Reflective Essay 2: Moving On

English has always been a personal favourite. I would like to believe that I excel in the subject because I have fun reading and writing. Aside from my love of reading and writing, I believe that being raised by people who speak in English has also been of great help. Now that my ENGLCOM course has come to an end, I can say that I have grown better in writing different essays -- both minor and major. Aside from writing different types of essays, I can also write faster and put most, if not all, my thoughts to writing.

Aside from this, a number of new words, books, and poems have also been added to my list of vocabulary, and to my next-book-to-read list because of the very interesting word of the day and reporting about a book/poem everyday. I have improved in so many aspects, most especially in writing. We were introduced to different kinds of essays and we wrote everyday, revising, and editing our essays until our last day. Some essays were more difficult to write than others, but the results were very fulfilling nonetheless.

I did not really know what to expect of my first college English class. I thought it would be very hard as compared to my high school English class, but I found that it was more or less the same, maybe even easier. We had similar activities, like writing and debating, which I both enjoyed very much. Englcom has definitely helped in achieving my goal of being a better English student because it exercised my writing skills. Certainly, the lessons and skills I have acquired from this class will help me greatly in my future endeavors.

Argumentative Essay: Sex Education

                For years now, there has been a controversial issue about sex education in the Philippines. Should it be taught in school or should it remain as a family affair? Should they rely on friends and on media for information, and does sex education break their society’s religion-based morality? Although sex education is considered taboo, it is necessary for it to be taught in schools because 1) it promotes safe sex, 2) it limits the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases, and 3) it lessens the high birth rate, most especially in third world countries like the Philippines.

                Sex education will promote safe sex among sexually active individuals. According to Witmer (nd), there are two types of sex education classes. The comprehensive Sexuality Education tackles age appropriate  topics about body image, safe sex, contraceptives, etc. (Witmer, nd). Safe sex means to use measures such as contraceptives, like latex condoms and birth control pills, in order to avoid sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) and unwanted pregnancies when engaging in any sexual activity. The most common type of contraceptive is the latex condom, which is easily accessible in most drug stores. On the other hand, birth control pills is a contraceptive in a form of a tablet. It contains female hormones such as estrogen and progestin that inhibit ovulation. Unlike condoms, birth control pills need prescription due to its various side effects. The second type of sex education is the Abstinence Until Marriage, which emphasizes abstinence from all sexual behaviour. This program does not tackle any information about contraceptives, STDs, etc. (Witmer, nd).

                Sex education limits the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases. If the youth were properly educated about the risks and consequences of sexual behaviour, then these situations would lessen. When safe sex is not practiced, several consequences may arise; one of which is any sort of infection transmitted by sexual intercourse or genital contact. Sexually-transmitted diseases may be curable, although some are more dangerous than others. An example of an STD is herpes, which is a viral disease that causes blisters and eruptions on the skin or on the mucous membrane. A more extreme type of STD is HIV – an infection by the human immunodeficiency virus which causes AIDS or acquired deficiency virus, which is a serious and an often fatal disease. It is transmitted through certain blood products by sexual or genital contact.

                Lastly, sex education lessens the high birth rate in third world countries. As a consequence of the lack of sex education, there exists a high birth rate in the Philippines. High birth rate is often blamed for our country’s desperate poverty (Gutierrez, 2010). It is the root of many problems such as overpopulation and poverty. Overpopulation is the state wherein a large number of people reside on inhabit a certain area that is too small for their quantity. It may lead to the lack of natural resources and more pollution. On the other hand, poverty, which is predominant in the country, is the state of having little, or no money, and a few or no possessions. Sex education would be able to teach family planning, thus making people aware of having the right amount of children. Sex education gives awareness to people about their responsibilities, and also rectifies their wrong notion towards sex.

                In essence, sex education is necessary because the youth will inevitable encounter a situation in life wherein knowledge regarding this matter would be of help. Children cannot rely on media and on friends for information about sex, rather they need to be properly educated about these things in order for them to realize the importance of safe sex, the risks of STDs, and the effects of high birth rate.

Reference List:

1)     1) Gutierrez, J. (2010). Sex education debate heats up in the Philippines. Retrieved August 19, 2010, from http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle

2)      2) Witmer, D. (nd). Sex education in schools. Retrieved August 19, 2010, from http://parentingteens.about.com/

This is the essay I like the least because I wrote about such a typical topic when I could have thought of something better. Also, if someone were to read my essay, I don't think they would have been persuaded by my arguments.

