles, Tondonero will deservedly go down in Southridge history as one brave and bold breakthrough production.

By Jaime Santos

Staged on four separate days of early September, the Southridge Theater Guild’s breakthrough play Tondonero was a theatrical production marked by its originality, passion, and relevance. It had blown the Southridge community away, having produced a musical to remember. The Southridge Theater Guild, or the STG, is one of the official theatrical organizations of Southridge, and its mission is to be become an accessible avenue for students to express themselves in a spirit of artistry and creativity through the means of drama and theater.

The STG prides itself in enabling its members to explore cultural issues that directly affect Filipino society by showcasing novel performances. This year, they started off with a bang with their hit Tondonero, which delved into the events surrounding the era of Martial Law and its societal consequences.

The story revolves around the lives of two men, Pasyo and Leo. Pasyo Dimagiba is a passionate student, and he later goes on to meet Leo, the spirited leader of the Tondoneros, who are held as prisoners in the infamous fortress Intramuros.The play Tondonero demonstrates how Martial Law severely affected the lives of its victims, as well as the lives of those in power. The play begins with the young student Pasyo and his friend, Ali, attending the class of Professor Wilton. Their professor is later illegally abducted for unknown, illegitimate reasons, which prompts them to take part in protests against the government.

As a result of their participation in the protests, they are abducted by corrupt and sinister government officials, and are brought to the incarceration facility of Intramuros. In prison, they are introduced to prison chief Temilon and Prime Minister Pepi, other inmates, and the unlikely band of brothers known as the Tondoneros. As the story progresses, they witness the murder of their beloved professor. Later, they befriend and eventually join the Tondoneros, who are also in prison for having protested against the government. Together, they devise a plan to escape, but are anguished when they realize their leader has been murdered by the prison chief Temilon. On the other side, internal conflicts leads Temilon to attempt to murder Prime Minister Pepi, due to his growing awareness and consciousness of the evil they are doing. Thinking Pepi too wounded to live, Temilon leaves him to die alone. However, Ali finds Pepi almost dead, and in reparation, gives Ali the code to disable the killer shock collars placed on the inmates. In the final uprising, the Tondoneros overcome Temilon and are freed.

The message of Tondonero revolved around the idea of standing up for what is right. Through all the adversity that one might go through, we cannot let it stop us. The play illustrates that point perfectly, showing us how regular people like Pasyo Dimagiba can bring about significant change in society. We cannot be afraid to let our voices be heard. Rafa Gonzalez, the Grade 10 STG member who played the role of Pasyo, said,“Tondonero expressed the idea that while you can kill men and have them buried, you cannot kill an idea.”

Personally, I agree with Rafa.It’s important to realize that ideas can equally be the most dangerous yet also the most incredible things in the world. There is a necessity to bring this insight into our lives. While we need not necessarily go to protests or start revolutions to make a difference, we can begin by fighting for what we feel is right and good in our classrooms, in our homes, and in our communites. It can be as simple as standing up to a bully, not helping cheaters, or telling the truth. By fighting these small but significant fights, we allow ourselves to become vehicles of change that our society so desparately needs.

As regards its style, Tondonero was inherently unqiue, having been the first rap-musical production to be performed on the Southridge Stage. It did not just do a good job of pleasing us, but it happened to provide relevant foodfor-thought as well. The songs were written and composed very well and were very much in-sync with the story. These songs were not just included to fulfil the musical aspect of the production, rather, they played a critical part in the development and progression of the play. They were used as means to endear the characters to the audience, by explaining motives, and creating dialogues to open the interiorities of the characters to the audience. Personally speaking, the part in the play that I particularly loved was the rap battle between Temilon and the Prime Minister; one that was remarkable, hilarious, and entertaining.

Tondonero has truly broken down walls in the field of theater of Southridge.

The Southridge Theater Guild has surpassed all expectations, set to become a trail blazer in the school’s talent pool.

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CLUBS by

Teddy Peralta

PAREF Southridge has always taken pride in the holistic personal development it offers to its students through its after-class extra-curricular programs. Home to such institutions as the multi-awarded Podium Debate Club, the celebrated Admirals’ Step Crew, and the ever-present Admirals Media Society, under the new Head of extra-curricular activities, Mr. Dennis Holgado, Southridge has expanded the dearth of opportunities it currently offers to its students for the school year of 2016-2017 by allowing its students to form their own organizations with the backing of the school, enabling students to diversify into even more interests than before. Here are some remarkable new additions to the Southridge’s club family: Vox The Southridge choir, although technically not a new face, has undergone extensive rebranding under its new choirmaster, Mr. Marlon Fernandez. Consisting of more than 20 students from the day school, afternoon school, and senior high school, students come together on Tuesdays and Thursdays to celebrate their love for music through sessions studying music, ranging from performance-level arrangements to free-style choir pieces. Celebrating the art of music, Vox will be participating in the upcoming Musikapella competition later this November.

PIESociety For the inner math geek, the Southridge PIESociety establishes a welcome space for students to come together and learn more about Mathematics. Headed

by Mr. Daryl Almeda, it creates an emphasis on inter-batch cooperation through

its teaching-mentorship program, in which students from higher year levels are encouraged to teach students from lower year levels more advanced topics that they ordinarily would not have access to, and its review program, in which members of the club hold review classes for students who are about to take upcoming college tests, allowing their batch mates access to techniques and topics that will help them ace their tests.

Culinary Club The Culinary Club was founded by Martin Orendain and Blony Campos, two students who felt the lack of a proper culinary outlet in Southridge. The organization promotes creativity and the pursuit of passion through cooking dishes one normally would not and encouraging experimentation with traditional dishes. More than twenty members have signed up to be a part of this new but already established organization. The club is moderated by Mr. Benjie Torralba.

Outdoor Adventure Club Founded by Mr. Johnny Calpo, the OAC promotes nature and physical exertion for recreation, encouraging its members to participate in activities such as rock climbing, hiking, and rappelling to instill PAREF values in its members. The organization aims to conduct excursions to places that allow these to be practiced, such as taking a trip to ROX in early September to teach its members the basics of rock climbing.

Southridge High School Student Organizations SY 2016-17 • academic - Poetry -N. Fortun - Pie Society - D. Almeda - Logos - E. Oandasan and E. Valerio - Business Club - G. Tumbocon and K. Malate • cause oriented - Environmental Awareness - N. Caidic and J. Olindan - Kalinangan – V. Sarao and D. Peralta • performance arts - theatre arts ~ Teatro Sambotani - C. Encabo

~ Southridge Theatre Guild - A. Clete - dance ~ Southridge Dance Crew - P. Gonzales - choir ~ Southridge Vox - M. Fernandez - others ~ Admiral Step Crew • special interest - Culinary Club - B. Torralba - Outdoor Club - J. Calpo and M. Manaois • service oriented - Kaabay - M. Quesada

A Bright Future for Southridge Sports by

Gap Gutay

Change is coming, which is the campaign slogan of recently elected Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, is true not only for the Republic of the Philippines, but also for Southridge’s sports system this school year. Not many students are aware of the changes made this school year, probably aside from the newly refurbished basketball covered courts. A lot of internal modifications have been made since the start of this school year, and Mr. Poten Fernandez, Head of the Physical Education Department, is someone who has seen it all.

