In Edward’s Defense

Finding something to believe in

By: Edward Nadurata

As numerous teams battle it out in the middle of the NBA playoffs, players insult each other.

Think of this scenario: you’re in the heat of the game, dribbling and aiming for the hoop and there is a 6’7” man in front of you. It’s either you’re going to hit him and fall or you’re going to be aggressive and yell at him. One of these reactions are bound to happen.

The problem with society is that it frames us to play victim. We are the victim of the words thrown at us because “words hurt.”

Wouldn’t it be different if the words didn’t matter to us? If we played victor?

Knowing that such words do have a major impact on people, instead of changing the behavior of other people (aka cussing or insulting us), why don’t we change our thinking?

Why can’t we just say to ourselves that those words are meaningless? We should know better about ourselves at least and know that we’re better than whatever is being said.

I admit that when I sit down on my couch watching a basketball game, I eagerly wait for the next fist fight to occur (I mean it’s funny and interesting), but just think that if one of the people involved basically discarded the meaning of whatever was thrown at him by his opponent. I bet the fight would not occur. It would have been a meaningless taunt that was basically worthless.

I guess you can say this is my early goodbye column. A sense of what I learned in high school and what I want to share to Hoover’s posterity. Well, this is it.

You are your worst enemy and your best friend because if you don’t believe in yourself, who will? There will be nothing that will go your way and you will fail because you yourself think that you are going to.

Self confidence is key in all aspects of society and words should not bring you down as Christina Aguilera said. High school is but the start to a bigger and brighter world, and in order to succeed, you only have to do one thing: believe in yourself.

+ Read more…

Choosing the “right” side

By: Edward Nadurata

Each leap year comes with one more day in February and the ever so anticipated Summer Olympic games.

This summer, the whole world will congregate in London to compete for coveted medals and honors in every sport you can think of. A sense of global competition that does not involve war is expected with each ethnicity rooting for their home country.

A question arises in a country like the United States, which holds a salad bowl of nationalities, mixed together into one but each culture is still distinct in its own way.

How does ethnocentrism play in a society like this? Who will you support? Should you support the country you are now living in or the country where you are from?

Many feel as if we are betraying our motherland if we do not support it but if we are citizens of the U.S., isn’t the U.S. technically our home now since we have renounced our citizenship from the home land?

I myself am faced with this dilemma. As a Filipino immigrant, I honestly do not know who to support when it comes to international events like this. I feel obligated to support the Philippines as I was born there but I want to support the teams of the U.S. more.

As a more present and future oriented person, I think that because I live here now, I should support the U.S. teams more as I am part of this society now. I am not forgetting my culture; I am merely looking and situating myself where I am now.

There are basically two extremes in this situation that people can stereotype, which is totally wrong. On one side is the so-called “white-washed” person who would support the U.S. and to some may seem to be alienating their culture. On the other end of the spectrum are the “fresh off the boat” or “FOBs” as they are degradingly called who do not adapt to the new culture.

It’s inevitable. The narrowmindedness of people will always prevail. It proves that you can’t please anyone in any situation, there is a person that will judge you no matter what you do, a very unfortunate truth about the human nature.

+ Read more…

Rising through adversity

By: Edward Nadurata

Unbeknownst to many, the volleyball team ceased to exist last year due to the lack of players and the rather flailing season they had for the past few years.

With the persistence of a few players last year, the former team became a club as they were determined to keep boys’ volleyball alive as an organization in the school. They got girls’ volleyball coach Charles Min to help them around and the spring season of 2011 ended.

Now, the team is back in full speed under the direction of social science teacher and former coach Christian Hong.

It is admirable to say that a bunch of kids made a difference by successfully reinstalling a team that was haphazardly removed last season despite the fact that there were kids interested in actually playing.

Numbers should not ever determine the fate of a team. Just because they are not successful, it doesn’t mean that a sport should not be offered. A player builds a skill; it doesn’t stem out of nowhere.

The players were almost deprived of improving themselves with the sport but it was clear that they did not let anyone stop them from doing what they wanted to do.

How can we, as idle as we are, sit down and not do anything while the things that we take for granted are being slowly taken away? Each small thing is of value, one way or another.

This doesn’t only apply to sports, clearly evident with the students rallying behind the beloved substitute, Mr. S, when he was wrongly accused of pushing a student which then lead to his temporary removal.

Facebook groups were made, petitions were signed, and we made a difference.

So what’s the lesson learned? Stand up for what you believe in.

+ Read more…

Complaining out of context

By: Edward Nadurata

Having a younger brother has its benefits. I get to visit and bother him when I want to. I also get to hear freshmen talk about their plans for high school as I walk down the freshman quad. Not that I eavesdrop or anything…they speak loudly.

An interesting thing to note about students in our school is that they are whiners. They whine about how the school’s team sucks at sports, and moan and groan about how we never win games.

It’s a funny thing to say considering these kids have, one, never been on a sports team and, two, never even bother going to support the teams’ numerous games when they’re but a few yards away from their lockers.

So according to this group of brawny freshmen who were eating their lunch and loudly speaking at the same time, they only plan on staying on whatever team they are on for two years. In short, to fulfill their physical education credit.

There are many problems associated with this mentality.

Why would one join a team when they’re not fully dedicated to it? All programs in the school rely on people who are willing to do work in the said programs because they want to. That’s why it’s by choice to join a sport or an elective.

A school in our league actually has no Physical Education classes. Arcadia forces its students to either join a sport or marching band to meet the 2-year physical education requirement.

Although teams with a lot of players may seem intimidating, do you think half of those kids love what they’re doing?

How dare people complain about how we “suck” as a school with sports when they themselves have no dedication in the sports they are in. If you are not fully committed to something, don’t even join. The team would be better without you as they work with the players who actually want to be there.

It has been really tiring to hear peers complain about Hoover and its sports programs. How do you think the players feel when they lose a game after trying their best every single time, not even seeing a single student supporting them?

Before you complain, put yourself in an athlete’s shoes and see the issue through his eyes. It’s not easy to play a sport. It involves dedication and will.

+ Read more…

NBA’s Stern double dribbles

By: Edward Nadurata

The NBA lockout ended, dear old basketball was back, and all the drama was gone…until the on again off again Chris Paul deal came along.

Supposedly, New Orleans Hornets player Paul was to be traded to the Lakers in a complicated move of players involving the Hornets, Rockets and the Lakers. Lakers Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom would have been shipped off to the other teams in order to acquire Paul. But before all this could have happened, NBA commissioner David Stern stopped it.
Stern should not have done this. It was a legitimate business transaction and calling it off was uncalled for. He may have thought that the Lakers was already a “strong” team, but why should that be a reason for the team to be more formidable.

I thought that the Lakers deciding to rid Gasol and Odom, or trying to at least, was too extreme in action. They are arguably some of the team’s most important players and without Gasol, the team would not have a center. The team would have been virtually incomplete.

But now all is done. Odom is with the Mavericks (yes, the same team that swept the Lakers last year during the second round of playoffs) and Paul is now with the Clippers.

Paul is joined by another star player, Chauncey Billups, and, of course, the Clipper’s main attraction, Blake Griffin.
When you hear Los Angeles, you think of Hollywood, sunshine and the Lakers not the Clippers.

The Lakers was and has always been the dominating team in the city and now with the decision of one man, the Clippers, which has always been the subpar secondary team stands against the prestige and strength the Lakers has had for decades.

+ Read more…