JOURNALIZE | 1

The Official Publication of the students of Bright Young Minds | Vol. 1 No. 1| A.Y. 2013-2014

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olumn under pressure

losing grip

wood on wheels

confessions of an introvert

curiosity + research

the aftermath

ballet

the tale of the broken arm

greetings to you

house: music or noise

sports or academics

ASHLEY L IMJOC O

ABIG AIL WAGNER

JOSE L UIS SIMEON LAC SON

ADRIENN E CARMEL A CRU EL

NOELLE SOFIA M ISON

MATISSE C ODIÑ ERA

STEPHAN IE SANTIAG O

MIKAEL A M ARI JUSI

PIERRE Y ZREL ARAN AS

LUIS ROMANO Y ATCO

STEPHEN D ELOS SANTOS 4 6 9 11 12 14 15 16 19 20 22

music class in session

a new kind of recycle

arnis: bym style

bym: snap shots

always ready

taking on baking

students reach out

trip underwater

JOSE L UIS SIMEON LAC SON LUIS ROROM ANO YATCO

54 55

ews NOELLE SOFIA M ISON

STEPHAN IE SANTIAG O

MIKAEL A M ARI JUSI

STEPHAN IE SANTIAG O

SETH CORVERA

KANN A SH IMOD A

ABIG AIL WAGNER

fea ures gin no ona

going native

grading the project

in contrast

in hong kong

students’ profile

teachers’ profile

ISAAC D ELOS SANTOS

ASHLEY L IMJOC O

MIKAEL A M ARI JUSI

MOIRA HODREAL

ABIG AIL WAGNER

25 27 28 30 32

35 40

haikus

a rose in bloom

weeping angel

salted caramel

the painting

transformers: war time

the legend of sol and luna

NOELLE SOFIA M ISON

ELEM EN TARY STUDEN TS

MIKAEL A M ARI JUSI

ASHLEY L IMJOC O

ISAAC D ELOS SANTOS

43 45

46 47 49

52 53 lit erary PIERRE Y ZREL ARAN AS

ADRIENN E CARMEL A CRU EL journalize SY 2013-2014

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under ASHLEY LIMJOCO

pressure

To most people, being at school can feel like being at a prison.

You have designated areas, fixed schedule, strict routine and

insufficient room to be creative.

Parents and teachers may think that it is an overstatement so let me

paint a picture for you.

Most teenagers stay at school for roughly eight hours. At school,

you’re expected to be ready at all times. For the most part, students

are. After each subject, a teacher will give you a half an hour worth of

homework. This is almost always true for all subjects. Say you have six

subjects a day, that means you already have 3 hours worth of

homework. Now that 30-minute homework from the teachers is

based on an IQ level of above average. For those who have difficulty

concentrating or those with learning difficulties, everything takes

twice as long. With that in mind, that 3 hours worth of homework

becomes a gruelling 6 hours. You now have 6 hours of after school

work plus the 8 hours you spent at school already makes 14 hours.

From the 24 hours a day, you’re now down to 10 hours. Say that teen

takes an hour to get ready. You’re now down to 9. Add in

transportation to and from to school. You’ve now dwindled to eight DIS

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hours. Now we all know that a growing child needs at least eight

hours of sleep, don’t we? Do you see the problem?

With a schedule like this a student does not even have enough time

for extracurricular activities. Because of the time spent in school and

school work, a child is not given enough time to explore and find what

makes them happy, what makes them unique.

The disconnect is evident here. We cannot be expected to always be

at the top of our game, always amazing when we have no time for a

breather, no time to recharge. Because of this rigorous schedule, a

student’s childhood passes by without him noticing. Add to this the

pressure of what our elders and peers want us to be. They expect us

to be these imaginary people with highly esteemed jobs like doctors

or lawyers without even considering or even giving us the opportunity

to find what we want to do with our lives.

It’s frustrating when older people look at us and immediately typecast

us as mere teenagers unable to make decisions. The truth is we are

not given opportunities to make decisions for ourselves. With all

these frustrations and added pressure, a teenager is just a pressure

cooker waiting to explode. And when the steam finally lets out, the

rest of the world “tsks” at us like they’ve expected it all along.

What I am trying to get at is that as teenagers, we are put under a

lot of pressure. There are a lot of expectations placed on us. This all

may seem petty but I know that they’ve all gone to adolescence and

felt the same way. I hope that they remember what it was like

growing up placed in the hot seat. I wish that they think of us

whenever they’re about to open their mouths to berate us of our

less-than-excellent life and instead look at life the way we do and

then help us achieve that more-than-excellent life they want us to

have.

DISPHO

RIA BLUES

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losing ABIGAIL WAGNER

grip

Every child’s worst nightmare is losing someone you adore and love.

When I was young, I lost my family to a calamity. It didn’t affect me as

much as people thought it would because I was too young to

understand it. I lived my childhood without the loss weighing heavily

on me.

With age comes knowledge.

Things that didn’t matter before start to have a different meaning.

Knowledge lets you see the world in a different light. Knowledge also

lets you realize what you’ve been missing.

I looked around and saw families complete and happy. It was then

that I saw what exactly I was missing. Once you realize what you’re

missing, you can’t un-know it. I started wondering what life would

have been like if they were still alive.

There were times when I’d cry myself to sleep. I felt dejected and

alone. Somehow, all the glittery stuff of childhood seems too much

like a compromise that wasn’t enough. I wasn’t able to talk to anyone

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about it especially my adoptive parents.

I know it was logical to talk to them but the fear of being brushed off,

of being rejected rang loud in my mind. I didn’t want to talk to them

because of the fear that they don’t really care. I was scared to be

dismissed or be thought of as melodramatic.

When I was younger, I saw life as a puzzle. When we’re with the

people we love. We’re complete; a perfect picture of happiness.

Once, however, a piece goes missing, you’ll never be complete

again. You feel like you can never accomplish that perfect

picture of happiness because no matter what you do you can

never be complete again.

With age comes knowledge.

Things that didn’t matter before start to have a different meaning.

Knowledge lets you see the world in a different light. Knowledge also

lets you realize what you have.

As I grow older and I meet more people, I realize more things. Things

that didn’t make any sense now has untangled itself from the mess of

the unknown and gone under the daylight. I see things differently

somehow.

Losing someone is never easy but it still depends on how you handle

the situation. Looking back, I realize now that I was being immature

because I couldn’t see beyond the pain. Maybe it was necessary to

feel that so I can better appreciate the people I have now.

BYE-GO

NE

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I’ve always been surrounded by good people. These people helped

me and are continually helping me become a better version of myself.

I saw that I have a family now who cares and loves me. They took me

in and took care of me when I needed it most. And now, as I continue

this chapter of my life, they are still with me, aiding me every step of

the way. They have helped in growing into my part of the world.

It may not be always perfect, like any family we have our ups and

downs. I know it’s me being immature most of the time. Still, it

doesn’t matter because they are family and they will stand beside me

at the end of the day.

I also saw the outpour of love from my friends. They were there when

I needed to be cheered up and were also there when I needed a

scolding. They’re company ensured that I didn’t hole up in my misery

but that I enjoy life because I have the chance too, after all, you only

live once.

My school Bright Young Minds made me realize how lucky and

blessed I am with what I have.

Life has taught me that no matter how tough the situation, no matter

how many times you fall down, it doesn’t matter. You still pick yourself

up, dust your clothes and you fight on. It may be trite but it’s

true:”When the going gets tough, the tough gets going” and I don’t

want to be a wimp who gives up on life.

I am proud of how I turned out to be. I’m surrounded by good

people. That’s all that matters.

BYE-

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wood JOSE L UIS SIMEON LACSON

on wheels

I push through the streets, the clear blue sky above me,

the cool breeze ruffling my hair – that to me is a perfect

day.

Skateboarding is something I love to do whenever I can. It has made

such an impact in my life. I consider it as something I would be doing

my whole life.

I met some of the best people through skating like Tim and Josh Syyap

as well as Bruce Garcia. These three boys were my motivation. They

inspired me and helped me be the skater I am today. They taught me

that you need to skate everyday in order to get better. It’s something

similar to golf where constant practice is important. If you stop, then

your progress dwindles until one day you try to do all your tricks it’s

all gone already.

The downside of skating is the society or more specifically how society

has type casted us. Most people have the notion that all skaters are

no-good delinquents who skip school to skate, drink, smoke and do

drugs and repeat.

Generalization is pathetic.

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It’s not right to judge people like that just by the way some skaters

act. I do admit that there are some skaters out there who do exactly

what I described. But that’s only ¼ of the population of skaters. Think

of it this way, if an NBA player gets caught doing drugs then all NBA

players must be doing drugs. The logic is faulty. You can’t base your

opinion on one side. Look at the bigger picture.

Skateboarding, to some is nothing but a hobby, a sport or even a job.

