1234 and ABCD: Right-brain versus left-brain
Pacesetter Vol XLI No. 1 Broadsheet Issue
“Bakit ka ba sumali d’yan? Ang layo naman n’yan sa course mo e. Pang-CAL (College of Arts and Letters) ‘yan e. Pinahihirapan mo lang sarili mo.” A concerned friend told me. She was pointing out my decision of joining the publication. I defended myself, I told her the reasons why, but I’m not satisfied with what I answered. Thereafter, I wondered.
***
On my first day in the university, I believed that my world would only rotate in numbers. I remember what one of our instructors told us, that business is all about money, full of computation.
Yet, I was wrong, when ‘Running Man’ gave his trust to me, my world revolved 360 degrees. From numbers, I have faced letters.
Pacesetter Vol XLI No. 1 Broadsheet Issue
“Bakit ka ba sumali d’yan? Ang layo naman n’yan sa course mo e. Pang-CAL (College of Arts and Letters) ‘yan e. Pinahihirapan mo lang sarili mo.” A concerned friend told me. She was pointing out my decision of joining the publication. I defended myself, I told her the reasons why, but I’m not satisfied with what I answered. Thereafter, I wondered.
***
On my first day in the university, I believed that my world would only rotate in numbers. I remember what one of our instructors told us, that business is all about money, full of computation.
Yet, I was wrong, when ‘Running Man’ gave his trust to me, my world revolved 360 degrees. From numbers, I have faced letters.
“Experience is a good teacher.” They said. So, why I am in a publication if I have no skills in journalistic writing? In fact, I used to hate writing. I am not even fond of reading newspapers at all. Maybe, I was just amazed of what the publication really does.
Yes, I was surprised why I took the examination and interview when Pacesetter searched for its new staff. I always recall this one question that one of the interviewers asked me, “Pa’no mo idi-describe ang sarili mo in one word?” My heart beat so fast then I answered, “responsible.” I was shocked on what I said. Yet, I needed to prove to them that one word that I stated. Maybe, I am an adventurous person. I do things that I have never done before. Yes, writing is one of my weaknesses but before anyone else criticized me, I have already criticized myself by saying ‘I can’t’. So, the first thing I did was to stop being a critic to myself and look for more great things about me. Therefore, I needed an experience. When Pacesetter accepted me, as a new staff writer during that time, my first task was to cover a sports event in the University’s Intramurals; swimming to be exact. Unlike literary works, my knowledge about sports writing was zero. I had no idea at all. However, this lack of knowledge triggered me to thirst for more learning. I tried to read and review sports articles in our previously-published newsletters. Even though it did not guarantee that I can already write the article efficiently, still, the idea was there, and that idea started my journey of being a campus journalist. For me, joining a publication is not just about its relation with the course one is taking up. At first, I believed that being in a publication is for Mass Communication and Journalism students only. However, I observed that our editors and co-staff at that time are from different colleges, some are from Fine Arts, Engineering and Hotel and Restaurant Management. I felt that everyone is welcome, so I joined ‘Peys’ and began setting the pace. It is stated in a right brain-left brain theory by Roger W. Sperry that if you are a right-brain dominant, you are good in expressive and creative tasks like music, color, images, creativity and writing, while left-brain dominants are good in logic, critical thinking and numbers. I remember my Psychology class when I was a freshman; we did an activity to know if which brain we are dominant. After I finished the examinations, the result wasn’t left or right. Both sides of my brain are actively participating in my every day routine. It is hard to do, yet I have no choice but to believe in the outcome of the test. |
Being an adventurous person is very challenging. After school hours full of calculation, doing articles always follow. When I got home, after doing assignments packed with numbers, editing articles come next. Yes, what I chose is too exhausting to do. Still, you must not keep on saying that it is hard. Instead, you have to look for things that can make your tasks lighter so as to loosen the tight grip around you.
In life, the person you will always be depending on is yourself. When you go to school in the morning, you have a right to choose which jeepney you want to ride, which side of the jeepney you want to sit, what kind of person you want to sit beside to, and what kind of bill you want to pay. That person you are comfortable to be with is none other than yourself and it is your responsibility to choose the person you want to be with, who’s able to make you smile and become contented. And that’s the reason why I chose to be in Pacesetter. For those people who are limiting themselves into one thing, I’ll say, it doesn’t help. You have to throw yourself into a blank page and write those stories you haven’t written before. I will assure that you will find more things about you. You will see more untold story of yours. It’s quite terrifying to begin each day on a blank page but you have to allow yourself to embrace the new. It’s like pretending that you are meeting yourself always for the first time over and over again. You should not halt to a place you already expertise. You must explore different twists and turns that you did not do before. Searching for other views in life seem like a waste of time, but sometimes you have to spend time to chase other opportunity that can build up your identity and expand your knowledge. We have yet to see more hidden potentials in years to come. Putting the concepts of Mathematics and Journalism are tough. Statistics versus News. Accounting versus Features. Quantitative Techniques versus Developmental Communication. Who wins? It’s a draw. If they did not get my point of staying, then I don’t get their point of trying to influence me on quitting. *** If she will ask the same question again to me, I will answer it simply as, “Ito ang gusto ko e, minahal ko na kung ano'ng ginagawa ko, kaya hindi ako aalis dito.” Adventurous person ended. |