The first month of the New Year has gone by, but the year 2010 still has a lot in store for everyone—literally. From the nationally-awaited elections to the nitty-gritty details of events in and around campus, here are the top 10 happenings that you should definitely watch out for.
FILL IN THE BALLOTS
After six years, Filipinos have the chance to vote for a new President. A handful of presidential talks, forums, movements, and programs mostly targeting the youth, it seems as if the time has come for the youth to take a stand and take matters into their own hands. Kudos to the registered voters.
TAFT MEETS KATIP
It’s not always about the rivalry. January 15 saw the CEOs-to-be from Ateneo, DLSU and UP come together for a day of “inter-schooltural” immersion in the form of ADU:Intersect, an avenue of networking and corporate relationships. Last January 16 school publications The GUIDON and the Lasallian will renew their ongoing three-year collaboration in bringing out the best of student journalism through intercollegiate journalism competition and workshop entitled Press Play.
WINTER WONDERLAND, SPORTS-STYLE
The tradition of the Olympics continues with the 2010 Winter Games. Though Canada is no stranger to playing host, it will honor both Olympic and Paralympic Games. On February 12 athletes from around the world will compete in the various winter sports, from the slopes to the ice. A month afterwards, the Games pick up, this time with thirteen countries participating in the Winter Paralympics.
OUR VERSION OF HOLLYWOOD
What Filipino would purposely hate local cinema? When his only option is a digital fail-tasy (think Chinoy angst versus a reworking of folklore-horror), can we really blame the cinema-goer of choosing Hollywood over bad storylines? Loyola Film Circle gives the Atenean (and friends) option B: films written, directed, and produced by students from all over the country through the Ateneo Video Open. This will culminate in an awards night at March 6 at the CCP.
FILIPINO READS
Filipino authors are rising to the challenge—two Filipino-written books are hitting the shelves this year. The first one is Miguel Syjuco’s ambitious debut novel Ilustrado, which won the Man Asia Literary Prize two years ago and is now expected to be out this April. The other is the fifth compilation of speculative fiction stories edited by Nikki Alfar and Vincent Simbulan. The anthology, which had been handpicked from submissions around the country, is set to be released this February.
TALKING GREEN
In partnership with DOST, PAG-ASA, and World Wildlife Fund, the SOSE school board brought together student delegates from all over the metro together for the SOSE Science Summit last January 9. The participants brainstormed for workable solutions for some of the nation’s problems—health, disaster, environment. The final output of the program was then signed as contracts of the students’ commitments to their new youth agenda for 2010.
‘SPORTS LANG
Sports fans unite! FIFA, the most prestigious football tournament in the world will take place on African soil for the first time from June 11 to July 11. A month after that, on August 14, Singapore will play host to the first Summer Youth Olympics, where 3,600 athletes from ages 14 to 18 will compete in 26 different sports. The middle of the year forecasts the stopping of time zone differences as people cheer for their own bets at the games.
BROADWAY IN THE PHILIPPINES
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway classic Cats and Jonathan Larson’s rock musical Rent claim the Philippine stage in July and February respectively. Next month, eight young bohemians sing their way through New York’s gritty Lower East Side at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium. On July 24, the melodious cats stage their first performance in Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, CCP.
THE SOUND OF (REAL) MUSIC
Want to see that quiet coding geek-chick at the back of your Theo class shred off gut-busting riffs that would put Orianthi to shame? Then get over the “I’m-not-from-the-AMP-bench” excuse and be impressed by the music geniuses of the pool this February. This is no grade school piano recital. From the more popular bands of each batch to the powerful soloists, this collegiate-kickass recital leaves no talent behind.
BLOCKBUSTER BLITZ FOR KIDS
Movie theaters will be packed to standing-room-only as releases for the kids and the kids-at-heart dominate the scene. Leading the parade is the Deathly Hallows of the most-loved Harry Potter series. Others to look forward to are kiddie stories like Toy Story 3 and The Princess and the Frog and the more mature but still kid-friendly movies Iron Man, The Last Airbender, and Tim Burton’s Alice Wonderland.