Nowadays skateboarders are getting paid by the thousands during

competitions. They have big name sponsors like Paul Rodriguez, one

of my favorite skaters are sponsored by Mountain Dew and Target. He

even has his own lifestyle boutique called “Primitive”. Eric Koston,

another influential skater to me is sponsored by Nike, Skull Candy. He

is also part owner of his own clothing company known as Fourstar.

Look at Tony Hawk, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of Tony Hawk. Not

only is be a millionaire, he owns a game franchise as well. He also

owns a bunch of companies and has his own foundation called the

Tony Hawk Foundation which helps out less fortunate areas in the

United States. It builds skate parks and helps the kids get out there

and skate.

I think that’s what our government should do. They need to take the

opportunity to take a leap forward into Philippine skateboarding by

building skate parks around the country. If the people are complaining

about skateboarders skating all around the place, then they should

build skate parks instead of banning it all together. Instead of

prohibiting it, they should take this opportunity to help the sport

grow. Maybe one day, we can have famous skaters from the

Philippines.

We are not bad people, we’re just like every one of you. We just

happen to ride on a piece of wood with wheels.

EUPH

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confessions ADRIENNE CARMELA CRUEL

of an introvert

I am an introvert. Yes, I’m not into the big socializing scene. No, I’m not weird, I just happen to like solitude more than people. I don’t like going out with my friends. It’s not fear, I feel better staying at home. I do go out with my friends, but not all the time. I find it quite exhausting but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with my friends. I just like my alone time. Introverts comprise most of the creative people in the world. About 7 out of 10 artists are introverted. We turn off the world and turn on our imaginations. That precious time alone lets us see the world in like nobody else Unlike what some people think, being an introvert is not a disease. It’s basically a temperament. Even some celebrities are introverted. Audrey Hepburn and Eddie Murphy admitted that they’re introverts. Since it’s not easy for introverts to make friends, people think we’re snobs or anti-social. We aren’t. We can be the most loyal friends should you give us a chance and get to know us. I am an introvert. I don’t like going out to parties or big events. What I do love is to stay home and read a book, eat food, watch movies all day, and take a lot of nap. I enjoy it that way.

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curiosity research NOELLE SOFIA MISON

reading

Have you ever wondered why bookworms read so much?

I am self-proclaimed bookworm and sometimes I wonder why. The

question above wasn’t really much of an issue until recently. Aside

from reading school stuff, I’ve grown inclined to reading other stories

as well more so than before. When the rest of the class are off to

Minecraft land, I’d sit in a quiet corner and lose myself in words.

Hence the question: Why do I read? Why don’t they?

To satisfy my curiosity, I did what I do best: READ.

First off, Google

define: reading read•ing /`rēdiNG/ noun

1. the action or skill of reading written or printed matter silently or aloud

2. an interpretation

Next stop: Wikipedia Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct

or derive meaning (reading comprehension). It is a means of language

acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas. TH

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Reading is all about learning, communication and understanding. It is

a part of the “Eight Markers of Civilization” because it encourages

sharing of ideas. It leads to better development of culture and

civilization.

Reading critically and attentively can give readers an avenue to enrich

their vocabulary. A bigger word bank allows readers to share their

own thoughts more accurately. Expanded vocabulary also aides

readers to create a more vivid picture to go with the words they read.

A lot of people have improved their communication skills through

reading.

Despite the many advantages of reading, some people fail to

appreciate it. They cannot fully “hear’ the conversation so they

abandon reading all together.

On the other side of the spectrum, bookworms read because they

choose to properly “hear” the conversation therefore having a fuller

understanding of lives other than their own. It does not matter if the

work is fictional or not. The words still ring true. It helps them be

more emphatic and make them crave more words.

Whenever I read a book, I end up having a great conversation with the

author; at times I agree with the author, while at times, I don’t. No

matter though, I learn.

In general, bookworms read because it connects us to the rest of the

world. It opens portals to worlds unknown. It brings us to the past,

the present and the future.

Interesting.

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the aftermath MARIA LOURDES BEATRIZ CODIÑERA

The people who were affected by the typhoon Yolanda are not alone. They may have nothing anymore, but they have our help.

Leaving their calamity-stricken city would only mean starting over in

unfamiliar ground. But with the help of our government, the private

sector, and various international civic organizations, there’s a hope for

a new life.

We Filipinos will surpass this, we will survive, we shall thrive. We are

tough and strong people. That is the truth. We are deeply religious,

we remain faithful to God, we firmly believe the HE will never forsake

us.

Believing in the power of prayers, we trust in powers of faith and

hope, and in the great possibilities of a better tomorrow. What else

can we do? We cannot run nor hide from disasters like typhoons,

floods, and earthquakes. All we can do is to be prepared the next time

it hits us.

We have two choices – to complain about our fate, OR to pick up

ourselves up, help each other, rebuild and start again. Life has to go

on. We are alive. We are blessed.

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ballet STEPHANIE SANTIAGO

can be a sport too

“Ballet is an opera for the deaf.”

Ballet is a theatrical representation of a story performed to music by

ballet dancers.

It is both considered both a sport and art. But ballet is more in the line

of the arts. Society says that ballet is in the line of arts, because there

is not much of athletic statistic in ballet.

I believe it should also be a sport, because figure skating is also in the

line of arts, but it is considered as a sport. Ballet has the same

symmetry as figure skating.

Although it has a lot of competitions, I think it should also be

considered for the Olympics because it has the same discipline as any

other sport. It is as intensive in training if not more.

Ballet is not mere dance, it is a lifestyle.

THE BALLERINA

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the tale MIKAELA MARI JUSI

of the broken arm

Ability. Motivation. Attitude.

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what

you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” – Lou Holtz

About 7 weeks ago I broke my arm while playing football. I’m a

goalkeeper and in my opinion it’s the position with the most pressure

because it is the last line of defense.

January 16

It was a normal Thursday at training, laps and drills and a fun game at

the end. This time my team played with the boy’s team. I played

goalkeeper the whole game.

The first half of the game I played really well for my first time. I

blocked and caught some shots, even dove once. Come the second

half, we switched sides. I blocked a shot but the ball went out. One of

the boys did a corner kick. He kicked it straight at me. I tried to catch

the ball but instead the ball hit my left arm. I screamed out in pain

and my arm went numb. I took my gloves off immediately and

inspected my hand. The area below my wrist didn’t look right. There

was a weird bulge that shouldn’t be there. I compared my left arm to

my right and it wasn’t the same. I couldn’t move my arm and the pain

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started. I showed my coach what happened. Unfortunately, the team

didn’t have any first aid supply so he put a shin guard to serve as a

splint and got gauze from one of the yaya’s there.

He wrapped it then told me “Go to the E.R. ASAP.”

My mom was on her way to pick up my dad at the airport and I was

supposed to ride with my Ninang.

I was in the car with my Ninang, on our way to pick my god brother

from his training. His coach re-positioned the shin guard, re-wrapped

my arm and lent me a sling.

We left for Healthway and I was crying in pain.

We arrived at Healthway and my mom met us there. Unfortunately,

there was no orthopaedic surgeon. So, we rushed to Asian Hospital

and went straight to the ER.

The doctor said I had to undergo an operation to set the bones again.

They can’t do it immediately though so they gave us a schedule

instead.

January 17

We had to go to the hospital to get tested by the Anaesthesiologist.

This was to ensure that the procedure the next day would go

smoothly.

When I got home, I ate all the Nutella and cookie butter I wanted

because by 9 P.M., I couldn’t eat anything anymore. Sleeping was

uncomfortable as expected.

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January 18

I woke up really early and couldn’t eat breakfast. We went to the

hospital. They put me in a hospital gown and laid me in bed. They

then gave me anaesthesia.

I said bye to my parents and the nurse brought me to the OR

(Operating Room). They talked to me about football and

homeschooling until the anaesthesia took effect.

I woke up in the holding room with a cast and an IV. I still felt groggy

but way better than when I took of my gloves and saw the state of my

arm. After a bit, my mom was let in and we left the hospital.

February 13.

The doctor took off my cast, just in time for The Festival of Talents at

school. I was able to perform with classmates and was able to dance

with them. It was a truly fun night hanging out with my friends and

finally being able to use my arm after having it in a cast for so long.

February 28.

It was my last check up and the orthopaedist said I have to wait for 2

more weeks before I can train and start playing again. In the

meantime I’ll be working on my core, speed and strength.

In the end, it doesn’t matter how many injuries I get, all that matters

is that I still get to play. I still love the sport. After all, no pain no

gain.

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greetings PIERRE YZREL ARANAS

to you

I really like Christmas because it was when Jesus was born in the manger and when the angel worshipped the Son of God. It is the time when Jesus was born to save all of us.

Let’s talk about me, Pierre.

Christmas at home is a month-long party. There are Christmas trees

and Christmas decoration and Christmas costumes too. At Christmas

parties, all the kids would go to the clubhouse to play and swim.

Everyone is celebrating. We run around and play different games.

