DISCRIMINATING ONE’S PASSION by: Alex Alvin Amoranto

There was a survey that was released by OSA to the student leaders that some nodded and various raised eyebrows- and that is having a grade requisite to be a student leader.

Based on the recent research done by the Colegio, majority of the student leaders acquire bad academic performance.

According to the policy presented for survey by the OSA, a GWA of 80% and 79%on the last two previous semesters must be acquired by a student leader to run for candidacy for Departmental Council and RSOs for majors and minors positions respectively for Engineering and Accountancy students. And, for non-Engineering and Accountancy students they must acquire a GWA, for the last two previous semesters, of 82% and 80% to be able to run a candidacy for majors and minors positions in the Departmental Council and RSOs.

We capture the point that being a student leader may hamper our studies, this may be, but this is only one of the factors why student leaders possess ghastly academic records. There are bunch of factors why student leaders or even ordinary students fall short in academics, maybe the subject’s really hard, perchance their health affects their performance, or possibly some professors have that private annoyance to that student.

We can’t envision that being a leader may devour our responsibility of being a student, for all we know that we are still students and it is our first priority why we are here in the Colegio.

Being a student leader is not a hindrance of being student but a greater advantage, for we have been cultured by some things that are must-learned that can be applied in everyday existence which can not be thought by any subjects in the Colegio. Being a leader significantly develops our personality from being an introvert to being confident, from being eccentric to being well-socialized and from being immature to being mature.

There is a study that there are students that possess good grades because of doing something that will stimulate them to study- maybe those students who have great academic remarks are motivated by being a student leader.

Those student leaders who possess bad academic performance and gifted with the burning passion of being leader felt discriminated about the survey.

We don’t think that to be a student leader you must possess good academic remarks. It’s like when you hear someone who says, “I failed Calculus so there’s no way for me to be leader.”, where it has no link of having that passion.

Being a student leader is all about the outburst passion that you have to serve the studentry and that passion should not be obstructed by academic marks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                   

FIRST DAY OF THE FUTURE

by: Alex Alvin D. Amoranto

 

            I was at the Starbucks in Festival Mall; I considered this coffee shop my third sanctuary after my home and school. This coffee shop has an ambiance that will make you stay for hours without anyone to talk to. There were groups of young people and businessmen made their way to the Starbucks like pilgrims drawn to Mecca and engage in endless discussions, formulating some political dogmas or building dreams for a moon-set Utopia or simply concentrating on some monumental task like smelling the aroma of coffee and zipping it with love. I love this place for here I can take my glasses off, linger for hours over coffee and plan my goals for the future with a notepad to write anything what flows on my mind. When I’m in a coffee shop I always scald myself raw with espresso: very black and sugarless to make my body awake and open-eyed.

            It is quite noisy outside but I don’t mind as I no longer mind so many things. While taking a shot of my espresso, I scan the shop for familiar faces.

            Whilst I was wearing my usual smile on my face alone, and putting into words my thoughts of the advantage of shifting my program from BS-ECE to BS-IE, my  sense for someone to tap my shoulder to advise me anything better about my set plans.

            When I was on my halfway of my imagination of  experiencing success, I remembered what others always telling me, that when it comes on decision making, I always follow my mind and not my heart, that I always letting it to construct the strategies that I have to step to and that I am a stone-hearted person that my body never want to release off my emotions. After feeding my mind what others had told me, my mind sent my soul a message using the image of clarity that if I let the deceitful heart decides on anything, it is like pursuing what you want and not what you need. Exactly, my mind got what I was doing.

            It seems like I am always wearing an emotional shield for I am afraid that my direction would be eaten by the powerful desire of my emotion. And, in doing this, it helps me think clearly of what I need in life. With this I was never destructed.

            My friends have known me as a certified unoffending mayabang with a superior rate of IQ I got on the intelligence test, and this high IQ I possessed had ironically flattened by my failing marks on academics which others thought it happened because of being a student leader which obviously not. I failed because of being always late which I’m working to take away of my habits now and trying full strength to be as professional as I can be.

            With my outlined plans and strategies set at the corner of my mind, while walking towards the counter to order three brownies and iced cappuccino, I still the question “how can I achieve my goals?” haunting my mind. I ordered iced cappuccino and brownies, and get a newspaper, and quickly got back to my table where my favorite black bag located. I was still thinking what to write on this column so I read the column There’s the Rub of Conrado de Quiros to fueled thoughts of ideas that I can get in style of writing in a column for it’s my first time to write here. I read it without understanding the thoughts the writer was stressing and just reading it without observing his writing style. And, finally I didn’t get something. I heard my name called by the crew and get my frosty and iced cappuccino and the brownies which I forgot to get earlier. I slid the newspaper inside the sloppy of my bag and get my red ink to continue the list that I started a couple of hours ago. I noticed what I had done on my lists, lots of erasures; maybe this can be the outcome of what I am planning for, lots of changes. But I’m not afraid for I was fascinated by the quote from the book The Alchemist, that if you something you want to get, all the stars in the universe will conspire for you to get. It’s not the exact word but it sounds like this.

