THE BLUE FLAME

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SY 2020-2021

The Blue Flame - Issue 2

Beloved Blue Flame readers,

Pax!

It is with a sincere heart that I offer my apologies for the late distribution of our 2nd issue, but rest-assured that every minute was devoted to crafting a broadsheet that reflects the perspectives and sentimentalities of every Scholastican and Filipino awaiting a future of hope and free expression.

With over a year of protracted lockdowns and calibrated community quarantines, we could only witness the new normal unfolding before our eyes through social media updates, news coverages, and window observations. The new strain of the COVID-19 virus in the form of the more contagious Delta variant has guaranteed another quarantine stretch. Now, more than ever, we seek amplifiers and platforms that can reinvigorate the voice of empathy and community, and allow us to extend these beyond the walls of our digital rooms.

The Blue Flame carries on its commitment to justice and social transformation through its ever-compelling ink.

As you hold the pieces of hunger, perseverance, and truth at the click of a finger, we progress to welcome the possibility for next school year’s arrangement. We boost the flame further to explore the gripping lockdown anniversary, exposing the need for government transparency and competence, along with the exponential increase of hate crimes against Asians in the US. We touch on scientific yearning as we venture on the COVID-19 vaccines, and its futuristic implications. We revitalize the Filipino value of Bayanihan with a Community Pantry news feature story. We push forth a stand against the killings of activists under the current administration.

Following the conclusion of School Year 2020-2021, The Blue Flame shall continue to ignite with its soaring wings and mission. It shall never cease to devote its ideas towards freedom and service to the Scholastican community and Philippine society. It shall always exude direction and passion in every angle and climactic point.

As your Associate Editor-in-Chief, it will always be a privilege to use the tip of my pen to deliver ideas and concepts alongside the humbling brilliance of our editors, contributors, mentors, and readers.

I am thrilled to say that we have made a mark, and we will continue to leave a legacy.

We hope these pages bring you as much gladness as we had making it. Soar high and welcome to the Now Normal!

Ysabelle Julyana Panganiban

Associate Editor-in-Chief

SY 2020-2021

The Blue Flame - Issue 1

Benedicite!

More than a year after the initial outbreak of COVID-19, we continue to weather this storm in solidarity with the many whose lives have been lost and the countless others whose lives will never be the same. Yet in the wake of this pandemic, one fact remains apparent: Life moves forward. We find new ways to connect, new ways to laugh, and new ways to exist.

This issue of The Blue Flame is no exception.

Compiled from our homes rather than the classroom, our paper reflects on these new normals. In our banner story, "SHIFTing to the New Normal," we examine the advantages and disadvantages of SSC's online set-up. Staying with the theme of education, Lara Joson documents the red-tagging of our former school president, Sr. Mary John Mananzan, and its implications on the school community. Shaina Lim turns our attention to the nurses who did not receive their hazard pay on time. Meanwhile, articles like "Bayanihan" by Michaela Ilagan and "The Submerged Recalibration" by Ysa Panganiban analyze the way we respond not only to this ongoing health crisis but also to natural calamities.

For some people, this issue may simply be a collection of articles.

But for our staff, it represents something greater.

Each of these pieces were written while a deadly virus rapidly engulfed the world. Together, they serve as a written testimony to our continued existence as a publication. They are evidence of our grit, our resilience, and our commitment to truthful reportage.

As SSC-Manila's high school newspaper, The Blue Flame exposes students to world issues and rekindles their intellectual curiosity at a young age. We may not be professional journalists, but our work makes democracy possible by building the free and open exchange of ideas that allows scholarship and community to exist. The Blue Flame is also an accessible and inclusive platform for Scholasticans of all identities. We welcome anyone who wishes to gain experience in news reporting and circulation. We dedicate ourselves to this work because it matters.

It is with both immense pride and nostalgia that I write my final message as the editor-in-chief of this newspaper. Given how much we have been able to grow over these past months, I am excited to see what is to come under our future mastheads. It has been an honor to work alongside the editors, writers, designers, and tech wizzes who have produced the content you see.

And I thank you, our readers, for picking up a copy.

Amanda Palmera

Editor-in-Chief