SAVE UP HIGH

To All UP High School Cebu Alumni:

We are very happy and touched by the immediate response from the alumni. Your concern and support have strengthened our resolve to fight for the high school. We have already written to the Dean and to the UP President Emerlinda Roman regarding our stand. We have requested for a dialogue with them. I believe we will be provided that chance for a dialogue this January.

I have been receiving emails from alumni stating your support to the high school. Letters from you are highly appreciated. We would like to compile them as testimonials for the high school and present them with other documents to UP Pres. Roman when she and other officials come to Cebu in January.

We would appreciate a resolution from the alumni attesting its support for the High School. Even individual testimonials of how UP High has helped them would be a great help.
(please send your letters and/or testimonials to inday_balt@yahoo.com )
It is only UP High School Cebu that is facing this problem. UP High School Iloilo is not being downsized to one section. Should we be able to charge tuition, we want to follow socialized tuition. We still want to be able to serve more economically-disadvantaged students. That is the mission of UP High School Cebu and we believe in that mission. We are also making a proposal for a new tertiary program for basic education which is interdisciplinary in nature and relevant to today's global environmental concerns. This unique program will further justify the need for the high school. If there is anybody who would know how to contact Ambassador Paynor, that would be great. I met him during the Garbo sa Sugbu awards where UP High was among the awardees. He was full of admiration for our students. He told me that should the high school need his help, we can always contact him. He is now consul general at San Francisco, California. He might also be able to give a letter of commendation or a resolution. We believe resolutions of support from all sectors of the community will convince the administration that UP High School Cebu is relevant to the community.
DAGHANG SALAMAT KANINYONG TANAN!

Prof. Purita T. Baltazar
Principal, UP High School Cebu

The Problem With Men and Women

Racial discrimination has been a history of this world. It has been written in almost all history books and has been one of the main reasons of civil wars and feuds. Sexism on the other hand, has yet to be a problem in this world.

True to the fact that there is an existing House Bill towards equality in sexuality, there is some equally existing fact that each of the sexes existing in this world has what we call, a blemish in their parts.

Before I say anything, I would just want to assert the fact that I am entitled to my own opinion and with that privilege, I assure you that I will try not to touch anybody or to expose a part of anybody that I would use as an example to prove my assertions.

Haha! So much of playing safe, now time for some serious topic.

Now, what could be a problem with men? In my own perspective, I see it a problem that sometimes, they believe that it is their mindset that the others should consider the truth. It seems that they are in control of everything. This proves to be one of the issues that need to be tackled upon. They consider themselves superior in terms of physical strength and leadership. Well, yes it is true. For some point in time, the greatest of the leaders were men but the greatest war freaks in the world were men. They feel that they are the ones right and that they are the ones right in choosing a decision and in making an act.

In a family, a father is said to be the “Foundation” and in the famous religions in the world, I have never heard of a woman as a founder. But should it be important to consider that in every endeavor of a man there will always be a woman to compliment and balance everything?

From a historical basis, men started wars that changed the landscape of human kind. They were great leaders but the ways of their minds were ventured from improvement to unexplainable decisions that proved to be causes of unforgettable mishaps and hair-raising deaths.

On a present basis wherein we could really describe it from a perspective of a mere observer is that, men are such cowards. They prove to be the kind where they diffuse from a more hurtful fact to a less painful or should I say a pleasurable fact.

Hmm… I think I’ve said enough of the things that I should say are a problem of the men in the world. I think it should be time to consider the blemishes of the counterparts of Venus in this world.

The problem with the women in this world is that they are just not that strong when it comes to loving. They may seem to give everything to the person they love but when everything else fails, they’re just like an honor student failing in school, they feel like the world is so cruel. I just don’t really know the whole reason why this race have a very different insight about love but this race produces the majority of those “Dakilang martir stuff” which may not be outwardly bad but hello sister, its time to give some time to yourself!

