Summary: The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

UNEDITED ARTICLE

ANNICALOU TAÑAQUIN

III RUTHERFORD

The short story “The Cast of Amontillado” written by Edgar Allan Poe is a tragic story of revenge in an unnamed city in Europe. It focuses merely on the aristocrats in the middle ages. Montresor, the narrator of the story depicts about his vengeance to a man (Fortunato) who seems to have insulted him and caused him injuries. Injuries may have caused him so much that he is willing to dirty his hands just to make himself secure.

In an unnamed city in Europe, a man named Montresor had a secret anger to his fellow man Fortunato due to an unmentioned insult. In a carnival, he saw Fortunato drunk and wearing jester’s motley. That instant, he became happy because he thought that it is the right time to execute his well planned revenge.

As bait, he told Fortunato that he wanted to go to Luchesi to help check the authenticity of the Amontillado wine, he bought. But because Fortunato is a man with pride, he thought that Montresor looks up to Luchesi when it comes to wine and said that he is better. Even if he has bad cough, he still insisted in going to Montresor’s place to test the wine.

They proceeded to Montresor’s palazzo; here they wander deep to the catacombs. This time, he gave Fortunato more alcohol that’s why he grew a lot drunk. After that, he made a gesture, and when Fortunato didn’t recognize it, he had suspicions that he is not a mason.

As they walked, Montresor suddenly, told the story of his family. Of how fearless and how brutal they can be in terms of fighting and merciless killing. But, Fortunato didn’t think that Montresor’s motive is to kill him because he was too eager to taste the wine.

When pass by a niche, Montresor told Fortunato that the Amontillado is inside so, the man willingly entered. Inside, Montresor chained him to the wall but because of drunkenness, he didn’t seem to care. After that, he bid Fortunato goodbye and started pilling up bricks.

Few minutes passed and suddenly, Fortunato recovered from his drunkenness. He tried screaming but no one listened. He tried to break out from the chains but it is simply impossible. When the last row of bricks where piled, he begged Montresor to let go of him for God’s sake. And for the last time, he didn’t mind.

In the end of the selection, Montresor claimed that half a century has passed but still, no one has ever found justice for Fortunato; never in that time that he has been caught or alleged him. In that span of time, no one has ever disturbed the body of Fortunato. Lastly, he closes the story with a remark. In pace requiescat.

BE ONE OF US

ATTENTION:

To all non-elective english class students

You can let others see that you also have the guts to be a future generation good writer by contributing your original articles in this blog.

Leave your articles as COMMENT to this post.

WELCOME...

WHERE TO WRITE

To all aspiring writers, hope this video would help you produce better personal outputs and NOT A BETTER COPIED AND PASTED ARTICLE FROM THE INTERNET!!!SHAME on those who do that immoral and inhuman act.

The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant

A Story Review

by Danielle Marie A. Parreño

III - Antoine Henri Becquerel

Great stories touch our lives. The Necklace is one of those stories which happen to touch our lives inconspicuously. In this selection, it was shown that not all grandeurs in life are a splendor themselves. Sometimes, we need not material possessions to show our real beauty.

Madam Loisel is the typical middle class English woman who happens to be gifted with beauty but unfortunately not the luxury of life. She aspires to be like the first class women, beautiful and magnificent physically which were enhanced with all those superb ball gowns and sparkling jewelries. However, with her status in life, she cannot afford to have those.

Nonetheless, Madam Loisel learned to be content with what she has in life when she lost the borrowed diamond necklace. She and her husband spent ten years in paying for the replacement necklace only to find out that the necklace they lost is in fact, not a real one. How very unfortunate for them but they learned a lesson that somehow they can never forget and never regret knowing.

The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant is a story wherein readers could either get astonished by the ending or touched by its implied lesson. Nevertheless, the lesson we got from the selection was cleverly hidden between carefully chosen words. The story was created in a very typical way but the twist is, the moral of the story was veiled in a way that it is up to the readers to find out about it.God created each and every one of us equally. There is no one higher or lower than us. It is foolish for us to create such status in life wherein people put a barrier to each other. The Necklace portrayed to us a lesson in which we should all remember. Be content and let us be thankful in what we have in life instead of complaining. The rich may have what the poor doesn’t, but somehow the poor have something the rich cannot have.

Three cheers for this wonderful story, The Necklace.

THE NECKLACE by GUY DE MAUPASSANT

Beverly Q. Brandes

III BOHR

Any one who had read a short story like this one, “The Necklace” (by Guy de Maupassant), must have found his heart deeply moved. The story certainly progressed magnificently that no one could declare two thumbs down to it, even one.

I am very sure that some might say that the author could have just been so cruel to the husband and to the wife. You see, after having been so elegant and gorgeous for just one evening together with the richest in town, Madame Mathilde Loisel lost her borrowed diamond necklace (I do not know yet that it is made of paste until I have read the ending). Consequently, the decision of the author to make Mathilde replace the necklace is truly remarkable. I mean we can read short stories with almost the same sequence of events but “The Necklace” proves to be unique. Instead of telling Madame Forestier that Mathilde lost the treasure, she replaced it with a “true” jewel. I think it is nice to present a story which reveals the values we are to act in life. Showing the readers to do an “ultimate deed” (that is working endlessly for ten years just to pay the debts used to buy the necklace) is awesome. I believe there are some misconceptions or other negative reactions about the story, but I’m sure than those.

One thing I would like to comment is what could have happened if Mathilde was contented with her dress; if she did not desire for more ornaments like what she did when she borrowed a jewel, a diamond necklace? She could have just wanted to gain enough confidence to mingle with the well-to-do. But her inner character was revealed after taking the risks to be a debtor of usurers and all the race of lenders.

I’m sure it is very hard to accept the fact that you almost risked your life to replace the necklace just made of paste. As a whole, there are three lessons the story inculcated in my mind; to be contented with what I have, to be hardworking and last but definitely not the least to PAY MY DEBT

A REVIEW: THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO

Aileen Lastrilla Robles

III-Antoine Henri Becquerel

Montresor seeks revenge for the insults Fortunato gave him. Fortunato did not really understand what was happening at first but when he was all chained up, he became aware of his environment.

At first, I did not understand this story because of the words that was used. They were unfamiliar to me. But when I read the summary, I began to understand it. I can not understand that an insult can make you think to murder a friend. Anyways, that is not the topic of the story. The story focuses on the way Montresor murders Fortunato. Montresor’s plan of murder was absolutely perfect because nobody has found out about the murder for years. As for Fortunato, it was really sad to be killed by a friend whom you trusted. But it is also his fault that he was murdered. In my opinion, both sides was wrong in their actions. Fortunato would have not been murdered if he has not insulted Montresor but Montresor’s action of dealing with the problem was not an accurate solution for a noble man. He could have at least talk to Fortunato.A side from the theme of the story, the short story was well written. Every action was well described and stated. I commend the author.

Digimon vs. Pokemon

CRISTINA ABALOYAN

III RUTHERFORD

Nowadays, children and even adults are fond of playing computer games, reading manga, and watching anime. In these games, manga, and anime, Pokemon and Digimon are the most popular. These hobbies add color to their life, gives entertainment, and many more. Though these stuff are enjoyable and irresistible, these hobbies are much like any other form of entertainment which is frequently a cross disciplinary field.

Pokemon is a media franchise owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri around 1995. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world, behind only Nintendo's own Mario series. Pokémon properties have since been merchandised into anime, manga, trading cards, toys, books, and other media. The name Pokémon is the Romanized contraction of the Japanese brand, "Pocket Monsters” as such contractions are very common in Japan. The term "Pokémon", in addition to referring to the Pokémon franchise itself, also collectively refers to the 493 fictional species that have made appearances in Pokémon media as of the recent release of the newest Pokémon role-playing games (RPGs) for the Nintendo DS, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Like the words deer and sheep, the singular and plural forms of the word "Pokémon" do not differ, nor does each individual species name; in short, it is grammatically correct to say both "one Pokémon" and "many Pokémon". While Digimons short for "Digital Monsters is a popular Japanese series of media and merchandise, just like Pokemon, which includes anime, manga, toys, video games, trading card games and other media. Digimon are monsters of various forms living in a "Digital World", a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.

