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Our Long Stretch… Our Journey

Final stretch.  Last five minutes before the time. His palms are sweaty, his fingers hurt from all the writing, and his hair, a mess from all the frustration. On his desk lie sheets upon sheets of paper, all filled with various solutions and numbers. He has answered all the items on the quiz, except for the last problem. He needs to answer this to increase his chances of passing in Math. He starts his attempts of coming up with the right solution, but alas, none of it works. His sweat drips down his forehead as he tries again and again, until the sad truth slowly dawns on him: he cannot solve it in time. “Pass your papers now, finished or not finished,” says the teacher in her usual bossy voice. That is it. The sleepless nights he spent reading countless textbooks, and the tutoring sessions he paid for… all for naught. He has this sinking feeling he is going to fail the test.

This is just one of the many situations that a student of Makati Science High School experiences. The anxiety of preparing for exams and requirements to get that passing mark on the report card, and the pressure of deadlines to meet the teachers’ expectations are realities that all students can relate to.  It is this type of stress that most, if not all students complain about and endure throughout the long school year. However, it is an undeniable fact that along with this constant stress and demands, comes the training unlike any other. Students are effectively stretched, even beyond that which they think they can do, so that they will be equipped to cope with the pressures of higher education and having a career in the future.  Then there is also the area of the social life.

Stretching one’s boundaries. We cannot live in a box isolated from others.  To be successful and fulfilled, people need other people.  As an old familiar song goes, “No man is an island, no man stands alone.”  In this learning institution, students are taught, not only to handle studying and fulfilling the requirements for multiple subjects all at the same time, but how to balance these as well with developing good social skills and having healthy interpersonal relationships both in and out of school.

Walking into MakSci on the first day of school, different people with varied backgrounds in life are there to encounter. For the Grade 7 student-newbies, the circle of friends will first be limited to classmates. Then as the year progresses, all students will start forming their cliques or “barkadas” whom they find to have common interests and values with.  Superficial interactions become deeper creating close friendships one can count on to get help and encouragement from year after year, especially during the down times and chaotic schedules. Yes, the grade levels and sections may change, but students will most certainly find and/or maintain their own treasured circle of friends whom they can efficiently work with and enjoy being with through thick and thin.  The interaction, however, is not limited to friends.  Students are continuously exposed to challenging situations, especially when they are assigned group work and class presentations, where they have no choice but to learn to relate with others who are not within their cliques, or may be very different from them.  This stretches them socially, thus training them to accept others for who they are so they can adjust accordingly to get the job done.  

It is common knowledge that every journey has its own ups and downs --- difficulties to slow down the heroes, and rewards to give them a sense of success and accomplishment. We have seen this in the lives of the real heroes from history, or the popular wide-screen heroes like Luke Skywalker of Star Wars or Frodo of The Lord of The Rings. We see it up close and personal in the lives of the heroes of MakSci --- our very own lives.

Stretching to infinity and beyond.  The road through Makati Science High School is quite remarkable. The ups and downs take us into a roller coaster ride that brings excitement, fear, and fulfillment at the end of the journey.  This school forges our identity, whether we like it or not, in more ways than one.  The intellectual and academic challenges may overwhelm us.  The interpersonal conflicts and relationship hurdles may confuse and test us. The day-to-day routine may exhaust us. Yet all these bring a form of stretching in our lives that definitely teach wisdom, build discipline, strengthen our character and mold us into more matured and responsible individuals.

This is our long stretch.  Our road to learning.  Our journey.  

And to those who are walking this path today, or have gone this way before, this blog is dedicated to you.  Live long and prosper. Bring on the stretching.

Rafael Alvarado, Anthony Tan, Inigo Flores