Being in the Student Body Organization (SBO, but sometimes called supreme student government or student council) is a tiring job. You have to go room to room almost everyday when you have a program to launch. Under the heat of the scorching sun, you have to intermingle with people you don’t know. But at least, it adds to your “popularity rating” and “friend factor”.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009. An ordinary day, I assume. I’ll do my daily routine and do the tedious SBO work. The Battle of the Bands is two days away, and the Teachers’ Day will follow after it. We have to collect all the payments of the twenty-plus sections of the High School Department, dealing with people from the toughest to the easiest, from the quietest to the noisiest, from the richest to the poorest.
Moreover, we also need to design the tarpaulins for the events, make a letter so that we can use the multi-purpose hall, explain to every class why they need to pay, practice being an emcee for the events, have a picture of every faculty member, make a presentation (or a movie) including the teachers, gather some facts about the teachers, meet all the presidents of each section, and many more. It would to take me too long to type it down. (Actually, I’m just too lazy to think about it all)
Add to that pile is my schoolwork. We have two “feature-length” role plays to practice and a Junior-Senior Promenade to anticipate. I also compete outside the school in the past few days, in all academic bees impossible! (I wonder why they don’t put on bugs?) Plus, we have just concluded our grand party for our adviser, who celebrated her birthday last February 5. After it is the monthly test, which is every first section student’s nightmare! We hate it, but he still keeps getting in our way. I was also required to draw 10 national emblems of Asian countries for our project in World History, because I was not able to join the field trip at Mt. Samat (remember my previous blog?)
Monday was a bad day. The SBO President is absent because she went to the American Embassy to settle her stay here. She’s afraid of being accused of overstaying. Of course, when the President is gone, the Escort should take over. Kidding! The Vice President would take over. Who is it? Looking at the organizational chart I drew back on December, it was unfortunately me.
I have to go room to room all by myself. Sad as it sounds, I have to do it. I can’t stand on my own, I guess. But I managed to finish the whole task by myself. I have met with the first year presidents to help them decide what gift are they going to give to their advisers. I have also conquered my greatest fears when it comes to my job at SBO, talking with Seniors. They are older than me, and I think they are expecting that I would respect them and obey them. I’m afraid that they might bully me or get me under their control, but in case that happens, I have already set a plan. Luckily, there’s no need for me to use my secret plan. They treated me well and the short dialogue was adjourned orderly.
The next day, all I hope was for the President to go to school. I don’t want to do the jobs alone, specially that the jobs now are more difficult, considering that the Battle of the Bands is already on Thursday.
Whew! What a relief! She was present! The clouds had brought down a very helpful gift! Now, we can work together as a duo. My experience in solitude had been unpleasant and boring, and thankfully, it is over.
First, we reported to Ms. Marivic malig, the strict, but effective adviser of the SBO. She told us what we are going to do for today. Giving us the camera, she said, “kunan niyo ng pictures ang lahat ng teacher. Wala kayong lalampasan. Tapos, kumpletuhin niyo na yung pera!”. Her voice was very strong and commanding, it is thw words that you don’t want to fail, for the looks in her face looks like she is hoping, but the fury in her eyes says, “If you fail, you’ll face me!” (something like a threat)
We climbed up the stairs heading to the fourth year corridor, where the President’s classroom is. She asked a “golden ticket” from her adviser, to let her out for she will collect the payments and catch a photo of every teacher. Her favor was granted and she took the opportunity to take the picture of her adviser. After finding an ideal background to pose at (which took longer than the actual picture taking). The camera goes, “1, 2, 3 click!!!” and after the blinding flash, the image was already copied in the screen of the camera. (technology never ceases to amaze me. haha)
That was just the first part, and yet it took me several paragraphs to describe it. Let me take you to Lourdes Building, where the next important thing happens. We were wandering up and down the first year and the second year corridors, in chase of teachers to take at, and talking to presidents with auditing and collecting problems. Everytime we knock at a door, every student inside that classroom looks at us, recognizing the very familiar faces that we have.
I particularly love the way the freshmen look at us they look at us with utmost respect (though not all). The second year was just normal and passive. The third year were even more unreceptive, with the exception of Nickel, which is very active in joking (and sometimes teasing) every time we knock at their front door.
I was walking on the second year corridor, and with the clock ticking at 8:30 am, I am getting exhausted. Still early, right?
I saw Ma’am Quillao, my English teacher when I was in second year. I remember her when we are competing in our school’s English Week Quiz Bee, when we missed a lot of very easy questions, including a question that we recently studied in our class. The margin between us and the champion was only two points, very narrow. By answering an easy question, we will gain three points, enough to put as to the top of the podium.
This time, she was asking me a favor. “Kenneth!” she called me up. “Sali ka! Impromptu. Dali na! wag ka ng tumanggi” And that’s it! I tried to resist the invitation, for I don’t like impromptu speaking contests. The last time I joined one, I blew it all up! It was such a mess! I don’t speak well; I just have the idea, but not the ability to expound it more. I am a novice! I don’t know anything about it! I will be competing with the best of other schools, whereas here in my own school, I was not able to win! How can I win outside, when the competition is more fierce? Are they joking or what?
No comments:
Post a Comment