University of Santo Tomas

Senior High School Department

A.Y. 2017 – 2018

Name: Cruz, Jameela Alyonna B. Date of submission: May 15, 2018

Section: 12HUMSS-16 Teacher: Mr. Tyrone Jann D. Nepomuceno

Written Work 1

Immersing in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand for two years allowed
me to comprehend the importance of possessing advocacies, elevating communities, and
promoting empathy among individuals. Through the frameworks and theories understood from
each learning area, I believe that HUMSS has equipped me with knowledge essential in solving
the adversities of daily life. The words “society” and “culture” used to be two different concepts
that represent the vagueness of humanity. However, these perceptions of mine have changed
when I studied my lessons for all the classes I took in UST Senior High School.

According to one of our class discussions in the Understanding Society, Culture, and
Politics subject, culture refers to the “totality of learned, socially transmitted customs,
knowledge, material objects and behavior.” College students in UST have always emphasized
that each department in the university has a distinct culture to showcase, and it was only now
after my six years of stay as a Thomasian that I have proven such assumption right. Both
HUMSS and AB students share a common ground that underscores their individuality and
principles. Although their views may contrast one another’s perspectives, they are bounded by
certain similarities, ranging from being idealistic to inducing societal transformation.

These attributes distinct to HUMSS students have been the strengths employed by our
class in conceptualizing our integrated performance task – the literary exhibit. Utilizing the
premises of Structural-Functionalism, we divided our class into groups where each cluster
comprised writers, artists, and a financer. Division of labor was the approach of our section to
ensure that everyone had a task to fulfill. In my case, I served as a group leader who also
shouldered writing duties, for my classmates always perceived me as someone capable of
balancing such responsibilities.

Writing poems for the literary exhibit required more than the literary devices I have
learned from Creative Writing and Creative Non-fiction combined. It also demanded ethical use
of information through Media and Information Literacy, sense of camaraderie from Community
Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship, and social frameworks provided by Disciplines and
Ideas in Social Sciences. Personally, I found it hard to amalgamate everything that I have
learned in a poem that is supposed to tackle about the Clean Water and Sanitation objective
under the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Fragments of knowledge
should all be presented in a poetic yet informative way to compel our target audience towards
action.

Health and well-being, the theme assigned to our class, also challenged our research
skills acquired from Inquiries, Investigation, and Investigation classes. By referring only to
credible sources, my fellow writers searched for studies that can serve as inspirations for our
poems. I was driven to write about the street children of Payatas, for I encountered journals
highlighting their deprivation of drinkable water and serene environment. They were my
captured images of reality as I composed literary pieces according to their young perspectives.

HUMSS also improved my leadership skills through the various group performance tasks
designed by our professors in all subject disciplines. Although I have always been a student-
leader since my Junior High School days, my coordination with others was enhanced upon
being equipped with patience, passion, and persistence towards achieving collective goals.
Before, I used to be a demanding leader who does not consider the skills possessed by her
group mates. My exposure to the humanities has made me realize that behind a diverse range
of competencies lie opportunities of success concerning the attainment of objectives and needs
My classmates and I were able to produce a successful exhibit for all of us unleashed our
leadership skills in contributing our shares.

Crafting the literary exhibit with 12HUMSS-16 taught me that life is better faced when
one is open to changes and diversity. I will always bear in mind the concepts and skills I have
learned from the Humanities and Social Sciences, for the learning it imparted to me has turned
me into a wholesome and compassionate person.
 University of Santo Tomas
Senior High School Department
A.Y. 2017 – 2018

Name: Cruz, Jameela Alyonna B. Date of submission: May 15, 2018

Section: 12HUMSS-16 Teacher: Mr. Tyrone Jann D. Nepomuceno

Written Work 2

I was never enthusiastic about working in groups. My heart would pump blood vigorously
whenever our class had to be divided into clusters. Images of sleepless nights, heavy
freeloaders, and unwanted pain would all come into my head in times of group collaboration.
“Exploitation” and “abuse” are two words I often associate to group works since I always end up
doing the necessary tasks alone. Most of my classmates depend on me in countless instances,
without even thinking that I am merely an individual who needs rest as well.

My perception of cooperation used to be non-existent and illusory until an integrated

performance task interfered with our schedule, demanding all of our commitment to make it
successful. At first, I dreaded the idea of working as a class for I can picture myself as someone
accomplishing the most arduous chores, while my classmates carry out the easy ones. Prior to
the ASEAN week, our section had issues with being united because of the uneven division of
labor when it comes to class works. There were always a few people finishing their duties
efficiently. On the other hand, almost half of the class lacks the initiative.

The literary exhibit, in the most unexpected way, broke the barriers among us and drew
each classmate to work collectively. It all started when our class employed the premises of
Structural-Functionalism in assigning certain jobs to capable students. Mandated by class
consensus, all of us determined our strengths and hobbies. We grouped ourselves according to
our skills and were distributed in little groups, so all clusters would comprise members having
diverse capacities. As a result, a group constitutes writers, artists, and a financer. Leaders per
cluster were also identified.

Assigned with the theme “Clean Water and Sanitation”, my group appointed me as their
leader. I also served as their writer because both the pen and paper are my so-called
“weapons.” While working with them, I never felt exhausted for each person was beyond
committed to their roles. Our artists were eager to work with their paintbrushes, while our lone-
financer tracked down the expenses wholeheartedly. It was a surreal feeling for me since I did
not have to monitor my classmates’ progresses. This group made me realize that cooperation is
a wonderful deed when all members work collaboratively to achieve a common goal.

My experience with my group mates also reminded me to be open towards changes and
diversity. As the only child of my parents, I really struggle in dealing with others because it is
hard to compress all ideas in one scheme. Coordinating with them allowed me to appreciate the
mechanism behind working in groups. The workload being distributed feels less strenuous
compared to accomplishing it all alone. Through this, I discovered the importance of taking
adjustments to complement others’ roles. Being a leader does not give one the permission to
downgrade another’s endeavor. Moreover, true leadership skills should involve motivating fellow
team members, counseling others to address their problems, and establishing new friendships.

The learning I acquired from crafting the literary exhibit also includes social awareness
regarding the status of health and well-being in the Philippines. Before authoring our group’s
poems, I conducted research about the Filipino’s struggle toward attaining healthy living. A lot of
journals state that most of our constituents are deprived of clean water and environment. Such
conclusion supports the spread of serious diseases and hunger among our countrymen.

Many collaborative efforts can be done to address the issues hindering families from
living a healthy life. Having written in the perspective of deprived children, I understood the
torture they had to endure just to sustain themselves with anything obtained through desperate
means. With the concepts I have learned from Community Engagement, Solidarity, and
Citizenship, I feel motivated to join organizations that would help alleviate those who are robbed
of basic needs. Writing in the shoes of these children allowed me to decipher the struggle
uncharacterized by many. This experience also taught me to value my health and be
considerate about others’ as well.

While the literary exhibit served as a great opportunity for me, I wish to work on my
relations skills so I could feel at ease in times when group works need to be executed.
Collaborating with my group mates made me comprehend the significance of camaraderie, a
feeling of close friendship and trust among a group of people.