Reflection Paper

Last Tuesday, February 13, the grade 9 and grade 10 students of Shalom Crest
Wizard Academy were given the privilege of attending an informative seminar about life,
love, and sex. The seminar was divided into four units; Unit 1: Who Am I; Unit 2: The
Media and You; Unit 3: Boundaries and Choices; and Unit 4: Healthy Relationships. It
was a day filled with activities and realizations. My view on life, love, and sex has been
realigned and I am beyond grateful to those who made it possible.

The opening was unexpected because unlike most seminars I’ve attended, we
began with an activity. And more activities followed. Even though the room was cold
and cozy, I never felt the urge to close my eyes for a quick nap because the lecture was
interesting and motivating. During the first unit, I discovered many things about myself.
There was a character test in the booklet that revealed my most dominant trait –
responsible! It was a unit of self-discovery and embracing our uniqueness.

The second unit was about the different types of media: music, advertisements,
virtual reality or gaming, social media, and pornography. We dissected the lyrics of a
well-known song entitled, “Love Me Like You Do.” Kuya Louie explained the history and
the meaning of the song to us and we were shocked at how suggestive it actually is. It
was eye-opening and I realized that lyrics do matter. We have to be careful when it
comes to the type of music we listen to because it might destroy our vision towards
love.

The third unit was entitled, “Boundaries and Choices.” Here, we were told to set
boundaries and limitations in order to avoid misunderstandings. Setting borders are just
as important as following them, the boundaries we set in our relationships and lifestyle
choices is personal but even so, we still need to be careful not to cross others’
boundaries. I learnt that boundaries were not set to deprive us our freedom but rather to
ensure the freedom and solace of everyone. Each choice we make impacts the future
and by learning to make smart choices we are building something great for our future
selves. Remember, when you say “no” to something today, you are saying “yes” to
something in the future.

In unit four, we were educated about building healthy relationships. It was the
shortest but the most meaningful unit we discussed. We defined the word love. I learned
that it’s a process that is to be walked slowly and not to be raced. The seminar was life-
changing and it helped me make smart choices that won’t make me feel sorry for
myself. No Apologies is a character-based abstinence curriculum that helped us make
wise choices regarding high-risk behavior, such as sexual involvement before marriage
and from this day on, I will do my best to live a life with no apologies.

Abbygail Lorenz P. Castillo January 28, 2018

Edman 9 Sir James Lumocho