Staff & Contributors Ever wondered what your favorite stars are wearing? What makes them shine even more? Wanting to sport the same outfits? Fear not, because we at start magazine will help you find these items worn by celebrities. This September we’ll be disclos- ing the wardrobe of one of the hottest artist this season SEVENTEEN! Jun (left) wore a WES Knitted Mul- ticolored stripe shirt from the brand CMMN SWDN for their mu- sic video of their recent song called “Oh My!” (Item already sold out.) Leader S.Coups rocked their comeback stage with this flowing short anorak from HETA. (PHP 17,800.00) Joshua wore a custom- made striped pocket shirt from SYSTEMHOMME. He definitely looked amazing for their per- formance! (PHP 7,400.00) We can all agree that our fash- ionista The8 looks stunning in this teaser photo wearing BUR- BERRY’s short -sleeve figurative print shirt. (PHP 14,100.00) How can our foodie Mingyu make casual clothes look as if it was made out of a boyfriend material? (Face value also adds up, winks.) Shirt from the brand Valentino. (PHP 18, 900.00) Hoshi and Dokyeom looking oh-so-comfortable while hanging out behind the scenes of their photoshoot from the repackaged album. On Hoshi: H&M top (PHP 790.00) On DK: ADD Unbalance warm knit grey top (PHP 3300.00) Our Ver-Caprio wore a hooded layered-sleeve jumper from the brand JUUNJ for their teaser photo. (1,2650 USD) Do you always think of what you are going to wear for tomorrow? Do you always plan beforehand on what to wear when you go out? Well, sis, you’re definitely not alone! Each one of us have our own preferences when it comes to fashion styles. Some people prefer wear- ing 80’s -inspired outfits , some want to achieve a Korean-inspired style and some are just following what’s on trend. And speaking of OOTDs, you surely have friends who post their daily outfit on social media, right? Personally, I find social media helpful when it comes to this matter. Every time that I scroll through my Facebook Feed, I always see my friends sharing posts that will give you an idea for your next possible “Outfit of the Day” ! And do not deny it, because I know that you totally relate to this! Nothing is wrong in doing this! Finding fashion inspiration from others is pretty normal (but still, do not forget to give credits where it is due :P). Wear what you think is best for you. If you think that you look beautiful and comfortable with what you are wearing, just go for it! By Janica Gojit Art is defined to be "something that is created with imagi- nation, skill, and that is beautiful or that expresses im- portant ideas or feelings". Art is sometimes belittled by people who don't appreciate it. We want them to know that Art is not just as simple as what we think it is ; like those artworks that we do in school when we were still kids. But again, not all people realize how beautiful and amazing Art could be ; and that is the purpose of this cor- ner ; to make others see what we love the most about the subject -- ART. We are all aware of the most common form of ART, which is Visual Art. Visual Art are art forms that consists of draw- ings, paintings, sculptures, crafts, photography, film mak- ing and etc. But for now, we will first elaborate some of the paintings made by famous artists that we all know about. The second form of Visual Art is "Photography". Unlike draw- ing, painting or the ones mentioned above. A photograph is an actual presentation of what the artist see ; no imitation, nor interpretation of a subject. We see how beautiful some- thing is through photographs ----- AND I THINK THAT'S BEAU- TIFUL. The next form of art is about how artists use their voices and bodies to convey artistic expression, which is Performing Arts. We often see or watch other people perform through danc- ing, singing and acting but what we doesn't know is that even the simplest thing like this is also a form of art. Through danc- ing, we will be able to tell a story without using our mouth. Dancing is classified as both as a sport and an art. Music is also considered as an example of performing art because it expresses and communicates with tyhe medium of sound. Some artists express their feelings through the songs that they make. By Janica Gojit To the person reading this, thank you for shar- ing some of your time with us by reading this part of our magazine! I hope I inspired you to like and appreciate ART more, after sharing our thoughts about it. I know that there are people around us -- may it be our relative or friends -- who overlook when they see or hear you talk about art ; some even get bored when you share stories about how Art makes you happy, but don't let them affect you! And I know, there may be a lot more profession that are being praised than those related to art, but that doesn't require you to be on that side too just to be approved by others. Just like what was said by John Keating in the mov- ie The Dead Poets Society, "Carpe diem. Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary.". Do not let other people control you when you decide on something. What matters the most is You, doing what you love, and not what you just need. Try to visit or find a museum near you and appreciate the works it can offer you! Find healing in it, mull and ponder over things. Dis- cover stories and learn! There may be a lot more profession that are being praised than those related to art, but that doesn't require you to be on that side too just to be approved by others. By Michael Collins— As a tropical storm beats down on the island of Cebu, two sisters leave work and never make it home. Simulta- neously a murder - mystery and an exposé of endemic corruption in the Philippines today, Give up Tomorrow looks intimately at the case of Paco Larrañaga, a student accused of killing two sisters in July 1997. In a way that is both specific to the country and disquietingly universal, the film exposes a Kafka- esque extravaganza populated by flamboyantly crooked public officials, cops on the take, and a frenzied