To sing is to live...

            I've got a lot of issues everyday. About what to eat...which clothes to wear..how to handle boredom...and what kind of animals except to sheeps I should count to make myself sleep at night. I fact, I get used to them that I sometimes can't distinguish which I do first and then next..and then last..But of course sleeping  is. But I 've got one big issue I can't..and don't think if I can handle..It's one thing I think every minute..with seconds as only intervals...Not that I count....But it's just my head and my heart is always preoccupied by it I don't even need a clock to count time...

            I want to sing. The neighborhood knows that. They hear it every single day. I am the village's radio, cd player.or whatever you want to call it. I do sing..Yuh..well, at least people say I do..Unfortunately I don't think I can. And "do" is far different from "can"..The bottom line is..yes, I sing..but it's not the kind of singing I want for myself. My instructor once said that I am too idealistic on many things. And I think singing is one of those many. It's just..I am not contented that I sing..or can sing..for I always feel the need to learn the real thing about it.

           Everytime I hear my favorite artists, how I wish I can sing like them. Hit high notes with no sweat...deal with low notes without sounding like a cow. But I can't and my greatest frustration is that I can't afford even the cheapest voice lesson in town. Let alone the credibility of the coaches. Now I am on my greatest trouble. I happened to see a legend on the net. It's Brett...Brett Manning..the person behind Hayley Williams' powerful voice and that of Taylor Swift. Hayley and Taylor..two of the greatest singers in Hollywood. Who would not be curious about this man? The thing is easy..If I really want it, then I should enroll at his studio and have him as my vocal coach..and this is disregarding the fact that 1.) I am miles away from where he is and 2.) I don't have a single cent to afford a flight..let alone the lessons and the cost of living there.

            Since I was young, I've dreamed of moving abroad. Living in US would be my grandest achievement if given fortune. But I never guessed I would be this frustrated facing the truth that I cannot do this today. At least it's "today" for there can be tomorrow and the day after that. I can work. I can save some earning for what I want. I know I can do it all...no mater how hard. Now I've came up with the final plan (or dream) : after graduation, I'm going to work in the country for a year; leave after to Singapore and work to save for another year and finally, move to Nashville, look for Brett, fulfill the purpose and go back here to where I come from..and start again.

Truth Reveals (an editorial for a newsletter)

                                       
     Most in this publication are dreaming of being a journalist someday. But we have to admit that most are afraid of doing what a journalist should do- to expose the truth.  It is not hard to define the word. What exist in reality is true. When Nea Trina Mejico won the title in MS. BSU pageant, it’s true because it happened. Her winning did exist.
    While professional media men are alleged of entertaining more bad issues than good ones, as to the concern answered by ABS- CBN reporter, Doland Castro in the COMGUILD Journalism Seminar last August 2, campus papers seem to be the exact opposite. He put in plain words that they, reporters are just telling what the real situations and events are occurring everyday. In short, they are only telling the truth. It just so happened that what occur are bad news…bad issues and what do occur or exist are the truth.
    The point is; truth isn’t always about nice events, great stories or good news. When someone says, some BSU students got pissed off after the Students Night because of delayed time of letting them out of the cultural center, this is neither a nice event nor good news. But it doesn’t mean that it is not worth publishing in the campus paper.
Admit it; we have issues of students violating school regulations multiple times and even issues about instructor(s) treating students irrationally and unprofessionally. Are these things not worth exposing? Do students deserve to know only about the triumphs, the achievements and the good deeds? Exposing bad issues is not about provoking anyone to rebellion. It is not after tumults which some issues to be exposed might cause. A writer should be after the fulfillment of his job. We should be after exposing the truth. We should be after the right of the students to know what is happening, what is wrong and even students’ right to speak out issues which might cause one’s punishment but majority’s benefit.
    We have personal biases, but if the issue we are involved in affects not only us but number of students and faculties and would possibly affect many others if not given action at this very moment; that is not personal bias anymore. A newsletter is one great instrument of telling what people should know. Student writers should be the students’ portal to let people know what they deserve.
       What makes us conscious of writing bad issues is the fear that if the issue pertains to an authority of the school, this will affect our position as students. But this should not hinder us from revealing true stories for also as stated in Article VIII, Section 7 of R.A 7079 known as the Campus Journalism Act, a. student shall not be expelled or suspended solely on the basis of articles he or she has written, or on the basis of the performance of his or her duties in the student publication.
        With this regard, we are encouraging student writers and even non student journalists not to be frightened of exposing bad issues because as long as what they are about to write is true, there is nothing to be afraid of. 