There are other games that we play until it’s already dark. When the

games are all over, we go home.

At home, Mommy would cook Christmas dinner. She makes fried

chicken and fried rice and pork barbeque. I help by mixing the sauce

she needs. After cooking, Mommy and I will set up the table. We

would all sit down. Sven and I would lead the prayer before eating.

Mommy’s dishes are really good so I eat a lot.

Christmas should always be a big happy party. It is for going to

church because it is a celebration of Jesus’ birthday. It is a time to

remember that Jesus is our Savior.

THE SCIEN

TIST

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house LUIS ROMANO YATCO

music or noise

Is house music truly music or is it pure

noise?

House music, also known as “EDM,” is a fast rising genre in music. It is

quickly becoming the most listened to genre. Because of its difference

from traditional songs, a lot of controversy surrounds it.

House music is a form of electronic music usually made or produced

in computers. It began in in the early 1980’s in Chicago.

At that time, it was mostly edits of music already existing with the

staple repetitive beats from drum machines known as kick drum and

hi-hat woven with heavy bass lines. They were homemade by DJ’s and

brought to clubs. House music was more soulful and blue remixed to

be used at clubs.

The origin of the term is unknown but a lot of speculation is it came

from a club called The Warehouse back in Chicago that originally

played the music.

Over time, its popularity grew with different artists using the same

technique. It is during 2000’s that the soulful philosophy of Chicago

house was mixed with new technology and obscure funk that created

the standard that shaped our current house music. Lyrics are not as

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prevalent as what it used to be. Instead, the heavy beat of

instruments, beat and off beat comprise today’s house music. The

synthetic sound of instruments are also fused with popular or

upcoming songs to add appeal .

The big debate however is if it’s even music or pure noise. In my

opinion the fact that there is debate is pathetic. If you don’t want to

listen to it, then don’t. You’re entitled to your own opinion.

Maybe the reason why people think house music is noise stems from

the fact that it lacks lyrics. Not all songs need to have lyrics. Take

classical music for example. Those songs are called masterpieces even

though they have no accompanying lyrics.

House focuses on beat and melody. It exists to bring people together

to dance and rave and express themselves.

I absolutely love the energy of the house tracks. They’re unique.

People may listen to it and think that they all sound the same but if

you truly have an ear for music, you’ll hear the distinct flavour of the

DJ who made it.

Although house music has a distinct pattern, the sound itself is

dependent on the creativity and musicality of the DJ behind the track.

Whether house music is a phase or if it will truly take over the music

industry is yet to be seen. Frankly, I don’t really care. Let them worry

their life away. I’ll put on my headphones and bob my head to the

beat instead.

LEGEN

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sports STEPHEN DELOS SANTOS

or academics

In my opinion, extracurricular activities

affect people’s studies. It wastes the time

you should be using to study.

Sport is one of the main activities that affect studies.

The moment a student wakes up, his day begins. He readies for

school, ensuring that all his home work is ready and all his project

prepared which he made the night before.

He drags himself out of bed into the school. He tries to keep his eyes

open and his mind alert to get as much information from his many

classes of the day. Right after class he has at least an hour of practice

that would exhaust his energy.

He then goes home and tries to study his lesson and finish all his

homework. Because of his expended energy however, he won’t be

able to focus on everything.

He crawls to bed late and tries to catch a few hours of sleep before he

needs to wake up again for another day of school.

Because of this schedule, students involved in sports tend to have

lower grades. This is not because they have lower mental capabilities;

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it’s just that they have a lot to do.

Extracurricular activities may take a lot of your time but it’s fun and

enjoyable. Lots of people who do it still get decent grades. Even

though it consumes a lot of time and energy, it’s something that

students want to do. It’s a testament to a student’s passion and

discipline. It will test your patience and your time management skills.

Over all, I encourage people to have an activity outside academics

because it broadens your horizons.

Scientifically, sports accelerate your brains ability to take in

information. It takes the boredom out of school life and gives you

something else to do. However, be sure that you know how to

manage your time wisely.

Otherwise, the whole schedule of classes, sports and the rest of real

life will swallow you whole.

In the end it’s not really a debate of whether sports is good or bad

but whether you can manage it.

ALLEGIAN

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ASHLEY LIMJOCO

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata tells the life story of Katie and Lynn;

two Japanese girls living in America. (きら きら in hiragana).

Kira-Kira is set in a time in America when discrimination of Japanese people were

still rampant. This was especially true for Japanese-Americans because of their

heritage. Kira-Kira explores the womanhood and the challenges of being a

Japanese-American, their burdens and their problems.

The book is narrated by Katie, the young daughter of the family.

In the story of Kira-Kira, Katie, Lynn, Sam, and their parents go through poverty,

work-loss, sickness and womanhood.

In the beginning of Kira-Kira they have happy lives – a good life. They lived near

farm in Georgia where Katie and Lynn would usually play. Things start changing

for the worst when their father and mother’s business starts losing money. This

forces their parents to find a better job at a different place. They all move to

Chesterville, where their parents start working with other Japanese men and

women in a hatchery. Throughout the story Lynn is portrayed as someone Katie

looks up to. To Katie she is the most intelligent person in the world. She hopes to

one day move away from their parents and live near the ocean with her. Katie

and Lynn both attend school in Chesterville where Lynn gains a friend and is the

top student of her class. She gets consistent A’s while Katie gets C’s. They are also

blessed with a new baby brother named Sam. In Chesterville Lynn gets very sick

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to the point where she can’t even get out of bed anymore.

The book’s title comes from Lynn who had always told Katie that things were always

“kira-kira” which means “sparkling”, “glittering”, or “shiny”. Lynn also taught Katie that

their lives would get better, they would have a nice home and everything would be

“kira-kira”. She taught Katie to not limit her view on just today but to look forward to a

“kira-kira” tomorrow.

However, things do not turn out well. After a grieving event in the family, they all try to

heal and get closure. This leads them to visit California to see the ocean the girls

dubbed as “kira-kira”. There, Katie hears the ocean soothingly saying “kira-kira”.

This book, although not very glittery, is a true source of light. It describes the hardships

undergone by Asian people in America. Through womanhood and problems, the family

learns to see the brighter side of life. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of

their life, they see the silver lining.

Cynthia Kadohata’s “kira-kira” is not a light book as it deals with delicate topics such as

discrimination and poverty. However, it is a very interesting book that lets readers see

a different side of living in another land. It gives us glimpse of what it is like to be a

child discriminated because of your race.

No matter its beauty, it is not an easy book for teens who enjoy a more energetic and

upbeat book. I would not recommend this to those who do not have the patience for a

long drawn and character focused novel as it is told from a point of view of a child still

learning about the ways of the world. This is a book of introspection as it will lead you

to reflect on your view in life and how you treat others. All in all however, it truly

deserves its 2005 Newbery Award.

JOURNALIZE | 27

OneRepublic is a pop rock band from

Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2003

by high school friends Ryan Teddy and Zach

Filkins, the band achieved commercial

success on MySpace as an unsigned act. In

2003 the band was discovered by Kelly

Barnett and then signed to Sony BMG for

three years, then moved to Mosely music

group.

In 2007, they released a debut album, Dream Out Loud. Its lead single

“Apologize” became one of their most known songs.

Their third studio album, Native was released in March 2013. This became the

bands first top 10 album on the billboard 200 and their highest charting album to

date, charting at number four.

After four years from their debut album, the band has grown both in technicality

and creativity. Their new album has adapted what they’ve learned for the past

four years into this album. While still using intricate layers of music and Ryan’s

trade falsetto, the band has leaned to electronic side of the spectrum for this

album.

This is my favorite album by them because it’s very diverse and it’s different from

their other albums. The songs are very upbeat but still had the OneRepublic

flavor to it. Each song still had the depth of emotion that is a signature of all their

songs.

If you like the Neighborhood or Panama you should listen to this album.

MIKAELA MARI JUSI Going native

28 | JOURNALIZE

Grading the project MOIRA HODREAL

Who loves pizza? Everybody does.

The time for boring pizza is over. Now is the time

to create something new: everyday artisan pizza

custom built by you. This is the driving force

behind the artisan pizza parlor: Project Pie.

Project Pie was built by James Markham. It was born out of his desire to create

good pizza that cost less than the gourmet pizza. He first opened Mox Pizza in

Seattle and Pie-ology in California. Due to popular acclaim, James moved the idea

forward and created Project Pie.

Recently, a branch of Project Pie in Commerce Avenue in Alabang. Because of all

the buzz around the pizza parlor, my family decided to visit the place. Here's my

review of the place.

When me and my mom went to Project Pie for the first time, it was a bit

confusing I really didn't know what to do. The servers were kind enough to tell us

to fall in line.