legal and media circus. Give up Tomorrow is also an intimate family drama focused on the near mythic struggle of two angry, sorrowful mothers who have dedicated more than a decade to executing or saving one young man. By Sunshine Lichauco de Leon and Suzanne Richiardone— Curiosity, Adventure & Love is a the story of a woman raised by fate to go boldly where few young women of her time and up- bringing would go, into the arms of chance and life. A young American woman leaves her country and all security behind, to begin an adventure in the Philippines that would witness the birth of a nation, a cruel war and Occupation and reconstruction. Jessie is a striking personality, somewhere between Scarlett O'Hara and Amelia Earhart, who knew no boundaries and flew far ahead of her times, without regard to sex or soci- ety. Her story of a century well - lived is both rich and one that should restore our faith in our own humanity. By Lester Ilapan We, from start mag, encourage others to watch more documentaries on their own free time because we believe that they can make you a better and more educated person. Documentaries are a great resource for learning new things, but you should also keep in mind that not every- thing you learn in a documentary is automatically true. The documentary films give a better understanding of the present news cycle because they give a debatable view of the world which will spark great research. Doc- umentaries can educate and inspire people into taking certain steps which would not have been possible otherwise. By Lester Valle— The film show how the Bontoc women were bare - chested almost all their lives, even in public places, even when they walked to the market hoisting a basketful of camote on top of their heads. No jeers, no disrespect come from anyone in their community. For them breast did not elicit anything sexual. By PJ Raval — Call Her Ganda examines the mar- ginalization of transgender Filipinos throughout the country’s violent colonial history and raises complex questions about sovereignty, justice and the right to self - determination. By Ditsi Carolino — Bunso is a documentary film about three boys struggling to survive in an over- populated jail somewhere in Cebu. The film showed three different stories of minor offender named Tony, Diosel and Bunso. This is a heart- breaking film that can make you see the reality. By Tomer Heymann — Paper Dolls is a documentary film about a group of transvestite Fili- pinos who emigrate to Israel to take care of elderly religious Jewish men. On their one day off per week, they perform as drag performers in a group called the Paper Dolls. On the po- litical level, it explores the perils of global immigration. In this case, after the second Intifa- da, the Israeli government unofficially opened its doors to illegal workers to replace the Palestinians who were no longer allowed in the country. As tensions with the Palestinians eased, the government changed its policy and began to forcibly deport these foreign guest workers with dramatic consequences for our characters. On the human level, the film is about people who are rejected by their own families for being gay/transvestite and who emigrate and end up with jobs taking care of other people's parents who have been reject- ed by their own children because they are old, difficult, etc. They work grueling hours to send money back to the Philippines to support the families that have rejected them. As un- believable as it may seem, these very different people (old religious Jews and transvestites from the Philippines) form very deep, quasi familial bonds. Sunday Beauty Queen Baby Ruth Villarama Shunned Janice Villarosa Imelda Ramona S. Diaz By: Sam P. Visto 5 Poetry - Writing Tips to Help You Poetry is now making its way back to the mainstream circle. Whether it is for aesthetic purposes on your social media accounts, captions for your uploaded photos, or even a method of expression after you get heartbroken by your ex, nothing captures the eyes and imagination of a reader than a deep and vivid verse. I am here to give you 5 prac- tical writing tips to get you started on your poetic journey! 1. Break the Rules and Don’t Worry Poetry follows certain construction rules but honing yourself to these rules might be a struggle. Having proper syllab- ication, rhythm, meter, and rhyme scheme is such a pressure especially if you are just starting to get fond of writing poetry. Although these elements are re- quired in mastering the art of the pen, choosing to write Free Verse poems are a great way to get you started. Free Verse Poetry consists of poems that do not fol- low the limitations of rhythm, meter, and other rules required in writing traditional poetry. These poems are usually exclud- ing the rhyming rules of poetry and can start and end depending on the inde- pendent mind of its writer. Just make sure when is the right moment to insert your line breaks. Struggling with having proper grammar and applying correct punctuation? Don’t worry. Poetry doesn’t require proper grammar and punctuation, although good sentence construction is a vital element of a literary piece, a poem is protected by the writer’s “Poetic License” wherein the author has the right to chance and alter certain grammatical rules that ap- ply in language. Altering poetic grammar is com- monly used for aesthetic purposes so don’t worry if you think that what you wrote is a grammatical nightmare. 2. Diversify Your Lexicon Poetry is an art of playing words and making sure they are all united in the game. Nothing screams “OOOOHHHH” than deep words and lucid terms when it comes to poetry. Try to expand your vocabulary, read books, make a list of peculiar locu- tions you encounter on a mini notebook, learn the synonyms of words you are already familiar with. It gives your poems more depth, and it increases your jargon capacity. Hitting two birds with one stone, right? 