The Girl in the Mirror

human error. In these situations, most people don’t know that the fault lies within the viewer, not the object used to view.

A simple concept most of us forget is that to understand is to perceive. As children, looking in the mirror was easy. We would stare at our reflection and notice the specks of dirt we have in our hair from playing outside, even the stray strands of hair sticking out because of the heat. We understood life as we saw it—as long as we’re happy with the big picture, everything would be okay.

As we age, we start to understand things beyond the surface level, and we eventually realize that it’s as if the big picture is out of the picture itself. We magnify the smallest things, highlighting even the littlest of errs. Lingering thoughts of who we used to be and what we did wrong cloud our vision, hindering us from perceiving who we are in the present. Ultimately, the simplicity of a reflection’s nature is blurred by the complexity of our existence.

There may have come a time when the ghosts of the olden days scare us from looking into what we’ve forced ourselves to consider an atrocity. Contrary to what we may think then, the girl in the mirror did no wrong—she did nothing but live out her life.

We might have focused too much on what we deemed a monstrosity, so much so that we have forgotten that humanity demands mistakes to be committed for us to exist and learn.

To forgive entails a lot of courage, more so if the one that needs forgiveness is yourself. Forgiving the previous versions of yourself and whatever wrongs they might have done is one step toward leaving the past behind.

Showing mercy to yourself can come in waves—you don’t necessarily have to do it all at once. Maybe you’ll embrace the past someday, so it’s alright if today is just another Tuesday. Sometimes, we are blinded too much by bygones and the thoughts of what could’ve been that follow them. We fail to understand that our history and mistakes make us, not break us.

The answer to this mirror mystery lies in plain sight: the girl in the mirror has always been there, and it is just us that fail to see her.

Clothes and hair have no gender

By Allysa Mae P. Saldivar

The discourse about gender identity and expression among students has long been a hot topic for years now. Expressing one’s identity and freedom through fashion almost always causes controversies.

Especially for those who belong in the LGBTQ+ community, the existing hair and uniform policy for universities prohibits them from doing so.

Having a genderresponsive environment, on most days, will always feel like shooting for the moon. Everyone knows the drill; if it is a Catholicinclined institution, the policies are set for the students to comply with.

People always have different stances about it; many argue that it is a way of good grooming and being decent-looking , that is just a harmless policy that doesn’t mean to discriminate against students. Hence, how does it ensure that every student has the same consideration to express themselves?

In real life, most students feel motivated to excel in their studies when they are confident—looking like one likely means you feel the same way, too.