By Ferna Del Simbulan and Japheth Ramboyong
Some people would compare high school to a large bag of mixed nuts. Though the nuts in
these packets are different from one another, they are sealed in one packet anyway.
One of the largest nuts in the bag is the Corps Commander. The Corps Commanders
practically have authority radiating from their senses. These people are the presidents and hotshot
organizers of student governments and organizations and are dead serious about how everyone
would do their jobs, but they also oftentimes adapt a scary military-like attitude to make sure of it.
A nut similar to the Corps Commander is the Page Turner. These are non other than the so-called
nerds (majority of which wear glasses) who know every single answer to a bloody test and are one
of the very few people who can have the guts to correct even the scariest of teachers who have
committed minor mistakes.
The Sloth is noticeably different from the Page Turner. The Sloth is laid-back and is usually
found at the very back of the class, snoozing his head off. The only time this lazy creature would
hold a book is when he would use it as a shield from a teacher’s intimidating glare. This person
seems to have mastered the art of ennui.
Aha! Now here’s everyone’s favorite nut: The Class Clown. Although this insanely funny
person manages to crack his classmates up or salvage a boring situation, most teachers would find
him particularly irritating because he is one of the main causes of noise and distraction in the class.
Of course, The Chatterbox is also one of the main causes of noise and distraction in the class.
Most Chatterboxes are usually females with incredibly strong tongues and sharp ears and can recite
the most complicated tongue twisters faster than any other people in the world. These people
would seem to know everything from who’s dating who to the phone numbers of numerous people.
Now here’s a person who sends all others shaking with fear or hate: The Tough Guys. These
extremely terrifying people are the ones who feel the need to be buff, manipulative and degrading.
They can cause a serious blow to one’s self-esteem, therefore making them create the same
presence of authority like the Corps Commanders. While these bullies are destroying some poor
person’s life, he wouldn’t want an encounter with the “Suck Ups.”
The Suck ups are more commonly known by the moniker: “The Teacher’s Pets”. He would
do anything just to stay on the good side of a teacher and would report the shenanigans of fellow
classmates just to win extra charm points. To teachers, he would seem like a perfect, little angel. But
to his classmates, he is very much comparable to a beady-eyed snitch.
So you see, high school is a place full of cliques and status quos. Everyone has their own
place in the old high school food chain. Can’t seem to know what type of student you are or what
kind of people you hang out with? Uh-oh. Maybe you belong to this group of people I know…
They’re called: “The Nobodies.”
By Ferna Del Simbulan and Ramon Anthony Guinto
Joke. Jeek. Jok. Joogie. Those are the words teachers and mentors despise hearing, especially
when they know that the students uttering these “street words: are scholars of a very prestigious
school.
A very mundane scenario is when a teacher would ask a student to recite in class. The
student would rise from his seat and say his answer, adding the famous “Jeek” punch line at the end,
causing his classmates to laugh with him while the teacher would spend a fraction of the time
allotted for the subject telling his/her students how nonsensical and informal it sounded. Another
familiar scenario is when a very insecure person would say a mean remark to someone and added
“Joke” at the last minute so as not to offend or anger the other person. And have you ever asked
someone a question like, “Are you mad at me?” and he/she would answer “Jeek” so you don’t know
what his/her answer really was?
So what are the hidden meanings to that simple word? In our first scenario, the student
simply added “Jeek” at the end of his sentence so it could serve as a sort of signal that he is unsure
of his answer and he would rather laugh about it than feel awkward or stupid. In our second
scenario, the insecure person was releasing his feelings but was afraid of having that person get
mad at him. And finally, in the last one, the one being asked would answer “Jeek” because it was a
cross between yes and no and was too afraid to admit what he really felt.
So the next time you hear these words, act like a detective and find out the hidden meaning
to that person’s words.
By Ferna Del Simbulan; Rizea Ynna Rivera; Vincent Arnel Buerano
A beautiful young woman, after she put her car keys on the table, put on her best
open-toed five-inch stilettos. She hastily went out of her penthouse apartment and walked quietly
in the dark streets, lit only by the dim glow of the rusty streetlights. Upon hearing heavy footsteps
behind her, she stopped abruptly and accidentally dropped her compact powder mirror. She
quickly picked up her mirror and saw a terrifying figure behind her. With a shaky voice, she asked
the mysterious person for his name. She was answered only by the man’s deep and vile growl.
