.:Ethical Hilarity:.

It has been both an immense pleasure and honor to have had great students this semester for my oral exams. I can only hope that when my time comes to be an actual teacher, I'll find students with insights like a good chunks of the students I ran into during my shift at the oral exams. I fully intend to improve the current answers on my weblog for Dr. Ibana’s students next schoolyear to find. Let’s see if we can push the whole mini-urban legend angle a bit.

In any case, while Jack is more analytic and I am more practical with my line of questioning, the general consensus was Dr. Ibana was “nicer than his teaching assistants”, as most of them assumed that the both of us were brutal people. In fact, one evaluation I had about my line of questioning is that g*g* ako magtanong, which, while is not entirely false, ultimately serves a purpose.

During the past couple of days, it became easy to notice who studied and who didn't. The people who really studied for the test wouldn't be fooled by trick questions, such as when I asked someone if emotions as pointers of values were reliable if they actually conflicted on the same value. He then pointed out that if one were to feel both happiness and envy over a best friend who becomes batch Valedictorian, then two different things are being valued: the best friend, and the distinction of being batch Valedictorian. Very perceptive.

On the other hand, I find that when one doesn't study, Dr. Ibana's analogy of playing dentist really fits. When I ask a question, I am merely rephrasing the question in a more practical or digestable form, and they actually answer the things they couldn't answer when it was Dr. Ibana asking them. Moreover, some students try to mask their lack of preparation through blind assertiveness or sheepishness. Doesn't fool the teacher, much less the teaching assistants, who recently graduated, so the tricks of the trade are still fresh in their minds.

When I talked to some students about thesis statement 6 which concerns the conscience, I asked a few of them why they think the conscience is considered one's “true self”. After they answer that, I then ask them about Batman's nemesis, Two-Face. It's interesting, really. Is Two Face's coin, the one that he uses to deliberate upon his actions, really him? Or is the coin merely a scapegoat that his true self hides behind? Answers were varied and rather interesting.

One student particularly got a kick about Dr. Ibana's story regarding Max Scheler: it turns out that Scheler's philosophy of emotions being the indicator of value came from his philandering ways.

When I asked some students about thesis statement 8 which concerns justice, I asked a couple of students how justice could've been exercised in the “Digital Pinay” contest, and how they would've handled it to be more just. Carolyn, one of the CS students, had a brilliant way of answering it which really impressed me.

Another key question I asked on thesis statement 8 was the plane crash scenario: what if a plane was crashing and the plane only had three parachutes? Who among the four shouldn't get a parachute: Angel Locsin (Sometimes, I change this to Richard Gutierrez.), Cardinal Rosales (That I sometimes change to Cardinal Sin.), Joseph Estrada, or a boy scout?

Answers to the question were varied and interesting. Two answered the boy scout, citing the fact that a boy scout is “laging handa”, and so should find a way out of the fix. One answered Richard Gutierrez, citing how bad an actor he is, anyway, so there's no point keeping him alive. Still another said it should be Estrada, as he asserts the former president has done no good for the country. Some other reasons that were touched upon were Angel Locsin because she's a Mulawin, and Cardinal Sin because his cassock can make him like a flying squirrel, or that he is old and has lived a fulfilled life, and he is most likely willing to sacrifice his life instead of any of the other three.

.:Gyeh?:.

Some Chinese website has my name in their paper or something. I wonder what it's about, though... oh, well.

.:Welcome Back!:.

Other than an Oscar, Halle Berry has nothing on this girl.

Sacha's back, and it's been really great after six months of not seeing her in person, much less hugging her.

I was at her house last Thursday, as I was supposed to drop off Kathy's poi, and then some. It really made me happy to see her, and our conversations were good, particularly the stories Kathy had to tell that I'm sure are more interesting being told in her own inimitable way.

I sort of thought I saw the lead singer of Sugarfree there last night, but I was apparently mistaken. Oh, well. It was still fun, nonetheless. I also liked the little present I got from Sach…

Whee! My favorite character in Sakura Taisen, Li Saoryan.

Welcome back, Sach! You know you've been missed.

.:Ish Her Birthday:.

Oh, yes I did!

Clair had a scavenger hunt party for her birthday celebration, and it was fairly amusing. Thing is, while we were running all over U.P. campus, I was getting to know my groupmates quite a bit. It was a very amusing run-through, and the pictures, which I’m sure Clair would have links to, ought to make that whole deal clear. Nonetheless, conversations were varied, but all in all, it was a very nice way to bring Clair's friends together. I normally don't hug people I haven't been friends with for a long time, but I figured that given how stressed the poor girl seemed to be, I naturally volunteered.

One of the highlights was that I was supposed to pose like the Oblation in U.P. Closer inspection of the task had in parentheses that it must be done with my clothes on. Oh, come on! :P

As payback, Clair then flicked her super-soft, super-beautiful hair, and started singing Sandara Park’s “Walang Sabit”. Heh.

Clair is one amazing birthday host. It was really fun, and the candies were old school to the max! :P

Happy birthday, Clair!