Issuu

VOLUM E LIX ISSUE I

M A R 2020

STALLION OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF XAVIER SCHOOL

THE STALLION FOOD CRAWL Stallion explores Xavier's local food gems | p.38

IS THIS GOODBYE, FR. XAVE? Fr. Xavier Olin talks about his life before, in, and after Xavier School | p. 21

RETURN OF MINECRAFT How did this gamemake it back into the spotlight?| p. 19

CONTENTS

MARCH 2020 · VOL. LIX · ISSUE I

FEATURES

7 | ERA DUALITY 9 | DE NOVO

AS A MAN FOR OTHERS:

FR. XAVIER’S LIFE BEFORE, IN, AND AFTER XAVIER

11 | GLOBAL XSCIENTISTS

13 | HOW TO STUDY

SMARTER: A SENIOR'S EXPERIENCE

16 | BANDWAGON

GUIDE TO JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE

19 | THE RETURN OF MINECRAFT

EDITORIAL

5 | FROM THE

SHADOWS: ON

FREEDOM WALLS | ON THE COVER FR. XAVIER TAKES A WALK AROUND THE PATIO, REMINISCING HIS TIME IN XAVIER SCHOOL AND REFLECTING ON WHAT LIES AHEAD | PHOTO BY JOSHUA GO

29 | MORE THAN EXCEPTIONAL: RYAN

SHAO, THE CAMBRIDGE-BOUND GRADUATE

31 | RELIVING

WONGSANITY

LITERATURE

51 | SAXOPHONE BLUES

52 | I’LL BE THERE

53 | DIMMER

51 | SAVANNA

52 | FAME

53 | THE CASTLE

33 | IN THE SPIRIT

FOOD IN XAVIER’S FRONT YARD:

OF DIPLOMACY:

THE STALLION FOOD 2019-2020 CRAWL

xsMUN'S EXPERIENCES ABROAD

35 | REFOCUSING THE PICTURE:

UNBLURRING MOTION PICTURE BLUR

49 | BREAK TIME!: AN

INTERVIEW WITH THE MINDS BEHIND RECESS FOOD ALLEY

FILIPINO

CHINESE

54 | ANG ILAW SA KUWARTO

57 | 香港返送

54 | ANG AKING BEST FRIEND

59 | 我应该追求真实的自己吗？

55 | OPINYON: PAGBABALIK NG ROTC

60 | 旅游的好处

SA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

HONG KONG PROTESTS

SHOULD I PURSUE MY TRUE SELF? THE BENEFITS OF TRAVELING

61 | 菲律宾大学申请经历

MY EXPERIENCE IN APPLYING FOR PHILIPPINE COLLEGES

62 | 汉语的重要性

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHINESE

THE BIG QUESTION

63 | WHAT IS THE CRAZIEST THING

THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN CLASS?

Editor-in-Chief Russell Kho

Editor’s note

Associate Editor Anton Labos

Why do I write?

Stallion SY 2019-2020

Editorial Board

Managing Editor Kyle Delos Santos Creative Director Coby Silayan News Editor Kyle Tan Features Editor Caleb Tiam-Lee Literature Editor Andrei Ledesma Filipino Editor Elĳah Ng Chinese Editor Philmon Wee Art Editor Samuel Lim Layout Editor Paulino Tan

moderators Mr. Manuel Aldeguer Mr. Jules Hernando Mrs. Qiu Hua Liu News: Ethan Uy, Lorenzo Miguel Plaza, Anton Go, Matthieu Gocheco, Skeyler Kho, Timothy Ong, Timothy Pe, Joshua Yu, Joshua Dyseng, Jared Chua Features: Lance Villareal, Lance Dy, John Tan, Andre Tan, Ruben Saulog, Marco Mendoza, Amery Atinon, Ivan Severino, Raphael Lee, Robert Venturina, Julian Henson, Nicholas Ong, Gabriel Garcia, Kim Tan, Franco Castillo Literature: Richard Ong, Herb Tan, Walton Kuo, Kang Lee, Lance Ching, Jacob Kua Filipino: Jared Lumanlan, Aniceto Cajigal, Russ Relucio, Charles Khao, Ken Lim, Nathan Tecson, Lorenzo Miguel Chinese: Kevin Chen, Jason Young, Shih-Kai Liu, Shih-Wei Liu, Harry Yap, Shaun Kho Art: Sky Angeles, Justin Kurt Chua, Dave Ong, Justin Jameson Chua, Luis Limjoco, Mil Ong, John Sabater, Chino Tesoro, Ethan Uy Layout: Juan Mendoza, Mark Keh, Arvin Tan, Gavin Gatchalian, Shane Gatchalian

his is the question that I still find myself asking almost every day ever since I joined Stallion back in 2016, and I know that I'm not alone in this cycle of self-reﬂection. Admittedly, writing accomplishments are not exactly the most prestigious— winning ﬁrst place in a Math Olympiad sounds more respectable than getting that interview piece that you've been working on for weeks published in the local school magazine. Writing won't exactly make you popular either— joining any sports varsity would help you a lot more in that regard than curating a written piece, one that may have your name, but will never make it memorable. And career-wise, even I have to admit that although basic writing skills are needed for almost any job, the three jobs that come to mind when I hear "writer" are "journalist," "blogger," and "author," all of which are either unsafe or unstable career choices in the Philippines.

And yet, there are those like me who stay; there are those that stay and write as many articles as they can despite knowing that developing a passion for writing may not be the most beneficial course of action in the long term. Do we continue to develop our skills in writing because they are unique? Do we simply write to be pretentious and pretend that we’re smarter and more refined than everybody else? Or, do we perhaps write simply because we love hearing stories? What many people don't realize about writing is that you aren't just the storyteller. You are the one who goes out and looks for the story, researching on the details and talking to the characters themselves, piecing together every seemingly trivial moment and emotional climax to form a narrative that does not just inform, but immerses the audience. You don’t just hear the story: by interacting with the characters, you become a part of the story. Then, through the power of written code, you weave together everything in a work that takes less than fifteen minutes to read, yet can impact the thoughts and emotions of hundreds of people for

days. This mindset of trying to capture stories that move people is the mindset that Stallion had as we created this issue. Instead of asking ourselves what we can make our readers think, we instead asked ourselves what we can do to make our readers feel. This may seem counterintuitive for a school publication, but I promise you that it is not, for it is only by being able to relate with the many stories within our community on a deeply emotional level that one comes to answer the question, "Who am I?" in relation to his society. This issue is arguably one of the most emotionally-packed issues of Stallion in the club’s 59-year lifetime. We are sure that you will join us in our sentiment regarding freedom walls and social media's accessibility, be entertained by our articles on anime and games, feel your mouth water with our carefully curated Stallion Food Crawl piece, be amazed by the artistic skills of both our art and literature departments, feel your blood boil with our commentary on the situation in Hong Kong, get a hearty laugh out of your favorite teachers’ responses to this year’s Big Question, and shed a tear as you read our tribute to Father Xavier Olin, a second father to many Xaverians who will soon be leaving what he has helped make our home for the past few years. And so, I go back to the question: "Why do I write?" Different people will have different answers, and I can't judge any to be completely right or wrong. The reason why I write though? It is to share stories that move people; it is to give everybody a reason to read..

Russell Kho Editor-in-Chief Stallion 2019-2020

Editor-in-Chief Russell Kho

Editor’s note

Associate Editor Anton Labos

Why do I write?

Stallion SY 2019-2020

Editorial Board

moderators Mr. Manuel Aldeguer Mr. Jules Hernando Mrs. Qiu Hua Liu News: Ethan Uy, Lorenzo Miguel Plaza, Anton Go, Matthieu Gocheco, Skyeler Kho, Timothy Ong, Timothy Pe, Joshua Yu, Joshua Dyseng, Jared Chua Features: Lance Villareal, Lance Dy, John Tan, Andre Tan, Ruben Saulog, Marco Mendoza, Amery Atinon, Ivan Severino, Raphael Lee, Robert Venturina, Julian Henson, Nicholas Ong, Gabriel Garcia, Kim Tan, Franco Castillo Literature: Richard Ong, Herb Tan, Walton Kuo, Kang Lee, Lance Ching, Jacob Kua Filipino: Jared Lumanlan, Aniceto Cajigal, Russ Relucio, Charles Khao, Ken Lim, Nathan Tecson, Lorenzo Miguel Chinese: Kevin Chen, Jason Young, Shih-Kai Liu, Shih-Wei Liu, Harry Yap, Shaun Kho Art: Sky Angeles, Justin Kurt Chua, Dave Ong, Justin Jameson Chua, Luis Limjoco, Mil Ong, John Sabater, Chino Tesoro, Ethan Uy Layout: Juan Mendoza, Mark Keh, Arvin Tan, Gavin Gatchalian, Shane Gatchalian

Russell Kho Editor-in-Chief Stallion 2019-2020

Editorial

Freedom From the Shadows: On Freedom Walls By The Stallion Editorial Board Editorial Art by Justin Chua (G9)

n July 15, 2019, a post on the Xavier-ICA Freedom Wall shared the contents of an e-circular informing students that wireless earphones were now banned from school. Whether or not the intention was to expose the school’s new policy to the public, the post was reported on by the Manila wing of Coconuts, one of Asia’s biggest alternative online publishers, and has since then garnered 8,700 Facebook reactions and nearly 5,900 Facebook shares. Many of the comments by netizens—many of whom are not even Xaverian—poke fun at the fact that the school has to deal with such a first-world problem. It is because of situations like this that teachers and students—including those in our school—are usually split into two sides: you either absolutely abhor the freedom walls due to how they feed on emotionally-driven messages by anonymous users or you believe that freedom walls are the best tools against institutions that tend to repress the truth. The problem with these angles, however, is that they assume the main point of contention to be the very nature of the freedom walls, when in fact freedom walls are nothing more than manifestations of our internet culture that places great value into self-expression being validated by others online. Every platform will have their own set of flaws, and while the freedom walls’ format does bring up problems that other platforms do not experience, it does not necessarily mean that they are more problematic. Just like any other platform wherein ideas can be shared, the negativity and damage stems not from the nature of the freedom walls, but from the way that users choose to interact with the platform, and it is this very manner of interaction that we need to question.

Before one can discuss how to interact with the freedom walls, however, it is important to discuss what exactly about the freedom walls makes interacting with them such a controversial matter. Just like many other internet forums, freedom walls are based on a central community and allow posters to submit their jokes, opinions, rants, confessions, and anything in between to the

Editorial Art by Justin Chua (G9) administrators for screening and posting. Arguably the most controversial characteristic of the freedom walls though is their promise of complete anonymity: anybody can post about anything without there having to be any remote connection made between what they say and who they are. It is this anonymity that makes freedom walls popular amongst today’s youth, but also makes them equally as dangerous. Not having to worry about how the judgement of others will affect your day-to-day living in any way, posting on the freedom walls is liberating to many, allowing them to vent out their emotions and what they truly want to say. This causes most of these posts to be highly emotional and frank, traits that not only make reading these posts refreshingly emancipating, but also allow for their sentiments to seem more relatable and in turn more influential. Coupled with the accessibility of the social media platforms that

these freedom walls are placed on, these platforms have the power to influence huge volumes of people on a deeply personal level. Ironically though, it is the same anonymity that makes freedom wall posts dangerously powerful that causes these posts to have a credibility problem. Excluding the post exposing the wireless earphones circular, many freedom wall posts make claims that do not have the support of concrete evidence. In the absence of evidence, the only support that a claim has is the accountability of a person to his words. This is because of how the identity of the claimant allows others to view his history and determine how reliable he is as a source of information. Tying a claim to one’s reputation also places the person’s reputation at risk if the claim is proven false, acting as a natural deterrent for people to spread misinformation. Without any associated identity, freedom wall posts don’t make their posters accountable for their words,

thus meaning that without knowledge of the context from other sources, freedom wall posts by themselves have barely any basis to be believed. Another aspect of the freedom walls that is problematic is how, through Facebook’s own system of reacting to striking posts, people are rewarded for creating content that gathers attention, whether it be through conflict or otherwise. When coupled with the lack of accountability and any identity to tie the post to, freedom walls do not just invite people to express what they truly feel, but they also entice people to do the exact opposite and use whatever means necessary to gather responses and coverage. As a result, while many freedom wall posts are sincere, a big portion of the freedom walls also thrive on high-emotion posts that either perpetuate a false reality or have logic that is inherently flawed. Although freedom walls strengthen the reach of posts indiscriminate of their message, freedom walls should not be seen as negative overall. Because of how the anonymity of the freedom walls allows for posters to freely present ideas that may be seen as contrary to the status quo, the freedom walls also have a penchant for having posts that make people question their own worldviews. Freedom wall posts can help to challenge norms and rules set by communities, and this is a net positive, provided that posters are more responsible for what they post online. This does raise the question though: “To what extent should posters be responsible for what they say on the freedom walls?” It is because of how influential some of these posts can be on a massive scale that posters are oftentimes called out for being irresponsible for the information that they spread. The posting of the wireless earphones circular is one such case, with many saying that not only was the inclusion of the name and face of the teacher who sent out the email carelessly implicative, but the mere exposé of the new policy irresponsibly damaged the reputations

of the members of the entire Xavier body. Many will argue though that posters do not have to exercise responsibility and filter themselves when they post on the freedom walls, as that defeats the purpose of creating a safe space wherein people can voice out what they wish to say without fear of being judged. However, any type of speech should be preceded by the expectation that whatever is posted will ultimately lead to greater good than harm. We have to remember that no message exists in a vacuum: words will always communicate to others to follow certain ideas, whether or not the message was meant to influence others. Every message and idea has an impact on its audience, and it is by that impact that posts should be analyzed, not by the sender’s intent. Even the reasoning of self-expression will not excuse a message which is harmful to the community involved, especially when the freedom wall has the ability to influence large volumes of people.

lem of being misled by irrational speakers. In this age of information and accessibility, coming across dangerous ideas and sentiments is inevitable on a regular basis, and so are the opportunities to create potentially damaging content. Instead of focusing on how systems can enforce rules to limit the freedoms of these platforms, it would be much more effective to teach members of our community to become more critical, both as creators of media and consumers thereof. People should be taught to think about how their messages can be interpreted differently from what they intend and to assess the impact that the words that they share can bring. At the same time, people should also realize that the responsibility of accepting ideas with value does not rest solely on how one chooses the type of media that he or she consumes, but how one exercises critical thinking in order to analyze the worth of ideas presented.

It is clear that the impact of the post that exposed the wireless earphones circular was ultimately harmful, bringabout only negative Many govern“To what extent should ing press and nothing that ments have punbe responsible could have helped any ishments in place posters to prevent the for what they say on party. If the post was communication the freedom walls?” meant to ask for change from the administrative of messages that body, then the poster should have just fordeal more harm than good. Misinformation warded his concern directly to somebody in and libel, for example, are punishable by law. charge of the issue. Part of being responsiA lack of regulations against certain actions, ble over one’s messages is discerning what however, is no excuse to abuse one’s freedoms platform would be the best to use in certain by not considering the overall effect of one’s contexts. If the end goal does not require the messages. For beyond a community’s set of awareness of random netizens over an issue guidelines and punishments, we all have the that those in the concerned community are moral responsibility to not damage the lives all fully aware of, then that should be enough of the very community that we are a part of. to make one rethink the impact them posting on their community’s freedom wall will bring. There are students and teachers alike who will claim that both the posting on and readProcessing the impact that the communiing of the freedom walls is harmful, whethcation of certain messages may have, both er it be because of how the freedom walls one’s own messages and those of others, and seemingly promote a culture that values hasty teaching others to do the same should be an judgement over reason or because of how explicit responsibility for each and every perthe freedom walls cannot enforce accountson. Doing so will help everybody to uphold a ability. In the end though, freedom walls are freedom that benefits the common person by nothing more than platforms for the flow of helping to make sure that the use of our freeideas, nothing more than a response to the doms will not cause more harm than good. needs of a culture that calls for both accessibility and freedom of expression. Whether we want to admit it or not, the convenience of having access to powerful technology will always allow people to create spaces online for communities to get together and share ideas. While this means that there will always be avenues that will allow for the spread of ideas that benefit the community, it also means that those that wish to cause harm can easily find ways to bypass limitations. Trying to limit one’s media consumption thus does not solve the root problem of being misled by freedom wall posts, just like how avoiding discourse does not solve the prob-

Era Duality By Raphael Lee (G12)

A pair of Jaguar XKEs from 1961

nstant. Quick. Fastpaced. These terms are used quite often in today’s world as technology has emerged to make our lives more efficient and convenient. However, despite continued modernization, a love for retro is becoming an up-and-coming trend worldwide. Vinyl records, vintage cars, and 80s synthwave, among other things, still manage to coexist and remain popular alongside smartphones and electric cars. The past isn’t being forgotten; in fact, newer generations are becoming increasingly interested in the culture of yesteryear. One can argue that the popularity of retro mostly stems from people’s nostalgia of bygone days, but this doesn’t explain why so many of today’s youth

are in love with tidbits from a time that they never experienced. The main reason to why retro, or style inspired from past attitudes, designs, and lifestyles, is gaining popularity is the novelty that these items and pieces of culture present to our current world. A big part of this is the overall aesthetic of everything retro: things that are retro evoke a style unique to a certain period and that period alone, giving it a stark contrast to items that reflect our current society. There is also the fact that products from the past seem to have different purposes in contrast to products from our era. While products and even media nowadays place a great emphasis on timeliness and accessibility, they often do so

at the cost of feeling devoid of human touch. This is why retro items that both exemplify artistic expression and human care for quality are especially popular. Vinyl records, for example, may harken back to the 50s, yet have been constantly increasing in sales ever since 2010. A reason for their rising popularity is in how people are starting to realize that they provide superior music quality in comparison to CDs and

music streaming platforms, which compresses the original recording in order to translate them digitally. The physical covers of vinyl records are also adorned with art, which, although a seemingly minute detail, showcases the amount of effort and creativity placed into creating a vinyl. It can also be said that the physical touch itself is what makes retro so appealing to today’s youth: unlike popular streaming platforms such as Spotify, traditional mediums tend to be more tangible, which creates another avenue for audiences to attach sentimental value to these items. The love for retro does not only apply to music though. The Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival are two events that exemplify a love for the past through motorsport. Also having parts celebrating fashion and music from previous eras, these events are held every June to July at the Goodwood

Estate in Sussex, England, with the Goodwood Revival being held in the estate’s own Goodwood Circuit. At these events, there is a clash of new supercars and vintage cars as they race in different environments: a hill climb course in the Goodwood Festival of Speed and a circuit in the Goodwood Revival. Vintage cars are kept relevant by their different feel and aesthetic compared to modern cars, harkening back to an era where racing was more dangerous and raw. While newer cars continue to undergo different design changes, older cars exude a clear and constant sense of renown, which is why many of them are still popular amongst today’s generation. Development has vastly improved and sped up our lives today. It has allowed us to do the previously unimaginable faster than ever, but it can come at the cost of our lives being more complex and stressful than that of the

In the 1985 game Super Mario Bros., players control Mario as they try to save Princess Toadstool from the forces of Bowser

last generation’s. This is not to say that today’s technological advancements are harmful—in fact, studying the retro will make anybody realize that current technology has already fixed many of the problems that plague these vintage items. Nonetheless, our frustrations with our current lifestyles may move us to retreat back into the retro for relief. Said relief is brought about only by reminiscing of past innovations that were the ‘in thing’ only so long ago. We live in a world that is embracing two eras: onew from the present and one from yesteryear. And while the present may portray a culture that is focused on progress, it is only by embracing the past that we can truly appreciate how far we have come.

