CAS Completion Form

Increased their awareness of his/her own strengths and areas of growth:
Boys Basketball 

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2012/03/as-journal-entry-2-boys-basketball.html

Boys Volleyball

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/10/reflection-isac-boys-volleyball-2011.html

MS/US Production

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2012/03/cs-journal-entry-1-msus-production.html

Boys Soccer

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflection-isac-boys-soccer.html
Undertaken New Challenges
Tzu Chi Medical Mission

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2010/11/reflection-tzu-chi-medical-mission.html

International Coastal Cleanup

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2010/10/reflection-international-coastal.html

MS/US Production

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2012/03/cs-journal-entry-1-msus-production.html
Planned and Initiated Activities

NHS Project

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2012/05/reflection-nhs.html

Agusuhin Basketball Court Construction Project

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/05/nhs-individual-project-agusuhin.html

International Coastal Cleanup

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2010/10/reflection-international-coastal.html
Worked Collaboratively with others

Boys Basketball

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/03/reflection-isac-boys-basketball.html

Boys Volleyball

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/10/reflection-isac-boys-volleyball-2011.html

Planning of International Coastal Cleanup

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/09/asgoals-before-sept-17-2011.html
Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities

Boys Volleyball

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/10/reflection-isac-boys-volleyball-2011.html

NHS

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/04/nhs.html

International Coastal Cleanup 2010-2011

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2010/10/reflection-international-coastal.html

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/09/reflection-international-coastal.html
Engaged with Issues of Global Importance
International Coastal Cleanup 2010-2011

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2010/10/reflection-international-coastal.html

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/09/reflection-international-coastal.html

Tzu Chi Medical Mission

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2010/11/reflection-tzu-chi-medical-mission.html

Agusuhin Basketball Court Construction Project

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/05/nhs-individual-project-agusuhin.html
Considered the Ethical Implications of their actions

International Coastal Cleanup 2010-2011

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2010/10/reflection-international-coastal.html

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2011/09/reflection-international-coastal.html

Tzu Chi Medical Mission

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2010/11/reflection-tzu-chi-medical-mission.html
Develop New Skills

Boys Basketball

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2012/02/as-journal-entry-1-boys-basketball.html

MS/US Production

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2012/04/reflection-msus-production.html

Tzu Chi Medical Mission

http://mandoscas.blogspot.com/2010/11/reflection-tzu-chi-medical-mission.html

CAS Final Essay

Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) has been a wonderful experience these past two years. It has definitely made me a more well rounded person and has gotten me involved with activities and events in and out of school. CAS has taught me how to work with other students and volunteers alike, as well as interact with new people from around the community. Risks had to be taken, and courage was needed when it came to sport competitions and school musicals. CAS taught me how to deal with frustration and loss and to convert negativity into something positive and helpful to other people. Lastly, CAS has taught me how to appreciate what I have and to be thankful, as other people have less than I do yet they are still grateful and positive about life.

CAS aims to teach us about the eight learning outcomes, all of which I believe I have touched based on someway or another, some more than others, throughout the two years of IB. The eight learning outcomes, taken directly from IB, are the following:

Increased awareness of his/her own strengths and areas of growth
Undertaken new challenges
Planned and Initiated Activities
Worked Collaboratively with others
Shown Perseverance and commitment in their activities
Engaged with issues of global importance
Considered ethical implications of their actions
Developed new skills

I believe taking a part of Varsity teams such as Basketball, Soccer, and Volleyball has increased my awareness of my strengths and weaknesses, as each week I had to assess my progress and to check if I was meeting my goals, and I'd say for the most part, I met my goals and improved where I wanted, whether it was the stability of my setting, my aggressiveness towards the hoop, or my stamina on the field.  Of course, there are also weaknesses or areas of growth that I recognized such as composure, or court vision which I gave my best effort to improve on during the practices.
I also believe that I did in fact take on new challenges, such as take on the role of captain in the varsity teams, or join the school play after a long time away from it, or leading a school wide activity in the beach clean-up. It took a lot of courage to do some of the things I did in the past two years, but it was all worth it in the end, and I'm glad I did it.
I did plan and initiate activities such as the International Coastal Cleanup Organizing Committee, and of course my yearly project with the NHS concerning the Agusuhin Village, and this year's POCCH activities.
And of course, and I would say, in all the activities relating to CAS in the past two years, I have constantly been working collaboratively with others in team sports, NHS activities, in the School Play, in the International Coastal Cleanup, Tzu Chi Medical Mission, and the list goes on. Working with others is always a pleasure, and it is always fun to share good memories with other people rather than just yourself.
I also feel that I have shown perseverance and commitment in my activities. I was  a part of the LS Soccer Club, which taught young kids the fundamentals of soccer every weekend, I also led the International Coastal Cleanup two years straight, I was always committed to my athletics and kept persevering in my NHS project even when things weren't going as planned. There are times where I felt like giving up or not participating, but I would always find a way to motivate myself and to keep myself focused towards my overall objective.
Being a part of the International Coastal Cleanup, and the Tzu Chi Medical Mission kept me engaged with issues of global importance. ICC kept me aware of the environment and how important it is for us to keep it clean and green, and Tzu Chi opened my eyes to the poor healthcare of this country, and how many poor people are sick but cannot afford medication. I am glad that somehow, I was able to make a difference towards the improvement of the environment and healthcare of some people.
One experience that stood out concerning the ethical implications of my actions was during my experience in the Tzu Chi Medical Mission where I was put in a difficult situation when I was in charge of letting people in and out of the clinic. There were people who had been falling in line for quite some time already, but then there was more than one instance where someone would ask me if they could go first, infront of everybody else who was waiting in line. I remember one time, where this woman was asking me to ask for her grandfather's medication first, since they really had to go somewhere already. I felt bad because the old man had a patch in his eye and he looked quite frail, so I hurried in and bugged one of the assistants to prioritize their medication first. Of course, this was unfair to those who've been in line for more than an hour, packed like sardines in a hot waiting area, but I felt like the old man, and some other few patients who asked for the same service, needed it more than the others. It was a hard decision for me, but with hindsight, I believe I did the right thing.
I surely developed new skills throughout my CAS endeavors, obvious in my athletic undertakings, my attempt in honing my lost skills in drama/acting, and my improved leadership and collaborative skills in my NHS activities, and other service events.