The ladies are also a problem in a sense that they nag. They keep on opening their mouth in situations that may not demand an open mouth. They blurt out every possible feeling that they have and assert it as their right and that let us not interfere with that right. Ok fine, we won’t! But to come to think of it, it would be of a greater problem also if the girls stop talking and the boys start to do the nagging, what a world!!!

Every individual in this world may be of a different personality but it is so fun to discover and realize that no matter how different we are it still has its purpose and we have a greater similarity in this world, far greater than anything else, and that would be our imperfections.

Reflection on The Look

The Look

Strephon kissed me in the spring,
Robin in the fall,
But Colin only looked at me
And never kissed at all.

Strephon's kiss was lost in jest,
Robin's lost in play,
But the kiss in Colin's eyes
Haunts me night and day.

-Sara Teasdale-

As they would say it, a kiss is one of the many ways to show love. But this poem seems to speak the different sense of the word love.

For me, this poem speaks of the different characteristics of love that differs a lot in how a lover would show it.

The first two could be concluded as those people really passionate about love. Showy in their ways. Everything seems to be compared.

Two people kissed her in different seasons. This could mean a change of heart for a girl from a person to another person. This could also imply that the boy also had a change of heart. The third never kissed her but instead looked into her eyes in a differently special way.

Time passed by swiftly and the warmth of the kiss left. But never did the meaningful stare erase from her mind.

Sometimes, love need not be very showy. Sometimes love is best when cherished a lot by the memories you spend together. These times may not of the longer scope but the quality of the time spent with the person you feel for makes worthwhile.

“Even though something is not seen, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” This is a quotation I got from a bookmark from a friend (that’s the reason why I keep bookmarks because they give words of wisdom).

Love may not necessarily shown. There are a lot of cases of love where for more than 2 years they have managed in safekeeping to themselves. This kind of love may develop hurt. But his kind of love is more responsible in a sense that there is always time to think and enough time to think undo safely what has happened.

Each of us have reasons why we fall for somebody, regardless of who that person is, that reason is far explained by the heart alone but also by our minds. We all have reasons why we don’t find appropriate ways to show like a kiss or a letter. We all have these reasons to live by. The world is full of these reasons making it a whole large part if reason and rationale.

I may not be too good to be talking about love as a thing but I will just share a part of whatever it is that I have heard or in some ways, experienced. For me, love does not take two to blossom. Sometimes, it is always better to keep it to ourselves because with this we could be able to rewind everything and change something that in such a way nobody will be in trouble. Love will come our way. It will just come by and it is up to us to decide if it id really the right thing for us. Love requires sacrifice. Sacrifice for a lover who is not loved back. Sacrifice for a lover, who is happy on his or her own and a lot more sacrifice for a lover who is loved back because he or she has to maintain such special bond.

During our young ages, we were fond of keeping memories of those people we love. Even the slightest touch of a person we love, we would interpret as something else, believe what we feel, keep it and one day, we use it to once fill up a frustrated heart, a heart full of yearning for the love that has never came back.

A Smile.. measures pain...!

“It is not always our tears that measure pain… sometimes… it’s our SMILES…”

Could it be true then? Could we possibly measure how painful a person’s burdens are giving him through his smiles? How possible could it be?

The truth hurts. More than what we expect, the truth hurts the most. It is unstoppable, unquestionable and most especially what is what it is in this world.

In this world where we are but species who tend to find fault in every action that we commit and find reason to easily accept these faults even though… we feel the complete contradictory.

A smile could be the sweetest accessory in every move we make but it could be one of the best asset in pretending.

Tears trickle down our eyes when we feel the rush of pain in our hearts. We cry. We break down. They say this is not a sign of cowardice but it is the sign that we are brave enough to pour our hearts out and express what we really feel inside.

Tears symbolize our hurt. It embodies the frustrations, depressions, jealousies and fears we have in our hearts. A tear is the heart’s way of showing that we are experiencing crisis of happiness and we feel a bountiful loneliness is coming our way. But what if, our heart cheats us and gives us a different symbol that we ourselves could not explain? What if we smile even though if we are hurt?

