Afternoon in the nineteenth of September that was, I was sleeping serenely in the porch of our summer house in the vicinity of the beach with the whitest sand, clearest water and astonishing creatures. How indebted I am, yes to perceive this little paradise in a peaceful manner, having no nuisance with me. This was a great time for me and abruptly, an aurora borealis appeared in close proximity to my sight. Though it has been my trance for so long to see one, I find it bizarre because it only appears whenever a historical person will show to you. The next thing I knew, I was feeling my goose bumps and a vague person smiled at me- it was no other than Apolinario Mabini.

        His eyes were the brightest, his smile was as cheerful as ever and that mouth that would want to say remarkable words was all I witness. He reached out to my hand as he draws nearer to me. Spending the afternoon with me, that’s all I know about his intent. Well, why not? We walked across the beach and the next thing I know, we were sitting in a table with a cup of tea and some bread on a table. I cheerfully started the conversation with a hello, adding those words asking about him. I see in his smile that he was conceited of me for I feel interested in him instead of being anxious. His tears were expressed to say he was sorry for he didn’t get to brawl in the combat but all I said is that it was acceptable for he did his best and excreted all courage just to save the Filipinos. He thanked me for the complement and held my hand.

        I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I realized we were no longer on the beach. We were on a grey, lifeless place and I was clueless of where we are. I was about to mouth words but instead, he pointed to somewhere. There I saw my family, acquaintances, relatives and the persons I love suffering from the hands of those filthy Spaniards. My heart was frenzied with anger, eyes with burning rage and fisted hands ready to beat them up. But I recognized one cruel thing- I was disabled. I couldn’t do a thing to save them and felt so hopeless in life. I cried and screamed but those screams did zilch good to save them. But, why? Why them? 

        Mabini held my hand again and we were back at the beach. I was so glad it was not real. He felt sympathy for me and I guessed why he did that. He let me feel what it’s like when he wanted to save the persons he love but had nothing to do with those disabled feet. Now I know what it’s like but I comforted him for I said to him that he still did something good and became a hero. The aurora borealis came again and I knew Mabini would be leaving in seconds. For that short time we had, I see in his eyes and smile that he was impressed of me because he saw how optimistic and courageous my heart and soul is. The next thing I knew, his bright figure is now luring away and drawing near the aurora borealis.

        For that short time, I felt ecstasy and learned many things – things that not all people would know. In life, not all times we would be helpful and save the persons we love from misery. There goes those cruel times that we may be helpless though we could not do anything. But that helpless feeling is just what our mind tells us. Deep inside, we did our best and without knowing, we did something that others could not do. It’s just a matter of faith and trust in our self.  

        We always say that this time, in school as a good student, we will do our best to avoid sins and stay away from trouble as much as we could. But unfortunately, we could not avoid these sins we commit. Here are just some of the six sins we commit at school. The first Nome having the slightest sin and the sixth Nome having the most dreadful one.

Nome One: The Dyslectic-like Ones

        Don’t be confused of me as a heroic half blood, this does not literally means having dyslexia but being put in a spell of Morpheus I became too sleepy in classes and so I sleep whenever I like. I know I have this Athenian side of me that is very wise not to sleep in classes but Morpheus is stronger than her. I end up sleeping in some discussions.

        I hate this evil punishment I get. I don’t understand a bit of the lessons because of my halcyon sleep. So when the test comes, I always need someone to explain to me what the teacher discussed.

Nome Two: The Laziness

        I admit I am one of the lazy students. Though I pass projects early, there is just one side of me becoming lazy like my other classmates. I got lazy to fix my things under my chair because they are just too many to fix and I've got more things to do than that. Then dismissal comes so I cram to clean and fix my things.

        The punishment is very obvious- things will scatter and has a big probability to be lost. Once not taken care of, there may be a lot of things to happen in scattered things. They may be in the trash can or worst-be lost forever in the depths of Tartarus. One’s treasure is your belongings so one needs to take care and protect them like the Golden Fleece.

Nome Three: The Cramming Overloads

        Sometimes I could just not get over with cramming so it became like my main hobby in the morning. Observing the fast speed of the students rushing towards their classroom, so obvious that they would cram for something they did not supposedly do at home. Those evil spirits that influence the students, including me to cram were unstoppable.

        The cruel punishment? It’s simply not understanding clearly what you wrote because one is pressured by time, knowing that they’re just doing it for compliance.

