ENGLCOM is the only subject this term that I go to every day. I had high expectations for it because, since grade school, I have excelled continuously in English subjects. ENGLCOM focuses on academic writing, tackling some of the subjects I have learned in high school in a more extensive way. Academic writing is definitely a new terrain for me because I don’t usually do it or need to do it. It has a lot of technicalities and considerations, especially in citing sources. One misconception I have definitely debunked is that academic writing is only for boring scientific articles or journals. Yes, academic writing is mainly for that purpose but the techniques in academic writing can be applied in most forms of writing. I loved the lessons on objectivity and avoiding biases because I also write for the school paper so I needed the tips in those lessons to make my writings better. The topics we write about are also very eye opening and exploratory; in the sense that I am allowed to bring a new perspective into it. Unlike before, where parameters for writing are controlled and ideas are constricted by biases.
The classroom environment is very helpful as well. Learning with peers who are adept at writing can be very humbling and challenging. Their line of thinking and vocabulary enlighten me. It also helps me realize that there is so much more to learn and to improve upon. Ideas in every class are most welcome, which helps me widen my thinking horizons and allow myself to see topics or subjects from new angles. Definitely, with all is rules and regulations, academic writing presents many challenges. In the writing process of my extended definition essay, descriptive writings are very hard to control especially because it is difficult to state what this term means to my life without using somehow flowery words. Contractions and oxford commas were also challenges that I encountered. In the argumentative essay, being objective yet firm in your arguments is the difficult part because it is hard not to write in a way that highly favors your bias. The argumentative essay’s writing process is also lengthy because you really have to put in time to research about possible points to support your claim and possible rebuttals to make your arguments stronger. Surely, the argumentative essay was the hardest one because it really challenged my critical thinking and ability to support the thesis with all techniques learned throughout the term. The main challenge for me in the argumentative essay would be the total abandon of the “half-worked” sentences because you don’t just have to sound persuasive, you have to sound smart as well.
ENGLCOM made me a better writer for sure. Not the best, yet, but definitely better. I learned a lot, not just from my professors but also from myself and my classmates. Writing opened my mind about many new topics and the perspective I can apply in viewing them. The things I learned in ENGLCOM will really be useful in my other writing and researching classes in the terms to come. Next time, I would be more aware of my technicalities, not just my ideas. I am very grateful that ENGLCOM made my first term a really busy one so that in in the following years, I would be able to apply all the basic techniques I learned here.
Art is the backbone of society; the entertainment and escape that people crave after a long, hard day. Ever since the Elizabethan era, entertainers have been greatly pursued to give a show not only to the nobles, but the peasants as well. The performing arts scene in the Philippines does not lack talent. Skills vary, whether in comedy, drama, dance or song. The Filipino’s prowess extends to many heights. They join international competitions in the fields of HipHop, Cheerleading, Choral singing, and Pop singing. However, most of the performances are lackluster, lacking the true essence of a performance. Some are done for publicity of ratings only, without really appealing and touching the aesthetic nature of the modern Filipino.
Filipinos are very able, performance wise. There exist a wide number of talents that have made it internationally, carrying the country’s name. However, with these performers making their name overseas, not much is left for the local stage. Non-singers who pass by with looks and auto tune are more popularized today, spreading the message that you experience music with eyes and not ears. Same with dancers, it has been such a shame to glorify “performers” whose only dance moves consists of twerking and showing off their sexy bodies. Performers are trained to perform, to make what is difficult look effortlessly easy on stage. Singers and dancers go through rigorous training before achieving the proper form and technique in reaching notes or carrying out complex choreographies. This cultural appropriation comes as a big disappointment because art nowadays are taken at face value, its ability to make money. In fact, the usual stereotypes for artists are the broke and poor ones. It is not that all artists are like this but because they perform for the sake of the performance itself, because performing gives them a high, because it is their passion. It is their raw talent that makes them a great performer, a mover of hearts. And not just money making machines. What is really ironic is the fact that these non-performers are actually recognized by the actual performers and are being criticized for it. These performers who have gone through years of training, utilizing the proper technique and rehearsal ethic, are sadly, being overshadowed by auto tuned and over-Photoshopped “mediocrity”. Artists do not become as famous as these people because they care more about making the actual music before the money. That being said, people must come to learn to appreciate all types of performers, even if dance and music is subjective.