In the last three years, Mr. Fernandez noticed a lot of problems that had come about. He stated that, before, there were a lot of issues as regards organization, the players, and the coaches. The school’s problems with organization were said to have come from a lack of coordination with parents and the school’s officers on the agenda of sports. A lack of proper communication and a clear and set outline were part of those missing in an old system that showed a lot of promise. Issues with the varsity players were seen in the generally low levels of player morale. In the past, players used to have a lot of passion. Losses in games would really strike the athletes and they capitalized on this to improve their game. In the last three years however, Mr. Fernandez states this morale was not as evident as it used to be.

Problems with the coaching staff meanwhile manifested in terms of their teaching methods and pedagogy. The school hired great coaches, but the athletes were still not familiar with these coaches. They had different teaching methods that did not initially suit Southridge varsity players, and Mr. Fernandez believed this led to the underwhelming performance of Southridge players in recent competitions. This could be seen in how Southridge only had one player in the Palarong Pambansa for the past three years. These issues have plagued the school, until this year.

A lot has changed and a lot will continue to change. Mr. Fernandez made special mention of the new Executive Director Mr Ferdie Cruz’s attention to sports

- Southridge Servers Society - R. Regencia and L. Consad - The Officers Club - K. Malate - Red Cross Youth - J. Sta. Ana • sports - Football Club - M. Borlagdan - Basketball Club - S. Amorsolo - Ping-pong - J. Sto. Domingo • visual arts - Southridge Arts and Props Club - D. Mandap - Artisenyo - D. Tabajunda - Admiral’s Media Society - D. Francisco

as a big catalyst for changes in the sports programs. Old coaches have also since returned. These are coaches the players have developed strong relationships with, coaches who understand them, and coaches who can really motivate their players to do well. To complement these changes, Mr. Cruz has imposed a new system on the sport’s curriculum. For one, Mr. Cruz acted on the proposal to renovate the basketball courts, a proposal Mr. Fernandez has been requesting for a year now. He wants to bring back the old glory days of Southridge, where winning trophies was the norm, and he puts a lot of faith in the old coaches in terms of their pedagogy and teaching methods. There will also be further coordination with PAREF for plans with the coaching staff.

Mr. Fernandez truly believes that the system has taken a turn for the better, with sports programs that appear a lot more promising than before.

Despite the new changes that have already ensued, a lot is still to be expected from the new system. There is talk of the addition of arnis and gymnastics to the curriculum. These sports will teach students about Filipino martial arts, and even just how to simply fall properly.

Lastly, there are plans for the update and construction of new sports facilities. One such proposal that Mr. Fernandez talked about was for the sand court. He stated that they might cover the area and possibly convert it into badminton courts. The future of the Southridge sports system truly looks bright.

The potential of the new system is something a lot of people, especially Mr. Fernandez, believe in. Despite the fact that it may develop slowly, he is excited to see the sports program flourish. He put it in the words of, “Going back again,” to what Southridge once was. The work ethic of teachers and coaches has significantly improved, and he is very pleased with the progress that is being made. Officers who are listening to the teachers’ opinions and requests, and new plans for the system, curriculum, and facilities are all very exciting for both teachers and students alike.

The bright future of Southridge sports cannot be ignored. The future looks great and, despite some minimal lapses, a lot can be achieved from this point onward.

Grade School Teachers – Teachers change the world one student at a time

High School Teachers – Great teachers teach students HOW to think and not WHAT to think

HATS OFF TO TEACHERS

by Miguel Iñigo L. Fermin, 13 PAREF Southridge Private School for Boys

Everyday, a routine is practiced. There’s the waking up from late night sleeps. Then there’s the travelling of long distances to get to one’s place of work. Once the destination is reached, there’s the preparation of sheets and a good 10 hours of imparting knowledge, and a host of other to-do things. By late afternoon, there is another long travel, but it’s towards home. At the end of the day, papers need to be checked; maybe some time spent with family (or friends), the attempt to squeeze in as much sleep as possible and then the routine begins again. As I write this seemingly simplistic cycle, the first thing I think about is Dad because this is kind of a summary of how he lives his life. I think that this is really exhausting and tiresome, and whoever practices this routine has real dedication and passion for his or her job. I think about it even longer, and I realize that it’s not just describing my dad (who is a businessman, by the way).

My teachers have a similar daily regimen, too. Just like a dad to his children, teachers carry a big responsibility to their students.

Not to provide materially but to stand as second parents and help shape the minds and characters of the youth.

Our school’s motto is “Viriliter Agite.” It means, “Be a man.” It’s quite a challenge for teachers of an all boys’ school to turn rowdy youngsters into fine young gentlemen. But everyday much effort is given, robustly resisted by us until finally we see the light. Since my grade school days, all my teachers have always been keen on my academic standing but

more so on my behavior. “Intelligence and character must go hand in hand, Miguel,” they said repeatedly. They showed concern for my concerns and worry for my worries.

I like to think of school as my second home. The cafeteria is the second kitchen and dining area. The field is the second backyard.

The classroom is the second living room. My classmates are my second siblings, and my teachers are my second parents. It’s because of these things that my life apart from my actual family has been good. I wake up looking forward to school with good vibes because I know that good things await me there. My friends will have new ridiculous stories; I’ll

laugh. There will be new pain-in-the-back exams or projects; I’ll work. My teachers are going to do their jobs passionately (hopefully with open minds as I am prone to thinking outside the box); I’ll learn.

Home is where the heart is, and it’s because of great teachers that school feels like home.

It’s only in recent years that I’ve come to appreciate the things that my teachers have done and continue to do. It takes so much time and effort to teach one person (my tiger mom spent years on this cub), let alone a group of 80 or so boys per batch.

They are our second parents because the truly dedicated ones treat their students the way parents treat their children. They are heroes because with the little compensation they get, they are unmindful of the amount of work they give. Because really how can one measure kindness, generosity or even tough love? They help guide people towards good futures. I guess that’s why parents make wonderful first teachers because they expect nothing in return.

I dream of becoming many things—a successful businessman and innovator like Dad, a robotics engineer, a digital mogul with my own start-up company. I have yet to design my future but I’m thankful to the men who are helping me shape it. To my teachers past, present and future—a sincere thank you to all of you.

This article was first submitted to Manila Bulletin and featured on 8 October 2016.

World Youth Day

by Joaquin

Fernandez

We were 43 in our group, cramped into a bus that seated 35. Those that didn’t have a seat were forced to stand along the aisle, with the bags that couldn’t find a place in the lower compartments of the bus. I was seated on a window seat towards the front of the bus, and as we were making our way to the train that would take us to Prague, I took my final mental images of Poland. These images would forever reside in my memory, along with the memories of all the random chanting, meeting new people, and picture taking. Suddenly, my thoughts drifted back to two weeks ago, when we were about to begin our journey in Rome. I didn’t have very high expectations for the trip. In fact, for a whole month prior to the trip, I was expecting us to be walking around and praying the whole time. This made our departure seem more unenthusiastic than exciting for me, and as we were boarding the overcrowded shuttle to Clark, I slightly regretted my decision to join the trip. Back in Poland, with the thoughts still running through my head, I couldn’t help but smile and say, “I could never have been more wrong.” I could never have anticipated all the breathtaking and incredible things that happened to us during the trip. I know that the feeling is mutual for the rest of the group.

