The Sillimanian 2015 by The Weekly Sillimanian

The

Sillimanian The supplementary magazine of the Weekly Sillimanian S.Y. 2014-2015

The

Sillimanian The supplementary magazine of the Weekly Sillimanian S.Y. 2014-2015

Magazine Committee Board Members Chairman STEPHANIE RIA COLINCO

Note

Creative Director CHRISTIAN RENZ TORRES Contributions Editor ANDREA LIM Business Manager PRINCE ALBERT VILLA Layout Artist JOHN REY VILLAREAL Adviser WARLITO CATURAY JR.

ABOUT THE COVER

The statue of Horace Silliman has weathered through many trials and will continue to do so for the years to come. The everlasting endurance of the Silliman spirit emboldens us to pursue the truth. Despite the pitch black that surrounds our university, day will always overtake night. The blinding truth that besets the comfortable darkness will be revered and celebrated. Artists: North Orillan BBA Mgt II Karla Jay Villarino BMC II

eople from all walks of life are captivated by the unique beauty of our dear ol’ Silliman. Picturesque sunrises overlooking the boulevard are one of the most majestic sights this “university beside the sea” offers. Hundreds Editor’s of acacia trees that tower over the antique edifices of the historic campus are what makes this school a landmark, a tourist attraction. The most beautiful treasures of Silliman University, however, have not yet been descried; some are still lurking in the dark. These treasures are the unheard rich stories in the Silliman community and the hidden talents of Sillimanians. For 111 years now, the Weekly Sillimanian has served as an avenue for students to be informed of the goings on in the university and for Silliman talents to be showcased. However, even though tWS issues are released on a weekly basis, the reservoir of untold stories still has not run dry. Unless exposed to light, these beauties hidden in darkness cannot be appreciated. Ergo, the staff has taken on the responsibility of being light shedders through this special year-ender. The Sillimanian, the magazine supplement of tWS, had its hiatus for over a decade. It has been irregularly published that even previous tWS staff members have not kept track of the volume number. We hope to revive the tradition of giving voice to the voiceless, shedding light to neglected issues, and uncovering hidden Silliman talents through this magazine. We present to you a collection of stories, poems, photographs, and other works of art of diverse topics that were once tucked in the corners of the campus, or in the notebooks of Sillimanians. Flip through the pages and discover the side of Silliman University waiting to be unearthed. To God be all the glory!

Artist for Interior Geometric Designs: Cat Quevenco BFA IV

Stephanie Ria L. Colinco Editor-in-chief

the Weekly Sillimanian Staff Editor-in-chief Stephanie Ria L. Colinco | Associate Editor Andrea D. Lim | News Editor Nova Veraley V. Grafe | Business Manager Prince Albert C. Villa News Writers DM Lorena V. Narciso, Leslie J. Batallones, Andrea Dawn E. Boycillo, Faith R. Llera, Beb Christelle L. Barot | Feature Writers Rhobie A. Ruaya, Nerra Bonf S. Caong, Christian Renz M. Torres, Ella Jane L. Ayangco | Photojournalists Nelly May S. Dableo, Jameela Antoinette I. Mendoza, Ina Isabelle A. Taburaza Cartoonist Nicky F. Maypa | Circulation Manager Jessah J. Milvar, Rexford B. Yurong | Layout Artist John Rey L. Villareal | Web Manager Chenny Kieth Obañana Adviser Warlito S. Caturay Jr.

The Sillimanian is the supplementary magazine of the Weekly Sillimanian. No part of this magazine may be reproduced whether by photocopying, by scanning, or by any other means without written permission from the editorial board of tWS. Opinions expressed in the columns are those of the columnists and not of tWS or of Silliman University. Comments, questions, and suggestions are highly appreciated. All submitted manuscripts become the property of tWS. Manuscripts will be edited for brevity and clarity.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Poems

Photo Essay

16| The Wind Ball

Dli Ni Love Story

17| Dilim ng Aliwan

Of Stories and Locks Little Ships

12| These places exist Columns

12| Christ Connection 13| Root Cause of Crimes Strike Three

14| An Easy Way

A Note for Incoming Freshmen

15|Shadows could have Purpose Enhance your look, Not the Imperfections

Comics

18| That Dress

Pickup Line Righteous

Reviews

18| Monster Hunter The Originals

6| A LIVING TESTIMONY

FEATURES

4| Bye-bye College

5| When Strolling Down Memory Lane

7|The Navigator 8| Fifty Shades of Abuse

Features

Bye-bye, College A Graduation Compilation

“

Compiled by Christian Renz Torres

he feeling I have right now on the thought of finally graduating from college is quite comparable to that weird feeling I get every time I successfully win a Nintendo game: finishing all its levels and chapters, overcoming all the obstacles in the path, and defeating all the enemies—that feeling of fulfillment clouded with specks of depression and sadness, that feeling of wanting to go back at the very beginning to do everything all over again. However, we all know we only have one shot in this roller-coaster; this bittersweet, love-and-hate, happy-and-sad, black and white journey we call college. Thus, it is imperative that we make the most of it. College will always be the turning point of my life. This was where I discovered the vastness of life and its limitless possibilities. College was where I discovered the unending horizon ready to welcome me. It was where I found jewels that lie in friends, teachers, and experiences. I became whole because of all the experiences I have been through in college. And I hope every graduate of this university will not fail to look back at the campus by the sea. I hope every graduating Sillimanian is reveling right now in the nostalgia of college. I hope everyone took risks, stepped out of their comfort zones and made unusual choices, because those are potential avenues for growth and change. I hope everyone fell in love and had their hearts broken, because that is the only way we can truly understand love and its complexities. I hope everyone made friends because that is the only way we can appreciate life even more. I hope everyone experienced failures and downfalls, so that we will become tougher and fiercer in the real world. I hope every graduating Sillimanian has made the most of the past four or five years. I hope everyone lived their lives. Have you? Hanz Denzil Villahermosa, BSED-English

”

Selections from the graduating batch from the IT department “Piligro kaau dri mga dodong [ug] inday.” “Abig tigdota ka mag IT na?” “Good luck…Abi mog malingaw mos IT 11? IT14 nga Photoshop? Hahaha… Sugod kalbaryo ninyu inig 2nd year… pero okay na inig 3rd year bisag lisod kay tag team.” “The three phases of IT life... 1st year is bliss, 2nd year is hell and 3rd and 4th year is financier” “No matter how unsober u may be, don't skip class :P” “Good luck and have fun.” “No one ever tells you about the emotional roller coaster ride that is college. Hold on tight. Four years sometimes won't be enough for some students. You have to remember that it isn't about the destination but the journey. Smile often. Bring rubbing alcohol everywhere, tissue paper to wipe away more than just tears and sweat, and coffee to stay up for those late nights. :) “ --Steven Joseph G. Credo, AB Political Science “Stop hiding in the closet, you won't find Narnia there. Being gay in Silliman is just as commonplace as white bread, though more exciting. :D ” -- Sanfred T. Germudo Jr, BS Accountancy “Venture and thread uncharted waters in your time in college. Join extracurricular activities, explore different fields, build long term connections with different people, and discover who you are. There is no other time than doing this in college. Do not box yourself out or let people dictate what you can or can't do. Mind also your academics as it is told that a hallmark of a well-rounded student is someone who can find the balance between work and play. :) ” --Jeff Nicolo K. Palad, BS Medical Technology “Never give up on yourself. When you feel like crumbling from stress, remember that God has always believed in you. So believe you can do it.” --Evince Earl C. Columnas, BS Accountancy “In college, you'll meet a lot of people. Some will put a great impact in your life, some will just stay for a while and there are also a few who will eventually leave. But that’s okay. And it’s okay to be sad about it too. But always know that at the end of the day everything is your call and no one else's. Its either you stand back up and start again or nothing at all. Life is a series of choices, choose what makes you happy. ‘With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful word. Be cheerful, strive to be happy.’ – Desiderata”

