#englcoma57b

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Why You Should Take A Liberal Arts Course

   The article, "Why you should take a liberal arts course" or as the author, Leloy Claudio, renamed it to a more negative title "Why you shouldn't take a management course," is an article that basically bashes the management course.

   Teaching politics and history in Ateneo De Manila University, Leloy Claudio boldly explains why it is better not to take a management course. He says that the world would need "an entrepreneur with the mind and disposition of an artist" and i honestly agree since the if the world only had entrepreneurs who only go by the book and not those who think of new interesting things to sell, we wouldn't have people like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. His article appealed to me since i am in a liberal arts course but the article may also be offensive to those in management.

    Liberal arts teaches you how to be creative and think outside the box. "Most of the skills you'll need for your job, you'll get on the job anyway," as Claudio put it, and most employers are looking for new ideas for their companies to stand out.

    This message is to encourage students to take a liberal arts course as a major so that new and fresh ideas will be recognised to help progress the country.

[roleda-a57b]

"Tonight I Will Be Miss Saigon!"

          A magical night of complete transformation — from freshman college students  to broadway musical sensationalists! It was, indeed, a night to remember!

          Last August 14, 2014 in the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium, the crowd  was filled with pumping energy as ten CLA blocks performed various world-renowned broadway musicals and competed against one another! It was indeed a tough fight, each block having their own twist, showcasing their talents. Our block, LC18, was assigned to bing life to Miss Saigon. It was originally a broadway musical about a girl named Kim, being lost in her own world, getting dragged into the den of prostitutes, and ending up catching the attention of a soldier named Chris. The story tells a tragic tale of a doomed romance between Kim, an Asian GI being abandoned by her American lover.

         Being given 7 minutes of the spotlight was more than enough for the block to showcase their masked talents. Despite the complications faced by the block during the preparation of the musical and the technical problems faced during the actual performance, our block was able to perform well! Personally, I am very proud of everyone who sacrificed their time and effort to make this experience one for the books! This may be our first and last performance on stage as a block, but everyone's effort paid off in the end, having our block land as the 2nd runner-up for the contest, and winning the Block-it List contest! Everything was definitely worth it! 

[roleda-a57b]

Getting Spirited Away

Horsesaround. (2014, Aug 10). [Untitled photo of the movie Spirited Away]. Retrieved from http://38.media.tumblr.com/5d30b747d6c6c54fb8bb8e1ff5587dcc/tumblr_na2ugno64w1snusg4o1_500.gif

       Spirited away is an enchanting fairytale that tells so many truths about the living world. Chihiro, a ten-year-old girl, entered an abandoned theme park with her parents. As she wandered away by herself, she met a boy who warned her to leave the place before night falls. She hurries back to where her parents were, only to realize they turned into pigs. As the darkness came, she started becoming transparent. The boy she met earlier, Haku, gave her something to eat to keep her from completely disappearing. Little did she know, it was the start of her adventures, full of learnings and mishaps, in the spirit world.

       Throughout the movie, Chihiro is forced to dedicate herself to work without any complaints — in order to survive and save her parents. She helps clean spirits in the bathhouse where she works, such as the stink spirit, which turned out to be a polluted river spirit. The river spirit then gave her a herbal cake. From a small, spoiled brat, she transformed into Sen, a new name given to her by Yubaba, the witch who runs the bathhouse. This was part of the contract she signed, allowing her to work and live in the bathhouse. Sen was told by Haku to cling on to her real name dearly, because she would need it to go home, and get back to the real world. Later on in the story, she meets No-Face, the spirit who wanted to please everyone. It started eating the staff of the bathhouse out of anger. She fed him the herbal cake and helped him get out of the bathhouse to stop him from going “crazy,” as she calls it. As it followed Sen out, it threw up everything it ate and went back to it’s small, original form. That’s only part of the troubles and good deeds she has done to the spirits of the bizarre world she was in.

       Eventually, Sen not only saved her parents and turned them back into their human form, but she also helped release Haku from Yubaba’s grip, and helped him remember his true name — Kohaku River. Evidently, she became a completely different person, having entered a completely different world. Chihiro was now Sen, a girl who was brave and kind.

