jdcolilihan-blog

[jdcolilihan-blog]

Responsibility

“With great power comes great responsibility.” This is one of the most famous quotes by Spiderman. We English Majors were given the privilege to have the power of English language and we must share such knowledge with others. We exercised such responsibility when EL103: Structures of English instructor, Sir Rogelio Ticoy Jr. told us to proofread and edit the works of our fellow freshmen from the CME Department.

I was honored to be given the chance to share my knowledge. As what an anonymous writer said, “Gaining knowledge is the first step to wisdom, sharing it would be the first step to humanity.” However, despite my excitement, after receiving the manuscripts, I was a bit sad seeing the mistakes they have made. Seeing such, I wanted them to learn more and even wanted to talk to them about grammar.

Mr. Ticoy grouped us and gave bunches of papers that are to be proofread and edited. The papers were immediately distributed to each member of the group so that each could check the works and could start editing. I was assigned as the editor-in-chief in our group and I saw that as an advantage because I got fewer papers to proofread. Later that night, bringing the papers at home, I started working by reading the works of the students I am assigned to edit. While reading, I get to make frowns at times whenever I saw basic grammar and capitalization rules being violated. The pronoun ‘I’ was mostly written in lowercase when it should always be in uppercase. There were words which were not suitable to the sentence, making the meaning that the person is trying to convey hard to understand. I had to reread it a lot of times and look for context clues that would help me comprehend so I could rewrite it in the simplest form. I often cross out these sentences and phrases especially if they are unnecessary and hard to understand. I also came across with words that I know were confusing as to when and how to use it in a sentence such as the word “one’s” and “once”. There were also times when they would include words that are not essential to the sentence just to make it longer. Conjunctions are sometimes not properly used and the structures of the sentences are quite hard to understand.

The whole editing process was really a headache. There were times wherein I would just leave it on my desk, unmoved because I was having a hard time thinking as to how I would reconstruct their sentences. But one thing that I discovered about myself after doing the task was that I am learning. I am gaining knowledge from the past lessons that we’ve discussed and the worksheets we had to answer. What was good and I can say the thing I am proud of is that I was able to apply my learnings and I can also say that I had helped through the corrections I made. The task may be tiresome but this had taught me lessons and realizations. This made me become prouder and more dedicated with the program I chose. I found out that some students proceed to college without a strong foundation of the language and as a future English teacher, it is our task to build a strong foundation and teach them grammar rules that will benefit them in their future uses. It is not just enough to learn the skill of conveying thoughts and ideas; take in to consideration that one of the goals of this institution is to produce top performing professionals equipped to be globally competitive and having shallow learning won’t work. This task also made me realize that there are still room for improvement and one can be expert at something through learning and studying.

You can never give what you don’t have. This may sound cliché but this quote had impacted to success of the task and had served as my motivation to continuously thirst for knowledge so that I could give more and continue my responsibility.

[jdcolilihan-blog]

Is Our School Really Safe?

An award-winning writer from our very own student publication once told me, “once you’ve opened your eyes, it’s a sin to close them.” What she said hit me. I have seen a lot of wrong doings from high officials from our very own university and this time, I won’t go blind.

This picture shows an unhealthy learning environment where a teacher speaks but smoke covers it all. I chose this picture because I can relate this to what is happening in our university. It is powerful enough for me to raise awareness against those that disobey one of the basic prohibitions in each and every school.

As we all know, smoking is prohibited in all schools. Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 states that smoking and even selling cigarettes near the school is illegal. The law protects us but is the school administration doing the same?

As a student, I am used to going around the campus and in doing such, I have discovered multiple fouls done by officials in the school. If you are thinking of what I am thinking then yes, I saw them smoke inside the campus. However, I will not name names for this. A lot of us students witness such and it is just ironic to think that the same people are the strict ones when it comes to our attire and many other matters.

Our school has high reputation when it come to education. It would be sad to discover that some of the people who run the university are disobeying such rules and endangering the lives of students. I just hope that the officials here will set a good example for us students. My eyes have opened. It’s time for the administration’s eyes to open too.

[jdcolilihan-blog]

Sociology and Linguistics

Each and every one of us are unique in our own ways. There are different types of people in this world depending on their looks, attitude, financial capacity, social well-being and many more.

Sociology and linguistics can be are related. In my own opinion, studying linguistics is a sociological act. When you study the language of a particular community, you study their social ways. Knowing how they are related to each other; a twist is to be made. Let’s try mixing up types of people and the lexical categories. If people are lexical categories, what would they be?

There are eight lexical categories; noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, preposition and interjection. We will classify types of people regarding any aspect as these categories.