Both vintage cars and modern-day supercars prepare to race in the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed

De Novo: A Singing Sensation By Andre Tan (G10)

hen you think of popular clubs or teams in Xavier School, the first names that probably come to mind are the Basketball Team and Dance X. There is one hidden gem in Xavier that must not be forgotten though: De Novo, Xavier’s own boyband. Founded in 2016, De Novo is a group of Xavier students that showcase their talent in singing. For school year 2019-2020, De Novo is led by its two presidents, Aleck Po (G10E) and Gregory Gordon (G10G), with their other members being Renier Yu (10A), Matthew Ranin (10C), Bryce Sua (10C), Nicholas Reyes (8G) Luigi Reyes (8F) Julio Cortazar (8H), Fabio Eala (8B), Miguel Birmejo (8D) and Joshua De Luna (8E). Each member has shown that they hold talents that can make the whole Xavier community proud.

Getting to Know the Club The majority of De Novo’s members were already aware of their ability to carry out a tune before they joined. By joining the club, the members hoped to further improve their raw skills and share their talents on stage. While they did enjoy singing as a pastime, they had to admit to themselves that, if they wanted to improve their capabilities, they had to seek avenues that would mold them to excel. Nicolas Reyes, a new member of De

Novo, mentions that he first discovered his talent for singing when Mr. Bofil, a grade school music teacher, got him to sing for the choir. He felt honored when Mr. Bofil told him to join the choir, so he made sure to put his best foot forward every time they would perform. This story isn’t just Reyes’, as Mr. Bofil De Novo performs during 2019’s A-Day Celebration - Photo by Nathan Bata would inspire his students when necessary. Even many more into the world of De Novo. with his strict attitude towards De Mr. Michael Odoemene, or Mr. O as Novo, however, Mr. O is happy that he is called, is the current moderator nobody has ever quit the club. Aleck of De Novo. He says that overseeing Po adds: “We know that Mr. O is the club is how both he and the doing this just to make us improve.” members unwind, describing their Leading the Club weekly meetings as very sacred: apart from only being two times a week, the meetings are a special The club currently has two acting time for De Novo to leave personal leaders: Aleck Po, the president problems outside of the room in of the club for SY 2018-2019, order to enjoy and bond over music. and Gregory Gordon, the current president of De Novo. Po says that Mr. O does admit that he can be strict when he was the club’s president, with the club’s members at times, he found managing the club to be reprimanding and even shouting at both hard and easy. The difficulties mostly came from the immaturity of

some of the younger members, who would have petty fights amongst themselves: “De Novo has a lot of personalities, and most quarrels result from disagreements and insignificant misunderstandings, especially from the ones from the 8th Grade.” However, the club was still generally easy to manage due to how everybody always tried to help each other out. Despite both external and internal struggles, De Novo stood strong as its members learned to stick by each others’ sides. Gordon, on the other hand, found his year handling De Novo to be off to a rough start. He says that he was still getting used to managing the club and its numerous responsibilities, trying to find the balance between his extra-curriculars and his academics. This, of course, has led to a few memorable troubles for Gordon. One experience that Gordon will not forget was when De Novo got a project proposal approved by the SAP to bring a trainer in to help them prepare for an upcoming performance, only for the trainer to back out last minute. Gordon adds that the group is hard to manage at times since everybody has their own different set of priorities to follow. He recalls how there was a time when a member of the club went to McDonald’s before going to the meeting, which delayed the rehearsal for everybody. However, Gordon remains hopeful that these minor setbacks will do little to hamper De Novo’s growth. “It may be difficult at first, but I am sure we will be able to overcome these hurdles,” Gordon states.

Memorable A-Day Performance This batch of De Novo has had performances that were truly unforgettable for both them and their audiences. One performance that the club will never forget was when they performed in the A-Day program this school year, for they knew that they were able to use their talents to make the entire high school community smile. Po says that they will never forget how students, faculty, and staff were so pleased with their performance that they would sing-along and even take videos to later post on social media. It was a performance that everybody from the club was truly proud of. Renier Yu, one of the grade 10 members of De Novo, was captured with emotion after their performance during the 2019 A-Day program. Yu said, “I was freaking out when I found out that De Novo will perform during the A-Day program.” It was a mix of nervousness and excitement. During the day of the performance, Renier admits that his hands were sweaty because of the big crowd. However, he was able to keep himself composed and put on a heartwarming show. “The support of the student body truly inspired me.” After performing the last song, Renier started crying because he was overwhelmed with the cheers of the students. “A-Day has been of the best memories in my life. It is a moment that cheers me up when I am down. I appreciate that moment a lot and will never stop thinking about it,” he added.

The Old vs The New “It’s hard to compare the old De Novo [with] the new De Novo,” Mr. O mentions. It was just last school year that the new De Novo saw their debut, as the club saw themselves building up an entire team and core from scratch. Just like when the old De Novo first started out, the new group did not know how to harmonize at first, nor did they know the specifics of actually performing a song on stage. However, while the first De Novo started learning at a late stage in their high school life, the current club roster is composed of younger junior high school students. If Mr. O can train this group for a longer period of time, he believes that this new De Novo will be better than the previous batch.

Conclusion De Novo is one of the clubs that is greatly overlooked by the school community. While still very new to Xavier, it is a hidden gem with both so much talent and the complete willingness to perform. The setbacks that they experience will never hold them back from the level of improvement that they wish to see, and their hours spent training will only refine their skills as they grow as both performers and as a family. They may not have as many awards just yet, but they will surely bloom to be one of Xavier’s most prized homegrown talents.

Global Xscientists

By Lance Dy (G10) Photos care of Martin Qui and David Gonzales averians are known to be men of achievement, excelling in whatever fields of study they choose to pursue. In this feature, Stallion sits down with Xavier alumni that are pursuing studies in the sciences in some of the most prestigious schools abroad. We ask them about their journey so far—the sacrifices and ups and downs of studying their chosen course abroad—and how the Xaverian experience that we all can relate with has helped them to realize and pursue their aspirations in life.

Martin Qui (XS’11)

Graduating from Xavier School last 2011, Martin Qui is currently a second-year MD-PhD student at the most prestigious medical school in Asia: the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. A former learner at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany, Qui is particularly interested in immunology and cancer. According to Qui, he gradually gravitated to medicine because it enabled him to gain deeper insights into his field of interest: “Molecular biology made me too deep [in my knowledge]. I wanted to be broad as well—and medicine was the logical next step for me. This way, I could understand how things worked top-down and bottom-up.” When asked about how he ended up in Singapore, Qui explained, “Living alone during the German winter tends to make you think a lot! I spent a lot of time thinking about

Martin Qui (XS’11), a second-year MD-PhD student at Duke-NUS with an MSc degree from the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry

what I wanted to do during this time. I made the decision early during my first few months of Master’s to try and apply for an MD-PhD program.” Although Qui currently seems destined to make his mark in the scientific field, this was not necessarily the case while he was still a high school student. Instead of the sciences, Qui was more inclined towards mathematics and the social sciences: “I was into competitive debate, which is not exactly a stonethrow away from what I’m currently doing. I actually wanted to study economics and become a lawyer, but look! Here I am.” Additionally, Qui says that his experiences in his alma mater duly equipped him with the skills and attributes needed in the path he is currently trekking: “I developed most of my core principles as an individual in Xavier. Science and

research is more than its foundational sciences. Later on, you will quickly realize how important being able to express yourself and communicate is in advancing your career.” With his future pretty much decided, Qui says that he has taken a step back with regards to his dreams and aspirations: “Today I aspire to achieve a good work-life balance while being able to do the things I currently love.” Aside from this, Qui also wants to travel the world, learn to play good music, and eventually teach. He says that his aspirations were molded by his experiences in Europe: “You shouldn’t have to feel guilty about not having noble, altruistic goals and that desire to chill at the end of the day is a legitimate one.” Despite his achievements, Qui believes that there will always be

room for improvement within himself. If there is one thing that Qui learned from his experiences in Xavier, as well as his time studying in Germany and Singapore, it would be that one must always keep learning: “Lose yourself, find yourself, try something new. Fail because school is the safest place to do, so make mistakes, but learn from them.” When all is said and done, Martin Qui is simply a man that lets his work do the talking, and talk his work does.

David Gonzales (XS’05)

A PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany, David Gonzales is also a Xavier graduate, completing his high school education in 2005. Currently, David studies on how communication can help reduce variability in a population of cells: “Similar to how people talk to each other to coordinate work and schedules, biological cells communicate through chemical and physical signals to function properly together,” Gonzales explains. Having an innate sense of interest in the sciences, Gonzales recalls “being interested in how natural products were made, like pigments in fungi, gels from seaweed, and rubber from tree sap.” Back when he was studying in the University of the Philippines, David even took up some “extracurricular” classes that suited his interest in biology: “We didn’t have any biology classes in engineering, so I took one or two additional classes during university. I was really lucky to have one teacher, Prof. Montaño [of] our Seaweed Utilization class, who really encouraged us to try out experiments in his lab or even in the kitchen. This was really fun and

David Gonzales (XS’05), a PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany

gave me the impression that doing research can be easy and accessible.” Although his passion for science is a core part of his being, David does know how to have fun. When asked about some of his memorable high school experiences, Gonzales told a little tale about a volcano: “Not a favorite, but a distinct memory is almost setting the lab on fire with our volcano! We made a volcano out of paper and paint as part of our class play. It held fire in the crater and foam lava flowing down the sides would protect it from getting set on fire. The fiery eruption was great! Seconds after, we had to evacuate while the teachers extinguished the burning volcano.” As David reminisces his high school life, he says that it is not surprising that he found a liking for nature. He also found himself engrossed in football and drawing: “I started playing football in grade 1 or 2

and continued up until 4th year high school. Drawing is actually stressful for me! But I do like it when I finish one that I feel proud of. It’s also a hobby that keeps me outdoors and off a computer screen! I also have a website where I regularly put up my drawings!” In retrospect, David Gonzales believes that everyone must explore the fields that interest them: “Read about them in the news, popular science websites, lab websites, and scientific journals.” Words cannot describe David’s work ethic and dedication to his craft. He is an example of what it’s like to live out Magis — to always go beyond what is expected. David’s Website: https:// davidtgonzales.carbonmade. com/blog

How to Study Smarter: A senior’s experience with studying for the college entrance tests By Ivan Severino (G12) Art by Pao Ramos

Art by Pao Ramos

“A

journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This Chinese proverb may be overused, but it perfectly captures the essence of the Philippine College Entrance Exams that the seniors took a few months ago. With most Xaverians applying to at least one out of the “Big Four” colleges in the Philippines (De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of the

Philippines, and University of Santo Tomas), the 13 years the majority of Xaverian seniors have spent in Xavier all came down to their performance in four college entrance exams. Each exam is different and covers a wide range of topics, ranging from easy topics like basic arithmetic to difﬁcult ones such as abstract reasoning. Each of them also has their own main point of difﬁculty for Xaverians

in particular. The Ateneo College Entrance Test focuses mainly on Math, with the toughest obstacle being the challenge of solving 25 word problems in 25 minutes, as well as the task of writing an essay in 15 minutes. The University of the Philippines College Admission Test, on the other hand, has Filipino as its main difﬁculty for Xaverians. The De La Salle College Admissions Test has an entire section dedicated to statistics. Finally, the University of Santo Tomas Entrance Test asks college-level science questions, some of which cover topics Xaverians never even learn about. The preparation for these exams starts early. Typically a year before the exams begin, parents start to enroll their children in review centers, falling in line as early as 3 am to ensure that their son or daughter can secure a slot. Due to the popularity of these review centers, however, slots are extremely limited, so not everybody actually gets the chance to enroll (some

would even rather just skip the hassle and not try at all). Whether you are in a review class or not, however, the real challenge begins the summer before Grade 12, when the reviewing for the exams begins. Before setting foot in a review center, I never realized how difficult reviewing for these exams could be. Not only did I have to brush up on topics that I had already forgotten, but many lessons said to be included in the tests were never taught in school. In the four months that I spent reviewing for the exams, not only did I have to learn many academic lessons, but I also got to learn about more methodical approaches to studying. In the past, I would usually either watch YouTube videos, sleep, or play video games immediately after studying. However, in order to learn how to make my studying more efficient, I exchanged this time in the summer for hours spent reading informative nonfiction books, including Deep Work by Cal Newport, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, and The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Below are some of the things I have learned from reading each of these three books that may help you, not only when you study, but also when you face life’s many challenges outside of school.

Deep Work by Cal Newport According to Cal Newport, Deep Work is deﬁned as an “activity performed in a state of distractionfree concentration that push[es] your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.” In other words, it is what most of us call being “in the zone.” Getting into a state of Deep Work can thus be quite tricky, especially in this digital age wherein everyone is hooked onto social media. We may not notice it at times, but our excessive use of social media is killing our attention span as well as our ability to focus. And during a 5-hour long exam such as the college entrance exams, how well one can focus for the entire duration can mean the difference between passing and failing. When we scroll through our Instagram stories or Facebook news feeds, we are doing what Newport calls Shallow Work, or work that does not require much effort to do and does not improve our mental ability. By putting yourself in a state of Deep Work for a few hours every day, however, you can improve your own productivity immensely. One method of doing this, which Newport named the rhythmic philosophy of deep work, is ideal for people with static schedules, such as students. This philosophy

requires one to set aside a few hours every day for Deep Work, as well as a shorter amount of time for browsing social media. What is great about this method is that it does not require you to sacriﬁce your own social life in order to gain good academic performance. Just like how we make our muscles grow through regularly sustained strain, we can also train our brains by putting them through regularly sustained strain as well. But just like how many people trying to exercise forget the importance of taking proper breaks, another overlooked factor in achieving better academic performance is rest. Even if one has studied for a test months in advance, all of that effort would go to waste without proper rest. Growth = Stress + Rest.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Another method of scheduling that leads to increased focus is presented in Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit. This method of scheduling asks us to make our studying schedule habitual, and it does so through the constant reinforcement of three components: the cue or trigger, the routine, and the reward. Our brains learn to execute actions by mentally setting

conditions or prerequisites

before an action can happen; these

prerequisites are what Duhigg refers to as cues. For studying, having a speciﬁc time can be the cue. The routine in Duhigg’s analysis of habit, on the other hand, is the action itself. In this situation, it is the act of studying. After the routine comes the reward, or the result of the routine that reinforces the habit. After the act of studying, the reward can come in the form of the dopamine boost gotten from the feeling of self-accomplishment. A concrete way of reinforcing Newport’s Deep Work using Duhigg’s analysis of habit is by scheduling one’s day into time blocks, dividing one’s agenda according to time cues. A tip for scheduling your day is to focus on scheduling when your break times (i.e. checking social media) will happen rather than for when and how long the study time will be, as knowing when you will have your break will ensure that you spend your time studying in a focused state. For example: I have set 7 - 7:30 am and 7 - 7:30 pm as the only times when I will check Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger for anything that is not school-related; as a result, I can keep my social media life within those times, and the times in between 7 am and 7 pm are dedicated to studying, reading, and playing sports.

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne Beyond creating a habit, however, the most important part of studying smarter is to have a positive mindset. If we think of positive thoughts, we are bound to attract positive experiences as well. Thinking positively about your chances of earning money, for example, will attract money into your own life through possibly a raise in salary. In the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, this is known as the Law of Attraction. This phenomenon may not have been scientifically proven, but in my experience, it has worked multiple times before. It works because of how our brains emit and receive frequencies from the universe. If we send out positive thoughts, the universe will, in turn, be one with our frequencies by allowing positive things to happen in our own life. If we think negative thoughts, however, the universe will allow negative things to happen. The best way to train your mind to think positively is to surround yourself with positive people. Not only is positivity infectious, but if you can train your mindset to be that of positivity, then the positivity of those around you will only grow and infect you more, thus creating a cycle of growth. Likewise, believing that you will pass the entrance exams will help those around

you believe that they will pass the entrance exams, which will consequently help you to improve your mindset even further. All of these insights from these books reveal one truth about entrance tests, or any challenge in particular: the greatest enemy is always ourselves. If we can constantly push our capabilities to match the challenge, then nothing will ever be too difficult.

Thus, just like how we make our muscles grow through regularly sustained strain, we can also train our brains by putting them through regularly sustained strain as well. But just like how many people trying to exercise forget the importance of taking proper breaks, another overlooked factor in achieving better academic performance is rest. Even if one has studied for a test months in advance, all of that effort would go to waste without proper rest. Growth = Stress + Rest. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Another method of scheduling that leads to increased focus is presented in Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit. This method of scheduling asks us to make our studying schedule habitual, and it does so through the constant reinforcement of three components: the cue or trigger, the routine, and the reward. Our brains learn to execute actions by mentally setting conditions or prerequisites before an action can happen; these prerequisites are what Duhigg refers to as cues. For studying, having a specific time can be the cue. The routine in Duhigg’s analysis of habit, on the other hand, is the action itself. In this situation, it is the act of studying. After the routine comes the reward, or the result of the routine that reinforces the habit. After the act of studying, the reward can come in the form of the dopamine boost gotten from the feeling of selfaccomplishment. A concrete way of reinforcing Newport’s Deep Work using Duhigg’s analysis of habit is by scheduling one' s day into time blocks, dividing one’s agenda according to time cues. A tip for scheduling your day is to focus on scheduling when your break times (i.e. checking social media) will happen rather than for when and how long the study time will be, as knowing when you will have your break will ensure that you spend your time studying in a focused

state. For example: I have set 7 7:30 am and 7 - 7:30 pm as the only times when I will check Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger for anything that is not school-related; as a result, I can keep my social media life within those times, and the times in between 7 am and 7 pm are dedicated to studying, reading, and playing sports. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne Beyond creating a habit, however, the most important part of studying smarter is to have a positive mindset. If we think of positive thoughts, we are bound to attract positive experiences as well. Thinking positively about your chances of earning money, for example, will attract money into your own life through possibly a raise in salary. In the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, this is known as the Law of Attraction. This phenomenon may not have been scientifically proven, but in my experience, it has worked multiple times before. It works because of how our brains emit and receive frequencies from the universe. If we send out positive thoughts, the universe will, in turn, be one with our frequencies by allowing positive things to happen in our own life. If we think negative thoughts, however, the universe will allow negative things to happen.

