The Wrecking Struggles Of A Freshman

Hey, it’s been quite a start for me as a freshman: reaching the Dean’s List, having good performance in The Purveyor, (yada, yada...) I just met new sets of friends and cute & beautiful ladies! I mean, guys, can't you just feel your adrenaline & testosterone levels rising? What else to enjoy about college??

Anyways, I planned to write a unique blog featuring my high school batch-mates. I kinda miss 'em (*sniff). But where the heck in the world are they now!? That's why I took the attempt to ask through Facebook 100 Students, including myself, enrolling in 28 different degrees in over 13 schools nationwide, “WHAT’S HARD OF BEING A FRESHMAN?”

These random aspiring professional interviewees are composed of:

...19% Accountants & Businessmen

...19% Private Practitioners

...19% Engineers & Architects

...9% Computer Techies

...8% Chefs

...5% Aeronautic Specialists

...5% Diplomats & Spokespersons

...5% Educators

...5% Media Men

...5% Psychologists

...1% Artist

And voila! Here's the lucky hundred I've talked with.

UNIV. OF STO. TOMAS  UNIV. OF THE PHILS. - CEBU  SAINT THERESA'S COLLEGE  DON BOSCO TECHNOLOGICAL CENTER  CEBU NORMAL UNIV.  ( 7 replies )

The Chosen Few... Because some schools are TOO MAINSTREAM! haha.

CEBU AERONAUTICAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL, INDIANA AEROSPACE UNIVERSITY (5 replies)

Someday we're gonna see 'em flying all over the world! Guys, don't forget about me, alright? FREE RIDE!

CEBU DOCTOR’S UNIVERSITY,  VELEZ COLLEGE (18 replies)

Cheers to these young medical aspirants who could become your personal physician, or your children's doctor, or your children's children's doctor. Yeah, you'll get the point. #medicalmen

CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY – UNIVERSITY (8 replies)

Here are the prestigious builders and artists of tomorrow. I bet y'all gonna build to perfection! Thumbs up!

UNIVERSITY OF CEBU (4 replies)

Here are my guys who will become the best of the best seamen and chefs!

UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS  (26 replies)

These guys just left the Alma Mater for another :( haha. Here are the daring Carolinians who are willing to enter into a new environment. What up, fella's?

UNIVERSITY OF SAN JOSE - RECOLETOS (32 replies)

Ahh! Finally! The true, blue fellow Josenians who'd choose not to forego the school where they came from. Woot! Woot!

After two months of restless hours of data gathering, I finally completed this task. It's worth the effort. Hurrah! So the last screenshot wraps this edition up. No offense girls, 'aight?

I'LL KEEP Y'ALL POSTED FOR MY NEXT BLOG ENTRY.

Godspeed! ADELANTE!


*credits to my personal consultants, Aaron & Louise

Silver Like Gold

Most of my teammates with our silver medal hanging on our necks featuring #99 Ali! Photo Courtesy of: Kuya John

I remember one time, I got the most excruciating cramps in 3 years in practice and they went mocking me. We managed to laugh out of it and life continues.2013 Intramurals has adjourned. Five fulfilling days of hardwork, drama, and simply fun really paid off. The memories are just remarkable and touching. Having played for the College of Arts and Sciences Basketball Team was an HONOR - I was one of the 3 freshmen selected to play. On the court and inside our “locker room”, the bonding was overflowing despite that we only had a limited span of time to know each one of us – the after practice antics, the sweat, the bloodshed, the injuries and the tears, it’s just simply memorable.

Our Captain Ball, Junix Labrador, with blood surging on his forehead after a collision against a Commerce player. The real drama continues.
Photo Courtesy of: Kuya John

As a rookie, I've also had a share of contributions; I was the team’s public relations/communications officer – scheduled our off-campus practices, organized our long sleeves’ design, and other stuff. I didn't have much playing time but I respect the concept of SENIORITY – 8 teammates are graduating this school year. Yeah, all the job's worth.

Here are our game results (Winners in bold):

CAS 61                –              CICCT 50

CAS 74                 –             School of Law 68

CAS 77                 –             Engineering 74

CAS 76                 –             Commerce 68

CAS 84                 –             Education 42

CAS 89                –              Nursing 54

CAS 81                 –             Commerce 88

Inspite of the 81 – 88 loss, behind our silver medal reflects an array of hardwork and dedication. The Commerce is said to be a “powerhouse” team; they beat other squads by double digit margins but in our two losses against them, we only trailed by an average of 7.5 points. The final game reminded me of Team Gilas vs. Iran in the recent 2013 FIBA Asia Cup; the tiny but terrible CAS against the “mighty” Commerce (Yah, you’ll get the analogy).

