De La Salle University

Basic Communication and Study Skills

(Englcom)
Portfolio

Paul Joshua Reganit

11423129
A54B

Table of Contents
Cover Letterpage 3

Entry Essay.....pages 4-5

Extended Definition Essay with Outline..pages 6-11

Argumentative Definition Essay with Outline....pages 12-21

Exit Essay........pages 22-23

Comparison and Contrast (Entry and Exit Essays).page 24

Reflective Essay....page 25

Dear reader,
All of the contents in this portfolio are made from late night pondering, a little bit of
procrastination, blood and sweat, inspiration and imagination, in between gulps of coffee and
bites of chocolate, knowledge and concern, and motivation from the two professors who have
been very gracious in sharing all they know about the subject, Englcom, maybe even exceeding
in what is required. Here you will find the outputs of the aspiring brain for its society and for you
readers as well. The outputs may either reinforce or clarify the knowledge you already know. The
writer exercised all the techniques and organizations for essay writing learned from the two
professors who guided him all throughout the process of writing and thinking. It may not be
visible there, but in between the lines of every essay, the writer experienced struggles of coming
up with words and ideas to put on next. But with the activities and exercises done in the subject,
they came by fast. The once embers of one-sided and ignorant ideas became a bonfire of open
and unmeasurable ideas thanks to the spark that gave the heat strength to finally become a fire.

Delinquency
Entry Essay

As a person or a rational being, we are expected to follow certain rules and laws to
prevent casualties among many and also few. We were once posted a law that we must obey
without question, when Adam and Eve were still living in paradise. As soon as Eve took a bite
from the forbidden fruit, the start of the turmoil on our race dawned. From this event, we learned
that there are consequences whenever we commit a bad action or break the law. Today, we have
more than a million laws to follow and obey. But even with the penalties, some people still choose
to go against it causing damages in both the government and society.
Crimes continue to develop with society. The more technological and advance the society
gets, the more the crimes become advance also. Murders, robbery, prostitution, drug abuse, and
other crimes settles within communities. These affect the economy and us as an individual in a
negative way that makes the world a place of danger rather than a place of peace and comfort.
The usual criminals, nowadays, are teenagers and young adults. Is it not that they are the ones
who would change the bad image of the globe? But it looks like their path took a drastic turn,
and they are going the wrong way. Because of poverty and the ignorant people, others choose
to rely on doing things that would benefit them and care less on what the victim will be.
New inventions, technological advancements, easy accessed information, and the
freedom of expression, the new generation is comfortably living with the new face of the earth.
But all positive things also have negative sides. The youth are becoming victims of society. Aligned
with that is their response of them being delinquents. They are exposed to violence and criminal
activities at an early age causing them to have a mind-set of imitating or rejecting. With
computers ready for use, they manipulate them to perform crimes making it more complicated
and then being harder to trace. It feels good to know that the new generation, my generation is
the most passionate and intelligent among other past generations. But my generation has also
the most intelligent criminals in the history of the world. The bad side is becoming more
dominant and the planet needs good people to dominate the bad side.

If people will be more sensitive, caring, and has a sense of service; the youth will see the
beauty of the world they are living in and would make choices based on what is good for the
many. The laws will have little significance sine the morals are embedded in them. Poverty and
crime rates will decrease and the new generation will finally eradicate the bad images the older
generations have left for them to live with. The government will have no or little crimes and
violations to deal with. The key is that to not influence the innocent with the negative aspects of
the world and if one has a bad side, one should keep it to himself. The youth is the hope of the
nation if only the older people do not inject the bad things on them.

Extended Definition Essay Outline: Anomalous

I.

Introduction
A. Grabber
B. Background
Anomalous is infamous term to describe something or someone who or which does its

own thing with an unexpected way.

C. Traditional Definition
-inconsistent with, deviating from what is usual, normal, or expected.
D. Thesis Statement
Anomalous, which can be subject to misconception by society, is being of
uncertain nature which is caused by people trying to stand out that leads to prejudice.
II.