Obviously, we are afraid to show how we feel. We are not brave enough to share to others what we feel inside because we fear that they may not able to understand and that they may not be able to accept our own beliefs and principles. A smile in a time of pain is a device used to defend ourselves from self-incrimination. It is widely used by people who themselves cannot accept the truth. They flaunt this smile with pride as a symbol that they are brave but actually they are not.

Bravery and courage are not outwardly shown through barbaric acts and vigorous deeds but are completely shown through a heart that is willing to peel its own cover and hurt. Hurting oneself does not necessarily mean to bleed but it is completely defined by this statement… “Die a little to make others live!”.

Dying means sacrificing. It is in this way also, that we can make a step to make a better world for us all to live. A world, even though filled with the negative and bad traits can still be a good learning environment. Sacrificing needs guts. Guts and wisdom to know what to do and be able to decipher why we are doing such thing.

A smile, a tear; both could be symbols of those painful pasts and presents and even the future that we may encounter. It is on these things that we decide to feel, either we get hurt and accept it or get hurt and deny the fact that what hurts us most is the truth.

Know Your School Day

Even the moment we entered those kindergarten days, we were accustomed to seeing a teacher in front, wanting our attention and scolding us every time we mess around.

We were taught that they are our second parents, or the parents we have in school.

What if, the teachers were given a break and the students become the people in authority? What could happen? Would it be just the same thing, no difference at all? Would it be better? Or would it be… chaotic? No one would know unless somebody would try.

For the past years that I have studied in UP High, there is always this annual celebration for teachers. They call it the ‘Know Your School Day’.

In this activity, students line up to their respective subject teachers and staff of the institution not to have their clearances signed but to apply for the position for them to participate in such a challenging role.

The students gear on for a higher challenge once they are accepted of the position. They could be the Principal, the Division Chair, a Subject teacher or the equally demanding job of a clerk. In one day they could be in these positions.

The KYSD, as they call it, is a project of the Student Council to honor the sacred job of a teacher who finds big ways to give importance to the mind of a child. It is one of the ways to finally be able to give these teachers a break from a hard day’s work and to give them the chance to relax and enjoy how their students are faring in their job.

The students in return feel a sense of accomplishment upon hearing a sigh from their classmates, a sign that at last they have understood a lesson that at the beginning seem to be void in form and importance.

As for those students who have always been students even during the KYSD, it’s better for the teacher to be a teacher and a student to be a student. Students may be entitled to teach their classmates but not to the point of introducing a new lesson because if not given the proper treatment, this might endanger the students thinking and understanding of a certain topic. Teachers, on the other hand, great as they are, they need to be beside their students most of the time. They should guide their students even in this moment of time where their most trusted students are teaching his/her classmates because they don’t have the same wavelength and the same understanding and this might affect a lot.

Students and teachers alike have equal responsibilities of their own. They make up a nice team of learning environment and a diverse pool of individuals eager to learn about the things surrounding them. Life is always a thing to be understood and lived by in the most proper way possible. Learning is one of the processes that we have to undertake. Though there might be other factors and people that may affect our learning, let us not be covered by them. Instead, we should learn in a pace where we have adapted, no matter how many factors have always been changing, still we become consistent in our struggle to learn and to live.

Top Eight things I have acquired because of high school… (Part 1)

You finish your elementary and you start another chapter called High School. For four years in high school, have you counted the number of things you gained from it, or the number of immaterial things that you have acquired? Well, as for me, here is my assessment of the things I have acquired because of high school, no matter how small or how life changing.

8. An e-mail account or a Yahoo briefcase.

Well, I had this when I was in first year and I believe this is an important element in high school. This is where we store data that we must make sure is safe and will not be corrupted. Diskettes and other file storage systems can be used but we need to have copies of our files saved right up in the internet for easy access anywhere we go because in high school you might need these files. Teachers are slightly demanding and you might need long essays and researches that is essential for your notes. Also, teachers may tell you submit projects through your e-mail account.

