By Isabella T. Magno

“Let’s Go, STEM!”

After waiting two years to finally step foot on the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS) as official students, the STEM A ASHS students, who hail from Grade 12 sections Navarro, Ogilvie, Walpole, and Xavier looked forward to their strand day, Friday, March 18.

“It feels a bit strange to welcome you at this point in the school year when we are already beginning the fourth quarter, but I genuinely greet you ‘welcome’. […] Our alma mater song puts it quite beautifully and succinctly. This is the place where we belong,” ASHS Principal Noel P. Miranda said as he commenced his welcome speech.

It was not easy for the activity’s organizers to carry it through, but they did it with the ‘zeal to provide hope to the students, especially the seniors.’

“It has been quite challenging. […] But we had consultations with experts to know what protocols and guidelines are fit to be followed by the students and the teachers. It is obviously for seniors, first and foremost. I read it as an act of saying, ‘We will bring you home no matter what. This is a hope for you to celebrate being in your strand.’ Because [their strands] are their first home in senior high school,” ACO Moderator as well as Grade 12 English Teacher Ma’am Dana Torio said in an exclusive interview with the Hi-Lites Editorial Board, as she expressed how important celebrating Strand Day is. 

As part of the opening ceremony, Dulaang Sibol, an ASHS organization that puts on plays and song performances, devoted a performance to greet the seniors and remind them of what it was like when face-to-face performances were held a few years ago.

Moreover, the Blue Babble Battalion also performed a cheer that rekindled the UAAP sentiments among the seniors, as this organization is the official cheer team of the Ateneo de Manila University.

Following the back-to-back performances by two of the university’s renowned groups, the program moved on to the strand blessing, which was led by Fr. Braulio M. Dahunan, SJ. This was then followed by the singing of the Song for Mary. 

Finally, the plenary program concluded with classroom presidents and vice presidents carrying their class banners to the front of the stage to express pride in their class and the STEM strand as a whole.

Alternative Classes

Right after the plenary program, the STEM A Strand Day moved on to the administration of the alternative classes, which were designed to connect students with each other and create relevant opportunities and improvements. 

As written in the STEM A Strand Day primer, the official alternative classes for STEM A are as follows:

• Frontliners’ kitchen, with 14 slots for both online and onsite activities, strived to assist students actualize their enthusiasm for community service. This was headed by Ms. Jeanill Migraso.
• Body Prayer that incorporated both the physical and spiritual components of the body in order for students to experience inner peace in the presence of God. Sir Jerry Pavia guided the 28 participants from both online and onsite.
• Introduction to Programming with 10 slots open for each of the onsite and online sessions was led by Sir Bryan Salcedo. This aimed to impart knowledge about coding and programming.
• Sir John Bilog’s Guitar Music was limited to 14 onsite slots, with the goal of providing comfort to the ASHS students.
• Pocket Pauses, on the other hand, concentrated on letting go of negativity by creating little breathing moments in our day. There were only 14 onsite slots available, hosted by Ma’am Arriene Lambo.
• Sir Matt Calvin Dadivas hosted 14 onsite slots of Red Alert, which focused on recognizing red flags in young romantic relationships.
• Basic KPOP Dance Class was led by Ma’am Ricky Bilog. This encouraged students to learn how to jive to KPOP music, particularly BTS songs. There were only 14 onsite slots available.
• Basketball Drills led by Filipino basketball player Michael Nieto featured basketball training drills and techniques held at the ASHS covered court. 30 onsite slots were available for the class.
• ASHS Campus Ride was established especially for bicyclers. Sir Jok Cobar hosted the ten students for the onsite activities.
• Physical Fitness at Home aimed to guide students where and how to begin their fitness journey in the comfort of their homes. The 14 students who attended through online means were hosted by Sir Tony Ramos.

One of the learners from 12-Ogilvie who participated in the activity, Gwen Curativo, noted that having Pocket Pauses as an alternative class added to the ‘excitement’ of her Strand Day experience.

She added that if the same system and protocols are applied during the actual onsite classes, she will be relieved and feel safe, as everything is ‘well-planned’ and ‘organized’.

“If may doubts sila kung safe ba, isipin lang nila na, right now, they have to adapt kahit papaano. Kasama din nila ang buong [ASHS] community; hindi sila alone sa struggle nila,” Curativo said, as she ended her exclusive interview with the Hi-Lites Editorial Board by giving a final message for the juniors.

The STEM A’s Strand Day emceed by Yana Sarmiento, STEM chairperson, and Jacques Zacharie Thaddeus Ponce, STEM vice chairperson, is only the first of five Strand Days that will be conducted this school year.

The remaining strand days are on March 25 for GA, April 1 for HUMSS, April 8 for ABM, and April 29 for STEM B.