Of the four years that I have been studying at the University of San Carlos, this has by far been the most stressful and drama-filled school year that I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing.

I was a bit apprehensive to write about the significant moments that happened during this school year as I fear that reliving it would only cause me more distress. But I guess by writing them on paper I’d be able to come to terms with what happened and hopefully forget about it and move on.

First, we start in the month of June. Classes started on the sixth day of the month and being a part of the Student Body Association Executive Committee (SBA Execom), I was assigned to man one of the students’ help desk. I spent the morning of my first day of school helping parents find the assigned section of their child, telling students where their classroom was located, and so on. At least I didn’t have to go through the monotonous “introduce yourself” activity in our classroom.

The second significant event happened on the very first day of July. Our room had just been recently moved from the fourth floor to the fifth, because of reasons I know not of. The incident occurred during math time. It had been an hour since it started raining and it seemed like it was not going to stop anytime soon. Since we lived in a tropical country, my classmates and I thought nothing of it and focused on answering our seatwork. Suddenly we heard and saw water drip from the ceiling and after a few minutes, it collapsed. Rain poured out of the newly made hole, drenching almost all of our belongings and including ourselves with cold rainwater. After the incident we were transferred to another room on the third floor, making it the third classroom that we have occupied since class started.

We called the incident “The Great Flood”, to which I deemed the name appropriate and funny.

Since July was commonly known as “Nutrition Month”, the TLE area decided to have a food festival for its culminating activity. I had not been able to enjoy it together with my classmates as visitors from another region had come to observe our school. The Student Body Association Executive Committee was assigned to be the usherette for the guests. It was entertaining to see their faces when they saw the corridors filled with food from the different grades and sections. This was also the day that I met our new school director, which amazed me to no end.

Next was the month of August. On August, or more widely known as “Buwan ng Wika”, the grade nine students had to choreograph an interpretative dance of the song “Kalayaang Mana”. It was the first activity that had put our section’s teamwork to the test. We ended up in second place, which was not bad at all. The fourth month of the school year was September. During this month the SBA conducted the very first Leader’s Camp. It was basically a team building seminar for all officers of the junior high. It was also my first time camping inside the school premises. I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything in the world.

Another event, the SVD Foundation Day, also happened on September. Stan, Angelique, and I were chosen to go to the SVD Missionaries’ House at the Main Campus to distribute the gift packs from our schoolmates. I got to meet a lot of SVD Priests and Brothers there as well.

After that was Teacher’s Day, which happened on the first week of October. The grade nine mayors and I agreed that for our batch’s tribute we would incorporate the theme of “A Trip Around the World”. I was really proud of my batchmates on that day as I saw them put their creativity and effort into their presentations. Immediately after the second periodical exams was the school’s intramurals. The intrams week was so intense. The SBA had two events back to back, and so we were busy cutting out letters for the 360 Southside Movement, a hip-hop interschool dance competition, and Carolinian Foreignoys, a sort of multicultural beauty (?) contest. I only got to spend half a day enjoying my intramurals, which is really unfortunate. Right after intramurals, we had our break, which I really didn’t enjoy because I spent most of it stressing on SBA related activities.

After our semestral break, it was back to work, or school rather. The entire month of November was full of practices for our rendition of Romeo and Juliet. Even though our class fought and had occasional disagreements, we gave all that we got for the success of our play.

But I guess our best wasn’t enough, as we didn’t place at all, nor did any of our actors and actresses get nominated at least. It was a very frustrating time for all of us.

On December it was a pretty relaxed month. I mean relaxed in the sense that there were no huge competitions to prepare and what not. There were a lot of Christmas parties, though. But it was to be expected since it was December after all.

Since we live in Cebu City, the Christmas decorations lasted until the end of Sinulog. Most of my classmates went out during the Feast of Sto. Nino but I, being the introvert that I was, stayed at home. I studied mostly since the third periodical tests happened the week after. The week passed by like a blur, and now I’m here writing my last formal theme for the school year.

I learned a lot this year, made new friends, and even lost some. I am most certainly not going to miss this year though. I can only hope that next school year would be infinitely better than this one.