What wakes us up in the morning? Why do we let the nights pass us by? Why do we choose to let our bodies and brains suffer in the pursuit of good grades? Of course, this is because we want to live the dream, the standard of a "successful" man – that is to graduate and have a prosperous life. But there is more to life than just being “successful.” Deep down, we know that we should be driven by our passion to change society for the better, motivated by the conscience given to us by God to give the weak and the poor a chance to a greater life. We know that the true dream is to save the world and all those who live in it. The true dream is to give everything we could offer and reach out to a larger number of people.

At one point in our lives, we have strapped capes onto our backs, worn masks to conceal our identities, and battled against our enemies for the welfare of the greater good. This is because the want to become heroes is innate and common to us all. But it is also important to know that, although it is a great thing to dream about saving the world, it is okay if we save only one person, and it is okay if that one person is ourselves. To try and work hard to make and be the change we want to see, and to wage war against the current of this cruel universe is already something only a brave man can do. Fear is not the lack of courage, but it is through fear that we push ourselves to our limits. It is acting upon that fear that makes us brave.

Yes, the world could be scary. We would never know where it could hurtle us into; never know what it could bring us. We are still young. There will be many more years ahead of us. Most of us still have not figured out yet where to go. But that's the beauty of having a young, pure heart – we are lost and we are scared but we know what we want to see. We know that our youth does not render us senseless or worthless; rather it makes us capable of being the superglue that holds the world together. We know that with our voice, our will, our drive, we will be able to make a difference.

Without further ado, on behalf of my co-EIC (Vianca Ocampo) and the entire team, it is with heart and dedication that I bring you AMPLIFIED. The past year, being the pioneer year of AMPLIFIED, has been spectacular and is definitely a year to look back to. This year, with the theme ‘Ohana,’ we look forward to having a wider, broader SLP family. We are not just a committee; we are part of the family, and we will always be here to listen to your stories and be of help whenever there is a need. Fresh as we may be, we aim to share stories of simple and inspiring people of all ages making a difference, who, despite their inabilities, still continue to face life and its challenges with a smile and unwavering perseverance and determination. It is because of these people that we need to turn our dreams into our advocacy. We are the voice that needs to be heard, we are the pen that is mightier than the sword, and we are the backbone of our society.

We are AMPLIFIED.

Yours truly,

Bai Zuharna Abdullah

Co-EIC of AMPLIFIED for the A.Y. 2015-2016

(With the help and additions of Literary Editor and Writer, Czar Justiniani)