Category: Opinion

Stan or Make a Stand?

LAST Mar. 27, the Bedan Electoral Committee (BELCOM) announced the official list of candidates aiming for a position in the Student Executive Council (SEC) for A.Y. 2024-2025. The roster comprises new and old faces: the Bedan party-list and two independent candidates running for President. In this kind of situation, students are either rooting for the candidates themselves only or the platforms that can hopefully be of service to the Bedan community. The question is, what kind of student are you?

Informational Content is not where the Money is

TIMES are forever evolving in traditional news dissemination and public discourse, with the rampant digital media taking over. The sudden closure of CNN Philippines is a prime example of how something is incapable of keeping up with the trend; there is a high chance that it will become obsolete and fall behind the interest of an audience. But isn’t this CNN? A highly acclaimed multinational news network? How could such a big name not thrive in a country that begs for more reliable sources of information?

Searching for Hope in a Hopeless Country

CORRUPTION or the “misuse of public power for private profit” truncates resource allocation and hampers the availability of vital services to marginalized societies: this also undermines people’s confidence or lack of it in the government’s inclination toward public welfare. This has been a long-standing problem in the Philippines. But one begs the question: How long will this persist?

We will all end up losers

“TAMA NGA KAMI. TANGA NGA KAYO.” These were words in a graphic art seen online as various Kakampinks, supporters of former vice president Leni Robredo and former Senator Kiko Pangilinan, circulated online at the start of the month. These posts circulated after the continuous lapse of the government and the breakdown of “UniTeam,” the political party of President Bongbong Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte, who seemingly lost their unity after its win during the elections.

The Woes of Stan Culture

BEING a fan of something, whether a person, show, sport, music, or even an animal, creates a ripple within our inner psyche. It becomes a drive that inspires us, evokes a sense of untapped happiness and excitement, perhaps motivating us to finish that research paper or even being an underlying force that leads to a long-term celebrity couple breaking up, TV shows getting canceled, concerts not selling out, or even leading a person to lose their career, reputation, and everything they’ve worked hard for. And that’s where it ends. It’s all fun and games until it’s not.

Balancing Sampling and Interpolation in Foreign Music

IN the world of music, interpolation involves integrating elements such as melodies, rhythms, or lyrics from one song into another. At the same time, sampling entails taking a portion of a sound recording and reusing it in a different song or composition. But why discuss these techniques? In recent years, they have become the music industry’s favored strategy in composition. Recent examples are abundant: “Got Me Started” by Troye Sivan borrows the synth melody from “Shooting Stars” by Bag Raiders, “I’m Good” by Bebe Rexha ft. David Guetta lifts the vocal melody from the 1998 hit “Blue” by Eiffel 65, “That Way” by Lil Uzi Vert borrows the chorus from The Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” and many more. Consequently, the question persists: are these methods displays of sheer brilliance or signs of creative bankruptcy?

Does Manifestation Work Without a Grain of Effort?

“SHARE this post to pass your exam,” “Interact 3x to claim positive energy,” and more are what we often see on social media platforms. Does simply liking, sharing, and commenting on a random post we see online bring the result we want, or is it plainly for engagements? Some might believe that interacting with these posts would directly impact the outcome we are after, call this a form of ‘manifestation,’ and do nothing.

We are the Protagonists of the World

HAVE you ever felt like waking up one day with perfect bed hair and supple skin, turning off your alarm even before it starts ringing, and blasting your favorite music as you get ready to conquer the day and embrace the challenges of adulting? Apparently, this phenomenon is called “Main Character Syndrome,” a term coined by users on TikTok. Those who have “Main Character Syndrome” are said to project themselves as the protagonist, viewing their life through rose-colored glasses and romanticizing everything remotely related to them.