3. Seek Inspiration Establishing the emotion of the poem is the key to shaping its theme. Make use of personal ex- periences that give you high surges of emotion to strengthen the reality of the message the poem tries to convey. Turn fond memories to inspirational vers- es and bad experiences to positive phrases. Think of the ups and downs that occurred in the span of your life and tell those stories in a creative way. These . Get the Best Out of Your Pens memories will help you fuel your mind and draft the message that you will try to express in your poetry. Seeking inspiration also means that you should try to immerse yourself in the works of other writers. Learn their writing style, familiar- ize on how they write their own pieces, and de- velop your own unique style of writing from there. 4. Make Good Use of Figura- tive Languages Drop the cliché “Love is like a...” line. Learn the rules of other figurative languages like metaphors, hyperboles, personification, image- ry, and the like. These figurative tools keep the essence of the poem alive and makes every verse appealing to the senses. Start by experi- menting on the objects around you, the weath- er, the ambience, and the overall aura of your surroundings. Focus on the message and play with words to give life to your expected narra- tive. 5. Title 101 One of the hardest parts for some poets in finishing their crafts is coming up with the title of their piece. The title serves its importance because it is the first thing of your piece that the reader will lay his or her eyes on. It’s hard to squeeze in the thoughts, themes, or overall message of the poem into one phrase or even a single word. Keep the title short but meaningful, this does not mean that curating longer titles are not allowed, but just collect the thought and summarize the poem in a title that is fit for it. Remember, “Less is More.” Make the title intriguing and must have the ability to capture the attention of the reader and keep him or her inter- ested in reading more until the final verse. Deviance can disguise. If they know me from my anger From my image, through my eyes, And you are for the soft center, Then your truth will be my lies. If my fist meets his reflector, And the scales of justice - Sees only but the exterior, Inequity will be appeased And sympathy will be in his favor. You will not control my destiny. You can't bring back my ghosts. I own my own love story, I get to say how it goes. You will never write it for me. If you see them down the halls, I hope they're beyond your reach. For as long as your body calls, A trauma to them you will teach. Let them build their walls. I pray, through this writing, They are safe from you, in peace. May it serve as a warning, To your existence, a disease. May you receive nothing. My life became dim - Darker than before. And just roads are slim. I know what's in store. Love, the silent victim. For some people, reading can be a handful. Although it is considered an avenue of expres- sion and relaxation to any bookworm out there, there are still some who stay averse in flipping the pages. I mean, maybe you’re the type of person who has your daily schedule fully booked (no pun intended), when are you going to find the time to sit back and finish a good read? Starting and finishing a book in a day is considered both a skill and a talent, unless you’re like me who needs to re -read the whole paragraph just to understand that one specific scene. For fast readers, time and the length of a whole novel is barely an in- timidation but what about those who tread lightly through the pages and have hour- glasses for a chokehold? That’s why I am here to give you 10 easy -read young adult novel recommendations for this year’s Literary List or “Lit List” that will keep your imagination solid and your schedules fluid. By Sam P. Visto If running around the school yard during your physical fitness class is already ex- hausting, what more if you are running away from your past and serial killer for a fa- ther? The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic talks about runaway Neil Josten being the latest addition to the Palmetto State University Foxes Exy Team and dreads to start a new life. Exy is a fictional sport constructed by the author and is described as a combi- nation of lacrosse and the violence of ice hockey. Being a sport - centric book, this story is perfect for those who enjoy a little game to begin with. This story is also crafted for those seeking personal redemption as every member of the Exy Team and not just Neil are flawed and deals with personal struggles and dark pasts to overcome. The Foxhole Court is the first book in the “All for the Game” trilogy by Nora Sakavic. A little side note: since the trilogy (that includes this story) is an independent published material, it is very rare to find physical copies of them in local bookstores. You may order physical copies of it online, grab the eBook copies of it, or ask for assis- tance from your trusted book dealers. Do you ever feel like you’re just an ordinary person? Do you feel that there is nothing special or extraordinary about your life? Don’t worry because that is what our protag- onist Mikey feels. He just wants to graduate, ask his crush and friend Henna out and be done with it. But hey! At least he gets to... um... let’s save the spoilers for later, shall we? This story is a different take on the usual “chosen one” stories out there. It also changes the perspec- tive of a common fantasy story. Glow- ing blue lights shining down from above? A deer with glowing eyes? Your best friend being worshipped by cats? Sounds weird but interesting, right? Your crush being there for you in times of great need? WHAT A CONCEPT! That’s why our protagonist Andrew is one lucky guy! The story is about a student named Andrew head- ing to college for a fresh new start and to get away from Laura, a churchgoer with deep Christian beliefs and Andrew’s ultimate infatuation. Suddenly, Andrew is at a lost when an accident left him without the companion of his two best friends. That is until Laura herself offers friendship and