I honestly believe that throughout my two years of CAS, in the International Baccalaureate Program, I have experienced the 8 Learning Outcomes through a multitude of wide-ranging, yet balanced (Creativity, Action, Service) activities. Going through these undertakings, both positive and negative has made me a stronger person, able and willing to go through failures and frustrations, but also more emotional and reflective of my successes. CAS was truly a great opportunity and I am almost certain that the memories, as well as the values and virtues that I have developed from my experiences will stay with me forever.

Reflection: NHS

I have learned so much by being a part of the National Honors Society in the past 2 years. Although my initial project didn't quite work out as planned due to some undesirable circumstances and time pressure, my experiences with volunteers, teachers, students, adults and children from the Agusuhin Village and the POCCH center was a lot of times exciting and fun but was also serious and heartwarming at the same time. 

Throughout the 2 years I have been with NHS we have tried to keep in touch and continue helping the people, particularly the kids at the elementary school, at the Agusuhin Village. I've personally been there numerous times, every time, involved with different activities such as simple games and drama workshops for the kids to promote exercise, teaching them how to brush their teeth and wash their hands, and the list goes on. My personal project for NHS was to build a basketball court for the kids at the backyard of the school. Of course to initiate such a huge project, we needed funds. Throughout the school year 2010-2011, cookies were being sold, and other fundraisers were being done to raise funds not only for my project but for the other NHS members as well. Luckily, even if the amount of money allotted for my project wasn't enough, I was able to collect donations from a number of people around the school and the community to initiate my project. 

Rainy weather and different commitments of volunteers made it hard to meet more than once for the construction of my project, but in that one whole-day of mixing cement, and carrying wagons of gravel, and leveling the concrete with the few volunteers that could make it, construction experts from the school, and a few kids and adults from Agusuhin who offered to help, was unforgettable. We continued working even when the rain started pouring, and we managed to erect the backboard and the ring successfully by the end of the day and managed to pour 1/4 of the area with cement. I had a lot of fun working with the people from the school as well as the kids and adults in the village, and it seemed that they were really excited for us to finish the job so that they could play a game at the newly-constructed court. We were supposed to come back the following weekend to finish the rest of the cementing, but terrible weather conditions prevented us from doing so, as well as the lack of volunteers as students were leaving the country for summer break. 

In my second year with the NHS we continued to help the kids at Agusuhin, visited them a couple of times early in the year and interacted with them. We continued to raise funds for our projects, of which some were directed to the Agusuhin Village, including mine. However, unlike last year, many of the NHS projects were focused on our school and raising funds for a certain cause such as the protection of the environment, as compared to my first year with the NHS where all the projects were directed towards the betterment of the Agusuhin village. This year, my plan, initially, was to continue the construction of the court, provide the school with sports equipment, and to eventually start a small competition or tournament with the kids at the school.

However, as the year progressed and it was the time to initiate our projects, there was some terrible news. The people of the Agusuhin village were being forced out again as the land they were currently staying in was bought by someone else. They were told to evacuate and they had no place to reside except the streets. This was extremely sad to hear especially for me, since I had spent so much time with the people at the village. I had high hopes for the improvement of their village, but now all we could really do for them was to provide food and other necessities for them, as they did not have a home. Most of the remaining projects of the other NHS members were directed to raising funds for the Agusuhin village people. However, this also meant that I could not continue my plans for the Agusuhin Elementary School. 

Aside from the NHS, I have also been involved with the kids at the POCCH, which was an orphanage based around 30 minutes away from the school. I was involved with their visit a couple of times last year and even went there once. This year, some of my fellow NHS members' project was to inform them about personal hygiene, and provided all the kids there with a packet containing toothpaste, a toothbrush, a bar of soap and hand sanitizer. I was also a part of a drama workshop activity that continues to happen every Thursday, in which we would do different drama activities with the kids, eventually leading up to a performance day as a finale. I got to know the kids very well, and a lot of them recognize me when I visit, and know me by my name, "Kuya Armand". I feel like when I talk to them and play around with them, that I am their brother and that there is no age difference between them and myself. Eventually I found out  from my NHS advisor that POCCH needed to fix up their backyard and fence if they were to continue their service for the children. This caught my attention, and I realized that it would be best if I just used the funds that I earned on the construction of a new fence, and the leveling of the soil in their backyard. However, after talking with the head of the place, he suggested that the leveling of the soil is useless because when the rainy season comes, the dirt and soil will just wash away leaving holes on the ground, making our efforts futile. He did, however, support my idea of building a fence. Unfortunately, P12,000 pesos wouldn't be enough to get the job done, and he suggested that I just donated the money and he would combine it with the money that they've raised to sign a contractor to do the job for them. Although, I realized that this would not involve any physical input from me and whoever the volunteers may be which was something that I really wanted to push for my project, but I respected his decision. After consulting with Mr Barth, my NHS advisor, I decided that I will personally deliver him the money and make the donation, and if there is time left, our students will instead be involved with the painting of the fence. Things didn't work the way as planned, but I had to get over it somehow and still do something good for those in need which is what's most important in my opinion. Besides, what I enjoyed doing most was not really the physical work (although it was still a lot fun), but the interaction with the kids, both from Agusuhin and POCCH, seeing the smiles on their face when I offered them food and drinks, hearing them laugh at my jokes, hearing them talk about how much fun they had that day, and how fun it is to do something that I take for granted everyday such as play a simple game of elbow tag or to receive a bottle of hand sanitizer, and lastly seeing their sad but thankful faces every time we had to say goodbye and get in the bus to leave.

