BTS - tomorrow’s generation across the world as we face this COVID-19 pandemic together

 

K-pop band and UNICEF supporters BTS deliver a video message at a high-level side event at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, “Protraction of the COVID-19 Crisis: Mitigating the Impact and Protecting Future Generations.”

Credit: UNICEF2020 UNICEF’s partnership with BTS/Big Hit Entertainment started in 2017 led by the Korean Committee for UNICEF to support UNICEF’s work to end violence. The video, introduced by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, has BTS band members speaking from the heart about the impact of COVID-19 on their own experiences and encouraging young people not to feel alone in their difficulties and to reimagine a better world together. It is a powerful message of solidarity and hope. BTS LOVE MYSELF campaign supports UNICEF’s #ENDviolence campaign.

#UNGA

#LifeGoesOn RM. My name is RM, the leader of the group BTS. Two years ago here, I asked your name. I urged you to let me hear your voice. And I let myself be filled with imagination. As a boy from the small city of Ilsan in Korea, as a young man standing at the U.N. General Assembly, as a global citizen of this world, I imagined the limitless possibilities before all of us, my heart beating with excitement. But COVID-19 was beyond my imagination. Our world tour was canceled, all our plans went awry, and I became alone. I looked up but couldn’t see the stars at night. JIMIN. I felt hopeless. Everything fell apart. I could only look outside my window, I could only go to my room. Yesterday, I was singing and dancing with fans around the world, and now my world had shrunk to a room. And then, my friends took my hand. We comforted each other and talked about what we could do together. SUGA. Life became simple, maybe for the first time. It was a precious time, unwanted but welcome. I’m used to an entire world shrinking in an instant. When I’m on tour, I stand in bright lights and loud cheers, but at night back in my room my world becomes only a few paces wide. The room itself was small, but my world and our world reached far and wide. In this world we had our instruments, our phones and our fans. V. But this time it felt different. It felt lonelier and smaller. Why? I thought for a long time. I thought, maybe because it became harder to imagine. I was frustrated and depressed, but I took notes, wrote songs, and thought about who I was. I thought, “If I give up here, then I’m not the star of my life.” “This is what an awesome person would do.” j-hope I don’t know who was first. We embraced all these emotions and the seven of us began to make music together. This is where the music came from, and this made us honest. Our lives are unpredictable. We don’t know all the answers. I knew where I wanted to go, but not how I could get there. All I did to get here was trust ourselves, and do my best, and love what I do. JIN I found again the people I love. The other members, my family, my friends. I found the music I love, and I found myself. Thinking about the future and trying hard are all important. But cherishing yourself, encouraging yourself and keeping yourself happy is the most important. In a world of uncertainty, we must cherish the importance of “me,” “you” and “us”. That’s the message of “Love Myself” we talked about for three years, It’s the message in the lyrics of our song Dynamite: “I’m diamond, you know I glow up”. JUNG KOOK One night we were working together. Namjoon said he couldn’t see the stars any more, but I saw my face reflected in the window. I saw all of our faces. Our songs became the stories we wanted to tell each other. We live in uncertainty, but really, nothing’s changed. If there’s something I can do, if our voices can give strength to people, then that’s what we want and that’s what we’ll keep on doing. RM When I start feeling lost, I remember my face in the window, like Jung Kook said. I remember the words I spoke here two years ago. “Love yourself, speak yourself”. Now more than ever, we must try to remember who we are, and face who we are. We must try to love ourselves, and imagine the future. BTS will be there with you. Our tomorrow may be dark, painful, difficult. We might stumble or fall down. Stars shine brightest when the night is darkest. If the stars are hidden, we’ll let moonlight guide us. If even the moon is dark, let our faces be the light that helps us find our way. Let’s Reimagine our world. We’re huddled together tired, but let’s dream again. Let’s dream about a future when our worlds can break out of our small rooms again. It might feel like it’s always night and we’ll always be alone, But the night is always darkest before the first light of dawn. ALL Life goes on.

The Youth be in Action

          No body thought that we would be stuck in this situation right now. We were spending our days just like how we would normally do, but one day the world was just hit and everything changed. The world was just not the same anymore.

          As the Philippines is in lockdown, the virus is still spreading and the filipinos faced a lot of problems because of that along the way. Businesses closed which meant a lot of employees have to stop working and lead them to face financial problems. As a part of the youth, these are noticable since we are living in a world that is very much advanced in techonology and news spread easily,--and these leads us to think of ways to help in our own way.

          The pandemic impacted us in so many ways and being a part of the youth, there are only little things that we can do to help and it might not be as much, but just like what they say, small things can go a long way. 

Simply following Safety Precautionary Measures like washing your hands, wearing a mask and keeping a distance from other people when going out can be a big help to lessen or better yet stop the spread of the virus.

          A lot of the Gen Z's have been helping in spreading awareness and educate other people, be it online or offline. They are doing everything they can to change the world, to get back on our shoes, and have been spreading awareness not just about the pandemic but other problems that are results of the pandemic. By these, we can lessen these weights on our shoulders and make us stand again, to get us moving again.