With wide eyes, she ran back to her penthouse apartment as fast as she could in her
high heels. She clumsily went in and instantly felt safe and secure again in the sanctuary of her
home. She even soundly ate up a delicious slice of blueberry cheesecake after she put on her most
expensive jewelry in front of her vanity mirror. Then, she laid down on her soft, comfy California
king bed.
The time came when someone knocked on her door. The voice at the other side said
that a package was there for her. She went in a momentary state of silence. She saw the late hour on
her old cuckoo clock and said to herself how odd it was that someone would give her a package at
such a late time. She jumped out of bed, ignored the voice and ate up the rest of her cake at the
kitchen.
Suddenly, she heard a deafening, loud crash and the package delivery man came in
her apartment with the familiar, loud, heavy steps. She was shocked to see her ex-husband with a
butcher’s knife. The man walked towards her and she tried to escape but she had nowhere to run.
She was killed and her ex-husband lived in peace as he was never once bothered by his conscience.
By Edsel Jedd Renovalles and Virgil Francis Antonio
Inside the grandiose, Greek-cultured mansion upon the checkered-tile floor is a
well-varnished, masterfully carved Italian oak banquet table. What lays upon this beautifully
crafted banquet table is a selection of food so diverse and arousing, anyone would completely
realize its magnificence. On the center is a four feet tall, three-layered black forest cake topped with
freshly picked cherries and glazed with icy white frosting that radiated perfection. Circling that very
cake, are white ivory plates each carrying a newly-baked, perfectly circular, aromatic pancakes
poured with warm sumptuous maple syrup covered with an aroma so grand you can almost taste it.
Being carried by two debonair, formally dressed, French butlers is something newly-cooked,
weighing about twenty kilograms and upon the table was a honey roasted, crispy skinned, boiling
hot roasted pig. As it was laid on the plate, it neatly filled the crisp green lettuce bed.
By Virgil Francis Antonio and Elijah Plaza
I woke up, feeling the morning breeze touch every pore in my skin—it felt
refreshing and clear but I felt something in me, that something was missing. I feel disconnected and
I didn’t know why. I started to dress up, getting to work and preparing for the day. Then I ate my
breakfast and I started to walk. I was a simple man, had a well-paying job, along with a beautiful
wife and I was happy with the way things were. But I still felt this hollow feeling inside my heart. I
got up to work and as soon as I finished up with my last patient, I started to head my house.
Heading towards the house, something caught my eye… a little chapel tucked in a corner
and it was only then I realized that I haven’t gone to church for almost three months. I started to
feel sadness, a wave of guilt flew over me. I thought going to that little chapel was the least I could
do to repent for my sins. Entering the chapel, I noticed beautiful tapestries surrounding the white
walls. Not only that, but that place truly felt connected to God. Little did I realize there was an old
priest standing by the altar, dressed in white clothes. The man started to talk to me. Hello, I said to
him. Looking directly at me, he replied: I realize you lost something, hold my hand. I analyzed the
man. He seemed kind and sincere, so I thought trusting him was the best option. As I touched his
hand, everything began to go white.
As I gained my consciousness, I looked at my surroundings. I was lost and I didn’t know
where I was. I didn’t really know what to do so I kept on running but it was to no avail as everything
was still white. I started to scream. Why, God, why? That’s it! I realized something, something from
when I was three years old, my mother had kept saying to me that I wasn’t alone. And I know now
that that is true. And it’s because of God.
I started to close my eyes and kneeled to do something I haven’t done in a long time:
praying. At that moment of contemplation, I started to talk to God. It was awkward, sure, but it also
felt calming, protecting. I prayed for the welfare of my parents, of my friends and of the people I
loved. I prayed for my home… I started to say sorry for everything. I basically opened my entire
being to God. Then, I said Amen. Everything turned black. I woke up, back in my house, but I didn’t
feel that old feeling anymore. I felt complete… I felt God’s presence… Thank you God, for I have
found you again…
By Virgil Francis Antonio and Brigette Fernandez
Students have different attitudes and personalities, each very different and unique.
In their own ways, they all compromise of the usual classrooms. The later paragraphs will
enumerate the different types of students you can find in a classroom.
