STINGER News

SHS Broadcasting gains recognition

Senior High School Grade 11 Filipino Radio Broadcasting and Script Writing Team were ecstatic last September 2 during the Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC) 2016 Batch 1 in Alitagtag, Batangas when they placed 6th out of 53 delegates.

The two-day conference started on September 1 at Alitagtag National High School and it was a new experience for STI College Balayan SHS student journalists. Fifty three schools from Batangas province - public and private joined the said conference. Before the first day ends, the top 7 teams who will vie for the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) were announced. STI Balayan SHS team was thrilled to be included and prepared for the next round of the competition that was held the next day.

“It is quite an immediate process for us because it would be the first time for STI College Balayan Senior High to join this kind of competition”, Broadcasting Coach Ms. Chin-chin Bagunas stated.

Ms. Bagunas also added that given the limited time to prepare, with the help of other coaches and their adviser Ms. Terranya M. Tiamson they started finding the right people who will be included in the team.

Interested students were screened through a series of auditions and eliminations until there were only 14 aspiring young journalists. They were then grouped to form the Filipino and English Radio Broadcasting Teams with seven members each.

The team of student journalists garnered several awards in the conference such as: team awards: Best in Infomercial - 1st Place and Best Script Award and Best Broadcasting Team- 6th Place; for individual recognitions: Best News Presenter 2nd Place Jowie Corrado, Best Anchor 5th Place Jeks Xylem Fameronag and Best Technical Direction 5th Place Erica Sacdalan.

The team was grateful for all the motivation and support given by the faculty members and staff especially to the School President, Mrs. Ellen Christy A. Dimaano, Principal Engr. Oliver B. Noriega and Assistant Principal Mrs. Casiana Enconado.

-by: Jessica Taon, ST102P

Savages

Filipinos are known to be respectful towards the elderly, they are obedient to their parents, and are hospitable. But in contrast to the common belief, many teenagers are getting barbaric nowadays.

Every year, tons of cases involving youth violence appear in the social media and the news. Study done by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows that 8 in 10 Filipino children and adolescents are in danger of being sexually abused online or bullied while 5 in 10 think friends participate in risky behaviours while using the internet. Unfortunately, the perpetrators are both adults and the youth themselves.

The propensity to be violent which resides in oneself causes the person to commit violent acts. According to Worldwide Alternatives to Violence, the triggers of violence done by the youth can be personal factor or a product from social factors. Others are alcohol consumption, violence saw in the media, overcrowding, and discrimination.

Because of the influence of social media, teenagers engage in unethical actions like premarital intercourse and re-enactment of violence shown in television and websites. This led them to think that what they do is trendy and what they see is reality. In addition to this, bullying evolved into a more widespread harassment, covering over 80% of young teens in the Philippines according to a survey done by child-care non-profit Stairway Foundation Inc.

Alcohol addiction is also common to minors that interferes with the brain’s communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood and behaviour and make it harder to think clearly thus resulting to explosive temper tantrums, physical aggression, fighting, threats, and retaliation. In fact, 14% of 15-24 year olds reported physical injury through violence associated with drinking.

Discrimination and depression play a big part in violence. If depression further continues, it can result to the attempt to commit violent acts in order to end suffering. Who could forget the story of a 15-year old student in Cagayan de Oro who stabbed and killed his own teacher inside their classroom after being scolded? The student said that he lost his cool, stood up from his seat and attacked the unsuspecting teacher at the back. The same with a grade 6 student who was often bullied, his mind blacked out and impaled the bully in the head resulting to death.

All of these show how violent kids can be, from simple mimicry of what they see to lifelong regretful actions like killing peers. What they see is what they do. But what they did cannot be undone.

The parents must be responsible in ensuring that the children are away from any hostility and violence. They form attachment to them by spending time with them and avoiding harsh punishments whenever they commit mistakes. Also, laws should be empowered concerning these problems by limiting the use of social media, prohibiting alcohol abuse, curfew for the minors, and preventive measures to control the impact of TV shows and other media to the mind of the youth. Everyone should take conscious effort to improve the country’s social conditions simply because there is no room in our society for violence.

By: Lennox Rolly Evander A. Nioko, ST101P

Thug Life

A Hotel and Restaurant Management student stabbed and killed a classmate inside their classroom last year in Iloilo City claiming he had enough of the victim’s bullying. This is just one of the numerous cases of reported bullying which reflects that it still is a menacing epidemic which should be stopped.

Bullying is widespread in the Philippines. It occurs mostly in schools and over the internet and affects the students’ mentality resulting to negative outcomes like trauma, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. It can affect both the bully and the victim.