The Bandwagon Guide to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure By Gelo Venturina (G12) Art by Chino Tesoro (G12)

The best way to train your mind to think positively is to surround yourself with positive people. Not only is positivity infectious, but if you can train your mindset to be that of positivity, then the positivity of those around you will only grow and infect you more, thus creating a cycle of growth. Likewise, believing that you will pass the entrance exams will help those around you believe that they will pass the entrance exams, which will consequently help you to improve your mindset even further. All of these insights from these books reveal one truth about entrance tests, or any challenge in particular: the greatest enemy is always ourselves. If we can constantly push our capabilities to match the challenge, then nothing will ever be too difficult.

Art by Chino Tesoro (G12)

UDAMUDAMUDAMUDA!” my friend dramatically exclaims as I approach him to engage in a casual conversation. Although I have grown to become used to his usual antics, this one was in some other ballpark. I simply did not understand. Out of grumpiness, I ask, “What the heck was that?” He replies: “Dude, don’t you get it? It’s a Jojo reference.”

“M

Many have fallen victim to this kind of situation, whether it be on the net or even some small talk at school. Have you ever felt that dreaded state of not belonging to the chit-chat of your peers? When you tried to see what all the fuss was about, perhaps, at first glance, the overwhelming, over-the-top nature of this now trending anime did not suit your taste.

Part 1: Phantom Blood A Victorian-Horror “Noli Me Tangere” No. of Episodes: 9 Main Protagonist: Joestar

Jonathan

Set in historic 19th-century England, a bourgeois family clan known as the Joestars live in exquisite luxury. George Joestar, the nobleman of the house, takes in Dio, the son of the deceased Dario Brando to whom George owes a favor after Dario saved his life in an accident. As a result, George’s son Jonathan Joestar now lives with Dio as his adopted brother, with both of them competing to inherit the position of patriarch nobility.

Part 2: Battle Tendency Indiana Jones, Raiders of the “Stone Mask”

Main Protagonist: Joseph Joestar In a pre-WW2 era, Joseph, the grandson of Jonathan Joestar, meets up with Robert E.O. Speedwagon and the Speedwagon Foundation in the deep jungles of Mexico. After spelunking in ancient ruins, they uncover the dark secret to Dio’s villainous powers — stone masks, and a figure seemingly etched into a pillar. Upon this discovery, the mysterious Pillar Men, who are the mystical sources of these masks, attack Joseph and Speedwagon. Joseph, with the aid of Ripple—a martial art that transforms respiration into powerful energy— must now fight the Pillar Men to survive.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is known for its wild narrative, epic action-packed fight scenes, and its hyper-stylized visuals that captivate newcomers and curious folks alike. It draws heavy inspiration from the bold and flamboyant style of 80s pop-culture, from the poses and outfits of David Bowie to the renowned classic Japanese manga, Fist of the North Star. The crazed fandom of allthings Jojo is there for a good reason. The anime is an absolute delight to watch, and I’m here to help newbies to the series join the band(Speed)wagon!

This article will be briefly explaining each part of the anime. But be warned, there will be a few minor spoilers up ahead.

This part mainly focuses on face-toface disputes and a drama-style narrative, with the “bizarre” fantasy aspects of the show beginning to surface in the last few episodes. Because of this storytelling style and a gritty depiction of a 19th-century setting, Phantom Blood is akin to a supernatural gothic version of Jose Rizal’s classic novels such as Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

Part 3: Stardust Crusaders A Road Trip around “The World” No. of Episodes: 48 Main Protagonist: Jotaro Kujo In the 1980s, Jotaro Kujo is imprisoned in Tokyo, Japan by local police for physically assaulting four men. Jotaro claims that he is possessed by “an evil spirit”: he demonstrates this by shooting himself, only for the bullet to be promptly stopped by this “spirit.” As it turns out, this spirit is actually a Stand, a manifestation of Jotaro’s vigorous life force. His Stand manifests because of the resurrection of Dio, who still intends to destroy the Joestar bloodline after a century of being buried at sea.

No. of Episodes: 17

Well, don’t let your first impressions stop you, for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the most amazing shows out there!

To clear things up: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (JJBA for short), unlike most other anime, is split into parts and not seasons. This is because the anime stays faithful to the format of the original manga that Hirohiko Araki wrote back in 1986. As of 2019, only ﬁve parts from the original eight in the manga have been adapted into an anime.

chronologically watching the main story arc. Watching “Part 1” gives more depth to the character of Dio and how his relationship with Jonathan became the starting point of his hatred for the Joestars.

Years of scheming come to pass, and yet Dio still finds himself at par with Jonathan in his chances of becoming the family heir. Until, one day, Dio discovers an ancient Aztec stone mask that turns him and whoever he wishes into a vampire.

Jotaro and his friends are relentlessly ambushed and attacked by Dio’s assassins and henchmen wherever they travel, even in foreign countries. “The World” is no place for the weak in this overseasmarathon of an epic journey. Buckle up. Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable Teenagers in X-Files No. of Episodes: 39 Main Protagonist: Higashikata

Josuke

Josuke Higashikata is a first-year high school student residing in the coastal town of Morioh. He meets Jotaro Kujo, who tells him he is actually the illegitimate son of Joseph Joestar and warns him of the increasing amount of Stand users in his town. Josuke vows to keep his town and his friends safe from other violent Stand users, which leads to many bizarre undertakings, including an attempt to find the identity of a mysterious, supernatural murderer in his midst. His Stand is Crazy Diamond, which allows him to repair and heal objects and organisms at will. How cool is that? Part 5: Golden Wind Italy, with Mafia Boybands No. of Episodes: 39 Main Protagonist : Giovanna

Giorno

Giorno Giovanna is a natural-born Stand user from Italy. His goal? To infiltrate the Italian mafia known as Passione and become the powerful Gang-Star (a combination of a “gangster” and a “rockstar”) to internally change the corrupt mafia. Giorno’s ambitions don’t stop there (his nature is that of a long-term thinker): he also aims to overthrow Diavolo, the boss and founder of Passione.

The mafia is known to be very secretive and has a majority of Stand users amongst its members. In “Golden Wind,” their goal is to find the powerful “Bow and Arrow”: a weapon that gives a Stand to whoever it strikes. From here on out, I will not be giving any further spoilers to the show. I highly recommend for those watching the show to not skip any parts to fully understand both the origins of characters that may suddenly reappear and previous story arcs that give context to the latter parts of the show. Yet despite its continuity, each and every part of JJBA always innovates with a new theme and a new Joestar protagonist, consistently offering fresh stories that leave viewers like you and me hooked for more. Regardless of its mistaken reputation as an overrated show, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure can satisfy anyone who enjoys fantasy and action-driven anime. It is essentially, a shōnen (a Japanese action-driven medium targeted towards a young male demographic) that successfully revitalizes an already excellent manga that has aged quite well. Disregarding the involuntary use of Jojo references from hardcore fans, hopefully, more newcomers to the series can appreciate the deep lore and the quirky characters that Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has to offer.

From Nazi appearances to a cheesy depiction of archaeology, how Indiana-Jones-esque can this part be?

Now armed with supernatural powers, a vampiric Dio sets out to destroy Jonathan Joestar and the rest of his bloodline. To many who have already seen it, “Part 1” may seem uninteresting and uneventful compared to future parts. However, I highly advise you to NOT skip this part if you plan on

“M

Part 1: Phantom Blood A Victorian-Horror “Noli Me Tangere” No. of Episodes: 9 Main Protagonist: Joestar

Jonathan

Part 2: Battle Tendency Indiana Jones, Raiders of the “Stone Mask”

This article will be briefly explaining each part of the anime. But be warned, there will be a few minor spoilers up ahead.

No. of Episodes: 17

Well, don’t let your first impressions stop you, for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the most amazing shows out there!

Josuke

Giorno

From Nazi appearances to a cheesy depiction of archaeology, how Indiana-Jones-esque can this part be?

The Return

of Minecraft By Lance Villareal (G10) Even a decade after its release, when many other gaming titles would have already been forgotten, Minecraft’s popularity is still going strong. Despite the “battle royale” craze that has swept the world for the past two years, with popular titles such as Fortnite following the trend of lastman-standing gameplay, this openworld action-adventure sandbox game has quietly risen back to the top of the gaming industry. As a matter of fact, according to a 2019 IGN article, Minecraft has just recently become the second bestselling videogame of all-time, selling over 176 million copies worldwide. While the aforementioned feats are already impressive in itself, it is worth noting that the game’s fanbase is only growing bigger and stronger in 2019. While some suggest that the root cause of this expansion is how Minecraft and its fans are celebrating the game’s 10th anniversary, we have to ask: what are the factors aside from the 10th-

anniversary celebration that have continued to make Minecraft one of the best of all time? Here are a few possible reasons as to why Minecraft is still growing in popularity up to this day. Reason 1: Updates

Constant

Game

When the beta version Minecraft was first released by Mojang in 2009, the game impressed audiences with a game concept that was fresh and new. However, even something as revolutionary as the extensiveness of Minecraft’s open-world design can get boring after a few years. After all, at its core, the game’s “Survival Mode” still has a pattern: break blocks, gather resources, fight mobs, and repeat until you have enough experience and resources to beat the game's two bosses. Although

the game does offer a plethora of ways to go about these activities, the extent to which you can experiment still depends greatly on the amount of content. Naturally, players will find themselves experiencing a lack of purpose after having explored everything that Minecraft would have to offer. What has kept Minecraft alive, however, are the constant game updates the developers release every few months. These updates have not only expanded the world of the game that players can experiment with, but they also regularly change the entire way that the game is played. These additions thus help to generate interest amongst newer players to the game whilst keeping loyal fans on their toes.

At the time of writing, the most recent major update to Minecraft is “Update 1.14 - Village and Pillage,” arguably the biggest update that the game has had so far. The patch featured the addition of Pillagers and the creation of an entire raid system. There was also an overhaul of the entire village system: the architecture of villages and the design of the villagers now match the biomes they were found in, not to mention that villagers can now learn professions, very different from the generic villages and villagers that older versions of the game had. Aside from these, a multitude of new blocks, mobs, and weapons like pandas, foxes, crossbows, etc. were added in. With “Update 1.15” soon to be released, it is safe to say that not only will fans of the game not be getting bored anytime soon, but others who have never tried Minecraft before and old fans that stopped playing for a few years may consider checking in on the game. Reason 2: “Meme Factor” As funny as it may sound, yes, this reason is one of the main contributors to Minecraft’s

continued success. Whether they are simple inside jokes posted on social media platforms or revived parody videos posted on Youtube, Minecraft still continues to generate a lot of internet exposure. Whether the creators of such content and those that share age-old memeworthy content do so out of genuine love for the game or to ironically make fun of people playing a “children’s game” does not matter, as both still end up creating exposure for the game that entices people to dive back in. And with the amount of exposure it has been getting in recent years, becoming part of the “meme bandwagon” involves participating in the Minecraft community to an extent. Reason 3: Nostalgia Last but not least, we have to take into account Minecraft’s nostalgia factor. It is not an exaggeration to say that Minecraft was one of the biggest and most popular games of the late 2000s until the early 2010s. With this being said, a great number of its audience from around that time have already grown up to become young and middle-aged adults. Maybe during their

childhood, they were afraid to get called out for playing such a “childish” or “pointless” game, and have only now begun to play without caring about the opinions of others. Or maybe they have gone back to the game in order to reminisce simpler times when they had little to no responsibilities; for them, Minecraft becomes an escape from a complicated reality, as some might call it. And with the game’s concept not being inherently limited to those of a certain age level, people who enjoyed the game back when it first came out would still be able to enjoy the game 10 years later. Whichever reason people may have for playing Minecraft, it cannot be argued that the game has impacted the lives of many, whether they played the game in its earlier versions or are avid players in the current day. With its popularity growing stronger with every passing year though, it is never too late to try out or get back into Minecraft and see what surprises it has in store. For in the end, you cannot argue that the game has a knack for bringing people together through a love for play and more importantly, memories that they will forever cherish.

The Return

Constant

Game

As a man for others: Fr. Xavier's life before, in, and after xavier school

By Andre Tan (G10), Gelo Venturina (G12), and Lance Dy (G10) Photos care of Joshua Go (G11), Fr. Xavier Olin, and Mrs. Cristine Alcala

As a man for others: Fr. Xavier's life before, in, and after xavier school

By Andre Tan (G10), Gelo Venturina (G12), and Lance Dy (G10) Photos care of Joshua Go (G11), Fr. Xavier Olin, and Mrs. Cristine Alcala

Our lives are influenced by coincidences more than we would like to admit. While these coincidences may seem like aimless happenings born out of chance, the Christian believes that everything in his life, no matter how seemingly random, was fated to be. After all, in the eyes of faith, there are no coincidences, but rather jigsaw pieces of God’s greater plan. Thus, Fr. Xavier Olin SJ, or “Father Xave” as he is fondly called, does not believe in coincidences. He believes being assigned to Xavier School his destiny. He truly feels he was brought to Xavier because his gifts were meant to help Xaverians. With Fr. Xavier being set to leave Xavier in 2020, we sat down with the Jesuit father to talk about the man behind the alb: his early life before Xavier, the precious memories that he made as a member of our school community, and what God has in store for him in the future. To supplement our interview, we also got to talk to others whose lives were touched by the Jesuit father; their amazing stories are scattered throughout this article.

Fr. Xavier helps Teacher Tintin cook laing, a dish from the Bicol region that Fr. Xavier grew up with

was what ultimately convinced him that priesthood was his life's calling.

Early Life, His Father and the Road to the Jesuits Born on April 23, 1974, Xavier Olin belonged to a closely-knit and religious family. He was born and raised in the Bicol Region’s Naga City, a religious city dotted with many churches and filled with pious people. The Olin family lived right across one of these churches, and with his father being both a eucharistic minister and a principal for a Jesuit school, Fr. Xavier was surrounded with the Jesuits even throughout his early life.

Like most Filipino families, the Olins strengthened their familial bonds through the sweet and spicy food Bicolanos are known for, examples of which include laing and the nation-wide favorite bicol express. His cousins also lived near their home, so Fr. Xavier grew up being close not only to his immediate family, but even to relatives from his extended family. Playing backyard games and climbing trees with his cousins are

Fr. Xavier poses for a photo in the High School Patio, one of his favorite places in Xavier School

still some of his fondest memories. When asked his greatest influences, Fr. Xavier mentions his late father to have had a great influence on his life. He describes his father as being a man of discernment, always having an open mind and never forcing beliefs and desires. He recalls his father telling him: "You can get a zero in a test, as long as you do not cheat." Fr. Xavier is proud to say that, to this day, he has never cheated. It was in the fifth grade that Fr. Xavier first started serving in holy masses, which was around the time that he realized his aspirations to become a priest. He dreamt of

him from becoming a priest nor did they encourage it. He ultimately knew, however, that he would not have wanted to become a priest if it was not for his family: their love for him always overflowed, inspiring him to share this same love to the least, the lost, and the last. And for him, priesthood was one of the best ways to channel his love to help others. The turning point in his childhood was when he attended a retreat as a 15-year old high school student. Something happened in the said retreat that solidified his desire to enter the seminary. While he prefers not to share the details of what exactly happened, the event

His father would come to pass a month after his retreat. It was only after then that Fr. Xavier would find out that it was his dad's hidden desire to become a Jesuit. Fr. Xavier tells us that, in a way, entering the seminary was also a way of fulfilling his father's dream.

In the Seminary and Xavier School In 1997, Xavier Olin left the comforts of Naga City to enter the Jesuit seminary. He had to reside in the Sacred Heart Novitiate situated in Novaliches, Quezon City. He describes this as one of the most difficult decisions he had to make because back them, Naga was the only place that he knew. He also held a post as a teacher at the time, a job that he enjoyed quite a lot. Oftentimes, he would come to ask himself, "Would I be happy?"

and "Will I be able to adjust?" In the end, he would ultimately decide to leave for Metro Manila, knowing full well that entering a new life as a priest was what God had planned for him to do. Life as a seminarian was not easy. Within his first two years in the seminary, he was required to work incognito for six weeks at a five-star hotel along EDSA. He was essentially made into a room boy, and the job description included cleaning hotel rooms and toilets— much to his dismay. Fr. Xavier recalls, "It was very hard: [for] one big room, you have to finish [cleaning] in 30 minutes." He would even have to clean toilet bowls using his bare hands just so that he could finish on time. It was at points like this when he would look up to the sky and ask, "What am I doing here?", not because he was doubting his calling, but because his experiences truly forced him to reflect on the purpose of doing

what the seminary had made him do. There was another time when he was assigned to Mindanao to live amongst tribespeople. There was no electricity and everybody was asleep at six in the evening. "People [also] spoke a different language, so I could not just easily talk to anyone." On top of all this, Fr. Xavier adds that he people were very shy. There was a time when he felt sad and lonely and desperately wanted to release emotions, but there was no one to talk to. "Lo and behold, I saw a carabao," he says, "and you know what happen[s] next." After two years in the Novaliches seminary, Fr. Xavier transferred to the Ateneo campus, where he resided until he was ordained a priest in 2008. The first assignment of Xavier Olin as a Jesuit was as the vocations director of the Xavier School community; tasked with

Fr. Xavier helps Teacher Tintin cook laing, a dish from the Bicol region that Fr. Xavier grew up with

was what ultimately convinced him that priesthood was his life's calling.

Fr. Xavier poses for a photo in the High School Patio, one of his favorite places in Xavier School

sharing is what stays with you every single time you leave the CMSO." Luis' experiences are just some of the many that highlight Father Xave's accomplishment in making the CMSO a home to many Xaverians. As CMSO head, Father Xave is a kind and supportive leader. Former Xavier School teacher and Campus Ministry staff Cristine "Teacher Tintin" Alcala describes Father Xave as a cool Jesuit, unwaveringly generous and charming. Mrs. Alcala also describes Father Xave as extremely thoughtful; he would give the CMSO team pasalubong every time he would return home from trips.

Fr. Xavier (third from left) takes a photo with members of the Campus Ministry and Service Office

recruiting fresh blood for the Jesuits, he traveled all around the world, giving talks in the hopes of inspiring others to join the priestly vocation. The first two years after his ordination were divided between Ateneo and Xavier, with his work week being split by time spent in each of these two schools.

the new campus minister. Among his many first impressions, Fr. Xavier first noticed how warm the people in the community were. He was pleasantly surprised by the way that Xaverians acted: "They were confident, always speaking their minds with candor and honesty."