            I zipped my iced cappuccino while I persisting my strategized future. I don’t think I’ll fall for I know I did a great foundation to support my sky-high dreams. On my last bite of the brownies I thought that there’s nothing to be perplexed about for I know I have that great belief on my capacity and faith to my goals, and in the middle of thinking if I’ll going to make it or not had ended with confidence in making my dreams to reality.

            I got out at the Starbucks while zipping the last two ounce of my iced-now-hot cappuccino with my mind bannered by words of believing, I can and have faith as I vanish in the middle of the crowd fueled with confidence that nothing will turn back to what I dreamed.

THE WORDSMITH’S GAME

by Alex Alvin Amoranto

           

One of the most-played board games in The Knight publication, Scrabble, made the word-fueled mind of The Knight staffs to melt like lave due to their recent scrabble tournament which reigned by Ron, Alex and, Erwin.

            Scrabble is a well-liked word and board game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. This popular board game was invented in 1938, by an architect, Alfred Mosher Butts, on a variation on the earlier word game he invented, The Lexicon. These two games had the same situate of letter tiles, whose distributions and point ethics which Butts worked out painstakingly by counting letter custom from various sources including The New York Times. A few sets was manufactured by himself but was not successful in selling the game in any game manufacturers that days. In 1948, the lawyer James Brunot bought the rights to manufacture the game, he vaguely reshuffle the premium squares of the board and simplified the rules and changed its name to Scrabble which means to grope frantically. Then, he sold sets to the market and created a demand for the game.    

            The game can be played by two to four players in a square board with 15-by15 grid cells, where each tile accommodate one square. In an official and tournament games, it is usually played by two players or by two teams collaborated on one rack. The tiles consist of 100 pieces; two of these are marked blank. Each tile has a corresponding points ranging from one to yen depending on the frequency of the usage of the word. The board consists of premium squares where a tile or tiles and words’ score can be multiplied depending on the marked presented on the premium squares.

            Before the games starts, tiles must be placed in an opaque bag or container, and then followed by picking the tiles to draw letters. The one who had chosen a tile who is closest to the beginning of the alphabet will go first; blanks have higher rank than the As.

At the start of the game, and after each turn until the bag is empty (or until there are no more face-down tiles), players draw tiles to refill their "racks", or tile-holders, with seven tiles, from which they will craft plays. Each rack is concealed from the other players. When they had got all the seven tiles, the starting player has these options: first, to pas or forfeit and score nothing, second, swap one or more tiles for an equal number from the bag, scoring nothing, an alternative which is only offered if at least seven tiles linger in the bag; or third, form a play on the board and add its point the that player. The player must place his tile on a premium square which has the star, and scored him a double-word score. Then the next players will have a chance to throw his play which will use a letter from the previously played words or have at least one tile vertically or horizontally adjacent to an already played word, if the played word had formed to another word by putting the newly placed word, it will also be scored and subject for the same criteria for acceptability. After playing a word, the player draws letter tiles from the bag to replenish his rack to seven tiles. If there are not enough tiles in the bag to do so, the player takes all of the remaining tiles. There are some rules that if the player has used all the seven tiles in just one turn, the score of the played word will be awarded a 50 plus points.

            After a player plays a word, opponents may choose to challenge any or all the words formed by the play. If the play found out unacceptable he has to remove his tiles and place it on his rack, and his turn is forfeited.

            When the game ends, the player who has unable to play his tiles, each tiles’ points will be reduced to his total score, if a player has used all of his letters total points of the players’ misplayed letters will be added to the score of the player.

            The game doesn’t depend only to the players’ intelligence and vocabularies, it also depend on how he can manage the tiles onside his rack properly and sometimes lucks comes along in tile selecting.

            Inside The Knight’s office, Scrabble is still one of the most helpful board game especially for the writers for it enhances one’s vocabularies and exercises our stressed mind. It can also be leisure for everyone who seeks activity that’s worthwhile which can help them feed their mind for its progress.

 

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrabble

 

           

           

               

IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING ENONYMOUS

by Alex Alvin D. Amoranto

 

Last October 15, the Engineering Student Council (ESC) together with the other student organizations in the Department of Engineering organized their College Day, bannered “Enonymous: Engineers in the Making”.

The whole night was crammed by pageants and battle of the bands.

The clash for Mr. and Ms. Engineering ’07 was held first with the GMA talents: Jelaine Santos, Jana Roxas, and Ken Punzalan as the juries for the said competition. GMA talents also performed song number for the pageant. Mr Joseriz Cruz and Ms. Andrae Loraine Jimena grabbed the 3^rd place for the title Mr. and Ms. Engineering ’07, Ramnyl dela Cruz and Sarah Jean Gonzales placed second and the crown for Mr. and Ms. Engineering ’07 was took by Mr. Geric Agawin and Ms. Precious Andaya.