Definition Essay: The Almighty

                John Lennon’s very popular single “Imagine” describes a world without God, a world without religion, a world without heaven. But since science is in the pursuit of proving such existence, it can hardly be proved that such is the case in reality. Science can only determine and validate such existence – that things do or do not exist at a certain extent. God is defined as a singular omnipotent being in theistic and deistic religions. He is the supreme creator, ruler, and overseer of the universe. Being intangible, His existence is often doubted and/or questioned by many. God is a supreme being who exists and who is present in the hearts, minds, and souls of many.

                Many believe and describe God as having an omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omnipresent characteristic. Omniscience is the capability to know everything infinitely. This means that He knows everything there is to know about a character, including his thoughts, emotions, et cetera. Omnipotence, on the other hand, is the ability to have undying or unlimited power – the power to create or to destroy, and in the end, the power to judge. Moreover, God is omnipresent. This is His property of being present everywhere. God has a “universal” presence; He is able to be anywhere and/or everywhere at a single time. Lastly, God has the characteristic to be omnibenevolent, which is the act of being inclined to, or having the infinite tendency to kindness. Although we may sin countless times against Him, He will always forgive us – His children.

                Religion has scattered all over the world over the past centuries. The most common of these religions are Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Christianity is a system of beliefs and of practices of the Old Testament and Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament. Another is Islam, which was founded by the Muslims. It originated in the Middle East and their beliefs are based on the teachings of Muhammad in the Koran. They worship Allah as their god and believe that Islam is a way of life. In addition, Buddhism is a “spiritual philosophy” whose goal is the complete alleviation of stress and the trouble life brings, which results in Nirvana. The fourth, which is Hinduism, worships Vishnu as the “preserver”; Shiva as the “destroyer”; and Brahma as the “creator”. In Hinduism, they are the masters of the past, present, and the future. Various religions have their own perspectives if who their god might be, but still, this certain god serves as a sort of guide to life – an almighty being that helps us to a righteous path.

                Furthermore, the belief in God, the belief that God administers His Kingdom, and that God has a will and/or plan for humankind is our faith in action. Faith drives us to believe what we cannot see, touch or hear. It is to believe what is intangible, and to believe what we can only feel. Aside from that, devotion is our unconditional love for God. It is to offer and to commit ourselves and our actions to Him.

                In essence, being He who exists and He who is most certainly present in our hearts, minds, and souls; we should not doubt or lose faith in His existence, especially when faced with difficult times. Once, a student asked his professor if God existed. The professor responded by asking the student if he could see God. The student then replied by saying no, but countered by telling his professor that he cannot see his brain but he knows for a fact that this exists. This may be applied to the belief in God. We cannot see Him, but we know He exists.

This essay is one of the more challenging ones. I had a difficult time coming up with a thesis, which has to be my own definition of my topic, which was God. At the same time I was very much indeed satisfied with the result because I didn't think I would get a hundred since I had such a hard time.

Cause and Effect Essay: Child Abuse

Violence against children is very prominent among third world countries. Such violence is manifested in the form of child abuse. According to Darlene Barrier, child abuse is the physical, emotional, or sexual mistreatment of children. A child is defined as someone who is 18 years old or below, or someone above the age of 18, but cannot take care of himself due to circumstance. Although there is an increasing awareness of children’s rights, problems with relation to abuse continue to persist in many countries. In the Philippines alone, there are about 33 million children, and authorities estimate that in 1999, there were roughly 12,000 cases of child abuse filed (Velayo, 2006). The department of social welfare and development (DSWD) documented an increase of such cases from 1991 to 1997. The effects of child abuse include physical, mental, and social effects.

Physical effects pertain to the body, the tendency to touch, or to be rough. The physical effects of child abuse include unusual bruises, injuries, and unexplained burns (Barrier, 2006). Some of these may take the shape or the form of an iron, a cord, or anything that might have been used as a tool for violence against the child.