My time with NHS has been a long, but fun ride, and has taught me how to deal with frustrations, dissapointments, and bad news. Leading my project was tough, but taught me how organization is a must when initiating projects, and how communication is key to good management of people. Fundraising has definitely taught me the value of money, and how hard it is to earn it, and the value of service, and how hard it is to give it. My experiences have also taught me how to interact with people you've just met, from different age levels and socio-economic backgrounds, such as playing with the young kids from the Agusuhin Village or asking for donations from older, busy people from around the community. Just because I'm graduating does not mean that my involvement with these types of activities is over, rather it enhanced my desire to help people in need, and I will definitely join different clubs and groups in college with the same goals as NHS, and even continue to visit POCCH when I am in town as I think it will continue to help me grow as a person, and to appreciate what I have even more. 

Reflection: MS/US Production

This year's production was a great experience. At first, I do admit that having to go to production everyday was the daily bane of my existence, but after my priorities for basketball practice had ended, going to production wasn't as bad as I thought. 

Earlier this year, around January, I remember wanting to try out for the production for my last year since my last endeavor with the school production was back in the 9th grade for "The Wiz". I tried out with my friends Cyron and Brian and we sang "Afternoon Delight", attempting to emulate Will Ferrel's parody of the song in the movie "Anchorman". It was fun singing infront of the panel of judges, and after that they asked us to read a few lines from the script.

Two weeks later, I found out that I was assigned a role as the Bookseller in this year's production, "Beauty and the Beast". I was content as I knew I had a minor role and did not need to have as much commitment to going to production as compared to basketball. The following two months of balancing production with basketball practice wasn't so bad, although I was late a few times to production where my consequence would be  paying 20 pesos for each minute I was late (or something like that). During the first few practices I felt that i was a bit timid and that I wasn't really expressing myself as much as the bookseller.  After basketball season ended (we da champs!), I had to go to production everyday from 3.30 pm to around 6 pm. It was only during this time that I was able to actually focus and memorize the choreography to the songs I was in, and to know the blocking for each scene. I also felt a little bit more comfortable after a while, and i didn't hold back when we practiced my scene (which was very short anyway). At first I was a little bit upset at the fact that I had to stay for practice for two and half hours when we only practiced the scenes I was in for 30 minutes so I saw no point in having to stay until the end. I got into trouble a few more times until my "late" bill was hitting P170. At that point I realized that I could not be late, not only because Mrs Fernandez was really starting to get annoyed at me, but also because I didn't want to pay any more money. (But I guess it was okay, because the money was going to the pizza party celebration after our performance) 

Two weeks before the performance, practice was getting a lot more serious, especially when we started having to wear our costumes. We had to get used to sharing the backstage with the production crew since they handled all the props as well was taking the mic on and off our faces when he had to make switches. I was also starting to get comments from Mrs Fernandez and Mrs Davis, they said that I had to work on my acting and emotion when saying my lines and in my short solo in one of the songs ("Mob Song"). I was a little bit frustrated because I thought I was doing alright, but I knew that I could do better since I was only half-heartedly saying my lines because I knew it was practice. The next practice, I put a lot more emotion and really tried to embody my character. After this, Mrs Fernandez and Mrs Davis were a bit more pleased with me, but this time Mrs Fernandez commented on my relationship with "Belle" who was played by Jezi, as it seemed that I was infatuated with her which would be weird because I was an old man. She told me to tone it down a bit, lessen my smile and eye contact since my role was to be the only nice villager to Belle, but not "in-love" with her. The next few days before practice went by fast, we were getting better and better as a group and the teachers were getting more confident in our performance.

Surprisingly, on the day of the performance I did not feel nervous at all, probably because I've been accustomed to many other pressure situations especially in sports. I was relaxed and felt confident probably because I had such few lines and I knew I could deliver them with ease.The play started, and in the first scene, then I nailed my lines. The show went on, and I could hear the applause and the positive reception from the crowd. However during the mob scene I had one of the most embarrassing moments in my life. As we were going onstage from the audience as a mob, I tripped as I was walking up to the stage. There was a small laughter from the audience, and I was laughing at myself as well. Despite all of this, the first night of the show was still a success.


The next day, I could sense that the cast was more relaxed since we had already performed the night before. On the final night of the performance,  there were a lot more people who came to watch, it was a full house, and my friends came to watch as well. I did a good job with my lines again as well as in the songs and the dancing. I kept in mind what Mrs Fernandez and Mrs Davis told me, and I really tried hard to stay in character at all times, and even exaggerate my emotions a little bit more. This time, I was lot more cautious as I went on the stage for the mob scene. It was another successful and I was happy to have acted, sang, and danced on the stage one last time before I graduate. I was happy to have gained back the confidence when doing these things and really embodying the role that was given to me.

(C)(S) Journal Entry #1 [MS/US Production]

Production's been alright so far. We've gone through most of the scenes throughout the play and I'm quickly learning all the lyrics to the songs. Hopefully in the next few weeks I can catch up on what I've missed from being in basketball practice for the past month. I am pretty much set with my lines as the bookseller in Scene 1 which I'm pretty stoked for. I can't wait to put on my wig and my villager outfit. The choreography for Gaston's dance is getting easier for me every practice, hopefully the same happens for the other songs as well. The set is also starting to take shape and the colors are amazing. I am pretty excited about the costumes as well. Hopefully within the next few weeks, the run-throughs go smoother.


My goals for the next 2 weeks:

1. Memorize all the songs
2. Learn all the dances
3. Don't be late for music rehearsals so I won't have to pay money for punishment
4. Seem more natural in saying my lines

Reflection: ISAC Boy's Volleyball 2012

WE DA CHAMPSSSS!