After two years of working for two places at once, he spent the following two years purely under the Ateneo administration.

A Day as Part of the Campus Ministry and Service Office (CMSO)

In 2012, four years after being ordained and two years after having served Ateneo specifically, he was assigned full time as Xavier School's campus minister. Fr. Xavier describes his return to Xavier as a sort of homecoming: he studied in a Chinese Jesuit school when he was still in Naga, so Xavier has always felt like an extension of his roots. His time as a student in a Chinese Jesuit school made him experience what a Chinoy environment was like, hence he was able to easily adapt and understand Xavier School's culture. He adds that as a seminarian, he had always desired to either be a missionary to China or be assigned in a Chinese-Filipino school, so he felt that being assigned to Xavier was part of everything falling into place.

As campus minister, Fr. Xavier starts his day walking around the campus. He sees this as an opportunity to speak to students and, to his surprise, most of the students that he encounters actually open up to him about what may be hurting or troubling them. Father Xave is not a desk jock; rarely will you see him sitting in his office, looking at his laptop. Instead, the minister prefers exploring the school, speaking to students and teachers that happen to become passersby. He compares his work to shepherding: he does not want students to come to him, rather he wants to be the one to reach out.

The size of Xavier School and the many amenities it offered amazed

One of Father Xave's long-standing goals was to ensure that the doors of the Campus Ministry and

Service Office (CMSO) are always open to everyone. He did not want the CMSO to just be another office, but a home or tambayan where students could stay and talk about anything, a home where students are always welcome. "Students are at ease here because it is not an academic place; students can ask stupid questions and be themselves," he notes. Everything said in the CMSO is off the record, which has allowed for and still allows for people to open up in its four corners. The office's environment has indeed helped the CMSO in their preparation of activities: the CMSO staff are able to understand the language of Xaverians and gain insights from conversations with students, and it is through these insights that they can design more meaningful recollections and talks that are key to student formation. Luis Ong, a grade 11 student, often goes to the CMSO because of the meaningful conversations he has with the staff. Luis admits that he used to go there just for the aircon or the free food. But now, he says that "the teachers, the faces, the conversations, and story

Mrs. Alcala also shared with us a story that shows how thoughtful Father Xave truly is. As a novice seminarian at the Sacred Heart Novitiate, the only money that he was allowed to have came from the weekly allowance that his superior would give him. One time, Father Xave was invited to give a recollection to a community and he was paid for his services. Instead of immediately thinking of either himself of his superior, the first person who he thought of was his younger sister, who he wanted to give P50 from the payment. Although the ministry required him to surrender all of the money, Mrs. Alcala says that Father Xave's desire to give part of the money to his sister already shows the magnitude of thoughtfulness that Father Xave exemplifies. "Father Xave," she says, "is the kuya that everyone wishes to have."

Memories Made in China As a trained Jesuit, Father Xave was confident in his abilities and flexible enough to undertake any mission to expand the reach of Christ to touch others. He always believed that to serve a community, you must first approach the people and understand their current situation from the ground level. This belief is part of what has allowed him to develop close and friendly mentor-to-mentee

relationship with many students. One of the most meaningful experiences that he had with students was the Xavier China Experience (XCE) in Guangzhou during 2012. One could imagine how difficult it was for Grade 8 boys to be fully independent for over a month, not to mention be miles away from their families and loved ones. It was here that Father Xave learned the importance of adjusting to others as you journey alongside them. These adjustments included one of his favorite hobbies of all time— sharing ghost stories. While his

from someone they shared their most personal stories with—a reliable mentor and a father figure— to suddenly, a man of hot-blooded smoldering intensity. Those who became close to Father were immediately caught off guard: who would have thought that priests have their boiling points too? Father Xave says that XCE became a lesson to him to always be mindful; since students always see him as a true father figure, he simply cannot burst out in anger. Soon after, Father Xave saw a dire need to move to mentoring and serving Grade 10 instead of Grade 8. This was because, according to

Fr. Xavier takes a photo with the Mosuo Minority, his group in XCE Yunnan 2016

ghost stories were meant to be enjoyable for his mentees, he came to realized that his mentees would only share them amongst themselves to scare each other and lose valuable hours of sleep. As a result, for the remaining weeks of that XCE, no longer did he carelessly share spinechilling stories about World War 2 and the dismembered ghosts of helpless innocents who died horrible deaths. However, it was not only ghosts that Father Xave's mentees came to fear. For many, the most shocking part was experiencing the angered and furious side of Fr. Xavier, turning

his experience, they had "more emotional issues" regarding love lives and family problems that required help through nurturing and guidance. Christopher Ong, a graduate of Xavier Batch 2019, was a mentee of Father Xave in XCE Yunnan 2016. Christopher admits that he caused trouble in Yunnan that may have infuriated Father Xave at times. However, he says that Father Xave handled him with "a perfect blend of love and discipline," employing methods that made it easier for students to

Fr. Xavier (third from left) takes a photo with members of the Campus Ministry and Service Office

After two years of working for two places at once, he spent the following two years purely under the Ateneo administration.

A Day as Part of the Campus Ministry and Service Office (CMSO)

The size of Xavier School and the many amenities it offered amazed

One of Father Xave's long-standing goals was to ensure that the doors of the Campus Ministry and

Fr. Xavier takes a photo with the Mosuo Minority, his group in XCE Yunnan 2016

accept their mistakes. This is what Christopher says made him see Father Xave as both a father and as a mentor. “By blood, we are not related. By bond, we will forever be father and son,” Christopher says of his relationship with his XCE mentor. Christopher adds, "[Though] spending a few months with Father Xave, I learned what an ideal parent is." In the future, Christopher wishes to use Father Xave as a model of how a parent should raise and treat their children. As he looks ahead to his future missions, Fr. Xavier believes that the memories he has made in the many XCEs that he attended will always have a special place in his heart.

On to the Land Down Under It was in 2018 when Father Xave received a letter from the Jesuit provincial superior informing him of his new mission: to move out of Xavier School and travel to Melbourne, Australia in 2020 in order to complete Jesuit tertianship, the final stage in Jesuit Formation. This stage includes eight months of formation training, including fieldwork with indigenous communities and a 30-day retreat based on St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, before he is asked to make his final vows. After his tertianship, he is also set to undergo further studies in Ignatian Spirituality for two to three years, which will hopefully earn him a doctorate degree.

Given his impending move, Father Xave walks around the campus every night to pay homage to what has been his home for the past eight years. He realizes the importance of ritualizing transitions and imparts: “I like to cherish memories and be grateful for the opportunity.” To help him transition, Fr. Xave enjoys recalling memories and giving thanks to the

Lord. He has established deep roots in Xavier and he imagines that once he moves to Melbourne, it will be very quiet for him, a stark contrast to his busy days in Xavier. Father Xave names the patio, the veranda of the Jesuit residences, and the CMSO as his favorite places in the school; the patio is where he has heard numerous confessions, the veranda is where he usually prays, and the CMSO encapsulates his mission in Xavier— to create a home where students can speak their hearts out without judgment. Father Xavier Olin will surely be missed by Xavier School. He was and still is many things to many people: a campus minister, a teacher, a mentor, a friend, a father. When asked for a message to the school body, Father Xave said, “Never forget the most essential things, which are not real

things—faith, relationship, and God. When all is said and done, these three things will anchor you." Father Xavier Olin’s whole life has served as an inspiration to many. Whether through his works as a Jesuit or as a friend, he never ceases to bring others closer to Jesus Christ. Now that he is about to embark on a new chapter, the Xavier community prays that the Lord may always be with him in all his future endeavors, that He may lead Father Xave to stay true to his humble, prayerful, and mindful disposition. Father Xave will always have a special place in each and every member of the XS community’s hearts. If there is one thing that he can always count on, it is this: that he will always have a home in Xavier School, whenever and wherever he may be.

“Never forget the most essential things, which are not real things— faith, relationship, and god. When all is said and done, these three things will anchor you.”

being math-heavy or logic-based, he found himself practicing skills that would aid him in math problem solving on an almost daily basis. When asked about how he got such a high IB score, Shao said that once the deadlines started to pile up, it was important to stay committed to your work. Ultimately though, it was his love for learning and for mathematics that helped him to overcome all the hardships he encountered during his time in IB.

MORE THANEXCEPTIONAL : RYANSHAO, THE CAMBRIDGE-BOUND GRADUATE

By Caleb Tiam-Lee (G10) Photos care of Coby Silayan and Ryan Shao Meet Ryan Shao: he is, without a doubt, one of Xavier School’s finest. A multi-time international Math competition medalist, one of the “Bright Young Achievers” named by online magazine Town and Country, and one of the select few in Xaverian history to have gained a final total score of 43 in IB—a feat almost impossible to imagine. Batch 2019’s own Ryan Shao has proven that he has the brains to accomplish whatever he so pleases.

the opportunities that he was given throughout his high school days.

And with great skill comes even greater opportunities. It is thus no surprise that Ryan Shao will begin his undergraduate studies at the prestigious Cambridge University this coming fall, majoring in Computer Science.

His passion for Mathematics only grew with age: as he grew older, he was driven to join many Math programs, such as those held by the Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP) and Mathematics Trainers’ Guild (MTG), and competitions, such as the Bulgaria International Math Competition in 2013 and the Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad (JBMO) held in Romania in 2016. All of this eventually led to him accumulating plenty of awards in

With him about to start a new chapter filled with promise, Shao has taken the time to look back at all the memories that he has made as a student at Xavier School. Reflecting on these experiences, he is nothing but thankful for all of

Passion for Mathematics From an early age, Shao was formed to be the best person he could possibly be. He was born and raised in a close-knit yet competitive family, and he believes that this, along with the support of his parents who saw the potential in him, led him to pursue excellence in the field of Mathematics.

the name of Xavier School.

Life in Xavier When asked about his day-to-day school life, he smiled and recalled fond memories to look back upon. Shao described his Xavier life to be “fun, exciting, and memorable.” Despite the stress that came with school life, he always found catharsis in hanging out and playing video games with his friends. He also found fulfilment in using his skills to help others. One way in which he did this was when he started Project Pi, his own social media tutoring service that aimed to reach out to people who were struggling in Math through the use of videos and reviewers. According to Shao, the challenges that he experienced by taking the IB Diploma Programme helped to strengthen his already strong foundation in Math even further. With many of his other subjects

The most memorable moments in Xavier for Shao did not come from the academics and extracurricular activities though, but from the multiple recollections and service interactions that he underwent all throughout high school. He says that these experiences of both selfreflection and getting to understand the contexts of those from differing backgrounds, although seemingly small to most people, changed his perspective on his own life. He says that it was these experiences for spiritual formation that provided him with learning experiences that he could not have gotten from any normal academic setting, and for that, he is truly grateful.

His dream job?: to become an employee at Google. Even without considering life post-university, Shao is excited by the base prospect of being able to meet new people that go to a world-renowned university.

Message to Xaverians One of Shao’s greatest strengths was his ability to balance outstanding academics with a life outside of school. It was because of him striking a balance that even with IB being an infamously difficult program for students, he says that he was able to enjoy his senior high school years. “If you devote your time to only studying in high school and you aren’t sociable, that is something you won’t learn in college,” he states.

but he was also able to learn non-academic skills, help others in his own ways, and still have the opportunity to enjoy time with the people who he cared about. As Ryan Shao is about to take a big step into his own future, his life should serve as a guide for many students to come. People of his ability may seem rare, but anybody that follows their heart while still striking a balanced lifestyle as he did is already more than exceptional. Clarification: As of now, Ryan Shao has already started his studies in the University of Cambridge. The article says that he is "Cambridgebound" since the article was written in October 2019.

Ryan Shao shows us that a model student isn’t just someone who gets high grades; it is someone who is able to balance academics with that which he finds worth doing, thus making both his life and the lives of others happier. Not only did he accomplish extremely difficult intellectual feats throughout his time in Xavier School,

Going to Cambridge With his journey at the University of Cambridge in Britain about to start in a few weeks, Ryan has started to reminisce about what he will miss in the Philippines. Having lived in the Philippines his entire life, he mentioned that he would miss the street food and the trademark Filipino hospitality once he starts to live in the UK. Those treasurable moments with friends, such as going to escape rooms and playing Jackbox and video games, would all end as he prepares to move on to the next stage in his life. Despite knowing that he will have to leave his old life behind, he believes that his decision to study abroad will all be worth it for his future, as this choice of his would lead to more lucrative employment opportunities after he graduates.

Ryan Shao (right) takes a photo with his younger brother, Ralph Shao (left)

MORE THANEXCEPTIONAL : RYANSHAO, THE CAMBRIDGE-BOUND GRADUATE

the opportunities that he was given throughout his high school days.

the name of Xavier School.

Ryan Shao (right) takes a photo with his younger brother, Ralph Shao (left)

Reliving Wongsanity By Lance Dy (G10) Photos care of Mr. Wong

pinning, dribbling, shooting. The crowd goes wild. The overwhelming senses of excitement and anticipation overpower the Jacinto Tiu Competition Court. All eyes are focused on one man: Wil Cateson Donado Wong. As the 23-year-old basketball legend weaves through Xavier’s defense in grace, heart pumping, adrenaline running through his veins, the CLEteacher-turned-celebrity once again puts on a show in front of his students. But despite all the fame and acknowledgment tied around his back, there is only one thing that flows in his mind: “There is more to me than meets the eye.” Ladies and gents, here is a glimpse into the life of Mr. Wong. A Brief Background on Mr. Wong Being one of four children in his family, Mr. Wong recalls living a simple life growing up. “As a kid, I didn’t ask for anything from my parents.” Mr. Wong noted that he was trained to earn what he wanted. “To my parents, it was always a matter of ‘You work hard for your desires, or you don’t get it at all.’” That, to Mr. Wong, enabled him to instill in himself his unparalleled work ethic and will to excel in anything he can get his hands on.

One thing that Mr. Wong wants the Xavier Community to know is that he, regardless of how others idolize him, is still just a normal human being that can easily relate

to his students and peers. “I went to an all boys’ school (John Paul II Minor Seminary), and all boys’ college (San Carlos Seminary). I was the Student Council President of my high school, and, like most of you, I had a girl to admire.” Mr. Wong acknowledged that, he, as a teen, was far from perfect. “Bad boy ako noon eh.” He then managed to let out a slight chuckle. Before he studied in the seminary, Mr. Wong had his own personal aspirations. “Back then, I really wanted to pursue Economics. I also wanted to become a lawyer, as well as a basketball player.” However, a slight touch of influence from his brother would eventually change how things turned out for him. Life in the Seminary For college, Mr. Wong entered the San Carlos Seminary, with hopes of possibly being a priest. “I had a special relationship with my brother. He was the one that told me to go to the seminary, and now, I definitely have no regrets.” At first, life in the San Carlos Seminary didn’t seem easy for Mr. Wong. “On the first day of school, I got called out for falling asleep in Botany class. It was really tough for me to adjust to the demands of the seminary.” However, as time went on, he eventually learned to adapt to his new life. “I was able to hone my skills in my academics, my skills in basketball, and my skills in music.” Most importantly, Mr. Wong was able to fully nurture his faith in God. “The seminary really opened

up my eyes to the greatness of God. I realized that whatever I do in my life must be for the greater glory of God. I am definitely not discounting the possibility of, one day, joining the Society of Jesus.” Life in Xavier School For Mr. Wong, teaching in Xavier had been one of his lifelong dreams. “Knowing Xavier’s reputation as a Jesuit school, I thought that it would be meaningful to teach in an institution that always has God in its core values.” The opportunity to teach finally came when he approached his good friend, who was also a former member of the CMSO, Mr. Kurt Tesalona, about the possibility of teaching CLE in Xavier School. Mr. Tesalona gladly assisted Mr. Wong in passing his resume to the TRC, and Mr. Wong immediately applied for an interview

with the XS administrators. He even went as far as saying: “If not Xavier, I’m not teaching.” When the official statement of him being accepted into the CLE Department was released, Mr. Wong was overjoyed. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I was sure of one thing: The next few years of my life would be awesome.” And now, in his third year of teaching, Mr. Wong wants to express his utmost gratitude to Xavier School. “Why wouldn’t I be grateful to the school that gave me a job, many memorable experiences, and countless blessings?” Basketball As his students and peers would easily attest, there is no doubt Mr. Wong is a basketball fanatic: “It’s funny how basketball has done wonders for my life. One of the reasons why the seminary was so appealing to me was because there was a basketball court right in front of it.” What sets Mr. Wong apart from most followers of the sport is the fact that he doesn’t only act the part; he also plays the part. Ever since he was a kid, he always sought to work on his craft as a basketball player: “I used to join inter-subdivision leagues. When I was studying in the seminary, I was also part of the basketball team, which was duly represented in various inter-seminary basketball tournaments.” Mr. Wong’s basketball prowess was certainly put to good use, as in just his second year with the team, he was able to propel San Carlos to win the championship. Mr. Wong sees basketball as one of the most important aspects of his life. “For me, basketball opened doors in terms of fostering new friendships, both inside and outside of the seminary," he says. However, regardless of his experiences at that point in time, there was no way Mr. Wong could’ve predicted the impact that basketball would give him during the 2017 Xavier School Pep Rally, entitled “Legacy.”