--Irish O. Generoso, BS Management “College. When we start retracing our steps back to the beginning, every detail is magnified in spectacular resolution; every moment savored with gusto. However, soon when we look back at our college days from the hazy lenses of our eyeglasses, we might find that the years that have passed have rendered our memories to faded tints. It’s the same as when we reminisce our childhood – everything is blurry at the sides like a faded photograph. But however blurry each moment will eventually turn out to be years from now, I know I will never forget the earthy hues of brown and green from the acacia trees that towered down on me as I walked through the cemented pathways of Silliman. “And the rest,” as Vladimir Nabokov once put it, “…is rust and stardust.” --K. Kuzziah Karmaeya O. Kitane, AB Political Science Think positive. Even if things are getting really hard and starting to get out of control. Always put in mind that it would be worth it in the end. --Minette T. Tenel, AB Political Science Success doesn’t just come and find you, you have to go out and get it." As a graduating student, I'd say that there is no such thing as an "easy" course. Every course definitely requires a different kind of dilligence with corresponding struggles along the way. But just always keep in mind that the struggles you are in today as a student are just there to develop the strength you need for tomorrow. And I assure you that when you get there and chase your dreams, you'll definitely be as joyful as I am today! -Salesheil M. Du, BBA- Management What is required in order to be successful is to have the right attitude. Knowledge and skills can be acquired when you have the right attitude. -Madeleth Ann D. Duellosa, BBA Management One, always have the heart help others. Two, studies first than love, but never forget to love while in the process. Three, ALWAYS dream big! -Mark Lester T. Mero, BS Nursing Do all your requirements as early as possible to not stress yourself out on the last few weeks of class since other subjects will also be requiring other papers or projects. -Graciano Jose B. Pal, BSA Animal Science This is not your practice life so do justice to it; make the best college experience ever. Never get comfortable in whatever way. It's a time to just do the most insane things you possibly can while you still can. -Arthel V. Tagnipez, Fine Arts

Features

When Strolling Down Memory Lane By Mikle Vito Abing

very time a school year ends, there is that moment that strikes us. It is that moment that reminds us of the temporary nature of our lives and the permanence of change. It makes us think, assess, and evaluate all that we have done. We think about all experiences - that lightning strike of memory, that quintessential remembrance, that moment of reminiscence that brings back more things from the past than any other physical memento can. This is the moment when we are reminded of the passage of time, and that life goes on regardless of everything. As we stand at the threshold of a new chapter in our lives, we cannot help but take a look back at the years we spent getting through college. We cannot help but contemplate on those memories that are laden with all the challenges that we faced – fear, adjustment, bewilderment, criticisms, and the increasing weight of responsibility that each of us bears as we reach the cusp of adulthood. There were many times when the going got rough, when there seemed to be more bad than good. There were many times when we were unable to stop shedding tears because we felt we were alone, afraid, lost, and ashamed. Many of us have suffered all kinds of disappointments. Many of us have lost faith at times, but what mattered was that we continued to face our challenges. We continued to show guts and grit against adversity. In the process, we finally learned and felt that resilience is an important human trait. The struggles were real, but we realized that we can gain strength from the experience and become stronger afterwards. And in real life, the struggle never ceases. Every moment we live in this world is a struggle for and of life. And college helped us and will continue to help us survive. College is also a time to make lasting friendships that we will cherish throughout the rest of our lives. Whether we made friends in an impromptu basketball game or suddenly meeting people while doing a latenight fast-food run, college gave us a chance to meet people who give us laughter, fun, and enjoyment. We find our truest friends who will stick with us till the very end, or the person who ends up being our soulmate and stays with us in sickness and in health. Looking back also brings to mind the countless people who from the very beginning offered their support, without expecting anything in return.

“Now that you are graduating from Silliman, what is the one thing you regret not doing during your whole college life?” Not joining any christian youth group in Silliman just because I was too timid and lazy to do so. Shaneen V. Tadeja, BS Accountancy Swimming on SU pool at midnight Nova Danica Torres, BS Accountancy

The beauty is in the possibilities offered. There will never be anything certain in life, but all we can hope for is a chance. College offered us that chance. College made us ready for what is out there. College prepared us for a bright and awesome future. We learned the difference between right and wrong, real and unreal, just and unjust. As the years went by, there has indeed been an enthralling maturity developing in all of us. We enter the real world as people who are imperfect, yes, but also as people who grew into better people than before. College may seem short to some or excruciatingly long to others. It is both exhilarating and demanding, yet it also is full of surprises and wonderful experiences. During the past four years, all of us left our awkward, bumbling adolescent selves and actually grew up. If we truly reflect on what is inside our hearts, we cannot help but be amazed with the changes we have wrought. Bigger things, greater tasks, more trials and failures may be waiting outside. We may fall, not once but many times, but we shall always rise and succeed because with the Via, Veritas, Vita imbued in our whole being, we will become capable, competent, and faithful persons the Lord God hopes us to be. Our positive memories of our college youth can be as vivid, palpable, and powerful in our hearts and minds as our negative, cringe-inducing ones. So, whenever we find ourselves strolling down the memory lane, never forget to think about the times that we got reprimanded by the librarian for talking so loud, times when we cheered the loudest when our college basketball team scored the winning throw, the time when we lived in a dorm and came home way past curfew that you had to cross over a 6-foot barbwire fence to get in, and even the times when we had no choice but to eat the “rubber beef” served on the daily menu because you were too broke to get a pizza delivery. It isn’t just another amusing story to tell. It is part and parcel of who you are today. It is part of the experiences you went through to get to where you are today, too. Memory is a powerful force, and while we cannot always control which memory appears in our minds, deep within us, we know we have lived during these college days. But we also know we are now ready to take the plunge into the unknown, into the next great life adventure.