Sure, we encountered our fair share of troubles and inconveniences, but I believe that’s what made the trip seem so complete. We realized that through in the midst of these hardships, miracles do happen; and more so, great stories are born.

I could go on and on about the stories of our pilgrimage, and what we did, and how it went, but we didn’t go to World Youth Day to tell stories and take pictures. We came in order to be inspired by the Holy Father and the millions of people joining him in praising God. Maybe some of us were inspired later in the trip than others, but I’m sure it had an impact on every single individual in our group. In my case, a few things stuck with me after the trip. These are the three fundamental points that stayed with me after World Youth Day. The first point is that we should never be ashamed of our faith. This is a common thing among the youth nowadays, and it occurs everyday, such as when people decide not to pray before meals in the cafeteria because of shame and social

pressures. It may not seem like much, but many people don’t realize that a simple act like praying before meals is a great way to stand up for our faith and show that we are proud of it. I too used to give in to the shame, but during the World Youth Day, just being around all those people and seeing them lovingly united with God together made me realize that there is no need to be ashamed. We need only remember that when we pray, we are joined by the millions of others who pray with us and for us.

The second point is that many young people think that praying is something meant for old people. For them, It is more of a formulaic routine than a conversation with God. People say their daily prayers when they wake up, before they eat, and before they sleep, but I realized that prayer is so much more. Prayer can be casual, just like a normal conversation you might have with your best friend. In fact, if you only take the time to talk to Him and listen to what He has to tell you, you will realize that He will be the best friend we ever had, someone who is always there, because He is.

Lastly, if I had to sum up World Youth Day, I’d use the words of one of my fellow pilgrims; “Divided by culture, united through God.” In this trip, even though I was a complete stranger to the millions of foreigners and them to me, I felt connected to them because of our connection to God. We were not able to communicate so well because of the differences in our language and culture, but we were unified by the universal Church. I realized that the youth today often take their blessings for granted and don’t realize how grateful they should be for having been so blessed as to be a part of the Church. In order to show our gratitude to God, it would be fitting to do our best to make something great out of our blessings and not let them go to waste. We should try to make the most of our talents, to be the best we can be, and bring out the best in others as well. After all, in one of his homilies during the World Youth Day, Pope Francis encouraged us not to take it easy and make our lives a comfortable sofa to sleep on, but rather to leave a mark on the world, precisely because it is what we were made to do. So, how will you leave a mark?

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(My Ateneo Junior Summer Seminar Experience)

By Teo Eugenio

To fully describe or to fully reproduce the same emotions and moments that I experienced between the days of the fourth of April and the twenty-eighth of May would be a terribly daunting task, or even impossible, according to our Philosophy professor. I remember very clearly one of the lectures of Dr. Gus Rodriguez in SOM 203 regarding konsepto. The way he explained it was that we use mga konsepto to describe the world around us to other people because you cannot give people the exact same experience that you had. Kinakahon mo ang iyong mga karanasan in trying to tell the story of your experience; you end up putting your experiences in boxes, assigning them into categories based on emotion, location, appearance, or otherwise in an effort to get your audience to relate and understand and feel the same way you do.

Ah, Doc Gus. I recall vividly his verbal profanity and irreverent attitude that would have easily made him the most popular teacher among the high school students had he chosen to teach in Southridge. He would rant on and on about Facebook, Chihuahuas, industrialization, humanity, and millennials. “Don’t even get me started on [you millennials],” he would say to the chorus of pealing laughter of forty people “who do nothing but study and have no life and no friends”, a particularly common modifier that he used to describe us.

Come to think of it, maybe this rash comment was a rather underrated contributor to the unity and unshakeable emotional bonds

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of the forty-ninth batch of the Ateneo Junior Summer Seminar. Its ninety-percent truth, early timing (relative to the summer seminar as a whole; it was fired at us within the first week), and comedic effect made it a fun little swipe at our egos that I’m sure all forty of us miss now as we go on with our lives in our own schools spread throughout the center of Western learning in the country, Metro Manila. That modifier, along with the shared interests and experiences, inside jokes, memes, Lit paper cramming nights (what’s new), lunches in Regis, GZags, or JSEC, dinners in UPTown, heart-to-hearts, play practices, hugs, joke ships, actual ships, field trip to Enchanted Kingdom, theme days, and unbreakable bonds of friendship forged between a bunch of nerds gone wild served to bring us incredibly close to one another over the course of those two months.

As I type this, dear reader, please understand that I have far too much to say about the friends that I left behind in CTC 413. There’s only so much I can say without blowing up, but know this: the summer I spent with AJ49 was no ordinary, run-of-the-mill summer. It was full of classes and schedules. I was an hour and half ’s drive away from home, with only our family maid of sixteen years as my guardian. I woke up early every day no matter how late I slept. I took the tricycle along busy Katipunan Avenue every morning.

If I couldn’t pay for the trike, I walked from the

Retreat! by

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Paolo Antonio B. Fernandez

Retreat. It’s a word that is usually used for wars or battles. It is quite ironic, then, that it is also used for a spiritual rediscovery. The retreat of an army refers to a withdrawal from a battle due to the superior force of the enemy. A spiritual retreat is also somewhat of a withdrawal,not from a battle, but from ordinary life.

Modern life is extremely hectic and busy. Everyone is trying to get somewhere and everything is just too fast. Sometimes, life can be too much for us. We could lose ourselves within life’s stresses, problems and pains. A retreat provides us with a break from all of that. By devoting time off from our ordinary life, a retreat allows us to get some well-deserved peace and quiet, and by doing so, it allows us to reconnect with ourselves and find out where exactly we are. Through silent meditation and prayer, a retreat can help us assess our feelings and really see what is going on inside us. You can say that it is a medium for rediscovering yourself.

I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen in the retreat I attended. It was my first time to join one, and so I did not know what to expect. The facilitators explained to us that most of our time will be spent in silence and prayer, and for me, they were not the most appealing of activities. Prior to this, I honestly did not pray a lot, so I was quite anxious that I would get bored during the retreat.

Before leaving for the retreat, I consulted my older sister who had been on one before. I told her about my dilemma—if you could call it that—of whether I should go or not, and she said that she had the same problem the first time she went on a retreat. She told me something that would eventually help me experience my retreat to the full. She told me to go with an open heart and an open mind, and to focus on the readings and on the talks. She told me that I would be surprised.