Legacy: The 2017 Xavier Pep Rally The 25th of August 2017, will always be a special day to Mr. Wong. That day will always be remembered as the moment in which he lit the entire Xavier Community on fire, as he torched the Xavier Juniors Basketball Team with a scorching 38 points, while putting on a scoring, and dribbling exhibition. However, prior to the game, Mr. Wong admitted that the way in which things turned out caught him by surprise. “I have to admit: I didn’t expect that I would be able to play that well against the Xavier Basketball Team. I didn’t expect the kind of publicity that my performance would give me. Xavier’s basketball program has been one of the best in the country for years, and the fact that I was able to measure up my skills against the athletes is already an honor in itself.” After being able to shake off some pre-game jitters, Mr. Wong notes that despite losing to the Xaverians, 75-73, it was the entire experience: The crowd, the game, and his 38-point explosion that made the day so surreal. Reign: The 2019 Xavier Pep Rally Fast forward to two years later: September 6th, 2019. Same atmosphere, same venue, same scenario. But this time, there was a catch: There was more pressure on Mr. Wong: Pressure to live up to the hype, and pressure to put on the same show he did two years prior. To add to this, the 2019 Pep Rally Basketball Game featured the likes of Xaverian legends such as Jett Manuel, Jarrell Lim, Joseph Yeo, and TY Tang. “Talagang nahiya ako noong nakita ko sina Joseph Yeo, at TY Tang. I have to admit, I was starstruck.” With the shyness and slight bit of embarrassment starting to get the best of him, Mr. Wong found himself sitting on the bench, giving a chance to the other teachers. The first few minutes of the game were exciting, as the two teams were trading baskets right from the getgo. But with the crowd egging for more, everyone in the gym knew what the entire audience was waiting for: The man who dropped 38 two

years before. And so, Mr. Wong took a breath, stood up, and walked towards the scorers table, ready to be checked in during the next dead ball. After a few more minutes of action, Mr. Wong finally entered the game. As the ball found itself in his hands, the crowd went into a frenzy, eager to see what kind of show he would put on. After a series of dribble moves, Mr. Wong found himself taking an uncontested shot near the free throw line. Swish. The deafening cheers of the Xavier Community echoed all throughout the venue. But Mr. Wong wasn’t done yet. On the next possession, he took the ball all the way inside and finished strong on a layup. Another deuce. Shortly after that, he found himself leaking out after a TY Tang rebound. Once again, Mr. Wong delivered on another layup. He then went on to score two more points, finishing the game with a respectable 8 points, all in the second quarter. After yet another impressive showing, Mr. Wong dedicates his performance to his students, and most of all, to God. “With another Pep Rally in the books, I make it a responsibility to be a model to both my students, and my fellow teachers. I want to use basketball to point others towards God. I want to use this opportunity to inspire others to enjoy learning, and to live out the values God wants them to have.” In Retrospect When all is said and done, Mr. Wong doesn’t want others to know him as the teacher who is just really good at basketball. He wants to be known as someone who prioritizes humility over honor – one that recognizes that without God, he is nothing. He wants his legacy to be one that is pointing towards God; one in which he could say that he was able to fulfill his role as a teacher, brother, son, and friend. In retrospect, basketball is just an instrument that God has gifted Mr. Wong with: another gift that has helped him reach out to others.

Reliving Wongsanity By Lance Dy (G10) Photos care of Mr. Wong

In the Spirit of Diplomacy: xsMUN’s Experiences Abroad By Marco Mendoza (G10) Photos taken from the Xavier School Website

ast June 10, 2019, delegates from the Xavier School Model United Nations (xsMUN) departed for Singapore to compete in the 16th Singapore Model United Nations Conference (SMUN). Held at the tail end of summer, the conference may have only lasted for three days, but it was rigorously prepared for by Xavier delegates over the three-month-long summer break. Participating delegates followed a fixed Monday-Wednesday-Friday training schedule, with each session lasting up to two and a half hours.

Until his membership in Grade 9, Mallare was initially unfamiliar with the concept of Model United Nations organizations. He was persuaded by his mother to apply for the then newly established xsMUN and follow in his elder cousins’ footsteps. In stark contrast to Taladua, Mallare felt nothing but the sheer thrill of competing for the very first time, his joy being augmented by how he was representing his school. “I ended up liking it after all,” said Mallare, who is now the club’s incumbent Director for Externals.

Out of fresh-faced curiosity due to being one of the club’s “newbies,” I sat down with three of these delegates, Gabriel Mallare, Giancarlo Ngo, and Ian Taladua, to talk about their experiences, both as xsMUN members and as participants in an international MUN conference. We engaged in a free-flowing discussion, and I was astonished to hear the different answers they each provided for every question I asked. Here’s what they had to say.

Deciding to join an international MUN

Starting out in xsMUN Ngo joined xsMUN during the summer of the international MUN itself. “I didn’t know what I was [going to] do for the next few months, and so joining xsMUN seemed like a great opportunity,” he said.

Taladua, on the other hand, joined with a genuine interest in international relations and sought to immerse himself more in the topic. He vividly remembers his very first MUN Conference: “My first MUN was in the Mapua Institute of Technology, wherein I represented the Republic of Malawi.” He recalled going in with "practically zero experience" and found it very intimidating.

Having always had a love for openminded discussion, Taladua joined SMUN for the experience it offered without feeling “the wrath of academics,” as he had put it. Much like Taladua, Mallare applied for the joint experiences of traveling and competing, not to mention his additional desire to “beef up” his college resume. This international competition was also the first MUN conference Ngo had ever attended, having been invited by xsMUN moderator, Mr. Jacob Nolasco, towards the end of the school year. Without anything better to do that summer, he eagerly accepted the challenge. Mallare entered the conference with no definite expectations, though from what he had heard from senior members, he presumed it would be very competitive. With no prior MUN experience, Ngo did not know what to expect, and described himself to be “very scared.” Taladua was particularly wary of rival international delegations whom they were frequently warned about. “We were told that the Singaporean delegates were the ones to fear most,” Taladua explained. To their surprise, the delegates from India would end up

expectations for himself to steer clear of disappointment or resentment, though he would wind up winning a verbal commendation by the end of the conference. Setting himself apart from the other two, Ngo had borne such high standards for himself, standards that he ultimately failed to meet. But in spite of this setback, Ngo was not deterred from looking forward to future competitions, saying, “The more MUNs you go to, the more you’ll want to win.” xsMUN’s Experience in Singapore

becoming the most competitive. The SMUN Conference When asked about the differences between local and international MUNs, Ngo said that the common language and cultural identity allowed for “stronger bonds between delegates” in local MUN conferences as compared to those in international conferences. Taladua, on the other hand, pointed out how local MUN conferences are much smaller in delegate count than their international counterparts. As such, local MUN conferences, as Taladua explained, can focus more on the quality of delegates’ performances, whereas international MUN conferences are more inclined towards seeing active participation. Other than these differences, however, Mallare claimed that there are no significant disparities between local and international MUN conferences, saying, “The level of competition and debate remained the same.”

Having participated in the XCE Fujian Program two years prior, both Mallare and Ngo were already accustomed to the frequently cited problem of homesickness. As such, they did not dwell on these feelings when they arose and were able to focus on the conference, as well as enjoy the moments when they were not competing. When asked about what was unforgettable about the trip, Mallare reminisced of their time at their lodging house. He would fondly recall incidents of “sneaking out” of their designated sleeping areas and bumming around in one room past midnight. Quite often in their sojourn in Singapore, they would also serendipitously cross paths with OFWs. “We met a Filipino working at a Fish n’ Chips store, and he gave us unlimited iced tea,” remarked a smiling Taladua. The delegates of xsMUN, as in all conferences they participate in, are constantly expected to give their very best. As they now prepare for the imminent international conference at Yale University (YMUN), we wish them well in their endeavors to bring pride and glory to the school in the spirit of diplomacy.

The conference itself was daunting for the participants. Taladua says that while other Xaverian delegates may have had other things on their minds, he was fixated on the international conference itself throughout the entire trip, rendering feelings of anxiousness from the thought of competing. “But in the end,” sighed Taladua, “I just wished my parents were there to see it.” In place of his parents not being able to come, Taladua made it a point to ring them on Viber from time to time. As far as setting expectations went, Taladua did not pressure himself to do extraordinarily well or even win awards, having considered that SMUN was going to only be the third conference he had ever partaken in. Mallare similarly chose not to set any

In the Spirit of Diplomacy: xsMUN’s Experiences Abroad By Marco Mendoza (G10) Photos taken from the Xavier School Website

Deciding to join an international MUN

Stories behind Marianne, Cherry, and ½ Every song in Motion Picture Blur’s lineup has an interesting story, be it serendipitous or personal to the band’s members. The song that is being referred to as serendipitous in its creation is “Marianne”: originally just an opening guitar riff composed by Manolo Dizon in his own home, Dizon shared the melody with the rest of the band using his mom’s computer. With his mom’s name getting attached to the email as a mistake, the band decided to use the name as the title of the song. According to Cariño, the musical style of “Marianne” was heavily influenced by Boy Pablo and the Arctic Monkeys. With the song being the band’s most well-known original, it can be safely said that using the style of these two influences paid off.

Refocusing the Picture:

Unblurring Motion Picture Blur

By Ivan Severino (G12) and Gelo Venturina (G12) Photos care of Motion Picture Blur

ith over two hundred thousand Spotify plays under their belt within the past year, Motion Picture Blur has quickly become a notable contender in the indie music scene. Alongside school, writing new music, and performing gigs, one can only wonder how one of Xavier School’s best group of creatives can balance it all. The band is composed of four seniors —lead vocalist Jocas Medina, drummer Gabriel Garcia, bassist Jarvis Cariño, and guitarists Manolo Dizon and Jakey Campos.

reaching a hundred thousand streams and their latest single ”½” being featured on a curated Spotify playlist, the only way the band can go from here on out is up.

Having performed at many important school events, including during 2019's Teacher's Appreciation Day program, the band has won the hearts of students and teachers alike. And with their first single ”Marianne”

Origins of Motion Picture Blur

To learn more about the story behind the band, members of Stallion’s Feature Department took the time to interview the band’s members. The band was asked about their music, its origins, how they find a balance between school and music-making, and what they have in store for us in the upcoming months. When deciding on what to call their band, the name “Motion Picture Blur” was formed out of inspiration from the indie bands Two Door Cinema Club and Blur. The band’s

style is influenced by a wide variety of music, mainly that of the Arctic Monkeys, 80s pop, lo-fi hip hop beats, and Frank Ocean. “Every Xaverian band starts from listening to Arctic Monkeys,” says Jakey Campos. Jarvis Cariño notes though that every song’s influences still depend on who wrote most of the song. When asked about their songwriting process, the band members claimed that it was not anything too methodical. They would usually just start by finding a melody or chord that strikes them the most before mixing in accompanying beats, lyrics, and guitar riffs, all the while enjoying what they are doing and who they are doing it with. As Campos puts it, “Cramming makes the creative juices flow. Our process of making the songs is just hanging out.”

“Cherry” is another Motion Picture Blur original, released just a month after “Marianne.” The entire concept behind it, as Gabriel Garcia states, “was mainly inspired by Japanese culture.” To pay homage to the song’s influences, the band originally wanted to name the song “Cherry Blossoms,” but they all ended up agreeing that the name was too long. On the quality of “Cherry”, Gab Garcia says that although the band was alright with it, they felt that the sound could have been better if they spent more time working on it. “We settled on the sound but felt that it could’ve been better,” Garcia states, “as we released the song too early...” According to the band, the reason why they released “Cherry” despite knowing that they could have still improved on the quality was that they did not want to release a song too long after their first--they wanted to keep the momentum that they had going. With the end result not being as successful as “Marianne” though, the band decided to wait much longer before releasing their next track, prioritizing the song’s quality above all else.

The band’s latest track, “½” has the most personal story out of the overtaken "Cherry's" three originals. The song was written and arranged by Jakey Campos to let out a flurry of emotions after the friend that he had a crush on got cheated on. He originally wrote the instrumentals on a loop, then added lyrics to it as he saw fit. As for the band’s response towards the slightly negative review of “½” made by The Flying Lugaw, a wellknown blog that reviews and documents the Philippine music scene, the members reacted more positively than expected, saying that the review ultimately helped the band gain coverage. “Their review of the song gave us so [many] listens,” Garcia said. “½'s” playcount got boosted after that review, and it's still getting plays to this point. It has since overtaken “Cherry's” playcount. There's no such thing as bad publicity.” The band members also agree though with what the blog site had to say about their song. “I agree with Lugaw, to be honest,” comments

The cover art for "1/2", Motion Picture Blur's third single

commitments,” Medina says, saying that every single one of Motion Picture Blur’s members has their own different set of commitments, yet they all find ways to get together and make music. Future Plans “We’re planning an EP!” Garcia says enthusiastically, saying that there may even be signs of an album in the works. The band also dreams for their music to gain more publicity and eventually, get signed to a record label. The band ultimately though aims to make their music evolve into, in Garcia’s own words, “sad music that people can dance to.” As for their next song, the band revealed to us that the tempo of the verse isn’t equal to the tempo of the chorus. Sounds intriguing, but it isn’t much of a teaser. We won’t know much more though until they choose to release their next song. Throughout the interview, the band was very open and eager to answer any of the questions directed at them. Not only did their love for what they do revealed itself in how they answered, but their camaraderie as a band and their passion for music surfaced through the answers themselves, both their songs and the many stories they’ve had along the way. It was evident that they want people to not only know about what they make, but for more people to enjoy what they themselves enjoyed making. Congratulations, Motion Picture Blur! You’ve already made it this far; we’re all excited to see how far your passion will take you in the future.

Cariño. “Nevertheless, it's still a great song.” Student Life While making music is what each member of the band is mostly known for, they still have to balance their passions with their academics. Campos, who is already studying in college, is trying to raise his grades. However, as he only has three subjects a day, he says that he has more time to focus on music. Jocas Medina, who is also a CAdT Medic, says that his schedule varies from day-to-day. “We all have different

Refocusing the Picture:

Unblurring Motion Picture Blur

By Ivan Severino (G12) and Gelo Venturina (G12) Photos care of Motion Picture Blur

first single—”Marianne”—reaching a hundred thousand streams and their latest single—”½”—being featured on a curated Spotify playlist, the only way the band can go from here on out is up.

Having performed at many important school events, including their most recent school performance during this year’s Teacher’s Appreciation Day program, the band has won the hearts of students and teachers alike. And with their

Origins of Motion Picture Blur

The cover art for "1/2", Motion Picture Blur's third single

FOOD IN XAVIER’S FRONT YARD: the stallion 2019-2020 food crawl By Russell Scott Kho (G12) and Coby Silayan (G11)

The work, the stress, and the grind; they lead to a growl that comes from the depths within. It is the rumbling of our stomachs, calling for food. It is the tradition of many Xaverians to go and grab a bite right when the school bell rings. After all, scattered around Xavier is a plethora of food places, whether they be old, new, established, or simply hidden. Aside from their convenient location giving Xaverians the opportunity to delight in as many cuisines as possible, these places serve as hangout spots for students and their friends, becoming important parts of their growing relationships.

The Stallion Food Crawl

Given that food is so ingrained into Xaverian culture, we asked ourselves why there has not been a food article in previous magazine issues. Thus, we present to you the Stallion 2019-2020 Food Crawl: a feature/review of different food places accessible to the Xaverian community. For this year’s food crawl, we decided to go to food places that were within walking distance of Xavier School. This was to showcase just how diverse the food culture is in Xavier’s front yard. And so, within the span of two days, we ate at Eat Fresh, Calderon, Little Store, and Recess Food Alley.

FOOD IN XAVIER’S FRONT YARD: the stallion 2019-2020 food crawl By Russell Scott Kho (G12) and Coby Silayan (G11)

The Stallion Food Crawl

Soon after came the main meals: the salt and pepper spareribs, the taosi spareribs, and the wanton soup. The salt and pepper spareribs were first deep-fried then sautéed with chili and generous servings of pepper. They turned out crispy on the outside, tender on this inside—all-in-all, they were juicy, tender, spicy and extremely flavorful.

Best street food in town: Eating Fresh at eat fresh By Coby Silayan (G11)

What we ordered • Taosi Spareribs Claypot Rice -P155 • Salt And Pepper Spareribs - P250 • Beef Wanton Noodle Soup - P185 • Yakitori - P155 • Fish Balls (2 Orders) - P66 • Lobster Ball (2 Orders) - P86 • Odendama Ball (2 Orders) - P86 • Squid Fingers (2 Orders) - P86 • Snow Shrimp (2 Orders) - P106 If Hong Kong has vendors lining their streets, Jose Abad Santos St. has Eat Fresh: a restaurant that has built its name on serving Hong Kong street food with the same mouth-watering qualities as the original, all in a casual atmosphere. The restaurant was started by Nancy So in Binondo back in 2005 as a place where her children could go to hang out with friends after school. Since then, it has sprouted many branches, but the one that we visited was the San Juan Branch located along Jose Abad Santos (near cor. V. Ibanez) that opened in 2012. Their menu is diverse, from food on skewers to full claypot meals, all of which are well within a student’s budget. Russell and I ordered a variety of small skewered snacks as appetizers, namely their yakitori, fish balls,

lobster balls, odendama balls, squid fingers, and snow shrimps, with each order costing less than P100 (save for the yakitori, which cost P155 for 2 sticks). The yakitori sticks were made with leeks and two different kinds of mushrooms, each ingredient separately wrapped within thick strips of pork before being brushed with teriyaki sauce and set on a grill. Each wrap would thus burst with different flavors when bitten, but have their taste settle in a wave of umami and the flavor of caramelized teriyaki.

The taosi spareribs were served next on top of rice and vegetables and in the same clay pot that they were steamed in. The spareribs themselves were extremely tender and bursting with flavor. In my experience, the spareribs’ flavor was at least as good as, if not even better than that of many other gigantic Chinese restaurant chains, not to mention that Eat Fresh had bigger servings at only a fraction of the more mainstream price. The wanton soup was what you would come to expect from an authentic food stall in Hong Kong: egg noodles, cabbage, and fresh wanton, all bathing in steaming broth. It was all adequately cooked, the wanton tasted fine, and the noodles had just the right firmness. It was the least exciting thing that we had ordered though; a bit above average, but still the least satisfying dish out of everything else that Eat Fresh had to offer us.

After starting a few conversations with the waiters and waitresses, Russell and I came to learn that despite its original purpose back in Binondo, San Juan’s Eat Fresh mostly served either office workers that worked around the area or residents in the vicinity, a far cry from its intended student audience. Given its close to Xavier and high-quality value-for-money dishes, I was surprised that not a lot of students come to eat fresh. Although Eat Fresh is further than the other food places that Xaverians frequent, I can confidently say that the five-minute walk is definitely worth it. Recommended Dishes: All of their skewered Hong Kong street food and their Taosi Spareribs Claypot Rice Address: 691 Jose Abad Santos Street (near corner Ibanez), Brgy. Little Baguio, San Juan City Open Hours: Monday-Sunday, 9 am - 12 midnight Phone Number: 02 823 49059 / 02 829 66573 Web Pages/Social Media Handles: Zomato — https://www.zomato.com/manila/eatfresh-hongkong-famous-street-food-little-baguio-sanjuan-city Facebook — https:// www.facebook.com/pg/eatfresh-hongkongstreetfood

Of the three mains, I thought that the taosi spareribs had the most bang for buck. It came with a huge serving of rice and vegetables to go with the tender and juicy spareribs, a truly complete meal for only P155.

The fish balls, lobster balls, squid fingers, and odendama balls all tasted the way that they should have. Each really tasted like it was made just a few hours before eating. Everything was very fresh: coming straight from the deep fryer, the outsides were always nice and crunchy while the insides were all soft and chewy. The spicy and non-spicy sauces, both of which had a fragrant sweet soy and garlic flavor, went extremely well with the skewered foods. The snow shrimp were plump, first deep-fried then drizzled or “snowed on” with paprika. In classic street-food fashion, they were served as soon as they had finished cooking. They were all very juicy— crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside—and the seasoning matched them perfectly.