The first step of the process is the dough. They have this machine that presses a

little ball of dough. it flattens it and turns it to pizza crust. A partner will then

assisted throughout the process. Next, you'll choose if you want to have red-

based or white-based pizza. The red sauce is the signature red of Project Pie. The

white is basically olive oil. The next partner would then explain the rest of the

toppings should any of them be unfamiliar to you. They'd also help you should

you have difficulty deciding. At the end of all the toppings, they'll pop your pizza

in the "Really, Really Hot" oven and in a couple of minutes you'll have your

customized pizza.

JOURNALIZE | 29

For those who don't want to experiment, Project Pie also has a menu. They have seven

pre-made pizzas named 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. The menu details what each pizza will have.

They also offer dessert pizzas. Their banana nutella is a must try.

My choice for my first visit was an all-cheese pizza and my mom got all-meat. It was a fun

experience customizing your own pizza and eating it fresh from the oven.

For those not sure what to do, the partners would recommend you begin with a

numbered pizza then customize it as you will.

All in all I really like the whole idea of making your pizza. At the end of the line, you'll

know your pizza will be great because you customized it. Another plus point for Project

Pie is the server. They're all very friendly and very informative. You can never really go

wrong. The price is also ok. For artisan pizza it's actually affordable.

Since my first visit, I've gone a few times to try their different combinations. I've already

figured out things that I really like but I can't wait to try something new.

In Project Pie the combinations are endless.

30 | JOURNALIZE

ISAAC DELOS SANTOS

What is the significance of the contrasting personalities of the characters portrayed in’ The Destructors’ and ‘The Custody Of The Pumpkin’? Blackie is the head of the Wormsley common gang before T takes over. He is referred as a good leader who wants to keep his gang together. Blackie wants the best for his gang. He also distrusts anything having to do with the upper class. As the gang’s leader, Blackie suggests such activities as seeing how many free bus rides they can sneak and breaking into Old Misery’s house without stealing anything. Blackie initially feels betrayed when T becomes the leader of the gang, however accepts this and supports T. This shows that he is humble enough to give up on being the leader and to follow someone else. In fact, when the gang’s confidence in T.’s leadership falters, Blackie pulls the group back together. This demonstrates that the group as a whole is more important to him than the personal glory of being the leader. T is the eventual leader of the Womsley common gang; he takes over when he suggests dramatic change in the gang's activity. T initially says very little when the gang meets, but as he positions himself to take leadership, he talks more. He intrigues the gang with his plan to pull down Old Misery’s house, a feat unparalleled in the gang’s history. This displays his confidence and boldness, especially to suggest a plan as absurd and unheard of as that. The gang is eager to make him their leader and be dedicated to his cause and proves that they have confidence in their new leader T and is willing to follow him. Although the two characters led the same gang their leadership and motivation were very stark in contrast. Their difference lies in their different personalities. Blackie was humble and put others in front of him, as shown when he decided to step down in the interests of the whole gang. And on the other hand, T was selfish and was ruthless. He was also selfish because he destroyed Old Misery’s house. They are also different because of their upbringing and their reasons behind their actions.

IN CONTRAST

JOURNALIZE | 31

Lord Emsworth is a wealthy gentleman who is very arrogant and does not really care about anything except winning. He is very wealthy, loves gardening and is conceived as selfish. Lord Emsworth’s desire to win the pumpkin contest overshadows his love for his son. This emphasises his selfish character as he values the pumpkin more than his only son. Angus McAllister is a Scottish man who is very forgiving with a real passion for gardening. Angus can be described as a man with many virtues. When Lord Emsworth commanded him to send away her niece, he refused and this shows that he knows how to stand up to people for his own rights. And especially standing up to a Lord he was working for. Furthermore, he was forgiving as he went back to work for Lord Emsworth even when he was disrespected and discarded without consent. This also shows his loyalty to Lord Emsworth. There is a definite dissimilarity in the personalities of these two characters. One of the contrasts are the circumstances the two characters are brought up in. Lord Emsworth was from a wealthy family and owned a castle. On the other hand, Angus was a poor gardener. The book clearly shows that contrast by the way the rich treat the poor and the disparity between them. Lord Emsworth took Angus for granted and only realized it too late. Lord Emsworth treated Angus like deadweight; this further shows the discrimination of the poor in this story. Another contrast in the story is the personalities of the two characters. Lord Emsworth is not the brightest of people and is very self centered, especially when he expected Angus to come back to him in an instant after how he mistreated him. Furthermore, Lord Emsworth only cares about winning eg: he values the pumpkin more than his own son. This shows the extent of how Lord Emsworth is in the middle of his pride and selfishness. On the contrary, Angus is a person who will never lose his dignity as shown when he refused to send her niece away. Overall, the contrast shows us that the poor can be the kindest of people , while the rich can be the most uncaring of people. The stories mentioned both features characters with very different backgrounds. The characters worked because they were opposites. Very much like in real life where no two people are completely alike, the characters too had their own motivation that fuelled their actions. The personalities of the characters also proved that in whatever circumstance, there would always be opposites that would balance each other out. If all people would be of the same type, the world would fall into ruins. Each character in the story had a reason to be there; they each had a vital role to play that gave the story it’s sense of purpose. Ultimately, everyone is a part of a bigger picture, a narrative that extends beyond us, that which influences history and the rest of the world.

32 | JOURNALIZE

ABIGAIL WAGNER

When I was a little kid I used to see books with pictures of

wonderful places. I dreamt that someday I could go to those places.

When I had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong. I was amazed of

how busy it was. When I first got there, the tall skyscrapers and the

neon lights dazzled my eyes.

Hong Kong is one of my favorite countries, because of the transportation,

environment and the skyscrapers. Hong Kong’s transportation is one of a kind.

You can either take the Tram, MTR, or walk.

Trams move rapidly. It stops from district to district.

It cost $2 to get where you want to go. In my

opinion tram is where you just want to relax and

enjoy the breeze.

MTR is for people who are in a hurry to be where they

want to be. MTR is usually crowded in between 12:00

to 2:00 because its lunch hour. It will get you to

where you want to go, for instance if you want to go

to Disneyland you will have to change train to be able

to get there.

In Hong Kong it’s always safe to walk anytime. CCTVs are everywhere police are

everywhere. It’s nice to walk there because its not that hot.

Transportation in Hong Kong is just amazing. Unlike any other countries, you

must have cars to be able to go out with friends. In Hong Kong you can walk, use

the tram or the MTR. It also saves you money.

In honng kong

http://internchina.com/hong-kong/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTR

JOURNALIZE | 33

Hong Kong has the most wonderful places. For

instance, The Peak is one of the most attractive

places in Hong Kong. Tourists spend days and

nights up there. People love it there because at

the very top of the building you will see beautiful

views. The tall skyscrapers and the neon light and

you will also see half of the island.

People also visit Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. Tsim

Sha Tsui or also called TST is where people

would go watch the fireworks during New Year.

Tsim Sha Tsui is a long Promenade. They also

have a lot of places to visit there. For instance,

The Avenue Star. It’s a place where you will see

the footprints and statues of celebrities.

Hong Kong is dubbed as the shopping and cuisine capital of the world. The most famous

shopping area in the world are in HK. Some of these places are Stanley Market, Mong

Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Ladies Market and many more.

Stanley Market is where you will find a lot of

foreigners; they shop there for better quality items.

It also has a lot of restaurants. Restaurants there are

good, as well as the service. Stanley is a must-visit

place.

Restaurants in Stanley are nice. You will feel as if you are in another country. They have

restaurants of different cuisines: Italian, Mexican and American to name a few.

People use Cantonese and Mandarin to communicate to each other. You might think

that they are angry with you because of how they speak. they sound as if they are angry

even when they’re not.

http://content.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/

article/0,31489,1850110_1850124_1850126,00.html

34 | JOURNALIZE

Hong Kong’s weather is nice because

it’s not that hot but during

wintertime it’s freezing. During

winter, you’d have to bundle up

before you go anywhere. That’s why

they have hot pot. Hot pot is where

they would mix vegetables and other

meat. It’s good because it’s healthy

and it warms your body. The best hot

pot restaurants are located in Wan

chai or Causeway Bay.

The street foods are also nice. They got fish ball and

fried squid, which I love. The many stalls that line up

the street during winter sell a variety of street food

that is both affordable and delicious.

There’s a place in Hong Kong where all the Filipino

workers come and eat Pinoy food. It’s always

crowded every Saturday and Sunday. It’s also a

mall where all affordable items are located. Brand

New and pre-loved items. This place is called

Central.

There are a lot of other places to go and see. Hong Kong however is not just a place to

see but to experience. You don’t need to have a car or a tour guide to delve into the

heart of Hong Kong. It’s not as expensive as well. You can go around the city either by

public transportation or by walking. Personally I like walking around as it makes you

see the city better and you also get to people watch.