Body
A. Nature of Being Anomalous
1. Being deviant
2. Inconsistency
3. Abnormality
B. Causes of Being Anomalous
1. Attempt to be different
2. Confusion in identity
3. Breaking the standards
C. Effects of Being Anomalous
1. Negative recognition

2. Unkind response from society

3. Considered a lower being

D. Contrasts of Being Anomalous

1. Close perspective vs. inventions of new ideas
2. Obeying the rules vs. seeing things in broad vision
3. Doing what is expected vs. justifying expectations
III.

Conclusion
A. Summary
B. Concluding Grabber

IV.

References

Anomalous
Humans, even in their origin of existence, always deny concepts and objects they
know nothing about. They are scared of what they have no capability in explaining, let alone
understanding. But there are two different responses from humans that can be seen when they
encounter something anomalous. Either they reject the being or they consider it as works of a
supreme being higher than their kind. In todays society, being anomalous constitutes only one
response: denial. The world shifted from having no knowledge to a fact-hungry system. Science
was born and everything and everyone was narrowed down to a defined being only capable of
doing certain things. Norms, derived from belief and culture, further limit our abilities. The
clarification of the meaning of anomalous is needed before using it to uncover some truths.
Anomalous is an infamous term to describe something or someone which or who does its own
thing in an unexpected way. It is defined by the Webster-Merriam Dictionary as being
inconsistent with, deviating from what is usual, normal, or expected. Anomalous, which can be
subject to misconceptions by society, is being of uncertain nature which is caused by people
trying to stand out which leads to prejudice.
A person is considered anomalous when his or her nature and personality portray
deviancy, inconsistency, and a slight sense of abnormality. These factors are labels of anomalous
people by society. When one is deviant, he or she is subject to be dangerous to social norms.
Deviancy, in other cases, can result in breaking the laws. Criminal behaviors are often seen as
deviancy of people. According to the Social Control Theory developed by Travis Hirschi (1969),
deviancy occurs when a persons or groups attachment to social bonds is weakened. It is
probable to say that criminal behavior is not caused by deviancy, but the lack of social bonds.
Inconsistency is a factor playing under ones identity. Inconsistent peoples attitudes, beliefs, and
thoughts are somewhat isolated from the others. This is also connected to what people think of
as a form of abnormality. If one cannot stick to one perspective or outlook, one may be
considered abnormal in the eyes of others. But people do not consider others consistency of
being inconsistent, and still see it as abnormal.

One of the causes when people become anomalous is the attempt to be different
from the others. This starts when others question the ideals of the society of being a human
being. But difference is inevitable even in the race. There is still difference existing among them
even if they perceive themselves as equals. In the racial point of view, they consider themselves
different from other races because they have different sets of beliefs and cultures. Another cause
of being anomalous is the confusion in ones identity. The generations existing today are turning
out to be an open-minded society that accepts those confused in gender, personality, and
outlook. They are learning to embrace others little by little, for they are also humans like them.
They may ruin the idea of male and female, introvert and extrovert, or narrowed and widened
outlooks; but they are still part of our kind. People also tend to be labeled as anomalous from
breaking the standards. They try to reach further conclusion as to why their capabilities are only
limited to certain standards. It is one of their nature as humans. They are never satisfied to the
things they possess or do, they want to achieve more. But others sees it as a form of greed that
can be root to evil.
In this part of the text, the effects of being anomalous to people will be discussed.
If there is a good side of society that accepts those who attempt to be different, confused in their
identities, or break the standards; there is also a negative recognition from it. People has a bad
side to judge things that are different from what is usual. When they see others as a different
being, they tend to forget the idea of equality between them. Those who are different, whether
in a good or a bad way, are seen as parasites abolishing the natural course of things. Take the
racial discrimination as an example, the society emits an unkind response from the larger races
on rights and privileges. When one citizen of a country enters the borders of another foreign
country, one is subject to scrutiny compared to others having an easy way to mobilize throughout
the country. Some races are discriminated in their color or culture and mistreated compared to
the dominant races. The world also views anomalous people as lower beings. They narrow down
the inferior races as incapable of competing with others. This is also reflected to the genders and
personalities in the society. Because they are confused and have broken some social norms, they
are not seen as a normal being but rather a lower form of kind.

