What now: Value the given chance to live. Let Earth Breath. Earth Day
By: Dave Gumantason
Just like how we celebrate our annual birthday celebration, the commemoration of Earth Day is also valued every year. After observing for couple of days on what is going on for the past week, I found out that the celebration of the Earth Day just so happened to be in the scope of my expected measurement of time. This Earth Day that we celebrate annually is a day full of awareness toward the society with regard to environmental issues. It aims to address the on-going dilemma related to the situation and status of our environment in a span of a year.
But why does this event aim to address issue rather than focusing on the so-called birthday celebration? simply because the world is getting more deteriorated and chaotic amidst the rise of different organizations that target the environmental issues. Regardless of how big of an organization or small they are, the volume of people choosing to disregard this proliferating issue is much greater than those how are worried and taking their steps in hopes for a better environment.
Earth Day was born in 1970 as a lead to uplift the understanding about the roaring environmental issues. Annually, every April 22, millions and billions of people across the globe come together and celebrate in a form of rallies, clean-up drive in communities, and also educational thought coming from people who are known and know what this significant event is all about.
Earth Day was coined by environmentalist and a former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. He was a leading model in the fight to protect the environment, later, he was awarded the presidential medal of freedom in 1995. This event is said to be targeted to the college students. In fact, he personally chose the day of April 22 because he knows that it falls during breaks.
And I, myself support this cause. Not only because this is a trending problem. However, a call that of need attention and support even if you are a simple person in the society, I also see this as a call not only for reform in terms of mindset, direction, and commitment to the betterment of the mass. After all, this treatment we give to our environment will eventually backfire to us if we choose to be ignorant and blind of the reality.
As I entered this institution and this faculty, the first thing that struck my consciousness is the awareness. To influence. To encourage. To be transparent. But most importantly, is the power that this field holds in terms of the cognitive reflexes this may give me.
As I walk onto the other side of the page of my story, I am becoming more socially aware of what is happening around me. I realized a lot of things that can benefit me and the public as well. That includes the care for our environment. I realize the influence I have to relay the message of valuing the important matter to us.
I am worried what if the next generation will not experience the lenience we get to enjoy now. What if they are the once who will suffer because of our lack of cooperation to the authorities that only seeks to nurture our sanity and the next generations to come. They are the once who will pay for what we are doing in the present.
We are not juveniles to ignore the evidence laid out for us to feed ourselves. We are more than what they say, the doer of the chaos. We are more than that. We can all function in any ways we can to contribute to the community for it to prosper and flourish. It doesn’t matter if what you can do is a tiny act of concern, that is appreciated. Now if you have the power to influence, use it in a better way possible.
As we move forward to the new world of consciousness, let us always remember the purpose why we are in this place. Lately, we experience the drastic effect of climate change. It has been plaguing different people, race, age, and even social status. For example, here in the Philippines, we experience the unusual heat that seems to be new, and we are not use to it. Why? because of the environmental effect to the society. It was a choice we had to make that lead us to where we are now. It is a domino effect that affected everyone and left no remorse to the humanity. Not even the environmentalists nor the once who truly care about our environmental status. It is a domino effect that all those people who are guilty or not are the subject to suffer and accept the consequences we chose to take.
If the elders cannot do their job to alleviate the suffering, us, the new generation has to step up and find our ways in various angles. Let us live up by the phrase of Rizal, “ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan”. He fought because he hoped that if others cannot do, then be someone to do it by doing the simplest gesture of effort you may. Let us be curious and explore the vast possibilities that we hold. After all, we will either make it or break it. It’s either we prosper or we suffer. As a communication student myself, I adhere to value the true essence of dissemination of factual information to give the public the thirst for knowledge they wish to feast.
Music, Art, and Fashion– This is, Coachella.
By: Kirsten Shyla Iyog
Coachella Valley Festival is known as the most popular, biggest, and loved festivals in the U.S.A and around the globe. With its line-up of biggest artists in the music industry, who would want to miss their performance and hear them sing live? Of course, no one. The festival took a two-year hiatus from 2020 and just came back last year. A lot of people, including myself, are anticipating this year’s line-up and were very thrilled when Coachella finally revealed its list of performers. This year’s festival was headlined by three of the biggest names in the music industry: Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, and Frank Ocean.
Bad Bunny headlines the Friday dates of Coachella. Bad Bunny sets history as the first Latin Artist to headline the biggest music festival, Coachella. Over 100,000 people have jammed Bad Bunny’s recent single despite being released less than a week before the festival. I am not really familiar with any of his songs, but I guess he’s a great artist. I have known Bad Bunny only through his name plus I thought the popular bunny logo was called Bad Bunny before I knew it was actually Playboy’s (my embarrassing moments).
Moving forward to the group who’s in our area– BLACKPINK! The group headlines the two Saturdays of first and second week. The biggest girl group in the world has first made its Coachella debut at the Sahara Tent year 2019 with over 100,000 audience, and, they were the first Korean Girl Group to perform at the said festival, South Korea’s Pride it is! Their performance four years ago was iconic AND really historic for hitting numbers and notes; left and right. Moving forward to the present year- 2023, BLACKPINK came back as headliner to perform at the main stage.
