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?”