So I took her advice. I went to the retreat with an open heart and mind and,

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condo unit I was staying in over at the thirtyfifth floor of Berkeley Condominiums. I entered SOM 203, some days with a “Go Archers!” shirt, a Stitch hat, or my full Southridge uniform, and spent the morning learning literature, philosophy, and mathematics with thirty-nine of the smartest people I have the good fortune of knowing. We took lunch and became loud teenagers for a while, and then separated into Bio-Chem and PhysicsPsych for our afternoon science classes. After class, my tired self hitched a ride with a classmate and got dropped off at Berkeley. Every evening, I took the elevator down to the fourth floor study area and did my homework with a fellow Southerner and the future class valedictorian of AJ49. I gained twenty pounds and lost twenty bucks. I learned independence and interdependence. I taught my classmates how to throw Ultimate backhands and forehands with minimal casualties. I helped raise an egg baby, and got to keep him after. I met and befriended two pescetarians, a Yolanda survivor, a flutist, a violinist, a fellow council chairman, a soon-to-be fellow council chairman, a Math god, two Whovians, and more.

Perhaps I’ve been meandering. Perhaps the most economical konsepto, the most packed with meaning and emotion that could most accurately describe my summer of 2016 at the Ateneo de Manila University all along has been this: AJ49 is family.

true enough, I really did get surprised! Just by listening to and focusing on the talks, meditations and gospels, I took up certain points that really changed my perspectives on our interiority and life in general.

One such insight that really stuck with me was that there is no such thing as a one-time-big-time event that would change our lives for the better. Change is a gradual and continuous process of learning through failures. Yes, we can sometimes fall, but life is not about not making mistakes, but recovering from them. Getting back up and just trying again are what really matter. This point was not entirely new to me, but during the retreat, I got a deeper understanding of it.

If you are faced with a chance to go on a retreat, I encourage you to take it. My first retreat was a truly amazing experience because I opened myself to it. I hope you seize a similar chance in the future to rediscover who you are so that you may reinvent yourself for the better.

Anton is a Year V student. From December 9 to 11, 2015, he attended a closed retreat organized by Molave Study Center for Southridge high school students. The retreat was held during the Advent season and right after the opening of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.

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Work and Prayer Combined

by

Ethan Gabriel N. Lee

After the schoolyear ended, a funfilled summer was right ahead of me, but there was still one more activity that was required for all the World Youth Day pilgrims. It was organized by our teachers so that we might grow in the spirit of service and in other virtues. It was held in Sto. Tomas, Batangas from Palm Sunday to Holy Thursday, so that all of us would be able to immerse ourselves in both prayer and work. This was the annual Molave Summer Work Camp.

The three full days of work were filled with some of the most difficult and draining tasks I have ever experienced.

Our main job was to help out with the building of homes in a compound called Stonewell. We were engaged in mixing cement, rebarring, digging foundations, and more. I got to experience firsthand mixing cement which was actually really cool! Mixing cement was like baking because if we did not pay attention to the little details of the “ingredients,” we would end up with something undesirable, in

this case, watery cement.

The most difficult task we worked on—without a doubt!—was digging holes for septic tanks. Imagine placing your body in a sauna and repeatedly punching your fist against a wall for hours on end.

Even in groups of three or four, the work was extremely tiring because it involved pounding heavy iron rods into the soil in order to break it, as well as shoveling the soil away. Because of all of these strenuous activities, our bodies were worn out every night and we had blisters in abundance.

However, in my case, even if I felt like my back was killing me and my arms were about to drop, I learned the value of perseverance and I started to develop a growing appreciation and respect for manual laborers and the honorable work that they do for a living.

It was also during this time that I thought to myself that what we were doing was all for God and that there was no better time to do it than during Lent.

St. Benedict is often quoted to have coined “ora et labora,” which means “prayer and work.” By this he meant that we should

An Emerging Community

By Jose Tordesillas In the year 1979, Southridge was established in Muntinlupa, and at that time, Alabang was still underdeveloped, characterized by farmlands and forests.

It was not yet the sprawling and bustling city of today. In spite of this, our beloved Southridge graciously took in her first batch of gentlemen. She welcomed these budding men of integrity into 3 hectares of land surrounded by a forest. Encapsulated within all that foliage was a stout, lone building, which we now know as the main building.

Today, our sprawling campus is composed of two four-story buildings filled with teaching facilities, a cafeteria, a chapel, a shrine, an auditorium, and a new senior high school facility. And on a hill nearby, our school, along with her students, welcomes new neighbors: Madison Galeries and the new Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.

As the surroundings of Southridge have evolved, from forests and farmlands to malls and villages, so too did the school evolve. Development is more evident than ever before. Recently, the Madison Galeries lifestyle mall has opened right next door. Its owner, Mr. Joel Rustia, said “Madison is a family-oriented mall, and since it is a place for people to hang out and bond, usually after mass and class hours, it maintains healthy relationships with people in the community.” He also added, “Because of Madison, there is easy access for people within the community in terms of providing the daily necessities in a nearby location.” Madison offers patrons restaurants, such as Aburi and the Bing Su, a BDO branch, a grocery, hardware

both pray and work for the greater glory of God;ad majorem Dei gloriam as St. Ignatius of Loyola would say. I believe this was perfectly evident to all of the participants, and we were able to practice the virtues of diligence and hardwork,in conjunction with the physically strenuous taskswe’ve accomplished.

The work camp, of course, was not all work! There was free time which we used for bonding activities, conversing with one another, playing games and more.

The previous workcampers considered the place we slept in as “five-star” housing. It wasn’t air-conditioned or furnished with lavish beds, but it was a good place for rest and fun. Through all of these, the atmosphere of the work camp was alive and breathing with unity, even with the presence of work. This made me feel really at home.

How, then, did we spiritually grow in the work camp? Every day, we attended Holy Mass, prayed in silence, said the Rosary and did other norms of piety so that we could prepare ourselves more fruitfully for the passion, death

and resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday. We were even able to visit the National Shrine of Padre Pio in Batangas and were able to enter its Holy Door of Mercy. In addition, confession and spiritual direction were made available, thus further contributing to each one’s spiritual growth.

Overall, the work-camp was a blast!

It provided a means for the sanctification of my daily work, and it helped me understand more deeply the importance of hard work, diligence and perseverance.

I found myself becoming closer to God, by conforming myself more intimately to His will, and by reflecting on what His life, death, and resurrection means for me and for all of mankind. I would definitely attend another work camp, and hope you do too.

Ethan is a Grade 11 student. From March 20 to 24, 2016, he attended a work camp organized by Molave Study Center for Southridge high school students. It was held in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, in cooperation with Habitat for Humanity.

store, salons, and much more. While it still hasn’t reached its maximum number of tenants, the new lifestyle mall offers residents of nearby villages access to restaurants and services that greatly complement the growing needs of the local population.

At the same time, the newly built Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish church, located directly across our campus, recently opened its doors and services to the public. Along with Madison Galeries, the new Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish gives people more places to stay and immerse themselves in community. These two establishments are unmistakably the most significant developments residents have witnessed in years.

With these significant developments in the community of Barangay Cupang, and Alabang at large, we can hope to become more acquainted as a community. Prior to the aforementioned developments, the occasions to interact with fellow village and barangay members have been limited to the gatherings in the Mass in the old Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and in San Beda’s St. Benedict Chapel, not nearly as interactive as other communities. These new developments give us – villagers, teachers, students, and church goers – the opportunity to bond more and meet other families, on a usual, even daily, basis.