James Is Indeed James Before (James Leininger’s claim of past life experience)

                        
    What happens when we die?
    
    As we have all been raised up by the idea of heaven and hell, we might probably find it easy to answer this. But there are some people like us, raised with the same belief who finds a third choice to respond to this mystery- reincarnation.
     
     James Leininger, an eleven year old American boy perhaps is a great proof to this as for his claim of being a rebirth World War II pilot, James Huston Jr. when he was six. As early as two, James has been obsessed with airplanes that he plays nothing else but this. To his parents’ astonishment, he is able to identify different types of planes at his age, most especially, war planes. But then, James’ obsession with airplanes brought him frequent nightmares about a plane crash. "I'd wake him up and he'd be screaming," Andrea, James’ mother, said. She said that when she asked him what he was dreaming about, the boy would say, "Airplane crash on fire, little man can't get out."

    Andrea’s mother was the first to suggest that James was encountering memories of past life. Andrea was doubtful at the time so as her husband Bruce who was then, a total skeptic. James, his parents said, watched only kids’ shows on television and they weren’t even watching documentaries of World War II or talked about it even about military history. And so with this, Andrea started to be confused about what to believe.  In one video of James at the age of 3, he goes over the plane like he is doing a preflight check. One time Andrea bought him a toy plane. When she pointed at one thing under it and told him it was a bomb, James contended and said it was not a bomb but a drop tank. “I’d never heard of a drop tank, I didn’t know what a drop tank was,” Andrea said.

    When James’ nightmares became frequent and this was when his parents decided that they had to do something. His grandmother suggested that Andrea should consult Carol Bowman, a counselor and therapist who believes that people can be reborn. Bowman encouraged James to share his memories of the past. With her help, James nightmares began to lessen.

    Andrea said, her son revealed astounding details about experiences of a former fighter pilot. He would say this most frequent at night, before bed when he was dozy. He would tell her that his plane got hit by the Japanese and it crashed. Andrea said that James told his father one time that he flew a Corsair, a fighter plane and that “They used to get flat tires all the time.”Another time, James revealed something to his father that caused him to be obsessed of researching about World War II. James told him that he took off from the Natoma and he flew with Jack Larson. Bruce discovered later that the Natoma and this man named Jack Larson were real. To his astonishment, he learnt that it was actually The Natoma Bay was a small aircraft carrier in the Pacific used in the Second World War and that Jack is still alive and is living in Arkansas.

    James later started to draw symbols which read “James 3” as to Bruce discovery that the only pilot who died in the Iwo Jima battle was named “Jmaes Huston Jr”. Could it be the reason why James put 3 after his name, because he believes that he is actually the third James?  Another startling revelation that James told his father was that his plane crashed because of a direct hit on the engine. And this, Ralp Clarbour a rear gunner who also took off the Natoma Bay and was the pilot of the plane next to Huston’s plane attested. It was March 3, 1945 on a raid near Iwo Jima when he saw James’ plane hit by an anti aircraft fire. He said, “I would say he was hit head on, right in the middle of the engine. Bruce, an agnostic before came to believe on his son’s account of past life and that his son was in fact the reincarnation James M. Huston Jr.

    Though James’ parents now know and believe on their sons past life experiences, they said it didn’t change how they thought about him. His father said James is still his son.