Mag vandalize sa CR. Ronica Paler, BS Accountancy Ga mahay ko sa 4 nako ka tuig pagpuyo diri sa Silliman wa pa jd ko nakatilaw sa classic level 5 tempura ni bossing RG Olasiman, bsed mapeh Not giving love a chance. Mark Lester T. Mero, BS Nursing

SillimaniansSpeak Compiled By Rexford Yurong

Features

A Living Testimony By Ella Jane L. Ayangco and Stephanie Ria L. Colinco

othing is fair in this world we live in. Some of us are born with complete body parts while some are not. Some can hear the melody of a song while others cannot. Some can clearly see every beauty there is in this world while some can only see darkness. We question God why we do not have what others have. We question Him why others have more in life than us. These and other questions we ask God, and we never get contented and happy to have what has been righteously given to us. In Silliman University works a modern day Biblical Job, who is a living testimony that despite the unfortunate events that occurred in his life, he is still thankful to God for what he has. He never questioned his disability, but rather, accepted and embraced it. He, too, is named Job. Job Lacson, popularly dubbed by Sillimanians as “Manong Mani,” is the man who sits whistling a song while selling peanuts and candies along the foot walk from the College of Business Administration to the Silliman University Main Library, Most, if not all, Sillimanians are his suki or loyal customers. Whenever we get hungry in between classes, we can choose from the affordable sugar-coated or salted peanuts he sells. Our loyalty as his customers has helped him provide for the needs of his family. There are many causes that can lead to the loss of one’s eyesight. Tatay Job lost 80 per cent of his eyesight when he was four years old due to measles. His left eye is completely blind while he can only see very little with his right eye. It was also at that same age when he lost his father. Not long after his father passed away that he and his siblings also lost their mother. He is a son of a pastor and continues to live up his Christian faith. At church, he plays the harmonica well. His loss of sight did not stop him from living life and working to provide for his family’s needs. He is not just the man who sells peanuts, but he is a father to his children, Dave and Angelin, and a great husband to his wife, Anastacia. Tatay Job has sold peanuts and candies to Sillimanians for 26

years. It is the only work he knows because he has not gone to school. He thanks God for the blessing that he was allowed to sell within the campus. There used to be many of them who sold stuff in the campus, but it was only his request to stay that was granted. He confessed that his earnings barely make ends meet that’s why he opts to walk home than commute. But through this livelihood, he was able to send his children to a good school where both finished a degree in teaching. His eldest child, Dave Lacson, who most Sillimanians know as Sir Lacson, is one of the teachers in the physical education department of the university. “He is a man of few words, but a man of substance,” is how Sir Lacson describes father. Sir Lacson added that his father would secretly support his endeavors “without saying yes.” To him, Tatay Job is a cool and relaxed father, contrary to his mother, who he describes as the disciplinarian. According to him, despite his father’s blindness, Tatay Job did not consider his disability a hindrance. “He never begs, he never asks,” Sir Lacson said. Despite his disability, Tatay Job still serves his wife. Looking back to the good old days, according to his wife, when they were just starting off as a married couple, Tatay Job would fetch water for her whenever she would take a bath. He even washed his children’s lampin (diaper). Tatay Job never questioned God or blamed Him for losing his eyesight; rather, he is thankful for a little glimpse of light and for giving him life. During the second semester of the school year 20142015, many Sillimanians noticed that Manong Mani was no longer in his usual spot. It became unusu a l t o

many of his suki. One of his loyal customers, Joie Lasola, a senior mass communication student whose college is just near where Manong Mani sits, felt saddened. “I felt sad kay firstly, wala nako’y mapalitan ug mani and at the same time, na-bother ko kay there are rumors daw nga sick siya and his condition is getting worse,” said Lasola. [I felt sad firstly because I can’t buy peanuts anymore, and at the same time, I was bothered by the rumors that he is sick and his condition is getting worse.] Rumor has it, our beloved Manong Mani is diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer which has forced him to stop working. Groups of concerned Sillimanians have raised funds to help with his medication. The organizers of the Miss Mass Communication 2015 pageant have decided to use the event to raise funds. Even those who did not watch the pageant gave their donations as a gratitude to Manong Mani’s service to many Sillimanians. Silliman’s Manong Mani is a living testimony that despite disabilities, we should never give up, but instead look up to God for faith and hope. *Notes from “Silliman Documentaries” episode with Princess Cinco as executive producer and “His name is Job…” feature story by Nathalie Adele Tomada in the August 11, 1999 issue of the Weekly Sillimanian.

rowing up, Joseph Legaspi didn’t know what he was getting into. Moving from Quezon City to Los Angeles was another adventure for the twelve-year-old boy. When he realized that his family’s migration was permanent—when his initial excitement dissipated—he had to assimilate. Being the eldest male in his generation, he was compelled to stay under the radar, like getting good grades and returning home from school before curfew. His two older sisters were the only ones who went to college—community college at that—in their working class family. But he had to be out to the world. This compulsion would trigger his orchestration for escape. That was 1984. Legaspi, 43, rarely feels boxed in. The Fulbright Foundation sent him to the Philippines to write on a paper about Filipino literature. This isn’t his first fellowship: he had received one from the New York Foundation of the Arts. But it is his first time in the Visayas; if not his first visit in the country since his departure.

Features Even though Legaspi has never been in Dumaguete before, he feels right at home. When he’s not writing poems in cafés or walking down the Boulevard with his husband, David, he’s travelling in his own motherland like a tourist. When he returns to Columbia University in New York by June, he would have a furnished paper and a heavy tan. “When I entered the Fulbright application … I didn’t want to be in Manila,” Legaspi said. “I wanted to be somewhere I’ve never been.” Many of his Fil-Am literary friends recommended Dumaguete. “I want to be in a place where they’re supportive of the arts and writers because that’s also what I planned to do with my research: to focus on what’s being written by Filipinos in the Philippines.” As a Fil-Am writer, he acknowledges that being in Dumaguete helps him write. “I would see something here in the Philippines and it would trigger something in me, different than when I’m in New York City. I see my mother’s face everywhere. I look at Nick Joaquin’s author’s photo and he looks like my dad… Like, I walk down a paved street here in Dumaguete and then all of a sudden there’s a goat that I almost stepped on. I love that. That doesn’t happen in New York.” Growing up, despite the angst of being in a new school, Legaspi recalls his transition to be smooth, even as a queer brown boy in America. “[I even] became quite the popular kid in my school.” His first brush with literature

By Christian Renz Torres was Robert Frost with Rainier Maria Rilke, Harper Lee and James Joyce following after. He admits that these white straight voices were weird things that a kid like him would admire. “But with this consciousness, [you’d ask,] ‘Where’s my people?’” Poetry helped him cope from the rigorous stresses that consumed him. Although Legaspi says poetry is what he’s comfortable writing, it’s his sensitivity that helps guide him. “My aunt was talking about [me and my siblings]…and she’s like, ‘I remember him being like a child always looking out the window, touching the window pane. He’s always had that sensibility.’ And it’s true. I’ve always looked at the world differently than my siblings. I’ve always been more meticulous…” Growing up was hard, Legaspi admits. He wrote about his childhood in his first book, Imago, and the second book is in the works. He co-founded Kundiman, a non-profit organization that serves Asian-American poets. He won the Global Pinoy Award for Poetry. But he

wouldn’t be able to achieve any of that without moving out for college. He acquired an undergraduate scholarship in Loyola Marymount University, a private school within the Bay Area of San Francisco. He promised his mother he would dorm within the city. When he graduated, he searched for programs away from San Francisco, finding one in New York University. His queer introspection, coupled with his self preservation and his art, compelled him to find himself outside home. “I’ve had a hard time facing that,” he said. But his advice? “If you could, go off on your own.” When he was schooling in New York, he didn’t want to leave the city. “I actually stayed in the same apartment for years because…I knew I had no safety net…But now I don’t have that. I felt like being here [in Dumaguete] I needed to be away from New York… I just don’t have that kind of anxiety or fear. I love being here [in Dumaguete] because I know that New York is still there.”