Don Jesus Boulevard might not be Katipunan or Taft Avenue, but, with the vast swaths of undeveloped land, it’s clearly something that holds a lot of promise for the years to come. Southridge students could hope to see the evolution, yet again, of their surroundings, thus creating more opportunities for students to interact and form friendships outside of school. We should all expect more change to come, and this is good change. May we grow as our community does.

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Integration

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Noel Angelo G. Mempin

On the 19th of June, 33 former afternoon school students, including myself, took on a completely new venture: senior high school. Along with 85 of our day school counterparts, we became the pioneering batch of Southridge’s senior high school program.

The first day of school year 2016-2017 was met by the new senior high school students with a degree of uncertainty and apprehension. Besides being the first day of a new school year, it was also the first day of the actual integration of the day school and the afternoon school into one body; the division between the two school units was to be erased. It was a step forward, however, it certainly was not easy to adjust to this change. For four years, afternoon school students have looked at the day school as if it were an alien world, as if the students of the day school were studying at a completely different school. We looked at the students of this school unit as possessing a culture that was foreign and alien to us. We knew very little about the lives of day school students. In the same manner, the day school students most probably saw us with the same eyes.These sentiments are a reflection of the limited interactions between the day school and the afternoon school students.We held separate activities, separate classrooms, separate clubs, separate schedules,and even different teachers. Back then, the most common form of contact between the students was simply seeing one another along the school’s corridors.

Two months prior to the start of classes, the school held an integration activity for the incoming 11th graders, and it somewhat forced us to work together to perform the tasks. However, after the team-building activities, the day and afternoon school students just went back to their old groups and interaction between them ceased.

This was the challenge for the school administration: how do we get students so divided by history and culture to willingly interact and form new bonds?

The day finally came. We were integrated into a single school unit, and we even held an assembly together. There still was, however, no clear sign of progress. Fortunately, when regular classes began and when we started breaking off into strands, we became immersed into one another’s culture. It was not a one-time thing.We didn’t end up going our separate ways once it was over. Gradual integration worked its magic each

day.

It was a slow process, but it allowed us to have much greater interaction than we’ve ever had in the history of the Afternoon School.

We shared the same classroom, we saw each other’s talents, we were exposed to one another’s antics, we saw how each other lived, and, eventually, we came to see that we were not all that different. This everyday exposure among the former day and afternoon school saw the formation of friendships because, finally, the division was eliminated. At least now, the barriers that have long been impeding interaction between us were removed.

Yes, day schoolers typically belong to a higher social strata. Most would rather speak in English than in Filipino. They’ve experienced some things that we could only dream of. However, this does not mean that we cannot work well together.

In the end we are all Southridge students holding on to the same values that the school wants to instill in her students.

Three months into senior high school integration, and things are looking up.

The uncertainty caused by the new grading system, new teachers, new subjects, new schedules, new classmates, and new experiences has, if not disappeared, diminished.

In fact, other than having core and applied subjects and being graded per semester, senior high school is not as different as I thought it would be.

On “Senior High”

by

Paolo Sandejas

The first time I heard about the K-12 switch, I was a student in grade 5 and my class adviser announced to us that we’d be skipping grade 6 and heading straight to grade 7. We were told that we’d technically be considered as part of Junior High School. Despite the shock, we were generally excited by the thought of being in high school. At the time we didn’t really grasp the entire concept of the grade jump, as well as the reasons and causes for it. It was not until a few years later in late grade 9 that we discovered that we would have to pick strands, which are sets of classes that are aimed at our desired college courses, once we reached grade 10. Again,the exhilaration ran high; it seemed so much like college.In grade 10, we were having orientations on the different strands available to us. This led to an even more interesting development, which was when we found out that we’d be mixing with the afternoon school for senior high. My batchmates had mixed feelings about the idea. Some were excited and enthusiastic about the change and the implications for the change, while others were more pessimistic and worried about how day school-afternoon school dynamics would workout in integration. The perceptions of the change resembled that of making new friends.

Soon enough our senior high journey began.

New uniforms, a new

building, and many new faces all contributed in making our first day of school an exciting one. Then, the schoolwork commenced and, within the first two weeks, we had two papers to work on as well as a few long tests to study for. Due to the implementation of a new grading system, the mechanics of the transmutation of grades changed drastically. If you got 0/30 in a long test, that meant your grade for that test would be 0%; forget the standard floor grade of 65%. Initially, our grades saw a drop from the usual values of previous years, but the new grading system did in fact teach us to value our grades more, motivating us to study more and manage our time more wisely.Getting by wasn’t going to be as easy as it was before.

For most of the first quarter, the situation of the afternoon school-day school dynamic was pretty much the same. We stayed out of each other’s way most of the time; that is unless the situation required us to work with them on a project or to seek help from them regarding difficult school topics (they are geniuses). Such occasions were not common. But, this all changed in the light of recent events brought about by the unifying festivities of our Buwan ng Wika.

Buwan ng Wika has always been an interesting period for the former day school students, as majority of us really struggle with the Filipino language. This year, we found ourselves working hand in hand with the former afternoon school students to create amazing performances for the sabayang pagbigkas, sayawan, and the videoke kings competitions. This partnership started off with nervous students trying their best to work together, but it ultimately allowed us to bond more as a united senior high batch. For me this was very much evident in our practices for the sayawan competition. As the competition drew closer, our dance, which was mainly conceptualized by the former day school students, was a pleasant performance that could be improved upon. We found our break when the former afternoon school students began to share their own inputs for the dance.We found ourselves goofing around in the football field trying to come up with cool steps to add to our dance, with each student showing off their dance moves while helping others with ideas that they had in mind. I could not put into words how enjoyable it was to see a batch once divided work together towards a common goal while having fun at the same time. It may not be the batch unity we wish just yet, but it’s definitely a great start.

If this is what senior high has to offer, I can’t wait to see how everything will turn out later in the school year. Great changes are coming for batch 2018, beware!

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Tyranny and Dictatorship

by Jake

Editor’s Note: The thoughts and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author. They do not reflect the official stand of Southridge as an institution nor of all the members of the school community.

To the school that taught me to love life and country, On September 23, 1972, Ferdinand Marcos signed into law Proclamation No. 1081 which ushered in one of the darkest, most gruesome periods in Philippine History: Martial Law. During the newly founded Marcos regime, thousands of innocent civilians were killed and tortured.

Innocent men, women, and children were put in cages, their bodies mutilated, their dignity stripped from them, and their lives taken away as they were raped, strangled, beaten, burned, and electrocuted by the same people who were said to have been keeping the peace.

“They were violators of the law!”Supporters cried out, not knowing the reason they were violating curfew was because the only place they could get food was across the street, because their son fell sick at 3:00 am and needed medicine, or simply because they had nowhere to go home to.

“They were causing chaos and disturbing the peace”, loyalists claimed, ignoring the fact that the very same thing they were protesting was the violence and malice of the government that had abandoned them. They were ignored. Instead of listening or actually maintaining the peace, they tortured them, slaughtered them, raped them, and murdered them; all for what? For information they did not have and for crimes they did not commit.

Day by day, people died under a cruel regime that destroyed the foundation of the democracyfor which men fought so hard to achieve during the time of the Spanish and the Japanese, governments that did not represent the people, legislation that gave no voice to those who they affected, and police forces that destroyed the lives of those they wished to protect.

