Culprit Semantics

(Thought-Random)

         Search for the meaning of  'culprit'  and answers  you would get would be  'one accused or guilty of a crime or fault' or  'one who is the source of a problem'.

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        So there have actually been diverse identifications of a so-called 'culprit'.  One comes from a  research on the housing crisis that 'bedevils the current U.S. economy'.... with economist, Frank Stafford saying that rather than subprime mortgages as the real 'culprit', it was the 'aggressive refinancing and an increase in the use of adjustable rate mortgage in loans'.   

        In the field of diabetes control, the 'culprit' was not hypoglycemia as thought to have caused increased deaths.... this was gleaned from the Accord Study of  Dr. Matthew. Riddle,  et al, ....rather,  it was 'unsuccessful intensive therapy' that did it.

        And in a certain area of military analysis,  a 'culprit' apparently found was 'the Stuxnet virus purported to have infected the industrial computers as used by the Iranian nuclear industry'.

        These are but a handful of segments from accounts of various types of faults and causes of mishaps one could gather.  And not one of them is a happy one,  you'll have to agree with me.   But one time in my recall,  I definitely thought it was a joy for me to be called a 'culprit'!   Strange?    It definitely was!  Entertainingly bizzare, in fact!  See, I have mentored a lot of my students and friends in and out the academics, but there was one particular one of my favorites in the academe who went with me all the way to Toastmasters International. 

        This particular student  had been with me in the university-wide speaker organization of St. Louis University back home in the Philippines.  The organization  was made up of a select group of students invited from the different colleges of the university and who came together for co-curricular training in the communication skills, - particularly in discussion, debate and public speaking.   And they were  known  as the SLU Forensic Society of which I was the Coach-Adviser, - a task I so enjoyed complementing  my teaching Literature, Linguistics, and English classes.  What made the members exceptionally special was their able handling of the group as an organization as well as the excellent performances each did leading to their consistent winning in inter-university competitions,  and in effect,  also bringing home honors to their Alma Mater.  But one of the  significant experiences here for me had been coaching this particular student of mine, this Forensics Member,  for a particular national oratorical contest on drug addiction - which he but nothing won!  Simply awesome!

        Like earlier I indicated, this student of mine joined me in Toastmasters too during his professional life that followed.  And as if not to break the chain at all, I went on with the task of mentoring him in his Toastmaster speeches till cutting the story short,  we met again at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut  last year where the year's Toastmasters International speech competitions were held.   It was such pride and pleasure I felt to be told that here,  my former student Hermie Garrobo,  now representing Philippine Toastmasters,  had just won the Regional Competitions and was therefore qualified to compete in the International Speech Contest.  I now belonged to Connecticut Toastmasters Clubs but I was invited to this occasion as Hermie's Guest.

        So I am seated with both him and Wilson Lee, the District Governor of Philippine Toastmasters during the competition.  And when Hermie is called upstage for a short interview,   he tells the audience,  'It is an honor to be here,  Ladies and Gentlemen,  but you know,  the one who started it all for me - the one who 'forced' me to Toastmasters  is actually here with us.... . your honor, may I point to the 'culprit', ...- 'culprit', won't you please stand?'!.....

        

           Well, I did stand - at the prodding of those around me.... then he said,  'Thank you, Ma'am Sonja Chan".... and  that was all the world of semantics that meant the world to me at that very moment!                                                                                                                                                                                                        

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