Features

FIFTY SHADES

OF ABUSE Written by Aletheia Villanueva and edited by Ivane Mahinay

ifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James has taken the world by storm. By now most, if not all of us, have heard of it. Before the trilogy was published, it was originally a Twilight fan fiction posted on the internet. Now it is a movie that has recently passed the $500M mark at the Worldwide Box Office. The story isn’t all that complicated—Anastasia Steele, a senior at Washington State University, meets Christian Grey, a multimillionaire CEO, and they fall in love. The thing is, Christian is into BDSM (Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, and Sadism and Masochism), which isn’t a bad thing at all. However, Christian and Anastasia’s overall relationship is a fine example of an unhealthy, abusive one and this is where our problem begins. BDSM is a variety of erotic activities, and ranges from relationships between two or more people. Bondage involves being tied up in any way and ranges from being handcuffed, being tied up with a rope, being gagged or a combination of the ones mentioned. Discipline refers to punishment, like paddling, spanking or whipping. It doesn’t necessarily have to be physical— it could be things like being sent to another room. Dominance and Submission is when the relationship has a dominant person — the one that has control over the other person in some way, and a submissive person — the one who submits. Sadism and Masochism deals with the pleasure received from activities where there is a level of pain received or inflicted. These activities are just as healthy and consensual as every other relationship. In fact, people who practice BDSM often have a safeword, a code word or a series of code words usually used by the submissive. But these safeword can be used by all the participants to communicate their physical or emotional state to the dominant when approaching or crossing a physical, emotional, or moral boundary. This usually means that they aren’t comfortable. Katherine O’Clare of Crushable.com states that BDSM involves “mutual care, mutual pleasure, and mutual respect,” which doesn’t really apply to Christian and Anastasia’s relationship seeing as he only thinks about his needs, and even tells Anastasia at one point, “Lovers don’t need safe words.” Not only does Fifty Shades of Grey incorrectly represent the BDSM community, but throughout the story, one can find signs of an abusive relationship. Here are a few examples and signs of abuse as found in the books: Jealousy and Possessiveness — In Lives-

trong.com, it is written that a jealous and possessive partner “might become angry or upset when you socialise with friends, family or co-workers. Along with this, he may accuse you of cheating or be suspicious of innocent behaviours such as sending an email or a text message,” There is a scene in Fifty Shades where Anastasia converses with one of the staff and this is what happened after: “Don’t flirt with the staff, Anastasia,” he scolds. I open my mouth to defend myself — then close it again, then open it. “I wasn’t flirting. I was being friendly — there is a difference.”“Don’t be friendly with the staff or flirt with them. I don’t like it. [...] You know how jealous I am.” Verbal Abuse– This is defined by Semah. org as “saying things that are meant to be cruel and hurtful. The person who abuses degrades the partner, swears at the partner, and minimizes the partner’s accomplishments. He or she may say the partner is stupid, and unable to function alone.” When Christian Grey found out that Anastasia was pregnant, this was how he reacted: “Christ, Ana!” He bangs his fist on the table, making me jump, and stands so abruptly he almost knocks the dining chair over. “You had one thing, one thing to remember. Shit! I don’t fucking believe it. How could you be so stupid?” Jekyll & Hyde– The same website above says: “Many people are confused by their (people who have the Jekyll & Hyde type of personality) sudden change in mood – one minute nice, and the next explosive. Such mood swings are typical of people who abuse their partners…” In Fifty Shades, Christian’s mood can quickly change from pleasant to angry. Here is one scene from the book: “Please don’t be angry with me,” I whisper. His gaze is impassive; his gray eyes cold shards of smoky glass. “I’m sorry about the car and books,” I trail off. He remains silent and brooding. “You scare me when you’re angry,” I breathe, staring at him. He closes his eyes and shakes his head. When he opens them, his expression has softened fractionally. He takes a deep breath and swallows. “Turn round,” he whispers. “I want to get you out of that dress.”Another mercurial mood swing, it’s so hard to keep up. Rape – FBI defines rape as “Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person without the consent of the victim.” Now, let me quote a scene from the book and

I’ll let you decide for yourselves: “No,” I protest, trying to kick him off. He stops. “If you struggle, I’ll tie your feet down too. If you make a noise Anastasia, I will gag you.” Then they had sex anyway, despite it being against Anastasia’s wishes. Isolation – This is what Helpguide.org has to say about this: “In order to increase your dependence on him or her, an abusive partner will cut you off from the outside world. He or she may keep you from seeing family or friends, or even prevent you from going to work or school. You may have to ask permission to do anything, go anywhere, or see anyone.” In Fifty Shades, Christian limits Anastasia’s social contacts, and even tells her that she is not allowed to discuss their relationship with any outsiders, including friends and family. If those examples don’t scream abuse, then I don’t know what does. I know die-hard fans would then counter by saying that it is just fiction, and that it in no way affects people. But it is not just fiction. As Tessa Grey, a character from Cassandra Clare’s The Infernal Devices, said, “One must always be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” Just as music has power over our emotions, literature has power over our ways of thinking, and reading a book or watching a movie that perpetuates and romanticizes abuse will make people believe that it is okay to do those things. Well, my friend, it is far from okay. Last February Mohammad Hossain, a 19-year-old college student from the University of Illinois-Chicago, was charged with sexual assault after re-enacting scenes from Fifty Shades of Grey even though the victim said “no,”“stop,” and “you’re hurting me.” While there are people who say that they can’t wait to meet their Christian Grey, there are also people out there trying to deal with the horror of being in a relationship with men or women just like him. If you are one of the former, I hope reading this made you rethink about that wish. You can call me a hater or whatever you want, but that won’t change the series from having an unhealthy and abusive storyline. But if you are part of the latter or if you have noticed your partner acting similarly, please, please end it now and run away from him or her as fast as you can. You might think that you can save him; that you can still fix him, but he will break you instead. Don’t wait for that to happen. You matter and you deserve to be loved properly.