Right now, the man who is responsible for those crimes all those years ago is going to be given a hero’s burial. Nevermind the 737 Filipinos who disappeared from their lives, never again to be seen by their families, or the 3,257 men, women and children who were murdered by the brutal regime, or the 35,000 people who had every single scrap of their humanity torn away from their bodies as they were made into playthings for malicious soldiers1, or Liliosa Hilao, a student activist who was abducted by drunk soldiers and murdered in April of 19732 or the other students who were shot, tear-gassed, and imprisoned for speaking out against the vile injustices against their fellowmen3.

Ferdinand Marcos merely stood there and watched a nation divided between her government and her people, taking away not only lives, but also the democracy upon which the country was built. He robbed our people blind as he stashed away millions upon millions of pesos4, which, to this day, remain missing5 like the countless victims who were never found.

Currently, the Marcos family is no longer allowed to step foot in the United States6, but while a foreign country has shut their doors to this symbol of tyranny; we have welcomed him back into a cemetery for heroes. Forevermore, people who go to the Burial Place of Heroes will see a ruthless dictator buried among the Filipino soldiers who gave their lives for our country.

For his crimes against the state and against humanity, Ferdinand Marcos is not a 1 “Dark Legacy: Human rights under the Marcos regime” by Alfred W. McCoy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Conference on the Legacies of the Marcos Dictatorship, Ateneo de Manila University, Archives, Hartford Web Publishing, September 20, 1999. http://www.hartford-hwp.com/ archives/54a/062.html 2 “LiliosaHilao: First Martial Law detainee killed” by Kate Pedroso and Marielle Medina, Inquirer Research, Inquirer.net September 1, 2015. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/718061/liliosahilao-first-martial-law-detainee-killed 3 “A History of Philippine Political Protest”, ESDA, Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. http://www.gov.ph/edsa/the-ph-protest/ 4 “IMELDA ROMUALDEZ-MARCOS v. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES”, Second Division, Supreme Court of the Philippines, Jurisprudence, sc.judiciary.gov.ph, April 25, 2012 http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2012/april2012/189434.htm 5 “The $10bn question: what happened to the Marcos millions?” by Nick Davies, The Guardian, May 7, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/07/10bn-dollar-questionmarcos-millions-nick-davies 6 “Marcoses lose appeal: Contempt Case Involves $354-M Award To Human Rights Victims” by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer.net, October 29, 2012. http://globalnation.inquirer. net/54454/marcoses-lose-us-appeal

Consing hero, and he never will be.

But years after we toppled a ruthless dictator in the name of human dignity and an end to the violence, the same bloodshed c o n t i n u e s a s t h o u s a n d s a re slaughtered in a supposed “War on Crime”. According to established international news outlets such as Al Jazeera7,Time8, the BBC9, The New York Times10, and the Business Insider 11 , over 1,800 to 1,900 people have been killed since June 30 with the most generous estimate of confirmed cases coming from the Inquirer12 being at 774 as of August 22. Every single day, people labeled drug pushers and criminals are being shot on the streets with no trial. An article made by the Philippine Star on July 22 estimates that over 11 people are killed per day.13All of them killed without a trial. Without that fundamental right to be represented in a court of law, there is no justice obtained because there is no certainty as to whether or not these people are innocent or if they are guilty, whether the punishment fits the crime (in the Philippines, however, the death penalty was outlawed in 2005 through Republic Act No. 9346).

It is no longer the safety of criminals that hangs in the balance, but the safety of everyone. Now, your neighbors, your sons, your daughters, your parents, and your closest friends may fall victim to these killings simply because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and now with people doling out their own brands of vigilante justice, you don’t even have to be related to crime, you simply have to be accused. Your neighbors can be killed because they were robbed and labeled as pushers to cover up their murder. Your children can be slaughtered because they happened to be caught in the middle of fire. Your closest friends can be shot because their relatives happened to be accused as peddlers. And even if someone may have been guilty of committing a crime or dealing drugs, that does not mean they have the right to be murdered in the dead of night without any due process. Under Philippine Law, you can only take someone’s life either when you are a soldier fighting for national security or in self-defense, but even then, it is only permitted in certain instances. However, without due process, we can never know whether the killings are justified or not. These deaths are no longer a matter of innocence, but of circumstance.

As a member of this institution, I strongly believe that the members of our school community must take a stand, even a personal one, regarding these pressing issues. Our seeming silence over these abhorrent acts is particularly concerning because over the years, we have always been taught about the sanctity of life and the injustices that have been committed against it. When the RH Bill was proposed, we sold stickers at the front desk proclaiming “No to the RH Bill”. When we’d ask our teachers why, they told us it was because it threatened the lives of unborn children. When we’d ask our parents why, they’d tell us the same thing. It was always about preserving life. Why then are we not taking a stance against the current day injustices of people being shot on the streets with cardboard boxes and streams of blood being the only testimonies to theirdemise?

When actual lives are being taken away? Why then are we not taking a stand against the burial of a murderer? Why is the sanctity of life limited to contraception or to an abortion table? Why are we not taking a stand?

The ideal Southridge Graduate “has a knowledge of and a respect for the dignity of the human person and the conviction that he can work with others in defending and uplifting it”14. This is the same reason behind why we were told that the RH Bill 7 “Philippines police chief: 1,900 killed in anti-drug war”, Human Rights, News, Al Jazeera, August 23, 2016. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/philippines-police-chief-1900-killedanti-drug-war-160823070010316.html 8 “Almost 1,800 People Have Died in Seven Weeks in the Philippines’ War on Drugs” by Rishi Iyengar, Time, August 23, 2016. http://time.com/4462382/philippines-duterte-1800-killed-drug-war/ 9 “Philippines war on drugs: ‘1,900 killed’ amid crackdown”, Asia, News, BBC News, August 23, 2016. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37162323

10 “Nearly 1,800 Killed in Duterte’s Drug War, Philippine Police Official Tells Senators” by Felipe Villamor and Richard C. Paddock, Asia Pacific, The New York Times, August 22, 2016 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/23/world/asia/philippines-rodrigo-duterte.html?_r=0 11 “The Philippines’ new president is waging a drug war that has killed nearly 1,800 people”

by Louise Liu, Military and Defense, Business Insider, August 23, 2016. http://www.businessinsider. com/philippines-dutertes-drug-war-has-killed-nearly-1800-people-2016-8 12 “THE KILL LIST” as compiled by Sara Isabelle Pacia, NewsLab, and Almi Atienza, Inquirer Research, Inquirer.net, Published July 7, 2016, Updated August 22, 2016. http://newsinfo. inquirer.net/794598/kill-list-drugs-duterte 13 “Drug killings now up to 11 per day” by CecilleSuerte Felipe, Headlines, The Philippine Star, July 25, 2016. www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/07/25/1606416/drug-killings-now-11-day 14 “The Ideal Southridge Graduate”, About Us, The Official PAREF Southridge School Website. http://www.southridge.edu.ph/content/graduate.php [continued on page 14]

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My name is Ahmed Mohammed.

A regular Grade 9 student from Texas, USA. When I grow up, I want to be an engineer.

