Charles' Angels

A haven for the writers, poets, artists, creatives, and dramatics.

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MEDIA RICHNESS THEORY Social Media Campaign

#RichMediaRichLearning

The social media campaign was a fun experience and a good way to say goodbye to our Computer-Mediated Communication Course. We posted this in Facebook and Instagram and gained more engagement at Facebook. Being our last blog, everyone will share their insights into this social media campaign.

Jilca:

As I've experienced, the campaign's content is quite engaging and informative since it shows how individual learn languages through the use of rich media like videos, podcasts, social media platforms, and text-based resources. Additionally, the comment section allows for even greater engagement and connection with those who express their opinions. It also offered a new and engaging experience that encouraged me to explore new strategies to learn a language in the near future. Kamsamii

Francine:

Posting a social media campaign has a little bit of nerve-racking feeling in hopes of many people engaging in the post. Asking and spreading the post so people will notice, educate, or intrigue our target audiences. With the use of videos and social media posting, it is showing that the rich media theory can convey information and feedback easily which helps in communication and are interactive.

Rachel:

The social media campaign was a fun and memorable experience, providing a fitting conclusion to our Computer-Mediated Communication Course. Through this project, I gained valuable insights into effective teamwork, content creation and audience engagement strategies.

Charles:

The social media campaign posed an interesting process. For one, we had to develop a concept that was doable given time constraints and the skillsets that each member of the group has. Another important point is strategizing how to entice the viewers to engage with the post.

I've understood, given the experience of the campaign, that the level of language learning really does vary with the medium used to realize it. Most prefer technological help and I fall under this category as I learn language best when I am able to immerse my senses and have an audiovisual companion to guide me through the learning. On the other hand, texts and traditional educational formats tend to benefit me more when learning the written aspects of language.

Elijah:

We posted the social media campaign in hopes that we would have meaningful interaction. We asked everyone to comment down what media they prefer when learning a language, and most of them prefer a medium that has audio and visual elements, like that of a video. Media richness theory proposes that you are more motivated to learn and you learn more when the instructional medium is rich. Videos, such as TV shows and even games have the power to convey more information due to its richness. Thus, making language learners more motivated. The engagement from the comments would likely prove the hypothesis "the richer the media, the better the language learning experiences."

#RichMediaRichLearning

Everybody's 15th and Last Blog: Social Media Campaign

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Artwork Collage

A messy collage of all my artworks since 2020 up until now. I splayed them all over the place because it reflects my journey as an artist. My progress has had its ups, stops, downs, and stagnancy. Mostly downs, due to art blocks and lack of motivation. But I don't know, as I continue living may I also continue to grow as an artist as an act of rebellion against absurdity.

Elijah's 14th Blogging Entry: Reflections on Web Tools

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"One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

This is another Camus-related post. This quote is the final sentence of his essay The Myth of Sisyphus. The essay addresses the philosophical problem that is suicide through the story of Sisyphus, a figure from Greek mythology condemned to roll a boulder towards the top of a hill only for it roll back down. Camus, an absurdist philosopher, believes that the world is irrational and meaningless. However, he is firmly against suicide. While we live in a meaningless world, Camus argues, we rebel against it. In order to rebel against absurdity, we do so through our very existence. Contradictory, isn’t it? That’s because committing suicide would be saying “my life has no meaning.” But since the world is absurd and has no inherent meaning, what difference does it make? The reason is that, just as people futilely try to define their lives, they continue trying to define it endlessly.

For example, let’s say your dream in life is to finish an engineering degree, get a high-paying job, marry someone, and have a family. But what happens then? When you check everything off your bucket list, will you be content? I don’t think so. If you don’t accept the absurdity of life, you’ll keep wanting more—you’ll crave more in order to define your small existence. That is the futility of trying to find meaning in life.

Now, when someone commits suicide, they are attributing worth or meaning to existence. But if there’s no meaning to existence in the first place, the act only makes your existence more absurd. Camus believes that you must accept the absurdity. Because no matter what has happened, what is happening, or what will happen, the universe is indifferent. You must wholly accept that the universe has no meaning. And while we accept this, reaffirming our existence through art, beauty, or simply continuing to live, is an act of rebellion.