April 15 (US date), the Royal Dance Crew opened the set with a dance performance before the four girls dominated the stage with their hit song “Pink Venom” with a live band. While watching the livestream of their performance, I was in awe and almost cried (I’m a blink, don’t judge me) because I felt so proud of how far they’ve come. Although they are already hitting records back when they just debuted and are rookies, seeing them performing on a huge stage at a huge festival with a huge audience, as a fan, who wouldn’t feel proud and emotional about it? The connection between the artists and fans is special, like every dream the artists wants to achieve is also the fans’ dreams and through music, they became one. To make it short, it was OUR (the girls and blinks) dream. Dreams do come true indeed!
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Going back to Coachella. The recorded attendees of BLACKPINK’s performance for the first weekend was 125,000 and over 250 million online viewers. And in terms of social media, the group has dominated 78.1% of Coachella-related posts. It is insane because they are almost seven years into their career, yet they are growing even bigger and still breaking records.
The half and an hour performance from the girls was so far, the best performance I’ve ever watched! The energy and stage presence these girls have was insane that they can connect and hype with the locals easily. Everyone was screaming and chanting “BLACKPINK” and dancing to their songs. It’s sad I wasn’t able to witness it live.
Anyway, jumping to Frank Ocean. The American singer-songwriter headlines the two Sundays of the fest. On the first weekend, the audience were confused about how odd the stage was that took place backstage. If I were a fan of his and went to Coachella to see his performance live, I’d be confused too and would probably be disappointed by how his set turns out like that… I couldn’t find the right word/s but the fans’ expectations with Frank’s performance dropped. I even saw this one TikTok video where a fan of his is disappointed by how Frank treats his fans poorly. I really cannot judge the artist nor the fans because they have different points of views, but what’s done is done and Frank still did well with his performance.
Frank Ocean was supposed to perform for the Weekend 2, however, he canceled it. It was stated from his representative that Frank injured his ankle even before the festival started, this caused another buzz among the fans and non-fans. It is a valid reason anyway and it’s understandable why he’s unable to perform, artists must also take care of their body and health. The band Blink-182 replaces Frank Ocean and rocks the stage with their songs.
Aside from the headliners mentioned above, Zendaya also shakes Coachella with her surprise appearance as a guest of Labrinth along with Sia. If I would be asked what weekend I’d attend, I would probably choose the Weekend 2. The second week of the fest seems like the most fun and hello? THEE ZENDAYA? I would trade anything just to see her in person and hear her sing live. It’s a dream!
And, Coachella wouldn’t be Coachella without glitz and glamours all over these attendees, and of course, it’s their fashion, where they will be wearing their best summer or casual outfits. Well, the only thing I can say is: welcome to Coachella.
The power of manifestation and hard work
By: Allona Marie De Gracia
Can you still recall your manifestations back when you were in high school? Were you able to make it happen or are you on your way to make it happen? Either way, let us be inspired as I unfold the story of a bar exam passer who fulfills his high school dream of becoming a lawyer.
Erickson Mariñas, 26 years old, from San Jacinto, Pangasinan, wrote in his high school graduation yearbook: “Ten years from now, I will be a lawyer.”
It was clearly one of his manifestations back then and just recently it came true. Not only did he achieve his goal of becoming a lawyer, but he also placed second on the 2022 Bar exam.
If you feel amazed of how smart and dedicated Erickson is, well, I feel the same. Imagine out of the 9,183 examinees who finished the four-day test for aspiring lawyers, only 3,992 people passed and he managed to get into the top 2. Passing the board exam is surely not easy. The questions requires the examinees a recollection of what they learned in four or five years in law school, the ability to identify and analyze what is being asked, and applying the rule of law and their analysis to answer the question.
It takes more than being smart to pass the Bar exam. You need to be physically, mentally, and emotionally tough to be able to get through the journey.
As for Erickson, he was not very fond of studying when he was in elementary. In an interview with INQUIRER, Erickson’s mother described him as not so studious during his elementary grades. His mother also said that she was strict and focused on tutoring and reviewing him in his lessons, especially before his tests.
However, he had acquired the discipline of studying, as he excelled in high school, bagging first honors from his first to his fourth year. He was also the supreme student council’s president in his third and fourth years and shone in extemporaneous speaking and debate, winning top prizes in those fields during private school contests in the district.
This shows that you do not have to be born genius to be able to excel academically. To succeed in school, you need to study with discipline and put in effort.
Even though Erickson was smart and he excelled from high school to college, he also struggled when he entered law school at the University of the Philippines (UP). He had hard time grappling with challenging classes and facing off against “terror” professors. But he never thought of giving up, and in the end, he manage to succeed.
Erickson’s story inspired me a lot. I never thought I could find another reason to continue reaching my dream just by doing our blog. I remember my younger self’s manifestations written in my diary and how I hope until now that I would be able to achieve it. Like Attorney Erickson Mariñas, I know it will take me years to reach my dreams too but I will not quit until I make it all come true.
We all have our dreams and manifestations. It may be written in our diaries, in our graduation yearbook, and in our hearts and minds. We have planned what we wanted to achieve years from now and we are working hard to be able to get there. It won’t be an easy ride, there will be obstacles and challenges we will encounter along the way, and sometimes, it will makes us want to give up but let us not throw all our efforts in waste.
Our manifestations are powerful especially when we accompanied it with hard work. May we all never get tired of fighting for our dreams.