The concept of the Pokémon universe, in both the video games and the general fictional world of Pokémon, stems from the hobby of insect collecting, a popular pastime which Pokémon executive director Satoshi Tajiri-Oniwa had enjoyed as a child. Players of the games are designated as Pokémon Trainers, and the two general goals (in most Pokémon games) for such Trainers are: to complete the Pokédex by collecting all of the available Pokémon species found in the fictional region where that game takes place; and to train a team of powerful Pokémon from those they have caught to compete against teams owned by other Trainers, and eventually become the strongest Trainer, the Pokémon Master. These themes of collecting, training, and battling are present in almost every version of the Pokémon franchise, including the video games, the anime and manga series, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.In most incarnations of the fictional Pokémon universe, a Trainer that encounters a wild Pokémon is able to capture that Pokémon by throwing a specially designed, mass-producible tool called a Poké Ball at it. If the Pokémon is unable to escape the confines of the Poké Ball, that Pokémon is officially considered under the ownership of that Trainer. Afterward, it will obey whatever commands its new master issues to it from that point onward, unless the Trainer demonstrates enough of a lack of experience that the Pokémon would rather act on its own accord. Trainers can send out any of their Pokémon to wage non-lethal battles against other Pokémon; if the opposing Pokémon is wild, the Trainer can capture that Pokémon with a Poké Ball, increasing his or her collection of creatures. (Pokémon already owned by other Trainers cannot be captured, except under special circumstances in certain games.) If a Pokémon fully defeats an opponent in battle so that the opponent is knocked out, the winning Pokémon gains experience and may level up. When leveling up, the Pokémon's statistics ("stats") of battling aptitude increase, including Attack, Speed, and so on. From time to time the Pokémon may also learn new moves, which are techniques used in battle. In addition, many species of Pokémon possess the ability to undergo a form of metamorphosis and transform into a similar but stronger species of Pokémon, a process called evolution. On the other hand, Digimon started out as a digital pet called "Digital Monster," similar in style and concept to the Tamagotchi. It was planned by Wiz and released by Bandai on June 26, 1997. The toy began as the simple concept of a Tamagotchi for boys (as Bandai was also the creator of the Tamagotchi). The v-pet is similar to its predecessors, with the exceptions of being much harder and being able to connect to fight other Digimon v-pets. Every owner would start with a Baby Digimon, train it, evolve it, take care of it, and then have battles with other Digimon owners to see who was stronger. The Digimon pet had several evolution capabilities and abilities too, so many owners had many different Digimon. In December, the second generation of Digital Monster was released, followed by a third edition in 1998. Now the new Tamagotchi Digimon is Pendulum that has a total of 9 in the series. Bandai also has released a Non Related Digimon Tamagotchi.

With these two subjects, humankind has learned to enjoy life. Indeed, Pokemon and Digimon, served as the model of all media in making this world an exciting and challenging world.

A WISE FOOL

JEDMUND SALES

III BOHR

I think you are surprised, intrigue, and puzzled by the title. But I was literally talking about Jedmund Mescallado Sales.

Jedmund, or it can be "Jed" for short according to him. He was born on Dec. 10, 1993, a 14 year old student of Makati Science High School. Currently living in 69 B., B. Serrano street West Rembo, Makati city. Estimatedly 5'1 in height and 153.5 pounds. A boy that is fond of playing basketball, computers, reading and many things as well. A funny man, a man that look likes that he has no problem in life, but better think again. His motto is "Patience is a virtue" due to all the obstacles he encounter in his life especially on his studies that made his outlook for life that "there is still room for changes".

A wise fool indeed for he can become a fool for him to make other laugh or happy, but a wise too for in his decisions in life.

THE BAT OR THE SPIDER

JEDMUND SALES
III BOHR

As a human being, we all encounter the childhood stage. In short, we all became kids. A kid with an imaginative mind and creative thoughts, making them to idolize or even imitate some of the superheroes they often see in the television. Superheroes may be a human being with a super ability, or a person who save others without anything in return, and two of the most popular superheroes are Batman and Spiderman.

Bruce Wayne a rich man who has it's own company and also the secret identity of "Batman". Batman, the hero of Gotham city, and also known as "The Dark Knight". A defender of the oppressed and the enemy of the oppresser. The unique characteristic of Batman is he doesn't have any super powers and that he cannot fly like other superheroes. Despite being flightless, he continues to save others with his cool gadgets and awesome cars. Generally, we can say that Batman use brains and brawl only in fighting villains.

Peter Parker, an ace student, a writer for "Daily Bugle", and also the secret identity of Spiderman. Peter was a nerd with a puny body, but after he was bitten by a "radioactive spider" things change making him Spiderman. Spiderman is also known as "your friendly neighborhood". He also have unique characteristics, the spider sense he has, the power to release webs, and a enormous power and fast reflexes. Generally, we can say that he has been given a superpower in order to fight evil.

Batman and Spiderman, both superheroes, both flightless, both have the will to save others but still different in some ways.

ONE WAY by HIllsong United

Hey, guys!

As a result of the poll I posted, ONE WAY by Hillsong United touched the lives of most of you. So i'm posting this video as a sign of my gratitude for participating in the poll.

THANK YOU and GOD BLESS!

JESUS really is the only way...

MY LITTLE YELLOW IDIOT!

anne marla sm. villa

iii - lavoisier

As he waters the plant in his front yard, I watched him. He just waters those plants but stile there’s this something going on inside of me. Something that is really weird and completely hard to explain. Have you ever felt that whenever you see your crush you have this tickle in your body? That’s what I feel when I see him.

He walks to his neighbor but easily refused him for his neighbor is not really what he thinks he is. He’s not a fun person. With that attitude of his neighbor, he went straight to his best friend’s house. But like what happen with his neighbor, he was not welcomed. He felt completely lonely that made me feel the pain of being ignored. Within that loneliness, he decided to visit the restaurant where he works. “CLOSED” is the welcome he received. The day wasn’t going well for him. Everywhere he looks, fun is not seen. The atmosphere was very melancholy. There was no fun like what he was used to.

At the end of the show, he was sad and he failed to see an atom of happiness. It wasn’t like the ordinary episodes I have watched. And in every cartoon, the credits flashed on the screen ending his awful day. But no matter what the ending of today’s episode is, I know the others will turn out how they should be. So I guess I’ll be seeing you later at 4:30 in the afternoon. See you Spongebob Squarepants, my little yellow idiot!

John Kenneth Laureto Mariano

MONICA LOUISE INONOG

III ROENTGEN

As I enter my Elective English class, a strange but familiar face stands out among my classmates. He won't lay his eyes off of me unless I’m seated... He is the boy-next-door, the guy next to me, the one who holds my heart.

I will glance at him from time to time. Give him the sweetest smile and I will say,” I love you so very too much" quietly. He will just nod at me and then I will turn my attention again to my teacher's discussion.

I really didn’t know how this started. He is just the right guy for me. He understands my tantrums. He scolds me whenever I get myself into trouble. He listens to all the things that I would tell him like my life way back elementary. Most probably, he is the one who can narrate my whole life to the world. He knows exactly how to make me laugh when I refuse to smile. He stays with me very late at night even five in the morning when I can’t go sleep. His stares, it is like the phrase, "if looks could kill". He will "kindat" at me and I could do is turn my back on him because I want to hide that big smile on my face. And yes, it is deadly. There are so many things about him that keeps me loving him and lastly... There is something in my heart tells me I never would have known love if I had never met someone like him.

Let's admit he is just a boy and I’m still a girl but we can get old together because he completes my life.

John Kenneth Laureto Mariano. Bestfriend. Brother. Savior. Lover.

Let us see the next attraction!

ORE WA, KAIZOKU NI NARU!!!

A Character Sketch on Monkey D. Luffy

Grace Ria L. Bernadas

III-WCRoentgen

“I’ll become the Pirate King!” sounds like too big a dream for a twelve year old boy, right? Even all the people around him did not take him seriously, and made him a laughing stock.

I thought he would curse them, thought he would run, I thought he would cry, but to my surprise, he just pulled his straw hat down, enough to cover his eyes and smiled. At that time, I felt it, the promise contained in his words, the promising future hidden behind his smile.

Four years have past and the young boy now turned into a young man, seventeen years of age and started out his lofty quest. Without his own boat or his own troop, he sailed the vast and untamed ocean.