Everyday life is filled with never-ending problems. Like Sisyphus, who carries his boulder uphill only to watch it roll back down once it reaches the top and repeating this process for eternity, we too carry our own boulders. It would be impossible not to, because, as long as we live, we will encounter sadness, strife, grief, and conflict. But when you overcome a problem, have you ever felt that deep sense of satisfaction? Yes, that's it. And if you pair this satisfaction with the acceptance of the absurdity while continuing to live, you rebel against it and become happy. That's why we must imagine Sisyphus happy. That’s why one must imagine oneself as happy.

To close this lengthy explanation, I would like to cite one of my favorite quotes in connection with Camus': a poem by Dylan Thomas, which goes, "Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

From Camus' quote, this is my quote:

Elijah's 13th Blogging Entry: Skill-based

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Pt. 1 of Self-Portrait

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Pt. 2 of Self-Portrait

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A self-portrait I did way back November 2022. Should I recreate this?

Elijah's 12 Blogging Entry: Social Media

[charlesangels03]

;

dear max, it's been a while. we've missed you. all of us do, especially those closest to you. we may not be close, but i do wish, we spent more time together. i was intimidated by you during first year. even during the first days of second year. haha. but you were really cool. you had a cool style and fashion sense. you had cool music taste, even if it's mostly hip-hop. but our first interaction was you asking if i was the guy whose profile picture was Bring Me The Horizon's album cover of "That's The Spirit," that's when i knew you were really cool.

i mostly regretted that we didn't get more time to bond together. now, my fondest and only memory with you would be our time during our art app's Tula-Dula. boy, you did well as Padre Damsi. Hahaha. i just thought there's more to come after that. i miss you, man. after my grandmother's death last july 2023, you were the next person to die. being indifferent to the death's others, you, my grandmother, and dad were the ones i cared about. it hits different.

but the world doesn't care and will continue to revolve. maybe, we'll meet again in another universe. and we'll get to spend more time together... and be good friends. i don't know if you see me out there but yeah, if you're out there, by the way, i hope you're seating in a throne. i think you love BMTH's "Throne" (heh suits you , legend). i may not be the best person in the world. i fail and i stand up. i have my own flaws. i am trying to live life while broken, but i hope you're proud, my friend. you're proud of us. you're proud of our block. proud of fean, devvy, elcer, charles, blair, queenie, nash, gary, jeal, alethea... our batch. may we survive this program and graduate in your memory. may we continue looking towards green fields.

much love and memory; lij

Elijah's 11th blogging entry: Personal Writing 💛🪻🌻

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The Stranger by Albert Camus

Trigger warning: mentions of death and murder.

"I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world."

Imagine that your mother dies. You attend her funeral but express not a single ounce of grief, nor do you even look at her lifeless form in the coffin. The day after her funeral, you meet a girl, go to the movies with her, and begin an intimate relationship. Later, a friend of yours, a pimp, asks for your help because he suspects his girlfriend is cheating on him. He asks you to write a letter inviting her to his apartment so he can beat her up. Despite being aware of the emotional harm this would cause the girl, you agree. Then, during a weekend beach outing, you and your pimp friend meet the brother of the girl who was beaten. The brother wounds your friend with a knife, and the two of you begin to flee. To prevent your friend from acting rashly, you take his revolver and arm yourself. As you leave the beach, you encounter the brother again. He flashes his knife at you. On the verge of heatstroke and disoriented, you shoot him—fatally. You also shoot him four more times.

The Stranger (L'Étranger) by Albert Camus is a 1942 novella about a man named Meursault, who, living in French Algeria, kills an Arab man weeks after his mother’s death. Meursault’s indifference to the events around him may lead you to describe him as a heartless monster. You might even call him a racist for killing an Arab man, but I don’t think that’s the case. He is simply indifferent. He doesn’t care about what happens to him or the people around him. It doesn’t matter.

This is in line with Camus' philosophical concept of absurdism. According to Camus, the universe is absurd: irrational and meaningless. The world is devoid of inherent meaning, yet every day people futilely search for meaning in their lives. Every good thing that happens to us is also accompanied by bad things. They are two sides of the same coin.

Meursault is imprisoned. Even when offered the chance to free himself by his lawyer, he does not attempt to persuade anyone. For it doesn’t matter. Eventually, he is sentenced to decapitation. In his final moments, Meursault is visited by a chaplain. The chaplain urges him to turn to God, but this only drives Meursault into a blinding rage, for he has no time to waste on God. After his outburst, Meursault experiences a realization—not one filled with guilt, but one that brings him solace.