When one follows the rules, do what is expected, and block all the possibilities
that may counter the existing norms; one is seen as normal and proper. But if they propose new
ideas, see things from different perspective, and question the normality that is expected; they
become abnormal, anomalous. There is a wide gap between being anomalous and being
abnormal. In the old century, Nicolaus Copernicus proposed the heliocentric theory supported
by Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei. Since the Catholic Church back then supports the
geocentric theory, the idea was banned from the public. The Church does not want to appear
wrong in the eyes of the people because they are the established law and all of what they say
and do is the truth. But it was later on proved that the sun is actually the center of the solar
system. In this case, the Church fought for what they assumed was normal. If Copernicus did not
thought outside the box and merely stuck to what was laid before him, they would not have
discovered the whole truth. The Church is the law long ago, but now science has taken its place
to be the standard of truth; the endless debate on religion and science started there. The irony
here is that what limits things also limits itself. Science sets its boundaries and it only exists in
facts, same with religion having the Bible dictate us what should be done. This text is not against
science or religion, the point here is that people, us, should not be limited. We all have freedom
but it is not freedom if it is limited. Limited freedom merely exist to control the society,
righteously promoting peace and justice. That is what is normal, accepted. Being anomalous
makes all the difference on the limited grounds of reality. We cannot deny that the world evolved
because of the rebels of ideals, the anomalous ideas and people.
An established society undermines those who are anomalous. But at one point,
the normal things were also once anomalous things being extracted from the old established
society. In the process of establishing the norms and the laws, there are the anomalous beings
who innovated them; they made it better. But todays society does not acknowledge what the
anomalous can contribute and they label them as lower beings supported by the fact that they
are different. We do not want to go beyond the proven truth so we continue to deny the truths
that are hard to accept. Just think of the weird things as unproven ideas and are merely pieces of
knowledge scattered around waiting for attention.

As for the people who are anomalous, they are the true geniuses. They made knew discoveries
which are different from others, ideas born anew to the world.

References
Hirschi, T. (1969). Causes of Delinquency,
Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1340901/Travis-Hirschi
Wudka, K. (1998, September 24). The Copernican Revolution.
Retrieved from http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node41.html
Merriam-Webster (2014) AFNetwrking.com

Why do Filipinos want Snow in their Tropical Country?

The Aftermath of Colonialism
Outline
I.

Introduction
A. Attention Grabber
B. Background
C. Thesis Statement:
The Filipino people were once colonized and even after the colonization, they are still

undergoing the effects such as looking up to more dominant culture, failing to recognize their
own culture, and slowing the overall progress of the Philippines as one nation.
II.

Body
A. First Pro Argument
1. Looking up to more dominant culture
1.1 dependence on the US
1.2 attracting foreign investors instead of maintaining own
B. Counter Argument
1.1 other countries have assisted the formation of the Philippine culture
1.2 The people benefit from the dollars that goes in the country
C. Rebuttal
1.1 The people replace the culture from theirs to the foreign ones instead of
improving their own.
D. Second Pro Argument

2. Failing to recognize own culture

2.1 seeing their culture as a stepping stone to later on try other culture
2.2 Majority of the population imitate the elite who consider themselves as
of different culture.
E. Counter Argument
2.1 Presence of laws that give value to culture
2.2 Social norms preserves the Philippine culture
F. Rebuttal
2.1 Nationalism is no longer evident within the society
G. Third Pro Argument
3. Slowing down the overall progress of the Philippines as one nation
3.1 increase of OFWs to work for outside countries
3.2 inability to give back to the country on what it initially gave us
3.3 foreign investors profiting in the countrys land instead of the local
3.4 imbalance of progress among the social classes
H. Counter Argument
3.1 there is statistical evidence on the rise of the economy
3.2 OFWs dollars can benefit the Philippine economy
I. Rebuttal
3.1 labor force to help us boost the economy is on other countries
3.2 absence of visible evidence of progress among the population as a whole
III. Conclusion

Why do Filipinos want Snow in their Tropical Country?