Here are some statistics that justifies our work ethics:

280        Minutes of do-or-die game play/ 7 games/

77.00     Points per game – the team’s scoring average in 5 wins

57.2       Opponents’ points per game – average in 5 wins

19.8       Points – the winning margin against other teams in 5 wins.

15           Brave young men

5              Days of hardwork: Sept 16 – 20, 2013

5              Exciting wins

1              Precious Silver Medal

Junix and Brad Pontanar with their Mythical 5 and Silver Medal. All the days worth.
Photo Courtesy of: Kuya John

I would like to thank my teammates, mga ‘dol, ‘brad, ‘tol, ‘pare: ‘Chino, Sean/Burger King, Lindon, Pareng Josua, Elbert, Janus, Samson, Rosada, Kicker, Redjell, Critch, Jong-Jong and most especially to our captain ball, Junix Labrador, and Gerald “Brad” Pontanar for making us believe that we’re still number one. Our coaches, Mr. Leo Aberion and Mr. Jojit Foronda for being with us all week long and for choosing me to be part of the team. To all our supporters from the CAS and other departments for being there with us from games 1 – 7, giving all those screams, and cheers. To my Purveyor Publication family for doing a great job in posting live updates on Facebook and capturing precious moments from the different events in the campus.

#15 Simply Me
Photo Courtesy of: Kuya John

Final Insights:

We might’ve not grabbed the gold but we did our best to prove that this team is not only just a team. The spirit of BROTHERHOOD was the spark that made us winners.  I obtained a gazillion lessons from my co-players and coaches slash mentors. As a freshman, as a rookie, I still have a lot to go yet this achievement will be my stepping stone.

Junix (#8) and Sean Burger King (#2) carrying Brad (#4) after he suffered a very bad cramp in the leg. #brotherhood
Photo courtesy of: Kuya John

From the very first try out until the decisive championship game, there are probably a million opportunities to be the best you can be. No matter how little or how big that accomplishment is, every speck of triumph should be cherished and respected.

The key to every win is AGGRESSIVENESS, the essence of every defeat is HUMILITY, and the perfect recipe to happiness is CONTENTMENT.

Godspeed! Until the next Intrams!

#LabanCAS #Puso #Brotherhood

In Sight Of Insights: Heat-Spurs Finals Series

2013 NBA FINALS RECAP

LEBRON WITH HIS 2ND FINALS  MVP TROPHY. Courtesy of: USA Today Sports 

EPIC!

That’s the adjective that best describes the recent battle of EPIC proportions. Every game was crucial, every field goal was lethal, every second was essential. Every Danny Green three pointer was spectacular, every LeBron James jumper was stunning. From Tony Parker’s nifty passes to Dwyane Wade’s dashing plays, what do you expect more? That’s mere PERFECTION.

Anyways, here are the recaps from games 1-7. Let us distinguish this journey of two super-teams clashing and striving to reach their only goal, CLAIM THE TITLE.

·         Game 1:  Tony Parker banked a shot with 5.2 seconds left in the 4^th quarter to steal the game 1 victory in Miami, 92 – 88.

·         Game 2: Mario Chalmers led the Heat with 19 points, together with a pair of three point plays, to a blowout victory over the Spurs, 103–84.

·         Game3: In San Antonio, Danny Green and Gary Neal combined for 51 points and the Spurs finished with a NBA Finals record 16 made three pointers to beat Miami in another blowout game, 113–77.

·         Game 4: The Miami Big Three totaled 85 points to even the series at 2–2.

·         Game 5:  Gregg Popovich inserted Manu Ginobli, who finished with 24 points and 10 assists, in the starting line up to guide the Spurs to a 114–104 win.

·         Game 6: Shifting back to Miami, Ray Allen’s controversial three pointer and free throws forced an overtime and clinched the victory to force a game 7 in Miami, 103–100.

·         Game 7:  LeBron James escorted the Heat with 37 points and 12 rebounds over the Spurs to help capture their second straight championship title.

DANNY GREEN & KAHWI LEONARD MADE A GREAT IMPACT TO THE GAME. Photo Courtesy Of: Steve Mitchell, USA Sports Today

INSIGHTS

San Antonio Spurs

·         Tim Duncan’s averages of 18.9 points and 12.1 rebounds redefined that basketball is still an old man’s game.

·         Danny Green’s NBA Finals record of 27 made three pointers in a series made me witness the greatness of Gregg Popovich’s incredible coaching capacity. Coach Pop gave lots of opportunities for the role players to step up whenever the Spurs Big Three are in bad shape.

Miami Heat

·         LeBron James answered all those criticisms he received all throughout the entire season. Questions like “Is this the end of the Miami Big Three?” and “How tough does the King go for a title repeat?”  Having averages of 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, James was no doubt the deserved the NBA Finals MVP Trophy.

·         Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen and the other supporting cast made us realize one man can’t stand alone without his companions. Without the big guns, the Miami Heat's title run would've been cut shorter.

For the Spurs, issues are expected to arise after their Game 7 defeat like the questioning of Manu Ginobili’s return and other line-up changes. On the other hand, the Heat will face matters like the emergence of another dynasty for another title run and the Big Three’s legacy and future.

A WELL HARD FOUGHT SERIES. Photo Courtesy of: Derick Hingle, USA Sports Today

PERSONAL INSIGHTS

It’s just funny to hear how some said that the series was rigged; the referees’ calls were fixed. Having seen the games again, that’s just nonsense; just watch the games’ replays, let’s see if those allegations are true. The conspiracy of fixed NBA games is WAY OVER and is already solved.