To quote the final lines of the book: "As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself—so like a brother, really—I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. For everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone, I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate." In his indifference towards human affairs, Meursault is comforted by the universe’s indifference. And with that, he is no longer a stranger. He finds peace because both he and the world are indifferent. He cannot avoid death, and he is content with this reality of human existence. The world will continue to turn after countless wars, pandemics, famines, and injustices. Once he fully accepted this, his only wish is to have a large, angry mob hurl hate at him during his execution.

As I write this, I don’t wish to do harm or cause any more problems in society. But knowing the indifference of the world, I can fail at everything and still continue. I do my best. I am comforted knowing that even if I don’t get high grades, I still need to live. It doesn’t matter what happens. I flopped our PE dance—it’s going to be okay. I feel burnt out and have missed deadlines—it’s okay, I’ll take my time to complete them. That’s the ultimate realization I have after reading Camus’ work, and it couldn’t be more beautiful to understand this when looking at the starry sky. Maybe, in another universe, if Meursault had more empathy, he would have had this realization not while looking out from a prison cell, but when gazing at the night sky in an open field.

Elijah's 10th Blogging Entry: Literacy

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"Disembodied" Online Identity

We are now in a digital space where we can do anything what we are capable of doing in the web space. In my journey towards creating an online identity separate from my offline Identity, what made it somewhat easier for me was my desire to fit in and connect with others like how I communicate with Luna and it made it difficult to maintain my identity in a way that I have to think of what I am going to say in our conversation like how I lied about my age, name and where I lived and it’s not easy to lie if you’re not use to it and the struggle to align my true self with this constructed identity left me feeling isolated, highlighting the challenges of navigating social interactions without being genuine to someone and I can feel the guilt for what I did. When it comes to symbolic markers that I used to construct my identity is my desire to fit in just to connect myself or to communicate with others and on how I engage in a conversation that makes it different from my true self. Another is that giving false information to create disguises that aligns with what I think others would expect me to be. As I reflect myself to this, it becomes clear that I have taken my online identity quite far from my offline self, creating a gap between who I am and how I choose to present myself with others online and I think, I have successfully constructed a “disembodied identity” by lying about my information just to connect with others and my desire to fit in with someone to have a conversation that really differs from what I really am in real life.

This experience has provided me with invaluable insights as a Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) student. Embracing who I am in order to build real connections with other people is one of the most significant lessons I've learnt. My interactions with Luna were awkward and reluctant at first, but as I started to embrace and convey who I really was, I noticed a big improvement in my ability to speak honestly. With time, I feel comfortable into our conversations, which made a deeper and more genuine conversation. In this journey of mine it highlights the importance of authenticity in both online and offline identity by embracing my true self that helps not only understand my identity better but also guides me towards a genuine connection.

Jilca's 14th Blogging Entry

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the color of blue

the sky’s the limit, they said; icarus flew too high. but the gods must’ve blessed you, dipped your toes in a sea of liquid gold just as you crashed in the tranquilest waters in your descent. the color of blue is the color of dreams and contemplations and angels with stardust, the color of fantasies of flying over clouds past skylines. such is a dream known to man that we desire another upon even just a look in the eyes, that the breath comes in slow, calculated meters to catch up to the ever-racing beat of the heart. the color of blue is the color of you: calm and gentle and ever so true, like wishes of sirens whispering the secrets of the lullabies they sing to you

Charles' 14th Blog Entry: Poetry (Turned Prose)

[charlesangels03]

An Apple

Red apple I ate

Taste like joy in christmas eve

Delight in each bite

Jilca's 13th Blogging Entry: Poetry

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Inspired by Japanese shoegaze band, my dead girlfriend's song, "hades in the dead of winter"

... thus Hades journeyed the uplands in search of his love, Persephone.

it was written in red, so the Moirai tell, in the book of life,

of flowing shade and frost, his figure passes through the Temenusian meadows

the soft earth firmly holds the god's feet and each blade of grass tickles his feet

to search for the dew and nectar of spring

upon his trek, he asked the muses for their guidance

choreographing woos and praise, Terpsichore cheers

Euterpe promised him to sing songs once the god of the underworld found his love

however, Melpomene gave her sympathies on his longing

longing for flaxen spring

in the night, he would search for Aphrodite's star in the heavens, as taught by Urania

to be reminded of how each twinkle means that spring is still alive

then, Erato took what the stoic Hades wouldn't express and string it into a narration of love

her sister, Calliope would then arrange it chronologically

an epic for the breeze of spring

as fleeting as nature is,

each creature is but a morsel of warmth and energy

the god of the dead gently treads

so as not to disturb the living

the living of blinking spring

fleeting wings of indigo

cover his vision, but not his memory

what was once delight, is always pleasant

what is true in life, is true in dreams

dreams of bucolic spring

feel the poppies tinge with carnelian emotion

his face turns gently

to the red and blue

of his spring

spring of Elysium.... thus Hades continues to journey the uplands in search of his love, Persephone.