Every student never wants to be late, that much is true. But some students are too
conscious of their precious time that they always remind people of what they have to do in a certain
period of time. Students like these are often called the “Cuckoo in the Clock”. Despite being
conscious, they help the class to work as soon possible.
Many students are being insulted and teased most of the time. But who causes this?
The question can be answered in only three words: “The Common Bully”. These students are
usually tall, bulky and manly. And, they always target other students smaller and weaker than they
are. The reason for this is that they lack full attention and always want to be noticed and due to this
it becomes a daily habit. Bullies are nothing but bad for our classrooms and will only cause chaos.
Of course, in every classroom lies a person with high education aptitude, someone
who always excels in every subject. The common word for people like this is “Nerd”. Whenever a
person hears this word, he often thinks of a small guy with glasses that usually carries an
encyclopedia, or any kind of academic books. People like nerds have extremely high scores and
grades and are often seen studying. Being the victim of bullies—nerds mostly develop a fear for
bigger people.
In our everyday life, we encounter different people, even in our classrooms, students with
different personalities yet makes only one group of people, and often, one group of united people.
By Korinne Ella Morico and John Cyrus Fornoles
In a wide hall surrounded by white, sweet-scented, floor-length curtains tied with
pink ribbons were white plastic chairs covered with white-and-pink linen cloth. There were twenty
servers wearing white, long-sleeved polos with a red bow tie on their collars. On top of their shirts,
they wore smooth, black vests paired with black pants and shiny black leather shoes. They were
holding a silver tray with five or six glasses and bottles of the most expensive wine available. On the
other hand, the honorable leaders dressed in a full silk American coat and blank pants made of the
finest silk together with a pair of perfectly shined boots. Each one was wearing precious jewelry
and was holding half-filled glasses of red and grape wine. They were gathered around a five-meterlong glass table covered with a glossy white-and-red Chinese silk cloth. A three pound crispy,
golden brown fried chicken was set on a twenty-five centimeter in diameter china plate with
freshly-cooked green leafy vegetables on the sides. An Italian spaghetti with tomato sauce topped
with grated cheese was also on the table. There were also different sweet desserts laid on the table
such as the delicious two-layered mocha cake topped with cookies and cream chocolate kisses and
crushed Hershey’s chocolate and platter after platter of tasty Leche Flan with the sweetest syrup
ever.
By Korinne Ella Morico and Japheth Ramboyong
Everything’s white. I saw nothing but a very bright light in front of me. After some time, a blurry
vision of a man came to my sight. He was respectable-looking man and he stood in front of me. It seemed
that I already knew him before. But when I heard His name, I was convinced. I did know Him. He was
my Creator, my God.
He was really there, staring at me as if He truly cared, and I knew that He really did. After a long
silence, God walked towards me. And by that time, I knew that my plan was successful. To end my life
was the best solution to all my problems. I started to feel better. But the look on God’s face said that He
wasn’t pleased. I started to feel guilty. I knew that something was wrong and that I was the one who made
Him sad. Then, in the pace of a bullet, I realized that it was me, not my dad, my mom, my sister nor my
brother…but me! To end something that wasn’t really only for you is bad, like what I did. I ended my life
that wasn’t really only for me to live. Well, I almost did. Thankfully, I wasn’t successful for none of it
was real and I began to feel a sense of relief as I woke up in bed, covered in sweat. I learned that God
does work in wonderful ways.
By Korinne Ella Morico and Dennis John Philip Alcantara
Joke. If you say it for many times, it loses its meaning.
Joke is a word used to describe a funny statement, but it can also describe pranks,
insults and even apologies.
“Joke lang yun! Wag ka nang magalit!” Yup! Joke here is used to apologize. “What
would you do to wake Lady GaGa up? Poke her face! Joke!”Here, it is used to describe a
corny statement, “Ang gwapo mo! Joke!” Here, it is used to support the last statement by
making it an insult.
Like most words, joke can have different meanings depending on the sentence that
it supports. It is up to us to use it.