Art has always been about passion. Moving people’s emotions is the best thing that art can do and the best thing that artists can achieve. It is not about looks, but more on the style of performing. Performing is a lifestyle. Habits are formed and molded after rehearsal dates and performances. Singers and dancers work hard to be able to further develop their skills in performing. They give out their hearts every time with their best performance. Only by understanding and acknowledging the sweat beneath the choreography and the breath before the high note do we really learn to nurture the love and appreciation for the real art that they have willingly given and perform for people to enjoy.
In an increasingly "app"-dominated world, trends come and go. Angry Birds, Temple Run, Flappy Bird one day and then Instagram, Tumblr and Yik Yak the next. With all these apps that cater to every interest, be it travel, games, photography, writing, and connecting with celebrities, persons who have a smartphone and a laptop/computer will never get bored. However, it is exactly this quick availability and accessibility that lead people to easily get bored with the apps they have been using for quite some time. This, then, turns into a marketing opportunity for app developers to come up with new and innovative ways for its consumers to spend (or most often, waste) time with the apps on your smartphone/laptop/computer.
One such application rippling social media waves is Dubsmash. Born out of consumers' easily satiated boredom, Dubsmash is a lip sync messaging app that allows users to pick a sound clip from any song or movie or a sound clip entirely their own, and film a video of themselves lip syncing to it. This use of Dubsmash most likely sprang up from the desire for laughter and to spread the laughter. It is only in this time that people feel comfortable in doing things that have once been considered embarrassing to feel good about their selves and make others feel good as well. It is this generation's search for all things happy, all things humorous that leads to their active participation in different social media forms thrown to them every day by these app developers.
Dubbed (no pun intended) as the “annoying video application” by those whose Facebook feeds are flooded with it, and as “the most innovative of all video applications” by those who are still smitten with it, Dubsmash was actually pitched three times before a beta of the application was made. German application designers, Daniel Taschik, Roland Grenke, and Jonas Druppel created the application through their company Mobile Motion. “Early in our prototyping phase in October, we already got very positive feedback that made us feel that we found something valuable to many people,” Dubsmash co-founder Roland Grenke tells TechCrunch. Prior to Dubsmash, the creators already developed a similar application, Starlize, wherein users would create their own music videos to songs that have been programmed into the application. “The process is too complicated for users,” explains Grenke and from the failure of Starlize, they started to create another similar app, Using their audience’s point of view, the creators wanted to introduce an app that was easy to use and easy to share within the least number of clicks, also to be able to send videos back and forth as if in a conversation. In developing Dubsmash, two application mistakes earlier, Druppel, Grenke and Taschik have created a global phenomenon. Within its first week of release, it soared to the number one position in chart in its home country, Germany and eventually spread over the United States, Europe, Asia and most relevant of all, the Philippines.
However, the concept of Dubsmash is only and simply lip syncing. Why does it captivate so many people, including celebrities and some politicians, captivate them enough to use it as a legitimate way of communicating? Dubsmash has captured the interest of all kinds of people, celebrities, politicians and even the common man. The concept and actual videos of it flood our Facebook timelines and dominate the Filipino's noontime show. It is an avenue to bring a new interpretation to classic quotes and songs and to showcase the user's creativity in recreating these scenes utilizing only a sound clip. With the creativity used to conceptualize and actually create Dubsmash, creativity is poured out of the users' ingenuity in using and sharing their "dubbed" masterpieces as well. Noontime shows are now also largely influenced by Dubsmash, the perfect example of which is the most popular, AlDub Kalyeserye popularized by GMA’s Eat Bulaga. This, a simple love story, has captured the Filipino souls nationwide because of its humor and the segment’s ability to parallel the episodes with the lives of the Filipino’s watching it. And also because of the use of the concept of Dubsmash wherein the main character, Yaya Dub interacts with her environment using only “dubbed” quotes and songs. Ingenious are the concepts of Dubsmash itself and the spin-offs that Filipinos can put on it.