Reviews

Monster Hunter

by Ivan John M. Paltingca

ith its latest installment, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate stormed the shelves and the digital shops of the world. Thousands gathered outside of video game stores, stayed up late to download the game from their homes, and even donned their costumes to support the long awaited release of the game. What is it about this latest installment that drives fans of the franchise bananas? Hunting, grinding, and mounting are just a few things we’ll cover in this review of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate for the Nintendo 3DS. You’re a hunter, so go out and make a name for yourself! To do that, you need to complete quests provided by the Guild sent directly to whatever town your caravan has stopped in. It starts off, like all Monster Hunter games, a bit slow. It starts with a lot of farming and grinding; completing menial tasks like collecting items or combining two items to make a new one. After the tedious series of tutorial quests, you are finally asked to take down your first big monster. No big deal, right? Probably. Except it totally is a big deal. Your reward for your patience? A challenge. Unlike games today, where you’re spoon-fed on what to do and how to obviously defeat your enemy, this one tosses you in head first in order for you to figure it out for yourself. The moment you start that big hunt you have to be sharp: thinking of strategies, the monster’s weak points, and where to strike. You need to remember how to use your weapon and when. Why? Because that huge monster you’re hunting won’t give you any mercy, nor will it wait quietly while you figure things out. It’s a constant game of hunt or be hunted, of observing your opponent, learning their pattern, and pitting it against them. You’re forced to remember what those tutorials taught you, but there’s one thing those early quests didn’t teach you: How to be brave. Faced with this massive monster, you fight it with everything you have. The game has different monsters, more strategies to learn, new terrains, and before you know it you’re hooked on hunting. The challenge that each monster gives you coupled with the surprisingly relaxing routine of farming for materials blends harmoniously to give an experience you won’t soon forget as it becomes an integral and important process in preparation for your next hunt. In this latest addition, game developer Capcom adds new monsters, weapons, armor, and new tricks! It removes the swimming function, some recent monsters, and brings back some beasts and creatures even the oldest of veterans can recall. With the new mounting mechanic, Capcom adds an innovative method to helping you take down your prey. Whether online or local, it’s easy to meet up with friends near and far. New players, old veterans, or even if you’re just another curious casual, the “Thrill of the Hunt” is what keeps everyone coming back for more. Get your game face on, gamers. The Hunt is on!

The Originals

The Originals focuses on the “original vampires” – a family transformed into vampires a millennium ago that eventually fled Europe for New Orleans. The Originals is a spin-off of Julie Plec’s supernatural drama television series “The Vampire Diaries”. The protagonists of the former are the antagonists of the latter, so you wouldn’t really expect them to be the “good guys”. Niklaus Mikaelson, more known as “Klaus”, returns to the city his family helped build, New Orleans, to investigate rumors of a plot against him. He finds his former protégé, Marcellus Gerard or Marcel, reigning over its inhabitants and causing growing tension in the supernatural community. Klaus then plans on taking back his city, and his brother, Elijah Mikaelson joins him. While taking down Marcel, the vampire brothers also have a goal of protecting everything they have built from the war between the vampires, the werewolves and the witches. Most teenage television series nowadays revolve around love and sex. What makes The Originals different is that that there’s more to it than the love triangles or even the common myths of vampires and other supernatural beings.

By JreanianPro

by Andrea Dawn E. Boycillo

The show revolves around family. “Always and forever”, as the Mikaelsons would say. Despite conflicts, they see to it that each of them is protected. They have the willingness to do anything for each other if one is in danger. The series shows that no matter what happens family would always be family. Next, the show promotes feminism. All of the women on this show are strong and independent. Take Hayley Marshall, for example. She was pregnant with Hope, who the witches saw as a threat. Even when her life was always at risk and has fallen into the hands of a defiant witch, she was still no damsel in distress. She always fought back while she was pregnant. Then there’s Rebekah Mikaleson, the only sister of the Mikaelson siblings. Her brothers, especially Klaus, are so overprotective that they had taken her free will of almost everything – especially her choice of men. However, she remains fierce in the chances of making her own decisions. The show also has proved that politics is a dirty game. When taking back what was once his, Klaus befriended Camille O’Connell or Cami, the girl Marcel was into, to sneak into his former protégé’s whereabouts. He even literally gave his

own brother Elijah away to gain Marcel’s trust. The war in the supernatural community also caused a number of bloodbaths in New Orleans, and it was all for power.The vampires, werewolves, witches, and even the first hybrid (vampire/werewolf) Niklaus Mikaelson wanted control over the city. But even when The Originals teaches us a number of lessons, it may have a limited audience as the content of the show includes sex and alcohol – subjects not suitable for minors. Also, it does not promote proper relationships as Elijah, Klaus’ brother, and Hayley, the mother of Klaus’ child, share a love interest. Some may consider this unethical. However, it’s been decades since Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire that we have seen a vampire show that has not been centered on a “boy meets girl” or “vampire meets human” relationship! And while The Vampire Diaries is best known for two vampire brothers battling for a human girl, the war in The Originals is about control over a city. The Originals focuses on family bonds, dealing with the past and present issues, fighting one’s own demons, finding a role and place where you are needed and where you belong.

These Places Exist

Photos By Nel Dableo, BMC-IV

“ W

hile we only pass through them on our stay in Silliman, we never knew they existed; corners and areas reserved with hidden stories. What’s behind the unnoticed door?

”

Column

The Christ Connection By Stephanie Ria L. Colinco

eople who were born in the 1990s are not strangers to movies and TV programs with time travel themes. One Filipino educational children’s show aired during the decade was “Bayani,” where two kids travel back in time to learn about Filipino heroes, and see how these heroes have impacted modern civilization. Just like them, we need to trace back what people in the past have done and connect it to our present lives. Jesus Christ, the greatest person to walk on earth was more than just a hero; He is the Savior of mankind. What is Christ’s connection to our lives as Sillimanians? Flashback: Over 2000 years ago, Bethlehem A baby was born to a young couple, Joseph and Mary. The angel of the Lord had appeared to Mary several months prior to the birth to proclaim the good news—that she would bear a son and His name shall be called Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. The angel of the Lord also revealed to Joseph that the baby in Mary’s womb was the promised Messiah, foretold by prophets hundreds of years back. In Bethlehem, there lay in the manger, Jesus, who was the manifestation of God’s love to people. Little did the world know that the Savior had been born, that God became Man that night. Forward: 33 years after Christ’s birth, Mt. Calvary After three years of ministry, Jesus the God/Man was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was not guilty of any sin, but He was accused and soon ordered to be crucified. After going through cruel beatings and torture, He was nailed to the cross. Through His death on the cross, He fulfilled the prophecy that He will save His people from their sins. Then He was buried in a borrowed tomb. On the third day, Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead. He proved that He is God, that He is more powerful than death. After His resurrection, He ministered on earth for forty days more before ascending back to Heaven. To His disciples, He commanded, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the

Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Since then, Christianity has spread to the four corners of the globe. Forward: 1899, United States of America At the office of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions in New York City, a man by the name of Dr. Horace B. Silliman appeared. He gave the initial amount of $10,000 to fund an industrial and trade school in the Philippines, which had just been liberated by Americans from Spain. Dr. Silliman was a philanthropist who supported various American schools and colleges. By Divine Providence, He had chosen the Philippines to be the location of the new school. The mission board was hesitant at first because they did not have any Presbyterian missionaries in the Philippines yet. Forward: 1900s, Dumaguete City When the Americans came to the Philippines after the Spanish rule, they used the opportunity to not only educate the Filipinos, but to spread their Christian faith. One of the missionaries who came to the country was Dr. David Sutherland Hibbard, and his wife, Laura. After being led by the Lord where to start the school to be funded by Dr. Silliman, the couple settled in Dumaguete City. On the morning of August 28, 1901, Dr. Hibbard recalled later: “There were fifteen boys that first morning. The equipment consisted of four desks about ten feet long, two tables and two chairs, a few McGuffey’s Readers, a few geographies, arithmetics and ninth-grade grammars. I was President; Mrs. Hibbard was the faculty.” Acknowledging that Christ is the cornerstone of the institution, the motto “Via, Veritas, Vita” was adopted. The phrase is Latin for one of Christ’s titles: “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” from John 14:6. According to Dr. Arthur Carson, former president of the university: “This college has been founded in order to introduce to these Islands a Christian education, to satisfy the intellectual necessities of this country and to teach the young men

a more incorrupt idea of what Christianity really is, for be it known unto you, gentlemen, that this college has not been made to be a rendezvous of deserters from other churches and to fight them, but it has been founded with the most earnest desire of preparing young men for the future that lies before them.” Over the years, more missionaries and fraternal workers, who are too many to mention, came to Dumaguete to continue the evangelistic work. Present: 2015, Dumaguete City Silliman University is one of the most prestigious Christian universities in Asia. It still upholds the motto “Via, Veritas, Vita” and its mission is to “develop the whole person within the Christian context in a sound environment” and to equip students to “put their education to work in service to others.” Without Christ, there would be no Silliman University today. His birth in Bethlehem and His death on the cross sparked the zeal and fueled the passion of missionaries and fraternal workers to serve Him in Dumaguete. These missionaries and fraternal workers spread the Gospel by starting and nurturing Silliman University. It would not have been the great university that it is today were it not for Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the God of the missionaries who came before us. A Sillimanian’s connection to Christ, however, should not stop there; the connection can and must be made personal. The Christ, who was the reason why missionaries came to Dumaguete to start Silliman, is the same Christ who came to the world to die on the cross for the sins of humankind. The missionaries who came to Silliman were passionate in sharing the Good News that Christ came to earth, was crucified, risen, and is coming again. In order to make the connection personal, repentance of sins and faith in Christ are needed. This kind of connection results in a personal relationship with Christ who, as Silliman’s motto proclaims, is the Way to the Father in heaven, the Truth that sets sinners free and the Life Himself, life abundant and eternal.

ColumnS

The Root Cause of Crimes By Andrea Dawn E. Boycillo

rime rates, like ongoing poverty, continue to be one of the main problems of the country. From mall shootings to murders, homicide, rape, robbery, theft, kidnapping, car napping, and unsolved media killings, people are now becoming anxious of walking alone in the daylight and worse, at night. According to data from the PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), from January to May 2014, the total number of crime reported was at 289,198 compared to 245,347 of last year’s report. Crime solution efficiency between January and May 2014 nationwide was at 35.5%, a rise from 2013’s 26.77%. As of January 2015, the government rolled out its plans of decreasing crime rate. One of its solutions is to expand intensified anti-crime campaigns to other regions by installing closedcircuit television cameras (CCTVs) in every police station, as well as in 100 high-crime areas in Metro Manila for real-time coverage. The PNP will also be receiving around 1,000 new patrol vehicles, more than 5,000 firearms, and more than 52,000 radios between the second and third quarters of the year, and a national emergency hotline will also be operational

within the year to receive concerns not only for the police, but also the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and medical emergency units. I appreciate the efforts of the government and the PNP. I think it is great having anti-crime campaigns and improving security system. However, I don’t think that it’s the most effective solution in bringing crime rates down. Many blame poverty as the root cause of this as poverty brings with it a whole lot of other problems. They say people have no other choice, but to steal in order to survive. But is that really the root cause of crime in our country? If Filipinos were relieved from poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, or other issues of the country, would it guarantee that peace and order will be maintained? The real root cause of crime must be addressed. What is the true cause of the increase in crime rates then? Crimes are caused by people making wrong moral and ethical decisions. Yes, not having a job or food on the table is a factor, but it’s really the lack of moral training and ethics that causes an individual to steal, cheat, murder, or rape. It is easy to differentiate what is right or wrong, but will a person still be able to do so when tempted? Filipinos keep on blaming the government

for everything that has happened in the country, but is it the only one to blame? Take this for example: People blame the government for the trash in our environment, but in the first place, who did the littering? What people do not realize is that the cause of crime is not poverty or the failure of the government to provide basic social needs. The issue is actually within the Filipino himself/ herself and his/her own conscience. Dealing with crime rates must start with moral and ethical adaptation. Increasing police presence and stricter crime laws may lessen the problem, but it would never solve it. What Filipinos need is the strengthening of a moral character; as Matthew 26:41 states, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Human as we are, we easily fall into temptation. We may think that we have no other choice, but that’s where we’re wrong. There is always a choice. We just don’t want to choose it. The truth is, whatever the government tries to do would never solve the increase in crime rate— even launching a million anti-crime campaigns a day. Slowing down crime rates should not begin by empowering the PNP, but by strengthening the morality and ethics of the Filipino.

Strike three By Val Amiel Vestil

e know it all too well like the backs of our hands; heck, we can even count with our eyes closed the number of times our “employee” failed us with his ill-advised decisions and sluggish speeches to this nation that has found itself familiar with the idea of poverty, corruption, and warfare. As if to add fuel to the fire, President Aquino III has done it again this time by losing 44 of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP’s) most elite and bravest men in the battlefield—all their courage for naught. In crises like these, when damage control is the most pivotal responsibility of any president, our very own has flaunted the runway with utmost lousiness. It can be

deliberately seen in two situations, both prior to and following the wretched massacre. In the first place, there could have been no exchange of fires. President Aquino is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and is likewise at the top of the chain of command of the PNP. Had he lorded over the whole operation more wisely, and stopped listening to the advice of already suspended police chief Alan Purisima, the whole operation could have been pacified. Second, after receiving flak following his absence in the arrival honors of the slain members of the Special Armed Forces (SAF), he put another feather to his crippling cap by giving the excuse that he was “not scheduled”

to attend it and was, however, scheduled to grace a car plant opening. President Aquino must have been caught between the living and the dead: the Mitsubishi plant that will generate opportunities for the living and the arrival honors for the 44 who died for the living. Citizens are grieving, Pangasinan and Iloilo police officers are shaving their heads, but declaring January 30 as a National Day of Mourning and pressing for the immediate Congressional approval of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law are hard sells to convince people that he is not just another passing leader. President Aquino, three strikes and you’re out.