By Jan Camille Ozaeta and Pio Jonel Mijares
It was one of the cold nights of December. I was trying to sleep but I couldn’t
because I had too many problems. Problems that you could have never thought existed but
did, in fact, exist. These disturbing thoughts occupied my mind so it took long before I finally
fell asleep. I opened my eyes and saw myself in an illuminated place where you can only see
one thing. I saw a gate… a gate that I eagerly tried to open because I couldn’t see any
padlock. But to my dismay, I could not even make a small opening even though I had given
every single joule of force I could muster.
I felt hopeless and it was weird for me to feel it because I know that things like
stubborn gates never bothered me. Moments passed and there was nothing I could do but
stare at the gate. And then I began to think of the problems that were making me feel angry
and jealous. I did this for quite a while until a man started opening the gate. I observed him
from his feet up. He was barefoot, wearing a white robe. Light began to intensify as I
continue to tilt my head upwards. I began to imagine how his face would look like. Curious
was I while tilting my head but shocked when I couldn’t see a single feature about his face
because of the severe lighting.
It was amazing! Especially knowing that the light was already intense but it did not
affect me in any way. I walked towards him. Every step I took made me feel lighter. I knew
during that time that I was talking to Him. I felt the urge of complaining rapidly diminishing,
but the desire to listen increasing.
God told me that He knew that I had a lot of questions in my mind that I wanted to
ask Him. He also knew that I was asking Him why it is I receiving all this pain. I nodded to
tell him that He was right. He then started to explain that life is a cycle in which a person
gains experience. Happiness is what human always want. He said that it could not be, for
with problems, He gains the opportunity to determine if a person is worthy to stay with
Him in the heavens. That is why, He said, He created love, a feeling when a person feels the
importance of another. The presence of love is a big impact to a person’s life. He told me
that love for myself helps me stronger, which helps me to live, while love for others makes
me feel determined to fulfill my goal. Problems, He added, won’t exist if there are no
solutions. He said that I would just have to face them and never give up.
His words made me feel complete , determined and ready to face anything that
would come. My slumber ended when I heard the ear-piercing sound of my alarm clock.
By Khalil Shamir Bigtas and Jan Camille Ozaeta
“Weh.” The Philippine-constructed jargon widely used to express skepticism,
disbelief and doubt towards a subject which is obviously unworthy of attention. It is also utilized as
a mocking gag and as either a filler to extend a conversation or a killer to cut a conversation short. It
may also be used as an expression of a praise or amazement. It is a word but may also be
considered by some as a sentence. However, its main characteristic is that it is usually accompanied
by the slang term “di nga?” from the popular phrase: “Weh, di nga?”
By Lourdes Marie Alvina; Mariah Denise Carumba; Jan Camille Ozaeta
I put my bed in order and put on my clothes and sneakers one fine morning. I went out with
a smile on my face and walked to my girlfriend’s house but then I stopped and picked a beautiful,
vibrant red rose. I saw my girlfriend and asked her if I could be with her ‘til the end, but she said no.
I was frustrated. I ran back home and went in. I was very depressed, so I ate up a bunch of donuts
and put on my bonnet and I began to lay down a gun on the bed. Someone came and knocked on
the door but I sent him away. But still, he went in. To my surprise, it was my girlfriend. She saw me
with the gun and said she was sorry. It was obvious that she was afraid. I jumped out in the state of
anger and ate up all the words that I should have said to her. I heard her plead. Then a man who
said that he was my girlfriend’s fiancé came in. I was so mad that I killed both of them with the gun.
I then lived alone all of my life, away from girls and the pain that they cause.
By Benvictor John Turiano and Jan Camille Ozaeta
The ten-meter long table made of freshly-cut kawayan varnished in brown was covered
with pre-heated green leaves of banana tree had a captivating golden-brown, crispy-looking
roasted pig natively known as lechon with a red, shiny mandarin apple in its mouth. The lechon lay
at the center of the table and at the upper right corner of it is a cup filled with luscious Mang Tomas
sauce. At the right side of the lechon lies a plate with a mountain-shaped fried rice topped with
flavorsome, diced garlic. While on the other side of the lechon is where five glossy, spruce pitchers
well-stocked with luminous, sweet and mouth-bursting buko juice harvested from coconut trees of
Anton’s Coconut Farm.
On another part of the table was an array of palatable, creamy and eye-catching meat dishes
like the orange-sauced menudo, the mouth-watering diniguan, the flavorous caldereta and the
crunchy lumpiang Shanghai stuffed with carrots, ground pork and cabbage.