Starting from scratch, he found loyal and strong comrades, but getting them was no easy task. He fought people, whose strength were more monster-like than human, whose size were twice his. Even though he is clearly the underdog, not a trace of fear can be seen across his face; he stands strong and faces his enemy headstrong. He uses his ability—Gomu Gomu Noriyoku’, the power to have his body turn flexible as rubber to somehow cover the great difference in their prowess. Never giving up no matter how many times he falls, never accepting defeat, that is his way of life.

“…I’ll never go down before I defeat you!” He once said when he was fighting Lucci, one of the toughest enemies he had fought. Just like what he promised, he never fell down. Even though he was suffering excruciating pain, his determination to save his captured comrade, who was once his great enemy, never strayed.

Well, that’s just our future Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy. Always trying his best on everything that he does, whether it be saving his friends from the clutches of evil, or defeating 30,000 marines in just five seconds, or go past the clouds in the sky in their little boat, he would never back down, he would finish the task no matter how hard it is and eventually emerge victorious.

Monkey D. Luffy, though a fictuous anime character from One Piece, he truly deserves to be looked up to, not just by children, but also by everyone... by me.

God Sees the Truth But Waits by Leo Tolstoy

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

NOLAN REDJI DOMINGO

III BOHR

God Sees the Truth but Waits is a masterpiece written by Leo Tolstoy. The story is about a rich merchant named Ivan Dimitrich Aksionov. Ivan was traveling to the Nizhny Fair and was accused of killing a fellow merchant whom he met while traveling. He was sentenced guilty and was sent to prison. At first he tried several petitions but all of them failed. He then realized that only God knows the truth and He is the only one who could help him regain his freedom. He then dropped all petitions and prayed, he continued to be like this for twenty-six years. He was greatly respected by other convicts and called him Grandfather. One faithful day he met a new prisoner named Makar. He soon discovered that Makar was the one who framed him for killing his fellow merchant and was the true murderer. Aksionov also discovered that Makar was digging a hole in prison to escape, this hole was also discovered by the governor. Even if Makar is Aksionov enemy he still didn’t told the governor who dug the hole. The following night Makar went to Aksionov and confessed to him that he is the one who killed the merchant and was going to tell the governor in order for Aksionov to be released. Aksionov refused but Makar still told the governor that he is the one who killed the merchant. It took some time to issue the release order of Aksionov but by the time it was issued Aksionov was already dead.

For me the title is very fitting for the story but you have to understand and analyze the story properly first before realizing why the title is “God Sees the Truth but Waits. The title is like that because God knows that Aksionov is innocent but He still let Aksionov be imprisoned for twenty-six years before giving him freedom. The storyline is great and it will as the story goes on you will get more and more interested on how the story will end. It also shows that no matter how bad a person may look that person could still change and have a new life. The story focuses on how Aksionov will deal with his enemy. Even if Makar was his enemy he still tried to protect him from getting punishment because of the hole Makar dug. Maybe because of this or Makar’s conscience made Makar confess to the authorities that he is really the one who killed the merchant not Aksionov. In my personal opinion God used Makar to test wether Aksionov faith in Him is strong. Aksionov proved till the very end of his life that he is faithful to God.

This masterpiece is a very inspiring story. It also has several morals that could help guide future generations of students. It could also help other law breakers to turn away from their sins. Most of all it could help all of us become closer to God.

THE NECKLACE by Guy de Maupassant

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

Grace Ria L. Bernadas

III-Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen

The Necklace is a story that depicts poverty in the olden English time and how important a person’s stature in the society is, one of the masterpieces of Sir Guy de Maupassant. Though The Necklace was actually targeted for an older range of audience, portraying real life situations and tells of a more mature kind of romance.

It tells the story of an overly ambitious middle class woman, who thinks that the natural beauty she possesses does not deserve poverty but grand and expensive jewelry… Truly a narcissist.

The main character does not really possess the characteristics and the attitude of the usual female main character, quite the opposite actually; selfish, self-centred and vain. But her unique personality makes the story much more interesting, same with her husband. For a man so submissive and so kind and so considerate to his own wife would be as rare as a 500 carat diamond.

The selection also became more enjoyable with the help of the words used in the selection, which were understandable enough for anyone to read. It makes the story very easy to follow, and in turn more appreciated. The way Guy de Maupassant described each scene, dress and character, made it a lot easier to imagine, and with such detailed descriptions, it would seem like the reader and the author have arrived into an agreement of the exact picture of the scenes. Unlike other stories, the transition of each scene was clear, the dialogues were effective and ‘feeling’ was just right.

The morals, telling about being humble at all times and being content with what you have, were magnificently shown in the story, giving a clear and everlasting message.

THE NECKLACE by: Guy de Maupassant

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

Francesca Lea G. Mañago

III - Niels Henrik David Bohr

The Necklace (La Parure) is a short story by Guy de Maupassant. By the time "The Necklace" was first published, Maupassant had already established his reputation as one of France's foremost short story writers. The Necklace was first published in 1884 in the French newspaper Le Gaulois. The story has become one of Maupassant's most popular works and is well known for its twist ending.

The Necklace tells the story of a nineteenth-century middle class French couple, Monsieur and Madame Mathilde Loisel. One day, Monsieur Loisel was given an invitation to ball. Madame Loisel did not want to go because she has no suitable dress or jewelry for the dance. The clerk sacrifices his savings to buy her a dress, and suggests that she borrow some jewelry from her old friend, Madame Jeanne Forestier. Accordingly, Madame Loisel borrows a beautiful diamond necklace from her. At the dance, the pretty Madame Loisel is the center of attraction, with even senior officials admiring her beauty and grace. She has a wonderful time until the early hours of the morning. When the couple returns home, they discover that the necklace is missing.

Unable to bear the shame of informing Madame Forestier, Monsieur and Madame Loisel decided to buy an identical diamond necklace from the Palais Royal as a replacement. But, the necklace is really expensive and they end up paying thirty-four thousand francs. Both Monsieur and Madame Loisel are forced to takes on extra jobs and live in poverty. At the end of the ten years, Madame Loisel, now older, tougher, more worn, and less graceful from years of hard manual labor has an opportunity to tell her old friend of the lost necklace. Madame Forestier is shocked and informs Madame Loisel that her original necklace was, in fact, an imitation, "...not worth over five hundred francs!"

For me, the title is not that catchy but it’s alright because it fits the selection. Another thing that I noticed is that the sequencing of ideas was really in order. The beginning of the story was really boring but as the story goes, you will start to realize that the story is really interesting. One thing that I just don’t like with the work is it has so many words which are hard to understand. But, if you read between the lines, you will get the true and real meaning of those words.

This story is a story cleverly planned and superbly executed. I like the way the writer, Guy de Maupassant, gave and presented the detail in the story. The plot has a throbbing quality, a sequenced rise and fall which successfully retain the attention of the readers until the end. And, the reader will be surprised once he finished reading it because it is unexpected that the ending will be like that. The ending was really surprising and it is perfect. Also, you will realize some things in life by reading this. In general, the story was really a good and interesting one.

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

MA. ERICKA T DURAN

III BECQUEREL

The story tackles on the life of Madame Mathilde Loisel and her husband Monsieur Loisel.Madame Loisel is a not so fortunate lady. She may have the looks but she was born from a not so rich family and married to a not so wealthy husband.

Mathilde, like any other ladies, desired for beauty, grace, and charm. One day, when she and his husband were invited in a grand ball, she was persistent of wearing something that will leave everyone in marvel. To her desperation, she forced out money from her husband just to buy a dress and asked her friend Madame Jeanne Forestier to lend her some jewelry.

After the ball, she noticed that the diamond necklace Madame Forestier lent her was missing! Loisel went back and check the possible places the necklace must have fallen on but he failed to bring the necklace back.

They decided to buy a necklace similar to what they lost. A diamond necklace is no small deal! They had to borrow money just to afford it. They spent ten years paying that debt. Madame Loisel lost her radiance with all the stress she had gone through. She then later found out that the diamond they lost was not genuine! What fools they have been.

The story was wonderful. It has thought us not to be enslaved by out materialistic side. Being enchanted by the sparkles of a thing can be very dangerous. Lastly, do not act like your somebody else when you are not.

