Take a trip down memory lane.

I asked my classmates about what they put in their photo blogs. They all said that they put something about SLU - its history, the campuses, etc. Well, I want to be different. Although my blog post isn't exactly related to the description given to us (Sir Tabor basically told us to make a photo blog for SLU), I think it would be okay to blog about the people I've met and the memories I've shared with my SLU family.

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I want to start off with my club-mates. Because SLU offers clubs and groups you can join in, have had the chance to make friends with other students, whether they be older or younger than me.





I like being a part of the clubs offered, like the THE (Technology and Home Economics) club, GSP (Girl Scouts of the Philippines), and much more. They hold activities often which give us chances to be social with others, and also to improve ourselves in a certain field.

upper: GSP Cook-Out held last Oct. 2, 2010.
lower: THE Club Grotto clean-up last October 9, 2010



Second, my previous classmates who've become good friends of mine. Being in the Science section is tough, and we never get any new classmates, which is the downside of being in a special section. That is why I try as much as possible to never loose my connections to my friends in the Regular section. Although I rarely see them nowadays due to scheduling conflicts and overloading work, I don't want to forget the times we had shared as good friends.

(right: Reeann, Karen, Michaela, and I at Abigail's house)




Third, and most of all, my 3 Mapagpakumbaba family and our honorary members (Liezel, Lianne, Joseph, Irwin, Trevor, Clarisse, Andrea S., etc). Most of us have already met each other before being combined in one section during our second year. Right now, 3Sci is mainly made up of the students from 1SciA, followed by the 1SciB kids, and lastly, the 1SciC-ers. We've all experienced what a hard job it is to stay in the Science section, being trimmed to 19 students this year. We may have a few problems sometimes, but we all work together to fix things. We don't always agree, and there is some bitterness and resentment left sometimes, but we always try to change that. How could we not? We've all been together for almost 3 years now, and we will (hopefully) be together again for our 4th year in high school.


We've had good times, bad times. Through thick and thin, we stand and put up a fight. We don't let personal matters affect how we work (most of the time), and that's why we Sci students come (usually) come out on top.

Let's take a trip down memory lane.

This photo was taken at the Science and Math exhibit in the school's attic. For the whole period, we got to goof around and have fun while trying out the cool projects made by us and our schoolmates.

This one was taken in our classroom. We were spelling random words, and Lycon wanted to spell out "Totoy," an inside joke in 3Sci.

This one was taken outside the classroom, during dismissal on the day of our Sayawit presentation. The hats were part of our costume, and we were having fun with the camera.







This one was taken at Aaron's family's house after we had our project-making there. Not really effective, because since almost everyone was there, we had too much fun. I remember our group barely doing our project (luckily we were able to pass it on time)





This one was taken at Easter Gym, during the basketball semi-finals (SLU Cubs VS UC Jaguars). This is an instance of where our ex-classmates Trevor, Joseph, and Irwin hang out with us, even if they're not our classmates anymore. I think it's great that even if they're in the Regular section now, they still visit us every day.





Okay, so maybe I didn't follow the parameters of this assignment; I was supposed to make a photo blog post about SLU, and I didn't follow the instruction, but I sure had fun reminiscing about the good times we had. Sir told us to make a photoblog FOR SLU, but I think this was better. See, my logic in doing this was to talk about some fond moments I've had because of SLU, thus implying that I am really privileged to be studying in SLU, (which is celebrating its centennial soon), and making it a sort of thank you post to SLU. I don't know, maybe I'll get a low grade for this. Nonetheless, if I am to receive a bad grade, I won't complain. I like this post. I was smiling the entire time I was writing it (tired as I was). I hope to make more happy memories like these, and I'm happy I get to make them because I go to school in Saint Louis University - Laboratory High School. :D

I owe SLU a LOT.

SLU will be celebrating its centennial next year, and everyone's excited about it. Of course, because so far, it's the biggest milestone our school has ever achieved. It's not every day that something is commemorated for surviving a hundred years (unless there's an international centennial commission of some sort).

