The Thirteenth Scholars Volume 7 Issue 1, February 2024

THE

NEWS

My Chemical Romance

| SAM ADRIAN CABUSAO

“What is Love?

From the Greek concept of Eros, Philia, and Agape, to the love-struck bops of popular music, the question of what love is seems to be an overarching dilemma spanning years, enamoring the smartest of philosophers to the wittiest of songwriters Even with ourselves, people love to pin different definitions of love, such as “love is a funnyfeelingthatwefeelaroundpeoplewelike”or“love is an illusion to distract us from the disappointments of reality”–tothecynicalfew Inshort,toquestionloveisas human as to experience it In recent scientific developments, however, scientists have delved into the intricateworkingsofthebrainandthebodytounravelthe mystery behind this universal experience that has capturedthecultureandthemindsofthepeople

ILLUSTRATION | CHARLIZE KATE BERNAT

Recall the time you accidentally ran into someone you found to be attractive. You may have noticed your palms and the bottom of your feet sweating, your speech stuttered and sometimes even followed by an awkward laugh; you may have said something in an attempt to sound smart and impressive, but in hindsight, you realize it sounded stupid while you try to escape the sudden magnetic attraction from this person And very likely, did you feel your heartbeat pounding fast like a bullet train? It's not a stretch why for a long time we thought that love came from the heart As it turns out, the organ that many of us think to be rational – the ego or the mediator – the brain is the one to go haywire, which in turn makes the body behave the same According to scientists at Rutgers, lovecanbebrokendownintothreestages:lust,attraction, and attachment Each of these is controlled by its own set ofhormonesfromthebrain.

During the Lust stage, the hypothalamus plays a huge role,stimulatingthereleaseofsexhormonestestosterone and estrogen, from the male and female gonads, respectively. The release of these hormones increases libido but is much more pronounced in men than women This stage is not so different from our mammalianneighborsontheplanet

The next stage is Attraction Attraction involves the pathway in the brain that controls reward, which is why the feeling of falling in love feels like an addictive and exhilaratingrush,and,atworst,canbeall-consumingand self-destructive It is similar in feeling to the effects of alcoholoreatingagoodmeal.

Dopamine, or the “feel-good hormone”, is a major player in the reward pathway This chemical makes us feelenergetic,butitalsomakesrestlessness,evenleading to decreased appetite and insomnia, linked to a reduction inserotoninlevels,ahormoneinvolvedwithappetiteand mood – which means those cheesy scenes in romantic movieswherethecharacterisso“madlyinlove”thatthey act erratic is true and can happen to you. Another hormone released during this stage is Norepinephrine, which plays an important role in the fight or flight response, which activates when feeling stressed which makes one vigilant. In fact, in a study conducted, where participants' brains were scanned after being shown a photo of a person they are intensely attracted to, it shows that the primary reward centers of the brain go cuckoo when compared to when they were shown a photo of a persontheyareneutraltowards

Finally, Attachment is the common link found in longterm relationships. It sees the release of oxytocin replacingdopamineandnorepinephrine Whiletheinitial stages are pretty much exclusive to romantic relationships, attachment is involved in friendships, parent-infantbonding,andotherintimacies.

Oxytocin is also called “cuddle hormone” because of this Oxytocin, like dopamine, is also produced by the hypothalamus and released en masse during intimate moments,suchasduringsexandchildbirth.Thesescenes maybeverystrange,someofwhichareevenpainful,but the common theme between them is that they are the antecedent to bonding This makes it clear why we have separate areas for different stages of love: we are bonded and attached to our families, but other forms of emotion arenotsupposedtobethere

The Science Behind:

STAGES OF LOVE

These mechanisms may paint the picture of love being an all-time happy entanglement with no strings attached: hormones are released, this makes us feel good, and it brings us closer to our partners But this paints half a picture of what love is: love comes with jealousy, erratic behavior, irrationality, and other less desirable moods and emotions What seems to be hormones that make us happyandattached,alsobringthedownsidesoflove

Dopamine, the hormone responsible for the reward pathway, controls both our virtues and vices. The region that lights up when we see the person we are attracted to alsolightsupwhendrugaddictstakecocaine Attachment can also be seen in the same light When taken to the extreme, the same region in the brain lights up when we becomeemotionallydependentonourpartners

Love is incomplete without embarrassing yourself The feelings of sexual arousal turn off certain regions in our brain that govern critical thinking and self-awareness. In short,lovemakesusdumbandmakesusdodumbthings causing those late-night recollections of the cringy things you did before like accidentally giving your crush a weird giftorsayinganoddpunchline

In short, there is an “answer” to the question: what is love? However, it shows an incomplete mosaic of what love is and there are parts in the canvas that are yet to be paintedover Itcanbethethingthatmakesuswanttodo thingsoritcouldbethethingthatmakesuswanttorotin bed and never wake up again Love is an intricate symphonythatevenwhenweareshownthemusicsheet on how to play it, the feelings it spurs within us, and the things it makes us do can sometimes be unexplainable or even mystical Maybe it is for the better that love is an open-endedthoughtthatrakesinmoneyformusiciansor for would-be philosophers to mull over Allowing everybody to develop their interpretation of love, without heedtothelimitationsbarredbysociety,purelyfueledby the human experience of being in love. Or, maybe it should all be hormones, then maybe each of us can have chemistrywitheachother

| YUNA

Growing up, I witnessed how my parents exchanged words of war Leaving me a sense of grudge and unseen scars