The simple concept of Dubsmash is allowing the users to lip sync. But what is the big deal? Lip syncing has been around even before Dubsmash has. In fact, a lot of shows in the US have been organizing lip sync battles even before people came to use Dubsmash as a synonym of lip syncing. What makes it so popular and widely successful is its simplicity. With lip-syncing on dubsmash, you can put your own twist on the original words. AlDub is a testimony of that. They have created dialogues to push this Kalyeserye onward using only Maine Mendoza’s (Yaya Dub) acting and dubbing skills. The flexibility of Dubsmash relies on the flexibility and creativity of the user. It is also widely successful because of the fact that people can share your lip syncing videos to almost anyone you know. Users can post it on Facebook or Instagram or even send it privately to someone. Aspiring singers who, sadly, lack the voice for it, can now lip sync to their favorite songs and if the are good and creative enough at lip syncing, may just be recognized as a Dubsmash celebrity, as others have been. Inventive takes on old songs or quotes also lead to Dubsmash and media popularity. The possibilities of the sound clips are endless as well. Selena Gomez Dubsmash-ed herself, Rhianna teased fans about her new single using Dubsmash and Marvel’s Wolverine star, Hugh Jackman has been tickling fans’ funny bones with his parodies in Dubsmash. Along with all other social media applications spewed out every single day by the Apple Store or Play Store, Dubsmash, a lip syncing app, is also, at the end of the day, a medium to connect, socialize and entertain.
Certainly, in this time where almost every thing has been discovered, everything has been done, everything has been put into words, and everyone already has a voice, it’s challenging to find a person’s own system, their own boat in the waves of life. Social media defines people, makes them “social” beings without actually having to meet people face to face, but it also confines them. We must learn to not just reduce our life to a Dubsmash video in which we have nothing of our own to say, nothing of our own to wear, nothing of our own to think of. Innovate and create your own thoughts and perspectives. Importantly, find your own voice and make sure you’re heard.
REFLECTION:
Writing the extended definition essay was at first, confusing. This is because of the fact that there is not much credible sources regarding newly coined terms. Dubsmash is actually a name of an application but has become a cultural icon in going with the times. There are a lot of opinionated articles regarding Dubsmash which I read through to help me come up with my own. I have never used Dubsmash so relating it to my life, and that of others as well was difficult. However, the concluding paragraph was very easy for me to get through because I have already nurtured ideas about social media forms controlling actual social interactions so it was not that difficult for me to put into words my thoughts. At the end of this writing experience, I learned more about searching for credible sources and writing my judgments in a more objective manner.
With the abundance of talent shows airing in the Philippine media, singing has no doubt been the forte of most people who enter said contests. Filipinos are commonly known to be rambunctious at celebrations. There are lots of food, guests, alcohol, gossip, and fun parlor/gambling games. Undeniably, a Filipino celebration would not be a Filipino celebration without the presence of a karaoke. Drunk adults and energetic children peruse the song list and sing out their feelings (for the drunk ones) or their shyness (for the little ones). Most singers today have been discovered and heard first through the ever famous karaoke. But Filipinos are also adept at many other forms of music like choral and classical singing and the more appreciated, pop singing. Orchestras and bands also feature a multitude of Filipinos.
Philippine media has no lack of musical talents. Everyday, singers are intensively trained to hit the highest notes and look good while doing it. Shows like, The Voice, Pilipinas Got Talent, and Showtime pride themselves on discovering new blood to offer up to the singing industry. But are these people we call singers live up to that name, or are they just people who shout and look good doing it?
19 year old singer, Rhap Salazar shook the music and entertainment scene of the country by tweeting about “non-singers” who lip sync on shows and even get signed to do albums. According to most netizens, these “non-singers” shout even the lowest notes, sing without proper technique and are just basically people who look like they’re singing when most of their notes are auto-tuned. Most people sided with Rhap’s opinion stating that he actually had to work and train very hard before he was even called a singer. I, being trained in choral singing, side with him as well but also think that the masses are practicing what I would like to call “wrong culture appreciation”.
I don’t think that lip-syncing is wrong but I also don’t think glorifying someone because of stardom and sheer looks is right. Filipinos love sopranos, thinking that high notes are a basis of skill. They love sexy TV dancers, thinking that sex appeal is a basis of technique. Filipinos appreciate the pretty and not the art. It is our job to appreciate the culture and recognize all the hard work out into it to make it heart felt, not just profitable. We, in the end must take pride on our culture and not just reduce it to something pretty.
A friend of mine told me before how hassle englcom is. Drafts here and there, essays everywhere. I am not good in essay making, not creative enough to make papers with sense and I am really not good with the language. I actually don’t want to take this subject but I have no choice, englcom has a lot of prerequisites.
Surprisingly, I learned a lot from this term like contractions should not really be used in making academic papers. I was used to using it, so yeah englcom made that one different for me.