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan POe

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

Francis Justine M. Malban

III- Bohr

The Cask of Amontillado was written by the famous literary icon Edgar Allan Poe in the year 1846. The setting was not mentioned. But it is a city in Europe. The story concerns about a man named Montresor, who sought for a deadly revenge on his fellow nobleman, Fortunato, who Montresor claims that insulted him. The work focuses on murder but it is not a tale of detection. After the crime, there was no investigation. It’s like, it’s for us to conclude what happened next after the night Montresor murdered Fortunato.The narrator, Montresor, tells the story of the night when he took revenge on Fortunato The two of them met each other for the first time in a carnival, then, Montresor carefully studied the weaknesses of his enemy. Then, he finally knew that Fortunato is a big fan of wines. So, what Montresor did was he bought a cask of Amontillado, knowing that Fortunato would be interested in tasting them. Montresor did not fail. He was able to be with Fortunato in the catacombs with the two of them alone. There where Montresor did the horrible crime. The point of view plays a very important role in influencing the reader's perception of the story. The first line of the story is a good example of how the narrator attempts to bring the reader to his side right from the start. "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge”. Montresor, the narrator of the story, immediately tries to win the reader to his side by telling him that Fortunato has "ventured upon insult," and apparently crossed over the line. This attempt is clever, but the reader never gets a sense of what Fortunato has actually done to the narrator. This fact alone raises the question in my mind as to whether Fortunato has really insulted Montresor, or whether Montresor is creating it in his own mind. The story is very simple, yet, it is somehow hard to understand. The evevts on the story is not fully discussed. It’s like there are some missing information. Maybe this is just the style of the writer to make the readers have interest in reading his literary piece.

THE NECKLACE by: Guy De Maupassant

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

CECILLE DIANE MANGASER

III BOHR

The best things in life aren't things.
- Art Buchwald

The story was on the subject of a lady and her spouse living in France in the early 19th Century. The lady, Mathilde, is a very materialistic person who is never satisfied with anything in her life. Her husband, a deprived clerk in the Ministry of Education, is not a well-off man, but he brings home enough to get by. He enjoys the simpler things in life, yet his wife, Mathilde, cannot. Nothing is good enough for her. Her self-centered ways are apparent in her approach towards the material things in her home and in the way she treats her husband.

I liked the story because it portrayed a character of a woman who was so selfish that she doesn’t think of what they will eat in the future, or how could they survive, she just wants to show off something. It’s like there is a transition on the story between fact and fiction because the author, Guy De Maupassant, used symbolisms to present the ideas like greed of the woman and the patience of the man. It was good, and the details were presented in order. The story was so interesting that I indulged on it for a long time. It was fun reading it all over again.

As it was said in a passage from the bible, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” It shows that being materialistic is one root cause of all the evil in the world because we learn to steal other people’s belongings just to accommodate our crave for more luxurious things and throughout the story, Mathilde is portrayed as selfish and materialistic. These traits are shown through her unhappy manner towards her middle class life and through the awful way she treats her husband after all he does for her. Maybe after such a long, tiresome ten years of scrounging up money to buy a new necklace to replace the lost one, Mathilde will change her ways. Perhaps she will realize how much she really has in life, may it be material things or love from her husband, and stop constantly worrying about what she does not have. Maybe she will even recognize how much her husband gives to her and how little he receives in return.

If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.

- Anonymous

-- that’s the perfect explicit message that it to be understood by Mathilde. There are many things in her life that money can’t ever buy. The LOVE of her husband. :)

THE NECKLACE by Guy de Maupassant

COMMENT AND CRITICISM

Darryl B. Loyao

III - Becquerel

I like the story because it compares reality from fantasy. Mathilde and Loisel were married at a time when individuals were joined together more by financial status then love. Mathilde was from a poor family and wished that she was destined for more in life, including marriage. Guy De Maupassant, the author of " The Necklace" describes a relationship between two people with different dreams and how desires can change your life forever. Distinguishing between reality and dreams can bring relationships closer together with respect for one another. Matlide dreamed of luxury, acknowledgement and glamour at a young age. When marrying Loisel, Matlide believed she had settled for a lifestyle instead of receiving what she deserved, fancy dwellings, servants, and glamorous clothes. The story was interesting and really good.

God Sees the Truth, But Waits by Leo Tolstoy

Mary Grace V. Dapito
III- Niels Henrik David Bohr
Comment and Criticism

This is a short story written by Russian author Leo Tolstoy in 1872. The story, about a man sent to prison for a murder he didn't commit, takes the form of a parable of forgiveness.

Ivan Demtrievich Aksenov was a merchant living in a town in Russia, Vladimir. Although he was prone to drinking, he was not violent He was responsible and well liked by people that knew him. Even if a person is prone to something wrong, it does not mean that you will be always wrong. A merchant was just murdered. Aksenov was sentenced even if he did not really do it. There are some point in our life that we are accused of doing something and sometimes we get angry because of this. He spent many years in the prison and he was respected there. Aksenov is convinced that Makar Semonovich is the man who committed the murder for which Aksenov was blamed. Eventually Aksenov confronts Makar Semonovich, but he denies committing the murder. The guard found out something. Makar Semonovich approaches Aksenov later that day in a terrible state, and he eventually admits to Aksenov that it was he who killed the merchant. Aksenov forgives Semonovich, and he feels as if a terrible weight had been lifted. Makar Semonovich confesses to the authorities, and the process for Aksenov to be cleared is begun. Unfortunately, Aksenov dies before he can reach home, but he dies in peace.

I believe that Aknesov is a great man. He shows that if someone did something wrong to you, you must forgive them. The title of the short story fits its main idea. It is when Aknesov was blamed for murdering; he spent many years in the prison. It takes a long time before the truth be heard, just wait because God sees the truth.

This is a very inspiring story because it can guide you in all your ways and it can also light your path. It can also make your relationship with our Almighty God stronger.

WINNIE D' POOH

A CHARACTER SKETCH

VANESSA CANDIDO

III LAVOISIER

Winnie the pooh, who doesn’t know him? A yellow bear who makes us laugh and inspire us to be a better person because if his nice attitudes and his teachings about moral values.

Among my favorite of the teddy bears of the world is the ever-endearing Winnie the Pooh. His my first ever favorite cartoon character. I started to like him since I was a kindergarten until now. He amazes me with his pleasing personalities that made him so popular and loved by many children. He is so attractive to the eye especially to the children’s eye because of his mini- red colored shirt with his name in front and he is unique bear with its color, yellow.

A leader, he shows different characteristics that a good leader should have. He is brave, he protects his friends from dangers and he is ready to sacrifice his self just for the sake of others. Intelligent, he always thinks and finds a way to solve different problems that tests his strength and capabilities. The most important trait that a good leader must have is that he should always understand the needs, feelings and the situation of his members and followers, and Pooh has all of those traits and capabilities.

A teacher, most of us consider him as one of the great teachers in cartoon industry. He always talk about different moral values that serves as our guide to be a better person. He also behave as a role model for all us. He often greet you with a smile on his face and he also loved chivalry. He teaches life lessons to the youngsters that they'll take with them for the rest of their lives. Generous, responsible, gentleman and of course a role model best describes the cute yellow bear, Winnie the Pooh.

A friend, he is everyone’s friend, that’s for sure. He trust his friends and never thinks bad about other people. He loves and accepts not only the good characteristics of his friends but also the bad ones. If you need someone to lean one and to talk to, Pooh is always there and will always be there for you. He would not leave you whatever happens and stay with your side in good specially in bad times. He can also be your pillow, you can hug if you’re in love, you can cry on if your sad and you can embrace when your happy.

A leader, a teacher and a friend. That best describes the only cartoon character that loves to eat Honey together with his loving friends. The one and only bear that inspire me the most and influences me a lot. His lessons and traits had affect a great impact to my personality right now and will always be, until forever – that’s Winnie The Pooh.

SHORT STORY REVIEW

Choose one of the following stories and write a short review.

1. The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
2. The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar allan Poe
3. God Sees The Truth But Waits by Leo Tolstoy

*You can leave your outputs on post as a comment or pass a hard copy of it.