ColumnS

The Easy Way By Isle B. Honest

am now at a time in my college life when all my classes are major subjects. As part of the requirements of most of these classes, we have to give reports, and then quiz our classmates on our next meeting. Little do our teachers know that answers to every test begin to circulate a night before the quizzes. All the students have to do is write the answers on a sheet of paper and pass it after the reporter reads the test questions in class. During quizzes, our class gets divided into three categories: the ones who have the answers, the ones who don’t have friends to text them the answers, and the ones who prefer to study and answer honestly. Modesty aside, I belong to the third category. When the quizzes start, almost all of my classmates clandestinely retrieve their pre-fabricated ¼ sheets of paper from their backpacks. Then begins the drama, and as a captive audience, I have to sit through all of it. I roll my eyes as my classmates, who have already written the correct answers on a piece of paper, act like they are racking their brains for the answer. I let out a sigh in utter disbelief as they let out complaints that they don’t understand the question clearly, or that the reporter is asking the questions too fast. Cheating does not just happen during student-given quizzes; it also happens during examinations, right in front of the teachers. Books and notes are opened, and seatmates

share their answers while the teachers act like the ethical world is not challenged in front of them. Some of those who cheat even get exempted from exams for scores they didn’t work hard for while those who have the integrity not to cheat, cannot do anything, but wait until proper justice is served. It really puzzles me why students prefer to cheat than to study. If they were looking for an easy way out or a laidback life, they shouldn’t have enrolled in a university for a tertiary education. Even some of those who profess to be God-fearing also join this immoral act without any signs of struggle with their conscience. I reckon everyone has experienced cheating, even me. But it has become my personal and moral conviction not to get involved in cheating again. I was once deprived of an academic recognition in elementary school because I was caught redhanded. From then on, I vowed that I would never take the easy way again. Cheating is a sensitive issue for those who have different sets of morals and philosophy. However, no matter what angle I try to view it from, I do not see the positivity of this unethical act. This habit is a reflection of the character of the students and teachers. Cheating is a reflection, first, of a character defect in students. They only seek the temporary victory of a high grade rather than the eternal value of learning. Aiming for instant high grades doesn’t

actually help in the real world. Cheating is also a reflection of teachers’ poor philosophical ground because they encourage the students to get what they want without even working hard for it. I reckon these kinds of teachers are more concerned about their reputation to the students than assisting the students to proper education. Having a high turnout in every quiz is not a valid feedback of how well teachers are. All these will shed a bad light to the university whose aim is to develop the “character, competence, and faith” of its students. SU graduates are treated with high regard when applying for jobs, but a student who has only cheated his/her way to a diploma can put the university to shame. How many graduates did not cheat their way to the end of their race? How many honor students really deserve the recognition? Unfortunately, I see cheaters who get rewarded for cheating. Professional athletes are deprived of their honor if they are found guilty of using drug enhancers. We frown at politicians who cheat us of our money, but we just let cheating in school pass because we think it is a lesser evil. If this bad habit was not nipped in the bud while students were in elementary, or high school, it has to be stopped in college. The university is supposed to be the training ground for the real world. Turning a blind eye to this act of dishonesty does not hone students to have character, to be competent, and to epitomize the Christian faith.

A Note for Incoming Freshmen

i! You will enter Silliman soon, together with others who decided to study in this university. No, I will not be writing about anything academic-related; instead, I will be telling you about what kinds of people you do not need in college. I felt the need to write this, because most of the time, a student does not really head to a breakdown just because of hard subjects or big responsibilities and positions, but because of toxic relationships. Generally, college is a phase in a student’s life when you will meet diverse sets of people and find the people you can be comfortable and close with. I know that you desire to

By Andrea D. Lim

build relationships with these people and call them as f-r-i-e-n-d-s. As the cliché goes, the “same birds flock together.” Yes, this is proven true, but not always. We all have the power to choose who we want to be acquainted with, and sometimes, we tend to choose the wrong kinds of people. I am now warning you, because you will encounter people you do not and should not want to associate yourself with, if you do not want to end up being broken and in pain. In my three years and ongoing college life, there are three kinds of people I once had and since cut from my system. First, there are the users. They are basically people who befriend you just because they can get something from you. If you’re close with

them, expect your phone and Facebook chat conversations to be just about them asking for your notes or for your help. Worse, if you are the one who needs help, they are nowhere to be found. There are also people who praise you upfront, but say a lot of dirty things about you behind your back. You do not know their purpose(s) for doing so, but in college, there are people who love competing with other people than with themselves. They like spreading bad rumors just to make them appear greater than the person they are attacking, and they think it will put them on a higher pedestal. I also do not go for insensitive people. They continue to next page...

say and do things to you without thinking of how you will feel. These people care just about their feelings, and worse, they make you feel like they care about you, but they do not. My advice is this: Do not be with these people, because they want to be with you for the wrong agenda: to take advantage of you

A Note for the Freshmen...

because you can give them what they need, to find out things (especially your flaws and mistakes) about you that they can spread to people, and to make you feel irrelevant. And should you like me before, find yourself in their company and begin feeling the burden and pain of being around them, then let

15 go. Remove them from your system. They just hinder your healthy growth as a person, and take away the happiness you deserve. This might be hard at first, but it is worth it. Remember that they are not the only people you can mingle with in college.

Shadows could have a better purpose By John Patrick Ocampo Chang

hese past weeks had been pretty harsh to me. Revolting demands were very welcoming; so were college pressures, teamwork issues, money matters, emotional crumbles and other stuff. Those were serious times when you would just wish to vanish in a single snap, and then fall to that calm meadow where peace and quiet and loveliness and sanity are the merely things around. However, those times only made me realize how hard it is to get away from reality. Despite my desperation to break free, I came to notice my shadow one night. I played with my shadow, although I’m not really sure if I could call it that way. I tried to touch it, yet I could not feel it, except the surface where its dark figure is attached. It mocks each of my movements perfectly. Well yeah, I know it happens too when I make various actions in front of a mirror. But, there is a difference, because when I look into a mirror, I see not only the outline of myself and the things I do in front of it; I also see how and

what I actually look. In my shadow, all that’s in it is gloom and mimicry. Now, why is it there? Do you ever wonder? Do you ever ask? Do humans really need a shadow? Is it there for a purpose of art and beauty? Not at all, I guess. Most people initially judge one’s beauty based on physical appearance: good looks of course, neatness, and cool stance. Others would even regard you as beautiful if you’re intelligent, rich, or talented. But, nobody, or just to be safe, perhaps nobody would tell you how beautiful you are through your shadow, because that would be odd. Do shadows exist for a purpose of company? I believe they don’t. Because, when “I want to be alone” moments come, surely, you set off to some place with no one but yourself. And, whether you like it or not, whether you notice it or not, your shadow would be there with you, silent and tame as it does whatever you do. Come to think of it, how can it become a company when even in its presence you still

say that you are alone, unaccompanied? And besides, how can a mute, impassive, moving silhouette share emotions with you? They are not that necessary for humans. Aren’t they? However, some other things came to my thoughts about a shadow. What if they were different? What if a shadow was like a silent guardian? Something that will conceal you instantly from an accidental embarrassment; something that will get into your heart when you feel pain and then get out after it has blended the hurting within its darkness; something that will serve as strainer from all the negativities that try to penetrate us every day; something that would absorb all the darkness within us, so that only purity and light will remain in our systems; something that becomes a sudden portal that leads to the place that you desire when you most want to escape. Something… Something… Something… What if it was something else? Probably, it could be of better purpose.