The Battle of the Bands was judged by Mr. Steven Villanueva, Engr. Melchor Gamilla and Engr. Felimar Resplandor. The Radicals reigned victorious on the competition with First Year Standing and Joe’s String as first and second runner-up respectively.

Performances also showcased by the 5ECE Students, Letran Engineering Dancers and band performances from the faculties.

“In general, masaya na rin kami kasi kahit pa-paano naidaos na rin ‘yung celebration. That day, nagkaroon ng maraming problema such as re-scheduling ng event dahil sa kakulangan sa preparation, gawa ng kulang na rin sa oras, especially the final exam is malapit na rin.” pointed by the ESC President John Windonwell Cruz.

9^th Season Kicks Off

DBTC-M Hosts NCAA-South

By: Alex Alvin D. Amoranto and Genold Bañares

 

            The 9^th season of National Collegiate Athletic Association-South (NCAA-South) was opened and hosted by Don Bosco Technical College-Mandaluyong (DBTC-M) last August 30, 2007. The 9^th season of NCAA-South was participated by nine colleges and universities here in the south with Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Calamba (Letran Knights), De La Salle-Lipa (DLSL Chevrons), First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH Bravehearts), Lyceum of Batangas (Lyceum Patriots), Philippine Christian University (PCU Dolphins), San Beda College-Alabang (San Beda Red Lions), University of Perpetual Help System of Laguna (Perpetual Saints), and Dos Bosco Technical College-Mandaluyong (Don Bosco Greywolves).

            The opening ceremony was started by a red carpet parade, from the campus parking lot to the DBTC-M gymnasium, of schools with their respective muses behind and their important personalities, with the tune of tribal music while elementary students dances to its beat.

            The opening rite was unfolded by a doxology followed by the singing of the National Anthem. It was immediately followed by a video presentation entitled E-MERGE, the NCAA 9^th season’s motto.

            Mandaluyong City Mayor, Hon. Ben Abalos, made the opening remarks and stated “Walang Imposible”, after telling the story about the successful handicapped athlete. He, then, also emphasized the theme of this season, “Grounded in Will, Soaring in Sports”.

            In the middle of the program, the traditional transferring of the key from the last season’s host to the present season host was made by our Rector, Rev. Fr. Honorato Castigador to the present season host DBTC-M which was represented by their Hon. Ben Abalos. It was preceded by the lighting of the torch which was led by the alumnus of DBTC-M and followed by the reciting of the athlete’s pledge which was led by Hon. Edurado Bartlome.

            Myra-E, one of the major sponsors of the NCAA-South 9^th season crowned Ms. Marie Jane Somiran of SPC as the Face of the Day.

            The opening program was filled by dance intermissions and video presentations with the theme of speed, strength, strategy, and style.

            The declaration of the official opening of the NCAA-South season nine was folded by the DBTC-M Rector, Rev Fr. Eli Cruz, SDB.

i don't want to be- gavin degraw

Song Lyrics: "I Don't Want To Be"
Recorded by: "Gavin DeGraw"
Written by: (Gavin DeGraw)
Album: "Chariot" - 2003

I don't need to be anything other
Than a prison guard's son
I don't need to be anything other
Than a specialist's son
I don't have to be anyone other
Than the birth of two souls in one
Part of where I'm going, is knowing where I'm coming from

I don't want to be
Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately
All I have to do
Is think of me and I have peace of mind
I'm tired of looking 'round rooms
Wondering what I've got to do
Or who I'm supposed to be
I don't want to be anything other than me

I'm surrounded by liars everywhere I turn
I'm surrounded by imposters everywhere I turn
I'm surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn
Am I the only who noticed?
I can't be the only who's learned

I don't want to be
Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately
All I have to do
Is think of me and I have peace of mind
I'm tired of looking 'round rooms
Wondering what I've got to do
Or who I'm supposed to be
I don't want to be anything other than me

Can I have everyone's attention please?
If you're not like this and that, you're gonna have to leave
I came from the mountain
The crust of creation
My whole situation made from clay to stone
And now I'm telling everybody

I don't want to be
Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately
All I have to do
Is think of me and I have peace of mind
I'm tired of looking 'round rooms
Wondering what I've got to do
Or who I'm supposed to be
I don't want to be anything other than me
I don't want to be
I don't want to be
I don't want to be
I don't want to be anything other than me
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

 

this song made my mind automatically played in. wow! i love this song as i love ONE TREE HILL.

 

I got this clip from CTV on one of the episodes of Desperate Housewives' racial comment on Filipino Medical practitioners per se. A little bit irresponsible on the side of the scriptwriter, considering a huge number of Filipino medical practitioners working in the US.

Pls. check also my video update entitled "Desperate Scriptwriters' Insults on Filipino Meds".