JUST RANDOM

A CHARACTER SKETCH
MA. ERICKA DURAN
III BECQUEREL

After waking from one of my dreamsabout him, I wasn’t able to fall back into sleep. I was already spacing out when I begun to reminisce all the moments we had spent together. Every single thought of him made me grin like a lunatic…but before I continue my fantancies, I’m pretty sure you’re anxious about him.

Ronald Werling, a guy so full of aspirations and wild imagination, has caught everyone’s attention, especially mine. He had once become the center of my world. I admire hime for the goals he had already set in his young age. I used to not have a direction in life but hearing his plans for his future had not only encouraged me but also left me in awe.
He hates being labeled for his traits for he believes humans are not supposed to be judged. He is known for his randomness and whenever de decides on something, there’s no stopping him.

This guy is a sports buff. He’s good both in swimming and football. He never says no to new adventures and challenges. He’s a real jack of all traits.

To sum it up, he is a little of everything else. He is sweet but sour sometimes. He is thoughtful but sometimes insensitive. He is mature but sometimes childish. In short, he is Ronald Werling – a “random” special guy.

KNOWLEDGE OR WISDOM

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
CEDYDAN SALEN
III RUTHERFORD

Have you experienced having lowest score in class? Maybe yes, maybe no. Have you asked yourself what’s wrong with me? Maybe I need more knowledge or maybe I need more wisdom but what is the difference between the two?

Knowledge, this is why we go to school. To get more knowledge. It is more on teaching or learning something about a certain field of study while wisdom is like being wise; it is like using your common sense. Some people thinks that wisdom and knowledge is the same so some chose not to study, some chose to specialized and be better. This knowledge nor wisdom can’t go with you till death so why study? Why King Solomon did chose wisdom rather than knowledge? Does it mean that wisdom is better than knowledge?

For me, I think we need both wisdom and knowledge while we are living in this world with so many obstacles to pass through. Just like Jesus said, “All things have its reason”. I also want to live with contentment with the help of both wisdom and knowledge. If you only have knowledge with no wisdom, you can’t do a very simple and common sense thing while if you only have wisdom with no knowledge, you can’t get a good and legal job for a peaceful and happy living life. So to those who are losing hope, just pray and God will help you all the way. ^^

To Internet or Not to Internet

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
KARL BRYAN VINGSON
III LAVOISIER

In our generation, the use of the internet is constantly growing. We use it for communication, leisure, business, homework, research, studies, and even as a journal. Let’s face it; the internet is part of our daily lives. We students depend on the internet for our homework and for researching, but what about the traditional way of doing homework? Actually looking it up on books rather than just googling our homework? Should it be a forgotten pastime?

Doing homework through internet and manual searching both help us get our tasks done. They both provide us knowledge for school and the topic at hand. Both can get us information that we need.

Doing homework by using the internet is quick, easy, and painless. Almost everything you need for your schoolwork is on the internet, but using the internet for our homework increases dependability of the student on the internet. Using the internet for our homework could eventually cause the student to become lazy. Students would depend too much on just copy pasting, which leads to another con of internet, plagiarism. You can find ready made essays and homework all over the internet. Although, some teachers have found ways to detect plagiarized works, this problem is still rampant.

The traditional way of doing homework is still a somewhat effective way to do your homework. Though it may be tiresome it still helps students to understand their homework better. The student is forced to manually search the needed information and copy it themselves on paper. It may be too much work but at least students can understand their lessons better.

There might be many differences and similarities between the two, but they both help us to survive school alive and kicking. It’s just up to us how we should use these two methods for our schoolwork.

Anubis and Ra.

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
MICHAELA GIULIANA ARRIOLA
III BOHR

Both gods of Egypt and have respectable power as the myths tell. I have been drawn to these figures as one of the many moths allured by the flame of mystery that shrouds them. Even their shadows glow with their fantastical imagined glory. The many many attractions found in the desert jewel does not magnetize my interest much versus the two idols. Although I selectively touch matters concerning the field of religion, as I am a devoted Christian, Anubis and Ra personify thoughts of human entropy in the time of darkness and unknowing which salve my prudence regarding such matters and bettered my understanding of a rounded person, even in terms of Christianity.

Anubis—the god of mummification, associated with death and embalming. He guards over the dead so they may rest in peace and not disturb the living. He caters for the souls and bodies of the departed. The Egyptians believe that he can reign doom over any soul so he measured your heart as unworthy and he will decide of they are to go to the Realm of the Dead. It is why head embalmers wear a mask like the head of Anubis. He may give you a good afterlife or a terrible entrapment in the underworld. When a person shows kindness, greatness, excellence in his life, the Egyptian is showered in the afterlife as he was in his lifetime. All his treasures are buried with him so that he may take them in his afterlife and face Amun-Ra with a high head with these treasures. It is shown by the heart if he had done so. If the Egyptian was the opposite of opulence and did unjustly deeds on his fellows, the person may be given an improper burial with a curse amounting as much as his sin. He will be taken to the depths of the underworld and will work for the evil serpent of the underworld, Apophis.

Ra—the sun god of Heliopolis, the City of the Sun. He was said to reign over all the universe with the sky, the earth, and the underworld. He fathered the many gods after the Ogdoad cosmogony with his wife as Hathor who represents the Milky Way which was the body where the gods sail on to reach the earth. As the father of gods, he is all mighty and must be just and commanding with upholding the laws of life in the Egyptian way.

Anubis and Ra have their differences and their sides. That's what I like about the two idols from Egypt—they make the two sides of a coin. They are personages of what maybe your fate if this and if that. They can help you be a round character, to have a real you. Though they are only flat, they are what make you whole as a frame.

The Deafening Sound of Silence and the Tranquil Reverberation of Noise

by Danielle Marie A. Parreño
III – Antoine Henri Becquerel
Compare and Contrast Article

Thunders roar from a distant land, agitating those who are in peace. Meanwhile, the breeze sings a mute song in the midst of a war – stricken place. The two opposing force of the nature fights each other within each other, the silence and the noise. Both forces complies the will of Mother Nature herself to do what they must. But in the middle of everything, silence could be a plague of noise and the noise could be the outbreak of silence.

Some might find the silence as the beauty of the peaceful aura of their surroundings. For them, nothing would overcome the magnificent atmosphere that silence has given them. Yet others, perturbed by their anxious thoughts, might find silence quite deafening. In silence, everything is still. In stillness, some find it to be very irksome. It is possible that the noise of their deep thoughts is prevailing over the stillness. In silence, the noise of our thoughts could be slowly corrupting in what should be the calm state of our mind. We seem to cover our ears and scream helplessly over the non-existing noises. The thoughts of our mind seem to echo in on us making the noise in very serene surroundings. Yes, it is indeed possible for the noise to prevail on us even in our hushed surroundings, making silence inevitably deafening.

Noise has many definitions. Depending on anyone, it could be any sound which is annoying or unpleasant to their ears. But somehow, in ways we do not notice, noise could also be the outbreak of silence. We make noise for a lot of reason and one of those reasons is the silence. We break the silence by means of noise. Though others may say that noise is irritating, for others it is a sigh of relief. It could possibly be the most beautiful sound that they have ever heard, especially when their thoughts are filled with nothing but the deafening sound of silence. We could say that at last, silence has created noise for it to break free. No one could live in a world with no noise, a silent world. The silent mind is already maddening others, what more of a silent world? Indeed, silence could make tranquil reverberations too, those of which we call noise.

The silence and the noise are two contradictory forces clashing at each other. No matter how pleasing the serene sound of silence or the raucous sound of noise is, it all depends on how different people respond on it. Both could be a blessing or a curse. It all depends on how our minds will react unto it. As what I’ve said, silence could be a plague of noise and at the same time, noise could be the outbreak of silence. It is still part of Mother Nature, the silence and the noise.

TRIALS AND OPPORTUNITIES

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
SEAN EPHRAIM PAULINO
III BECQUEREL

Most of the time we tend to encounter and conclude that a happening in our life is either an opportunity or a trial. Opportunity being the positively addressed happening was the being look forwarded to and trials avoided if possible.

Opportunities are favorable times or occasions, situations or conditions favorable for attainment of a goal and good positions, chances, or prospects, as for advancement or success. The very start of a new day in our life is already considered as an opportunity. Opportunity to make the most out of everything we got.