After studying in SLU for about more than 7 years now (since second grade), I can confirm that SLU truly is a good school. No, wait, scratch that. Saint Louis University is a GREAT school. I am proud to be a Louisian, I am proud to wear my uniform, and (although many people don't) I always have my ID with me. I really love SLU, and I will never forget my fond memories of this admirable institution.

We were tasked to write a blog post about our gift to SLU. I could think of a few things, like prayers, or help in their outreach programs, or a poster to display somewhere on campus (here I go again, wanna-be artist), maybe a video about how much we love SLU. I've been thinking.... A class project, maybe. A video montage showing us students asking random people what they think of SLU. We should do it sometime! :D

With the amount of time given for this assignment, it won't be possible to do some of the things listed above. Maybe, if I had the chance, I would try to accomplish something for SLU. But then I was thinking-- Wouldn't excelling in my studies count as my gift to SLU? If I do well in my studies, well enough to get recognition, wouldn't that put SLU's name out there? I owe my stellar grades to the countless teachers who've molded me into what I am today. Without the guidance of our amazing teachers, we would get nowhere. "Kung 'di ka mag-aral, may maaatupag ka ba?" This is what my relatives always remind me of. I know, I know. Without school, I will end up nowhere. And right now, I'm not exactly where I want to be, but I'm slowly getting there. That is why I owe SLU so much.

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Coming from Christian school all of her short life, I would like to present an extremely short prayer/poem as my gift to SLU on it's centennial.


Saint Louis University is the Light of The North
Excellent students it brings forth
With the help and guidance of Father all powerful,
SLU has become a wonderful school

Almighty Father whose words are full of greatness
We thank you for our school's success
Thank You for the love during the hundred years,
We hope to bring the Louisian to new frontiers


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Now, I know what you're thinking, "Yan lang? Bakit ang ikli?" Fear not, dear readers, I have a whole lifetime to show how much SLU has made an impact on my life, short as it is. As much as I loved being an elementary school student (you know, running around and stuff), I would have been a different person had I gone to another school. All the people who've met me know that I'm very "patriotic" to my school, and that I am very proud of it. SLU is my paradise, and I love my school. It doesn't matter whether I'm top of the class or even bottom of the heap, I'm simply happy that I can stay in such a great learning institution.

I love my LHS

Baguio celebrated its centennial on the 1st of September, and guess what? Saint Louis University will be celebrating its centennial in 2011. So, happy 100th, SLU.

SLU has come a long way, and the entire of next year, including this December, will be spent commemorating the impact SLU has had on Baguio City, Northern Luzon, and the rest of the country.

In 1907, CICM Missionaries arrived in the Philippines, and they saw that the Cordilleras has not been penetrated by the Spaniards spreading Christianity at the time.

SLU had humble beginnings. It was started in 1911 by Rev Fr Séraphin Devesse, CICM, as a one-room catechism school for less than a dozen local boys. Four years after Fr Devesse started the school, intermediate grades and a trade school were started, and six years after that, the high school division was inaugurated; this was Saint Louis School.

On May 13 1963, SLS was conferred University status by the Philippine Government, which later grew to be the Light of the North we all know and love. SLU is considered as one of the most excellent educational institutions in the Philippines, because of this, it has been called the center of education north of Metro Manila.

Saint Louis University is celebrating it's centennial next year, so let's party! :D

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SLU-LHS is my home, my paradise. I've been a "Louisian" ever since my family moved here in 2003 from Tarlac City, Tarlac and enrolled me in Saint Louis University - Laboratory Elementary School. I was a generally mediocre student, nothing special; but being a student in one of the most prestigious schools in the region made me feel special. Lousians are known to be competent, socially involved, creative, and Christian-spirited -- and that's right. We Louisians are competent; we come out on top in national and international competitions. We're socially involved; we have community outreach programs. We're creative; we show off our talents and color up our school. And we're Christian-spirited, we true Christians, we believe in God.