Best street food in town: Eating Fresh at eat fresh By Coby Silayan (G11)

These comments aside, I thought the butter-fried shrimp was cooked beautifully and that the garlic meant to act as a complement helped to make the perfect match. Even though we did not get the bread to dip, the olive oil and garlic the shrimp were cooked in did not go to waste: a fellow Stallion member (Anton Labos) gave us the tip of eating the paella with some of the garlic and oil from the gambas dish. And just like he had promised, the combination of the two elevated the paella dish’s flavor to a whole new level.

nostalgia and food: calderon By Coby Silayan (G11) What we ordered: • Pollo Iberico - P1000 • Paella Negra (Good for 4-6) - P780 • Gambas al Ajillo - P310

Paella negra, which is native to Catalan and Valencia, is a paella cooked with squid ink, giving the rice a trademark black color. Calderon’s version was paired with prawns, squid, and mussels. The seafood’s taste did not overpower the paella’s though, instead acting as a gentle complement to the paella’s flavor. Aside from this, Calderon adds a bit of aioli (a scrumptious sauce made of garlic and olive oil) on top of the

paella; make sure to mix it thoroughly with the dish before eating, as it adds a new dimension that is more creamy, silky and flavorful. When eating from the paella pan that the restaurant serves it in, the crust formed on the bottom of the pan must also never be forgotten. The crispy burnt crust, which is formally known as socarrat, is like the chicken skin of a chicken: all of the juices of the squid, shrimp, and mussels mix to form the crunchy rice grains that add a lot more texture to every bite. Before eating the paella though, we first had the gambas al ajillo. The dish is traditionally served sizzling on a ceramic Spanish-style skillet; Calderon served it in the Spanish-styled skillet, but it was not sizzling when it arrived like I had hoped for. At the price that it was offered, I also expected it to come with bread for dipping in the oil, but we were told that we needed to pay more if we wanted bread.

We also tasted Calderon’s Pollo Iberico, one of their specialties that is normally good for 10 people. Although I did not know much about the dish beforehand, I did know that the most-prized ham in Spain is the Jamon Iberico, similar to how Wagyu is the most-prized type of Japanese beef. With this in mind, I only expected the best of quality, and I was not disappointed. The chicken was extremely tender: the meat peeled off the bone and was exceedingly

juicy. Every bite that we took was hearty, every portion flavored by the juices that it was baked, bathed, and served in. The marble potatoes served with the chicken were also well-cooked, holding their shape while still being soft to the core. At the end of the meal, I was extremely surprised that we finished what we had ordered. Coming into the restaurant still full from Eat Fresh, I was not so sure that our stomachs

still had room. We did contact a friend (John Paul Sabater) to help us finish the food as soon as we realized that we were still extremely full, but that still meant that three people had to finish dishes that were good for 10 people. But surprisingly, the satisfaction from eating the wonderful food, coupled with the relaxed ambiance, allowed us to finish everything: the chicken was eaten to the bone, the paella plate was scraped clean, and the gambas skillet was left spick and span. We came out of the restaurant having spent P2090, making it the restaurant that we would come to spend the most money in throughout our entire food crawl. Considering its price range and big serving sizes, Calderon is a restaurant that Xaverians would ideally only hang out in if there was a celebration that warranted inviting lots of people and spending a lot of money. I can assure you, however, that Calderon’s dishes will leave you famished and utterly satisfied, just like how we too found the food to be worth every centavo. Address: 403 F. Calderon Street, Brgy. Little Baguio, San Juan City Open Hours: Monday-Sunday, 11 am - 11 pm Phone Number: 02 238 2264 / 0926 727 9465 / 0919 806 0358 Web Pages/Social Media Handles: Website — http://www.calderon.com.ph/ Recommended Dishes: All of the dishes that we tried (Gambas al Ajillo, Paella Negra, Pollo Iberico) are exceptional and highly recommended!

nostalgia and food: calderon By Coby Silayan (G11) What we ordered: • Pollo Iberico - P1000 • Paella Negra (Good for 4-6) - P780 • Gambas al Ajillo - P310

Calderon is the kind of restaurant that takes you back to simpler times. The concept was created by three couples with a passion for food, with the food being served not just being your typical Spanish food, but the dishes that the three couples grew up eating: the type of Spanish food that used to be served at their grandparents’ house, the type of food that brings back memories. The result is simply good Spanish comfort food that, when coupled with the restaurant’s homey ambiance, makes you take a step back and relax. In most Spanish restaurants, the quality of one’s paella and gambas are good indicators of the restaurant’s general quality. This idea was the basis of why we ordered their paella negra and gambas al ajillo (which translates to “shrimp and garlic” in English) for sharing. We also ordered their Pollo Iberico, a whole chicken baked in olive oil, garlic, and spices for hours, which is why we needed to order the dish a day before in order to actually try it. Paella negra, which is native to Catalan and Valencia, is a paella cooked with squid ink, giving the rice a trademark black color. Calderon’s version was paired with prawns, squid, and mussels. The seafood’s taste did not overpower the paella’s though, instead acting as a gentle complement to the paella’s flavor. Aside from this, Calderon adds a bit of aioli (a scrumptious sauce made of garlic and olive oil) on top of the

Tracing Roots Back to the Hill

What some people don’t know about Little Store though, is that it also doubles as a small family restaurant. At the store counter, one may order from their menu consisting of your favorite Hokkien Chinese dishes, from machang to maki mi to bakuteh, and eat them fresh as soon as they are ﬁnished. To further entice those in the area to eat there, the store has a 20% discount on all items on their menu past 7 pm. To the side of the grocery is an extension meant for those who wish to eat their fresh food there, with small tables for two to four people. When the three of us (Coby Silayan, John Paul Sabater, and I) ﬁrst entered the store to eat, everybody there were either couples or by themselves, and yet a shared sense of tranquility pervaded from all of them. Everybody was minding their own business, whether it be drinking their own tea or reading the paper or eating lumpia in near silence. With the only ambient noises being the noises of transactions at the cashier and the occasional clinking of china, the atmosphere was more relaxing than that of any other restaurant that I had eaten in recent memory. Either that or I just vibed with a place that had internalized so much of my culture into its entire being.

By Russell Kho (G12) What we ordered: • Black Chicken Soup - P170 • Lumpia Plus - P110 • Siomai - P70 Resting on one of the edges of the intersection between Jose Abad Santos and Biak na Bato is an establishment that seems to have been born in a different era. In stark contrast to the contemporary design of the gray commercial building right across it—a zig-zagged wall lining its facade with high-stretching windows and a glass balcony—Little Store (or Little Store On The Hill as it is formally named) perfectly fits its corner nook in between two intersecting streets. With its fading cyan paint and identical patches of grill-guarded windows, a small LED sign reading 小店 jutting out of the first floor completes the picture of a building one would most likely find along Escolta and not in San Juan City. A weird sense of nostalgia engulfs those that observe the store's exterior, leaving one to miss the yesteryears that they never even experienced.

Little Store’s interior leaves a completely opposite impression: with air conditioners, glass-door refrigerators, ﬂuorescent ceiling lights scattered evenly all throughout, and even free WiFi, the inside seems like one of the most modern grocery stores in San Juan. Although the store has been up for decades, recent renovations have helped the store interior adapt to the times.

Yet despite it looking brand new, one only needs to take a look at the goods being sold to tell that it is a traditional Chinese store. From fresh vegetables and herbs to condiments and sauces to lozenges, biscuits, and candies (the kind that your Ama stockpiles), the store is the perfect place to buy all of the essentials for a Chinese family, especially one that heavily values its unique Chinese-Filipino roots. It was a miracle that the store owners were able to fit such a variety of goods into the ground floor alone, and with there even being goods hanging above our heads, the owners surely struggled to arrange everything. Their struggle did pay off, however: despite the store being chock-full, everything is organized in such a way that not only does the store look neat, but it is surprisingly easy to find whatever you are looking for. It also helps that the store is always clean no matter what day of the week you may visit. If you are from a Chinese-Filipino family, then, at some point in your life, your parents have gone to Little Store to buy groceries (either that or they availed of Little Store’s delivery service). Being the go-to store for many families, according to the workers there, there will never be a time when somebody is not in the store buying or perusing the items—from 7 am to 8 pm, seven days a week. Customers are not limited to people of a certain age group: the store’s regulars consist of old Chinese grandparents, young working adults, maids trying to pick the freshest of food for their amo, and everything in between. The influx of various customers keeps the store alive, yet people usually somehow find the decency to not create enough noise to be considered disturbing.

With our most of our budget money having been used at Eat Fresh and Calderon, along with the three of us still being having ﬁlled stomachs, our team only ordered three things from Little Store: their siomai (John Paul insisted), their black chicken soup, and their specialty

Tracing Roots Back to the Hill

lumpia that they called the Lumpia Plus. While the siomai were not exceptional in particular (although they were tender), the Black Chicken Soup was truly authentic: still very hot, the soup was the perfect rejuvenating agent against the heat of the pavement that we had walked on on the way to the store, with the taste of herbs and red dates being considerably pronounced. Perhaps the herbs had a bit too strong an impact on the soup’s taste, but it took away so little from the soup’s quality that focusing on this imperfection would be unnecessarily nitpicky. However, it was their Lumpia Plus that stole the show. Having a seaweed wrapping on lumpia is not exactly the norm, but the way that it wrapped perfectly around all of the ingredients without anything spilling out made it feel as if the seaweed wrapping truly belonged. Mayhaps the seaweed had something to do with it, but the lumpia was not too soggy and held itself together when placed between one’s ﬁngers, something which a lot of lumpia are not able to do very well. Upon biting into the lumpia, the pork and vegetables blended well together; it didn’t make one feel like he was eating too much of one or the other. It also was not hard to digest and could be eaten very quickly, but the taste of the ﬁlling made the Lumpia Plus worth its price, albeit a bit expensive at P110 for two halves. Everything from the ambiance to the easy-to-digest food made the stop at Little Store worth every peso. For a ChineseFilipino like me, the grocery-restaurant was also able to strike a chord with me by being a manifestation of the culture that I grew to love. Although we only got to try three of their dishes, we will surely come back again, whether it be to try another dish or simply enjoy their lumpia in the midst of a cozy atmosphere, one that both relaxes and reminds one of home.

“It Symbolizes our favorite subject, after lunch” - leigh Wong, founder of Recess Food Alley

Address: 2 Jose Abad Santos St., Brgy. Little Baguio, San Juan, Metro Manila Open Hours: Monday-Sunday, 7 am - 8 pm Phone Number: 02 721 9174 / 02 721 2359 Web Pages/Social Media Handles: Zomato — https://www.zomato.com/manila/littlestore-on-the-hill-little-baguio-san-juan-city Recommended Dishes: Their lumpia is one of the best in Metro Manila, with it being comparable to those made by authentic restaurants in Binondo.

“It Symbolizes our favorite subject, after lunch” - leigh Wong, founder of Recess Food Alley

Your affordable favorites: Chilling at Recess Food Alley

was considerably filling. The beef shawarma caught me off guard: it tasted more like an adobo wrap than beef shawarma. This is not to say that it tasted bad (it tasted alright at worst), but it really was not what I was expecting from a beef shawarma. Nachos and 4pcs Wings w/ Original Sauce, Ranch Dip & Rice from Flaming Wings Nachos are simply a recess classic—it reminds me of the old Mexican place we used to have in the grade school canteen. Flaming Wings does the dish justice: the cheese is thick and oozing and so does its flavor, and the beef bits are generously sprinkled; what comes out is a dish that does not skimp on quality or quantity despite only being a light snack. Flaming Wings’s Nachos are highly suggested to anybody that visits Recess Food Alley. As for the wings, Russell noted that the Original sauce had barely any flavor. Even if the tang should be expected to come from the more unique-sounding flavors (such as

By Coby Silayan (G11) What we ordered:

• Mango Fruit Smoothie (Thirsty Turtle) - P105 • Beef Kebab with Buttered Rice (Uncle Moe’s Shawarma Hub) - P185 • Beef Shawarma (Uncle Moe’s Shawarma Hub) -P129 • 4 pcs Tempura (Tokyo Tempura) - P39 • 4pc Wings w/ Original Sauce, Ranch Dip & Rice (Flaming Wings) - P125 • Nachos (Flaming Wings) - P100 • Paa with Rice (Dok Manok Bacolod) - P80

Recess Food Alley serves an assortment of your typical comfort food: nachos, wings, tempura, shawarma, fries, shakes, and more. Currently, the place is home to seven different food stalls: Thirsty Turtle, Uncle Moe’s Shawarma Hub, Potato Corner, Tokyo Tempura, Flaming Wings, Ate Rica’s Bacsilog, and Dok Manok Bacolod. This is thanks to the fact that it is, as the name suggests, a literal collection of

that we ate was cooked to a tender crisp and was of an acceptable serving size. Other than that though, there really is nothing much to say about the meal: it is your average grilled Filipino comfort food served the way that it always has been. In the end... For the amount of money spent, Recess Food Alley really did deliver considerably high volumes of our favorite comfort foods. While it is hard to call the quality of the food exceptional, the stalls at Recess Food Alley did not fail in giving us exactly what is to be expected of each ordered meal, with the added plus side being that it comes at a cheaper bargain. With us having to invite a bunch of passersby to help us ﬁnish the food (including Joshua Yao, Denise Kho, Andrew Lim, Matthew Keh, and Ethan Yu), Recess Food Alley is a great place to hang out if you want a cheap yet ﬁlling place to chill after school hours.

recess food stalls. While, just like a canteen, ordering only requires you to go up to a store and saying what you want, some stores, specifically Uncle Moe’s Shawarma Hub, Ate Rica’s Bacsilog, and Flaming Wings, have a delivery service via both the food park’s hotline and Grab Food. With so many possible food choices (and with such a small budget remaining), we decided to only order the following dishes: the Mango Fruit Smoothie from Thirsty Turtle, Nachos and 4pcs Wings w/ Original Sauce, Ranch Dip & Rice from Flaming Wings, Beef Kebab with Buttered Rice and Beef Shawarma from Uncle Moe’s Shawarma Hub, 4 pcs Tempura from Tokyo Tempura, and Paa with Rice from Dok Manok Bacolod. Mango Fruit Smoothie from Thirsty Turtle While we would like to believe that Thirsty Turtle’s drinks are good, the Mango Fruit Smoothie that we ordered had a very diluted taste. The ice overpowered the mango, so it felt as if we were just drinking water. Beef Kebab with Buttered Rice and Beef Shawarma from Uncle Moe’s Shawarma Hub The Beef Kebab with Buttered Rice meal is made of three strips of beef draped on top of a generous serving of rice and drizzled with sauce, with buttered vegetables and salsa being placed on the side. The beef itself needed a little bit more seasoning, but the sauce’s flavor more than made up for what the beef lacked in taste. Even at a price of P185, I believe that the meal somewhat exemplified value-for-money, as the meal

Wild, K-pop, Nashville Heat, and Lemon Pepper), the Original ﬂavor was still less satisfying than expected. The ranch dip that came with the meal did complement the wings, but not to the extent that the meal tasted exceptional. Maybe we had just ordered the wrong sauce and dip, but as a whole, the meal was okay at best, not bad per se, but not notably good either. 4 pcs Tempura from Tokyo Tempura Tokyo Tempura’s tempura delivers exactly what it promises: 4 freshly deep-fried tempuras, nothing more and nothing less. And we are completely satisﬁed with the product just the way that it is. Although the sizes of their tempuras are smaller than what one would regularly see at restaurants, at the price of P39 for 4 pieces, we consider the product to still be value-for-money. Paa with Rice with Rice from Dok Manok Bacolod Paa with Rice is a meal consisting of barbequed chicken thigh and rice with toyo and chili on the side. The chicken

Address: 19 General Vicente Lim Street, Brgy. Little Baguio, San Juan City Open Hours: Monday-Sunday, 10 am - 10 pm Phone Number: 0926 615 5100 (to order food for delivery) / 0917 566 6162 (for inquiries regarding setting up a stall) Web Pages/Social Media Handles: Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/pg/ recessfoodalley Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/recessfoodalley Recommended Dishes: Recess Food Alley’s food choices have their draw in being value-for-money, not necessarily being of gourmet quality. We especially enjoyed the Nachos from Flaming Wings, but simply on the basis of getting bang for buck, we would recommend the tempura from Tokyo Tempura and the Paa with Rice from Dok Manok Bacolod.

Your affordable favorites: Chilling at Recess Food Alley

By Coby Silayan (G11) What we ordered:

Recess is a break in between classes, or what we students know as an opportunity to get a snack, chill, and talk to some friends. What we know recess as is exactly what Recess Food Alley tries to emulate: started by an alumnus of Xavier back in 2017, Recess Food Alley aims to be a venue for students to hang out with friends in the midst of affordable food. It was probably because of this purpose that Recess Food Alley quickly became one of the go-to places for Xaverians after class. Recess Food Alley serves an assortment of your typical comfort food: nachos, wings, tempura, shawarma, fries, shakes, and more. Currently, the place is home to seven different food stalls: Thirsty Turtle, Uncle Moe’s Shawarma Hub, Potato Corner, Tokyo Tempura, Flaming Wings, Ate Rica’s Bacsilog, and Dok Manok Bacolod. This is thanks to the fact that it is, as the name suggests, a literal collection of

BREAK TIME! an interview with the minds behind recess FOOD ALLEY Selena Yu

Leigh Wong

By Russell Scott Kho (G12) While we were taking pictures and trying out the food, we happened to bump into the two managers of Recess Food Alley: Leigh Wong, a Xaverian alumni and founder of Recess Food Alley, and Selena Yu, an ICAn graduate and Recess Food Alley’s marketing manager. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, we decided to hold an impromptu interview about Recess Food Alley and its current state as a small food park in its third year.

For many, Recess Food Alley is just one of the handful of places wherein students and their friends can hang around after school. For Leigh Wong and Selena Yu, however, Recess Food Alley is more than just a food park: it is a project that they hold close to their heart, working diligently to make sure that it can time and time again become one of the first answers to the ques-tion “where do you want to go after class?”