Most of the people would describe trials negatively. They are referred to pain, anguish and sorrowful events that occur in our life. A death of our loved one for example is described as a trial. Sometimes it is even used as a substitute to the word problem and we all know that trials are part of our life that we would encounter along the way.

The boundaries between this two opposing words is probably the idea of being negative and positive, but can’t we look at them both in a positive way? Trials are also opportunities. They opportunities to make ourselves strong, dependent, patient, understanding, wise, experienced and most of all it is the opportunity to experience God’s unending power and love to us. Realizing these things would make us appreciate every detail of the events of our lives. May it be an opportunity or a trial.

The Gift of the Nile and the Glory that was Greece

Comparison and Contrast
JED ADRIEL BERENGUER
III BOHR

Two well-known and affluent civilizations flourished during the primordial period of Earth. Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. Both had astonishing contributions to the development of the Human Race. Both had amazing contributions for the progress of the society today. Without the two ancient civilizations, things would be not as advance and productive today.

The Gift of the Nile, this was what historians said about Ancient Egypt. It burgeoned at around 3300 BC along the Nile River. Because of the Nile River, Ancient Greece thrived during the primeval period. Its amazing ability to overflow at one point of the year made the dry and dull soil of its riverbanks be fertile and productive as ever. Ancient Egypt’s form of government is not directly seen today. A pharaoh ruled during their time and was believed to be like a demigod, a link between the world and the Gods above. They also contributed surprising and immense structures and architectural designs: the Pyramids. It took great patience and perseverance for the slaves to construct such buildings. Indeed it is a mystery on how they made colossal structures and still today, it stands and endures. Egyptians were also proficient in one thing: Mummification. It is the art of preserving the dead for the next life. Egyptians were very meticulous about this process; it took them a lot of time and effort to be successful in preserving the body. Another expertise of them is their form writing, the Hieroglyphics. It uses symbols or pictures to denote objects, concepts or sounds. It is carved on a wall and it depicts some happenings during their time of living. Again, it so wonderful that hey could perfectly carve objects on a wall and still people expert on interpreting and decoding them could decipher the message. Ancient Egyptians contributed a lot to our present day society. Examples are the obelisk, an architectural design used widely by Americans and other countries. Also they produced their own zodiac, methods in medical and dental procedures and their own religious practices. Certainly, the civilization that blossomed in Egypt had great part on the development of our society.

The Glory that was Greece, this was what historians said about Ancient Greece. This was because of their great achievements in many fields like philosophy, science, government, art and architecture. It prospered at around 3000 BC during the ancient times. While Ancient Egypt prospered along rivers, Ancient Egypt prospered along coastlines. It thrived by the sea, this made their civilization adept in trade with our other countries. One of the great contributions of Ancient Greece was the form of government, Democracy. It first started in Athens and this was a very sophisticated kind of government. It is applied to many nations like Philippines and the USA. It also gave us great designs when it comes to architecture, the three columns namely Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. It is used in some buildings all over the world. They also had great and fine literature like the Iliad and the Odyssey. It tells about the Trojan War and the adventures of Odysseus respectively. The Greeks also had great mathematicians and scientists who had great effect on us through their work and contributions. Geometry, Astronomy, Logic, Physics and Biology were some of the fields of science that those Greeks were dexterous at. We should also thank Greeks for their language because some of the modern English words that we use today originated from Greeks. Without a doubt that the Ancient Greeks also had great part on the development of our society.

These two ancient civilizations were highly developed and very elite during their times of flourishing. They had made contributions to us and without them; our way of living would never be the same. We should give are utmost gratitude to both of them because of their great help for our development. Undeniably that those civilizations were very helpful to us and the next generations that would benefit from their contributions.

The Lip of Truth or a Lying Tongue

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
MARY GRACE DAPITO
III BOHR

“The lip of truth shall be established forever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”-Proverbs 12:19 (KJV)

Have you ever thought about the kinds of words coming out of your lip? Have you ever planned to watch every single word your tongue confesses? Well, watching your words is really hard. Most of the time, you do not notice what you are saying because of being selfish. Not knowing meaning of words coming out of your own lips is being selfish. Everyone wants himself or herself to be in a safe place but sometimes we set aside the feelings of others. We are only thinking of our own good. And that one is wrong.

Troubles will always be a part of our lives. Without it, life will be somewhat incomplete. Sometimes, we are getting in the worst part of it and we are just getting attracted to make wrong choices. These wrong choices will first come into our minds and later it will be coming out of our lips. It will be coming out of our lips as if no one knows the things behind it.

Having the lip of truth is having wisdom. Words of truth are consistent. It is pure, without wrinkles and blemishes. It always ends up in a happy ending. It may hurt your feelings but in just as single time.

A lying tongue is having a selfish thinking. You never think of its endpoint. What you think is that you yourself will be safe. You are full of fear and sorrow. It is because you do not want others to see the wrong things you have inside.

When we are in trouble, it is kindness to ourselves to make light of injuries and affronts, instead of making the worst of them. It is good for all to dread and detest the sin of lying, and to be governed by honesty. The tongue of the wise is health, making all whole. Those who consult the peace and happiness of others have joy in their own minds. Make conscience of truth, not only in words, but also in actions. Because words may fade away but your actions will always leave a mark of being true to your heart. The righteous is abundant though not in this world's goods, yet in the graces and comforts of the spirit, which are the true riches. Evil men vainly flatter themselves that their ways are not wrong. They never realized that they would suffer. There is not only life at the end, but also life in the way all-true comfort. The lip of truth shall be established forever. The truth really hurts but only in a single time. After you feel the bad feelings, you will feel the genuine joy. It is because you know you are doing things right. A lying tongue is but for a moment. Sin of lying will not help you and it will only harm you. You may think it is easier to tell a lie than to tell the truth just to escape from the trouble. But it is wrong and it will only hurt you in the end. A lying tongue is only for a moment and will never last long.

“The lip of truth shall be established forever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” Do not think about the things that will hurt you. Always think about that you must be governed by honesty for it will be established forever.

LIFE AND DEATH

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
Darryl B. Loyao
III - Becquerel

Mohandas Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever”. God gave us the gift of life to experience and appreciate the beauty and wonder of His creations. He gave us senses so that we could enjoy and be amazed at it. But life is short so we have to live life to the fullest. Live life like every minute is your last cause you might regret it if you die without even realizing how beautiful life is. But in every beginning is an ending. Death doesn’t mean it’s the end but another beginning.Life is about seeking wisdom and knowledge, finding your purpose and enjoying living trying to realize one's potential and ideals. Life brings hope to man. Life helps man to explore unknown territories. It helps us to discover new things that make our lives more comfortable and enjoyable. Life brings us love. It inspires us and motivates us to do our best in everything we do.Death is but an extension of life itself. Death is the state of a thermodynamic ecosystem in which it cannot get and organize autonomously the energy from the environment. Death always occurs as a deterministic event because all living beings will die. We cannot think that there is something eternal in the Universe. Eternal life is impossible because the trajectory of the entropy is settled on time.

Life and death can never be separated from each other. Life is the beginning and death is not the end of life but the extension of life. We are given life to enjoy God’s creations. Life is short so we have to maximize everything around us. We should not reject death because it is the extension of life. We should just be thankful for what we have and we should live life to the fullest

The Laws of God

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
FRANCESCA LEA MAÑAGO
III BOHR

“Happy are the sorrowing, for they will be comforted.”- Matthew 5:4

Everybody wants all things around them to be perfect just like what they want it to be. We do not want to be harmed or injured. We are also afraid to commit mistakes. Most of all, we do not like to feel the pain or sorrow in our hearts. Instead, all of us want to spend our lives happily. Yet, because we, at times, are attracted to make wrong choices, we tend to make wrong decisions. This leads us to feel uncomfortable and find life unpleasant. To avoid unpleasantness in life, at home, in school, and in the community, we have rules and laws. And, two words can’t be separated when you talk about these laws, rules and regulations, especially, when it is related to God. These words are Ten Commandments and Beatitudes.

The Ten Commandments are like rules that God gave us to help us live good lives. And, these commandments are not to be seen as some obligations we have to fulfill. Rather, they are signposts in which we can pattern our life. The first three commandments teach us how to love and serve God. The remaining seven commandments teach us how to love and serve one another. The Ten Commandments guide us in living our lives as people of peace and justice. In keeping the Ten Commandments, we are able to bring peace and justice wherever we are.