Let’s start with nouns. Nouns are names of a person, thing, place, event and anything tangible and intangible. I could say that influential, powerful and persuasive people who made a huge effect on the perceptions of people and even history are nouns. This is because they have big names. Basically, a person, place, thing or anything, even an idea can be named after these people or can be connected to them for they are too influential to change the perspectives of other people.

Pronouns are words used to substitute nouns. Not basing on how I categorized people as nouns, politicians, journalists and people who would speak for the people are the ones to be called pronouns. The reason here is that these people represent each and every one in the country. They become the people’s voice. I just hope this coming election, our people would choose the right ones to be their voice.

Next, verbs. Verbs are basically action words who state action. In my own perspective, basing on the word action, people categorized are those who are active – athletes, soldiers and everyone else who would use their physical strength and fitness more as their jobs and their roles in the society. Adventurous people can be considered verbs too.

Adverbs are words that describe verbs and other adverbs. Adjectives do the same but instead of verbs and adverbs, they describe nouns. I can see these two lexical categories in the people who love to judge others in all aspects like the way they look, their actions or worse, by who they are. Examples of these people are the so called “chismosas.”

A preposition is usually defined to as a word that shows a relationship between a noun or a pronoun and another word or words in a sentence. In short, they connect. People inclined to communication like journalists, people in telecommunication companies, call canter agents and the like. This is because just like prepositions, they also connect.

Interjections are words that express strong or sudden emotions. Journalists fit these roles. They express everything that deserves an exclamation point. They express those that happen suddenly, just like interjections.

As we all can see, linguistics and sociology may be different but they can be connected in any way. However, this is just my own perspective for we truly are different from each other.

[jdcolilihan-blog]

The Man Above

Who is the Man above? Who is God? Lots of question that are unanswered. Yet, we believe. Why do we still believe? For we have faith.

As a future educator, my thirst for knowledge never quenched. So, I came up to answer our EL103: Structures of English instructor, Sir Rogelio Ticoy Jr.’s question. If God is a noun what type of noun would He be? Is God concrete or abstract? Is God proper or common?  Is God countable or non-countable? Is God singular or plural; collective or compound?

God is an abstract noun. As we all know, an abstract noun is something intangible; cannot be seen, touched, smelled, heard neither can it be tasted. It is not physically existing. God is not tangible for He will not bring himself down to our level unless he wanted to. However, his blessings come in both tangible and intangible things. God maybe intangible but He made all things intangible and intangible.

Questions are also asked on whether God is a proper or a common noun. God is a proper noun. Not just because we would capitalize Him because of His hierarchy, but it’s just that, He Himself is specific. When we say God, no matter what we call Him, Yahweh, Allah, or anything else, it would always specifically refer to as God, the Creator.

He is singular. In Catholicism, we could here the prayer say “Holy Trinity One God” and that itself would be proof that He is singular. The word “one” basically symbolizes singularity. Christianity taught us to worship Him and only Him. Which again shows that He is singular. In a polytheist religion, there maybe a lot of Gods, but each and every one these Gods are singular. Like Shiva, Hinduism’s God of Death. Note that Hinduism may have millions of Gods.  

Catholicism says there are three forms of God—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This may first make us say that God may be a collective noun. However, I do believe that these are just forms and God is still singular. Thus, God is not a collective noun.

There is no one higher than God, nor is anyone at His level. This makes Him specific. The Man above will always be Him and forever will be Him.

[jdcolilihan-blog]

Never Ending Waves: The Group 4 Video Tutorial Story

The sea is a deep poetic element of the environment. How comforting it is to hear the waves, never ending, never getting tired of coming back after being pushed off the shore and back to the sea.

Through thick and thin, Group 4 of SE14 taking up EL103: Structures of English, scheduled every Tuesday and Friday at 10:30 -12:00 under the instruction of Sir Rogelio Ticoy Jr., have been doing what they can to impress and get great impression from their instructor. They have finished the first task but in the middle of finishing it, a new challenge arrived.

Sir Ticoy tasked each group to make a video tutorial about their infographic. In the case of Group four, they had to make a video tutorial about grammatical metalanguage particularly about lexical categories or more commonly known as the parts of speech.

The challenge started from start to finish. It was hard to keep the group together for all were busy and not all were available on Wednesdays and weekends. However, this did not stop Group 4 from doing the task.

Jude Daniel Colilihan was tasked to do the voice over for the said video. It was not a walk in the park. Colilihan had to repeat the voice over again and again due to either some external disturbances or human errors.