Hong Kong is wonderful. My words cannot express how beautiful Hong Kong is. I didn’t

know that I would love HK so much that I didn’t even want to leave the country. Hong

Kong is a place where people would want to visit again and again. You can fall in love

with the people and the place itself.

www.hk-magazine.com

www.shoptire.com

www.asiancorrespondernt.com

JOURNALIZE | 35

Elementary

Kyle is the nicest person I’ve ever met. I was surprised that he grew taller this

year. He is very smart, he focuses well in his studies and is really good in math.

by RAYMOND ROGER DUREMDES Kyle

Elijah is the kindest. He always shares his stuff with everyone. He even buys

Yemma for the elementary students. He likes playing Minecraft with our

classmates. He’s a very good builder too.

by LUCAS HODREAL Elijah

Lucas is the youngest in our class. He’s really cute. His favorite subject in Math.

He always like to do Math whenever he finishes with his work with other

subjects. He also likes playing with us whenever we play Minecraft.

by ELIJAH RENMER LADERAS Lucas

36 | JOURNALIZE

Elementary

Raymond is a kind person who always uses his galaxy tablet. He is a big fan of

Michael Jackson.He loves to dance to “Thriller”. He’s memorized all the steps

of that song that he sometimes dances the moves even though a different

song is playing. He is smart and loves asking everyone to hug him.

by MOIRA HODREAL Raymond

Moira is a new student at Bright Young Minds. She does gymnastics. She even

told us about her water bottle she lost at gym. She’s very nice. She doesn’t like

Math but she’s good at it. She’s funny and playful.

by KYLE ADRIAN LIMJOCO Moira

Cheska is our leader in elementary. Sometimes, she’s like a mom to us.

Whenever I’m having a hard time with my subjects, she always helps me.

Cheska also likes to dance and sing. During our music, she played the guitar

while we sang “Leaving On A Jet Plane”. We also go to the same church. I say

hi to her whenever I see her there. She’s really nice to us. She’s one of my best

friends.

by PIERRE YZREL ARANAS Cheska

Pierre is a nice and funny guy. He sometimes makes me laugh. He loves

dinosaurs too. He is a very smart guy when it comes to animals. When he

sings, it sounds peaceful to me. I like it also when he makes sounds with his

mouth. It sounds so realistic. Pierre is a good dancer, he makes me laugh every

time I see him show off his moves. This year, he got taller. His goal in life is to

be six foot tall. He is very artistic when comes to drawing. He loves drawing

transformers.

by NOELLE FRANCESCA MISON Pierre

JOURNALIZE | 37

seth by KANNA SHIMODA

Seth Corvera is a boy in my class.

In fact, he’s the only boy in my

class. He is a funny boy who like

to cheer people up during their

down times. He loves making

people laugh that it seems almost

innate to him. He is also some-

what a perfectionist in grades as

he always tries to get perfect

grades in tests. Facts interest

him. He searches the net for in-

teresting tidbits about the oddest

things then enjoys sharing it to

everyone. He also loves to hug

Raymond. He plays football and

travels a lot.

queenel by MIKAELA MARI JUSI

My first impression of her was

that she's very quiet and she

looked cranky. A few days

later I got to know her better

and we started talking more

often. She told me she was

named after Queen Elizabeth.

We both like horror movies.

She's very lady like and proper

just like a Queen. One of her

favorite horror movies is the

SAW series. We became

friends and joked around. We

even watc hed S in is ter

together. We recommend

books, movies and songs to

each other. She's very smart

and funny, sometimes hyper. I

also met her younger brother

Philip. She brings him to

school sometimes. Queenel is

a good sister when I see her

with Philip. We're not very

close but I hope I'll get the

chance to get to know her

better.

kylie by STEPHANIE SANTIAGO

Kylie is fun and energetic.

Sometimes she's loud but there

are times when she's serious.

She's very sporty unlike most

girls. She’s not into girly stuff.

She’s really fun to be with. Her

comedic antics always make us

laugh. When it comes to friends,

she’s very loyal. She’s the kind of

person you can and trust to be

with you when you need

someone. She will never leave

your side. She's the coolest friend

you'll ever have.

middle school

38 | JOURNALIZE

middle school kanna by ASHLEY LIMJOCO

I have known Kanna since I was in

grade school in my past school,

Maria Montessori Foundation.

We were never friends back then.

But when I heard she was

enrolling in Bright Young Minds, I

was surprised. We’re going to be

classmates again. During the past

months, we started getting close

and we became friends. She

dedicates herself in gymnastics,

ballet and figure skating. She

loves kids and talking about her

family. Sometimes she has a hard

time focusing but she always gets

her work done. That is Kanna

Shimoda for me.

sofie by QUEENEL CLEDERA

When i think of Sofie, or even just

overhear someone mention her

name, I immediately think of all

the positive things in life because

that's what Sofie is: positive.

People like Sofie are rare. She has

the power to make you feel

better in an instant and she has

the power to make you talk and

get carried away. I made the right

choice of saying "hello" to Sofie

when I first bumped in to her

because otherwise, I wouldn't

know where I would get part of

my daily dose of possitivity.

ashley by NOELLE SOFIA MISON

We are usual seatmates which

led us to becoming fast friends.

As I came to know her more, I

realized that my first impression

of her was correct: Ashley likes

conversation. You can spot her

anywhere not only because she’s

so fair but because of her positive

aura. She is also honest and

funny. She usually has stuff toys

with her like the infamous duck

pencil case she always brings to

school. But no matter what

happens to her, she will remain

grounded. Nothing can stop

Ashley.

stephie by ERIN FAJARDO

Steph is an artist. She started doing

ballet when she was 6.

However, her artisitc flair does not stop in dancing

as she is also good in singing. Steph and her family

get to travel to different places for her competition.

She's an overall sweet and one artistic young lady.

Aside from her artistic side, she’s also a very good

student. Even when she has to leave for

competition, she never fails to make sure that she’s

on track.

erin by SETH CORVERA

I don’t personally know Erin but I think

she’s really straight forward. She stands by her

words. She has no regrets and

never backs down with her belief. When she

attended our music class, she was really active so I

guess she really likes music. She’s also never shy to

talk to anyone. Because she is very open to talking to

people, she’s really good at making people feel

welcome and at ease.

JOURNALIZE | 39

gio by KEANU JAHNS

I have known Gio for the longest time. Gio is a very athletic person. He likes to

play: football, swimming and biking, but nowadays he usually spends most of his

time in Cuenca Park skateboarding with his friends. I consider Gio one of my

closest friends cause we have known each other most of our lives.

MAT by GIO LACSON

Matisse is a very nice person. She’s approachable and easy to befriend. She

doesn’t need to worry about running out of things to talk about because she has

a lot of funny stories to share. She’s very courageous and isn’t scared to try out

new things. She’s a very outgoing and is a fun person to be with.

luis by ABBY WAGNER

Luis is a friendly guy who is deeply devoted to basketball and soccer. He likes

making jokes to keep people laughing. He also has good taste in music and he is

known as the DJ of the school. Aside from that, he’s the guy who smells good

every day. He likes to play prank on people but all in jest.

abby by ADI CRUEL

She’s a very friendly person with a big heart. Her heart is set on sports and

beauty. She enrolled to BYM as an 8th grader. When I first saw her, she seemed

very shy. That’s when I thought I should be friends with her. After a year, we

became the best of friends.

AdI by AICA DACUNO

Adi is the first friend I made when I first stepped into Bright Young Minds. She's

bubbly and friendly. A shoulder to lean on, a hand to hold, an ear--you name it.

She's very artistic in her own way and that is what makes her unique. She's one

of a kind and I'm very glad and honored to have met and befriended someone

like her.

High school

aica by LUIS YATCO

Nepheline "Aica" Dacuno is one of the friendliest people here in Bright

Young Minds. She is very easy to talk to. She’s really fun to be around.

She's responsible and hardworking. Aica is a true friend indeed and I'm

glad we're friends.

40 | JOURNALIZE

teachers

Teacher Kat

I used to be really scared of Teacher Kat

because she looks scary. When I got to

know her, I realized she’s really nice.

She’s also good at giving advice. - Abby Kind and very patient with all the students. - Keanu

I’ve known her for four

years. She’s still the

greatest teacher ever. - Adi Scary but very nice. - Gio

Very, very, very scary - but nice and funny - Luis

She is quiet, then hyper. She’s scary when she gets

angry. - Matisse T. Kat was the very first teacher I met prior to my

first day in BYM. She helped me adjust to

homeschooling since I was new to the program. -

Aica

She’s very fun but can be scary too. You can learn a

lot from her too. - Steph

Reasonably strict and caring for our safety - Kanna

T. Kat is cool, calm, kind and nice. - Seth T. Kat reminds me of a real principal because of her

chair! HAHAHA - Cheska She is the boss of Bright Young Minds. She takes

care of everything. - Pierre

T. Kat is nice. - Moira

She is funny. - Kyle T. Kat is always busy. - Lucas

T. Kat is nice. - Raymond

Teacher Lyn is the most quiet and most patient

teacher I know. She helps with so many things and

she’s really funny. - Abby

Chill, patient and kind of tall. - Keanu Very nice, patient and taller than me. - Gio

T.Lyn is smart, cool, nice

and funny - Luis T. Lyn is the most patient out of all the teachers.