       Clearly, this movie was carefully drafted and molded into something that would not only catch the attention of the audience, but have them thinking at the end of the film. Watching the movie for the first time was unexpectedly exciting! At first, I thought it would be just another typical animated movie — one that would bore me, an eighteen-year-old girl. The storyline ran deeper than it seemed, as it was mind-blowing, how the writer of the movie was able to incorporate so many values into a two-hour movie filled with cuteness and bizarre creatures. It took imagination to the next level! More than just a movie, it was an eye-opening, heart-touching film that was a genuine reflection of today's world. I enjoyed every second of it!

  Be The Leaf. (2014). [Untitled photo of No-Face]. Retrieved from http://media.tumblr.com/3a8a23397df9de38232956ba13f9e70c/tumblr_inline_na1tupU65p1swnuim.gif

[oeia57b]

Miyazaki's Fantasy

Japanese animated filmmaker and director, Hayao Miyazaki enchants Studio Ghibli fans and viewers with yet another successful film known as "Spirited Away." The film introduces itself with a family: ten-year-old Chihiro and her parents who are headed towards their new home. In the backseat of the car is Chihiro, sulking and groaning in misery, because she refuses to move away. En route to the new neighborhood, they find themselves lost in some sort of secluded forest in which the family eventually explores. They realize that they are in what Chihiro's father assumes to be an abandoned theme park and chance on a strangely mysterious buffet laid out in a deserted foodstand. Chihiro then watches as her parents feast on the delectable and aromatic food, and to her horror, witnesses her parents having turned into a couple of huge, slobbering pigs. 

With this, Chihiro is distraught, discovering that she has entered into a fantasyland full of bizarre-looking spirits and has no idea just how to escape. Fortunately, she befriends a boy named Haku who attempts to help her find her way out of the spirit world and transform her parents back to human form. However, before she can finally escape, she learns that she must work in the bathhouse located in the spirit world in order to get her way back to the human world. 

In this renowned Studio Ghibli film, Miyazaki's beautifully handcrafted animation and astonishingly imaginative storyline leaves his viewers stirring in their seats and feeling a tenderness towards the characters. It is not only the spellbinding visuals that get filmgoers going, but the heart and soul that is being brought to its audiences. "Spirited Away" may be a story full of child-like fantasies, but nevertheless, this film stands out to all audiences - children and adults alike. It is a tale full of love, friendship, fantasy, mystery, and adventure all in one two-hour motion picture. 

This may be my favorite movie of all time, because there is just so much depth to this film. "Spirited Away" is more than the remarkable artistry - it is the meaning that comes with it. There are a cluster of motifs and symbols that Miyazaki incorporates into his celebrated film such as the environmentalism found in the stink spirit who became a pile of sludge due to the pollution in its surroundings. There is No-Face, a misunderstood creature, longing for friendship and a sense of belonging in the bathhouse, representing those who are marginalized in society. And Chihiro, a ten-year-old girl who enters into not only a world filled with spirits, but a ten-year-old girl who enters into adulthood as she faces challenges in the new world. In this whimsical voyage, Chihiro learns to honor her family by trying to save them, she learns to honor the friendships she makes along the way, and lastly - she learns to honor herself. 

"Spirited Away" is a heart-warming experience and must be treasured as such, because there are a multitude of lessons that it teaches its audience. Above all, "Spirited Away" is a fantastical and breath-taking journey that awaits those who seek to find solace in a land of fantasy. 

References:

Spirited Away [Online Image]. (2012). Retrieved from http://balthiers.tumblr.com/post/18615423979

"I can't go any further." [Online Image]. (2014). Retrieved from http://balthiers.tumblr.com/post/80893439178/i-cant-go-any-further

[montalboa57b]

Review & Analysis: 千と千尋の神隠し "Spirited Away"

     Diversity - this attribute in the film “Spirited Away” grabbed my attention. Before finishing the whole movie, I thought to myself how strange it is for me to watch something that actually has full of symbolisms and meaning. As it made use of weird characters, I felt like it was a waste of my time.