The cases of bullying are multiplying as technology advances and so is the capability of the bullies to victimize others. Statistics showed that about 50% of the students in the Philippines experienced being bullied in school and about 80% of the teenagers experienced being bullied online. The availability and affordability of internet access makes it easier to do such acts. Being connected to the social media using their mobile phones almost 24/7, the youth can easily hack accounts, steal identities and send offensive messages to other people.

The cases of bullying are proliferating, and the truth behind it is appalling. In STI College Balayan, two cases of bullying were reported this year starting from June to October. Ms. Chona Umandal, the school’s Guidance Counselor, said that there are still unreported cases because most of the victims are afraid that the bullies will get back at them. She also said that it helps if the victims will share their experiences to an adult.

But the support should not only be extended to the victims only, for the bullies are victims themselves. According to Ms. Umandal, we should try to understand what is behind this aggression. In a bully’s perspective, bullying someone can direct frustrations, hurt, anger, and difficulty at home or in class to the victim. They want to make fun of others in order to be seen as tough and in charge. Recent research about bullying cited that watching a lot of violent films, and violent games can make a person try out violent things. Some young people are bullied for no particular reason but perhaps because they are different in some way like the colour of their skin, the way they talk, their size or their name. And so, the need for parental guidance and support is needed in order to minimize the complication.

Each case of bullying is a painful story. Some victims said it hurts because it feels like no one cares about them, and they can’t tell anyone about it because other people will think they are weak or overreacting, even though they know they are not.

Everyone plays a big role in alleviating this problem. The answer lies not only in governance. It also lays within the actors themselves and the community that surrounds them. Parents are also responsible in preventing and responding to bullying. Rules concerning bullying are needed to properly address the cases. Educators such as teachers should know how to respond to different behaviours of the students. They are responsible in establishing a safe school climate. And lastly, the students are ought to respond quickly in case bullying happens. Speak up and ask for help! No one deserves to be torn down.

By: Lennox Rolly Evander A. Nioko, ST101P

Cartoon by: John Harvey Custodio, ST101P

A Campus in Prayer

“Crown of Roses”. In one of the Blessed Virgin’s apparition, she said that when praying the rosary, each bead was a rose that made her a crown of roses.

October is celebrated as the month of the Holy Rosary. It is a prayer most Catholic prays to ask mediation from the Blessed Virgin to Jesus. The Rosary is also considered a perfect prayer because each mystery let us contemplate on the story of our salvation through Jesus Christ.

Though STI College Balayan is a non-sectarian school, the Rosary rally in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary was held every October. It has been the biggest religious activity in the school since majority of the students is Catholic.

STI College Balayan’s first Rosary Rally was initiated by the School President to be held in the campus in 2006 and then it became a yearly event.

“I would like to advocate spiritual awareness to students. Since we do not offer religion as a subject, engaging in religious activities like holding regular mass and conducting Rosary Rally would help enhance spirituality, strengthen faith, and promote religiosity among students.”, Mrs. Ellen Christy A. Dimaano, STI President stated.

Last October 13, the one-day activity started with the solemn celebration of the Holy Mass. The statue of the Blessed Virgin and a crucifix was placed on the customized altar covered with white cloth. A blue curtain was made as a background with images and titles of the Blessed Virgin. There was also a board of petitions where prayer requests were posted.

The Rosary Rally was done right after the Mass. Students made a short procession in the campus and along the main road of Ermita, Balayan. It was led by the members of the Glee Club praying the rosary while a student carried the statue of the Mama Mary. A long queue of Core Science Academy, STI Senior High School and STI College students holding Marian banners and leaflets followed.

After the procession, students headed back to the campus and formed an assembly to pray the rosary.

The five mysteries of the Rosary were read by representatives from the student organizations, faculty member, administrative staff and the School President. A passage from the bible as meditation for each mystery was read and petition prayers were said before the Our Father.

Unlike the traditional praying of the rosary, all the Our Father was sang while student representatives prayed the Hail Mary, Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer. After each prayer, a balloon was tied to a string to complete each bead of the rosary and a candle is lighted in front of the altar. Before the next mystery was recited, a hymn to the Blessed Virgin was played.

The balloon rosary was flown after the prayers while some burned their prayer requests in the burning incense placed near the altar.

A vigil was also held after the rally. Each section of the Senior High School and college students had a twenty-minute prayer time until 4:30 in the afternoon.

At the end of the day, everyone felt renewed by the experience and Renzo Bagunas expressed that even though it was not his first time to attend a Rosary Rally, he felt ecstatic. He was awed that STI conducted a kind of activity that can bring the students like him closer to God.

by: Terranya M. Tiamson

photo by: Renzo Bagtasos