From Felt Tips to Surfaces: August 2012

Monday, August 27, 2012

Unraveled Thoughts (TITLE PAGE)

Cover Letter

Dear Mentor,

We have finally reached the end of the first term. Being part of this class has definitely been quite a wonderful learning experience where I had the opportunity to grow as a writer.

By now, I could definitely say that I have achieved most, if not all of my goals that I had set for myself during the beginning of this class. I have definitely improved my skills and this is very evident by the way I now seriously follow the steps on writing. I have realized just how important being organized is when it comes to academic writing and that I should always follow through my outline so that it would be easier to write my essay. I also learned how to cite my sources properly and to value the importance of citations when it comes to writing. These evidences of my development shows that I have reached my goals for this class because it projects how I matured as a writer and how I have become more open minded and versatile.

Achieving the goal of becoming more versatile proved to be harder than the rest of my objectives. Before this class, I was not used to Academic Writing since I trained myself to be more of an informal or personal writer back in high school. But I was able to achieve this by also training myself, again, to read more academic works so that I would also be able to appreciate this kind of writing style. My development can be seen mostly on my argumentative essay where , in my opinion, I have put in the most effort compared to my other compositions because I really wanted to follow the rules and be able to express my stand effectively.

I believe that having the peer editing every after each essay greatly helped in developing my skills. Not only did this activity make me more aware of my mistakes but it helped me become more open minded when it comes to others’ opinion and to remember that there is always room for improvement. Blogging was also very helpful because it made me more comfortable and less intimidated with academic writing since I am doing it in an environment that is very familiar to me.

As a writer, I realized that I still have much to improve on. I also learned in this class that there are many more writing styles that I have to learn so that I can prove myself worthy of competing in the outside world—the bigger platform. Some of the most important things that I learned in this course are: making outlines, organizing facts, proper citation, the fallacies to avoid and different approaches in making essays. These lessons really helped me develop my skills.

Perhaps, one of the most important parts of the writing process is the editing. It is in this phase where the writer is given the chance to make the right corrections and revision to further develop his essay. It may be hard for some to accept criticism and comments but what I do is, I look at each one as constructive comments. I then analyze each comment and do the right adjustments to satisfy what my readers expect and want without fully discarding my main points.

I hope you take pleasure in reading my unraveled thoughts as much as I did writing them.

Sincerely,

Shelly Cooper

Essays (Entry)	Date Submitted	Score/Perfect Score
Cover Letter	August 27, 2012
Argumentative Essay (Redefining Brotherhood)	August 13, 2012
Extended Definition (Do You Believe in Destiny?)	July 25, 2012
Englcom goals essay (My goals in Englcom)	June 24, 2012
4. Diagnostic Essay (Two Standards of the Wired World)	June 19, 2012

Redefining Brotherhood (FINAL)

Outline:

Topic : Should fraternities and sororities be banned in the PH?

Title : Redefining Brotherhood

I. INTRODUCTION

a. Death of Marc Andre Marcos due to frat hazing

b. What people currently think of fraternities because of the incident

c. THESIS STATEMENT: Today, it seems that fraternities have taken on a whole different meaning—one that centers on inflicting pain, dying in the name of the brotherhood and one that has risen to a level that invites it to be banned.

II. BACKGROUND

a. Fraternities

i. Definition

ii. Famous frats in the PH

iii. Reasons people join

III. 1^st Argument

a. CON - being in a frat opens more opportunities (i.e holding events, having powerful connections)

b. PRO / refutation – this could be very expensive and time consuming but could also be attained through self-effort and perseverance

IV. 2^nd Argument

a. CON - Fraternities build friendships among people who share the same interest

b. PRO- have normal friends not bound by rules

i. (Refute) stats on health issues in universities involving those in frats

V. 3^rd Argument

a. PRO- builds strong character

b. CON- builds independence

i. (refute) hazing

1. Anti-hazing law

VI. CONCLUSION

a. Who to blame for the incidents involving frats in the PH

b. Do frats really need to be banned?

The 21-year old law student, Marc Andre Marcos, joined the fraternity convinced that he would find brothers in studying and eventually in his chosen profession. In the same vein, another law student ended his search for “blood” brothers through the rootless end of the paddle. They followed a long line of men idealistic to a fault, thinking that brothers are what they needed to achieve their dreams. Unfortunately, their lives ended earlier than their aspirations. Today,fraternities have taken on a whole different meaning—one that is centered upon inflicting pain rising to a level that would make people consider it to be banned.