A collection of desserts was placed opposite the main dishes. This included one toothsome
leche flan, a bowl made of plastic supplying various flavored polvoron such as ube, cocoa and milk.
But the dessert you couldn’t miss was the dessert with the finest, freshest and juiciest fruits
harvested to make one yummy fruit salad.
By Brigette Elizabeth Fernandez and John Karl Uno
Visions are blurry as I opened my eyes. Waterfalls, it smelt like waterfalls and petunias though I see
none of them when I looked around. I don’t quite get where I am right now. I then stood up, now
seeing a clearer view than I could a while ago. There is a clear path surrounded by what seemed like
floating cotton balls, a clear path guided by a little yet powerful source of light. I though I should
probably get going. And I was right. The light shimmered as if to welcome me. I stood up, still
confused where I am, but determined to travel the path. But hesitations filled my mind when I was a
step away from where I was before.
Just then, a low but sincere voice spoke and told me to come closer. Terrified, I asked him
who he was and demanded for a reason to trust him. There was no answer. I closed my eyes and
took a deep breath. It still smelt like waterfalls and petunias that somehow helped soothe my
doubts. Carefully, I took one step after another.
The first parts were illuminated by the powerful light. It was easy, just wasting my time and
not minding my speed. But then suddenly, the light somehow became dim. There were bridges to
cross and puddles to step on. I needed to speed up, thinking that the light would become dimmer. I
was right again. As I went on, the glow of the light faded until only the light of the moon was to be
seen. This might be a lot harder now and I was right for the third time. There were now lakes, rivers
and seas that I had to build my own bridge just to cross. But in spite of all, the smell of the waterfalls
never faded a bit.
Fortunately, I neared the end of my travel. I was very exhausted. When the light almost
disappeared, I sped up thinking it will totally black out. It was like my thoughts and predictions
were always right. It did black out. I couldn’t see a thing, so I decided to rest for a while. Then I
heard the voice I had heard earlier. He was glad that I rested.
I asked him about what he meant and demanded again about who he was. I asked him if I
was on some sort of mission. A lot of questions are floating in my thoughts. Doubts and worries
filled my soul. He told me that I was proud of myself and that my understanding of that journey was
different from its true nature. He pointed out that I always thought I was right. That I never
bothered to ask for help. And that I didn’t rest, instead I chose to speed up. He shared that that was
not the way life works.
We were silent for a while until he broke it by asking me if he could ask me a question. I told
him that he never answered any of mine. He introduced himself as my Creator and the One standing
beside me while I worked. I was confused for I thought I was alone. He countered my words by
telling me that He was at my back, ready to catch me if I fell. All I had to do was to turn around and
ask for help, but I never did. He revealed that the smell of waterfalls and petunias were His scent
and was a sign that He was with me all throughout the trip.
Then He asked me if I found happiness in my trip. I drowned in deep thoughts. I realized
that I didn’t and He must’ve read my mind because He looked intently in my eyes. I asked Him why I
wasn’t able to find happiness. He told me that I was going too fast to notice the birds’ songs, the
splash of the water as they hit the shore and the gust of the cool wind passing through my hair’s
golden curls.
I pointed to an exit and asked Him what was waiting for me there. His voice was soft as He
told me that it was my judgment if I have done well in my journey. I knew I failed. He stood up and
guided me to stand up by reaching out his arms. As I stood up, I continued my travel and was one
step away from the exit. There was no voice to guide me now. Instead of stepping forward, I turned
around, sure enough He was still behind me. I hugged Him and wept on his shoulder. I was sorry
for every single thing, not to beg for another chance but because I wanted to let Him know that I
was grateful to Him for not leaving me alone the whole time. Then He spoke one last time before I
stepped to the exit. He said: Child, you were too busy anticipating what was on the mountain top
that you’ve forgotten that it was all about the climb.
His words gave me courage to step my last step forward.
By Edsel Jedd Renovalles and Jan Camille Ozaeta
Have you ever been in a class where people don’t differ much in respect to their behavior?
Most probably not because there’s no such thing. In a group, each person has his/her own role to
play.