On the other hand, Beatitudes are the teachings of Jesus on true and everlasting happiness. The word beatitude means “blessed” or “happy”. These are the traits that the disciples of Jesus strive to develop in themselves so that they will be genuinely happy like Jesus. These are also the traits of Jesus himself which made him lived a truly happy life in this world. Thus, if we live the beatitudes like Jesus, we will also be happy on earth and we will belong in the kingdom of heaven.

These two words really help us live a life of safety and order. These laws are guidelines for our daily life so that we may also grow into better persons. They help us to reach out to other people, especially to the less fortunate and bring God’s love to them. They help us treat everyone as our neighbors. They help us to make the right choices everyday. Lastly, they make us grow into true followers of Jesus. Respecting the laws and rules of everyday living is a sign that we are growing up in the right way. And, by keeping the laws of God habitually, we are able to grow as disciplined children of God. God wants to see us live each day guided by these laws so that we may avoid temptations, stay away from doing wrong and we may avoid making wrong choices and decisions.

“Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and also, love your neighbor as you love yourself."
- Luke 10:27

“Will They Choose Me?”

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
anne marla sm. villa
iii - lavoisier

What is love for you? Pretty hard right? With all those spreading quotes defining love, you just can’t choose which the right one is. For love isn’t there to be defined, it is meant to be felt. Okay, let’s try best friend. How would you define your best friend? The best. Well, duh? But still the definition isn’t enough. No matter how many meanings the dictionary provides, we still couldn’t look for the right and proper one. Why? For we should define it from what our hearts say and what we really feel about it.

Given the situation, when you have to choose between your boy best friend and the boy you love, who would you choose? “My best friend, of course!” That is what others would say. But would that be the same decision they will make once it really happens? I think not. No one can really make the right decision once they are on the verge of letting go and keep holding on. For whatever the decision will be, we just don’t know if it’s right or wrong.

Going back to the situation about the boy best friend and the boy that you love. If I would be asked this question; I may need a month or a year just to think about it thoroughly. Let me see, if I will choose my best friend, am I sure that I’m his best friend also? Or will he be forever by my side? What if he finds some other best friend and leaves me hanging? If the boy I love is the one that I will choose, am I sure that he will love me the way that I love him? What if he leaves in case some other girl way better than me? A lot of thoughts will be circling in my mind once I’m asked this question. The reasons of some are that there is only one best friend in the world and a lot of other boys that you fall in love with. True. But there are also lots of other people that can be the best friend of your best friend. Others would say that you know your best friend very well and he knows you, too. And the boy that you love is just someone that you met and someone that you can easily replace. Good point. But the thing is, whatever the similarities and differences of the two is, you just can’t choose any of them.

So if ever someone asks you the answer for this situation. Think about it. And remember this question, “will they choose me?”

THE MARRIAGE OF MATH AND SCIENCE

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
BEREN BELLO
III ROENTGEN

The relationship of Math and Science has upgraded to the next level.Every single day, their romance keeps on giving us benefits and progress to our life. Truly, they are inseparable. Math and Science are very close to us, especially to students.In relationships, we can never see a couple without similarities and differences.

According to Mr. Webster, Mathematics is the study of numbers and the relations of quantities or forms.In short,math is the science of numbers.Math is very common to our life.Math tells us what time is it.Math tells us all the measurements.Math lets us play with shapes and figures.Math calculated all the bones and teeth you have. Math measured the tiniest living organism that ever existed. Without math , there will be no Algebra, Trigonometry, Statistics, Geometry, Calculus and Engineering. In my own assumptions, math is the light of the modern world.

On the other hand,Science,according again to Mr. Webster, is the study of everything.The study of everything including numbers.Science has existed before the pre-historic period. Science explains why we grow up and mature. Science helps us to invent and discover something unknown to the human race. Science has extende its reach to the far out corner of the universe.Science has launch men to the moon. Science explains why we had day and night. Science even explains why we blink. Without science there will be no Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science and General Science. Science is the wall of the modern world.

The marriage of math and science determines are future. Their marriage has a great impact to our daily lives so that we accept and approve all the laws and theorems they had given. Thier relationship will even bear offsprings that will give us even more progress and relief. It is time to congratulate the newly weds.

"Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated;often in opposite directions, yet always punishing any one who comes between them."

- Sydney Smith

What if our Bible was as important as our Cell Phones

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
GIEANNE MALIMBAN
III LAVOISIER

Two words caught my eyes as I was scanning through the internet. Cell phone and Bible, two different things with its different uses and different importance. Great impact is what these two things give us. Are you wondering of how this things work in our lives, and how we work with it?

Look at one’s pocket and there you could see a phone, it is an electronic device used widely in terms of communication, that gives different features such as SMS, email, packet switching for access to the Internet, gaming, bluetooth, infrared, camera with video recorder and MMS for sending and receiving photos and video. Go through a house and there you could probably see a bible, the sacred book of Christians a collection of ancient writings including the books of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. This contains different stories about God and serves as a manual for us in living in this world. Two important things used differently. Which is could be more important than the other? What do I really need?

These two different things both useful to man’s life. But as what we could see now cell phones are given much importance than bible. Cell phone is something to be concerned of that we don’t even want scratches to mess it up, unlike bible which is just left anywhere and not receiving the kind of care it needs. Text messages are often read while bible messages are read infrequently. Cell phone messages are shared and forwarded to friends while giving of bible verses gives embarrassment for people. Cell phone message is sometimes late while bible message is always on time. Cell phones need to be loaded for you to have message, while bible is always loaded with God’s words. Cell phones and Bible has a lot of differences according to how people use it and shows importance to it.

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell-phones. These things have their own importance and their unique quality that we should not just focus on one thing. Bible is also an important thing. Cell phones show people’s lifestyle while a bible changes peoples lifestyle. Cellphones are important to us but Bible are much important if we would be using it. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill and no dropped calls! Let us try to show importance to our bibles just as we are giving importance to our cell phones and let us see its manifestation in our lives.

Losing Weight, by pills or by being practical?

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
ILYN NACARIO
III BECQUEREL

To lose weight is a not that easy to do. You need to have sacrifices like giving up those carbohydrate and fatty foods. There are many ways to be fit and lose weight. There is a way in which you use real nutrition and a way in which preservatives and other chemicals are added to your diet to help you lose weight.

One way to lose weight is through taking in fat burning pills and another is through eating nutritious foods and having daily exercise. These both help people to have the body they want or dreamt of. It flashes out those stored fats in our bloodstream which make you that fat. It gives you a better way of living and helps you what you want to be.

On the other hand, taking in fat burning pills and eating nutritious foods and daily exercise have differences. Fat burning pills are expensive while eating nutritious foods are not. In spite of the good function of fat burning pills like burning fats in your body, they have side effects when overdosed or taken in improperly while nutritious foods have no bad effects to people. Burning pills contain preservatives which are not so advisable while nutritious foods are pure and fresh.

Being practical, it is better to have a little bit sacrifice like eating nutritious foods even if they do not taste good and do daily exercise even if it makes you tired than taking in pills which have so many bad effects to people. You can lose those pounds and live a healthier life by just being practical and have discipline in your diet. Treat your body as important as your life.

HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
VANESSA CANDIDO
III LAVOISIER

You're going to college! It's exciting, but you're probably a little nervous about freshman year, right? You know how your high school teachers have been telling you that college is going to be much more difficult than high school? Well, they're right.

Scared? Part of the scary part is that you don't know what to expect academically. People keep telling you your school work is going to be tough, but you don't know exactly what that means. So how is college different than high school?

High School is mandatory and free. You need permission to participate in co-curricular activities. You can depend on your parents and teachers to remind you of your responsibilities and help you set priorities. Every day you proceed from one class directly to another. Most of your classes are arranged for you. They approach you if they believe you need help or tutoring. They remind you of your incomplete work and provide you with information you missed when you were absent. Teachers communicate knowledge and facts, sometimes drawing direct connections and leading you through the thinking process. Consistently good homework grades may help raise your overall grade when test grades are low. You may graduate as long as you have passed all required courses with a grade of D or higher.