Face the facts: it’s the NBA Playoffs, anything can happen! Winning a lot in the regular season doesn’t mean you’re a sure win in the Finals nor a 4-time NBA Champion team can easily get their 5^th ring.

I’m not saying the Spurs didn't deserve to win; every team that reaches the Finals is always worthy of getting a title. I’m just saying, EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. In the NBA Playoffs, upsets do happen.

Godspeed everyone!

-jnfs

Now On It's Second Week

The new building! Credits to: Mr. James Aliazon

You’ve seen the newly renovated Basak Campus, right?

The freshly painted Our Lady of Consolation building, the recently widened covered walk, the ala-Parkmall slash ala-hotel coated grade school building, nice to see isn’t it?

It envies us like #$@!!?, “Where’d my tuition go?” or “What took so long for the beautiful project to be finished?” Yeah, I glanced through related posts mostly from Facebook and some I’ve read similarly from group messages through texts

It really pissed us off even me (Admit it!).

The New Recoletos Coliseum! Photo Courtesy of: Mr. Joshua Andrino

I just don’t know what to say. Mixed emotions beat me right now.

·         Bitter because the fact that we didn’t make it to get into the new building, the innovative facilities as high school students.

·         Excited because I couldn’t wait to see my high school friends again.

·         Proud because my peers could still see me as a proud Josenian all the way!

·         Sweet because I could go home early and take a power nap, unlike high school (HA HA).

·         Contented because it’s just time to move on to the next level and continue what was commenced.

I’m not trying to say that don’t reminisce about high school, don’t overreact on to stuffs like that. No, even I myself browse at my photos and videos that reminded me of how fun and memorable my high school life was.

Friends, my point here is I think that’s just life. The ground-breaking facilities remind us that life’s all about change. We’ve got to go forward and to enter ourselves in a whole, different level. Sometimes, we’ve got to adjust to those kinds of events which are expected or even not expected to happen.

Don’t fret my friends, you’re not alone!

I hope y’all feeling enlightened by my post.

Godspeed everyone!

-jnfs

College: Now Showing!

THE NEW SLING! Photo Courtesy of: Bill

June 5-7, 2013

The week has just ended. And that’s only the start of college. One thing’s for sure: Waaaaaaaaaaaay different from high school despite the fact that it’s just the first week of school. What I mean is the freedom as what I’ve said in my first blog.

Walking up and down the stairs because you don’t know where your room is, running because you feel you’re late for class and then you find out there’s no teacher inside. It’s tiring yet fun because you have a lot of your peers sharing your same burden.

On my uniform (Woah!)

Another school environment; a new batch of classmates coming from various walks of life and from varied provinces of the country from Leyte down to our very own Cebu.

At first, interaction in class was a bit sloppy in my part but as time passed by, I really got along with them especially with the ladies (Woah! Woah!).

I just felt blessed to find out that in my block, I’m the only one who came from the USJR High School taking BA Communication. I mean, the challenge is cautious yet exciting because you know what to do when you face a really, really different set of people.

I even felt more blessed interacting with my good, old friends, in spite of having different courses, and still hanging out with me during our vacant periods.

So far, so good for my first three days in college. Plus, I love my schedule: no classes beyond 2pm (Woah! Woah!).

Godspeed!

-jnfs

College?

My Study Load

“Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.”

William Arthur Ward 

A new set of challenges are coming on our way as college is just a grasp away from our reach. The quote from William Arthur Ward tells us that curiosity is always part of learning; thus it is always present when we enter a transition from the raw, young self to the mature side of us.

Questions just popped out in my mind, like “What’s college life like?”, “What‘s the difference between high school and college?”, “How ready am I to face this kind of pressure?”, etc.

I've heard testimonies from peers, teachers, elders, and my parents that college is way different from high school because it’s all about your independence. You’re on your own to decide whether you’ll accomplish your tasks or just go and try to be happy-go-lucky. They also said that college teachers and professors aren't strict about class attendance, deadline submissions, and the like.

Are you ready?

They would just record anything what you've submitted on their desk. Unlike college, high school teachers are the ones who’ll chase you until you’re caught. In shorter terms, in high school, teachers are the cats, and they’re the ones chasing mice. In college, it’s the other way around.

I know these statements have justified some of my issues. The best way to discover is still through experience as it says in the quote, “Experience is the best teacher”.

I’m pretty excited by my course. Aside from a “math-less” college program, B.A. Communication enables my communication skills to be challenged. I don’t know if I have a lot of friends enrolling in such course. 

Nevertheless, I think I’m ready, I've been preparing my talents for four years plus my elders and peers have been motivating me to carry on.

But still, curiosity is the epitome of inevitability; dozens of questions are still circling in and out of my head. Yet this new journey confronts to where our maturity stands.

We have a long way to go search and grab the finest set of answers. Life continues!

Godspeed!

-jnfs