Week 01 – Page 2 – BLOG 6050

Pens and Scalpels

Her original plan involved one thing only—to not stay.

Before she landed in BS Development Communication, Sofia Louise Sanchez used to daydream of studying either Public Health or Nursing in another constituent university. Hours after hours of watching Grey’s Anatomy had finally pushed the eighteen-year-old Batangueña to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, and since then, all she would dream of was to serve the people by quite literally, fixing them when they get sick. Well that and to hold a human heart one day. In her mind, there were only two possible ways her college life would unfold: either be accepted in UP Manila or take her pre-med course in her back-up university.

So imagine her surprise when April Fool’s Day came and brought with it a third possibility: be accepted in UP Los Baños under the program BS Development Communication. But with her mind set stubbornly on the thought of shifting, she entered college completely unaware that the course she was to take would bring her back to her first love—writing. Before she dreamt of holding a scalpel, her chosen tools were a pen and a paper. For nearly her whole life, she wrote what she couldn’t properly say out loud: from poems to stories, and essays to articles. Most of her high school years were either spent inside her school’s publication office or in faraway towns where School Press Conferences were held. Being accepted into the DevCom program and discovering what it was all about felt a lot like the universe nudging her back to a well-loved path, and one that she no longer wants to leave.

Although med school is still definitely her endgame, her original plan is now mostly scrapped. In its place lies a new one, comprised of two things only: serve the people as a development communicator, and then as a surgeon.

Back when I was in 6th grade, reading and writing love stories in Wattpad was a thing. I remember how I used to name my characters after my favorite band members and made hard copies of my stories using used notebooks. That I believe, was when my passion for writing sparked. To hone my skills, I allowed myself to love books. Up until now, I enjoy reading fiction novels of romantic and science fiction genres. I also like reading poetry books, especially those made by Lang Leav and Michael Faudet. Even if it takes me a very long time to read, and some books even go unfinished, it will always be a simple joy to hold a new book and smell its fresh pages.

When I got into 8th grade, we were required to join in respective clubs or organizations. Out of curiosity, I decided to sign up in our school’s publication. I started my first year in the field as a photojournalist, I covered varsity tournaments, seminars, and made captions for various photos. I loved my job, but I realized I wanted to do more. I then entered the field of writing, during the last two years of my junior high school I wrote articles for the culture and arts, news, and feature sections. My stay in the school’s publication opened a lot of doors for me. I had opportunities to represent my school in a variety of contests such as press conferences and those held by leading universities. By the end of my stay, I became the Associate Editor in Chief of our school’s paper, The Notre Damer, and during our junior high school graduation, I was given the Journalism Award. This is by no means to brag, this is to show that my writing journey was a long and uneasy process, but by the end was worth it. The journey taught me that there was more to writing and publishing articles in a newspaper. Being able to express my thoughts and opinions to a mass of students and personnel makes me realize that I was making an impact even in the smallest way possible.

By the time I got into senior high school, I chose to take the STEM strand because I wanted to become a developmental pediatrician. I also decided to leave the school’s publication and join the student council. During this time, I decided I wasn’t going to pursue writing, I thought my passion for it will go stagnant due to the different paths I took, but I eventually got to hone it using different mediums. I had subjects like Personal Development and Reading and Writing which required written outputs and journal entries. I was also the Letters and Communication Assistant Secretary in our school’s council, I was in charge of writing letters to be submitted to the administration regarding our hosted events and proposals. From those experiences, I can say that writing will always be a part of me and that there will always be opportunities for me to express myself through writing.

Getting into UPLB and being a part of the College of Development Communication, destined me back to my first love. This new and more challenging opportunity made me realize that media writers are as important as any other job and writing isn’t just merely writing for a requirement or a deadline. Writing is a voice, a voice that can influence, a voice that can direct, and a voice that can guide. Someday, I want to use that voice and reach a larger audience. Even if I may not end up as a media writer, I will continue to yell and use my passion for the greater good of my people, and a larger impact on my country.

