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E Mag for a freshies year
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Double-A Magazine
Written by: william Alonzo & Andrew chua
FreshStart: Xavier’s Freshmen
Once I got to high school, everything changed. I once thought that I knew all the little places around the school because iʼve been in Xavier for quite a while now. I realized that I was wrong, I was surprised to see that I donʼt know anything about the high school grounds. The gym and patio were familiar, but everything else was all new to me.
" Another new thing were my new classmates, usually from St. Jude, so many transferees got in our batch, two of them were in my homeroom. Since they were new, I was pretty cautious around them, a little quiet actually. I would try to talk to them every now and then, finding something we have in common. After the first two weeks, the new kid got used to me. I would talk to him more often, and it turns out, they are more hardworking than I had imagined. Its either an A or an A+ for every test they have. By the time it was second quarter, we knew that they were going to be nominated for the Xavier Award.
" Usually, on the first day of school when we were in grade school, we would get tired of the lessons. It would be last yearʼs with something extra. In high school, its completely different. I was excited to learn new things like biology, and quadratic functions. Although Chinese has been the same old routine,(new words then story then test the next day) it is just one out of the seven subjects (not including art, music, PE, and extra-curricular activities). Also, since it was high school, I was expecting a different kind of art and music, like when I was still in grade 5, I was excited to be in grade 6 the next year because we would have carpentry. I still hold my art project in my room like it was a trophy. I actually thought I would be studying about Pablo Picasso and his interesting back story. What I learned is that the new lessons may be hard, but they are interesting and worth learning.
" As always, a new year meant new teachers, we did the old tradition of whenever you meet a new teacher. Keep quiet, observe the teacher, and when youʼre sure heʼs not strict or anything, you can start talking now. I met strict teachers, kind teachers, teachers who didnʼt even care if you were playing soccer at the back of the room, and teachers who were the stuff of nightmares. You always have at least one of those in each school year. At first it felt weird how they called us “gentlemen” instead of “boys”. I was still used to grade school. But then you just get used to it.
" Like every new year, my first year of being a freshman was hard and unfamiliar. You always get used to it, I will never know how, but you just do.
-Andrew Chua
BRAND NEW
"
June 2012, the legendary moment of one finally being part of the High School student body ... well, for the Rouge Stallions that is.
" 9 months ago, I, together with my batch mates, became Freshies. I remember it just like it was yesterday. <--- ahahaha see what I did there? Nah? Hehehehe, but Iʼm not kidding.
" Fresh off summer and being a couch-potato 3 months straight, I did not really look forward going back to school. I woke up, lazy as ever and went through the daily morning routine. I disliked the thought of going back and working my ass off, but then again, I remembered that itʼs quite different this time around. William Alonzo - FRESHMAN ... now doesnʼt that sound great? I hoped on the car and went to school with so much high hopes.
" When I entered the High School building, everything started setting in. All my joys and happiness of now being a freshman, suddenly turned into fear. Starting from the aura of the place, to the classrooms; from the teachers to the building itself, I could tell that being part of High School meant serious business. Before, our building was something lively and jumpy, and when I saw the one we had now, I thought that High School wasnʼt going to be as fun.
" When our teachers came in, most of them really looked serious. Away from the usual teachers that we had back then, I was afraid that they were going to “terrors”. There was this one teacher who spoke so fast in filipino, and said that he disliked noise. I was really frightened at that time! Also, there was this one who also owned one of my classmates when he tried to make a joke and it was just of a different league out there
" Aside from that, I felt like I was a 1st grader all of a sudden once more. Before in Middle School, we were the oldest, but now wherein we are in High School, we are the youngest once more. I felt intimidated to be part of high school on my first day, and all my joys and high hopes faded all of a sudden. My smile turned into a frown and I had goosebumps all over my body
-William Alonzo
START !!!
FEAR. When I first stepped on to the gates of High School, this word suddenly engulfed me.