I did not intend to start off my reflection like this, but the feeling is just amazing. I'll breakdown what happened this ISAC game after game:

BISS vs BISB
This was a crucial game. We needed this first win for our confidence, for our school pride and for ourselves, and admittedly for my own personal desire for revenge against them from the ISAC volleyball finals. We played our hearts out, and just like we imagined, the crowd was a HUGE help. We played AMAZING trap and help defense, and forced Baguio to turn the ball over many times. Our shots were going in and their players were getting fouled early in the game. We took advantage of this and attacked the basket hard, going to the line and making free throws. We shocked Baguio and struck fear among the other teams. I played well, got some steals, passed the ball around and made my free throws. We were PUMPED UP. We beat Baguio 36-19.

BISS vs BISM
It was our 2nd game for the first day of the tournament. Brent Manila has always had shooters in their team and were very aggressive on the court. We played hard, drove hard to the hoop and applied our 4-2 trap defense. We faced a few bumps on the road, their coaches were complaining and so were their players. I got into a small scuffle with one of the players when I told him to calm down, he shouted and cursed at me. My coach told me to let it go and to act like a gentleman, and I obeyed. In the end, our defense and our aggressiveness towards the rim beat their messy half court trap and 3 point shots. We beat BISM 32-20.

BISS vs BSM
Today was the 2nd day of the ISAC tournament. Our first game was another crucial game, a chance to prove ourselves, and a chance to make a stand against the defending ISAC Basketball Champions. We started the game off with a fast pace, hard pressure defense, and a lot of running. We scored most of our initial points through fast breaks and driving hard to the basket. In the second half, we turned up a notch, and our whole team was sinking shots from all over the place. It felt as if we were really one with our home court and there was really an obvious home court advantage in our feel for the court, and from our ever so helpful home crowd. We even saw our supportive 2nd grader reading buddies watching us play on the court. BSM was completely baffled and exhausted from us, they couldn't keep up with us. We beat BSM 50-31.

BISS vs SISC
Southville was looking good from their previous games so we were not gonna take them lightly. We warmed up just as hard as we did against BSM and although a little excited from our winning streak, we were prepared to dominate once again. Mr Thompson decided to try a new defensive strategy, where it would be 4 on 5 at the half court with one guy staying in the backcourt to cherry pick. We tried it out in the opening minutes, but it didn't quite work out. I felt like our team was designed and was more effective in a team help defense with continuous support from all 5 jerseys on the court. We were struggling in the early minutes, so we switched back to our normal defense. Southville's point guard was very good with distributing the ball and was also sinking a lot of shots inside. It was a close match and we were down with less than a minute left in the 4th quarter. However, Southville's coach saved us after he was called a technical for rolling around on the floor after a bad call from the ref. We got 2 free shots and ball possession. With just 3.6 seconds left on the clock, my teammate, Javier, was fouled and he made 1 out of 2 free throws, winning the game for us, 31-30. A close game, but still a well deserved win. Like Mr Thompson said, "champions find a way to win the ugly games."

BISS vs FAM
By the 3rd game of the day, after facing 2 strong teams, we were exhausted. Our starters, particularly were really tired. We were struggling early in the game, missing our shots and our free throws. Mr Thompson gave the starters a rest, and played our other teammates including me. I had to play point guard, a position that I had lost familiarity with from playing shooting guard for most of the season. It was tough, but I tried my best and we had some good looks. However, FAM was increasing their lead until they were up by around 15 points. In the last quarter, the starters got back in and scored 11 points in the last 2 minutes, leaving FAM scoreless in the entire quarter. Unfortunately, it was not enough time to win the game. We lost our first game of the tournament yet we kept our heads high as we were still secured a spot in the semifinals and were currently at the number 1 seed. It was a good battle with FAM, 32-36.

BISS vs EIS
By the 3rd day of the tournament, our team was getting cuts and bruises, swollen ankles, and sore backs, but it was the most crucial day of the tournament. Our first game of the day was against EIS. It was an UGLY game. EIS was fouling us hard throughout the entire game, and by the end of the game, they were down to only 4 players because the others were either fouled out, or ejected for unsportsman-like conduct. However, there were some positives as well. First, our squad was very well balanced for this game, saving a lot of energy for the latter games in the day, and having a lot of fun with different combinations. I had a nice and1 in this game and a couple of layups, however I was having trouble at the free throw line making only 3 out of 12 free throws. Terrible. I was determined to fix that for the more important games that were to come. We won the game, 43-18.

BISS vs FAM (Semi-Finals)
This was a very important game for us. We had to win this to move on to the Finals. It was our chance to redeem ourselves from our loss against them in the previous day. We played our defense a little bit more intensely and aggressively in this game, drove a little harder to the hoop and took a lot more shots (and followed them for the rebound). We played a great game, shutting down FAM's offense, and playing off from our defense for the quick layups. I made my free throws in this game, and played defense as best as I could. The home crowd helped us big time. It was also nice to see my family watch me play as well, it was a good motivator. We beat FAM, 35-30. WE IN THE FINALSSSSS!