01: U.P COOKBOOK

Photo courtesy of J.J Burns of Pinterest.com, imgflip.com, and Cartoon Network’s “the Powerpuff Girls”

Get a mixture of cross-country relocations, family issues, crippling self-criticism, constant existential dread and a tendency for unnecessarily dramatic introductions, boil it in the fires of philosophical “enlightenment” and love for music, and then what do you get? Probably a number of self-righteous, know-it-all and also socially crippled students who think they’re on top of the world. I’d wager that here in the University of the Philippines you could encounter them on a daily basis, but they all come in different flavors. Sprinkle in the name of a famous monument from a country our family has literally nothing to do with (as though things couldn’t get quite insufferable enough), however, and you get Taj Samuel Aguirre Lagulao specifically, in all his unabashed glory.

Everyone’s a certain type, and no one is exactly like another person. After all, everyone is the product of their own personal kitchen and experiences. As the youngest child of three, my siblings and I have had to learn how to survive on their own at an early age, as circumstances early on in our lives prompted our father to separate and our mother to work abroad. Passed around like lost puppies, the three of us lived with distant relatives from all over the country: first in Roxas City, then Iloilo, then Makati, then Pangasinan, then Quezon City, and now finally Los Banos, where I have stayed long enough to say that I’m a citizen here. A travelling life full of menial tasks and unmemorable experiences, only few things have given me constant solace. Video game addiction is a real thing, mind you, and I used to have it in spades. More productively, however, is my fascination with the written art, specifically literature.

Writing in all its forms has never failed to intrigue me. It is a cheap pop advertisement, it is graffiti in the bathroom stalls, it is erotic fiction and other unsightly combination of words, yet it is simultaneously an art form, a method of communication, and a device of development. Writing is so many things. It could be anything you wanted it to be. A subservient squire, it is willing to give itself up for your use. It could be literally anything, but like the decorated sword a knight wields, it is up to you the writer to navigate through its complex ocean and curvatures. Writing is not anything without the writer.

The stage is set for this little stew of experiences to take the spotlight. Does he crumble like bread or does he thrive like a mouse in an unkempt kitchen? Who’s to say? Only two things are for sure: One, I’m in U.P taking up Development Communication as my course, and two, I’m here to stay. Nothing else is certain, so why don’t we just see how the story goes?

Photo courtesy of Pixar’s “Ratatouille” and imgflip.com

What do you see?

Whenever I asked my father a question, he would never give me a straight answer, he’d answer vaguely and then ask me, “What do you see, Zen? What can you take away from it?”. He’d constantly quiz me on how I can relate the things that I studied to what goes on in the real world, what it looks like from the ‘bird’s eye view’ as he put it. I couldn’t ever really answer his follow up question, in fact, there came a point where I stopped asking him questions at all in fear of this response. I felt incompetent, unintelligent when I couldn’t answer him. Now, as someone part of the college of development communication, I as a media writer should be able to rectify my regret.

The kind of media writer that I want to become is one that can answer the question posed to me for myself and my people. I wish to create a community where we all walk hand in hand towards progress and the future. I want to speak for those whose speeches are scarcely given the light of day, those whose stories and wisdom are ripe for imparting and broadcasting to the country, those whose cries are constant and ignored. I wish to be a megaphone that amplifies the voices that are soft, and a telescope on both ends of the developing and the developed world in order for them to be able to see what’s truly going on.

A media writer presents the best version of objects that is intended for their audience. I want to present not only the minorities, but also pronounce the good that is within our country and create a voice that cries to build upon these qualities. I want a media writer that can show the people what he sees; I want the people to see what I can see.

Connect.

Harsh realities of the world gradually diminish the youthful exuberance and naivety that was instilled unto us when we were young. Wishful thinking turns into a practical outlook, and bold dreams into career plans. This is a necessary tale of woe that everyone must go through if they wish to carve their path towards success. Fortunately, there are values and principles that a person keeps with them through their passage; certain ideals that make up a person’s character.

“No matter what you do, do it for the people not for the money”.