I want to make this world a better place.

So I built a clock out of scrap materials.

And went to school in my favorite NASA shirt then showed my teachers my home made clock. but I ended up being accused by my own teacher.

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The Irish Republican Army.

A dangerous terrorist group that’s been active for almost 50 years.

Yet a very few number or people know of it. but They have bomb-rigged cars too.

They have guns too.

They have suicide bombers too.

They have C4 too.

They recklessly shoot people too.

The waste innocent lives too.

The person whom I trust, did not trust me.

Then why did few people realize what they did was terrorism?

Why do we see every Muslim as a terrorist?

Why don’t we see the Irish as terrorists?

Is there a difference between these two races?

Because she thought I built a bomb.

She called the police and had me interrogated.

Just because of my name and my clock.

Just because of my beliefs and my skin.

Not. One. When a non-Muslim does something wrong, it is a crime.

But when a Muslim does something wrong, it’s called terrorism.

If Richard built the same clock, the teacher would praise him for doing something very difficult.

If Jessica built the same clock, the teacher would applaud her for doing something that many can’t do.

But if “Ahmed” built it, BOOM! IT’S A BOMB! BOOM! IT’LL DESTROY THE SCHOOL! BOOM! IT’LL KILL EVERYONE IN THE ROOM! WHAT ON EARTH DID I DO?!

WHAT DOES MY NAME, SKIN, AND BELIEFS MEAN TO YOU?!

Does my name mean death?

Does my skin color mean danger?

Does my religion mean a threat?

Does my name sound like a gun reloading?

Does my skin color resemble a warning sign?

Does my religion show that I will be killing?

My name does not define me.

My skin color does not make my actions.

My religion does not threaten thee.

Is there a difference between me and my classmates?

Not. One.

Thousands of innocents die in Iraq daily and no one bats an eye, 80 people in France were killed and everyone just loses their minds!

After what happened at 9/11/2001, that killed 3000, the world changed.

We labelled Muslims as a threat just because the people responsible were Islam. but Who killed about 6 million Jews across Europe?

Who killed about 20 million of Aborigines in Australia?

Who dropped the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing250,000 people?

Who killed more than 100 million Red Indians in North America?

Who killed more than 50 million Indians in South America?

Who took 180 million African people as slaves and just threw them into the Atlantic Ocean? Muslims?

NO! Then why only now do we treat Muslims as terrorists?

Why did we not treat others, who killed more, the same?

Why did we not see the Germans the same way?

Why did we not see the Americans the same way?

Is there a difference between Muslims and the other countries aside from the fact that the non-Muslims killed more?

Not. One.

Terrorism.

The use of violence in the pursuit of political aims.

But why do we see our brothers, the Muslims, this way?

Tyranny and Dictatorship was wrong; supposedly, it went against the “dignity and sanctity of human life”, but now, when over a thousand lives have been taken away unjustly, the dignity of the human person is being threatened more than ever. Now, the value of a human being is one that has become more expendable as the fundamental right by which individuals are able to assert themselves in a court of law is being taken away. Human beings are now being treated more like cattle than like humans. We were born with immutable rights, and now, they are being treated as if they mean nothing. Furthermore, now the man who destroyed the foundation of democracy upon which the country was founded by stripping people of their right to expression, free press, life, the right not to be illegally detained, and the right not to be tortured is being given a hero’s burial. This ultimately threatens the standard by which we uphold the dignity of the human person. It not only places a brutal dictator among heroes, but it also changes the perception by which we view his actions. It

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paints the imposition of Martial Law and the stripping of rights as heroic and portrays the dignity of the human person in a more disposable light. It forgoes the suffering and hardships the people of our country went through in order to topple down a dictator by putting that same man and his actions on a pedestal. Right now, we have a fundamental duty to go against the vile injustices against human life and dignity.

Looking past our duties as an educational institution, we first and foremost have a responsibility as citizens of our country to uphold the basic dignity of the human being. In the every constitution that has been passed, the rights to life and due process have always remained.

When we see our fellowmen gunned down for crimes they may or may not have committed, we have a duty to speak out against those injustices, for without criticism of the government, you allow them to get away with violating the rights of their citizens. We must be steadfast in upholding the rights of an individual to be given due

process because that is one of the fundamental rights that ensure that no government can ever take away your rights unfairly. As a Filipino, we have a duty toward one another to make sure regardless of our age, race, or class, we are all treated as what we are: humans.

Every single day at 12 noon, students, parents, and teachers alike gather at the chapel and recite the Confiteor confessing to God for what we have done, and for what we have failed to do, and right now, as an institution that wishes to uphold the sanctity of life and the dignity of the Filipino, we are failing to take a stand against this problem. I implore you, my fellow students, to stand alongside the Filipino people in this time of hardship.

Please take the stand against the violence, tyranny, dictatorship, and bloodshed we face as a country.

With hope for a brighter future, Jake Consing, 11-A

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child A Review by

Alfonso Marañon

Written by Jack Thorne based on an original story by JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the most critically acclaimed stage play of 2016. The following review is concerned with the rehearsal script that was published along with the premier of the play.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is set in the year 2020, 19 years after the defeat of Voldemort. The story begins where Deathly Hallows ended: on Platform 9¾, with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny saying farewell to their children.

Much like Deathly Hallows’ epilogue, Harry’s second child Albus Severus Potter is the focus of the book. The new addition is Scorpius, Draco Malfoy’s son. Albus and Severus strike up an unlikely friendship, and together, they will confront a darkness that threatens the safety of the whole world.

In comparison to the original books, Cursed Child is an incredibly different yet familiar literary experience. Being a rehearsal script, it has more in common with Shakespeare’s Hamlet than it does The Philosopher’s Stone. Instead of paragraphs and chapters, there are lines and acts. It will take some time getting used to, but eventually you will learn to cope. Unfortunately, being a rehearsal script has some major drawbacks. Stage directions are kept to a minimum, so the unimaginative reader will have trouble visualizing what is happening. One is never entirely sure what emotion a character is expressing, or how exactly he or she is saying a line. But at the end of the today you know without a doubt that this is a JK Rowling book, her style is ever present in the text.

In terms of characterization, Cursed Child is a mixed bag, though this may be a result of my rose tinted glasses. Having father and son issues, there is a lot of friction between Harry and Albus. They both make bad decisions that feel contradictory to their characters. Then again, we aren’t quite used to seeing Harry making mistakes. Scorpius is the Hermione of the duo; he is a self-described geek and is very witty. I enjoyed his character, but there is a lot of overlap between Albus and him. At times, they sound the same, and if quoted one of their lines, I wouldn’t be able to identify who said it. This could again be a result of the book being a rehearsal script, as actors would surely inject unique personalities into their characters.

As far as the plot goes, Cursed Child is nothing revolutionary. It treads the same ground as previous books. Also, the story doesn’t pick up until Part 2, so it can be said that the book has pacing issues.But Cursed Child gets plus points for exploring an aspect of the Harry Potter universe that has been nagging fans for years. I can’t get too into it without spoiling, but it is quite clever.