Leigh Wong, aged 29, started the business using money that he had earned from three years of managing trucking and delivery services. His right-hand woman is Selena Yu: having graduated ICA as part of Batch 2016 and a current student at Ateneo de Manila University, Yu is interning under Wong as Recess Food Alley’s marketing manager. Calling her an intern seems a bit misleading, however, as Wong and Yu are the only two people managing the entire food park as a whole. Wong started the business having remembered that back when he was still studying in Xavier, there were very few easily accessible food places for those who just wanted a quick merienda. Wong created Recess Food Alley with the students in mind, saying that he wanted to make sure that everybody would have a favorite go-to hangout place where they could share a quick meal. Thus, naming the food park “Recess Food Alley” did not

seem like such a hard decision for Wong to make; “it symbolizes our [second] favorite subject, after lunch,” he says with a grin. Ever since starting Recess Food Alley in 2017, Wong notes that the venue has become a regular stop-over mainly for students that want to share a quick meal with friends before going home or going to varsity practice and for office workers that want a break after having finished their work in the neighboring areas. The food park’s target market though is mainly the students, which is what both Wong and Yu keep in mind as they stay adamantly picky about the stalls that they place in the park. Before a stall gets placed in Recess Food Alley, not only is it screened to determine whether or not the student crowd will actually enjoy the food, but Wong and Yu also see whether or not the stall conflicts with the meals of the other stalls already present. “We have to ask ‘what do the students want?’ while [still] protecting the other stalls,” says Yu.

It is mainly Wong and Yu who scout for new stalls, but sometimes they get propositions from small food businesses to set up in the park. They admit that they have a preference for businesses that are still not-so-well-known to the Xaverian crowd, as they want the students to not be stuck with eating what they usually eat on a regular basis. Wong and Yu take the marketing of Recess Food Alley especially seriously, for the sake of both the food court’s earnings and the sales of the stalls that depend on it. Yu always makes sure that their social media presence is felt, keeping their Instagram and Facebook pages constantly active and always online for engagement from their target market. Wong and Yu also said that they help the stalls coordinate promotional offers with other stalls, adding that they place special effort into helping market newlyopened stalls that still lack a loyal market base. In Yu’s opinion, their most popular marketing campaign so far has been their “Recess Food Alley Ambassadors”, wherein they get select students from Xavier and ICA to promote the food park on their own social media accounts. According to Wong, one thing that many people don’t realize is that Recess Food Alley is more than willing to become a partner in hosting whatever community events people may want to have. Wong and Yu have already approached different school administrators with the offer of helping to sponsor the food or location of school events, but they said that they would be extremely willing to make Recess Food Alley the official venue of any events that one may propose. “If you would want to set up a game night or a movie night [at Recess Food Alley], go ahead!” says Wong. “We’re willing to host as long as you ask.”

When asked about the possibility of the Business Management students using Recess Food Alley as a selling opportunity, Wong paused for a while to think. After a few moments, he said that the possibility is there; all they have to do is ask.

When asked about their plans for the future, Wong said that expansion was one of their primary goals, saying that “[their] goal is for [Recess Food Alley] to expand.” Everything that could be done to achieve this was still on the table, including changing their location, but Wong emphasized that no matter what happens, their goal For Wong and Yu, the biggest will still be to make the area a center challenge that Recess Food Alley for students: one wherein students faces is the student market being can hang out and strengthen bonds. especially choosy with what they eat. We tried to ask more in about their “Xaverians [in particular] tend to be future plans, but both Wong and Yu very brand conscious,” says Wong, smiled before saying that a “surprise citing how when the food park is coming.” They did not elaborate just started, the few that did come to further. Recess Food Alley would only eat at

Recess Food Alley is more than just a food park: it is a project that they hold close to their heart, working diligently to make sure that it can time and time again become one of the first answers to the question “where do you want to go after class?” Uncle Moe’s since it had a more recognizable brand. Students eventually grew to like the other stalls too, but business became especially harder for all of the stalls when the McDonalds along Madison St. opened up. It was not necessarily because other places were better places to hang out and eat, says Wong, but because of the perception that these other brands had better quality. “At the end of the day, we have more food choices... there are different stalls with different types of food that you can eat together. The market doesn’t see it that way though: even if you sell cheaper [and more various types of] food, students will still buy from the other [restaurant] simply because they know the brand.”

Ultimately, Recess Food Alley means a lot to both Wong and Yu, with Wong saying that the food park was “like his baby.” When asked about the possibility of selling the business, Wong said that “he went through so much with it”, so doing so did not seem like a viable option any time soon. Going into the future, both Wong and Yu wish that Recess Food Alley will grow and as a place for more students to hang out and enjoy the friendships that they form, all in the presence of great food.

SAVANNA By Jack Kua (G12)

Under the heat of the midday sun, the golden hunter prowls through the grass. Hidden from sight, the lean hunter spots its prey. A meal that could feed its insatiable appetite: A foal that had just learned to walk.

SAXOPHONE BLUES By Kang Lee (G12)

The saxophonist can only blow so much of his life into the shining brass The air being puffed by a soulful resonance Enveloping himself in the beads of heroin among the floating smoke of cigarettes Glorified in a dance of death As if each note hums his deafening screams

Art by John Paul Sabater (G12)

FAME

By Jack Kua (G12) On the stage and in the limelight, I stare upwards and see a single bright light. I look down and see my serious audience. My name is going down in history. I take a seat and sing my final song, And when I finish, they pull the lever, I close my eyes and hear them clap. Clap, clap, clap, clap. Then my vision turns black Lit by the glow of a faint spark.

I’LL BE THERE By Herb Tan (G10)

The spaces between us, They keep growing bigger There was once a time when we were inseparable We would talk everyday about everything: Our dreams Our aspirations Our fears Our sorrows The highs and the lows The mundane aspects of day-to-day life You were one of my best friends,

And I took comfort in knowing you’d always be there But nothing lasts forever As all things do. Maybe we’ve drifted apart Maybe we changed (for better or for worse) Maybe it was something I did Or maybe I did not do enough But I’m certain This was never meant to last

But the moments we shared Were some of the best times of my life You showed me that life could be more than just Dull Lifeless And ordinary So if you need me, Wherever you are I’ll be there.

THE CASTLE By Jack Kua (G12)

The dusk has arrived and I know you’ll never come back no matter how hard I pray. Since you left for a world that exists as a fairy tale where fairies and demons lurk in gallows, where the trees grow crooked in a gloomy meadows by the stairs of a castle, castle of lime and cobblestone that rests atop a mountain, with golden gates and feathered servants. You drifted to the top of the mountain and entered its ancient halls, met the king upon his throne, His prince at his right and messenger by his side. I don’t know where you went nor why you left, But just remember I loved you as you loved me, as sure as the sun would rise and as deep as the sea, undying and evergreen.

Art by Ethan Uy (G12)

DIMMER

By Kang Lee (G12) A flickering bulb is merely an incandescent firefly Of which can be a blinking glitter On a whale shark’s starry graceful swim Under the lightless blanket of the void A dark quiet, that is nothing more and nothing less As it cannot be more than it already is

Now don’t open your eyes just yet Just let it be sometimes There’s a reason why it is preferred for dead people to have their eyes closed It wouldn’t make sense to die with eyes opened As if there was still life waiting to be poured out But it was time, oh it was time to go

After all, what is a night without first, a day?

ANG ILAW SA KUWARTO ni Ken Lim (G11)

Patay-buhay ang ilaw sa aking kuwarto ‘di malaman kailan tuluyang mawawala araw-araw mag-isa sa kadiliman nang matagpuan ang isang karamay Matagal nang hindi kumukurap ang ilaw sa loob ng kuwarto ngiti’y kasing liwanag ng isang bituin nang biglang namatay ang ilaw sa kuwarto Namatay na ang ilaw nang tuluyan at hindi na maibabalik bumawi muli ang kadiliman at kalungkutan balak na samahan at nagplano “isang linggo na lang ako dito” Art by Justin Chua (G9)

ANG AKING BEST FRIEND ni Russ Jason Relucio (G11)

Masakit malaman na ako’y mag-isa. Masakit malaman na ako’y nagdurusa. Masakit malaman na ako’y wala nang magawa. Masakit malaman na ako pala.

Mali o Tama ba ang pagsuporta ko sa ’yo sa kanya? Mali o Tama ba na hanggang BFFs lang talaga ang aking kinaya? Mali o Tama ba Ako pala, na ako ay nananatiling nakatulala? Ang dahilan sa lahat ng ito: Mali o Tama ba Sa lahat ng sugat na binuksan ko. ang hindi pagkahiwatig Sa aking mga gintong lihim kinailangan kong ikahon at itago sa damdamin ‘kong para sa ’yo lang, sinta. Upang malunasan ang sugat na nagdurugo. Pero mabuti’t ‘di ka nahulog Alam mo, sa isang tangang hindi nararapat sa ’yo Masakit makita na ika’y ‘di nag-iba, Kaya’t ito lang ang aking masasabi, Masakit makita na ika’y masaya na, Oh, Best Friend ko, Pero ang pinakamasakit makita ay ika’y nasa kamay na ng iba. Sana sinubukan ko lang na naging tayo, kasi ngayon hanggang kaibigan na lang ang maituturing ko sa ’yo.

Opinyon:

pAGBABALIK NG ROTC SA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL isinulat ni Jared Lumanlan (G7)

Ang pagbabalik ng Reserved Officersâ€™ Training Corps (ROTC) ay isang matagal nang pinagdedebatehang isyu sa ating bansa. Ang ROTC ay isang programang nagtuturo ng defense preparedness at edukasyong sibil sa mga estudyante ng kolehiyo hanggang 2001, ang taon kung kailan ito ipinatigil. Ngayon, ipinapanukala ng ating presidente at iba pang mga senador na ibalik ang mandatoryong ROTC sa mga senior high school sa pribado at pampublikong paaralan para ituro ang disiplina at pagiging makabayan sa mga estudyante. Ngunit kung aaralin natin ang programa nang husto, ang mga dinadalang pagbabago ng ROTC ay mas nakakaabala kaysa nakatutulong sa pag-unlad ng ating bansa. Una sa lahat, ang paglalagay ng ROTC sa senior high school ay hindi praktikal dahil sa mga ibaâ€™t ibang responsibilidad ng mga estudyante. Bukod pa sa pag-aaral, ang mga estudyante sa senior high school ay kailangan ding mag-apply sa mga kolehiyo at unibersidad. At kung ikaw ay taga-Xavier, kailangan mo rin maghanda para sa XCE program. Mas lalong mahihirapan din ang mga estudyanteng taga-IB, sapagkat ang kanilang mga aralin sa klase ay ubod na nang hirap. Kung pipilitin ng gobyerno ang pagbabalik ng ROTC, talagang mahihirapan ang mga estudyane na magkaroon ng balanse sa kanilang ibang responsibilidad bilang mga estudyante at ang ROTC. Kapag ako ay lalaki at nag-aaral bilang isang senior high school student sa panahon na may ROTC, sa tingin ko ay hindi ko kakayanin ang hirap at pagod na maidudulot ng programa.

Pangalawa, pinatanggal ang ROTC sa kolehiyo noong 2001 dahil maraming nag-report na

instrumento ito ng korupsyon at hazing. Sa ROTC, sa murang edad ay makakaranas na ng pang-aabuso ang maraming mga bata dahil sa mga kurakot na opisyal. Hindi ba ayaw nating makaranas ng trauma ang ating mga kabataan, ang ating mga estudyante? Nagkaroon din ng kaso sa UST ROTC dati kung saan si Mark Welson Chua na isang kadete ay pinatay ng mga kasama niya sa programa. Dahil dito ginawa ng gobyerno ang Republic Act 9163 o ang tinatawag na National Service Training Program ng 2001, kung saan ay tinanggal ang ROTC bilang isang requirement bago magtapos sa pag-aaral sa kolehiyo o unibersidad. Ang dahilan kung bakit tinanggal ang ROTC ay siya ring dahilan kung bakit hindi natin dapat ibalik ito.

Sa halip ng ROTC, ang isinasagawa sa maraming mga high school ay ang Citizens Army Training (CAT) para sa mga nasa ika-12 na baitang. Katulad ng ROTC, nakabatay ang konsepto ng CAT sa militar na pagsasanay. Datapwat ang malaking kaibahan ng CAT sa ROTC ay kung sino ang may hawak nito: habang ang AFP ang diretsyong may hawak sa mga aktibidad sa ipinapanukalang

ROTC, ayon sa DO 17, s. 1985 na nagbibigay ng tungkulin para sa CAT, ang mga aktibidad at hinihiling ng CAT ay galing sa direksyon ng paaralan. Ang kaibahan na ito ay kung bakit mas ligtas ang mga high school na estudyante galing sa 80s pa hanggang ngayon sa CAT kumpara sa ROTC na ipinatupad sa mga kolehiyo at nais gawing mandatory sa mga senior high school sa kasalukuyan. Ayon sa Sec. 6 ng HB 8961, ang Secretary of National Defense mismo ang magpapanukala ng curriculum para sa ROTC at ang AFP rin ang may diretsyong awtoridad sa lahat ng mga ROTC na aktibidad. Ang kaibahan na ito ay kung bakit mas nakakabuti ang epekto ng CAT, sapagkat ang mga aktibidad nito ay mas ginagawang angkop para sa konteksto ng bawat paaralan at ng kanilang mga estudyante. Bukod dito, mas may kahulugan ang programa nito dahil ang mga aktibidad ay ayon sa kakayahan ng mga estudyante, hindi ayon sa pamantayan ng isang reserve officer. Kung ihahambing natin ang ROTC sa mga mandatoryong pagsisilbi sa militar ng ibang mga bansa, marami itong pagkakapareho. Halimbawa, ang Thailand ay may tinatawag na conscription, kung saan ay kailangan sumali ang mga lalaki na 21-anyos pataas sa isang lottery draft: tuwing Abril, bumubunot ang mga tao ng isang papel na nagsasabi kung sila ay ligtas sa pagsisilbi sa militar o kung kailangan nilang matutong lumaban sa isang digmaan nang dalawang taon. Katulad ng mga problema ng ROTC dati, maraming inirereport na hazing at pang-aabuso sa mga kailangang sumali, kaya balak ng ilang mga opisyal na tanggalin ang buong programa na ito.

Isa pang halimbawa ng mandatoryong military service ay ang pagsisilbi sa militar sa South Korea. Lahat ng lalaki, edad 18 hanggang 28 ay kailangang magsilbi sa militar. Subalit, may mga sikat na personalidad na umiiwas sa programang ito sa pamamagitan ng paglipat ng ibang bansa o sa sadyang pagpapabagsak sa medical examination. Masama ito sapagkat nasasayang din ang mga taon sa militar na pwede namang gamitin upang mag-aral o magkaroon ng trabaho o matupad ang pangarap. Sa mga nagsasabi naman na ang ROTC ay nagtuturo kung paano maging isang mahusay na lider, marami namang mga ibang paraan upang matuto kung paano maging isang mabuting lider. Sa ibaâ€™t ibang eskuwelahan, mayroong mga seminar at programa kung saan itinuturo ang pagiging isang magaling na lider. Halimbawa, ang Xavier School ay may Leadership Training Seminar (LTS) para sa mga class officers at miyembro ng Student Council. Dito ay itinuturo ang kaalaman at mabubuting-asal na kailangan ng isang pinuno: na walang ginagamit na paninigaw, pagpaparusa, at pang-aabuso. Sa konteksto ng mga paaralan katulad ng Xavier, marami ring mga clubs at iba pang mga extracurricular activities na maaaring salihan na makakapagbigay ng tunay na karanasan sa pagiging team-

oriented. Mas epektibo, simple, at masaya ang pagtututo sa ganitong mga paraan kaysa sa ROTC, kung saan ay may marami pang naidudulot na kumplikasyon.

Kapwa sa Xavier, at iba pa. Hindi lamang sa ROTC naituturo ang mabubuting asal at disiplina na inaasahan; maari itong makamtan sa araw-araw na gawain.

Kung ganoon, ano ang maaaring gawin alternatibo sa ROTC? Sa palagay ko, ang ROTC sa senior high ay dapat gawing boluntaryo at hindi isang requirement. Malaki ang populasyon ng ating bansa at marami naman ang gustong magsilbi sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng ROTC o pagsali sa PMA o PNP. Bigyan naman natin sila ng kanilang oportunidad na sumali, ngunit bigyan din ng kalayaan na hindi sumali ang mga ayaw sumali sa programa. Kailangan din nating tandaan na magkaiba ang pisikal na paglaki ng katawan ng bawat magaaral. May mga estudyante na tiyak na mahihirapan kasunod sa mga pisikal na pagsasanay dahil lamang sa kanilang pisikal na katangian.

Ang mga asal na nais nating matutunan ng bawat Pilipino ay nagsisimula sa pundasyon ng isang makatao at makabayang Pilipino. Dapat munang bigyang pansin ang pagbuo at pagtatatag ng ating pagkatao upang lubusan din nating maunawaan ang pangangailangan ng ating bansa na siyang layunin ng serbisyo ng ROTC. Sa aking palagay, ang unang hakbang para sa mga Xaverians na magbago sa ganitong paraan ay ang pagsasabuhay ng ating 6Cs.

Kung gusto rin ng pamahalaan na magturo ng disiplina sa mga estudyante, maaari namang gawin ito hindi lamang sa pamamagitan ng ROTC, kung saan ay madalas ito ang nagiging pagkakataon para sa pangaabuso. Sa munting paraan ay puwede na natin ipakita ang pagiging makabayan at may disiplina-halimbawa, sa pagrespeto sa watawat, pagiging alerto sa mga emergency drills, pagboluntaryo sa service projects katulad ng Lingap

Sa konklusyon, marami ang mga nakakatulong na paraan para ituro ang disiplina bukod pa sa pamamagitan ng ROTC, at lahat sila ay hindi kagaya ng ROTC na madaling gawing pagkakataon upang mang-abuso ng tao. Kapag ipinatupad ng gobyerno ang mandatoryong programang ROTC, mas marami ang mga mahihirapan na mag-aaral ng senior high. Gayunpaman, kailangan ng ating gobyerno na pumili ng ibang paraan para umunlad ang kanilang adbokasiya ng disiplina at pagmamahal sa bayan.

Opinyon:

pAGBABALIK NG ROTC SA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL isinulat ni Jared Lumanlan (G7)

Pangalawa, pinatanggal ang ROTC sa kolehiyo noong 2001 dahil maraming nag-report na

oriented. Mas epektibo, simple, at masaya ang pagtututo sa ganitong mga paraan kaysa sa ROTC, kung saan ay may marami pang naidudulot na kumplikasyon.

Kapwa sa Xavier, at iba pa. Hindi lamang sa ROTC naituturo ang mabubuting asal at disiplina na inaasahan; maari itong makamtan sa araw-araw na gawain.

