What it takes - 2nd column for Pink Seekers

What it takes

Motivation makes people aspire more for their dreams and goals in life. When you would want something, act and live for that. To be a star is to have the glow of one, and for this school year, that glow is what the different sections of the high school department are competing for.

The Student Body Organization(SBO) officers launched the Star Class Program as their first activity for the AY 2010-2011. The said program determines which of the 29 sections from 1st to 4th year is the most disciplined and outstanding for the current grading period. There would be 5 sections chosen for the award but only one tops all the others.

So what does it take to be proclaimed the Star Class?

High grades and excellence in academics? No, these don’t prove a star class. What are these things for when one does not possess the right character? To be a star means having to be a role model for the other classes. Some may possess the intellect but not the glow of a real star. This is why general sections and lead classes have fair chances on getting the award. Many strive to be on top, but of course, that won’t be that easy.

Judging would be critical. Sections are judged by their subject teachers. This means eyes are on them for the whole day. You may not know it but they’re there, searching for the qualities of a Star Class. Judging won’t also just happen in the classrooms during class hours. Recess and lunch breaks, and even dismissals are included too. My advice: don’t be just a show off and act like a goody-goody when teachers and coordinators are around. Be real because stars give off their own light. They do not emit artificial lights.

After subject teachers judge the sections from the year levels, they would meet and the lead teacher would submit the top five sections of that year level to the SBO officers. Those sections would be further judged by the chosen judges who would be coming from the coordinators.

So as you can see, the process is like filtration. The sections that don’t qualify for the Star Class award would not make it, especially when they have offenses and violations. Major offenses would automatically disqualify a section. The sections that would top in the last judging would come out as the Star Class awardees.

Stars are not born, they are made. UIC creates individuals with character. The Star Class Program exists for our motivation, but with or without it, we should still try to be the best we can be and be like stars. Never say you can’t do it because UICians CAN do it. Don’t be contented with something good because there’s still something better. And still, don’t get satisfied with it. Aim to be the best.

So reach your goals by aiming for the sky. Dare to shine. Do you have what it takes?

Get Involved! - My First Column on Pink Seekers

Get Involved!

Let’s take a look around in the things around us. Do you see the reality in all of the things you see? The planet we’re living in is currently having a major threatening problem. It’s something all of us humans are responsible of. This issue has been talked about over and over again and it continues to be a hot issue as the planet also goes hotter these days – GLOBAL WARMING.

What has caused the rising temperatures on earth? Let’s have this situation for an example; your family has just received your monthly electricity bill and all of your energy consumption has amounted to Php 3 000.00. You say, well, where’s the problem there? Since you’re family’s wealthy, you can pay that amount even if it was more than that. You can’t see there’s more to that.

Yes, you are able to pay the electricity you’ve used, but what you can’t pay with even a billion pesos is the effect of what you’ve done to our environment. Your high consumption of energy contributes to the climate change we are experiencing today. The more energy you use, the more fossil fuels are burned. Burning of fossil fuels emits much amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. That will add to the thickening layer of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Here’s where the greenhouse effect comes in. When light from the sun enters our planet, it turns to heat. Some of the heat are reflected back to space and some are retained on earth. The greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere acts like a thickening blanket that traps more heat on earth and causes the rising of temperature.

Here’s another situation. Take a look at our planet’s forests. There’s logging here and logging there, causing deforestation. Trees take in CO2, thus helping in the decreasing of its amount on earth. With the trees slowly becoming few in number, what would be the result of it to the environment? The atmospheric carbon would continue to increase in amount.

Looking around the city highways and streets around you, what do you see? Mostly vehicles, right? What makes those vehicles run? It’s gasoline – from fossil fuels once again. Not only that; vehicles also produce carbon monoxide, another form of atmospheric carbon that’s harmful to the environment. But this does not mean we have to stop traveling by means of vehicles. All we are asked to do is to minimize it for our planet’s own sake.

The situations above are just few of the many things that contribute to global warming. These things happen daily, harming our Mother Earth. We have no one to pinpoint our fingers to but ourselves. If we ponder things up, all we’d realize is what our world is experiencing right now’s all because of us. Nature can take care of itself without any help from us humans. Here we are abusing what are given to us – the earth, our ONLY planet, making problems that we ourselves would suffer. Well, if we would not put a stop, better get ready to face the consequences. Don’t be surprise if one day, you wake up with all the land cracked, the earth’s forests on wild fire, small islands disappearing because of the rising sea levels, temperatures rising continuously, and you find it hard to breathe because of oxygen depletion.

There are things we could still do to prevent our planet’s condition from worsening. Here are some useful tips: 1. Turn off the lights when not in use, especially during daytime. 2. Use compact fluorescent light (CFL) since they use less energy. 3. Plug off appliances when not in use. 4. Make use of alternative energy sources such as solar panels. 5. Don’t overcharge your gadgets. 6. Plant more trees. 7. Reduce, reuse, recycle. 8. Just walk or ride on bikes when your destination is just near. This would also be a good exercise for you. 9. Share rides when going to school or to work with a co-employee or schoolmate to lessen the vehicles in use. This would also help lessen the traffic. 10. Lessen your unnecessary trips.