Every Tuesday and Thursday our schedule is from 7:30-5:45 so when in class I really am bored. To be honest, it was Ms, Joy’s enthusiasm (and outfits) that capture my attention. I actually see her as an inspiration and every class I tell myself if she can be this happy for the whole day why can’t I? Her attendance sheet always challenges me, like how can I answer this. I really admire her because at such a young age she was able to teach students and inspire them. She always reminds us to use recycled papers in printing. Now, I print papers not because I want additional grade but because I get used to it and because of Ms. Joy actually. So Ms. Joy I may not be as good as Jen in recitations or as creative as Pio in writing, I just want to tell you that I really learned a lot from you and you are one of the best teachers I ever had.
Ms. Riano’s patience is what caught my attention; even if it’s already late she still teaches us and makes an effort to make it lively. She waits for us to finish our essays so that she can check them.
ENGLCOM is hassle but it makes you dig deeper in yourself especially when making essays, too be able to make a good essay you have to write from the heart. It maybe hassle but you will actually learn a lot. And CRAMMING should never be an option (hahaha).Surprisingly, I learned to love the subject and as the term ends I’m having sepanx.
Philippines is a democratic country Being a democratic gives us the right to do whatever we want as long as it does not break rules. We have our own government which is ruled by people elected by the registered Filipino citizen voters. Filipinos have the right to select whoever they want and they also have the power to impeach them. Basically, the view of the voters on the system is divided. There are some who are relaxed with it and some who are neutral; there are also people who considers the government is not the way it should be. Hence, not everyone approves on how the government runs the country. These people are called the “New People’s Army” or the famous NPA.
The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) aims to remove the American influence in the Philippines. They also want the working class to take over the government. Furthermore, these groups of people are also for the poor. Their intention is to distribute the lands to those land-deprived farmers. These people attacked the government to raise their issues. The group also has weapons such as pistols and rifles which was allegedly stolen. Moreover, the group is not financially supported by the government or any non-government organization. In order to finance their operations, they collect “revolutionary taxes” from illegal businesses. The attacks of the CPP-NPA killed a lot of innocent civilians. One example of these occurrences was the Plaza Miranda Bombing wherein a lot was wounded. Another attack happened last July 27, 2014 wherein 13 were injured and 3 were killed.
The CPP-NPA aims transformation in the society and they are for the poor. Ironically, their ways opposes their goal. They aim for change but they do not reach out to our government. They aim for transformation, but their ways are done wrong, they corrupt money from the people by reasoning out that these are revolutionary taxes. They are for the poor, but the outbreaks that they do affect the poor. Yes they are fighting for their right, the right to have a good government but sometimes they are becoming a burden to the society and to the government as well.
They aim for change but they do unlawful things. They want peace but they kill people. Killing and attacking will not make any amendment: ironically, it will merely make the condition worse.
References:
· Communist Party of the Philippines–New People's Army. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/149
· Palace: Government open to resuming peace talks with CPP-NPA-NDF. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/507814/news/nation/palace-government-open-to-resuming-peace-talks-with-cpp-npa-ndf
· 3 soldiers dead, 13 others injured in NPA ambush in Kalinga. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://cnnphilippines.com/regional/2015/07/29/3-soldiers-dead-13-others-injured-in-NPA-ambush-in-Kalinga.html
Rules are everywhere, it sets order and uniformity. Our society has laws while schools and universities create policies for the students to follow. Certain policies provided by the school sometimes causes debate between students and school administration. In connection to this, the dress code policy should be revised because it inhibits the students in expressing themselves.
What do you mean by dress code? According to dictionary.com, a dress code is a set of rules specifying the type of clothing to be worn by a group or by people under specific circumstances. Another meaning is that it is a set of rules or guidelines regarding the manner of dress acceptable in an office, restaurant, etc.
The dress code policy has been an issue for so long. According to The LaSallian, the school is a university carrying population of fashion bloggers and lookbookers. For the students, the way someone dresses up is a form of self-expression, it shows how you perceive yourself and how you want others to view you as well but the dress code policy limits the students in wearing the clothes they want. The clothes they wear screams individuality despite being in a pool of people.
With regards to this, the dress code policy gives the students the idea that girls cannot wear clothes that shows skin because guys will be disturbed. Sounds irrational right? Girls have the all the right to wear what they want specially if they are confident about their body. You don’t control the way someone’s way of dressing up just because it will cause disturbance or it is provocative but still the main goal of the school is the safety of the students.