Fraternities and Sororities were originally defined as organizations that provide limitless opportunities to develop one’s leadership skills as well as to build strong relationships (Greek Affairs, 2012). These organizations originated in ancient Greece as institutions that serve as lay allies to the church. Some of the most well known Greek organizations in the Philippines include: Alpha Phi Omega, Alpha Phi Beta and Lambda Rho Beta. Moreover, the idea of fraternities is not very foreign in our country. The same ideologies can be found as early as the formation of the KKK where Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo led a secret group of “blood brothers”.

The question of why students still choose to join fraternities despite the controversies surrounding it is one that could easily be answered by Abraham Maslow’s theory of human motivation (1943) which states that we, humans, have an unconsciously high need for love and acceptance. By understanding this theory, it is easy to conclude that by joining these frats, students seem to think that that void is filled.

Here in the Philippines, being in a fraternity is a means of obtaining confidence and security. Most of the people who join are those coming from rural areas as well as freshmen who wish to be accepted in their new social environment.

One of the benefits of joining a fraternity is that it opens more opportunities. Having existed for decades, fraternities have come to produce many of the most powerful and richest icons in the industry and if one becomes part of that same group, strings can be pulled and many doors will open. The many influential connections can assure any frat member a good future after law school. Some of these political personalities include Leila De Lima, the Justice Secretary as well as former US president, John F. Kennedy.

Although these privileges may sound wonderful, it is definitely not self-fulfilling. In the world outside of the school halls, it is important that we learn how to be independent and that could only be attained if a person starts to practice doing things through his own hard work and perseverance. It is indeed a very rewarding feeling if at the end of the day, you can say: “I actually did it!” But someone who relies on what others can do for him would never know that.

Many say that fraternities and sororities are good platforms for creating life-long relationships. In these organizations, one can meet people who share the same interests and who would accept them despite cultural differences. Being part of the brotherhood gives one a feeling of comfort and belongingness that is not easily found within the large confines of the university. It certainly is a good feeling to have people who will guide you and go through everything with you.

However, like in the first argument, this could also be achieved even outside of the pledge. Friendships with people also outside of a frat are more convenient if you prefer to be with people who are not bound by a set of rules and beliefs different from yours. Since most frat members are encouraged to stick to the brotherhood’s rules, it is very hard to find some common ground with them. According to a study done by the American Psychological Association (2001), members of fraternities and sororities are prone to bad health habits such as alcohol, nicotine and drug abuse. This is called the “Greek Effect” wherein the perceptions of one’s fraternity brothers affect his own habits and perceived social norms. In this case, the relationship formed did more harm than good.

The best benefit that one can get from joining a Greek organization is the formation of a strong character. Fraternities and sororities are known for molding their members to become citizens with great leadership skills by teaching them how to use their time wisely and to sort their priorities. The fraternity sets a schedule for the member to follow so that he would have enough time for himself, his studies and the brotherhood. These skills are taught through the branding process, which orients the neophytes on the rules and standards of the organization (Battle Branding,2007).

Ironically, the best benefit can also be the worst effect. One issue is that of individualism. Fraternities teach its members control, preventing them from making decisions out of their own free will, brainwashing them of their own beliefs and replacing it with what the group choose to believe in. It is reminiscent of training a puppy on how to act on command—instinct over will.

Perhaps the biggest issue at hand, especially here in the Philippines, is hazing. The Anti-Hazing law was issued in 1995 shortly after the death of Lenny Villa, a law student from Ateneo de Manila University who was a neophyte of the Aquila Fraternity. The following procedures of the initiation rites was included in the formal court hearing from the Supreme Court of the Philippines (2012):

The neophytes were subjected to traditional forms of Aquilan “initiation rites.” These rites included the “Indian Run,” which required the neophytes to run a gauntlet of two parallel rows of Aquilans, each row delivering blows to the neophytes; the “Bicol Express,” which obliged the neophytes to sit on the floor with their backs against the wall and their legs outstretched while the Aquilans walked, jumped, or ran over their legs; the “Rounds,” in which the neophytes were held at the back of their pants by the “auxiliaries” (the Aquilans charged with the duty of lending assistance to neophytes during initiation rites), while the latter were being hit with fist blows on their arms or with knee blows on their thighs by two Aquilans; and the “Auxies’ Privilege Round,” in which the auxiliaries were given the opportunity to inflict physical pain on the neophytes.

The same routine was repeated on the second and third day.