Elijah's 9th Week Blogging Entry: Poetry

–artwork done by yours truly–

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Flexing an artwork I did way back February 2023. I was very proud of it because it epitomizes the romantic and idealist in me. Sure, it is not up to the realistic standards. But... the emotion I poured out into this piece, pours itself back into my soul whenever I see it. Its title is "Dissolving, Disperse, Substantiate, Miming (The Dark Hour)."

All emotions and feelings are inspired by Loathe's songs: "Two-Way Mirror," "A Sad Cartoon," and "A Sad Cartoon (Reprise)."

Elijah's 8th Week Blogging Entry: Social Media

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Disembodied Identity

Does the disembodied identity really separate you from yourself? Does it show the monster you really are?

We don't show others our vulnerabilities or our "real selves" when we are in the "outside" world. We try to mask our emotions by stilling our faces when walking on the street. People don’t know if the person you are right now is just a façade to hide your true colors.

My experience in this online chat platform called ChitChat made me realize that the anonymity that these platforms provide can be used for bad. Unlike in the real world, people can see you, hear you, smell you, or touch you, that's why you are careful with your actions.

It was this instance that while I was assuming an identity of an Indonesian girl, I encountered a Spanish guy . We started with the usual exchange of pleasantries like "hi" and "hello". He asked me "Why are you here?" and I plainly replied "Just trying to socialize here." He cannot believe that I am just in the platform trying to socialize. (In hindsight, saying that you are there just to socialize sounded so vanilla and boring that it makes you question "why am i really here?")

Now it got to the part, where I asked him what his hobbies are. To which he replied, “gym, movies, hiking.” Before I get to reply, he added “guess you were having dirty thoughts?” And to my shock, it took me a minute just to process this sudden escalation. “What dirty thoughts,” I replied. "U tell me haha," he said. It got weird that I said to him, "Nooooooo... I don't have any haha." ?Are u sure? haha" "Yes haha." "Sad" He said sad because he wished that I had.

Afterwards, he replied “Ahh okay. I guess, I should get going” Then he exited the chat, or he skipped me.

Afterwards, I started to experiment with other identities. Most of the people using ChitChat are men in their 20’s. Whenever I assume a female identity, they get excited and would ask for my SnapChat or Instagram. But when I assume a male identity, they would skip me. Most of the times It led me to this realization that the Internet is a medium for these guys to find someone to talk to. Usually chatting with someone would imply to hook up with them or to be in a relationship or whatever. And I find it uncomfortable or even alarming that these people would just assume me trying to find someone to like hook up with.

Although, this is not always the case. Not all people you meet in the Internet are bad or would expect something from you. But this disembodied identity experience made me realize that our selves is separated in the physical world and the digital world, and both selves exhibit different symbolic markers. We mask parts of ourselves in the real world, while we unmask those parts in the digital realm. At the same time, we mask parts of our identity in the digital world that only the physical world can see.

Elijah's 7th Week Blog Entry: Personal Writing

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District 12 Tributes on Fire at the 74th Hunger Games Culmination

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, District 12 tributes, make a fiery debut at the opening ceremonies of the 74th annual Hunger Games.

Traditionally overlooked in favor of wealthier competitors in the previous years, the pair instantly became the center of attraction as they rode their chariot around The Capitol City Circle. Clad in coal-inspired outfits that burst into flames, their clothing brought a fresh spark to the arena.

The Capitol’s elite, usually difficult to impress, were quick to voice out approval. Caesar Flickerman, Hunger Games host, commended the brilliance witnessed.

Cinna, District 12’s stylist, conceived the bold design, diverting from the stereotypical and outdated coal miner clothing past tributes from the district were seen. The flames, synthetic and harmless, were a masterstroke by Cinna that boosted Katniss and Peeta from forgettable to famous.