She could be a friend to everyone but a teacher

to the students at the same time. - Adi

The most quiet teacher I have ever

known. You have no choice but to follow

her. hehe - Matisse Teacher Lyn is the most reserved one among the teachers

she’s the one you pay attention to the most during class. -

Aica

T. Lyn is super organized. - Kanna The patient teacher and the thinnest. - Steph

Good teacher, very thin, friendly, neat. - Seth

T.Lyn is a really good history and Filipino teacher! I like her. -

Cheska

She is nice to everyone and she’s a

good history teacher. - Pierre T. Lyn is very pretty and really patient. - Moira

She is very nice. - Lucas

Teacher Lyn is very funny. - Kyle Teacher Lyn is pretty. - Raymond

Teacher Lyn

JOURNALIZE | 41

teachers Teacher Marie is hyper and loud. Sometimes I think

that she’s being plastic when she tells me that I’m

pretty just so I’d do my Chemistry hahaha I love how

we can relate to the The Originals. She’s really nice

and very helpful when it comes to Filipino. - Abby She’s smart, noisy but kakainis sometimes but overall

funny. - Keanu

Teacher Marie is really LOUD, funny, nice and cool. -

Gio

LOUD, nice and cool. - Luis The loudest, coolest teacher I know. But she can

really understand you at times. - Matisse

She’s funny but… LOUD! - Adi

Teacher Marie is probably

the most bubbly and

expressive teacher in school.

A great hugger too! - Aica The best ever! But she never uses her inside voice

especially when she’s very happy. AAAAAYYYYY! She’s

the loudest teacher I’ve ever met. - Steph Always prioritizes us. - Kanna

T. Marie is funny, LOUD and fun. - Seth

Teacher Marie is a scientist and I want to be like her. -

Pierre

Teacher Marie is LOUD. - Kyle

She is funny, cool and nice. - Moira

She’s always with the high school students. - Lucas T. Marie is so LOUD! I l ike it when she cheers! Go T.

Marie - Cheska

Teacher Marie is good. - Raymond

Teacher Marie

Teacher Ar-joy Teacher Ar-joy is strict and bossy about

school works. But above all, she is really

unique and fabulous. She helps me with my

silly problems. - Abby Funny laugh and kind of loud too. - Keanu

She is fun to talk to and very nice. - Gio

She has a funny laugh. She’s cool.

YES. - Luis She’s always supportive of the students. She’s always

patient and knows how to connect with everyone. :) -

Adi

My best advice-giver when it

comes to my problems. She is

a good listener. - Matisse Teacher Ar-joy reminds me so much of my

sister that I can actually see her as like my

own even in class. A great listener and advice

-giver. - Aica Very cool. I love her laugh! She is scary

when she teaches geometry. - Steph

Can relate to how the students feel.

- Kanna T.AJ is cool, loving and has a cool laugh. -

Seth

T. AJ is the best English

teacher! DA BEST! - Cheska Dear Teacher Ar-joy you look like a boss

and I love you. - Pierre

Teacher AJ is kind. - Moira

She is nice. - Kyle She is a good teacher. - Lucas

Teacher Ar-joy is beautiful. - Raymond

JOURNALIZE | 43

44 | JOURNALIZE

JOURNALIZE | 45

A Rose in Bloom MIKAELA MARI JUSI

I have come to know

the seasons of the year.

Seeing them happen,

in full gear.

It has made me shed a tear.

But it also made me react with cheer.

Running across a field of grass,

it is then that I saw you

with so much poise.

Amid a crowd of weeds,

There you were,

standing proudly with grace.

I plucked you

from the ground.

In your scent,

I was drowned.

Brought you home,

I put you in my glass dome.

Wanted you, watched you.

Until I had to let you go.

Winter has passed

and a rose is blooming

I wish it stays budding

I wish it would not stop un-folding.

I'd rather it bloomed differently.

I do not like how it is.

Because our togetherness,

I will miss.

But I do not want to hurt it

by making more of a mess.

For soon the winter will come again

And hopefully,

Something might go my end...

46 | JOURNALIZE

Weeping Angel ASHLEY NICOLE LIMJOCO

Every night they heard her weep,

Heard her cries even in their sleep

Her eyes shone with unshed tears

Her face a story of untold fears

There she is

An angel in disguise

Behind her eyes something hides

An evil so ancient and deep

For those that lend a hand

She became their demise.

Her spindly fingers latch on them

Souls no longer theirs

Hiding in darkened corners

And forgotten halls

She crouches, she creeps

Heed my warning,

Heed my call,

Don’t give in,

Don’t fall asleep,

Leave her be

Let her be no more

But a story whispered

And a warning to all

She claws at the walls no more,

Her cries easier to ignore,

They heard my warning,

They heard my call,

In your mind,

She can’t creep at all.

S A L T E D

JOURNALIZE | 47

NOELLE SOFIA MISON

Just like caramel,

a situation may first seem to be sweet and salty.

One must savour the moment.

Melting and fading, any episode of life could quickly die.

Never take anything for granted.

S A L T E D Caramel

In a realm where medieval happenings reign, we begin

our story: a tale of a mother, who learnt an important

lesson, and of two sisters, as opposite as the moon and

sun.

They lived in a quaint cottage, along a forested

riverbank. The “mother” was known for her delicate

handiwork; from amazingly colored bowties to

exquisitely patterned dresses, she never failed to

impress. However, life was not always full of success. In

fact, the woman was never married and the daughters

she had were not her own.

The two lovely ladies were gifted to her by Trees…

Yes. Trees.

On two contrasting days, a seasonal equinox apart, the

Trees popped out a pair of beautiful babies from two of

their strongest sources of magic: the untouched and

youthful White and Red Rose-Trees, out bloomed two

healthy girls.

The first-born came out of a large white rosebud on a

pale Winter’s day. Snow-white, became her name

because, just like the Tree's roses, the girl had pearl

white skin and just like the Tree's bark, her hair was as

dark as midnight.

The second-born sprung out of an enormous red

rosebud, during a sunny Summer’s day. She named the

other healthy girl after the red rose-tree – Rose-Red.

Unlike her 'sister', she had wild golden hair, like the

golden brown oak of the Tree. She too had amiable red

lips, like red rose buds, to match her melodious voice.

Wonderful gifts, indeed! From when they were little, the beautiful damsels felt a

special connection with their respective trees.

The little girls complimented each other like earth and

sky or like sugar and salt. They were both sweet yet

simple.

Time passed and the daughters grew up. Snow-white,

with her graceful poise, took pleasure in indoor hobbies

such as cooking, baking, sewing, painting, and many

more. Rose-red, on the other hand, loved the outdoors.

She would prance among fields of flowers, singing

beautifully.

They both became known in their town for making

clothes and for performing.

On a beautiful Summer’s day, the sisters, while in the

nearest village, met two handsome princes: Prince

Damian and Prince Erik.

The two royals were very struck by the two ladies.

“Who had ever seen such enchanting beauty?” they

said.

It was destiny that made sure that the princes were to

be fitted by Snow-white and then to see a performance

by Rose-red!

Fate has its special ways.

After many months of courtship, Prince Damian and

Prince Erik proposed to Snow-white and Rose-red.

The ladies were stunned! However, Snow-white was

reluctant to accept Prince Damian’s hand in marriage;

after all, marrying the men means leaving their mother.

Rose-red, also unsure, still reassured her sister. “Mother

would be proud of us,” she crooned, “she also approves

of them, what more could we ask for?”

In truth, the mother had said nothing when they told

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intend ed. Th e charac ters do not belong to Sofia Mison.

They are based on th e ch aracters from the Broth ers Grimm tale, "Snow- white and Rose-red". No

profit is being mad e in th e production of this story.

48 | JOURNALIZE

her about their sweethearts. They were met with

complete silence.

Although doubtful, the sisters accepted. Ecstatic, the

boys rode all the way to the heart of the kingdom

promising their return in Mid-Fall.

The ladies dashed to the cottage. With hearts pounding,

full of anticipation and uncertainty, they entered their

home.

When they did, the lasses instantly found their mother in

her favorite spot. Taking turns, Snow-white and Rose-red

detailed their day to their mama.

The sisters held their breaths, waiting for her reaction.

She did not respond; instead she just deeply stared at

them then went back to watching the Trees. What the

girls could not understand was what she was watching.

Little did they know, she was not watching anything but

she was waiting for another miracle…

They took her silence as a sign of quiet

acceptance.

The woman, however, knew that the feeling was not

content.

Every day, every time she would look out of her

window, she would wait for another gift that, she feared,

would never come. Love.

So, during early Autumn, when the sisters were wayfaring

within the forests, waiting for their princes, the lady took

her axe.

Oh she and her trusty axe. She held her axe close to her,

that thing she now trusted more than her girls. Her girls.