Child abuse leads to mental effects (Barrier, 2006). Mental effects refer to a sort of disorder of one’s mind, or a psychological disorder. Such effects may lead to speech disorder, which is when children experience difficulty in speaking. In addition, mental effects may also lead to learning problems, which may later affect the child’s education. Other psychological effects include trauma and/or depression.

Lastly, physical child abuse may also lead to social effects – social, pertaining to one’s interaction or relation with other human being and the community. One example of the social effects of physical child abuse is the fear of one’s home or the fear of one’s parents (Miller, 1991). Children tend to avoid going home by staying in school after class hours, or frequently going to friends’ houses. Physically abused children may also tend to be labelled or stereotyped as “loners” or “bullies” because they are either too afraid to interact with others, or they see the abuse they receive as a good example. They may also feel or be uncomfortable with physical contact which is why they tent to stay away from their peers, which in turn restricts them from playing with other children, and thus, making them “unusual”.

The effects of child abuse namely the physical, mental, and social effects may lead to more serious problems in the child’s development in the future. To prevent child abuse, especially in third world countries like the Philippines, children should be taught how to avoid, resist, and report abuse. Child abuse may also be the result of bribery, or threats, but children can learn to deter such abusers. Moreover, foundations such as the Bantay Bata help abused children by providing shelter, therapy, and proper care. These children should not be mistreated because they too, have rights like everybody else. The youth, after all, are our country’s future.

Reference List:

1)      Barrier, D. (2006). Effects of child abuse. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from http://www.child-abuse-effects.com

2)      Miller, A. (1991). Child abuse. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from http://www.cirp.org/library/psych/miller

3)      Velayo, R. (2006). Cases of child abuse in the Philippines. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from http://springerlink.com/content

If I were to read this essay, I would find it boring. Although I believe I discussed an important topic on child abuse, I could have said it in more attention catching or more interesting ways. 

Comparison and Contrast Essay: Our Father or the Father of Evolution

                For decades we have questioned our existence and how the world was made. Countless theories, myths, beliefs, and stories try to feed our minds by coming up with possible answers. Two of which are the Bible’s Genesis and Charles Darwin’s The Evolution of Man. The Creation VS Evolution debate, also known as the Origins debate has been a recurring dispute about the beginning of humanity, and the Earth. Although both are told from different perspectives, the two furnish us with plausible explanations of how we came to be. While the Bible’s creation story is widely accepted, Charles Darwin’s The Evolution of Man provides us with more evidences. This essay aims to compare and contrast the origin and the story of both the Genesis and The Evolution of Man.

                Looking at both theories, we can easily say that they try to come up with theories or assumptions about the beginning of mankind. Although they are from different perspectives -- one more religious, and the other more scientific, the sole purpose of either is to unravel the mystery of our origin.

                The first two books of the bible depict that a superior being, namely God, created the Earth and all the living creatures that came with it out of nothing. Since He is God, it only took Him merely six days to create light, water, heavenly bodies, living things, and finally, man. The man (Adam) was made out of soil, while the woman (Eve) was made out of Adam’s rib. They were created in the image and likeness of God. In other words, man and woman both have inherent worth that is different from that of animals and other living creatures. The creation story can only be understood from the standpoint of one’s faith. Its purpose is for morally and spiritual revelation. In addition, it is also more of symbolic because the book of Genesis was written by different people centuries ago. Our evidences of its truth are scriptures and our faith.

                On the other hand, Charles Darwin’s The Evolution of Man  states that organisms which survive best in its environment passes on its traits or genes to the next generations. Those that cannot or fail to adapt do not propagate their genes. In other words, it is a survival of the fittest. The adaptation focuses on natural selection, a process in which individuals with inherited traits leave more offspring than those individuals with other traits. The evolution of Man provides us with more concrete evidence. Man’s evolution from ape took countless years. Furthermore, physical evidence suggests that apes and men are quite similar with regard to appearance, action, and mentality.

                In essence, I believe that Charles Darwin’s The Evolution of Man makes a lot more sense than the Genesis’ creation story. I find that there is more importance to concrete evidence than scriptures and faith when it comes to our origin. Both have different views, but are also interconnected. Behind scientific beliefs, there is a God that exists and controls everything. It is not a question of science seeking to destroy our faith, nor is it faith seeking to assert its superiority over science. Rather, both are different theories yet possible perspectives of the world.

