Around Nine

A 2017 hit by the solo-artist Dua Lipa, the song New Rules relates the “rules” to getting over the persona’s ex-lover. It’s undoubtedly the break-up and female empowerment anthem during that year. Ironically, it has also become our new senior high anthem for the New Admin of AY 2019-2020. Still, is it the song for getting over the shortcomings of the past admin and becoming a better sen hi…or the song for taking over the sen hi and becoming the antis to student headway? Fresh and restructured, here are the New Rules of this school year, so let’s count ‘em:

“One: Don't pick up the phone Y’know the enrolment fee got ‘em calling from home ”

Installing water dispensers and ceiling fans as well as improving the facilities mainly in PUC Building may or may not have materialized as soon as the students paid for the miscellaneous fees once dubbed as the “ anonymous fees” . And this goes the same with the immersion fees for the supposed immersion plans of each strand. Undeniably, parents, as much as their children continued to question: where do these fees go? The question brought many speculations against the admin. However, later this year, senior high buildings have been significantly renovated and improved. This is the first year we had our own prayer room, reading room and now, conference room. Despite the compromise in many aspects of the immersion due to unavoidable circumstances, the program served to its best in order to maximize student experience in actual careers. It is also important to note that during the year, there were more student delegations and competitions, which were financially supported by the current admin compared to the past. Funds for supposed upcoming celebrations such as URAD and Research Colloquium were refunded. What the admin lacked is acting upon transparency in which speculations could easily be addressed by presenting financial records to student representatives. What the students lacked is acting upon validation through right channels before coming to conclusion.

“Two: Don't let them in (the stage) You'll have to push them out again”

The First and Only Recognition day featured first most controversial issue amongst students, parents and the admin. Newest rule for the awarding ceremony is leaving the most deserved people out of the ceremony. The parents. Why? Time and Organization. Thankfully, there were a lot of honor students to walk the stage. While this was good news, the challenge was awarding all these students in a nick amount of time. Because most stood against this decision and as SSG filed for petition, another plan was compromised. Do the rules retain to be absolute? Or can any of the rules be absolute? As much as it was controversial, it also proved that success comes from considering all stakeholders. The rules were not absolute for they don’t need to be. The success of the recognition did not prove the admin wrong or the students. As what the new director said, it just proved that we could always meet “halfway” to make things “better”. So be bold, and respectful, on raising our voice.

Lastly, democracy might be least practiced at a state university-senior high school. As officially structured, there is no “student” publication in the first place. No voice to challenge the non-absolute rules of the authority. Little complains might become the tastiest flavors of the ‘talk’. Having the Student Government as the tail to the whims of the admin, the senhi proves to be implicitly created autocratic. Is this year as domineering? Though there will always be conflicts, no issue proves the other less important. As such, the new admin officially registered the publication for the common good of senior high especially the students. This is the first time that our initiated publication, the Suwara publication, received full support from the admin. This opinion is to thank our admin and the students. This is not to sugarcoat the authority because we stand independent of sentiments. This is just to open everyone in the process of objectivity for collective prosperity. We are not critics and we are not authoritarians. Like Dua Lipa, we are just people trying to get over the past flaws of many through truth.

I GOT NEW RULES