BISS vs BISB (Finals)
This was it. Our final game against Baguio for the championship. We worked so hard for 6 weeks to get here, and we made it this far. It was our last chance to prove that we were the best team, and my last chance to play in an ISAC game. I was going to give it my all. The first quarter was intense, Baguio was attacking our hoop strong, they were making their jumpshots, and one of their players were on fire with the 3 pointers. We retaliated with our trap defense, and also drove hard back against them. By the 2nd quarter, we were shooting more jumpshots than driving to the hoop, luckily, we were making it. Every second I was on the court, I gave it my all, played the best defense I could play, took it to the hoop when I saw an opening and dished it out selflessly if I spotted an open teammate. By the 3rd quarter, our coach put on of my teammates, Cyron, on their hot-handed shooter. He shut him down until the end of the game. The guy was shooting airballs and was missing most of his shots. We capitalized on their turnovers and missed shots, and were rebounding the ball like crazy, (particularly one of my teammates, Milo). Our slashers, Manu and Javier were attacking the hoop strong, fouling out one of their key players. Our 11 point deficit from the 1st half was erased by the end of the 3rd quarter. The game was getting more and more intense, and both teams were showing signs of fatigue, yet neither teams were willing to give up their chance for the gold. In the fourth quarter, Baguio was able to sneak a couple of shots inside from their big men, but our slashers kept driving hard to the hoop, putting Baguio in penalty, giving us plenty of shots at the line. We continued to play our trap defense and proved to be effective until the very last minute. In the last  minute of the game, the score was tied 66-66, and Baguio had 3 attempts to score, to no avail. My teammate, Brian, got a crucial rebound with only a couple of seconds remaining on the clock and passed the ball to Manu. He drove hard to the hoop with less than 5 seconds remaining and got a shot up with a foul. The shot went in, and we were up 68-66 with less than a second left on the clock. He missed the freethrow, but WE WON THE FINALS by 2 points! It was insane. I never felt such a feeling in my life. I was crying from the joy and excitement from what our team has just accomplished. Lights were flashing, the crowd was roaring, and my teammates were rejoicing. It was a truly incredible and unforgettable moment. I felt a sort of vindication from our loss against Baguio in the finals for volleyball earlier in the year. It was just awesome.


The three biggest things I learned from this experience can be summed up as the 3 C's:

Courage, Composure, Class

These are the things that I will never forget from this experience, and are things that I wish to continue to keep in mind, not only during competitions, but for everything that I do and everything that I say. Thank you to my teammates and to my coaches for an unforgettable season. What a way to end my last ISAC and my high school sports career.

P.S. We also ended up winning Overall ISAC Champions. I truly am proud to be a Razorback and to have been part of the ISAC finals for all three sports this season. Hard work really does pay off.

(A)(S) Journal Entry #2 [Boy's Basketball Varsity]

written on March 4, 2012:

Last saturday the Razorbacks drove up early to Brent manila for our first away games for the season against some local high school teams in the area. I slept early the night before and was extremely pumped up for the game the next day. I focused on my 3 main goals for the day: quick feet on defense, control of the game, and driving and dishing. Our first game was against a young team, and in the first few minutes of the game, we scored quick points and were up 8-0. Unfortunately, our team relaxed and underestimated the other team, so our opponents came back and gave us a hard time throughout the game. I was playing an OK game, but were shooting 3's at the wrong time and was lagging on defense at times. Although we won the game in the end, it was quite messy and it's not the win that we wanted. Our second game was against an older, and bigger opponent but we were determined to take it strong to the other team from beginning to end. We attacked the rim and played great defense, stealing many balls. I played much better defense in this game and distributed the ball a lot more. By the 3rd quarter, we burned out the other team, but our rotations let us have fresh legs for almost the whole game. Although my game at times was messy and out of control, my coach complimented me due to the fact that I gave another boost of energy and shocked the other team with my quickness and zeal. We were in a commanding lead by the end of the game by more than 15 points. It was a good morale boost right before the week of the big ISAC tournament. Our team is lookin' good. Goal before ISAC: teardrops, ball distribution, drawing charges

CAS Proposal Form 10 (MS/US Production (Beauty and the Beast)

Student’s Name	Armand Mendoza				Supervisor’s Name	Ms. Fernandez
Year  11 12		Activity Name		MS/US Production (Beauty and the Beast)
Date(s) / Duration of Activity			January - April

What is my past experience with this activity?

In lower school, I was the lead role for one of the plays. In middle school, I joined one of the shows, "You’re a good man, Charlie Brown" as the narrator. I joined production again in my freshmen year, "The Wiz" and since then I have been out of the area of performing arts.

What new learning or skill do I hope to pick up or develop?

I hope to develop my acting skills again and utilize what what I learn in choir class as a singer in a number of the scenes in the play. Being out of production for nearly 3 years, I am somewhat timid in expressing my character during rehearsals, something that I want to improve on within the following months.

How will this experience be different from that of the past?

This experience will be different from the past because this time, I have to juggle production rehearsals, varsity basketball practice, and IB requirements and deadlines. In my previous involvements with production, I was more or less fully committed to going to rehearsals everyday, without having to worry about other commitments and responsibilities.

How am I going to know if I am making progress in achieving the goal/s I have set?

I will know when I am making progress if I feel less "shy" and when I do not hold back when I'm in character (something that at the moment, I don’t exactly feel) which will probably happen when I have completely mastered my lines and lyrics. Also, my fellow actors/actresses/singers/stage managers will probably let me know when I'm doing a good job as well as the director.

Goals  What is/are your goal/s for this activity? What do you hope to achieve?

My goal for this activity is to hone my acting/singing skills as well as make new friends by collaborating with people I don't usually work with, and to perform well in the show and entertain the audience in April.

Impact  Who will benefit from this activity? How?

I will surely benefit from this activity as this is activity is something that I have not done in quite a while. Acting and singing is definetely not my biggest strength and will challenge me greatly although I believe with great practice and commitment, I can pull it off.

Timeline  Where, how often, and for how long will the activity take place? (specific dates whenever possible)

Everyday from 3:30 - 4:00 pm, except Tuesdays 3 - 5:30 pm

(A)(S) Journal Entry #1 [Boy's Basketball Varsity]

It's  been roughly a month since basketball season started and our team has improved greatly since day one.  The team started off very rough, and disorganized during our scrimmages, our team had a lot of new faces this year and it was going to take time before we started playing smooth basketball. However, within the first week, we jumped right into learning new plays, and defenses, of which was very new to even some of us veterans to the team being so used to a sort of casual street basketball practices in the previous years. Our coaches told us to be like "sponges" and to absorb what they tell us, and I think we did just that. Two weeks later, we had our first unofficial game against the faculty where I would say we played quite well despite all the new basketball "knowledge" that we had to absorb within the previous week. As for my individual performance, I thought I had an "alright" game, I had some good looks and a couple of steals. However, I noticed that I had to work on my defensive awareness on the court because at times, I was lost when we quickly switched defensive strategies on the court.
The week after was followed by heavy conditioning, lots of wind sprints, air benches, and stations. Practice was more tiring, but I felt stronger and faster after each day. We almost won against a much older and bigger team, with the final score of 49-54. Our team in general played very well and I could clearly see us improving. However my individual performance in that game was quite poor. I felt like I was forcing my shots and wasn't as relaxed as I usually was. I felt really terrible after that game, and even the next few days, although I tried my best not to show in practice as I tried to look at my difficulty as a motivation to improve in the next game. Hopefully, I can perform better in the next game, and eventually deserve to be part of the starting line up again.