Nome Four: The Not Obedient Ones

        As a student, I admit that I belong to the not obedient ones. Why? Simply because sir Tom gives the rule of respecting your own school uniform. He gives commands on not to roll up the sleeves because it is a disgrace. And what do I do? I still roll up my sleeves because I could not bear the hotness. I know I did the bad thing so I am trying to change.

        I always get my punishment. For the boys, it’s the haircut that matters but for girls like me, this is the one that matters. Sir Tom always scolds me whenever he sees I roll my sleeves up. I promise not to repeat but as a naughty student, sometimes I still do it so I feel guilty. There’s just the Hades side in my head that persuades me to do the wrong thing.

Nome Five: The Un-tardies

        The normal time to go to school is before seven o’ clock. But these sinners actually go past seven. We could not avoid the traffic and the school service problems but some students just wake up late because they are too lazy to wake up early. Therefore, they are considered the un-tardies or the late comers.

        This has a heavy punishment for the school is anti-late comers. In case this day is Monday, sir Tom would have another set of students to have the flag ceremony of their own and that is for the late comers. Or thus, ma’am Pareja will have the gate closed and will later be opened BUT the student will stay at the guidance and will have a talk to ma’am Pareja in recess, therefore being absent for two subjects in the morning. Scary punishments, right? I believe that punishment was from Octavian the strict.

Nome Six: The Copycats

        I cannot avoid the fact that I could not understand the lesson myself. I know I can simply ask questions regarding the lesson but one need not to copy another classmate’s answer. Those devils coming out of their place and got inside my soul were so desperate, which makes me cram even more. Students like me are getting used to it so they get too lazy to answer on their own.

        One cannot simply determine the punishment at first but when a test comes, that’s also when you realized you still don’t understand the lesson. You only have grades in homework because of copying, and now, a test comes and you got to do nothing but guess for the answers.

THIRD GRADING PERIOD

MOSH XD

First time I met you,

You were like an irritating parrot I’d like to ‘shoo’

We had these fights every time we were talking

But what I didn't know, behind these fights is a strong feeling.

Falling for you isn't what I expected

But I didn't know how it happened.

Guess this is what they call love

No reasons, no ifs and buts that someone might have.

That moment you told me you love me

I didn't believe unless you showed me.

You showed me the light in the darkness,

The happiness beyond these sorrows.

I could only find comfort in your arms

The spark of sincerity in your eyes

Sweetness of those words in your lips

And the endless love in your heart.

Those times I was with you, I feel like floating in air

That mysterious feeling I’d never wish to end.

The only person who made me feel this way

That feeling as warm as the sun’s warmest ray.

I never thought I could be happy this much,

For having you is like having a lot of rainbow in my pouch.

Each time you cross my mind,

I see myself and a smile was found.

Never did I regret those days without you
For I will regret more the fact that I didn't know you.
Those days sharing with you I will always remember
For those are the days I felt the happiest than ever.

I admire my tireless brain that never stops thinking about you,
This awesome heart that never stops to care for you
Include this arms, they always long for you
And these eyes that would always want to see the smile in you.

I only have this simple dream,

That is to be with you forever and have our own hymn

Promising you’d always be in my side

Making my roller coaster in life worth the ride.

“They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even when you don't know it.” –Nicholas Sparks. ‘They’ in the first sentence refers to our teachers. They have been our second mother and from them, we learn a lot of things. Different things that inspire us and makes us a better person. Because of that, our teachers can be considered as a hero.

One teacher that inspired me was Mrs. Lilian Tamayo. She knew me since preschool for she was, I think, the longest teacher that taught me. She inspired me to do my best in life, since I took the entrance exam in Cavite National Science High School. She showed her support to us exam takers and because of that, I was really courage to pass the exam. Still now, I am at CNSHS, I do my best to impress her, showing everything she taught me was worth it. Every time I visit my alma mater, I see her and she still never fails to inspire me. She is a kind teacher and when you meet her, she acts like a mother that is why every student she handles is very comfortable with her. I'll never forget the things she taught me, the things that made me a better person right now.

Words cannot express how much I am thankful to have her as a teacher. This Teacher's Day, let us let our teachers who inspired us a lot to feel the warmth and love from us students.