In the particular case of Kyle Joseph Angelo Saldonido, a media writer for the people, this is the value that defined him and his path. A man of faith and service who at a young age, realized that the fate of the society should not be left at the hands of God. Prayer and sympathetic thinking would not do anyone good if it is not followed up by a dignified action. Hence, Kyle Saldonido prides himself in being a man for the people that uses his words, both written and verbal, to help the those around him. Fittingly, he is studying under the Development Communication program in the College of Development Communication in the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Proficiency in academic research writing, unwavering passion for service, and admirable people skills comprise the profile of Kyle Saldonido as a media writer. Extensive exposure to academic research papers beyond school requirements established his skills as a writer. These include skills ranging from expansive vocabulary to high regard for the technicalities of academic papers. Due to this, the aspects of media writing that concerns the fundamentals of writings become second nature to Kyle Saldonido. Moreover, his passion for service allows him to reach far and beyond what he is required to do as a media writer. Instilled within him are the values that helps him write papers with a genuine motive to help other people. Paired with his admirable people skills that allow him to communicate and gather data freely, Kyle Saldonido is able to write quality development related papers. Kyle Saldonido, a passionate and capable media writer for the people.

Torch of Hope

While people seemed to know me so well, I was having a hard time knowing who I really am. Growing up, I was too busy pleasing everyone that I could not make time for myself. The routine is waking up, go to school, smile at everybody, maintain good grades to be part of the honors, play the piano on the music room after class, then go home. Despite all the achievements, I never felt satisfaction. I don’t even know the purpose of my existence.

Repeating the routine everyday made my life toxic. I felt so exhausted pleasing everyone around me and not having a clear definition of who I really am in my mind. Later on, I was clinically diagnosed with depression. These were the hardest days of my life. But it was one of the greatest blessings that came to me. Having depression was never easy but it gave me the chance to allot time for myself. During the dark days of my life, I was able to write songs and essays with purpose. Because of depression, I realized what I wanted to be—a servant to the people who are experiencing mental health problems.

They say that in UP, it is hard to get in but is harder to get out. I admit feeling the pressure with those words. However, even right before I enter the university, the hardship of getting into something and a greater challenge of getting out of it was already on my list of experiences. To accept that you are depressed is hard, but getting out of depression is harder. Nevertheless, I was able to get out and survived. That is why I firmly believe that I can make it through whatever challenges awaits me here in the university.

I am Nicca Angelette Paular, an 18 year-old freshman taking BS Development Communication, more than excited to serve the people with a torch of hope. Just wait and together we will make the world a better place, where the light is so bright that there would be no place for darkness.

Once a writer

Ma. Angela Faye L. Rufino from Cauayan City, Isabela is currently taking up Bachelor of Science in Development Communication at the University of the Philippines – Los Baños. It was not in her plan to study outside of their province but she wanted to try to live far from her family and to make decisions by herself. Her dream is to be a chemical engineer or chemist. She took and passed the UPCAT, however she did not got the course she wanted. She is still unsure if she can survive in degree program given to her, since she is inclined in math and science.

In elementary, she wanted to be a feature writer but she ended up being the copyreading and headline writer. Angela was forced to join campus journalism because of the heated competition in the honor roll. She is neither a writer nor a reader but she is trying and doing her best. She joined Division Schools Press Conference clueless of what will happen but she won. At a young age, she wanted to continue to become a journalist. She even auditioned in broadcasting team of their school but the teacher said to her that she is not for the said field and should focus on her own event. She started to take a different path, love solving problems, doing experiments and reading various books when she entered high school.

Just like how much she does not like to be called “Maria”, she does not want to stop chasing her dream. Although she was a writer in the past, a writer is always a writer. She’s willing to learn, hone her skills in writing and public speaking and to discover more of what she can do.

Unwavering Journey

Armed with his journalistic background, Reinier Gaspar, an eighteen-year-old freshman from Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, is currently taking Bachelor of Science in Development Communication in the University of the Philippines Los Baños. A dedicated achiever who is willing to serve and to work for the underprivileged, his interest in becoming educated about the people led him to strive to have a profound understanding of the problems and issues faced by the country and his fellow Filipinos. From being an innocent, shy student, he continues to develop and improve himself, and he sees that entering the university will enable him to do such things. Thus, leading him to take the said degree, as it engages individuals to interact with the society and be involved of these happenings, even though almost all his family members belong to the medical field.

