Personal Description

Im Amelie Anne B. Santos, student number 2003-6296, a Political Science ma!or.

Im a "orrier.
Im a !un# $ood addict.
%al#in& is m' onl' $orm o$ e(ercise. But I do it reli&iousl'.
I )a*e m' $air s)are o$ anno'in& neuroses. But I dont need a t)erapist + 'et.
I sometimes )a*e a ,)orrible- compulsion to please people.
I suc# at ma#in& ne" $riends.
Im need'. .r&o anno'in&.
I lo*e to poop and I lo*e to tal# about it.
/old 'ou Im anno'in&.
0i#e pa&e
1ate pa&e
.(periences in communit' ser*ice
/)e sc)ool ")ere I spent m' elementar' and )i&) sc)ool 'ears "as *er' bi& on
communit' ser*ice, so "e )eld annual outreac) pro&rams ,called 2peration 3o'-.
I ser*ed in t)e PP456 $or t"o elections ,2002 and 2007-.
I "as a catec)ist durin& m' senior 'ear in )i&) sc)ool ,alt)ou&) trut) be told, I learned
more $rom t)ose #ids t)an t)e' did $rom me-.
.(pectations
I sincerel' )ope I learn to see t)is class as more t)an !ust a re8uirement.
4ommunit' ser*ice pertains to an' $orm o$ *olunteer "or# $or t)e communit'. Done $or
t)e ri&)t reasons, it is a noble underta#in&.
Ser*ice learnin& + in a nuts)ell + is a sc)ool re8uirement. But t)at is t)e super$icial
de$inition. 9ore importantl', it is a pro&ram created as a "a' o$ appl'in& t)e t)eories and
concepts learned in sc)ool to t)e real "orld, )ope$ull' ma#in& t)e students reali:e t)at
communit' ser*ice is !ust as important as academic e(cellence.
P)ilippine Societ' and 4ulture
;ational s'mbols "ere created to <attempt to )omo&eni:e P)ilippine societ' and
culture.= /)e' "ere imposed on >ilipinos as a plo' to e*o#e a sense o$ nationalism in
t)em. But ")at is reall' "ron& "it) t)is picture is t)e basic trut) t)at t)ese s'mbols are
not representati*e o$ t)e Pinoy culture. It is so muc) more di*erse, er&o interestin&, t)an
t)ese s'mbols can embod'.
/)e lecture also discussed et)nocentrism and relati*ism + t"o opposin& concepts.
.t)nocentrism )as t)e bad rep, "it) it )a*in& dri*en 1itler to slau&)ter all t)ose 3e"s.
But et)nocentrism )as a &ood side too? it ma#es one )old on to t)e belie$s and *alues o$
)is@)er &roup, e*en ")ile e(posed to ot)ers belie$s and *alues + in muc) t)e same "a'
t)at relati*ism )as a bad side. /a#en to e(treme, it ma#es one re$use to react and do
somet)in& about t)e in)umane practices o$ some &roups + in t)e mista#en belie$ t)at
)e@s)e )as no ri&)t to !ud&e t)eir culture, e*en i$, sa', t)e're torturin& people $or no
apparent reason.
6olunteerism in t)e P)ilippines? 4oncepts, Aoals and Directions
/)e lecture ri&)tl' pointed out t)at a sc)ool e(ists not merel' to $eed t)e students minds,
but also to )elp s)ape t)eir <pa&#atao= and )ope$ull' t)eir <pa#i#ipa&#ap"a-tao.= /)is is
also a $orm o$ learnin& + learnin& to be a better person, a better citi:en, t)an one can e*er
)ope o$ bein&.
.(cellence does not end in &ettin& e(ceptional &rades. /)e crucial test is reali:in& )o" to
put ")at 'ou learned to &ood use. It is in appl'in& t)e t)eories and concepts "e pic#ed up
$rom sc)ool t)at "e become certain all t)e 'ears "e spent toilin& "ere not in *ain.
;ationalism and 4iti:ens)ip in t)e A&e o$ Alobali:ation
Durin& t)e lecture it "as emp)asi:ed t)at its important to culti*ate a sense o$ nation)ood
$irst be$ore establis)in& a political structure. Bn$ortunatel', $or t)e P)ilippines case, it
"as t)e ot)er "a' around. /)e strate&' "as to $orm a &o*ernin& bod' to lord o*er all
C000 islands. /)is certainl' e(plains a lot, doesnt itD
9a'be t)e reason ")' t)e P)ilippines )as suc) a )ard time assertin& itsel$ as a nation is
because t)at e(tolled sense o$ nation)ood "as practicall' $orced do"n its peoples
t)roats. But t)en "e #no" t)at alread'. /)e c)allen&e )ere is to learn to pla' "it) t)e
)and "e "ere dealt. A$ter )undreds o$ 'ears, can "e reall' still not stomac) t)e idea o$
li*in& as one people, "it) common &oals ,political or ot)er"ise- and a common need to
protect and preser*e our communit'D
%or# 6alues Across Aenerations
/)e lecture discussed some interestin& $indin&s re&ardin& t)e di$$erences in "or# et)ics
amon& t)e post-"ar &eneration, t)e bab' boomers, and t)e Aeneration-E. 2ne notable
di$$erence? t)e criterion <ad*enturous and e(citin&= "as included on t)e list o$ $actors
t)ose $rom t)e Aen-E considered in c)oosin& a career, ")ereas in t)e t"o older
&enerations, suc) a consideration ne*er e*en e(isted. /)is is anot)er success$ul
illustration t)at &eneration &ap does e(ist + times ,and people- do c)an&e.
/)e $indin& t)at some people actuall' loo# $or ad*enture and e(citement in a career is not
alarmin& $or me. It is in $act re$res)in&. Sure t)e old *alues suc) as di&nit' and
respectabilit' are still *er' muc) important + but !ust because 'ou are di&ni$ied and
respectable in 'our "or# does not mean 'ou cant + or s)ouldnt + )a*e $un in it. Four
"or# is an e(tension o$ ")o 'ou are + it is imperati*e t)at 'ou lo*e it, and t)at it suits
'our c)aracter and li$est'le. 0i$e is too s)ort to spend )al$ o$ it toilin&, "it) t)e promise
t)at 'ou "ill spend t)e ne(t )al$ en!o'in& t)e $ruits o$ 'our labor. /)ere is simpl' no
reason ")' 'ou cant "or# and pla' at t)e same time. Isnt t)at t)e onl' "a' 'ou can
trul' li*eD