Even President Snow, typically passive in his observation, was seen leaning forward from his seat - a subtle acknowledgment of the extraordinary.

Although the impact of the entrance of the District 12 tributes is nothing short of scorching hot, it also places a target on their backs. Sponsors who play critical roles in the arena are likely to be drawn to their newfound popularity, same as competitors who may view their fame as a threat. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are now faced with the challenge of transforming their symbolic flame into a weapon of survival before The Hunger Games prevents it from catching on.

As the Games approach, one thing is certain: The Girl on Fire and her devoted partner have set the arena ablaze, and all of Panem is watching.

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Charles' Thirteenth Week Blog Entry: Literacy

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Charles' Twelfth Week Blog Entry: Social Media

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As a writer, I am very active in the creation of the visuals of my works, going so far as to create them myself. I see this as an avenue to enrich my connection with them, translating my personal visions into ones that other people may consume. This not only makes the experience enjoyable for me but introduces the opportunity for viewers to have a peek into my mind and its creative manifestations.

DELIRIA is one of my most ambitious works, and I'd dare say that it's also one of the most successful. It was initially an entry in The Gateway's horror writing competition in November 2023, bagging 2nd place. Despite being a fever-induced, crammed short story, it had me in a chokehold, leading to the development of several visual accompaniments aside from the first one used upon its submission.

I am an avid horror fan. It is actually a common misconception when people assume I primarily devote myself to the genres of romance and fantasy. In fact, it is in horror where I write best, exploiting the fears of the mind and manipulating the machinations of the macabre to do just that.

With the app Ibispaint in hand, I took inspiration from pop culture elements. DELIRIA centers itself on the narrative of female rage and psychological horror, raising the mystery of whether or not entities are bothering the unnamed protagonist. To this, it only felt right to pull from the movie Pearl (2022) and its gore.

Moreover, "Deliria" in and of itself is not an actual word, but "Delirium" is. My writing is intuitive in nature and it felt right to make use of a term conceived by a quite literally fevered mind. Coincidentally, the context in which it was made and its use reflects the story's elements of being rendered a prisoner to illusions and disorientation.

Apps such as Ibispaint are critical to creatives like me. They provide an avenue for introducing art in different formats and are essential in the exploration of our craft. With its features, Ibispaint allows me to share my creativity with the world while enjoying the process of doing so.

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Charles' Eleventh Week Blog Entry: Reflections on Web Tools / Skil-based

[charlesangels03]

ridge

i am made of memories, whispers and silent pleas - the unstable beating of the heart, the pause between your next breath, the hesitation in your chest. i linger in spaces not forgotten but willed away by ignorance, treading along the outskirts of your affection where sighs lie heavy as the hundred thousand novenas offered at your feet, with desperate, haunted yearning.

i am the ghost at the dawn of our unraveling, the unspeaking witness that hovers at the death of what never lived. i hide in the twilight of dreams unfulfilled, each possibility collecting into a fog that seeks to settle within the corners of my chest, dragging me down deep - to thrash and cry and drown.

i exist in the in-between, the indistinguishable, improbable plane where no past, present, or future is certain. i float in this liminal space where no gap is ever bridged, where the distant echoes of laughter i’ve never heard of slip through my fingers and bounce forth in a chasm of nothingness. it is here that i drift by the edge of existence, forever wandering with the fleeting memories i have never had.

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Charles' Tenth Week Blog Entry: Poetry (Turned Prose)

P.S. Poetry has never been one of my strong suits, but I take comfort in the shelter of prose.

[charlesangels03]

Posted on The Association of Language Erudite (TALE) Facebook Page, I digitally drew the graphics and made the layout for this publication material for the organization’s first general assembly. It was an interesting journey to kickstart the TALE storyline and conceive the specificities of its idea. TALE has established a tradition of developing a storyline for every academic year, and I took the opportunity for this one.

The primary conflict in the creation of the post was with the social media layout. I knew that I wanted the illusionary division given by different panels but did not quite know how yet. Hence, I navigated Canva and manually tried to have each slide transition smoothly with one another, dragging elements here and there.

The process was extensive and tedious as I attempted to ensure not comprising on the quality of the visuals but still establishing the “boundaries.” My initial method proves to be null with the knowledge I have now. Tools such as Adobe and even other methods to impose the said illusion are now in my hands to exploit whenever I am to create another publication material.

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Charles' Ninth Week Blog Entry: Reflections on Web Tools