Another point is that the said policy favors men more than women. It is girls who are most likely to commit an offense regarding the dress code compared to men. There are a lot of boys who wear shorter shorts than girl’s skirts. Another thing is that the dress code policy is not really equal for everyone one example is the rule about the length of skirts should be as long as the length of your longest finger plus 1 inch, students do not have the same length of fingers. But despite of that, the university is a catholic university so being conservative is practiced.
The said policy imposes that despite of not having uniform, the university is still an academic institution, and being under an academic institution, students have to be cautious on the way they dress. But do our clothes affect our grade? What students wear in class does not affect their studies. In fact, the policy limits the students to wear what they want comfortably. Why should you limit the students when in the first place the clothes they wear do not affect the scores they get? In UP, they can wear whatever they want to school but they are still the best school in the country.
Another point raised is, with the presence of dress code students are practiced on how to dress in a way that they will be respected. This policy indirectly promotes rape culture, believing that provocative clothes will cause disturbance. Students wear the clothes they want not because they want to seduce guys or they want others to notice them, they wear it for self-satisfaction.
The way people dress up is one way of expressing themselves, it shows a bit of their personality. Students have the right to dress comfortably but they must also keep in mind that they are in an academic institution. The policy should be revised, not completely removed. Learning does not have anything to do with the clothes we wear and another thing is that being comfortable is a lot different from being provocative.
References:
1. Sta. Romana, M., &Manay, J. (2014, June 10). Grievance, dress code, still top concerns of students and faculty. The LaSallian. Retrieved November 17, 2015, from http://thelasallian.com/2014/06/10/grievance-dress-code/
2. Fajardo, N., &Panis, K. (2014, July 9). University Dress Code Policy, maspagtitibayinng Legislative Assembly. AngPahayagangPlaridel. Retrieved November 17, 2015, from http://plaridel.ph/2014/07/09/university-dress-code-policy-mas-pagtitibayin-ng-legislative-assembly/
3. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2015, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dress-code
*Reflection: The argumentative essay was so challenging for me because we have to make claim and research about the details that supports it. It was also fun because you get to make points and prove that you are right even if sometimes you are not. I enjoyed doing Arg. Essay
It is natural for us humans to find someone who we can call as friends, someone who will always be there for us. As the saying goes, “No man is an island”. With the emergence of technology and social media, the need for us to have our ‘brothers or sisters from another mother’ did not change. People value friendship a lot, we treat them as our second family because of it we call them names such as dude, bro, or even nigga.
The meaning and how the word nigga has evolved through time. With the rise of modernization, the meaning of the word nigga has also improved. At the present time, the famous N word is used as an endearment and greeting of one person to a friend. The word nigga before does not really pertain to a certain race. It actually meant God for the reason that during the ancient times, Black American pharaohs believed that having black skin is sacred for it is a direct blessing from the Sun God. The first to use the N word as a derogative term were the Roman Invaders of Egypt. They used it to refer to people who were black-skinned; from then on it was used as a racist term. The N word becomes offensive when a white uses that name to call a black. When they hear you calling them a nigga, it may offend them but the truth is they can call each other that way.
What is really the difference between a nigger and a nigga? Nigger is the term used for describing a race while nigga is the slang word defined as a friend. Presently, the word “nigga” is used more liberally for term of endearment among friends, younger siblings, and individuals from all social and cultural backgrounds. In addition, African American people today would foolishly classify it as being term of endearment rather than to take it as “racial abuse”. It is also evident among well-known artists from America most especially by the young hip-hop and thug subcultures who often use this term. For instance, you can find “nigga” in every pop song lyrics nowadays that were mostly produced by Americans. With this, we can say that the use of it is being gradually accepted by Americans mostly the Black People or the Negroes. The reason behind this change might be the advanced technology that causes the new generation to be more open-minded and unprejudiced. However, let us remind ourselves that several parts of the world are still not comfortable with the use of N word and still finds it as derogatory.
The use of N word is still in debate whether it is a word of hate or term of endearment. On the other hand, people from different backgrounds such as in other parts of America, Europe, Africa, and as well as in Asia are capable to use this among their friends and younger siblings without any intention of harm, disgrace
References:
1. Nigga. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2015, from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=nigga
2. My nigga. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2015, from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=My nigga
3. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2015, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nigga
4. Nigger (the word), a brief history. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2015, from http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/nigger-word-brief-history
*Reflection- Making this essay made me realize how important it is to understand a certain word. By using it you have to know first what does it really mean and use it without offending others. All in all it was fulfilling.