GOAL FOR THIS WEEK (in order of importance)
1) Defense, defense, defense!
2) Court awareness
3) Mid range jump shot
4) Drive and Dish

CAS Proposal Form 9 (Boy's Varsity Basketball)

Student’s Name	Armand Mendoza				Supervisor’s Name	Mr Tolentino
Year  11 12		Activity Name		Boys Varsity Basketball
Date(s) / Duration of Activity			January 2012 – March 2012

What is my past experience with this activity?

I’ve been in the varsity basketball team since grade 6, as a point guard. Last year, I was the team’s captain. I’ve been in the basketball ISAC team since grade 9 as well.

What new learning or skill do I hope to pick up or develop?

I hope to develop my court vision and my ability to keep calm under pressure situations. I also hope to become more aggressive to the hoop, as well as improve my mid-range/outside shooting in order to become a prolific point guard/shooting guard. I would also like to play the “2” position more often (SG) this year. I also hope to lessen my turnovers during the games.

How will this experience be different from that of the past?

This year will be different because of many reasons. First, we have a new coaching staff, so there it will take time for the team to get used to it. Second, this year’s ISAC competition is in Subic, so home court advantage will hopefully get us more prepared. Third, there are new faces on the team, so camaraderie/chemistry must develop between them and the old players in the team.

How am I going to know if I am making progress in achieving the goal/s I have set?

I will know that I am making progress if my teammates and I are improving after each game, and hopefully, our coaches will point out our weaknesses and strengths as we go through the season so that we may work on it, or maintain it. Ultimately, the team performance, as well as my individual performance in the ISAC tournament will be the factor in determining whether or not I have improved, or if I’ve reached my goals.

Goals  What is/are your goal/s for this activity? What do you hope to achieve?

My goals include building/maintaining good relationships with old and new teammates alike, on and off the court as well as improving my overall game by decreasing turnovers, improving my passing and shooting, and performing well under pressure.

Impact  Who will benefit from this activity? How?

The school will benefit from this activity, since we are hosting the ISAC tournament this year, hopefully increasing school spirit. The coaches and the players will also benefit from this activity, especially if the team will compete well. I will also benefit from this activity as I will have to be more responsible as the team’s senior, and will be my last shot with the team to play well in ISAC.

Timeline  Where, how often, and for how long will the activity take place? (specific dates whenever possible)

Monday to Thursday 4pm-5.30pm, Friday 4.30pm-6pm

NHS Individual Project 2012: Agusuhin Elementary Bball Court Update

It's been a while since my last post regarding my NHS project, but it's second semester, and I must be persistent in accomplishing this huge project! Anyways, here it goes...

At this point in time, NHS has not raised enough money to fund our projects. However, my project will not need as much funding as last year since the materials have mostly been paid for and were stored at the Agusuhin Elementary School. Hopefully, by the last week of February, arrangements have been made, and supplies will be ready, so that we may finish cementing the floor of the basketball court.

The following are my goals before Mid-February:

1. Make sure the supplies (cement bags, gravel, sand) are all still usable in Agusuhin.
2. If more supplies are needed, raise the funds for it. (Fund raising activities, slushie selling, bakesales, etc.)
3. Purchase the materials needed
4. Gather volunteers + NHS to go there by the last week of February to finish cementing.
5.*Optional: Go there again in the succeeding weekend to paint the lines on the court, and to polish the job.

After the court is completely finished, I can probably bring some volunteers + NHS there again for some basketball pick up games, and to teach the younger kids the fundamentals of the sport.

Reflection: ISAC Boy's Volleyball 2011

This year's volleyball season was phenomenal, at least for me. We started the season roughly 2 months ago and I can say that our team has improved both individually and as a team, on and off the court. Last week was my last ISAC Volleyball tournament, and even if we missed the gold medal by a hair, I still think it was a great tournament, and one that I will remember for the rest of my life (although I am still contemplating whether or not this will benefit me)

At the start of the season, I set up some goals for myself which were if I'm not mistaken to vary my setting techniques, improve my leadership and communication, and strengthen relationships with my teammates (which includes setting a good example for the younger ones who will take my place when i graduate). Although I had some minor setbacks throughout the season such as, not moving quick enough, not using my legs when I set, or having minor arguments with one of my teammates, I managed (I think) to clean it all up towards the end of the season, especially during the ISAC tournament. I think my setting was inconsistent for the first part of the season, with my setting being alright in Hong Kong, then going down on a slump for a few weeks in LSMS, then having a few good games at home, then eventually reaching the level that I wanted to get to by ISAC. This year we emphasized less on high-risk "shoot" sets, onto "stack" plays. I also noticed that this year, I did a lot more back sets than last year. I think accomplished my goal for setting by ISAC, especially during the last few games of the tournament as I was able to make better decisions, and set the ball at the right height and even sneaking in a couple of "jump-sets" during the games. Ths year, William and I were also voted as captains. This presented a big responsibility for William and myself, and occasionally we would lack some initiative and leadership when our team is not doing so well, but for the most part, I believe that I did my part as a captain, making sure everyone was doing their part, making sure that I know the ins and outs of the team regarding conflicts and drama and all that, and I believe that I encouraged more than discouraged my teammates. Lastly, I believe that I did my part in influencing Brian, potentially next year's setter, in decision making, aggressiveness, and leadership and communicating skills on the court. I know that I did my part in preparing Brian for next year's season and I hope he does as well or better than me in the future. I also roomed with him during ISAC, which gave us a chance to connect in other ways and strengthen our friendship. Other things such the tournament in Hong Kong, as well as LSMS trips and the ISAC tournament were opportunities that did bring me closer to my teammates when we're playing on the court as well as times when we were just hanging around and having fun, making jokes and playing games with each other. I do believe that I have gained the respect of my teammates as a captain and as a friend, and vice versa  which has made me enjoy the sport even more than just the game itself, and I believe being the captain has set me up to build better relationships with some of my teammates such as Ji Woo or John An who I didn't really get the chance to get close with the year before.