" Usually, on the first day of school, we had our orientations and we let it be. Our teachers tell us about our curriculum and it sounds more like the curriculum of last year, but with cream, syrup and cherry on top. Same old same old. Unfortunately, that usually was only true for the past years.
" This year, when we had our couple of orientations, the fear that I first felt grew even bigger. I heard of quadratic functions, prologue writing, and lots more that I wasnʼt even aware of before. In addition, I saw how different the assessments were. Aside from the usual quiz, we were suppose to make videos, brochures, 800 word essays, and much much more. Oh oh! Speaking about assessments being harder, talk about not having INCENTIVE!
" Before when we were part of the math advance class, we always had a 10% incentive on every graded assessment given that the lesson we took was harder compared to that of the regular. Now, that incentive only applies to the QT. UNFAIR! I felt the pressure sink in, and that was something not worth looking forward to at all.
" In addition to these, we learned on how easy it was to get a green slip as well. From leaving simple wallets and watches in your room, to leaving your gadgets, getting a sanction seemed easier to get now. I mean ... a wallet?
" First day has gone, and I saw how difficult High School can be. Maybe itʼs all on getting used to it.
-William
DARK DAYS
OF PROBLEMS There were difficulties in the start of the school year. Getting used to the 7 day cycle took a while for me to get used to, I often confused what subject to which day, finding out that it was actually another day. Sometimes I go to school with day 1 supplies on day 4. That was not the worst of my problems, since the teachers expect us to be more behaved, I see greenslips flying here and there. School just got scarier, I would be careful of my surroundings, stay five clicks away from any teacher, or thatʼs what my inner radar would tell me.
There would be more annoying teachers. Back then, annoying would mean Chinese teachers who wouldnʼt give you a good grade, or teachers that are really specific and takes your essay too seriously, scrutinizing every word. This year, not even the occasional grammar nazi english teacher would compare to the “I will postpone todayʼs test, but I will give you different test today” kind. (which is usually the Chinese teachers who clearly donʼt know half of what we are saying) Reasoning with them would be a useless cause. It seemed that going to high school was a big mistake.
But, as always, every problem has a solution. I would stick around the quiet guys (usually the transferees) because I know they wonʼt attract attention, and also because I could make a new friend. You could always be with your old barkada, but just make sure that your group is not the rowdy or noisy one or else you could be visiting the ODS more often.
Along with hard lessons come hard tests. How will you keep up your honor you got back in grade 7? Try asking your classmates for help, or even asking the teacher. I actually have a hard time asking the teacher at the start of the school year,(I thought there was a criteria on how you use the intercom on the teacherʼs workroom) donʼt worry, you will get used to everything.
No matter how hard it is to tell your teacher that you donʼt understand the lesson or that there are already five assessments due on that day, donʼt be annoyed, thereʼs always a reason behind that. Iʼve noticed that many people donʼt take their work seriously when they donʼt like the teacher, it is not worth it. They think that they are messing around with the teacher but they are actually messing around with their grade. Everytime I get tired, I would usually get a drink or eat some chips to get my mind off things, then continue where I left off, more energized. This also works when you are writing some story for English and you have a mind block.
-Andrew
MAN FOR
Funny, I thought high school would be another four years of hell for me, but its a pretty fun ride so far. It is scary, but you will have a good time. It reminded me of the first time I rode space mountain in DisneyLand, I thought it was some scary rollercoaster like Spaceshuttle in EK, but it was fast and I loved it the whole way. Like high school, there will be many things that will scare you, you will feel the rush, and forget almost all the troubles,(until one hour before the deadline of a 20% assessment) but you will have the time of your life.
-Andrew
BROTHERSA month has gone since I became part of High School, and still not much of an improvement. I have gone through HELL WEEKS in grade school terms , and everyday in high school terms. HOW GREAT THE DIFFERENCE!
" After a month, I still did not get used to being part of the High School. Although I have tried coping up, there were still some subjects I was trying to catch up on. I was still having a hard time, and some simple things like a check-up quiz, I have stayed up for all night already. I was worried how itʼs gonna be when the actual assessments come and when the HELL WEEKS do come. Because of this, I started seeking help from my friends who got used to High School already.
