Day 123: Minerva

HUMSS 1 Grade- 12 Athena has been my second home and family for almost 10 months. The time was short, yes, but the dent it left on me has been throbbing up until this moment. The myriad of moments has never fallen short and every single scenario that occurred has been meaningful, you just have to look. My adviser changed drastically over a period of time. Ranging from an authoritarian whose mere presence makes everyone tremble to a sweet bigger sister who exhibits tough love. If there is one thing that I am proud of in this section, it is the growth of my classmates and how they interact with one another. Who am I in the classroom, however, is another story to tell.

            Sheenah May Manggao is my adviser. She is 24 years old and that is pretty much the personal information I know about her. She is very mysterious and her aura is very confusing. She never shares any personal information and despite with her being my longest teacher in Calamba Doctors’ College, from the first semester of grade 11 and last semester of grade 12, I have never heard her share anything besides the happenings inside the school vicinity. Her relationship towards her students is ambiguous. Although, most of the people I know are terrified of her to the point that they do not know if she is joking or serious so they just stare into the abyss thinking of the proper reaction. That is the case for Athena in the earlier months; we were so awkward with her that we could not react properly also. Maybe it is the fact that she did not allow us to go out even during break time and her punishments were absurd that time. Imagine having our girls sit on the cold floor for the whole day during their period. However, as time goes by it all fade away. Her heart of stone slowly softened to a heart of clay. The “Dragon” of Athena slowly turned into a duck. Sure, her rules are still implemented and followed but her punishments makes more sense today than what they are then. Despite her setbacks, I respect her and applaud her as a teacher. I can go as far as calling her one of the best instructors I have, even on par with my Calamba City Science Highschool teachers. In terms of my relationship with her, as mentioned earlier, I really respect and admire her despite this not being visible on my actions. She also forced me to join numerous activities to represent the section including beauty pageants. We are pretty close but the teacher student boundary is still present. There are millions of words that I can say about her and most of them are pleasant. I have never seen anything like her, she is one in a million and she will forever have my praise. It is fun teasing her about being single though. Maybe the best thing about her is that there is so much to know about her and she has so much to grow at the same time.

            My classmates range from insanely competitive to appearing only once a month, I love some of them but most I hate. If there is something that I can compare my relationship with them, it is a Pringles can. I can insert my hand inside the can like four inches in it but now I have to tilt the can and a lot of crumbs have accumulated at the bottom of the can so they all go spilling on my face. What I am trying to say is that the diameter of a Pringles can is way too small like the way I can fit in with my classmates. I can connect with some but to connect with everyone is another story. To name every one of them will consume so much time, so I will mention a few who made an impact upon me, negative or positive. Danica Libres, given that she is not as bright as anyone in the room, her kindness left me in awe everytime. She may annoy me at times but I can go as far as calling her one of the nicest person I ever knew. She does not lie and secrets are safe with her. She is fun to hang out but at the same time she knows how to exhibit camaraderie but at the same time she puts me in my place and checks me everytime anything gets over my head. She is really a gem in a place I considered dump. The guys in the room are the also notable people I like, they even led me to an impression that without girls, the world is infinitely times better. Everytime I am with guys, there is no drama present and things just flow so natural. It is where I feel that you can have fun while not constantly worrying about your choice of words. Xyzo Dimapilis is one of those guys; a lot of my classmates just throw him off the curb for being childish, chickboy and not being that bright. But despite these repercussions about him, I can say that he is one of the truest people I know. He does what he wants and speaks his heart out even in times that is really inappropriate. It is saddening how his opinion is invalidated everytime he speaks. He is a great friend and the one for the keeps. Warren Suazo, Courtley Zaporteza and Mario Borre are also great considering how they act according to the situation. I guess in a room dominated by women, it is nice to talk to some guys. Karl Aldovino is great also but I cannot see him eye to eye at times. Hr is brilliant yet troubled and may be suffering from a personality disorder. But we can get along and that is pretty good. I like john Lloyd as he makes me laugh everytime along with Vergel. Leslie Espenida is my bestfriend in class as we were friends since last year and she feels if there is something wrong with me, I find it comforting that a person does not need words to know that I am crying for help. In general, my classmates in Athena has their own groups and peer orientation but in overall we are quiet and nosy. I get along with everyone just fine and I can adapt easily with their personalities. Although there are times that they piss me off and I wish I was home. But overall, my classmates are great.

            I inside the classroom am like a chameleon in the wild. I prefer to blend in but at the same time, I prefer to be left alone. In times I tend to help and be a people pleaser but as much as possible I avoid people and see to it that I am comfortable in my own skin. In my early day as a member of Athena; I had my fun and I tried to do everything for them. Even the things that I am not obliged to do; I see to it that I help everyone. It is not that I am expecting anything in return but because I have learned to see them different from my previous section considering my previous section was a nightmare. It was fun and games until we are pushed back into a wall. My view and attitude within the classroom drastically changed the moment the dula dulaan activity came. I hate when tasks are computed and every little things done has to be monitored. The temper of everyone went short and it was utter chaos. In that I decided to spend less time inside the classroom and isolate myself away from them. I cannot grasp their point of equality. A mere activity changed everything I have built up on that section resulting in my repellence on it. the event was successful but my distaste has never changed. Back then I had tons of fun inside the classroom but now, I tend to isolate myself as possible. I guess some wounds inflicted are not meant to be healed. I guess isolation is better than further disappointment.

            In conclusion, I wish there was a parallel of this where we start rough and end as a better section. Maybe start all over again, maybe something of a counterpart. I hate that I am so optimistic at the beginning of the year and now, I and just begging to get out. I guess a section really hits the lowest when the best things about it are two friends and your adviser. Overall, Athena gave me experience and lessons I will forever carry.