I love my school. I love the campus (even if we encounter dog/cat crap every once in a while in the hallways). I love the teachers (even if there are some teachers who are, well, not-so-lenient). I love all the events that transpire in my school (from the Intrams, to prom, to the Christmas Cantata). Everything about my school is great. Albeit we do no have the best of the best - we're not as high-tech as some schools in the country - we still produce dome of the brightest kids out there. Look, if you want your kid to be successful in life, send him to SLU-LHS. Seriously. I'm not bluffing or anything. I'm not over-selling SLU to you guys, but really, it is the best out there. (I'm starting to sound like some kind of salesman or something. Let's move on.)

They say high school is the best years of our lives, and I think they, whoever "they" are, are right. As Charles Dickens wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." I think this is a very fitting description/overview of what high school is like. It is indeed the best of times, where you make more friends, develop your talents, make it big, improve yourself, and let the raging hormones take over and all in love. It is also the worst of times, where we experience tons and tons of homework, are pressured to excel, experience pain and heartbreak, and so much more.

I’ve only been a high school student for less than three years now, and I can confidently say that these times are going to stay in my memories forever. I’ve made new friends (however hard a task that was for me), I’ve learned new things about myself, and I’ve fallen in love. Ha ha ha ha. I love being in high school, and being in Saint Louis University – Laboratory High School has made all the difference.

slightly unrelated. I'm gonna go off topic now, but HAVE YOU SEEN THIS VIDEO?

Since I finished my requirements for THE class, I thought it would be fun to just blog. Now, the people who know me personally, know that I am really in to animation and drawing. So, short as this blog post is, I just wanted to post this video I found on thedailywh.at :)



[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLpkjtWuPs8&feature=player_embedded]

From his eyes,

“Of the five senses, vision is the one I appreciate the most,” said Scott McCloud on his talk about comics. I can actually relate. I’m no artist, but I love art; all forms of art, really. Visual, digital, musical, literary – I live to see what’s been spiking up the art waves. To be honest, I would rather lose my hearing than lose my sight. Why, you ask? I don’t think living without seeing the beauty of life is a life worth living. I’m trying to not insult/offend the handicapped, but it’s a personal goal of mine to see as much art as I can, mostly visual, and take in whatever art I see. To do that, I really don’t need to hear, I just need to catch a glimpse of it. There are many problems involved in art theory, even with a simple a topic such as comics. And that is where great art in any media comes from- from people looking for answers and struggling problems.

Scott McCloud, whose real name is Scott McLeod, is a comic book artist and theorist. I’ve never read any of his works, but by his talk, I can see that he truly understands comics as an art. I saw one of his quotes once, on the corner of a page of an art magazine. At the time, it was just another small, insignificant quote. It read, “Comics is a powerful idea, but an idea that's been squandered, ignored and misunderstood for generations. No art form has lived in a smaller box than comics for the last hundred years. It's time for comics to finally grow up and find the art beneath the craft.” It got me thinking – have comics really been misunderstood as nothing but silly pictures in tiny boxes? Has everything about comics, the art that it is, been twisted into the idea that they are mere representations of a story? I don’t understand. To most, comics are just cartoons . Yes, I, too, thought that at first. Of course, I was just a kid then; I loved looking at the Sunday cartoons in the newspaper. Garfield, and the Peanuts kids were my breakfast cereal companions. The usual four-panel strips were my inspiration for what I now work on – my own “manga” (Japanese comics).

Based on the talk, it was said (in a way) that comics transcend through paper – they are not just drawings on a piece of paper that have speech and thought bubbles, with white borders surrounding them. No, comics are more than that. They are filled with history, they can prove that space moves with time, they have deeper aspects. McCloud said that there are four basic principles included in vision:

a) Learn from everyone – have something to look up to.

b) Follow no one – although you have a model to emulate, make it your own.

c) Watch for patterns – patterns are what makes art so interesting.

d) Work like hell – this is something everyone needs, basically.

Now THOSE are steps to live by. Simple. Easy to understand. Just what everyone needs.