The Aftermath of Colonialism
In the natural course of things in the country Philippines, no matter how long the
people wait, snow will never land in their roofs and heads. Those who can go out to chase the
snowflakes blowing in the wind in other nations abandon their own paradise, the Philippines.
Their pursuit of the new kingdoms made them abandon their own tropical sanctuary.
The people were once contented with their own resources and with their own
ways of living. But visitors aiming to take over their beloved land showed them a light that shines
in a different way compared to the fire they were used to in their nipa huts. It captivated them,
and soon that light blinded them. They woke from the blinding light with chains on their wrists
connected to the hands of the visitors. They were victimized by their visitors and became slaves
in their own lands. A few brave souls managed to oppose the visitors, still having the love that
burns for their country. But even before that, some remained blinded by what the visitors tried
to offer. In the generation today, it is obvious that the influence of the colonizers greatly affected
the peoples way of living. The Filipino people were once colonized and even after the
colonization, they are still undergoing its effects such as the people looking up to more dominant
culture, failing to recognize their own culture, and slowing the overall progress of the Philippines
as one nation.
Because of the Filipino peoples colonial hangover, they continue to look up to
more dominant cultures, like the United States. The Americans were responsible for their own
education and the Western Influence which continues to prosper in their minds, thanks to
globalization. From Bains article Can the Philippines Stand Alone, he wrote an analysis from the
history of the American-Philippine War to the knowledge and resources which the nation has and
concluded that the Philippine Republic can indeed stand alone.
The people continue to depend in their power not realizing that they are capable of
standing alone in the midst of the territorial dispute with other nations. The United States is
undoubtedly the most powerful country in the world, both in political influence and economic
rank. With this fact alone, the Filipinos have the legitimate reason to call for support.

They remain in the shackles of influence and dependency. The government and business sectors
do not only depend on the United States but also on other foreign countries. The people regard
the Philippines as a land with few opportunities and minimal chance of success. So that is why
the foreign investors, knowing the one-sided state of mind of the local investors, take the hidden
opportunity to invest in the Philippines. The bias in business and product preference between
the local and foreign investors starts from here. Since there is colonial mentality existing in the
society, the local investors and businessmen fail to obtain the preference of the people, making
the foreign investors more successful in making profit. The more Filipinos look up to dominant
foreign cultures, the more they lose the power to start their own success.
A portion of the society believes otherwise. According to Money Gizmo (2013),
the money that the foreign investors bring in the country makes the peso stronger and the
country will have a higher international gross reserve. When the government let foreign investors
invest in the country, it is a way of knowing what other countries have in store in their own
borders. The United States, even though it colonized the Filipino people, gave back by supporting
the Philippines in the Second World War against the Japanese. Hand in hand, American and
Filipino soldiers marched to defend the Philippines, forming a deep relation between the
countries. It is only right to look up to the United States since they are the back-up of the Filipino
soldiers in their dire time of needs. In the interview of the Deputy Secretary of State Richard
Armitage with the Probes Team Cheche Lazaro in Washington in 2003, he said that the
Philippines have cast away their colonial hangover and are maintaining a good relation with the
US. The United States is not the only country who somehow developed us in a way. During the
Spanish regime, in the time of Lapu-Lapu, the Spaniards gave the name of the country, Filipinas
or Las Islas Filipinas, derived from King Philippe II of Spain that time. Without the Spaniards, the
country will remain nameless land, but it will not be the country as we know it. These countries
are the only two countries which helped develop the peoples rich culture today.
Say that the other countries, especially the colonizers, are worth of the peoples
thanks but the natives in the Philippine islands have already their own culture to begin with even
before Ferdinand Magellan set his foot on the island. This was from the article by Rafael Alunan,
The Philippines before Magellan (2010).