Technical errors with the editing software was another problem for the group. The software used in editing the video tend to be crashing causing some parts to be omitted from the video. However, ways were found to troubleshoot such problems.

Despite having such challenges like waves coming back again and again, the group was able to come up with the output. But then, just like waves, the output had to comeback to were it came from for it was not what Sir Ticoy was expecting.

Just like waves, the group will not get tired of coming back again and again until it gets appreciated. They will never stop. They are like waves. Never ending.

[jdcolilihan-blog]

Strike Three: Group Four’s Infographic Story

The Batter

In baseball, the batter has three trials to hit the baseball and be given the chance to score a home run. Group Four had to undergo series of trials before getting the chance. This is their story. Consider Group Four the batter        

Infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly.

This second semester, the students taking up EL103: Structures of English under the instruction of Mr. Rogelio Ticoy, Jr., were tasked to make an infographic about grammatical metalanguage as a requirement.  Highs and lows passed the groups for it was never an easy task to pull off.

Strike One

Group 4 of section SE14 scheduled every Tuesday and Friday, 10:30-9:00 chose to make an infographic about Lexical Categories. The first person in charge of making the infographic was Jude Daniel Colilihan. Sleepless nights passed and together with the group, he showed the infographic to Sir Ticoy but unfortunately, it got disapproved.

The first infographic made by Colilihan was a portrait, wordy, one-page infographic with white print and maroon theme. Maroon was the chosen color for maroon symbolizes education which is what the infographic’s purpose is—to educate.

Strike Two

After the disapproval of the first version of the infographic, Colilihan made a revision of it. This time it was a spider-themed infographic with pinkish red motif. However, the revised version of the infographic never reached sir Ticoy for there were conflicts with the schedule.

Colilihan’s revision of the infographic was another portrait, one-page infographic with the spider theme and pinkish red motif. Spider was the chosen theme for a spider has eight legs and there are eight lexical categories. Another reason why the spider was the theme chosen and pinkish was the chosen motif is because it is a unique, unexpected thing for an infographic which would then help catch the attention of the readers.

Time Out

Weeks have passed and all became busy with the preparations for the university’s 98th founding anniversary. English majors were busy too with the English Circle’s musical adaption of Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride directed by Marizthela De la Cruz and headed by Sir Ticoy himself. Colilihan, in particular, got busy being part of the cast of the said musical play.

Strike Three

Due to Colilihan being busy with the musical play, he failed to have another revision of the infographic. Hope were troubled for Group 4. But then the light showed up from darkness.

  Hit!

Vincent Labatiao had the initiative and carried the work on. He made the final infographic which was then sent and checked by Sir Ticoy.

Labiatao’s final revision was a five-page, sky blue infographic. It gave all the resources needed and had better illustrations and pictures.

After the hitting the mark of what was expected, it was time to give it a shot to score a homerun. Striving for victory, hoping not to be called out. This run has never been easy. But like all things, it is fun and the memories brought with it are the greatest gifts a team would give to each and every member. Together, this run will change us to be better people in the future.

[jdcolilihan-blog]

Infographics about Lexical Categories

[jdcolilihan-blog]

Third’s Hype

From that 3:49 afternoon of the 29th day of July 1999, things were never the same for the Colilihan clan. He was the first born of our generation. His parents Julia and Denis Colilihan were the source of his strength and his first name. His mother’s “Ju” and his father’s “De.” Not only was he privileged to be the first born of all his cousins, he was also blessed to be the third carrier of the Daniel name. This culture started with his father’s father, Daniel Sr., then his uncle, Daniel Jr., then him, though not Daniel III but his family calls him Third.

Born and raised in Tacloban and Burauen, respectively, young Third got used to a well-disciplined environment having a masculine-dominated household. He got a lot hype growing up. He studied at Morningside School, where more hype got into him finishing as fourth in his batch, then passed the entrance exam at Engineering and Science Education Program (ESEP) now known as Science Technology Education (STE) in Leyte National High School.

The hype continued and got higher when he became a debater beating the LNU-ILS team and taking the victory in the Lantugi Season 2. A year later, he became president of the Humanities and Social Sciences Organization as I give back to serve the school who helped me for the past six years.

He graduated high school having an Outstanding Performance Award in Communication Arts (English). He also became a part of the Burauen Biker’s Association and the Kabalikat Civicom radiomen to volunteer to the improvement of my environment, himself and his community.

Now, Third is an English Major, hoping to pass the Licensure Examination to help other kids be what they want to be in the future. Though not the hype his family was expecting, but he still get the hype of being a writer, a soldier and an actor.