To be or not to be

A question that needs to be decided

Lot of choices but some only are considered

Every question that needs to be answered

To be or not to be depends on you

Right decisions lead to us being contented

While the wrong ones give us a sigh,

Wishing we never should have decided.

To be or not to be is the question

Decide not when you are mad

Do it in times of assurance

For every answer leads you to the right or wrong path.

    Another well-written piece of Shakespeare was introduced to us. As we all know, Shakespeare is a famous author notable for its well-written pieces that inspired many people. This piece, Comedy of Errors, is known as a “Plautine comedy.” It simply means that this story starts in chaos and ends in peace. Unlike other pieces, this piece is a comedy. This brings out exciting and thrilling events in every act and scene that every reader would enjoy.

      Comedy of Errors for me is a bit confusing. What makes it confusing is because there are two twins in this story and both of the twins have the same name. I laughed in the climax of the story for the characters themselves were also confused and not sure if they person they are talking to is the right one. Another hilarious thing is that they have the company of each other for many years and yet they could not determine which is which. They should be able to know who of the twins they are talking to. Even the wife itself had this confusion on its own husband, though she should be the first one who knows his husband well. At first, I have no idea what this piece is all about and even thought of it as tragedy but as I go on with the story, my expectations were not met. It is a very funny story after all.

      As the Comedy of Errors ended, a nice and happy ending was shown and the confusion of the readers ended as well. Peace is brought up in the story which is very appropriate for me. I would recommend this story to each and everyone who would like to encounter a unique piece from Shakespeare, though it’s not his original piece. I’m sure many readers will also enjoy this as I did when I was reading this logical yet hilarious story.

 “Farce commences in a postulate which must be granted.”

    “ The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.” In life, we often take tests. There are different kinds of tests we take in life, either test of courage or a written test. An example is the National Career Assessment Examination of NCAE. This test is to help students determine which course/s they should study in college and what sort of career they are best suited for. How important it is? Let’s see...

    Have you ever thought of the course you are going to take in college? If your answer is no, the NCAE is here to help you. It has many questions regarding what are your interests. By answering and analyzing your answers, it gives a result which contains the suggested course for you based on the correctness of your answers as well as the activities you are interested in. This exam is not a waste of time for me. It is also important for one to be trained in taking exams because the next year in my life would be full of college entrance exams so I should as well be trained in taking exams like this. Our thinking, analyzing and speed skills are going to be tested in NCAE. NCAE was developed was to address the issue of unemployment due to workers getting mismatched with the wrong careers. The hope is that by determining which careers they are ideally suited for, students can plan a course of study that will give them the skills and education they will need for their ideal careers.

    National Career Assessment Examination is a big help not only for us but also for the economy of this country. Students would be able to choose the right course for them thus creating a prosper life. To some, if it is a waste of time, for me it is an important test which would help upcoming college students to choose the most suited course for them, thus leading them to a good lifestyle.

Some NCAE Tips :))

Red Bayern cheering ~!

    Intramurals are recreational sports organized within a set geographic area. Intramurals or also called ‘Intrams’ is a fun, recreational, social and competitive on-campus sports activities. Many students are excited to have this activity since it is just once a year.

Awarding

Sepak Takraw (Red Bayern vs Blue Chelsea)

    Intrams is not just for fun or recreation. It can help us science students in many ways. It develops the coordination and teamwork of each teams to help each other win in the game. It also makes one competitive not only in academics but also in sports. We science students excel in academics and Intrams is here to prove that we also excel in sports. It can also be an exercise good for our boy. It makes us strong enough to play more games without tiring too much. It also helps relieve the stress from our daily tasks in school by doing the sport in which we excel.

Awarding

    This experience we gained as a Science student can never be forgotten. It is part of our high school life which adds fun and thrill. Here, we learn how to fight fairly and accept completely.

Language. What is language? For me, language is a way of communication of thoughts and feelings of people. Those are words we express through feelings. Every country has its own language and every people master their own language. Sometimes, they learn other language for additional knowledge or for fun. Without language, we cannot understand one another and we could not say what we would like to say.

 Here in our own country, we have two main languages: the English and Filipino language. If I were to choose between the fluency in the English language and mastery of the native language, I would choose the fluency in English language. The first reason is because English is the universal language and it helps to communicate not only to the people in our country but as well as to the people in other country.  By this way, we can be globally competitive. Another reason is because English is the main language all over the world and when we learn another language, it uses the translation in English. So the English language can be a way for us to learn another language of our choice. And since each one of us is required to speak in English because we are in a Science High School, it means that we have to be fluent in speaking English. It would be a shame to us speaking English in the wrong grammar because we studied English well and until now, learning to be fluent in speaking the English language.