Yes, the people of the country would not know the outside world if not for the colonizers. But in
the society now, the recognition for the colonizers is getting too excessive. In the current time,
the people needs to look at each other and realize the colonization that benefited them in ways
is over.
The next point is how the Filipino people fail to recognize their own culture. Due
to globalization, countries now have an easy access to look at other countries through the
embassy system. Each country is having a taste of one another because the world is getting
smaller in terms of connections and interactions. But despite the global interactions happening,
the Philippines is still in the bottom of the food chain. Relations did not do the society any better
aside from getting more foreign investors and visitors to experience the peoples very own
culture. Even though there are individuals in the country shouting words of love for the
Philippines, majority still takes the country lightly and merely just a stepping stone to later on
open to other cultures. The problem does not start in the lowest grounds of the pyramid, but it
starts with the elite or the ones on top. The book Brown River White Ocean by Francia (1993)
says, As with most Filipinos who get and education, I grew up with three languages: English,
Spanish, and Pilipino. Those who have been educated and have an edge for life took foreign
courses, especially foreign languages. Language can define a culture and by learning one, people
are also taking a glimpse of a culture, later on adapting to the lifestyle derived from the language.
Because the elites have been opened to the foreign culture through language, they are the ones
who represent it to the other classes of society. The other classes then imitate the elites and the
influential people since they reflect progress. In doing this, both classes are abandoning the idea
of nationalism. The lower classes of the nation have always looked up and desired to have a feel
on top, but the ones on top remain ignorant that lower classes exist.
However, some people believe differently. There is still nationalism in the elites
even though they are more inclined to other cultures. They say that the source of nationalism is
still a big fire engulfing the country. In school, the students celebrate the Buwan ng Wika to show
the importance of the national language as a part of being a Filipino. There are also laws like the
Republic Act No. 10066 National Cultural Heritage Act 2009, sourced from the National
Commission of Arts and Culture, which reinforce the Filipinos cultural heritages and promotes

the beauty of the Philippines as a country. The law system in the Philippines is driven by culture.
Since the laws control the actions of the people, there are norms present of lightest restrictions
in every community.
But even with those, nationalism today is just a mere shout to the void. People are
given the feel of it and after that, they would go back to their usual lives. The lower classes who
are sticking with the culture they grew up with are being overshadowed by the great influence
of the higher class who supports the alien culture through the media. Even the television shows
aired today no longer have the touch of the Filipino values and are instead mixed with the style
of the West. There is also stereotyping depicted in the media. Those who are wealthy and have
a high position speaks in English while the poor and the low are speaking in Filipino. The media
is like saying that being able to speak English proves one is elite among the others. This causes
the viewers to think that learning English is a social status, but in fact, it is just a gateway in
abandoning nationalism. In Sionils article in the Daily Inquirer: Why the Philippines is Standing
Still (2008), he writes, colonialism by foreigners may no longer be what it was, but we are now
a colony of our own elite. The lower and the middle classes are being colonized by the upper
classes in their own country, this is the worst type of colonialism a nation could have.
The last point that should be stressed is about how the colonial mentality of the
Filipino people are slowing the overall progress of the country. Because the average citizen would
prefer more the foreign products, resulting to the foreign investors profiting in the lands the
domestic investors are supposed to profit. Again, the higher classes who have an abundance of
resources put their money on foreign products. Only the foreigners and the elites will progress
in this way of business. There is an imbalance progress from the different classes making the
overall progress slow and bias. As what Gripaldo wrote in A Western Tradition in an Eastern
Setting, the crab mentality the Filipino people have is what constitutes to their slow progress.
The ones below try to drag the ones on top down and the ones who are on top push down those
below. Even the labor force that can be provided by the OFWs to the nation is directed to other
countries. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, there are 2.2 million OFWs as of 2012.
They cannot find a proper job here in the country to support their family so they are forced to
find opportunities in other countries.