          Another thing that Gen Z's are doing right now is also volunteering. The youth are not the only ones that are moving, but a lot of people are also donating to charities and campaigns to those that are struggling because of the pandemic.

          It might not be that visible, but the youth are doing everything they can to help. Speading hope to everyone. Helping people while following rules to be safe and healthy. The only thing left to do is to cooperate and spread awareness yourself. 

"Pandemic ka Lang, I Am Filipino"

IT ENDS WELL, MAXWELL

          Time flies so fast. It feels like yesterday, when we first started school. The time we spent together feels like a blur. Enjoying every time that we have together seems so limited.

          This quarter, learning about editing and using the Photoshop is quite fun. Learning how to use every thing about it seems so cool. I've always wanted to learn how to use this one, and now I can do what I want using it.

         I may or may have not been as attentive through out the school year but I want my teachers to know that I have learned a lot from them. You're sacrifices will not go to waste.

          39 students of 10-Maxwell. 1 loving adviser who is always there for us, who always got our back. Thinking how the school year ends feels like there's something in me that can't just digest it. Spending my whole Junior high school with them together with the other section of the Science Class will always be something that will complete me. They have acquired a very huge part of me that I can't imagine spending my days without seeing and spending my time with them.

          Senior Year is FAST approaching and spending every single moment with my SSC Fam, MY MAXWELL FAM seems so right. Cherishing every moment will not make you regret. Times running out for us and I just wanna say THANK YOU. Thank you for the great moments, for the memories that I will cherish forever.

MY DREAM

          I remember when I was younger I always wanted to be a nurse. Growing up in a family inclined with medicine gives you that. To be introduced in medical stuffs in an early age and seeing how my aunts, uncles, my cousins- family work has kept me in wanting to be just like them. When I met my uncle that is a doctor (who visited from the US) with my grandfather, talking about health and how he saved a persons life had me stucked, and all I thinked about is wanting to save someones life too. Being a doctor is always in my mind.

          When I was young, I always remember that I liked to help other people. Just like my family, whenever there is someone who are in need of their help, me and my cousins would always be there to assist them. And sometimes they let us be the ones who help them too. Seeing how all of us are so into medicine....I have thought that maybe it really does runs in the blood.

          Now that I've grown up, Me helping people in the community isn't new anymore. I sometimes check their Blood Pressure or Sugar level. And my uncle (which I call papa cause his actually my mothers uncle) sometimes let me check all of our sugar level. (We check our sugar level every sunday)

          Now that I'm in 10th grade, being a doctor someday is final. I am sure of my decision and is pretty much ready to help people that are sick and in need of my aid. I WILL SURELY BE ONE.

FOUNDATION OF PERFECTION

          All school has a foundation day. The day where an institution is established. Where you celebrated the with the school. Our school, Ilocos Sur National High School, was actually established in 1902. Imagine how it witnessed so many happenings, how it witnessed the world war II even. The school was named Ilocano Normal School before naming it to what it is now.

          The Foundation day or High School Day, as they call it, usually takes place for 2 days. Where the first day is the coronation of the winner of MR. and MRS. ISNHS. The second day will be the parade of students of all levels through some streets in Vigan, and have the field demo, where all levels from Grade 7 to 12 is performing and compete for the best. 

C H A N G E

          A New Year is always a great start and opportunity to change. If the year before has not been a good one for you and you think that there's something wrong with you, A NEW YEAR is a great start. Changing something is like setting yourself to a new chapter.

          A New Year has always seemed to be a new cycle for me, a new path to take for the better. But I have always been not to serious about changing, change is good but I think improving might be the one for me.

          Sometimes what we need to do is to let ourselves be confident, be proud of yourself and just be you. Because changing everything is not always good. Just be yourself, cause that's the best version of you. Lets be honest, we can not please everyone, you just have to be you. Change always starts with accepting yourself and become the best version of you.

ILOCANOS!

Ilocos Sur have been one of the many places that really attracts people. The irresistable beauty of the place will just leave people in awe. It has always been a place that a lot of tourists around the world visited, and sometimes they come back to memorize its glory. The foods are no joke when it comes to Ilocos.

We Ilocanos are celebrating this every year for abou a week or two. This year, it started in the 28th of January and it lasted until the 9th of February. However this event usually formally starts at the 2nd of February, the day where Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte got seperated. This big celebration is called as the Kannawidan Festival. Ilocos Norte also has a similar event just like this but calls it Pamulinawen Festival.

There are a lot of activities that are being held at this celebration. There's traditional tribal rituals, choir and glee competitions, contemporary dance competition, dance drama, marching band contest, traditional and folk dances, traditional music ensemble and street dancing showdown. These aren't the only activities that are happening every year, there are a lot more activities and it's better if you see it yourself! It just fascinates me, how people are enjoying every moment that happens!