" Given the fact that I was only a freshie and the youngest among 4 High School batches, I was the one least experience of being part of that kind of student body. Because of my want to cope up, I asked help from my older brothers and give me tips. I asked people like Patrick Castillo on how to cope up with High School and they have given me such great tips that did work out well.
" One of the most useful tips given to me, was to just go with the flow. Donʼt be worried or donʼt fret on what may happen, cus your biggest enemy is yourself. If you create problems that do not exist, you will have a hard time. Go with the flow, chill, get used to the rhythm of things and youʼll get there. The more you force it, the earlier youʼll get worn out.Take it step by step and then you will get there.
" A month after than month after the start of school, I started getting the hang of things. I figured that if I panicked, I wouldnʼt be productive at all. In addition to that, I realized that if you can give up watching TV, playing any playing console, or using any kind of thing that you really donʼt need, refrain from it and be productive.
" - William
Months have gone, and I started enjoying High School. The first impression of it being really serious vanished, as I was able to experience what High School truly meant.
When I heard the orientaBon, and heard advice from my friends of giving up watching TV and such, I hated the thought of High School and missed Grade School all of a sudden. But when I realized that all it took was Bme management and doing your prioriBes first, it all changed.
I figured that High School gave so much different opportuniBes. If you were too concentrated on grades or too concentrated on ECA before, High School helps you refrain to that and gives you both. They offer clubs and so much commiLees wherein you could learn a lot and good grades, and most of all have fun. One club I joined this year that I believed offer both was Debate Club and Xsports. Debate was fun simply because you can argue and get mad without even anyone gePng mad at you. In fact, they even encourage you as long as you sBll make sense. Also, you not only get to be “badass”, but you also get to learn so much things about current events, and perceive things in a deeper sense than the old way of looking at things. Now for XSports, it was fun because you play sports ... correcBon ... compeBBve sports. In addiBon, you also get to learn how to play parkour, karate, and other sports that aren’t mainstream. Best part, you don’t have to get out of your way to be part of these clubs, all you have to do is fill in a slip and drop it!
One commiLee that is legen-‐wait for it-‐dary is the A-‐Day commiLee. Aside from you being able to do something for the appreciaBon of people, you get to do it with style. Have you ever wondered how good it feels to keep a secret for months away from those you see everyday, well ADComm allows you to feel just like that! Aside from keeping secrets and feeling like spies, you feel like a ninja too as you try to prepare and surprise your teachers without them even knowing it. Oh oh! Sleepless nights with MCDO all the Bme??? Yeah that’s ADCOMM for you!
Before I thought having different kinds of assessments rather than just quizzes was something stupid, but I realized it could be fun. A quick example of this was the first assessment I had which was a mythbusters-‐themed report. We took a classic boring unwanted awful same old mind-‐bugging unappeBzing bad adjecBving kind of science experiment, and turned it into a funny video. By having this rather than just a quiz, we were able to exercise our other talents with gadgets and hone our skills too.
To be part of the High School student body is hard at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll love every single of it.
-‐William
IT’S MORE FUN
IN XAVIER ;)Aside from having fun, there are many good things that come with being a freshman. You are a kuya to the younger batches. You would be looked up by the younger batches and would be a great leader to them. This would help you in the long run as it can do wonders for getting children to go to your booth, or supporting you in running for office, or even supporting you in your committeeʼs projects. Either way, you will get little minions to do your bidding.(but not in an evil way wherein you abuse your powers, use it to help the school). Another good thing is that you can join committees. You can work on school projects like the Fair or Variety show. Not only will you be given credit, you will also be happier because you know you did something for your school. People will not only know you as the kuya who had the awesome booth at the fair, but will know you as the kuya who planned the awesome “Vari”.