In high school, there are a lot of memories that you want to store and you can’t afford not to have a copy of which. What we do is we send our pictures through our e-mail accounts. Also, the world right now is on the verge of the Information Age where computers and internet access is already becoming not only a want but a lifestyle!

7. A Friendster account.

What better way to have new friends on this age of information but to have a Friendster account. With friendster, I was able to connect with my classmates in elementary and was able to see their pictures with my other classmates and witness the growth of this studs who I have spent time with when we were just mere students, no yet teenagers, that’s what I mean! Also, with friendster you can have friends outside of school and even know more your textmates. You discover their hobbies and other things about them because of friendster.

Probably the most important thing about friendster is the fact that you can meet new people and treasure them without the problem of being criticized by the clothes that you wear or your weird accent but you just get to personalize your presentation with a little talent and love for the Net!

6. I owned three pigs…just for a project!

Haha… Imagine me owning three pigs and these three pigs are used for our research project. Imagine the cost and the risk that I would offer these pigs of mine. I laughed at the idea of owning pigs but I thought it was cool to have them as pets, weird but it sounds cute also to own pigs as pets. Hahah… well at least I never cuddled them as if they were dogs but the treatment I gave them, if only they were not subject for our research project, I would’ve carried them when they were still small.

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Top Eight things I have acquired because of high school… (Part 2)

Before I continue, here is what was at Number 8, 7, and 6.

8. An e-mail account

7. A Friendster account

6. I owned 3 pigs… just for a project!

Here are numbers 5, 4 and 3:

5. Thick Books

Thanks to Calculus and Physics, I get to have thick books. Whoa! High school is really causing pressure among its patrons, the high school students, of course. With subjects here and there, you can’t afford not to have reference materials such as books and journals, from the library or even having it for your own.

It started in our third year that we need books that of Leithold and Paul G. Hewitt. We can’t seem to see carrying books like this almost every days of our high school life, but as fate would have it, it went down to our system easily, even though we wished we won’t use it.

Especially in our Senior year that we are to own thicker books, The TC7 by Leithold, our book for our Math course is three times thicker than the book we used for Physics. Well, who will not be proud of carrying these thick books, but the thing is, our task is to understand what lies inside these books, and we are sure they are not easy to understand, might be difficult or we might be able to understand them at all.

It is a challenge for every one of us to know these books by heart. We hope these books also have the heart of being read and understood by its owner. Books are friends for they carry knowledge essential to us, they help us in times where we are confused, they enrich our minds, but some do pollute. For me, I don’t care how thick a book I might be carrying the moment you see me, the thing is, I would be very proud of it, even if I don’t understand most of it, but as long as it’s good, helpful and knowledgeable. What else could I ask for?

4. USB

With projects here and there, requirements everywhere, and papers flying to and fro, its best to own a USB. A portable device for you to save files of large byte size or even many small files. It is safer than a diskette and a CD. The portability of this device is its main asset. So small yet so useful, you can carry it to school and even attach a cord and make it into a necklace.

As for me, it has been very useful especially at this time where there are a lot of requirements and projects to submit.

3. My Own Research Project

Every person has something to be proud of and as for me, something added to the list, my own research project. It is an effort made together by 4 senior students as a requirement for their subject Research II.

Here we are to make our own project, a study. As for our project, we dealt with pigs because our project is all about making feeds for pigs out of water hyacinth.

During the day of our defense, my classmates and some of my groupmates were in a nervous condition, as for me, I was excited. I don’t know why but I felt excitement and pride because we will be presenting a project where we exerted a lot of effort and used most of our time just to finish it.

The moment of our defense came and it was the moment I felt an upsurge of nervousness. I was in a real nerve-wrecking situation. Funny how I managed to say the right words at the right time.

For me, it ended well even if I wasn’t able to discuss my project up to the end of it. Nevertheless, there is still the fulfillment and success that after all of those sleepless nights and worried days due to nearing deadlines, we finished it!

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