If only the government can provide enough jobs that will be a cause of progress in the economy
for the people, the nation would already be competing in economic status alongside Korea and
Japan. Sionil further writes that the country did not produce cheaper and better products, and
the question is why did the Philippines did not modernized fast enough; therefore dooming the
people in poverty. Seeing this state of the country, its citizens go out to find a better life outside.
But the greatest tragedy yet is how they were not able to give back to the country that gave them
everything it has.
But others say that the OFWs are the new heroes of the age, like the article by
Pinoy OFW Reasons Why OFWs are called Modern Day Heroes. They are giving back to the
country by bringing in dollars. This help in the consumption of goods in the Philippines that boosts
the economy. In Chuas Philippine Economic Update in the World Bank (2014), the Philippine
economic growth accelerated to 7.2% in 2013 despite the typhoon Yolanda and other casualties
that befell in the country. There is statistical evidence the country is improving. Soon, with the
steady economic growth, the Philippines will be able to compete with the neighboring Asian
countries in their large economies.
But the people do not see any visible manifestation of the statistics that the
Philippines is improving. Most of the OFWs are getting abused and beaten by their bosses while
they are rendered helpless. But more Filipinos go abroad knowing they are likely to suffer the
same fate. In Mcallisters article Overseas Filipino Workers Deserve Better Protection (2013), she
talks about the exploitation of workers. They are considered heroes but their protection is not
looked upon. She says that it is modern slavery. The only time the country will truly progress is
when the people will not need to go to other countries to find greater opportunities because the
government can already provide.
In conclusion, the Philippines is too slow in trying to progress. It is as if it is going
to the opposite direction in trying to change. The peoples colonial hangover is still existing,
preventing a fast and precise progress for the country. The problem about this is that it is taken
lightly. It is an old topic that the people have been used to in hearing. Everyone heard the
problem and the cause, but almost all did not act.

Now, they are suffering the severe effects that is evident in every citizen of the country. The
Philippines is changing, truly, but it is not the change that will help its countrymen to
development. Juan plants his crops so he can eat tomorrow. But he continues to wish for snow,
not being fully aware that it will kill the crops he planted.

Sources
Armitage R. (2003, June 23). News Break Archives.
Retrieved from http://archives.newsbreak-knowledge.ph/2003/06/23/richard-armitage-wevecast-away-the-colonial-hangover/
Francia, L. (1993). Brown River White Ocean.
Retrieved from
http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=rPGkNNaxi50C&pg=PR11&dq=As+with+most+Filipinos+
who+get+and+education,+I+grew+up+with+three+languages:+English,+Spanish,+and+Filipino.
%E2%80%9D&hl=en&sa=X&ei=S7iCVJqRAc_g8AX0_IK4Dw&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q
=As%20with%20most%20Filipinos%20who%20get%20and%20education%2C%20I%20grew%20
up%20with%20three%20languages%3A%20English%2C%20Spanish%2C%20and%20Filipino.%E2
%80%9D&f=false
Gripaldo, R. (2006, June 6). Filipino Philosophy: A Western Tradition in an Eastern Setting.
Retrieved from
http://www.academia.edu/4135427/Filipino_Philosophy_A_Western_Tradition_in_an_Eastern
_Setting_2013_
Ericta, C. (2013, July 11). Total Number of OFWs is Estimated at 2.2 Million.
Retrieved from http://web0.psa.gov.ph/content/total-number-ofws-estimated-22-millionresults-2012-survey-overseas-filipinos
Sionil Jose, F. (2008, July 15). The Daily Inquirer: Why the Philippines is Standing Still.
Retrieved from http://www.thefilipinomind.com/2010/04/why-philippines-is-standing-stillf.html
Chua, K. (2014, March 17). Philippine Economic Update 2014. the World Bank

Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/philippines/publication/philippineeconomic-update-2014-pursuing-economic-growth-through-sustainable-reconstruction-andjob-generation

Money Gizmo. (2014). How Does Remittance from OFWs Help the Philippine Economy.
Retrieved from http://moneygizmo.net/remittance-ofws-help-philippine-economy/
National Commission for Culture and the Arts. (2011). Heritage Law.
Retrieved from http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca/heritage-law/heritage-law.php
Barrameda, B. (1993). Pinoy Trivia Vol. 2
Retrieved from http://www.tribo.org/history/history1.html

Bain, H. (1944, October). Can the Philippines Stand Alone?. Foreign Affairs.
Retrieved from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/70374/h-foster-bain/can-thephilippines-stand-alone
Alunan, R. III. (2010, December 21). The Philippines Before Magellan
Retrieved from http://www.balangay-voyage.com/index.php?pg=read-article&newsid=2077
Pinoy OFW. (2014, April 30). Reasons Why OFWs are called Modern Day Heroes.
Retrieved from http://www.pinoy-ofw.com/news/32634-reasons-ofws-called-modern-dayheroes.html
Mcallister, S. (2013, July 2). Overseas Filipino Workers Deserve Better Protection
Retrieved from http://www.peoplesworld.org/overseas-filipino-workers-deserve-betterprotection/

Delinquency
Exit Essay

Jose Rizal once said that the youth is the hope of the nation. He believes that the young
minds, that are not yet influenced by greed for power and lust, will be the ones who will bring
forth a better era. But what he said is becoming more unrealistic from what the youth is showing
the nation today. The young generations are becoming more narcissistic and are over
themselves. They believe they can do anything and this causes them to waste their lives. Some
are living their lives with the famous line You only live once as their principle. They become too
brave that they think no one in the world can stop them. With this type of mindset, the
youngsters became subjected to delinquency. It is a social issue where young people, especially
the teenagers, commit illegal activities. Their young and innocent age is a shock to what they
might have done. The only ones who can be blamed from this social tragedy is the ones who
nurtured the teenagers. As their minds grow, they establish a sense of right and wrong. But with
the hardships of life, it is turning out to be a sense of pleasure and pain. The teenagers are more
inclined to getting pleasure without considering the act as right or wrong. Again, the people who
have been their parents let them establish this kind of thinking. The youth became ignorant to
the true facts forming the society. They continues to be victims of society without even knowing.
They have shed from the values and culture of the older generations. Meanwhile, the older
generations are scrutinizing and pointing at the youth, telling them they are the worst
generation. They did not contemplate that they were also at fault. The society the society the
youth have grown up in was shaped by the older generations. The responsibility of guiding the
youth to the proper and better path is theirs. But since the mistake was already committed and
left unnoticed, the cycle goes on, the children being abandoned and injected with negativity
become delinquents and when they become parents, they also do the same to their children. It
is a vicious cycle indeed. But there is still hope. Jose Rizal might be right to what he said about
the youth, they can be the harbingers of hope themselves.