comfort during Andrew’s trying times. Andrew then finds himself immersed with Laura and her supportive youth group’s beliefs and practices and gradually draws himself in. Is it because he just wants to get closer to Laura? Or is Laura really into Andrew, or just trying to convert him? Immerse yourself in this story that talks about spirituality, sex- uality, and finding one’s happiness again. The Full Spectrum is the only book here on this list that doesn’t deal within the realm of fic- tion. Every content found on its pages are real stories, poetry, and essays submitted by real people and all of them are members of the LGBTQ+ community talking about a range of sub- jects: from first kisses to heartbreaks, coming out to acceptance, from religion to family, and so much more. Why don’t you give their stories a shot because reading their narratives doesn’t only raise awareness and acceptance to the members of the LGBTQ+ community but for every physical copy of the book that is sold, a portion of it is donated to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN.) Losing a friend causes a downward spiral of emotions. What more if you lost your best friend by witnessing him get shot in front of you? This story tackles the sensitive issue of police brutality against people of color. The Hate U Give is a story about Starr Carter wit- nessing the death of her best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer, though unarmed, he is labelled as a thug and other derogatory terms as soon as the incident hit the national news. Being the only witness alive, Starr is the only one who can answer all the questions left unearthed, but with threats, blackmails, and targets laid out on her and her family’s backs, she needs to find the courage and let her voice be heard. Have this read and be in- spired to find your courage to speak out. How far will your efforts drive you just to see the love of your life return to his or her jolly personality? The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily is the sequel to “Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares” published by the same authors in 2010 and this book is as cute and quirky as its pre- decessor. The story revolves around Dash who in twelve days before Christmas must find unique ways to return his girlfriend, Lily back to her sunny nature after her beloved grandfa- ther suffered a heart attack leaving her distraught. This might be a Christmas - themed book but it is worth re - reading all year round. Planning to hone your detective skills? Then this book is for you! On Monday afternoon, five students from Bayview High enter detention but only four walks out of the room alive. Simon, the outcast, and the author of Bayview High’s gossip app dies before the end of detention. Investigators ruled out his death being an accident. The catch is: on Tuesday, Simon had planned to post intriguing gossips about the four other students he was with during detention, making them all potential suspects. Or are they just pawns of the real killer who is still on the loose? Side notes: Get ready for the plot twists and pay close attention and you might find out who the killer really is. Letters never go out of style whether it is handwritten or sent by e - mail because it gives the security of friendship, care, and mutual understanding. The story revolves around closeted gay teen Simon Spier and his e - mail pen pal who goes by the pseudonym “Blue” who is also a closeted gay teen. But when their online conversations were seen by an unexpected eye, their secret are on the verge of exposure. For this, Simon is being black- mailed: If he doesn’t cooperate in being the matchmaker between Martin and his friend, their secret and identities will be everyone’s business. As both of Simon and Blue become closer, Simon’s junior year became all sort of complicated. Now he needs to find his way out of his comfort zone without causing imbalances to his social life and take a shot with Blue who he has never even met. It’s a sweet and fun book about self - acceptance, teenage love, and you are going to crave for more. Fun fact: The 2018 movie “Love, Simon” is based on this novel. Are you willing to wipe out your entire memory just to forget such traumatizing events that occurred in your life? Are you willing to undergo the “Leteo Procedure?” This story captures the dreaded effects of trauma that leads to depression that result to self - harm whilst being thrusted by conflicting outside forces like friendship and self - identity. Warn- ing: This is an Adam Silvera story, you better hold back your tears and bring some extra tissues with you while you’re at it. Colloquially known as simply “Ari and Dante,” this story takes place in the world of Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana who met in a swimming pool. At first, they had nothing in common, Dante can swim, Ari can’t but as they get along, they devel- op a strong bond – the kind that will last - over the summer despite their contrasting interests and personalities. As trying times arrive to test their friendship, both Ari and Dante must find ways to prove the power of their ties and emerge stronger. This story deserves the crown title because the number of chapters it has is not a threat to your time schedules as one chapter usually contains at a span of 2 - 10 pages so there is really no pressure in organizing your thoughts on the story and it is fairly a smooth read. Be sure to stay tuned to its upcoming sequel that will be released any- time soon! Draw something everyday, even if it's just a doodle. Keep all your artwork even if your don't like it so you can see the improvement over time. Try different styles, mediums, surfaces and subjects until you find what works best for you. Once you find your groove, you'll enjoy the process of making art more which will be reflected in your work. Draw what makes you happy and what you're interested in, not what you think others You need to fit all of the pieces together to create the final image.