     Who would like to see a child’s parents turn into pigs? How about seeing the child go through different obstacles alone? Not me, of course! However, as the plot went on, I realized that apart from the childish theme the story has, it showed something deeper – all from Chihiro’s extraordinary adventure.

     The film revealed the mysteries of the spiritual world in Japanese culture and it also awakened me as to how the main character, Chihiro, used to be this impatient child in the real world yet responded so well to the challenges given to her in the spiritual world. She displayed a sense of maturity while the story goes on and learned to love the things around her.

     Also, it had the power to transport us, viewers, to different places and feelings that left a spark within us. One was when Haku and Chihiro showed their friendship, with much kindness and love, where it couldn’t have been possible in the first place since there is no such thing called “love” in the world of spirits.

     The mystery of No-face also got into the picture, as it seemed to be a “polluted river” that gives gold as a tip to the spirits. The role of No-face somehow depicted the ongoing pollution in the environment that needs to be addressed by the people.

     Overall, there are many things that we can interpret from this film. Its diversity leaves viewers hanging since its metaphors are hidden very well. The examples mentioned above are just some of the illustrations used and it is up to us to find out its deeper message – from children to adults, people of all ages. By the end of the film, it left me wondering and I believe that this is what makes a good movie- a film with no definite ending, but a film that says a lot about something.

[fernandeza57b]

Tetris Turns 30

           Hank Rogers, the managing director of the Tetris Company, describes Tetris as, ”the game where we make order out of chaos.” The game was made 30 years ago by Alexey Paijtnov, a computer programmer at that time, as a way to test out new equipment. The objective of the game is to complete rows of blocks with the differently shaped falling tiles. Paijtnov only wanted to make a simple game and he never expected Tetris to be as successful as it is now. Tetris, According to the Guinness World Records Gamers Edition, is the first videogame to be played in space..

            To me, Tetris does not just function as a game to entertain me. The game also exercises my brain. It takes me 5-10 minutes to finish a game but even in that short span of time, my brain is working trying to figure out which block should go where to complete a row.

            I find it really amazing how such a game can still be so popular until now. I really hope that Tetris will continue to be a trend so that future generations will be able to enjoy the game since this game not only exercises the mind but it can also make “organization more of a game and less of a chore.”

REFERENCES:

Shawwa, H. (2014). Tetris turns 30 and is still going stong. CBS News. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tetris-video-game-turns-30-and-is-still-going-strong/

Makuch, E. (2014). Tetris turn 30, creator says he still plays every week. Gamespot. Retrieved from http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tetris-turns-30-creator-says-he-still-plays-every-week/1100-6420154/

Guinness World Records. (2014). The latest and greatest in gaming achievement reveled in the new Guinness world records 2014 gamers edition. Retrieved from http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2014/1/the-latest-and-greatest-in-gaming-achievement-revealed-in-the-new-guinness-world-records™-2014-gamer’s-edition-54249/

[tana57b-blog]

Kardashian Khaos: Why Kim Kardashian Hollywood Became a Success

     I found myself angrily tapping away on my phone screen when I realized that I had to be up for school in about four hours. After I’ve finally decided to go to bed, I was awaken by the constant buzzing of my phone. I groggily went ahead to check on whatever those updates are and if you’re guessing they’re text messages or my daily alarms for school, you’re definitely wrong. It was Kim Kardashian greeting me a happy birthday!

     I don’t intend to pop your bubble but obviously, such thing never actually happened, in real life at least. Firstly, it wasn’t actually my birthday and second, how in the world can I become friends with Kim Kardashian anyway? You see, I was busy playing the latest game which everyone else seems to be playing as well: “Kim Kardashian Hollywood”. Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few weeks, you’d know this game for sure. The premise of the game is simple: with just a couple of taps, clicks, hours of playing, and even a couple of bucks, you can become the A-list celebrity you’ve always dreamed of. In the game, I was my own celebrity even if Kim Kardashian was there to pop out every now and then; I had full control of how I wanted my career and even love life to go. With “Kim Kardashian Hollywood”, everyone is a celebrity.