ISAC Volleyball Tournament 2011


ISAC Volleyball 2011 was a blast. From day one the team was looking forward to a great tournament. I saw some old faces from last year, and some new ones and I was anxious to see the level competition in this year's tournament. My confidence for our team was high, and I felt ready. On the first day of the tournament, we had 3 games against, CIS, BSM and FAM. We played well in all 3 games, ending the first day with a 3-0 record without losing a set. We had one or two nerve-wracking sets, but we managed to pull ourselves together to recieve, set, and finally spike the ball to victory. It was a tiring first day. The second day, we only had 2 games, but it was a tough one, since we played Baguio (our rival) in the afternoon. The first game was against SISC. We played well since the other team could not block, or hit hard consistently since they were mostly 13 or 14 year olds from my observations. Because the opponent was less threatening in this game, I even got to play as a hitter, which I really, really, REALLY enjoyed. I managed to get 3 kills, with one cross-court hit. It was a glorious moment for me. Everyone else played really well and we used this game to gain our confidence for the next game. At around 1pm, we had our game with Brent Baguio. Suddenly things changed. Until this point, we were cruising through the tournament, but now we have a bigger challenge ahead of us. I met Kenneth Taguiba (Baguio's setter) in the bathroom before the game and he said "Let's make it nice." This really stuck in my head and I really wanted to do what he said, "make it nice." After the blow of the whistle, the game started. Baguio was a loud team, they talked a lot, celebrated with every point, and they try to go for every ball. Although we were ahead for most of the first set, we eventually let Baguio catch up and they beat us. The second set was the same. In this game, the team worked really well at first, and we were also loud on the court, but when we started losing I can see the fear and nervousness in my teammates eyes, and in some moments, even myself, making me miss a crucial serve towards the end of the 2nd set. This was something that needed to be changed before we faced them again. It was a close fight, but we lost both sets. The next day, we played against the host team, Brent Manila. I think in this game, our team sort of underestimated the other team, and I didn't play my best game as well. They got as close as 20-25 in the first set, but luckily, we were able to have a better 2nd set, which moved our team to the semi finals. We played the semi finals in the afternoon against BSM. They were different in our second encounter with them, they seemed more confident, louder and even a little intimidating. They were ahead at first, but we quickly took the lead after a time-out and eventually won the first set. The second set, we played a much better game and eventually won the match 2 sets to none. We made it. We were in the finals again, but this year we knew we were the better team and we knew we could take the championship. My mindset took a big shift after we made the finals, and even more so when it was nearing game time. We were supportive of our girl's team who lost in the finals against Brent Manila, but I wanted to win it for them, for my teammates, for my coaches, for my school, and for myself. Things got serious for me in the finals, and I was in deep focus before the game started. After the shaking of hands, the big "Razorbacks" cheer, some motivational words and advice from my coaches, and the blow of the whistle, it was time to start the game. In the first set, Baguio started off with the lead, but then we quickly regrouped after a timeout and eventually took a steady lead until the final points of the set (as usual), with Baguio taking the set at 25-23. The second set was different, the whole atmosphere of our team changed, and it seemed like our loss in the first set, drove us to fight harder and push ourselves further in the second set. There was even one point in time where I hit the ball after the whistle was blown out of excitement. During the time out, my coach (Mr T) told me some words of advice that he later repeated after our game, which I believe is the quote that has affected me the most out of the whole season. Some of my teammates caught on fire, like Cyron who was hitting his best in this set out of the whole season. I was FIRED UP and we took the set convincingly at 25-16 (if I'm not mistaken) and the best part was, we were all having FUN. Before we started the 3rd set, the captains, Kenneth (from Baguio) and myself had to do the coin toss again to decide on ball possession and court. As he walked toward the referee and myself, I could see the look of despair on his face, as if he already lost. This made me stronger and motivated me more to end this game faster. We started the 3rd set with the same energy as the 2nd set, with spectacular plays and unbelievable saves (especially one from Milo, our libero). I was getting more and more fired up, but at the same time I could feel myself tiring. When score was 22-17, and I could picture myself holding the 1st place trophy, pulling up the banners that said "ISAC Boys Volleyball Champions 2011" and time was going really slow. Our coach called the last time out of the game, and he was fired up as well. He wanted us to keep playing the way we were playing and to finish the game. The front row at this point were all the seniors in the team: Jack, William and myself. I was determined for victory. But everything seemed to go so fast after that; missed serves, wrong sets, holding back on hits and everything seemed to be going wrong. However, I still didn't feel like we were going to lose when the score was tied again at 24 a piece. Unfortunately, our team followed that with another missed serve, and a soft spike which ended up being blocked ending the match at 26-24 in Brent Baguio's favor. We had just lost the finals. When the final whistle blew, I felt like I was sinking into quicksand. I felt weak and frustrated and my heart sank, but I was still the captain and had to lead by example. We shook hands with the "champions" and that was it. After a while, it still hasn't sunk in that we had just lost the game despite a 22-17 lead, and I kept asking myself, "Did that just happen? Did we just lose the finals again?" It was a very confusing moment for me, but I knew sooner or later I had to accept it. When I saw my best friend, and teammate, William Ou, tear up towards me, I felt like crying with him. It was our last volleyball game and we lost, but at the same time I was trying to look at the positive side. "Second place isn't so bad." and plus, we played the best game of volleyball as a team of the whole season, and I believe I played my best game as a setter for the team. At that point, I realized that how much I love the game of volleyball, how it has affected my life in many ways, and has made me grow as a person. (I'll elaborate on that later)  During the banquet, our coach started asking me if I was okay, and then he gave me some words that stood out that in a way summarized my role in the game of volleyball, and at the same time serves a reminder for everything that I do in life. He said, "never lose control." I believe those words have been my goal throughout my endeavors with the game of volleyball, although I haven't really realized it until that point and it's something that I should always think of with other aspects of my life and my priorities, such as school, my family (presently and the future), my relationships, my career in the future, and the list goes on. Volleyball has taught me many lessons and skills, both physically, and mentally. I've developed my skills as a setter, but I've also learned to follow instructions, accept and experience failures (in this case more than enough of it), build close relationships with people, and to be responsible and role model to other people, and lastly, to "never lose control". I will miss playing with this team and I will remember my experiences and apply what I have learned for the rest of my life. Looking on the bright side, I still got ISAC soccer and basketball coming up which gives me a chance for redemption! :)

