SOFIA THE FIRST

Yet, they went on with their lives because they had to. She imagines him as his tiny amulet and believes, she can do anything to gain his admiration.

Ever since the beginning, she has been under pressure. Proud. She wants them to feel that way, or perhaps they want her to make them feel something more? She can only prioritize academic validation because that is how she was raised. They said, "be the first." Did she? She graduated from elementary school in 2018-2019 with the honor of class valedictorian. She grinned as she heard cheers and praise. But the terror is hidden beneath that smile. Worry that there will be more pressure, and she is right.

They anticipate her to be the best in high school life! First in everything— rankings, leadership, everything. She tried, but she was exhausted and drowning. Oh, surely not exhaustion. "Make us proud"— sure, she has to do it constantly.

Her life has been a regimen of school, home, and school house. She is so worn out, yet she is surviving. She tried her best to be the perfect daughter, but she frequently failed. Despite this, she kept trying since life is hard sometimes.

Storms and stumbling blocks— why can't she be happy once again?

She continued to strive for extracurricular validation since she felt that academic validation alone was insufficient, so she decided to participate in volleyball practices in order to satisfy the desires of her mother. The feeling of being in a new setting, however, finally appealed to her after moving to a new community.

Yet it wasn’t enough….They want more.

Writing…. She seems to enjoy writing. Journalism? Should she give it a shot? She vowed to do it with no regrets. But the first attempt was nothing special; after straining her eyes and staring at the laptop for an interminable period of time, she gave up.

Seconds are enchanted. She gave it another shot and concluded that it was a good concept. It's strange that she's having a good time in the club where she's the most anxious. She is doing it properly

Populi Vox

The lack of grace will have an inability to reach not only the student's satisfaction but also the other's satisfaction. The satisfaction that once raised our standards.

Many parents don't consider these topics as they only want to focus on the education system that the school can give, but the student's overall school experience will be a part of their life as a whole someday and the school should play their part by prioritizing their community's facilities and ability to give a good experience.

Because it feels like we're missing something out there.

Something… big,

Something big that'll be in our "what if" someday.

All this makes you question yourself if everything will be fun when you switch schools, or will there be so much more out there in this limited environment.

And we'll never know the answer unless we step out of this environment, of this environment lacking of grace.

1. Was Marcos' first year satisfactory?

On Marcos's 1st year of presidency, I feel like he could've done more to let his presence known. To be completely honest I didn't feel like the president did things for the country and I feel like he could've done more— but on the bright side, he has 5 more years. I know that he can adjust to his position and I know that he'll be keeping his promises. Hopefully he brings the Philippines back to the top of SEA.

— Ace Buenaventura, 9-Opal this time.

Who would have guessed that her passion for athletics could bring her to a more positive door that would present her with a fresh chance? Although her school paper adviser did, she never saw any potential in herself. She started putting effort into her training since she wanted to grasp and comprehend the sports writing industry, just like her SPA did.

Competition. Since then, she has remained bashful, and her parents never anticipated that in her fourth year of high school, she would be more involved in competing. She truly had no motivation to participate and represent. Though she did. Attending her first district competition was not as intimidating as she had anticipated; she just wanted to enjoy herself. She learned from it and applied the lesson to the present despite the fact that it was incredibly stressful and she failed to do the task for her second category.

FIRST! She holds the No. 1 spot in Sports Writing. Upon receiving her first medal and certificate, she ran onto the platform of her alma mater, shocked, happy, and terrified. Unbeknownst to everybody, as she received and smiled something in her heart began to light up. She was eager to battle for a second time and was filled with determination. Division. She has no idea what will happen but is concentrating on her training to obtain the greatest article she possibly can. And after several revisions, exhausting hand and head labor, each training...

First again! Still fascinated and puzzled. It was funny how her buddies cried, but she didn't. She laughed as she continued to wonder how and why, but she would always be grateful to her parents, her friends, and her SPAs who were among the first to support her.

Sofia the first indeed! It was said. Laughing through the phrase while being aware that they will result in more pressure, but it's okay-she has to, so I assume she'll have to live with it forever. With her world getting bigger, “Now I gotta figure out how to do it right; So much to learn and see!”

2. Are you in favor of abolishing

K to 12?

K–12 adds two extra years to our high school experience. Some claim that it helps us further increase the quality of our education and that it aids in our college course and strand selection. On the other hand, there will be increased costs, as well as for years of study. While some people may favor abolishing the K–12 system, I personally go against it. But it is already in use and being noticed. This may be our opportunity to raise the standards of education in the Philippines.

3. On barangay and SK elections

Barangay and SK elections should be taken more seriously. It might just be me, but I do not really sense people taking interest in barangay and SK elections, I began to think people think lowly of its role in the country. Some people fail in participating in these kinds of responsibilities. Every position in politics should be taken seriously for it is relevant.