Being fluent in the English language is what I prefer more. It is because I believe more in global communication than being used to what is not new to us. But in times, we need not to forget about our own native language. It builds the unity of us Filipinos.

I am Chloe Stephan Lee. My friends call me Steph and he calls me Chloe. I am a senior at Philippine City Science High School and tomorrow will be our graduation. Surely, there will be a baccalaureate mass before the ceremony.

*ring..ring*

“Hello?” I answered.

“Chloe! Where are you? We need you here...I mean, I need you here.”

“Ok fine. I am just getting ready.”

“Don’t get too stunning, hm?”

    Oh. That was Rey Cruz. He courts me for already 4 months and never fails to amuse me.

    I am now standing at the front of our school, excited to help fix for the graduation tomorrow. When numerous students passed, I know I am late. Well I’m actually a punctilious student but since there are no classes today, I got lazy to wake up. Even my ephebe brother agrees.

    I was looking at our classroom’s corridor. Surprised, I saw Rey handling a babushka to a girl. And worse, the girl was my best friend. The connoisseur famous singer in our campus, Chaleen. She even have a pseudonym as “Domo Girl” in her club which is rambunctious for her as the president.

    My heart crumbled to pieces. I can’t bear what I am seeing. Rey actually kissed Chaleen. I ran away from school and went straight to my father’s cemetery. As I read the epitaph inscribed on the tomb, tears ran down my cheeks.

“Father...*sniff...sniff* Why? I thought Rey was like you. A loyal man. But to what happened this day, every description of mine towards him was proven wrong. He became contumacious? My best friend and the love of my life betrayed me. Two persons I trust my life with. But why father, why?

*Graduation Day*

    I don’t feel like attending today because I’m not in good shape but with the support of my mom and  my buffoon step dad, I decided to go and since this is the last sorrowful night being a high school student.

    As soon as the ceremony started, nothing sinks in my mind but the scene yesterday. The valedictorian started her harangue, including the club entourage gave their farewell messages to the audience. I suddenly remember my days when I acquiesce my projects in my own club and the  garrulous club president that gets mad easily at me when I don’t comply.

After the graduation, Chaleen’s neighbor approached me. She is very fastidious when it comes to suitors.

“Steph...”

“Oh Glyzen, what brings you here?”I curiously asked.

“I-Uh.. I’m here to say that Chaleen just got to America yesterday.”

“Really? Why? But.. Why didn’t she told me?

“She actually should tell you yesterday but saw you running away. She had no time to search for her flight that time was near. Everything was rushed even the flight.”

    That left my mouth wide opened. That explains everything. Why Rey kissed him and gave a gift. Oh no! How selfish I am to jump into wrong conclusions. I don’t know what to do next until my Rey’s best friend that looks faitour, Felix approached me.

“Steph, Rey asks you to go to the garden, now.”

“Okay.” I replied plainly.

“Much more of a tryst, indeed.” He grinned.

    As I walk into the garden, I could smell an uncouth atmosphere. The colorful lights went up, the smell of Jasmine and Lavander entered my nose. Ah, just like the tautology in my dreams. I could hear no noise and surely, this wasn’t the right time to vociferate for I can feel every move I make towards the dark shadow is recorded in a surveillance camera.

    As the dark shadow revealed itself, it was Rey carrying a bouquet of flowers.

“Chloe...”

“I’m going to ask the same question to you...”

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

Ice Cream

I

When I hear the word ‘Ice Cream’,

My tummy starts to rumble with a hymn.

An irresistible temptation it causes,

The delightful taste, it never loses.

II

Different flavors for you and for me.

Each one of them never disappoints thee.

Luscious flavors with mixed toppings

Makes us crave for this more than any other things.

III

Cookies and cream with those big Oreos,

I can get more in the fridge or from yours.

Hershey’s chocolate, my favorite flavor,

So now give me some, that’s my favor.

IV.

Expensive or not I don’t care

What’s important is I can eat here or there.

Cheers up my mood in every way,

With a simple Ice Cream, my sadness goes away.