Her daughters.

She wanted fame, THWACK! She wanted fortune,

THWACK! She wanted love!

And with that final note, she swung her axe at the White

Rose-Tree. Down the tree fell! The poor White Rose-Tree

had instantly lost life and fell on the Red Rose-Tree; also

bringing it down.

In the distance, Snow-white and Rose-red watched in

horrified silence. The mother did not know that every

swing of her axe and every hit cost Snow-white and Rose-

red the same pain.

As the mother prepared to pry open the wood, the

woman heard heavy footsteps. She looked up, and saw

her daughters, now pale and fragile, struggling to reach

their cottage. They fell before their mother and their

trees.

The mother grew frantic, unsure of what she had done.

“Oh my dear daughters! Do not fear, our problems will be

answered!” she exclaimed.

They did not move. “Come now my young ones, rise up!”

Still they did not move. The mother took hold of Rose

-red’s hand and flinched as she felt her ice-cold skin.

She looked at her daughter’s face and saw pain

etched on her brows; her lips slightly parted as if in

anguish. The mother then hurriedly turned Snow-white

over and saw the same expression on her face. She stared

at her daughters and let out a gasp.

When mid-autumn finally came, the princes went to their

love’s cottage. Together with their parents, the king,

queen and servants wandered through the forest to finally

meet the young ladies that captured their princes’ heart.

Everyone’s heart was light, filled with expectant joy to

the wondrous forest and the ladies that as wondrous.

However, what welcomed them was the rotten stench of

the forest. There was no wondrous sight that greeted

them. Instead, it was only death that embraced them.

The forest was the color of black. There was nothing but

ash and burnt wood stretching from one end of the forest

to the other end all the way to the quaint house where

the famous woman with the delicate handiwork lived.

However, it was not this sight that gripped all the

onlookers’ attention. Amid the darkness, two Trees stood

magnificently on the ground; Trees too beautiful to be

real.

The princes, gathering their courage ventured forward

into the mossy gateway, finding a way to see their brides-

to-be. When they finally saw the Tree near, they looked

around hoping against hope that they would see them.

And indeed they saw their beautiful damsels. The emotion

was so heavy that they fell to their knees, brows knitting

and lips parting in shock.

When the crowd moved forward to chance a glimpse

what their princes saw, they too fell to their knees and let

out a loud gasp.

From the branches of the magnificent Trees hung their

princes’ damsels, beautiful even in death.

THE END

T H E

JOURNALIZE | 49

Painting T H E

ISAAC DELOS SANTOS

It was a harsh stormy night. The wind whipped the

trees; lightning illuminated the sky in brilliant white

and the rain poured all over the countryside.

The sky reflected the hardships the family had

recently suffered. A mother and her children drove a

grueling 5 hours into the countryside, seeking for their

ancestral home which was abandoned since their

grandparents had tragically passed away. During the

car ride, the children complained, contemplating on

the idea of a different home: a home far away from the

city, from their friends and from their lives. They

impatiently waited as the minivan struggled to cross

the rugged dirt path.

As the house was coming to view, a few thoughts

popped up inside the little sister’s mind, dark spooky,

haunted. When they finally got out of the car she stood

still, dumbfounded and confused of what she was

seeing. From where she was standing, she could see

cracked windows and peeling paint. A putrid stench

permeated the outside of the house.

The two-storey house towered over them menacingly.

This wasn’t exactly the paradise she thought. With her

brother, they watched their mother looking satisfied

with the house as if she were ignorant of how it looked

or smelled. They watched her as she joyfully went

inside the house and place their luggage.

The inside of the house was surprisingly not half as

bad as the outside. The floor, the walls and the

staircase leading to the second floor were all made of

honey brown mahogany. The place was fairly dusty,

however, the place seemed well preserved. The light

was dim and enveloped the surroundings with an

eeriness that made the hairs at the back of the young

girl’s neck stood on end.

She ran away exploring the mysterious depths of her

house. She wanted a place where she could think to

herself, all alone, especially after her father’s tragic

death. She finally found a room at the furthest part of

the house. As she entered, the door slowly creaked

and dust came flying into the air.

The room was bare, except for one item at the back of

the room: a painting. The floor creaked as she crept

towards it. The painting was covered in dust, however,

a black frame with demonic faces on it were fairly

visible. The piece of art intrigued her, and she moved

closer, wanting to scrutinize it. She blew on the

painting and dust flew towards the sides. The

frightened girl came crashing onto the floor frozen in

fear.

The painting was outlined in black, an evil aura

50 | JOURNALIZE

illuminated the room, fear gripped her and time stopped.

The painting revealed a woman with a cadaverous

appearance, her eyes were gored out, streaks of black hair

ran down the sides of her face and her cold blue face

stained with blood. A knife was impaled into the side of

her neck where blood oozed slowly. The painting seemed

alive. The woman appeared to be staring at her with

hollowed eyes. The young girl, in a matter of moments,

pushed herself up and escaped the gruesome horror in the

room.

She ran and ran until she reached the staircase and

crouched there breathing heavily. A sick, menacing voice

whispered inside her head.

“You’re next.”

As tears streamed down her face, she considered telling

her mom and her brother about the painting and about

how they needed to leave immediately.

Yet she doubted herself. ‘What if they think I’m lying’,

‘what if they don’t believe me’, ‘what if ‘. She finally told

herself to calm down and forget about it. ‘Anyways, I’ve

been through a lot lately’ she thought.

That night, her mom walked into her room, tucked her

into bed and told her that everything is going to be okay,

that all will be well. A dream came to her in the middle of

the night. She was back in the room. Standing there was

the same woman from the painting. The girl pulled out the

knife from her neck and advanced towards her. Horrified,

she stood there waiting for the woman’s next move. She

was there, helpless, unable to move. The woman smiled

menacingly and walked towards her. “You’re next…” the

woman softly whispered. Then she drew the knife from

her neck and the knife descended upon her.

She woke up with an enormous gasp. Scared and petrified

to sleep by herself, she decided to go to her mom’s room.

As she entered, she called out to her. But only the

stillness of the room answered her. She called her again

but no answer came forth.

Convinced that her mom was sleeping, she lay beside her

expecting a mother’s warmth. However, all she felt was

the coldness of the room. She also felt something wet and

slippery; the bed was drenched, but drenched in what?

She put her hand in front of the window and as the faint

moonlight showed, her hand was dripping with blood. A

scream tore itself out of her. It was like she saw devil in

front of her very eyes.

Her brother came in and when he turned the lights on,

both of them saw the horror that was their mother. Her

skin was a cold blue color, and her blood drenched the

bed. But what made the sister choke on her own tears

were the gored eyes and the impaled knife in her neck.

The brother stood motionless like his life was sucked into

oblivion. His already white face turned paler until he

couldn’t take any more of this gruesome sight and cried

outside. As responsible and as sensible as the brother was,

he called 999 in a trembling voice. Although grief covered

them like a cocoon, there was some relief that help will

arrive soon.

She went back in the room, wanting to see her mother for

the last time. She stared in agony and wept beside her

body. Thoughts ran wild through her mind, she

unquestionably regretted not telling her mom about the

evil in the house. She wondered what would have

happened if she told her mother. Her brother approached

her and hugged her, wishing that their cherished mother

would come back.

“OH MY GOD!!!” cried out the sister. Without so much as

an explanation, she ran towards the staircase.

“Stop! We have to stick together!” shouted the brother

wanting to protect his little sister.

However, the girl ignored her brother’s plea and went on.

Filled with rage and anger, she wanted to know what

happened to her beloved mother. She wanted to see the

JOURNALIZE | 51

painting again and investigate. This time, she barged

through the door and stomped towards the painting.

As she got closer, the moonlight made the painting

more visible. But when she saw the painting, she froze,

not of fear but of shock. The devilish woman was not

there anymore…

“AAAAGGHHHHH” there was a shrill cry that vibrated

through the sister’s bones. ‘Oh no’ she thought, she

instantly knew her brother was in trouble.She hastily

ran towards the scream desperate to find her brother

unharmed.

It was too late…

Her brother lay there with cold blue skin and his

innocent blood splattered all over the floor. He had

gored eyes and a knife impaled on the side of his neck.

‘Why didn’t I listen to him? Why?’ the sister regretted,

kneeling beside her murdered brother.

There was a knock that broke the silence. “This is

detective Nicholas Angel of the London Metropolitan

police service. Someone called about murder.” As

soon as she heard this, she rushed to the carved

wooden doors and unlocked it. The police detective

was a fit man; it was obvious from the detective’s face

and stature that he was a determined cop.

The partner’s herded her inside of the house and

asked her if she was ok. She felt miserable and could

only shake her head in response to them, desperately

keeping the tears at bay. She told the detectives that

she wanted to go back to her mother and brother but

the detective told her to stay put. Instead, the

detective’s partner went upstairs. After a few

moments, the partner came running back down and

yelled, “There are no bodies!”