First are the gatekeepers. They are the ones who’ll look out for their teacher. Each of them
has his/her own door to guard. They’ll signal the class if the teacher is coming in order to avoid
getting caught doing what students are not expected to do. They are also close with the newscaster,
the person usually announcing happy events like the absence of a teacher and sad ones like
extensions of lectures. There’s also the feminazi. She hates men and is pro-female. The born again
and again Christian is also one of the notable roles in a group. He/She is the one who’d always talk
about the Bible and may also be seen propagating his/her posters and fliers concerning anti-third
gender. This act makes the homosexual more eager to show who they are. With different points
made, a fight would then start and that is when the future attorney would jump into action. He/She
is firm in what he/she believes in, resulting to books being thrown at him/her. While people are
obviously debating, there is one person who won’t sit in with the problem and he is the underachiever. He just stays at the very back of the class and looks like he’s out of the world most of the
time.
Unlike the under achiever, there is a person who will do his/her best just to be on top of
things. Yes, this person is the well-known over-achiever a.k.a top director’s lister a.k.a best in
Algebra, Biology, Computer Science, History, Chemistry, Physics, English and Physical Education
and lastly, known as the Student Government President. The last kind of student is the comedian or
the clown of the class. This student usually kills/destroys the word silence by cracking out jokes at
the most random moments.
There are a lot of students that differ amazingly compared to others. High school is a part of
our life when we discover who we really are or who we want to be. But, to live it in the best way we
can, we should always be ourselves.
By Vincent Arnel Buerano and Korinne Ella Morico
When you enter a classroom, you can see different types of students. You may think that
some are serious but when you look at him/her closely, you may find that he/she doesn’t really
focus on his/her studies.
There are different types of students in school and you can easily recognize them through
their appearance, how they react and the way they speak. One of these types is the ‘Cuckoo-in-theclock’. They are the students who tell the teacher if the period is over. They are the students who
often say, “Ma’am/Sir, time na po.” Another type is the Dexter. They are sometimes called the geeks
or the nerds. They spend their free time studying or reading. They are often found inside the library.
The next type is the group of story-makers or the Gossip Girls. They are the girls who spread
or start rumors and gossip and things that are not so true. They make stories that most of the class
would believe. They also exaggerate things that are not quite big. This group is often friends with
the next type of students, the It Girls. The It Girls are those who like to flaunt. They may follow or be
friends with another type: The Trend Setters. These Trend Setters are the students who introduce
the newest trends in the school campus. They always in style.
Another one is the Lazy Bones. They are the students who always wait for the period to end.
They often sit at the back, slouching in their seats. Now, the last type is the Totally Spies, also
known before as The Spies. They are often found sitting near the Dexters. They have a very keen
and sharp sense of sight, especially during exam days. Well, obviously because they are trying to
cheat. They are seldom caught by the teacher, and even if they got caught, they would deny, deny,
deny.
Each student possesses a unique personality, but among these students, there are some that
stand out. So, where do you think you belong to?
By Vincent Arnel Buerano and Karen Margaret Agnes
On a perfectly carved rectangular wooden table topped with an ivory white silk mantle with
tints of gold on the edges adorned with shining, shimmering and sparkling diamonds. On the center
of the table elegantly stands a glamorous eight-layered moist cake made of chocolate truffles
covered with pearl-white fondant frosting and surrounded by a golden ribbon on the edge of its
every layer.
On the right side of the cake is a succulent, savory and freshly-roasted turkey, finest in its golden
brown color and stuffed with lemon grass and celery. On the other side of the cake is a delicious,
mouth-watering, reddish brown, steamed and salted lobster surrounded with fresh tomatoes.
Beside the roasted turkey is a broiled vegetable salad that holds within green and leafy lettuce,
tomatoes, cucumber and sliced carrots. On the left of the lobster is a delicious, spicy Italian
spaghetti topped off with melting cheese and sprinkled with shredded parsley, oozing with the
flavor of its combination.
Between the turkey and the vegetable salad and lobster and spaghetti are two lovely
candles placed in golden candle holders. Around the dishes are the shiny, white porcelain plates
and beside it are the glimmering silver forks and knives. Served on every plate are the creamy and
heavenly cream of mushroom soup. On the upper side of the forks are purple bittersweet wine
made of pure grapes. The aroma in that area perfectly suits the ambiance.