So how does Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’s rehearsal script hold up? As a fan of the Harry Potter franchise, I can say that I enjoyed the book. It was far from perfect, and I do think it does fall short of the standards set by previous Harry Potter books, but it is a fun time catching up with characters you have spent hours with and seeing how their children cope with the burden of having the wizarding world equivalent of Jesus Christ as your father. The best indicator of the books quality is that it has me itching to watch the stage play. If I ever got the chance to watch Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I would definitely take it.

Suicide Squad Review by

Alfonso Marañon

Suicide Squad is the third movie in Warner Brothers’ DC cinematic universe, otherwise known as the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). After the critical and box office disappointments of the previous two movies in the DCEU, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice, there were a lot of hopes riding on Suicide Squad to be the first success in WB’s fledgling franchise. With a great San Diego ComicCon trailer and a successful marketing campaign, the fans, I included, went to the theater expecting a good time. Unfortunately, the film ultimately disappoints.

Suicide Squad gets its name from the movie’s team of heroes, or in this case, villains. Amanda Waller, a ruthless government official, decides that after the events of Batman v Superman, the US needs to be able to tackle superhuman threats. Her solution is Task Force X, nicknamed the Suicide Squad. Made up some of the worst and most powerful criminals in the US, the Squad is sent in to deal with situations that require plausible deniability. Need to assassinate some guy in a country with no diplomatic ties with the US? The Squad will get it done, although they won’t be happy about it. How could they be, when they have subdermal explosives in their necks that will detonate in the event of betrayal or capture by the enemy. Task Force X is comprised of Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot, an incredible marksman for hire, Harley Quinn, the Clown Queen of Crime and partner to the Joker, Captain Boomerang, a cowardly yet deadly Aussie boomerang expert, Killer Croc, a man with a skin condition turned cannibal, and El Diablo, a repenting Mexican crime lord with the powers of a demon. They are lead by Rick Flagg, an elite US Spec Ops soldier, who in turn is protected by Katana, a Japanese woman with a magical soul-stealing sword.

If you think that it would be tricky balancing the focus given to characters considering there are so many of them, then you are right. While Deadshot, played

by Will Smith, and Harley, played by Margot Robbie, shine in the spotlight, the other members of the team are left by the wayside. For fans of these characters, this can be very disappointing.

The team’s first mission is to rescue a VIP from the war-torn city of Midway, where the ultra powerful Enchantress and her brother (whose name I forgot, that should tell you enough about his character) are building a superweapon to destroy the world.

Looking at the plot, Suicide Squad brings nothing new to the table, which would be fine if we could at least enjoy some excellent action scenes, but Suicide Squad’s are merely passable. That I think is an apt description: passable, mediocre, “just ayt”.

A few days before the film released, negative reviews began to pour in. While some critics might have been a bit too harsh, they were quite accurate, no matter how angry fans got at Rotten Tomatoes. The biggest problem many others and I have with the movie is the editing. It seems Suicide Squad is yet another victim of studio interference. Between the first trailer that had everyone so hyped and the final cut of the film, so much has changed. Scenes were removed or reshot, ill-fitting “cool” songs were added to make the film livelier, and character relationships and motivations were all screwed up. The movie feels like it’s hiding a much better story beneath all this pandering.

In conclusion, I do not think Suicide Squad can be called a good movie. Depending on how much you know about the original comics, the movie can range from mediocre to infuriating. However, that is not to say that no fun can be had with it. The movie is the first DCEU effort to inject some humor and levity to the formula, so one can get a couple of laughs and a few chuckles. But if you are planning on buying the Blu-ray, I would suggest to get a few friends willing to watch it with you first.

Why Character Matters Dr. Thomas Lickona In Southridge School

by Jose

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Gerard B. Kawada

ne of Southridge’s main goals as a school is to form her students’ character. In the pursuit of such goal, good character for the students, Dr. Thomas Lickona was invited and flew to the Philippines to give several talks to help teachers and parents raise the young become responsible and upright individuals.

Dr. Lickona is a development psychologist and professor emeritus of education at the State University of New York at Cortland. He has given several talks about character in places such as Harvard and Boston Universities and school from other countries as well such as Japan, Canada, Ireland and more. As well as being a speaker, he is also an author of several books on the topic, such as Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility and Character Matters: How to Help Our Children Develop Good Judgement, Integrity, and Other Essential Values.

On August 6, members of the Ridge Staff were able to interview Dr. Lickona and have a better insight on how students can start shaping their character.

According to him, one of the greatest challenges teenagers face today is to believe that they have value. He claims that many of the young do not realize their worth as individuals and because of that they struggle to figure out their purpose in life.

He tells of the example of Nick Vujicic, a man with no arms and legs, suffered depression as a kid, who found God and found his true call. This same man now also travels the world as he does in order to give talks to people about character and hope. Dr. Lickona exhorts that each one has worth and the challenge is to find and develop the gifts and use them to help contribute to society. It becomes harder to do this in a world surrounded by greed and selfishness, where people think that their only goal in life is to amass wealth or indulge in selfish desires and pleasure instead of actually thinking of improving their lives and the lives of others. They must pursue their passions and aspirations even when they are clouded by a culture of narcissism and greed.

He also tells why character matters especially to teens nowadays. “It all starts with happiness and everyone wanting to be happy, truly and genuinely happy. And the real answer lies in the question ‘How can we be happy?’” He quotes Aristotle when he says that the only way people become happy is when they do good acts because it results to wonderful things such as sense of fulfilment and satisfaction, heightened self-worth and self-respect, and peace of mind which are important to appreciating who they really are. When the young live dishonest, selfish and sinful lives, lives full of vices, they are led away from their true worth and begin to dislike themselves. They exist in a world full of guilt and resentment which damage their relations with their loved ones and with others, severely hurting them emotionally. This definitely leads to a breakdown in relationships. On the contrary, good character allows people to have good relations with their peers whether at work, in school, at home, or wherever they go. Good relationships create and build. They lead to happier lives and harmonious affairs. Character is

important because it leads to success in ways that allow people to be happy even in trying and challenging times and situations.

Lastly, Dr. Lickona prescribes that the most important aspect of character that the teens need to remember and develop are purity and chastity. The difference between the present generation and the past generations is the sexual revolution that is happening wherein vulgarity, violence, and sexualization of even the simple things is more common now especially in media and television. This is made more serious by the rise and proliferation of pornography and the ease by which the young can access it. Definitely the people most affected by this negative and devastating culture are the young, so naive and malleable that they are easily corrupted. They are immediately influenced by this culture, get easily addicted and tend to carry with them these negative values as they grow to adulthood.

The addiction leads them to harm their future relations as spouses and as role models of the new generation. The bigger tragedy is that this culture is not being addressed properly but rather accepted more and more as the new normal and ordinary. It appears that the only entity seriously tackling the problem is Religion.

In order to fight the evils of pornography, there is a need to keep in mind the faith in God and the trust that He is kind, gentle, and merciful. Prayer therefore is an important part of shaping good character and in leading happy Christian lives.

The negative culture should not be allowed to dominate and destroy one’s true worth as a person, one’s true nature as human being and one’s status as a son of God. Good character therefore defines the man. It is the measure that separates him from the brutes and the beasts. It is what makes him a man. This makes him viriliter agite!