Art and Passion

           
            With a serious smile in his lips, watching his hands playing in the table, he said, “My goal is to inspire and touch people… and that is art!”
In his values education class while in the fifth grade, his teacher asked him to make a role play. Sito was a kid but he did it. When he turned 26 of age and was asked about this circumstance, he laughed and said that this person was the first to believe in his talent.
            As early as then, his dream is this- to be in the field of performing arts. Since childhood, his infatuation to arts has been apparent. While in elementary, he joined a singing contest; taught dance to his fellow students in the Mabini Academy when in High School and even organized groups and gave dance lessons to his fellows in San Salvador in which some were even older than him. But his fascination to arts never ended there. When he finished studying Economics in BSU Main and was able to earn pennies, he made ways to pursue what he wanted because for him, everything is a personal decision.
“Personal decision din kasi yan eh. I have to do what I want.”
            When at the Canossa Academy teaching economics, he attended seminars and workshops and has been even in Manila in the latter years looking for scholarships to be able to study and enter the world of performing arts. He even handled the cultural group of the academy. At the Cultural Center of the Philippines, he took up Technical Theatre major in Lighting Design and was able to finish it.
Mrs. Emerita Generoso, his co- instructor now at BSU Lipa and his first cousin tells his story when at home. She knows him on lights out of course. She says, he hates gossips and he gets mad whenever people talk about their neighbors. The truth is, he can’t walk out of the room and leave his cousin answering questions in an interview about his life and personality. He keeps roaming around the corners and teasing her to stop talking- especially if it’s about his love life. This is not a piece of the story but the most interesting part about her revelation must be this:
            “Kapag fiesta, may motif yan. Minsan nakapasok ako sa mga yan tapos merong banga, sabi ko ‘ano ga to, ano gang nangyari dito, parang gubat’. Nanglilimot yan ng siit- siit ng kawayan tapos nilalagay nya sa bahay nila.”
People who have known him and were able to work with him in a production believe that what he has in him is more than a hobby or a little crush on art. They suppose it is passion. Shaira Icaro, BSU Lipa Dance Company member is one of those people who do so. She knows this man for almost seven years since she joined the Lipa Integrated Performing Arts where he became her dance instructor up to this time in the dance company. Her statements during an interview disclose much more disposition than people expect of him and his passion for arts.
       “Sya…pag practice, practice talaga.”
    “Hindi pwede sa kanya yung…ok lang, yung ok na. Dapat…hindi naman yung perfect kasi wala namang perfect…yung parang close to perfect, ganun,” she points out.
    As to her account, he is strict and serious. This must be the reason why as he revealed in an interview last September 9, his co workers call him emperador and mando. But then, his fervor towards his kind of knack must be very influential for as Shaira confesses, their group becomes more disciplined and organized under his management. This only shows that, passion plus talent is equal to a hip hop group turns to performers of contemporary dances. To the third degree of relation, passion plus talent equals him. Now he’s not just a passionate artist but an artist of passion- as how he put it, “…humihinga ka dahil artista ka.”
    It was somehow nude of him that he said those words affectionately that you can say he meant it. As the interview went on, he made several chuckles and cackles with a voice that can cause a room to tremble. He laughs at simple jokes that’s why being serious answering matters like “Kung bibigyan po ba kayo ng chance na mabuhay ulit, pipiliin nyo pong…mapunta sa field na to?” Of course he laughed at first and joked that the question is too personal but made it to the point of sincerity and at the end he said, “Oo..oo naman.”
    These are jus few insights in which his character can clearly be seen, but there is no more than what he speaks about his life. On the same interview, he discloses his emotions and beliefs about himself. When asked how it feels that he inspired people after his successful management of Mr. and Ms. BSU Lipa pageant, he gave out quotation that would overwhelm all others mentioned. With a serious smile in his lips, watching his hands playing in the table, he said, “My goal is to inspire and touch people… and that is art!”
    His elementary teacher was right about trusting him for that role play before. Now, he’s not just a theatre director but also a dance instructor and a respected instructor in the university. Sito, emperador,mando or Sir Nario as he is popularly called, whoever he is, he is still Mr. Luisito Torres Nario,the man whose art never ends even here.