One would assume that this revelation would put an end to the immoral initiation but sadly it did not stop there. Although the law was issued in the mid-90s, it was not strictly enforced by the government, therefore placing the issue of death by hazing out of the public’s eye for some time. Now, the subject is back again and the government is scrambling to find someone to blame—the schools, the fraternities—anyone but themselves, who chose to ignore the extent of how badly this situation is. It is also shocking to know that this does not only happen here but also in every other country that tolerates the rules of a Greek fraternity.

Should fraternities be banned? I believe it should. Although banning it would not stop all other heinous crimes of murder in the country, it is definitely a step towards justice not just for Marc Andrei Marcos but also to those who died before him due to the same torture that they had go through just to feel accepted. Besides, everything that a fraternity can provide, one can provide for himself with just a bit of hard work. So, before deciding to join a fraternity, think twice. One oath can put a life on the line.

References

American Psychological Association (2001). Short and long-term effects of fraternity and sorority membership on heavy drinking: a social norms perspective. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 15(1). Retrieved From: http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun01/fraternities.aspx

Gonzales, C. (2009, December). Being in a fraternity builds friendship and character.

Daily Titan. Retrieved From: http://www.dailytitan.com/2009/12/being-in-a-fratenity-builds-friendships-and-character

Mendoza, A. (2011, August). The Psychology of Joining Greek Life. The Collegian (California State University-Fresno, Retrieved From: http://collegian.csufresno.edu/2011/08/29/33867/

Robles, C. (2006). Republic Act No. 8049.

PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES AND CODES CHAN ROBLES VIRTUAL LAW LIBRARY, Retrieved From: http://www.chanrobles.com/antihazinglaw.htm#.UCWteWOowVk

Supreme Court of the Philippines (2012, February 1). G.R. No. 151258. Supreme Court of the Philippines, Retrieved From: http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2012/february2012/151258.htm

University of Alabama (2008). Fraternity and Sorority Life. UAB Student Affairs. Retrieved from Retrieved From: http://main.uab.edu/Sites/students/life/leadership/greek/

Redefining Brotherhood (DRAFT)

21-year old law student, Marc Andre Marcos joined the fraternity convinced that he would find brothers in studying and eventually in his chosen profession. In the same vein, another law student ended his search for “blood” brothers through the rootless end of the paddle. They followed a long line of men idealistic to a fault, thinking that brothers are what they needed to achieve their dreams. Unfortunately, their lives ended earlier than their aspirations. Today,fraternities have taken on a whole different meaning—one that goes far beyond than just mere camaraderie but rather one that is centered upon inflicting pain, dying in the name of the brotherhood and one that rises to a level that would make people consider it to be banned.

The question of why students still choose to join fraternities despite the controversies surrounding it is one that could easily be answered by Abraham Maslow’s theory of human motivation which states that we humans, have an unconsciously high need for love and acceptance. By understanding this theory, it is easy to conclude that by joining these frats, students seem to think that that void is filled.

Here in the Philippines, being in a fraternity is a means of obtaining confidence and security. Most of the people who join are those coming from rural areas as well as freshmen that wish to be accepted in their new social environment.

Although these privileges may sound wonderful, it is definitely not self-fulfilling. In the world outside of the school halls, it is important that we learn how to be independent and that could only be attained if a person starts to practice doing things through his own hard work and perseverance. It is indeed a very rewarding feeling if at the end of the day, you can say: “I actually did it!”. But someone who relies on what others can do for him would never know that.

“The neophytes were subjected to traditional forms of Aquilan “initiation rites.” These rites included the “Indian Run,” which required the neophytes to run a gauntlet of two parallel rows of Aquilans, each row delivering blows to the neophytes; the “Bicol Express,” which obliged the neophytes to sit on the floor with their backs against the wall and their legs outstretched while the Aquilans walked, jumped, or ran over their legs; the “Rounds,” in which the neophytes were held at the back of their pants by the “auxiliaries” (the Aquilans charged with the duty of lending assistance to neophytes during initiation rites), while the latter were being hit with fist blows on their arms or with knee blows on their thighs by two Aquilans; and the “Auxies’ Privilege Round,” in which the auxiliaries were given the opportunity to inflict physical pain on the neophytes.” The same routine was repeated on the second and third day.

One would assume that this revelation would put an end to the immoral initiation but sadly it did not stop there. Although the law was issued in the mid-90s , it was not strictly enforced by the government therefore placing the issue of death by hazing out of the public’s eye for some time. Now, the subject has risen again and the government is scrambling to find someone to blame—the schools, the fraternities—anyone but themselves, who chose to ignore the extent of how badly this situation is. It is also shocking to know that this does not only happen here but also in every other country that tolerates the rules of a Greek fraternity.