“What do you mean?” asked the Nicholas.

“I have no idea what happened. When I went upstairs,

I saw blood but there was no body,” answered the

partner.

The detective sighed and turned to the little girl. “Do

you have any idea who could have done this? Do you

have any clue at all?”

She could not think of anything, except for the one

thing, the painting in the room. Not caring if they

would believe her or not, she recollected the story of

the cursed painting. The detective nodded and they

hurried towards the room.

Once they entered, the detective gasped at the dread

in front of them. The sister stared at the painting,

surprised that the woman was back inside the painting.

The sister told the detective that when her mother and

brother died, they ended up looking exactly like the

woman in the painting. Listening attentively, the

detective recorded notes. Both of them crept towards

the painting wanting to see it clearly. The sister

examined the painting and saw something different.

The woman was wearing a golden necklace. ‘How odd,

this wasn’t there before’ she thought.

She gasped in horror as she realized where she saw

the golden necklace.

It was her mother’s golden necklace. What’s more is

that the woman in the painting wasn’t the woman she

saw there before. In her place was the deadly pale face

of her mother with her eyes gored out and a knife

sticking out of her neck.

She screamed in horror. “Mom!”

The detective jumped back and instantly pulled the

little girl away from the painting. He knelt and faced

her and with a low, shaking voice he spoke.

“ This isn’t a painting. It’s a window…”

THE END

52 | JOURNALIZE

T H E L E G E N D O F War Time

T R A N S F O R M E R S :

PIERRE YZREL ARANAS

In the beginning, there was the Cube.

We do not know where it comes from, or what it really

is. Only that it has the power to create our world,

Cybertron, and us, Autonomous Robotic Organisms

or “Autobots”, for short.

We lived in peace.

However, There were those who wanted power for good, and

others for evil.

Little did we know, we had been separated by those

beliefs.

Then the war struck.

And I became a Warrior.

I am Optimus Prime; and I believe freedom is the right

of all sentient beings. The Decepticons, short for

“Masters of Deception or Con”, do not. They believe

that the universe would be better protected by

aggressive expansion. Therefore, the Decepticons,

led by an evil robot called Megatron, are driven by

one ultimate goal: Total Domination of the Universe.

We protected the whole planet from Decepticons, using a space bridge that could travel to any planet.

But one Decepticon, called Starscream, betrayed

Megatron and became known as the “Traitor of

Decepticons.” Starscream betrayed him because he

wanted to be the ruler; however, Megatron is the true

leader and tormented Starscream.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet,

Bumblebee is a soldier. He was trained by Ultra

Magnus, the commander of the Autobot troops; With his small size allowing him to go places that his

commanders cannot. Ultra Magnus, using the power

of a giant robotic hammer called “Solos Prime”, fought

together with other Autobots.

During another battle,

Bumblebee, alone, had to distract Megatron away

from his fellow comrades; Ultimately getting his voice

box destroyed by the Decepticon leader. Ratchet,

who fought many battles with Bumblebee, saved him

from death, and he repaired his voice. Although it

only gives Bumblebee that ability to talk sometimes.

Ratchet is also a close friend of mine. A scientist and

a doctor, he saved every Autobot in the world.

But he is not the wisest. It is Alpha Trion, one of the

oldest Autobots in the world. He was given the Matrix

of Leadership by the dying Sentinel Prime, leader of

the Autobots, but he chose not to lead the team. Instead the Matrix would be with him, unused, until he

meets someone worthy enough to become leader.

While waiting, he had made plans to rebuild Autobots

better than the Decepticons. The future leader,

however, actually came to him as a young, dying

Autobot that was brought into his repair center. His

name was Orion Pax. Alpha Trion sensed a strong

spirit in him, and decided to rebuild him completely

into me.

I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, and until

that day…

till all are one,

I will continue to fight in what I believe in.

DISCLAIM ER: No copyright infringement is

intended . Pierre Aran as does not own any of the

characters. This was not mad e for profit . It is a re-

imagination of th e bac k story of th e s eries

“Transformers” and was writ ten as a p art of his

English requirements.

JOURNALIZE | 53

Sol and Luna T H E L E G E N D O F

ADRIENNE CARMELA CRUEL

There was a star named Sol. He was the brightest star

in the galaxy. He was superior to all the stars but the

loneliest for because of his brilliance, no one else

dared to go near him.

Until…

He found Luna the moon. Luna wasn’t a star but a

satellite. She was pure and beautiful. Her light was of

opaque white that shone waxy across her perfect face.

Sol and Luna fell in love with each other. They spent

hours together until they had to retire to their own

domain.

But the stars didn’t like the thought of them together.

They love Luna for her purity and hate Sol for his

impertinence.

The stars demanded Luna to stay away from Sol for he

might take advantage for her light. They spun stories

and lies. They planted the seed of doubt in her heart.

Because of their intricate lies and her love for the stars,

she believed them and started to avoid Sol.

One day, Sol waited for Luna for twelve hours. He

couldn’t stay longer for he was needed so he started

searching for her. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find her.

She was lost and Sol was alone.

Sol grew angry. He grew bigger and hotter because he

couldn’t find Luna anymore.Because of Sol’s heat, no

other star could come out. So, they had to wait for Sol

to leave again before they could come out in hiding.

When Luna found out about Sol’s love for her, it was

already too late. The stars has already cursed Luna and

Sol to be apart. Sol’s warmth was too much for her.

Luna comes out twelve hours before Sol gets up. And

Sol goes back to sleep just before she wakes up.

Luna comes out with darkness. She only has the stars

to comfort her; but she never felt happy with them.

Luna and Sol never saw each other again.

54 | JOURNALIZE

news bites

STEPHANIE SANTIAGO

Who said we can’t use old things again? Bright Young Minds can.

On the months of September to November, BYM students took up weaving. Ms.

Nora and Ms. Maricel from Gawad Kalinga taught them how to use juice packs inn

producing top-notch products.

The students were able to make coaster, placemats and bags to name a few.

ARNIS: BYM STYLE

MIKAELA MARI JUSI

Bigay pugay and strike!

For the first Tuesday Activity, the students of Bright Young MInds took up their

sticks in Arnis. Under the guidance of Sir Jerry from the Philippine State College of

Aeronautics, they learned the various forms and manoeuvres. The students did

fighting stances alone and as a group.

BYM: SNAP SHOTS

STEPHANIE SANTIAGO

Taking pictures is easy, but taking good photos takes practice and patience.

On the months of February and March, the students of Bright Young Minds had

photography class under Ms. Ar-joy Navarro.

The students learned basic composition and elements of light. Their pictures and

photo essays will be displayed during the 2nd Art byminds on March 26.

MUSIC CLASS IN SESSION

NOELLE SOFIA MISON

Under the direction of Maestro Peter Lijauco, the Bright Young Minds students

took choral singing lessons from the months of January to February. After basic cho-

ral techniques, the students learned “I Won’t Last A Day Without You,” “Never

Grow Up” and “Glowing Inside”.

Each department also learned different songs. The elementary students studied

the classic “Leaving on A Jet Plane”. Middle schoolers took on the pop hit single

“Brave” while the high schoolers did “Today My Life Begins”.

Their music lessons culminated in a showcase during the Festival of Talents.

A NEW KIND OF RECYCLE

photo by Cheska Mison

photo by Kyle Limjoco

JOURNALIZE | 55

TAKING ON BAKING

KANNA SHIMODA

The students of Bright Young Minds had baking from August to September under

the tutelage of Mrs. Mildred Sandoval. They learned how to bake various pastries

and confectionary.

STUDENTS REACH OUT

ABIGAIL CATUNGAL

At the wake of Super Typhoon Yolanda, Visayas was left in ruins. Homes we

totalled and families were devastated. One with the Filipino spirit, students of

Bright Young Minds reached out a helping hand on November 2013.

In partnership with Red Cross Philippines BYM students repacked canned goods,

noodles, rice and water to be distributed in the families of Visayas. After repacking,

the students brought the good in the Red Cross Muntinlupa Branch.

TRIP UNDERWATER

JOSE LUIS SIMEON LACSON AND LUIS ROMANO YATCO

On August 17, 2013, students of Bright Young Minds took a stroll from the park to

the underwater depths.

BYM kids, among with their teachers took a day of exploration when they visited

Quirino Grandstand. They took a stroll in Luneta Park before heading to the Chinese

Gardend where they learned more about plants.

The students made their way to Manila Ocean Park. A tour guide led them through

different attractions from birds of prey to seals show to underwater creatures. All

attraction were interactive and very educational.

ALWAYS READY

SETH CORVERA

Because help can’t wait, the students of Bright Young Minds took a 3-day training

course for Basic Life Support and First Aid Treatment.

Ms. Reyza Kennedy from Red Cross gave a lecture and had a demo session. The

students then took a practical and written test. Upon qualification, the students

received their Red Cross Certification.

cheska

sofie luis seth

gio

stefie queenel moira