Reflection: International Coastal Cleanup 2011

The planning of this year's International Coastal Cleanup actually had more workload involved compared to last years ICC, but because of we were much more aware of what was needed this year, and the fact that we started planning a little more than a month before the actual event, preparation went a lot smoother and was less stressful this year.


To start of, my personal task of being the Transportation manager was a little less hectic compared to being in charge of managing the people/volunteers last year. This year my main job was to simply wait for the volunteer managers to let me know the number of people who are going to be needing the school bus for transportation during the day of the event, divide them into sections, then finally pass the message to Mr Davis for him to handle the rest. However, I ended up doing more than just that. I also had to segregate the master list for the students who volunteered into their grade/sections and distribute the necessary amount of permission slips to their homeroom teachers and announcing the details for the event during chapel. I also ended up helping with the gathering of the supplies needed such as trash bags and latex gloves. In the end, the organizing committee were completely ready around a week before the actual event and I was just doing last minute checkups during my meetings with Ms Pascual. From what I heard, (since I wasn't able to make it to the event due to my ACET), it was raining very hard during the event, but people still stayed and cleaned up for a couple of hours. 


It would've been nice to actually help clean up that day, and I was really looking forward to doing so, as Ocean Conservancy is something that is very important to me, growing up near a beach and being a big fan of marine animals. However, whenever I do to go a beach, or anywhere for that matter, I do try to pick up trash that's just lying around. Hopefully next year, if I am still in Subic or even anywhere in the world where the International Coastal Cleanup is taking place at, I can take part of this event and maybe even join the school again in this yearly event. 

(A)(S) Journal Entry #2 [Boy's Varsity Volleyball]

A lot has happened since my last journal entry, to summarize: Hong Kong tournament, a home game with Major Major, a weekend in Brent Manila for LSMS (League of Southern Manila Schools), a home game against a high school team (I'm not sure with the name), and another home game today against Gordon College. This weekend, the team will go to Brent Manila again to play in LSMS, however I won't be able to make it because I have to take an entrance exam for Ateneo this saturday.
Our team is slowly getting better, we've had "pockets" of good teamwork (receiving, setting, and hitting altogether as well as communication on the court). However, our team still hasn't reached the level that I believe we can play at and so does both our coaches. The team played well in Hong Kong and got to the finals, but our floor coverage wasn't exactly perfect, or at least as good as the other team, which is probably the reason they beat us although I believe that our team learned a lot from our games in Hong Kong. Outside of playing volleyball on the court, our team also had a lot of laughs and bonding time going around Hong Kong, having team dinners, having fun on the MTR's, taking pictures, shopping and all that so it was a good experience on and off the court. When we got back we played "Major Major", but our team for some reason was not "awake" in that game, and we all seemed "dead" on the court and despite the fact that the other team was at a higher level than us, we didn't even seem to try and fight back and keep up with them, even if we probably could've at least kept up with them in most of the sets. A few days later we played in LSMS, and again our team seemed to have difficulty in covering the court and receiving the ball which makes it hard for me to set up a good play, and come up with decent sets. Even I was getting frustrated with myself because I couldn't set correctly and I did a lot of things wrong such as set too low, and not move my feet fast enough to get under the ball. At the end of the day, we got the chance to play the APAC team. They were really good, but I believe that we could've kept up with them if we played our game. I think my best game for that day was against the APAC team because I really, really wanted to play well against them which actually shouldn't be the case since I should feel and think that way in every game.
Today, we played a game against Gordon College and we played well in some sets, but again our team wasn't consistent and were making careless mistakes (in my case it was serving). I do believe that we covered the court a bit better in our game today but I still think we can do better. Our second setter Brian is consistently improving, but I still think that it's part of my responsibility as a captain to help him out in not just his setting, but the way he takes control of the game (calling out plays, making sure everyones doing what they're supposed to, and encouraging teammates) because it's quality that I believe setters should have, and I hope he plays well this weekend while I'm away. Our coach called my attention today to remind me a few things that I agree I have to bring back to my game: Being light on my feet so that I can move around the court, to not watch the ball after I set and instead be alert for block support, and to polish up my setting by getting under the ball and keeping my hands up all the time. These are things that I believe I can bring back to my game, and I will try my best to do so, starting with our practices and eventually to our games. I feel like it's been a rough two weeks for the team, and especially myself, and this weekend will give (at least me), a chance to rest and start fresh next week. Hopefully I can be a complete setter as I and my team, and my coaches want me to be before ISAC comes.