Second Home

To cut to the chase, I do like being in this school. And the rest of this article is to explain why.

First of all, this school was my dream ever since I was a little kid. This is why I became an Editor-in-Chief, a frequent candidate in academic competitions outside the school, and the Salutatorian in my old elementary school. I thought that it would boost the chances of me passing in CavSci.

When I passed, the daze I was in settled, and it all became real to me. The stories outside didn't live to my expectations, and this school looked typical to me.

But I still think that going to CavSci is the best decision I've ever made.

We may look like a normal school, but you can see the talent and intelligence the students have here. And the thing I love the most, is the fact that this school has made me experience things that I could never do at my old Lasallian school. In my opinion, this school is magnificent because the people here actually care for you, and the students here are the ones that you  will keep in touch with until the day you die. I don't know how to say this, but the school is both caring and hard, making us feel loved and challenged at the same time.

I know that this school is preparing me for college, and I can sincerely say that I will always look back at my memories here. High school days are really memories of happiness and love. 

aacs

44 Honorable Lives

"Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war."

There are traditional heroes, and there are modern ones.

A soldier is both.

When I was younger, I had a dirty little secret. My parents expected me to become a doctor or a lawyer. In a way I wanted that. But I also wanted to be a soldier. I never told anyone that. I figured that it might be a dream that might fade away in time, or a half-baked dream I would laugh about when I got older. 

As I think about it know, I realize: I could never be a soldier. I don't have the guts.
In a parallel universe where soldiers don't exist, our world would be in chaos. There is no peace. Anarchy is common, while death is prominent. 

I had a minor epiphany one day. It must hurt so much to be a soldier. Countless practices, battles and exercises that bend over not only their physical state, but also their mental acuity. They spend months on end for the army, with no direct contact with their loved ones. On a deeper note, they leave their family in the belief that their parent or relative might never come back. And that, is the cherry on the very bitter dessert.

I watched as the corpses are brought to Manila. Seeing the families of the soldiers who risked their lives for our country made my heart break. What hurt most of all are seeing the perished soldier's young children who could still not comprehend what happened to their father. One soldier even left her wife pregnant,ensuring that the child will never meet his father.

But let us be honest for a second. Death is everywhere. It happens everyday. And if you're a soldier, choosing that must mean that you fully accept the terms that you might die on action.

The difference of what happened to those 44 heroes was not what happened per se, but how it was accepted by our citizens.
Let me just say that what happened to those soldiers rocked our country's center. Tons of greetings and messages are sent everyday to those soldiers who died fighting for our homeland. Every single one reached out and offered prayers for them.

To the Fallen 44, thank you. I do not want to think of the horror that happened to you, but it doesn't make it any more true. People like you make our country proud. You are the best kind of examples of what nationalism should be. We pray for your souls, and we hope that wherever you are, your sacrifice will not go to waste. You will be remembered.


aacs x

Shameful Sins, Rueful Endings

In Dante's Divine Comedy, spheres are allocated for people who have different kinds of sins or merits that deserve them. This version however has a twist. It will be nine spheres of violations in my school, and the punishment for them.

1. The Tardy- These are the people who go to school late. The fitting punishment is to not accept them in school and officially send them home, making them absent for the day.
2. The Incomplete- These are about the rules the school has about the expected appearance of a CavSci student. examples are pupils with incomplete uniforms, boys with long hair, girls who let their hair fall in to a disarray, or accessorize too much.  Punishment for this sphere is often a warning first, but then when it is frequent, the student's parents shall be called to school.
3. The Filthy- Our school is known for being an environment friendly institution. People who carelessly throw trash everywhere will be reprimanded by the teacher.
4. The Rackety- The garrulous students who are often told to be silent. These children are frequently scolded, but when its too much, the teachers tell their respective parents. Students who spread malicious rumors about others are included. 
5.  Over affectionate- Students are young, and oftenprone to infatuation. It is not actually prohibited in the school, but it is code to be presentable in school and not do public displays of affection too much. This is a serious matter, so the parents talk to the person involved with their parents if it is overboard.
6. Disrespectful- It is rare that a student talks back to a teacher or a member of the staff, but it still happens. If it does, the student is directly called into the office and the punishment may be suspension or a warning, depends on the degree of the actions.
7. Skippers- Some students tend to cut while in school, so when it happens, certain punishments are given. The punishment might be suspension or expulsion if it is very frequent. But when it happens, the parents are directly notified even in the first offense.
8. Cheaters- The school is the temple of knowledge. To pass, one must study hard and earn achievements on their own, not by stealing someone's hard work. Cheating is a great offense. It is a form of intellectual fraud and stealing. When a student gets caught, they maybe suspended or expelled, but the odds are on the latter.
9. Bullies- In my opinion, I think that this is the greatest offense one can do in school, or anywhere else for that matter. All the other sins are self-destructive, but to bring down one's spirit by crushing their self-esteem? That's a shameful thing to do. Most of the reasons for suicidal teenagers is bullying, whether it is physical or verbal. It may look petty to others, but the weight of words and thoughts are heavy upon a student's mind. Whatever you say to a person will never leave him, though you regret it or it was a spur of the moment comment. This may lead to self-hatred, which may end up in suicide. Most of the cases are never truly known to teachers, especially in our batch. It's because most of the students are scared of their classmates and the consequences of telling a teacher. A teacher might think that he/she is helping the student but honestly they are just terrifying them more. A tip for the teachers: Bullying is everywhere. It might be miles away from you, but most of the time they are just right under your nose. Those little snide comments your students make? That child will never forget that. He/she will grow up with that thought into mind. I suggest you look closer, because some students may look okay, but they're not. Please help them. Give them the comfort they deserve. 

I believe in karma. I know that whatever mistake one makes, there are always repercussions. Some might not get the appropriate punishment from the school, but I know that there is a deity above us, a higher power, waiting to hand out the consequences of what we've done. A million good things can never cover up a bad thing.

aacs x