香港返送

Photos care of David Butow @davidbutow davidbutow@gmail.com www.davidbutow.com

香港返送 hong kong protests By Harry Yap (G12)

相

信大家都知道现在的香港已经不如以往了，最近抗议事件成为香港有史以来最黑暗的日子，闹得整个城市鸡飞狗跳。近月数十万人在香港举行抗议活动，反对政府允许将犯罪嫌疑人引渡到中国大陆的计划。这是香港历史上规模最大的示威活动之一，也是人们对公民自由受到侵蚀的担忧和愤怒上升的又一迹象。长期以来，公民自由一直是这座半自治城市与中国大陆的一大区别。返送法律是什么?返送允许香港转移跟它没有引渡协议的地区的通缉人，这些包含印度、印尼、菲律宾、斯里蘭卡等19個国家签有的逃犯移交协议，但这又是因为什么呢?这是因为在2018年初的时候一名香港人陈同佳在台湾旅行中杀害了怀孕女友，并且抛弃了尸体后逃回香港。凶手和受害者都属于香港人民，但却因为香港与台湾并没有引渡条款导致即使凶手认罪，香港也无法进行法律的判决。因为如此造成香港只能以洗黑钱为名判狱29个月，也因台港兩地無引渡協議，士林地方法院僅能發表時效長達 37年的通緝，香港政府以此為由，推動《逃犯條例》的修法。原本这条方案是很合规的也协助港台更轻松的通缉嫌疑人，但香港政府却在条规里加入不合规的条规。香港政府提出香港都可以在未签订「逃犯移交」协议下，移交在港罪犯到其他犯罪管辖国家或地區，包含中国大陆。加入规矩成立，未來后决定是否移交逃

犯的权力从原本需要香港立法会同意，转变成不需经过代议制度的审查，只需香港特首及法庭同意能将逃犯移交給中国，也就是說，一旦中国官方捏造了不实证据，嫌疑人也几乎沒有辩驳的可能。香港政府讨论要求在6月12号发生一些变化，警方使用胡椒喷雾，警棍，及多数的催泪弹驱散抗议者。人们因此开始反抗向警方投掷物品。警方以捕数百人，活动人士把释放被关押者加入了他們的要求清单，抗議、冲突和破坏的序环目前还沒有明确的结束迹象。数千名抗议者开始反抗，暴力大力增加导致林郑月娥压力更大，因此6月 15号林郑暂停了引渡法安，但她却拒绝完全撤回法案。虽说林郑暂停了方案。抗议者认为林郑是在拖延时间所以坚持抗议要求正式撤回法案，同时要求林郑下台并且对警方进行黑警调查。6月16号是香港历史以来最大游行大约200万人口加入，也都是非暴力人民，但为什么人民现在会这么暴躁呢? 这是因为香港最黑暗的元朗恐袭事件，晚上10点地铁站附近出现一大批白衣男子乱暴打人民，这些包括游行后返家的示威人士、记者、议员、地铁站内的乘客等。于是，在元朗地铁站内，鲜血飞溅，惨叫不断，一夜间，肃杀之气弥漫。事发后10分钟后救医人员马上赶到，但却迟迟不见警员出现。即使有人民报警求救，警方也还是狠心没理人民们，这也是让香港人最伤心的事情，有黑警串通黑帮打自己人，而且暴徒针对的不是某个

中共仇视的团体或个人，而是无差别地殴打市民，旨在制造全港范围的恐怖效应。本次恐袭白衣人手持铁棍等凶器，成队行凶，有人不戴口罩，面带笑容，甚至嚣张。事发当晚，立法会议员何君尧与白衣人握手交谈，向其道谢并且称白衣人为英雄。何君尧之前曾在媒体前表示，如果有示威者敢到元朗，就找人打他个片甲不留。让香港人伤心的不止元朗恐袭事件，也是因为有黑警暴打人民，也开枪打学生，乱捕无辜者。这也是五大诉求的起源。五大起诉是什么呢? 1.撤回返送条规，2.释放被捕人员停止白色暴力，3.追究黑警和警察私用權利，4.平反612暴动定型，和 5. 林郑下台。虽说现在林郑以撤回返送条规，但示威却还没结束，只要五大诉求有差一条，香港人就会继续加油保护国家。这也是为什么10月4号是香港最黑暗的一夜，大量示威者暴砸有关中国商店，也破坏所有地铁站，纵火烧店以这些暴行表示示威，代表香港人守护国家的精神。但是因为这些导致香港经济大幅下降，整个国家破碎。虽说这些暴力代表着香港精神也让人佩服，带也违反了香港人的承诺。香港人都说保护我国，不让入侵，但却亲手破坏香港环境。我觉得这件事件也是一件很让人尊敬的事件，人们为自己的祖国，家人和后代战斗。

我应该追求真实的自己吗？ should i pursue my true self? By Fei Peng (Kevin) Chen

我

想问你们一个问题：”不符合多数人口中的【正常】，就理所当然被误解吗？” 甚至还有人觉得：”如果你不希望继续被误解，就停止做真实的自己”。传统的社会观念和教育方法大大地影响了我们现代人的三观，同时也限制了我们的思想和包容空间，从而导致了对待事物的不同的看法和角度。我本人觉得，真正地做到理解自我的过程会很漫长，在这个过程中，你可能连自己想要什么都不知道，很多时候会缺乏安全感，也会感受到孤独，承受压力和低落的情绪。面对这样的困境，了解自己到底最想要什么？这样才会找到人生的方向和意义。你会渐渐地学会不在乎别人的看法，你也会逐渐地意识到，原来你可以做你自己。在成为自己的过程中，你必须接受自己的不足，只有接受真实的自己，才会变得越来越自信。你所做的一切都应该来自内心深处的想法或喜好。不要让别人影响你的选择，因为你有权利去追求你想要的人生。

我这一生都很在意别人对我的看法，导致了我很少顾及自己的感受。不友善的他们说的那些话一句句都在我心里留下了阴影和痕迹。因为你不经意的一句话，让我回顾了以往的日子？每一次都这样，无能为力的我，只能在一旁默默地安慰自己。天真又柔弱的我，表面上看起来可能完全没事儿，但是我的真实情感和想法

却不能表现出来。我总觉得自己被困在一个孤独的世界，找不到自身的价值。我不想一个人去面对这些。那我应该做些什么呢？当我意识到一张善良的脸和温和的态度，换不来尊重时，我就会把自己真实的想法展示出来。很多人问我：” 有人这样批评你，你都不会很难过吗？”谁被攻击了不会难过？我知道有人可以喜欢我，也有人可以不喜欢我。他们两个角度是不一样的，所以不管我做再多，或是做得再好，一定会有人不喜欢！有时候我真的只想听一个不像谎言的谎言，虽然我知道这是在自欺欺人，但是我宁愿这样，因为我内心会得到肯定和安全感。总的来说，人生真的太短了，用

Art by John Paul Sabater (G12)

你一生的时间来在意别人的目光，实在是不值。索性活得漂亮！做真实的自己，留下一些美好的回忆，因为你值得拥有更好的，更真实的人生。最后，期望看完这篇文章的读者，可以更在乎自己。人生的意义要自己去寻找。让自己忙起来，生活会变得更精彩。人生是你自己的，请你自己决定。不要因为挫折，而否定自己。坚信自信的自己会是最漂亮的。希望你们从这篇文章中收获自信，勇气，认同，共鸣，也希望大家从客观的角度看待世界上的每一个人，包容所有人的一切，不要被偏见影响，不要戴有色眼镜去看待世界，要善待每一个人。

旅游的好处 the BENEFITS of traveling By Shaun Kho (G12)

为什么你要去旅遊？对我来说，旅遊有众多的好处。好处如下：

你会对世界有更深的了解。旅游让你亲身体验五花八门的文化。去旅游期间，你能吃各种各样的当地饭菜，看丰富多彩的名胜古迹，及过千万的马路。世界上有一百多国家，每个都有自己的文化，传统，和特色。多旅游会收获多知识，让你对世界有更深的了解。

迷路带来的好处。虽然迷路是个坏的经历，但它有好的效果。例如，我去深圳的时候，我找不到原来的旅游团了,原来是我跟错别的旅游团观光了！首先我感到非常担心，但放松一下，考虑该怎么办? 我觉得应该把这次旅游当作冒险。在经过一段时间的寻找之后，终于，我找到了我的旅游团，克服这个挑战。在深圳迷路让我培养责任心。我十分相信迷路会培养你的责任心和冒险精神。

旅游考验你的耐心。谁喜欢在一个地方等很长时间？只有一个小时我就想走了。但每逢我去旅游我都要排队。比如：到达机场需要排队，到达老字号或五星级饭店需要排很长的队，到达名胜古迹或著名的地方等好久才能观光。可是，长时间的等待有好处，这些好处能让你成为一个比较有耐心的人。耐心很重要，如果要是你有耐心的话，虽然你等了很长时间，你还不会发脾气。

可以丰富你的经历。钱不能买到旅游带给我的享受和快乐。我买到的纪念品，拍到的照片，尝过的食品，看过的风景，及去过的名胜古迹比钱更重要, 它们永远在我心里。

总之，旅游都是个难忘的经历。旅游让你发展你自己的能力，培养正面的优点。它也能让你对世界感兴趣，迷路，，和久等，，也能丰富你的经历。对我来说，旅游能让你全面发展。虽然我只写四个好处，但我相信旅游的好处还有千万的千万万。我就写到这里了，祝你旅途愉快！

我菲律宾大学申请经历

my experience in applying for philippine colleges By Shaun Kho (G12)

被

菲律宾大学录取不容易，除了有很难的入学考试及竞争激烈之外，每年的录取率也不高。在这篇文章，我会讨论一下菲律宾大学申请经历。

第一部分：申请申请菲律宾大学可以在网上进行。虽然有人说在网上做事比较方便，但我觉得还是比较麻烦，因为你要先开户并记得自己的账户密码，同时提供你的电邮地址。如果想用自己的网上账户，菲律宾大学会发一封电邮给你。这手续让菲律宾大学查一下是否你用的电邮位置确实你的。我以为我立刻收到它们的邮，但我等了很久才收到这个。做账户后，我在网上填了一张申请表，做完就打印出来。我也打印出来另外的申请表。这张表含有我的高学成绩，是校长填的。菲律宾大学的申请手续是免费的，但是我还要付钱。这是因为光启学校帮我做我的申请，所以它们有个手续费。我只要收到我的入学考试许可证才能考菲律宾大学的入学考试。对我来说，其中所有的部分，做申请最轻松的。

第二部分：复习

据说，每个考试前必须努力复习。如果你想通过菲律宾大学的入学考试，复习特别重要，所以我很早就开始复习了。有些题目我可能忘记了，所以我去网上复

习了一下这些题目。因为这个考试在我的学期中，所以我原来又学习新课又复习旧课。我感到非常忙，每一个分钟都有要做的事。每天睡觉前我累死了，想放弃，但我知道我一定要复习如果我想克服这个挑战。虽然我觉得复习很累，但它让我全面发展。除了复习题目以外，我也有经历交新朋友。在学校复习期间我发现有个小团也在复习。原来是他们有困难了解一个重要的题目，所以我参加了他们的小团帮一下他们。不但我帮他们，而且他们帮我了解我觉得难的题目。终于，我们互相帮助，互相了解题目，而且成为好朋友。他们确实给我我需要的意志加油。

了。所有的复习是为我通过这个考试。我进来考试房知道我的将来都在考试卷上。

第四部分：回答问题

菲律宾大学入学考试有四个部分：英语和菲语水平，数学，科学，和英语和菲语阅读。考试用 “正确减去错误” 的式样, 所以我也要考虑回不回答一个问题。如果我十分不知道正确的回答，我就不回答那个问题了。我回答英语和菲语水平问题的时候发现时间快到了。只有五分钟，但我还要回答二十个问题。数学和科学部分我都觉得不太难。为了我能回答每个问题，我回答比较快。对我来说，其中全部的部分，菲语阅读最难的。不但我看不懂菲语的文章故事，而且我原来不回答第三部分：考试三个月复习后，二十多问题。考试完我就感考期到了。那天，我感到非到担心。常紧张，不能放松。考试从下午十二点到下午五点，所第五部分：久等以我上午八点就起床了。吃我要等到明年三月才早饭后我就去看电视，希望能知道考试的结果。很多看电视能让我轻松一下，但问题在我的脑里，例如：“ 我还是特别紧张。“为什么我考得怎么样？”“及不及虽然我复习完所有的应该学格？”。真的激烈的久等。的题目，我紧张得要命？” 可是，我最近体验到了我交菲律宾大学离我家很远，所到的朋友与收获的知识经历以我很早就坐车去哪儿了。比考试结果十分重要。及不为了我不饿，妈妈买了一个及格，这些经历特别难忘，套餐给我。坐车期间我一边让我全部的经历有意思。对吃午饭一边听音乐。这些活我来说，这个经历不是关于动帮我多轻松，少紧张。路及格，反而是关于加油，增上堵车死了，所以我抽空去强知识，和交朋友。要是你睡觉以及放松。到达菲律宾不及格，你将来还有众多的大学，我相信我确实准备好机会成功。

汉语的重要性 The importance of chinese By Jason Young (G11)

中

华上下五千年，有着悠久辉煌的历史文化。中文博大精深，词汇丰富。随着中国在国际上的地位逐渐上升，学习中文，掌握中文，是经济全球化的必然趋势，是一股不可阻挡的潮流。到底学习中文有什么好处呢？

第一点，旅游的时候会更方便。事实上，许多地方的人都会说汉语，从北京到新加坡，有很多人都使用这种语言。因此，如果您想让自己的旅途更省钱，学到更多知识，能更加的融入当地的环境，就必须学习这种语言。最重要的是，学会汉语后，你可以更轻松地与当地人交流，而且能更加了解当地文化，不需要依靠导游的解说。第二点，汉语是一个在中国经商的利器。许多居住在中国境内和境外的母语人士都使用这种语言。通过学习中文，你与中国公司合作的可能性会更大。中国商业伙伴非常尊重那些花时间学习语言的人，过多地依赖翻译会妨碍你与中国商业伙伴的联系，并且会影响你与他们建立良好的私人关系。当不再需要翻译器时，谈判也变得更加顺利。并非每个中国人都会去学英语。实际上，中国很多人，尤其是北京和上海以外的人，都不懂英语。通过学习说中文，可以轻松地在中国许多城市旅行和经商。第三点，学会中文能帮助自己更加深入地了解中国文化。学习汉语，不仅仅是在学习这门语言，你还能了解更多关于这个国家的各个方面。例如中国的政治、经济和历史，学习汉语最终意味着学习一种文化，认识一个民族。中华民族文明的核心价值观体现在其丰富的文学作品中，像小说、诗歌、戏剧以及电影等。它们反映了这个伟大民族的价值观和奋斗史，其中的情感、喜乐和悲伤，能够让人们了解过去。这些文学作品能让您了解这个国家的深厚底蕴。学会在中国的环境中能轻松自如地沟通是成功的一半，但是能够了解语言背后的文化则是另一回事。汉语的实用性很高，通过交流学会汉语，并能流利的沟通，可以让自己有很多优势。学习中文不仅会让自己的旅途更方便，还是一个在中国经商的利器而且能帮助自己更加深入地了解中国文化。

The big question: What is the craziest thing that happened to you in class? ANONYMOUS One time when I was teaching, the room began to smell like sulfur and rotten egg. I was waiting for the smell to fade away, until I saw another student try to spray the air to neutralize the smell, only for the smell to get worse. That’s when I said: “Class, if anyone of you has a bad stomach, please go to the infirmary.” Someone then stood up and asked for my permission to go out, and the smell eventually dissipated.

Mr. Monfero

One of my students (they were G10 back then) shouted “Happy Birthday, Mr. Monfero!” during my lunch supervision in the canteen. This happened in mid-July, and my birthday is in March. When I went into his classroom for my last period class, the boards were filled with writings, all of them greeting me a happy birthday. The news soon spread to the upper batch where my advisory class was, and after that, my upper batch classes started greeting me “Happy Birthday” every single day. It continued onto the following school year, with one of my Math classes even singing it to me—I did not greet them a good morning anymore, because, after the prayer, they would just sing the Happy Birthday song. It lasted for I think three quarters until the last day of class before their final exams, just before they graduated.

Mr. Wong

Mr. Reclusado

One of the craziest and funniest moments I ever had while teaching in XS happened during advisory. I said a little something like: “Gentlemen, for your guidance period today, you’ll be going to the auditorium for a batch talk. All valuables must be placed in your lockers, like your iPads. Remember gentlemen, you’re not allowed to bring your lockers with you to the auditorium...” After a brief moment of confusion as to what I had just said, I realized that all the students were already laughing.

Mr. Buen

There was this one time I was doing a lecture in class and I was looking at a particular area in the room. Then I saw a student taking out a sandwich, ready to secretly take a bite. So I looked at him, and suddenly he looked at me when he was about to take a bite. He saw me looking at him, but, instead of keeping the sandwich, he took a bite. Then he laughed. Then I laughed. Then everyone in the class laughed. Then I gave him a Green Slip.

Ms. De Asis

During my first year of teaching when I taught grade 7, I was doing the usual thing. I was discussing a lesson when, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, one of my students stands up and puts his pants down. I don’t remember the reason he gave for it, but I was so shocked I didn’t really know what to do. I just ended up telling his class adviser and I eventually had to give him a Green Slip for it.

Mr. Mangibin

During our A-Day party, our class told us we would be having lechon. However, when we were about to open it, a student popped out.

Somebody farted while I was discussing and ‘di ko napigil so I shouted, “Ang baho!” Everybody burst out laughing.

The big question: What is the craziest thing that happened to you in class? Anonymous One time when I was teaching, the room began to smell like sulfur and rotten egg. I was waiting for the smell to fade away, until I saw another student try to spray the air to neutralize the smell, only for the smell to get worse. That’s when I said: “Class, if anyone of you has a bad stomach, please go to the infirmary.” Someone then stood up and asked for my permission to go out, and the smell eventually dissipated.

Mr. Monfero

One of my students (they were G10 back then) shouted “Happy Birthday, Mr. Monfero!” during my lunch supervision in the canteen. This happened in mid-July, and my birthday is in March. When I went into his classroom for my last period class, the boards were filled with writings, all of them greeting me a happy birthday. The news soon spread to the upper batch where my advisory class was, and after that, my upper batch classes started greeting me “Happy Birthday” every single day. It continued onto the following school year, with one of my Math classes even singing it to me--I did not greet them a good morning anymore, because, after the prayer, they would just sing the Happy Birthday song. It lasted for I think three quarters until the last day of class before their final exams, just before they graduated.

Mr. Wong

Mr. Reclusado

Mr. Buen

Ms. De Asis

Mr. Mangibin

During our A-Day party, our class told us we would be having lechon. However, when we were about to open it, a student popped out.

Somebody farted while I was discussing and ‘di ko napigil so I shouted, “Ang baho!” Everybody burst out laughing.

Art by Justin Chua (G9)

Art by the Stallion Art Department SY 2019-2020

Art by Justin Chua (G9)

Art by the Stallion Art Department SY 2019-2020

Art by Justin Chua (G9)

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