Enhance Your Look, Not the Imperfections

oming from an all-girls school, I got used to not caring about how I looked. All I cared about was having fun and enjoying the company of my best friends, but ever since I moved to an unfamiliar city for school, I noticed how conscious girls my age are about how they look. I’m far from looking like a standard model (a morena or a pretty face with a nice complexion), and I was perfectly okay and accepting of that fact until the girls I surrounded myself with made me conscious about my eyebrows, my pimples, my hair – everything from head to toe. I grew insecure for quite some time, trying to learn how to trace my eyebrows, covering my pimples and dark spots with concealer, and constantly looking at all my imperfections in the mirror. I grew frustrated with trying because no matter how many times I covered myself with make-up, I was never really comfortable. I

By Alissa Lacson

realized: “Why bother?” Why should I trace my eyebrows only for people to notice how thin my eyebrows actually are? Why try to cover my face only for people to realize how many pimples I actually have? Why hide all my imperfections only for people to tell me, “You’re prettier with make-up?” I’m not saying that you shouldn’t wear makeup at all; rather, wear make-up not to look more attractive, but to keep your face clean and healthy. My daily make-up regime only consists of 3 things: powder to protect my face from dirt, blush-on to balance out the skin tone of the powder, and lip gloss to moisturize my lips. The only times I would cover my face with legit make-up would be during occasions when I want to enhance my look – and I don’t mean my face but, rather, my outfit. I’m also not saying that I don’t like to put make-up because I do, but not for reasons to

attract attention or to hide my imperfections. This is what I want girls to understand. At the end of the day, people will see your natural beauty. Why cover it up in the morning? Why be ashamed of having people see you without make-up? Let them accept it. In the first place, no one will really notice the imperfections you’re hiding if you don’t cover them on a daily basis. Let them get used to your face and let them realize how beautiful you are without makeup. Those blemishes and imperfections do not define you. If people will constantly tell you to trace your eyebrows, conceal your pimples, or hide your eye bags, so what? Does it matter? Will it change who you are? Be confident, walk confidently, and stay confident. Natural beauty does not exude through make-up but through confidence. Plus, you’ll thank yourself sooner or later for letting your face breathe.

Poems The Wind By William BulaqueĂąa

I Normal days gone by and the all kinds of winds passed but one, Glimpses of white sparkling crescents it brings amidst the warm breeze of summer, Chances by chances, black-white stones shackle the lone hours; Somethingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different when the wind nears itself, it confuses, and it suffocates. Gentle yet cruel; not brave nor confident, just delicate and warm. This wind that caress the trees makes them bow; It shakes, it breaks. II This will pass by, this will pass by; This cantankerous being, this enchanting creature. Not patience nor calmness it has, for tantrums it throws when livid; But, the fragrance of its existence calms the waves of distortion, It pounds nothingness into sprinkles of dancing tints and shades. It glides, it guides.

Dili Ni Love Story

BALL by Andrea D. Lim

My love you love catching and shooting on your ring So easy you score So easy you watch me falling landing crashing My love you always introduce my surfaces to cold floors The illusion of flying embracing air is the illusion of sweet falling accompanying winter I then mastered how I may roll instead of bouncing back.

by Pauline Estola Gwapo nga lalaki hilig mukaon ug siomai Naibog sa usa ka babaye nga si Maimai Ang gugma'y kutob lang sa tinan-away Kay si Maimai gwapa bisag usahay ra manudlay. Atong bida na si Jake Siomai Taas, hilig mo basket, ug gwapo ang nawong, dagway Pero inig abot sa topic nga higugmaay Tanan iya ihatag ug isalikway. Morena, tabi-an, buotan, ug hilig magkanta-kanta si Maimai Taas sad, bright, ug dili makipag away Kaning babaye puros tinud-anay Malipayon, ug wala'y bakakay. Pagkaila ni Jake ni Maimai Wala'y nga ju'y tulganay Sigeg hunahuna sa babaye Nga nakakuha sa iyang kasingkasing, my oh my! "Dili man lisod higumaan si Maimai," Matod pa ni Jake Siomai "Ahay, intawon kang babaye! Tungod nimo, akong kasingkasing murag gi-lumay." Kung kabalo lang si Maimai Nga kada adlaw gipangita iyang panagway Pero wala man kabalo atong bida diay Nga si Maimai, naa'y lain gihiguma, dili si Jake Siomai.

Dilim ng Aliwan by Leslie Batallones

Umaalingawngaw na usal ng katahimikan, Bumabalot sa madilim at misteryong aliwan. Mga letrang sumasayaw ng pangarap Ngayo'y umaawit ng pighating yakap. Kumakapit siya sa patalim ng walang aninag Mapagbigyan lang sikmurang kumakalam. Ni barya sa bulsa'y di mapagkasya Butas sa damit ay walang panama sa lupit na nadarama. Inilustay ang pag-asa sa pangarap niyang taglay, Ibig niyang bumangon sa matinding pagbulusok. Unti-unting lumalayo ang tingin, Lumalalim ang punyal sa dibdib. Hindi na maitago ang patak ng paghamon, Walang hanggang hampas ng alon sa kanyang mga palad. Tila namanhid ang pag-asang makalaya, Sa rehas ng entabladong kapalit ay dangal.

Of Stories and Locks by Michelle Marie Rosell Salazar

There on the land stands so tall A structure filled with rooms Lights scattered, stories written Some were bright, curtains set aside The clouds and the night sky witnessing each move Passers-by watching As mother puts child to sleep Other rooms were dark and possibly empty No light, no story can be seen What tickles our curiosity the most Are those with lights on But dimmed with curtains of secrecy The clouds, the skies, and the passers-by Stare as dancing figures and shadows Emanate from the windows Playing with the lights And playing with our minds Imaginations fuelled with the silhouette’s every move It may be of love Of family Or of everyone’s favourite thought—of lust But still no one will know The stories of these rooms Their contents are selfishly kept, a bookshelf locked The keycard, in the owners hands.

“Little Slips” By Veronica A. Vega

Outside the air grows heavy and still As I wait for the first rumble of thunder. While the windows shake Sullen, discontent I turn away to looming silence. Across the room sat the empty chair With leather worn and cushions soft. I take a deep breath then sink into the seat With eyes closed to wait, To remember… And in the silence the words would fall From the chair that once held you. Some days they’d trickle onto the carpet And pool around my ankles. Some days they’d rush across the floor From all our excited chatter. Then there were days when, like the rain, They would fall softly in wonder. Your words I’ve gathered in handfuls, Scooping them onto my lap. Each word I’ve counted, weighed, And held them to the light; My new habit when you’ve left. All the while I’d gather these slips, And keep them in a beating box. Tucked away in a safe made From my bones, my flesh, my blood.

That dress

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