And with it, I swore to myself that I would never let love linger beside If it would only be a reason for me to fall behind

Yet, the promise I made was suddenly shattered

When I found myself fluttered

For someone that made me wonder Why they had me stuttered

Without a warning They had me admiring

For their traits that are peerless

Causing me to be in love and to be fearless.

| LIAM YAP

Their eyes locked on Blood rushed upon I took my shot Alas it hit…not

Feelings displayed

Laughter unfolds

First holding hands

Another introduction stands Ropes loosely entwined

Her knot came untied

A trail of lust left behind Now lead to nevermind

An arrow’s false angle

Hung a cage to dangle

The quest for love lives on Indefinitely from dusk till dawn

Ibig ng Tao

a puso ng tao, kadkad at lumalago diriwang natin, g dadamahin. , , kolate sa lalagyan, Mag-irog na nagbibigayan, ating nasasaksihan. Bagamat ang mas hihigit pa sa mga materyal na bagay, ay tunay at tapat na pag-ibig na ating ia-alay

Maaring mahirap ang pagmamahalan

'Di puro lang kasiyahan at puso'y maaring masaktan

Ngunit ang mahalaga ay tayo ay natututo, upang ating minamahal ay mas mabuting itina-trato Sa gulo at ingay ng mundo, pag-ibig ang minsang nakakapagsundo sa tao

Kahit sa hirap na nararanasan sa buhay, kapag ika'y nagmahal ito'y nawawalay

Bata man o matanda, ang pagmamahal sa kapwa ay mahalaga Ito ang ating magiging sandata, sa mga hindi pagkaka-unawaan ng bawat isa

HarmonyofHearts

| ✨

In the embrace of February

Love takes flight

Valentine's whispers a symphony of love

And a sweet bond that makes it one of a kind

Cupid's arrow stings gently

At the hearts of two

In the air will sing

The anthem of love

Valentine's is not just for two

But will also include

Everyone you love

And are special to you

Valentine's magic will be here

A rhythmic symphony of hearts

An endless dazzling maze for love May this day in joy, unfold

SerenadeofLove

| ANONYMOUS

In this world veiled away from light

The strings of my heart shine bright

For as long as our hearts are in radar

The symphony called love does not fail to cater

The scent they enlight when they pass by, Fills the room with an aroma so divine The tranquility that their presence cover

Gives our hearts a chance to uncover

With each word they reiterate

The sound of my beating heart proliferates

With all the vast clamor that surrounds

The harmony within my heart profounds

With every fleeting click of the clock

My incentive to live continues to unlock

As the thought of their presence surround my peripherie I continue to delight in reverie

LoveAsaBud

| MARMALLER

With love of learning, my life bloomed, A glimpse of you from across the room

A romantic tale starts with fluff, That time has made divine, fun, yet rough

Through every quiz and crammed exam night, You’re with me in silly jokes, crying, and in joyous delight, Underneath the stars, stress high at hand, I just think of you and it relieves my mind, like a command

Strolling the halls to meet with friends, Feelings rush through; should I? Depends

Through this poem filled with affection’s art, A dumb confession from the heart

Wishing it lasted longer for the laughs, Our bond grows strong; will there be a chance? I can’t help but feel alone, cold, and sad, When I didn't have the courage to ask

All this time, I think I can do it

My heart racing and feet trembling

I ask you the question, a bit corny, I admit

Yet you say, “Yes!”, which almost caused me fainting

This Day of Hearts we shall share a smile, Hands and eyes locked, our minds drift all the while,

As youth’s naivety brought us fun, We shall enjoy it, love warm as the sun

Piling

| BINGLING

Sa piling mo'y walang hanggang saya, Ang puso'y tila naglalakbay sa ulap ng ligaya

Boses mo’y parang himig ng musika, Sa'yong mga yakap, mundo'y nagiging makulay na pintura.

Bawat ngiti mo'y nagbibigay ng sigla sa aking buhay, Pag ibig mo’y bumaril sa akin.

Hindi ko makikita ang kinabukasan ko na wala ka Tila’y ikaw ang bituin na patuloy kong sinusundan

Ikaw ang tanging inspirasyon sa bawat tula't awit, Walang katulad ang pag-ibig na aking pinagtagpi-tagpi Hindi ko alam anong ang ginawa mo sa akin, pero tila’y pinamahal mo ako ng napakalalim

Ikaw ang nagbibigay-buhay sa aking mga pangarap, Sa piling mo, buong mundo'y tila walang katapusan at hangganan

Hand-in-hand we stroll, Through life’s journey, heart and soul, Sweet Valentine’s goal.

HAIKU|MARMALLER

FEATURE ISKOCHELLA 2024:

SILAKBOXSIGALABPERFORMANCES

Sa'yong piling, mundo'y puno ng pag-asaat saya, Ikaw ang aking liwanag sa madilim na gabi at sa bawat umaga

Whispersof Valentine’sEmbrace

| UNO:)

In hearts aglow with love's sweet flame, Valentine's Day calls out each name

A day of roses, soft and red, Where whispered words are sweetly spread

In every glance, a tender sigh, Beneath the moonlit, starry sky