This is one of the essays I have enjoyed writing the most. I found that my topic was a very controversial one and I could not decide which theory I believed more. I was satisfied with the result of this essay even if I did not get a perfect grade because I enjoyed writing it.:-)

Static Descriptive Essay: An Escape

Business women, doctors, and even students like me may feel exhausted from working day and night, eight hours a day for a whole week and only getting a day to rest and reenergize Being a student myself, I too sometimes experience the overwhelming stress and pressure that the academic life brings. During times like these, I find the need to relax and collect myself, and where else can a vacation be well spent but at the beach? The beach brings a feeling of serenity which makes it an ideal place to hold a vacation.

There are countless to choose from among the 7,107 in the archipelago. To name a few, there is El Nido, Boracay, and Punta Fuego. It is definitely a great way to escape the city once in a while. The absence of smoke belching cars, high rise buildings, billboards left and right, noise and all sorts of pollution really puts me at ease.

In the Philippines, beaches are a perfect destination during the summer. Hearing the sound of the waves crashing down against the shore drowns out all my worries and troubles. There is something very soothing about it that makes me want to just lay by the shore and listen to the sound the water creates. What is more is that the overall surroundings are beautiful. The tall palm trees swaying, the cool summer breeze against my sun soaked skin, the feeling of fine white sand on my feet, and the clear blue waters create an absolutely breathtaking scene.

Although walking along the shoreline gets me thirsty and my throat dry, nothing tops a chilled and brightly colored fresh fruit shake to relieve me. It is definitely a good thirst-quencher. Being under the sun for quite some time makes soaking in the pool or in the shore very refreshing. Going for a dip in the hot summer afternoon makes me feel so fresh and so clean. It is as if I was purified. Now that’s something you can’t always find in Manila.

There is also a variety of recreational activities once I begin to get bored with just lounging around. There are numerous frivolous activities at my reach. Running and throwing around a Frisbee, playing beach volleyball, and getting splashed with water while jet skiing gets me hyped and my blood pumped.

After a long day of just chilling and hanging out in the beach, nothing is quite as satisfying as eating scrumptious food. Having dinner by the shore and indulging in mouth watering sea fresh sea food not only satisfies me, but my stomach as well.

The beach seems to always keep me coming back for more. I cannot name anything that matches its peaceful and relaxing ambience. Having a vacation away from the suburban city is an ideal way for a retreat. We all need to just get away sometimes and take some time to rest. After all, even God Himself had a day of rest.

I find the static descriptive essay quite more challenging than all the rest because I have to show, not tell the readers what is written. Although my grade is not bad, I wish I could have thought of better "show" phrases to make the readers really feel what I was trying to convey.

Process Essay: Ensuring Your Acceptance To One of the Top Universities

                College is undoubtedly very important. In fact, students prepare themselves for college entrance exams as early as high school. Parents even highly encourage their children to aim for top universities, and as a preparation, they send their sons and daughters to prestigious schools so that they may render themselves competent for collegiate life. Because Filipino students are aware of the importance of their education, numerous preparations are done to safeguard their acceptance to one of the top universities.

                UP, Ateneo, and De La Salle are some of the most sought after universities in the country. Students who aim to study in these schools take various preparations to ensure that they will be accepted in these universities. Obtaining superior grades are quintessential. Students must adhere to the standards of their respective schools to earn good grades. To start with, know your strengths and weaknesses. Identify your assets and maintain them, while you improve on your areas of difficulty. In addition, see to it that you stick to a regular study habit. This will help you manage your time and avoid chances of slacking off.

                Furthermore, engage yourself in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. Colleges tend to be impressed when they know that you are capable of balancing academic with non-academic activities. Involving yourself in clubs and other student organizations will aid you to become a more responsible student. On the other hand, being active in other special interests will help ou nurture your skills and talents.

                Finally, reward yourself for your accomplishments. Spend time with your friends and family or treat yourself to some sort of gift. These can also serve as a motivation for you to always achieve your goals.

                Following this simple, yet rewarding process will take you a step ahead of others. With these in mind, you will surely have a higher chance of being accepted to one of the top universities in the country.

I can say that the Process Essay is one of the simplest, yet most concise I have written so far. It is very easy, and also very organized since it is a step-by-step process. I am also very happy with the grade my teacher gave me for this essay. :-)