Prior to entering UPLB, he has been the Associate Editor of The Louisian, the official school publication of Saint Louis University Senior High School in Baguio City. While being exposed to the situations in the community, he has been able to develop his skills in news writing and layout and design by competing in various levels of press conferences since his elementary days.

Moreover, his skills and ideas in media production helped a team to create a short film entitled “DATGILABAP” where he served as one of the directors, and the editor.

He always seeks for adventures and such trait was visible as he reached the peak of Mt. Pulag in Benguet and had cliff diving in Quirino. In addition to this, he developed an interest in photography by being exposed in this field as he grew up.

His role as the chairperson of one of the community projects of his immersion class in Senior High School has allowed him to encounter less fortunate children from Kabuyao Elementary School in Municipality of Tuba, Benguet. Hearing stories from them including how they walk miles and hours just to reach their school and how they play the roles of the parents in their own households has opened his eyes to a perspective he has not seen and has not been before. These, as well as his passion, have inspired him and ignited the fire within himself; a fire that surely will not be easily put out.

Equipped with all his skills and experiences, he is taking on another big leap on his life, with the hopes of becoming a successful journalist someday. For him, it is not just about helping those who are in need. It is also making them realize that they are important and they play a role in this society. This is a responsibility and a challenge that he is willing to take. Leading to a greater purpose, hoping for a better nation, his heart has always been for the people.

The Dream Profession

In a world full of endless possibilities, a girl finds herself trapped and lost. Kaye Galler is a human-driven by passion yet, she still doesn’t know where she wants to be headed. She is afraid of the fact that what she likes to do today may not be likable enough for her tomorrow. With a mind full of indecisiveness and uncertainty, there’s only one thing she’s sure of–she does things that she enjoys today for she believes that a life fueled by contentment is a life fulfilled.

Her goal of being a UP student has ignited the perseverance within her since her innocent days. And now that she has been living with it, she’s doing her very best to make the most out of it. Entering BS Development Communication was her sole choice and she’s hoping that the life she has planned to achieve was inside it.

Kaye is a firm believer of art. She has emerged herself into liking the world of editing, painting, drawing and even creating music. Writing isn’t her forte. She isn’t the type of student who competes in interschool contests and activities. The only reason for her to do writing is academic requirements. She’s not the best in making a content-worthy essay but every time she does her work, she makes sure that her work won’t be the worst one submitted. There is always room for improvement and possibilities. And Kaye is hoping to open all of those rooms to upgrade the kind of writing she has.

Her enthusiasm for media has been her inspiration in conquering the BSDC program. Landing on a job of being a doctor, engineer, scientist or a certain profession in the future wasn’t in her plans. She just wanted her job to revolve around media because she knows she’ll do great and be a productive individual when she’s in that field. She didn’t want to be the most popular in her field of work; she just wanted to be known and recognized.

This girl knows nothing about good decision-making. But she is aware that the choices she makes every day will make a great change to the life she’ll have in the future.

A girl has no dream profession. But a girl has plans. And she plans to know the kind of art she is and the imagery of the life she wants for herself. Life did not tell her the dream she wants for her profession in the future. But it did teach her the reality that it takes a lot of steps to get into the wisdom of knowing your dream. And she hopes that being in DevCom is the first step she’ll take towards that knowledge.

The Author

Started as an expression, Ended as a degree

I am an only child who masters the art of being alone without being lonely. Having no siblings, I entrust a few people my heart and my privacy. In my alone time, I express my thoughts in my journal through poems and essays; I wasn’t aware that this can be a way to relax when I was young.

Since it became a platform of expression for me, my interest is more of creative writing. I usually make free-verse poems and creative essays in my leisure time. I’m also fond of playing with captions. Moreover, I enjoy romantic written entertainment; such as novels, poems, and blogs.

With all honesty, I didn’t expect to fulfill my “HUMSS” dream in college. I was one of the reconsidered students of DevCom. I am ready to face the challenges on my way since I am a STEM student. I am thankful that the college saw the potential in me and accepted me as their student. I know that I have the responsibility to study well and to take good care of the chance that they gave me.