Being a first-year student is fun! Unlike high school, where your first year is usually filled with anxiety and the occasional wrong-classroom mishap, colleges prepare first-year students with an orientation that builds a strong bond among class members. Many colleges offer additional early orientation programs (usually a camping trip or gathering hosted in a nearby city) to foster relationships before the school year even begins. It will make your college transition easier if you already have bonds with your classmates. Once orientation is over and the upper-class students are back on campus, you will find that they are excited to meet the first-year students, and you become very comfortable in the college setting very quickly. You will be faced with many moral and ethical decisions you have not previously had to face. You must balance your responsibilities and set priorities. You may graduate only if your average in classes meets the standard for your major. Most majors departments require a student to maintain a 2.25 GPA in the major and a 2.0 cumulative average.

In my own point of view, it doesn’t matter if you are a high school student or a college one. You just have to do your best in everything that you do and you should be always aware of your surroundings so that you will not have a hard time in adjusting yourself. You should also have self-confidence to carry your self and the most important thing is that, you should have a trust to your self and believe in your own strength and capabilities.

BEAUTY OR BRAINS

A COMPARISON CONTRAST
JOHANNES KRISTOFF VITO
III RUTHERFORD

“Inner beauty is better than beauty seen outside.” That is the philosophy of many people in this world. But which is really more important: beauty or brains?When you hear the word beauty what comes first in your mind? When I hear the word beauty, the first thing that comes to my head is the physical appearance. Beauty is important because it is the basis of your impression to other people. It is also what you use in facing different kinds of people. Some people even say that even if you are the most intelligent person in the world but your physical appearance does not please the eyes of other people, no one will like you. Some people even use the physical appearance in choosing who to hire for a certain job. Some does not even care if you graduated with honors as long as you look presentable. With all these things we really could say that beauty is really important.

Brains, knowledge, wisdom, intellect, mind power, all these things are synonymous. They only mean one thing: the capability of the brain to do great things. I myself consider brain power more important than the physical appearance. It is because the brain could do more things than your looks. The brain is the center of your consciousness. If you use it effectively and efficiently, you could make yourself look presentable even if you are not blessed by good looks. If you have brains, you will never run out of job opportunities. Your brain is also important in doing daily tasks efficiently. So, our brain is really important in surviving every day.

Some say beauty, some say brains. But which is really more important? For me, I could only say that both beauty and brains has an important role in maintaining the balance of a person’s personality. That is why I have decided that a person should have at least one of these things. It is better if a person have both of these qualities even if it is not that great but at least that person should try to improve the thing that he lacks. How about you, which is better: beauty or brains?

Two Giants: USA and Russia

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
FRANCIS JUSTINE MALBAN
III BOHR

Russia and the United States of America are both competitive countries. In almost every aspect, the names of these countries are always in the rise. Two important aspects in our society which the two countries are ahead of the others are economy and arms and weaponry. For some reasons, the economy of the United States is undeniably ahead to that of Russia. But when it comes to arms, maybe they are the same.

Russia is the largest country in the world which covers about eight of the whole earth’s land area. Moscow is their country capital. Russians are approximately 142 million in population. This number is the 9th largest in the world. Russia also houses the greatest reserves of minerals in the world due to their large span of land. Russia established a worldwide power through the Soviet Union which was joined by many Asian and European countries. The said federation was the world’s first Socialist State. It is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the world's largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction.

While the United States of America, which is referred as U.S., America or United States is a Constitutional Federal Republic .USA is comprised by 50 states. It is in the North American continent. It is bordered by Canada in the north and by Mexico on the South. It is the third largest country and also third in terms of population. The country’s economy is the largest in the world and is threatened by the Asian power, Japan..

Economy is the basis to determine whether a country is in the go or its stability is not that good. USA is considered as the world’s largest economy. After the great depression has ended, finally, USA has recovered from a great loss. The high inflation rate finally lowered. The markets of USA have improved after decades. And with an effective leader and correct settlement of regulations, the United States achieved the fruitful economic success. In Russia, since the turn of the century, rising oil prices, increased foreign investment, higher domestic consumption and greater political stability have bolstered economic growth in Russia. Since Russia has large reserves of minerals, those mines become the major export of Russia. They explore and exploit their resources to increase the economic growth. Their well planned economic strategies have strengthened their stability. Their unemployment rate has gone down from 12% in 1999 to 6% in 2000. But by the year 2011 their economic growth is expected to drop by 3% due to oil crisis.

When it comes to Arms and Weaponry, both countries won’t let anyone to be ahead of them. Together with technological advances, both countries are improving and upgrading their military defense. This came into reality when they both developed the usage of Nuclear Weapons. The world first saw the destructive effect of nuclear arms when the Armed Forces of the USA dropped a nuclear bomb into the Japanese Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leaving behind a large number of deaths and a large cost of damage.

We can’t stop each of the countries eagerness to be ahead of each other. Both of them are globally competitive. So, it’s just natural for them to bring out the best on whatever they do.

Too Submissive…Too Agressive...

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
BEVERLY BRANDES
III BOHR

Are we too submissive that we keep quiet in the face of terrifying deed? Are we too aggressive that we correct without charity and consideration?- Socrates B. Villegas

People can be too submissive or too aggressive. Whenever they are hurt by someone, they either correct that person immediately shouting almost all the bad words they know without realizing the fact that they have hurt even more of that person; or, just make “dedma” and slip away without paying attention to their feelings.

Submissiveness, according to the Webster’s American Dictionary, is a character trait possessed by people who are willing to give in to others. They tend to remain silent whenever they are hurt. They don’t even let out a whimper whenever they are hurt. They just accept things as they are whenever they are hurt. It is as if you can do anything to them but they won’t complain. They don’t show their feelings. They do not tell that they are hurt or even embarrassed. These people give up their opportunity to correct others. They, in the name of patience, fail to work on their responsibilities to lead others to become better persons.

On the other hand, too aggressive people are characterized as persons who are ready to start fight or quarrels. Whenever they are hurt or embarrassed in front of many people, they will not miss the opportunity to correct other people’s mistakes. They will readily tell you that you have hurt them in front of everybody. They correct people without charity. They criticize others but at the same time, not considering the feelings of others as long as they have said what they have wanted say.

But God wants us to be in the middle of being too submissive and too aggressive. If we are hurt, we should talk to them in private, and let him/her know that you are hurt and embarrassed. We are not perfect. We commit mistakes. We just have to do the right thing and stand for what’s ethical. So the next time we are hurt, let’s not just slip away from it or shout immediately, but rather stop, feel, think. Maybe we can help them change to a better being, and so do we to ourselves.

MEA AND CAI

A COMPARISON-CONTRAST
KASHIECA MOIRA PANALIGAN
III RUTHERFORD

It is better to have one than to have none. What about me? I got two. Is that too much or it is just enough? Which one is better; the one who always help me or the other one who always pick a fight with me? If both of them are about fall off the cliff and I can only save one who would I choose?

As the youngest child, my parents always support me. I always get what I want. And even if I am wrong, they still fight for me. These make my Ate Mae angry or should I say jealous. She is older than me for three years. She is my playmate ever since. I can say that the two of us are really close. She may hate because I am being spoiled by our parents but she is really friendly. She is an outspoken girl and no one can stop her from saying what she wants. She does what she wants to do. She does not mind what other people say. That is something that makes me idolize her. Once you get to know her, you will surely enjoy being with her.

They are not the same. This one is different. They may have some similarities but they are really different. My sister, Ate Cai, does not mind me being spoiled by our parents. She just say her opinion when it is too much. She is the one who help me in everything. Although she may say that she will not help me, she still ends up helping me. She is always my date. Every Saturday, the two of us go to the mall to buy stuffs. I really like her. There are times that I really hate her. That is when she say bad words. She is somehow use to it but that is only whenever she is angry. Like Ate Mae, she is also outspoken. She is a super outspoken girl. She says what she wants even though it will hurt other people. This is something I am disappointed about. But, who cares? That is her. I can not change that. They are both special for me. Of course, who will not enjoy having two clowns in the house? That is a joke! I am really happy to have two sisters. They may be different from each other but being different is the best. And if both of them are about to fall off the cliff and I can only save one, I would choose to fall off the cliff with them. What is life without my two sisters?