The problem on global warming needs action. Many has been said and done, and yet here we are acting as if we don’t care about anything at all. Earth is the only planet we have. If we would not be the ones to save Mother Earth, who will? Saving our environment is for our own good, too. Take a look again on what’s around you and this time, look more closely and start to ponder things. The need for action is now, not when everything’s too late already. It’s time to take part in the fight against global warming. It’s time to get involved.

I made this for Valentines 2010

it was just a question: IS IT YOU?(cassie)

but RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW(HSM3),

I’M WITH YOU(avril lavigne).

i REALIZE(colbie caillat)

that i’m LUCKY(colbie caillat & jason mraz)

‘cause since WHEN THERE WAS ME & YOU(HSM1),

EVERYTHING IS RIGHT HERE BY MY SIDE

(im only me when im with you; taylor swift).

I’M LOVIN’ HAVIN’ YOU AROUND

(what i’ve been looking for; HSM1)

and I DON’T WANNA EVER LOVE ANOTHER

(thunder; boys like girls)

like THE WAY I LOVED YOU (taylor swift).

MY HEART HAS NEVER FELT THIS WAY BEFORE

(beautiful eyes; taylor swift).

I LOVE YOU & THAT’S ALL I REALLY KNOW

(love story; taylor swift)

from the time i FALL FOR YOU (secondhand serenade).

And like how I CAN”T STOP THE RAIN FROM FALLING, i

CAN’t STOP MY HEART FROM CALLING YOU,

IT”S CALLING YOU (please be mine; JoBro)

‘cause YOU MAKE ME LOVE YOU (7 things; miley cyrus).

and BECAUSE OF YOU (kelly clarkson)

i’m CRAZIER ‘cause YOU CAME ALONG & YOU

CHANGED EVERYTHING (crazier; taylor swift)

i love HOW YOU LOVE ME NOW (hey monday).

i want you to know that YOU’RE CLOUDING UP MY MIND

(decode; paramore)

and i’m THINKINGOF YOU (katy perry).

EVERY NIGHT I MISS YOU, I CAN JUST LOOK UP & KNOW

THE STARS ARE HOLDING YOU (tonight; fm static)

and it’s true that TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE (boys like girls)

‘cause MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT YOU (kelly clarkson).

you’ll always have A PLACE IN THIS WORLD (taylor swift)

and that’s in my heart♥, even after YEAR 3000 (JoBro).

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU ALONE

(glory of love, ?) .

lastly i would SAY IT AGAIN (marie digby) and again...

3 WORDS FOR YOU... I LOVE YOU (1234; plain white t’s)

& that’s how it’ll be, FOREVER AND ALWAYS (taylor swift) ;))

Closed Chapters

I love you forever; forever is over. Say hello to goodbye.

Blah, blah, blah. That would be unforgettable. Well, it was by my ex, and as a reply, I just said, ‘hello goodbye’.
Loving is just painful when the person you gave your love to just doesn’t love 6you anymore. Expired. Simple as that.
I know right now I am still in the young stage of life. Forever? Yea, it is stupid to believe in that word. So why did he have to say it? He’d just changed the meaning of the word because now I know forever can be over, and it’s a sad thing for girls that boys will just play with them. It’s not like we’re toys, duh. We are not like Barbie. We all know she doesn’t have a heart, right?
While all these were happening, I had my friends by my side so they made it a little less hurting. If not, I still know someone who would always be there. It’s the Lord. It’s amazing how His love for you doesn’t fade and never expires, even when some choose to turn their backs on Him.
Then again, looking into my heart. Hmm, I guess it’s still under reconstruction. LOL. But all the tears are over, all the love is gone, and all what’s left are the scars that once caused pain. So emo. Ha-ha. I guess that’s just really me and what I feel inside. When the day’s over, it’s just all about my motions. My story…it’s all in my diary.
I remember all the times in the past. Other people say that when you were still young, it’s the things you hate that makes you cry. And right now, when you’re older, it’s the things and people WHOM YOU LOVED THE MOST that makes you cry the most. That’s true.
Life goes on, though. Just the other night, I “formulated” a math quote. I think it was fun. Ha-ha. It goes like this: “Ex? Mathematically, you’re just my variable… and what I need is my constant” LOL. Many liked it. I guess teenagers almost feel the same emotions. Always talking ‘bout love, friendship, family and studies. It’s like our lives revolve on those. Good thing there’s always the Lord to heel us get up when we encounter troubles in them that makes us stumble.
Talking again about life, I remember my birthday coming. Tsk, by then I’ll be 15! It makes me sad that I’m older, but I thought, at least I reached this age, right? What I really miss are the times when I was little. Like… crying on simple things. All a kid’s happiness were just toys, ice cream, chocolates, and stuff like that. And back then, loving was not a difficult thing. The only hard thing seemed to be our exams in school. Ha-ha. But right now, you’ll realize what life is all about. That there’s more to it, and then you’ll see… life is not a simple fairytale that begins with once-upon-a-time and is sure to end with the character living in a happy-ever-after. Life is not done until it’s done… ‘cause there’s still life after this, right? I guess when we’ll be gone here, it’s just a pause, not the end.

Chapters are just closed, but the book has not yet ended. Read on.