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The history and landscape of Kundiman

In every love story, there is a courtship stage. The suitor serenades their beloved atop the balcony in the hopes of winning their heart—staple of romantic gestures to this day This scene remains a popular motif in Filipino media, from teleseryes and variety shows, to your neighbor’s random hugot posted on their Facebook page. Courtship…

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The world of shadow teaching

Teaching can be both a challenge and a reward, as handling children can sometimes relieve or induce stress. Children with special needs, however, require a different approach; unlike their peers, these children may have conditions that inhibit their ability to learn or require a different kind of learning altogether. In these cases, some parents opt…

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On queer film censorship

Onscreen, scenes often depict fragments of stories of people from all walks of life, sometimes providing a preview of realities normally unseen. Cinema serves as a platform through which people can express themselves and tell their stories—by capturing the essence of human life and narrating it in ways not only meant to entertain but also…

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Life without sight

It is easy to take for granted the vision most of us have. However, there is a significant chunk of the population that must navigate life without their sense of sight, and much more are visually impaired in some form or the other. Blindness is a condition that comes in different forms. There is absolute…

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Hitting the right notes: A look into the lives of student-musicians

Good grades, enough sleep, and a sustainable social life; we’ve probably all seen memes with these words plastered onto the corners of a triangle, and some variation of the phrase “Welcome to college: you can only choose two” placed forebodingly at the center. For the most part, this rings true. Student life can often feel…

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Dice, paper, and imagination: Exploring D&D in the Philippines

Dungeons & Dragons—commonly known as D&D—is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game that has risen in popularity in recent years. The game’s portrayal in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things was one of the primary catalysts for its sudden prevalence, with the show’s main characters being avid players of D&D and the main antagonist even being…

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Of Reiki and reinvention: An inquiry into energy healing

A new decade has arrived; more people are looking to reinvent themselves with a fresh slate. But with every social media post of embarking on a journey toward a “new year, new me”, how many of these people are truly taking action to change and heal themselves for the better? Reinventing oneself takes more than…

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A valid alternative: Understanding in vitro fertilization

The ability to bear offspring is often called the miracle of life. Given how natural conception is often considered the standard, it can be taken for granted just how many factors have to line up in order for this to occur successfully. The World Health Organization reported in 2010 that 15 percent of reproductive-aged couples—those who are…

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Foreign exchange students: Finding themselves far from home

For many, college is the door that opens to a world of opportunities—the stepping stone to widened horizons where one is able to cultivate experiences that compel them to look beyond themselves. Now, more and more academic institutions are offering opportunities to study abroad, and more and more students are choosing to take the leap…

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Dreams: The guiding forces of one’s unconscious

Everyone dreams.   According to the American Psychological Association, our brain conjures up these fantastical images more apparently during rapid eye movement sleep—a deeper stage of sleep. However, while everyone dreams, not everyone has the capability of recalling their dreams. There are those who do not remember the adventures and misadventures that occurred while they visited…