Should fraternities be banned? I believe it should. Although banning it would not stop all other heinous crimes of murder in the country, it is definitely a step towards justice not just for Marc Andrei Marcos but also to those who died before him due to the same torture that they have to gothrough just to feel accepted. Besides, everything that a fraternity can provide, you can provide for yourself with just a bit of hard work. So, if you are planning to join a fraternity in the near future, think twice. Are you really willing to put your life on the line?

References

Gonzales, C. (2009, December). Being in a fraternity builds friendship and character.

Daily Titan. http://www.dailytitan.com/2009/12/being-in-a-fratenity-builds-friendships-and-character

Mendoza, A. (2011, August). The Psychology of Joining Greek Life. The Collegian (California State University-Fresno, http://collegian.csufresno.edu/2011/08/29/33867/

Robles, C. (2006).Republic Act No. 8049.

PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES AND CODES CHAN ROBLES VIRTUAL LAW LIBRARY, http://www.chanrobles.com/antihazinglaw.htm#.UCWteWOowVk

Supreme Court of the Philippines (2012, February 1). G.R. No. 151258. Supreme Court of the Philippines, http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2012/february2012/151258.htm

University of Alabama (2008).Fraternity and Sorority Life. UAB Student Affairs. Retrieved from http://main.uab.edu/Sites/students/life/leadership/greek/

EDE FINAL: Do You Believe in Destiny

DESTINY

“Do you believe in destiny?”—a line that I encounter mostly from Disney movies and mythology films. Destiny is often depicted by the media as something that is bound to happen. Something so unstoppable that all you can do is follow wherever it may take you. Some say it is something written in the stars, something that has been fixed even before we were born—our own personal northern star that will lead us towards our real purpose in life. Destiny is the hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future.

Most people would often say that destiny and fate share the same meaning. However with regards to 19th century philosophy, the words gained inherently different meanings.

Although the words are used interchangeably in many cases, fate and destiny can be distinguished. Traditional usage defines fate as a power or agency that predetermines and orders the course of events. Fate defines events as ordered or "inevitable" and unavoidable. European mythology features three goddesses dispensing fate, known as Moirai in Greek mythology, as Parcae in Roman mythology, and as Norns in Norse mythology. They determine the events of the world through the spinning of thread or yarn.

In literature, many Greek legends and tales teach the futility of trying to outmaneuver an inexorable fate that has been correctly predicted. This form of irony is important in Greek tragedy, as it is in Oedipus Rex and in the Duque de Rivas' play that Verdi transformed into La Forza del Destino ("The Force of Destiny") or Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey, or in Macbeth's uncannily-derived knowledge of his own destiny, which in spite of all his actions does not preclude a horrible fate.

Destiny is used with regard to the finality of events as they have worked themselves out; and that same sense of Destination, projected into the future to become the flow of events as they will work themselves out. In other words, fate relates to events of the future and present of an individual and in cases in literature unalterable, whereas destiny relates to the probable future. Fate implies no choice, but with destiny the entity is participating in achieving an outcome that is directly related to itself.

Destiny is something that is rarely defined mostly because everyone thinks about it differently.What one person may think of as destiny, some may perhaps regard as only an inevitable outcome of an action.In other words, destiny is subjective. People and different fields of studies view and interpret destiny in various ways.

According to Cornelius (1994), destiny is defined as a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. It is a concept based on the belief that there is a fixed natural order to the cosmos.

For Arthur Schopenhauer, destiny was just a manifestation of the “Will to Live”. For him, Will to Live is the main aspect of the living. The animals cannot be aware of the Will, but men can at least see life through its perspective, though it is the primary and basic desire. But this fact is a pure irrationality because then human desire is considered to be equally futile, illogical, directionless, and, by extension, so is all human action.

For Nietzsche, destiny keeps the form of Amor fati (Love of Fate) through the important element of Nietzsche's philosophy named "will to power", basis of human behavior, influenced by the Will to Live of Schopenhauer. But this concept may have even other senses, although he, in various places, saw the Will to power as a strong element for adaptation or survival in a better way. Nietzsche eventually took this concept further still, and transformed the idea of matter as centers of force into matter as centers of will to power as mankind’s Destiny to face with Amor fati.

