LIKHA: The Love for Language Written Between the Lines
By: Regina Villanueva
Amidst the enchanting seasons of SPECTRUM 2024, the Center for Communication Arts embodied winter and the unexpected warmth of the season through “Likha: Ang Sining ng Komunikasyon”.
Likha makes history for the Center as their first-ever talent fest. Choosing winter as their central theme, the event aimed to unravel the meaning of home and family for each individual, inviting participants to express their thoughts and emotions through various creative outlets.
From January 23 to 25 at the Mere Maria Hall, visitors were welcomed into a captivating creative writing and creative storytelling gallery. The walls and ceilings of the venue were adorned with an array of short stories and poems, each skillfully crafted by the students.
The other half of the venue was dedicated to the Foreign Language classes, specifically Nihongo and French who each hosted their own booth. These cultural booths showcased the unique customs and traditions of these countries, offering food and activities that allow the guests to immerse themselves into the culture.
On January 25, the spotlight was on the Speech & Debate GIFT class, which took the stage with a scripted debate performance. They debated the motion of “We regret that blood is thicker than water.” The class followed a modified Asian Parliamentary format, with Government and Opposition teams consisting of three members each. In the end, the audience voted for the team they believed had won, with the opposition emerging victorious.
Simultaneously, the Radio Broadcasting class introduced the first student-led Radio Station, “Radio Rhapsody: Feel the Seasons in Every Frequency.” Broadcasting live from January 23 to 27 at the Upper HS Tent, students took turns hosting the show every hour, accepting song requests, as well as sharing their own recommendations. Additionally, the Radio Jocks conducted interviews, capturing one’s experiences and insights from the fair in a segment called “Radio-Bizz.”
When asked about the creation of Likha, Sitti Munsod, the President of the Center for Communication Arts and Likha’s overall head said, “As a center that deals with a diverse set of skills ranging from speech, creative writing, and language learning, being able to execute a Talent Fest through the form of an exhibition has truly been a way for our center to take down the boundaries of what it means to showcase talent at its purest form.”
“I hope that this exhibition has inspired and changed the depiction of communication arts in our community and will continue to share the beauty of communication in the years to come,” she explains.
For Sitti, Likha aimed to push the boundaries of what it means to showcase talent in its purest form. Embracing the differences of each class offered by the center and showcasing the unique home that is cultivated within its walls.
The core of Likha is its students and the learnings they’ve fostered over the past year. Through Likha, we bear witness to the art that is communication and the love that is fostered between its lines. A big round of applause should be offered to the Center for Communication Arts, who have shown us that the passion conveyed through prose and poetry and the love for language is what we stay alive for.