With the spread of media through technological advancements, the youth is

becoming more aware. Their awareness is their chance to finally eradicate the negative
perception of other generations. This is the chance they finally start a good change for the
country. The only ones who will remain in the shadow of ignorance are those who have
experienced the dark for too long. People always have a choice to what they become. In this case
of the delinquents, the society is the one choosing for them. Opportunities are getting bigger and
the chances of the delinquents surviving are becoming minimal. The young generation is
becoming more accepting and open to the difference of people. This fact shows that the youth
is surpassing other generations in terms of acquiring peace and diminishing conflict. But the
society should still consider the case of the delinquents. They still need help and still have a
chance to change. It is never too late to change. The youth is open to all possibilities, it is time
the society does so. When time will change with the shift of the generations, the youth will be
the established society who will guide the future generations to the path to goodness. The old
values might have not been restored but everything will change, goodness will still exist. New
values will prevail out of the old ones. Someday, delinquency will no longer be a burden to society
because society will be the comfort and guide for the future generations. A new cycle will start
countering the bad ones that existed before. The world will change in a direction to progress. But
all these will only happen if the society will rightly nurture the youth. They are always the hope,
even before the start. Society only failed to nurture them to not just be a mere hope, but as the
generation that will progress and change the negative things that causes problems in the world.
All these will happen if only parents are better nurturers and children are better listeners.

Comparison and Contrast

Of
Entry and Exit Essays

In the entry essay, the organization and build-up of the essay is somehow far from the
actual topic. It went back to the history of the cause of the cause making it a little confusing at
the start. The introduction was not really related to the issue of delinquency but the disobedience
of mankind. Meanwhile, the exit has more precise build-up. The introduction even quoted the
famous saying of a prominent and influential person. From then, the causes and effects of
delinquency were clearly pointed out. Both essays mentioned the root cause of the problem and
it continuity until now. But the exit essay was more accurate in talking about delinquency and
the factors that affected its growth and spread in the society. Both essays talked about the ways
in which it can be minimized and prevented, the exit essay again only dwelled on the actual
subject while the entrance essay lacked in supporting the presented points in the essay. Both
essays mentioned the modernity of the world and how it largely affected the youth in whether
they will become delinquents or not. In the entry essay, the economy was mentioned and how it
will turn out if delinquency continues to prosper in the minds of the ignorant youth. The exit
essay talked about how the culture affected the youth to be inclined in committing criminal acts.
Both essays made clearly portrayed their purpose in writing about delinquency but the entry
essay is more open to many possibilities and talked about the gist of every point presented, while
the exit essay achieved the clearness of the topic by elaborating the points presented and how
the line of Jose Rizal can come true. In conclusion, the exit essay is the better essay in talking
about delinquency alone without getting too far away of the topic.

Reflective Essay
Upon taking up the subject English Communication, I have learned to look at things more
openly. There is something behind the purpose of learning concepts and techniques to read and
write English. A thing that I have greatly treasured is the idea of looking at someone elses point
of view. This enabled me to understand the text and understand more the author, the reason for
their writings and words. Also, the social issues were the topic of almost all of the session which
opened my ignorant mind to the problem of our society is experiencing. From this, it can be
implied that writings and words are said for a reason not for the writer, but for the readers to
think about. It opened the idea of getting to know more on what surround each being. Concern
can be a reason to make interactions causing more people to have a say on the idea. This subject
reinforced my knowledge on constructing better essays and speeches. It provided a framework
to guide us in putting on the meat and nutrition to the essays.
I would say that English Communication is not that hard for me since my high school
provided supplements. Although, same in high school English classes, I have difficulty in writing
under pressure of time and environment. I know pressure will always exist and more will come
as I mature. But it is like a gun pointed at my head, and with one false move it will be fired. I have
no trouble in getting ideas and constructing them, but the consciousness of time makes it hard
for me to come up with the right ones. With the regular meetings, I was able to adjust to the
demand of time and stroke out ideas out even under pressure. The quality of my papers in other
subjects also improved because I got to finish them right away thanks to the technique and
framework provided by my two professors. I know that they are only doing their job as professors
but they exceed beyond that. They instilled and me the reason to keep my pen moving and my
ideas flowing, writing my thoughts not for me but for them to know how I am doing. I see myself
as a sponge whenever I write, and this course serves as my water that I absorb. Later on, I begin
to squish myself to prove I have absorbed the thoughts, concepts, ideas, techniques, and
response that they both gave. So that in the future, we will also be able to spread the knowledge,
to pay it forward. As what Joi Ito said, Education is what people do to you and learning is what
you do to yourself.