The notion on destiny today is based on the study of Determinism. This philosophical idea implies the information in the universe today-- including all human action and decision-- was implicit in the earliest moments of the universe. It is consistent with the theological idea of God's foreknowledge (informationphilosopher.com).

According to psychologists, destiny can be explained in three ways: As a psychological medicine, as a means of satisfaction and as a scale of hard work.As a psychological medicine, belief on Destiny has proven to be a wonderful cure. Destiny helps people to remain psychologically fit in situations that can bring about various mental problems. In a world filled with competitions, people, more often than not, lose ; and when they do the phrase “it's not meant to be” always comes up. Through this, destiny also served as a means to control dissatisfaction. When something wrong happens to us, we satisfy our negative emotions by believing that it was our destiny. In this way, one's negativity dies even before the depression seeps in.

As a scale of hard work, people often say that destiny determines how much effort we put in. If a person works hard, people say that his stars are bright but if a person fails to succeed we call his stars “dim”. In these situations, hard work and effort is converted to the measurement of stars which determine the possible outcome of a person's future.

Given the fact that defining destiny is subjective, I might as well share how I give meaning to this short yet complex word. “Destiny is the bridge you build to the one you love” as a character from the movie My Sassy Girl said describing his whole experience when he met his love. Destiny is not only limited to the idea of romance as most movies or shows would enforce it. It transpires in life in general. Destiny, for me, does not mean just sitting there and waiting for something or someone to magically happen or appear. Destiny is most definitely not magic. One’s destiny fully depends on that person’s actions and attitudes towards life. If I will put it in a mathematical equation it will be, work + will to accept change = destiny. This simply means that something happened to you because you exerted effort for it to happen. Just like how karma works, you do this and that happens to you. Furthermore, I say that destiny is not predetermined. It is not unchangeable nor it is something that is already etched in the skies.One’s destiny is not in the hands of the three old ladies waiting to cut off your “thread”. Destiny is something that could definitely change depending on what you do today. It’s in a constant flux, solely dependent on what you do.

References

Cornelius, G. (1996) The Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination. Penguin Group.

Informationphilosopher.com (1855) Determinism. [online] Available at: http://www.informationphilosopher.com/freedom/determinism.html/

Plato.stanford.edu (2003) Arthur Schopenhauer (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). [online] Available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/schopenhauer/

Theoi.com (2000) MOIRAE : The Fates, Greek Goddesses of Fate & Destiny | Mythology, Moirai | Roman Parcae. [online] Available at: http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Moirai.html

Do You Believe in Destiny (DRAFT)

Most people would often say that destiny and fate share the same meaning. However with regards to 19th century philosophy, the words gained inherently different meanings.

Critique of Sample Essays

Bayanihan:
In terms of structure, the author was able to present the main idea of the essay in the outline. Using a question as the essay's hook, Bayanihan was defined. This rhetorical move is very common in extended definition essay introductions, therefore, I found the style used in essay very common. In the body, although the connection of the cultural value of Bayanihan and the support of Filipinos abroad for the national athletes of the Philippines was established, the concept was not well-explained. The author lacked the use of transitional devices and connecting phrases and jumped directly to the topic of sports making the main idea of first part of the essay's body unclear.

The purpose of the essay was clear as to inform but it failed to establish the main idea of the thsesis statement. Rather than showing the connection of Bayanihan to patriotism in terms of sports, the essay showed more sports facts and the achievements of the national teams of the Philippines. The in-text citations did not follow the APA format and the conclusion failed to establish a final stand or idea of the essay.

In my opinion, rather than focusing on the teams or sport facts, the author should have given examples on how the Filipino sports fans show their support to their national teams who compete in the various competitions held worldwide.

Of Ink and Needle:

The topic was presented in the outline. The author followed the basic parts of the essay using an anecdote as a hook, beliefs on peircing & tatoos as backgroud information and the author was able to state the thesis statement in the introduction. The author used Definition in the first part of the essay’s body, stating the dictionary definition of tatoos and piercings. Apart from the dictionary meaning of the topic, the deeper meaning of piercings and tattoos were shown in the essay as they were means to outshine other individuals. The author also used Example as a rhetorical move for the second part of the essay’s body while incorporating various connecting phrases and words to show the sequence of ideas clearly. The essay was able to present the author’s purpose to inform and, in a way, pursuade the ideas of the readers. The conclusion was able to leave an impact on the minds of the audience. And over-all, the essay was well-written, properly constructed and informative.

*This was critiqued with Finnick Odair

From Felt Tips to Surfaces