     The game is relatively new but the success it has garnered since is simply astounding. People are constantly raving about their newly acquired status in life, their new purchases, and their booming social life in the game as if they’re actual things. I myself experienced such thing. I didn’t realize how much I’ve been playing until I found myself shelling out actual money—not Kardashian cash—to turn on my cellular data because I ‘had a photoshoot to go to’ in the game and no wifi connection was available. Although I haven’t reached that point where the game has almost completely taken over my life, it definitely made me wonder just as to why and how the “Kim Kardashian Hollywood” game became so popular.

     There are numerous factors to be considered to this but for me, it is mainly because of the ‘Kardashian’ brand embedded in it. With over 16 million followers on Instagram, a couple million more followers on Twitter, and the constant television and magazine appearances, ‘Kardashian’ has become a household name for quite some time. Much of the players of the game and its success in general can be attributed to the equally large number of Kim Kardashian’s fans. It definitely helped that the subject of the game already has an established fan base upon its release; fans who are willing to spend actual money to make in-app purchases in the game. We live in a celebrity-driven economy where a certain personality’s influence affects much of our financial decisions. We buy things just because they’re being promoted by famous people in the same sense that people play “Kim Kardashian Hollywood” because of the Kardashian brand. Whether people would admit it or not, our society seems to love Kim Kardashian despite all the controversies she’s been involved. We’re basically making Kim Kardashian richer by our continuous patronage of her game but we don’t seem to mind because we just can’t seem to get enough of her.

     Another thing that I believe was a factor in the success of the game is the people’s undeniable desire to become famous. In the game, you may not be Kim Kardashian, but she can be your best friend and you can even gain more fans than her at some point if you play long and hard enough. People also seem to like how highly customizable and aesthetically appealing the game is—from the appearance, name, outfit, house, and even people you’re dating, almost every inch of the game would give you a sense of power and stardom. You can pick out cute clothes, furniture for your mansion, and much more. The game may encourage you to spend actual cash to further your progress in the game, but that’s just a small price to pay to become an A-lister, right?

     “Kim Kardashian Hollywood” may seem like the hottest game trend right now but just like other games and applications that come and go, it’ll soon be forgotten. The game became a hit because it presented something new and fresh that people like—its attractive interface and highly customizable features that are all embedded in the Kardashian brand. But for sure, people find new games that can satisfy their needs. But for the meantime, let me just grab my phone because I have an important celebrity appearance to attend to.

[roleda-a57b]

Grand Theft Auto: The Grandest Gaming Experience?

Have you real swagg. (2012, April 22). [Untitled photo of Grand Theft Auto game]. Retrieved from http://haveyourealswagg.tumblr.com/post/21570653583

          Liberty. Adventure. Fun. Dangerous. Daring. These are what people look for in the virtual world of gaming. As we can observe, all of us live in a society bounded by rules and regulations that cut the fun from whatever we do. There are always limitations that prohibit us from doing whatever many of us want to do. How can we get away from this prison cell of reality? I’m betting you already know the answer — Live a virtual life where you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what the Rockstar Games offer to our generation. 

         Grand Theft Auto has been known for the open-world freedom and bold lifestyle lived on by the characters the gamer can fully take control of with the use of the almighty and powerful remote control. With a press of a few buttons, you can steal cars, drive around, run away, swim in the ocean, interact with others, and kill civilians. This mission-based gameplay has been one of the top games that caught the attention of the new generation. The famous interactive game has become a major influence on gamers all around the globe. With the new technologies and better animations, this game not only advances on with higher quality of imagery and sound, highlighting the acts of fighting, stealing, cheating, and whatnot simply by completing a mission.  Playing it first hand, it certainly is kind of liberating and fun to become a whole new person, and control whatever happens within the virtual world. You can basically do whatever you want, which is pretty amazing. But as usual, people take things too far. This ultimate gaming experience that has become a getaway for people tired of reality has become somehow detrimental to society. Grand Theft Auto, commonly known as “GTA,” is rated M(Mature) or R18 by ESRB. Although this is the case, almost anyone can get a hold of the game and play it. It also not only affects the one playing, but the audience in playing the game as well. Grand Theft Auto not only promotes violence, but also promotes sexual contents within the game as well, which, naturally, clouds the minds of the youth who engage themselves in this game.

         Deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, has been one of the many concerned authorities to voice out the problems these kinds of games may cause in society today. "These games can have an incredibly powerful effect - and I expect in some cases a corrosive effect - on someone's behaviour," says Nick during his LBC phone-in show. "They occupy a hermetically sealed world of their own and that can have a very detrimental effect,” he adds (Hern, 2013). Nick Clegg, is clearly not alone in this stand. Many researches have sprung from studying violent games, such as the long-running game series, Grand Theft Auto, and its ill effects to the players.In a 2001 review by social psychologists Craig Anderson and Brad Bushman, their studies revealed that playing violent video games increases aggressive behaviors, feelings, and physiological arousal and decreases prosocial behavior. Further, identifying with a game character can inspire learning, but when that character is violent, "wishful identification" may increase post-game aggression, according to a 2007 study led by psychologist Elly Konijn at VU University Amsterdam (Greenwood, 2010). 

Unknown. (n.d.). [Untitled image of Grand Theft Auto game]. Retrieved from http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=xe065j&s=5#.U9ZOwxZbxSU

         Is Grand Theft Auto still the “grandest” modern role-playing game to exist? Not as some may think! In the game, everything about the city glows with possibility — new places to go, more people to meet, all virtual handles meant to be grasped and violently, are playfully shaken. Basically, a person can get lost for hours, just wandering around the quiet corners of the city, and trying to complete story missions. But if you really look into the game, you may find yourself asking: who would want to be in such world? This game profoundly struggles with human issues — alcoholism, depression, family illness and the like. Even as the “real world” qualities are applied in the game, to be truly human, you have to be able to interact nonviolently, to be able to walk up to the door of a major office building without getting punched in the face (Lejaqc, 2013). With all these, does it make the game “grand” at all? 

         In doing some preliminary research on the topic, I came across an article, giving out five reasons as to why you shouldn’t play Grand Theft Auto 5 (Ridgepoint Community, 2013), the latest version of the long-running game series, and is summarized below:

1. GTA 5 is incredibly violent. Rated M for Mature, GTA 5 is beyond gruesome. 

2. GTA 5 is sexually explicit. You can do whatever you want within its virtual reality. This includes soliciting prostitutes, driving them to a discreet location, and engaging in sexual activity with them. 

3. GTA 5 is completely misogynistic and degrading toward women. 

4. GTA 5 has no morally redeeming qualities. 

5. GTA 5 is too real. The graphics of GTA 5 are incredible. That’s the worst part. GTA 5 is too life like. It creates a false sense of reality for anyone playing.

Do you think the author was being reasonable or not? Watch the short clip of the game below and find out yourself! 

Rockstar Games. (2013, August 29). Grand Theft Auto V - Official Trailer. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.rockstargames.com/videos/video/8001

References

Greenwood, D. (2010, June 22). Grand Theft Auto is good for you? Not so fast. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/grand-theft-auto-is-good/

Hern, A. (2013, September 20). Nick Clegg warns of 'corrosive effect' of Grand Theft Auto. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/20/nick-clegg-warns-of-corrosive-effect-of-grand-theft-auto

Jaccarino, M. (2013, September 12). Training simulation: Mass killers often share obsession with violent video games. Fox News. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/09/12/training-simulation-mass-killers-often-share-obsession-with-violent-video-games/

Lejaqc, Y. (2013, September 26). Grand Theft Auto V isn’t as grand as you think. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/09/26/grand-theft-auto-v-isnt-as-grand-as-you-think/

Ridgepoint Community. (2013, September 23). Five reasons why you should not play Grand Theft Auto five. Ridgepoint Community. Retrieved from http://www.ridgepoint.org/5-reasons-why-you-should-not-play-grand-theft-auto-five/