" One of the perks I enjoy the most is the fact that you can go around the school without being held back by the “high school only” signs. It makes you feel like a VIP and really helps on the days where I need a long power-walk around the school to take my mind off things or help me on my next test. The most evident good thing about being in high school is that they have letter grades. It is now easier to get As (which is required in first honor), but is harder to get A+. Now it is easier for me not to be scared of bringing home low grades. Because of the new grading system, even if your answers are all wrong, you have a chance of getting that C or higher in Math(actually depends on your mistakes).
-Andrew
IT’S MORE FUNSo far my first year in high school was a blast. Iʼm pretty sure it will for
the future batches. No matter how high or how low, you will never run out of fun. Whether you are having your daily study time or cramming for a science project, there is always that moment where you see that High 1 is not that bad. Even if you are having trouble with your friends or just having a good time, youʼll notice that school is not all work, there is still room to play. When I look back at the previous years, I wonder how I could have not seen any of these. It just seems that High 1 has this special something that lets you see the real good side of school.
-Andrew
IN H1F For me, aside from all the ECA and interesBng assessments, the most important part of High School is my epic bond with all my classmates.
Without my classmates, I do not believe that I could have gone through the 9 months of my freshman year without them. From smart people to athleBc people, from silent people to troublemakers, they all allowed me to be a beLer person that I was before and I cherish every moment I had with them. Karl Go and Louie Lagon and William Alonzo-‐ the troublesome trio. When I am with Karl and Lagon, there is always this destrucBve force that defies all odds. What do I mean? Simple. When we are groupmates in anything, we fool around first and become a destrucBve force, but all of a sudden in the last minute we all just come together and create something epic. Weird huh? Maybe that’s why we’re troublesome ... we create trouble ... but just some ;)
During the 1st quarter, the sly SEBASTIAN WILLIAM DI allowed me to further develop my creaBvity. Since he was my partner during the Mythbusters project I was talking about, we had to pour all our creaBve juices out. Him being one of the most creaBve people I know, has driven me to go beyond what I usually do for projects. We created storyboards, characters, edited music, looked for things that were fit for the projects and really worked our ass off. Months away from the 1st quarter, the both of us together with some other people like Javi Sabarre created other
videos for our A-‐day Video, Christmas Video, Fair Video, and much much more.
Speaking about the Fair, our President ChrisBan Ng, allowed me to further develop my leadership skills. On ever single compeBBon and such, ChrisBan and I always teamed up as the leaders of such things. From the Filipino Oral CompeBBon, Fair, Service InteracBon PresentaBon and such, I think I owe ChrisBan for driving the leader and the iniBaBve within of me out. Can you believe, that due to our endless revisions and last-‐minute changes, we won the Filipino Oral compeBBon? FIRST PLACE! Also, due to all our efforts in our planning for the fair, we were able to gain so much funds. Oh oh yeah... due to the endless night that we pracBced our PresentaBon for Service InteracBon, we were able to put smiles on the face of the imprisoned? How cool is that?
Yes super cool, but you know what is cooler??? My seatmates! The troublesome quad of SebasBan Di, Francis Leung, MarBn Guevarra, Javi Sabarre + the forever alone Louie Lagon + the ever awesome Karl Go + Chinese class partners Gab Santos, ChrisBan Dy, Nikson Kho, Elijah Chua, Kurt Tan + the math pakwan Nathan Oranga + ever-‐creaBve choreographer Nathan Chua + Jai-‐ho neighbor Vince Nioko and I can go on and on and on ... they all made my darn awesome year. Yes that’s right I have a lot of seatmates problem? Each and every person in my class, with their weird and different personaliBes, made me a person beLer today, one who seeks magis.
-‐ William Alonzo
DOUBLE A- MAGAZINE WRITTEN
BY ALONZO AND ANDREW.
DISCLAIMER: ALL PICTURES CAME
FROM XAVIER SCHOOL’S FB PAGE, MEME GENERATOR
AND MR. HOFILENA’S
PHOTOS.
#ITSMOREFUNINXAVIER #ITSMORFUNINH1F