YOUNG VOICE
Perfect 75
“We have decided we’ll give you a grade of 75.”
My clinical instructor could not have enunciated the statement more clearly. We 42 students of section 3B knew we deserve it. I was leading myself into a secret escapade to a little fantasy world where group presentations consider 75 as a perfect score and mercury-rising criticisms were considered to be golden stars. But, I couldn’t help but endure what seemed to be a hot slap on the face. It was the very first time in my life that I got a grade of 75 and knowing it was a group effort, it pierced even deeper directly revealing how disunited and ineffective the 42 of us as a section.
Almost everyone in the class graduated high school with academic honors. Our section currently has the most number of academic awardees in the batch. Clearly, we supposedly should have the edge. But, it turned out that our individual strengths did not meet standards. Thus I conclude that sometimes two heads aren’t always better than one. They could have been if these heads, these ideas, these efforts were merged into one commonality, disapproving what is lousy and stupid while absorbing what is logical and reasonable. We ended up banging each other’s heads, living through one feisty argument to the next.
Everyone wanted their own ideas to be considered by the big group. No problems there, I believe that more ideas can bear fruit to even more solutions. But each was too rigid and too confident; believed no other idea would be better than their own.
I guess this is the problem when everybody is too smart; nobody wants to give in to somebody. I guess many of us wanted to prove our capabilities that we wanted everyone behind to simply follow. We were so obsessed in being right all the time, that even if some would think otherwise we simply resort to defending ourselves blindly no matter how crooked and off-beamed we become. We are afraid of ridicule, of being proven wrong and mediocre.
Our section might have forgotten the very essence why we were in a group, why we were a team. A team works as one. It makes use of the strengths and covers up the weaknesses. Like in basketball, tall players primarily act as defense because the shorter members couldn’t guard as efficiently as the long leggers could. The faster players deliver the ball across courts to more skilled shooters. The tall players know they in the best position to guard, so whether they like the role or not, they have to pursue it for the benefit of the team. Same goes with class presentations, when you think your ideas won’t serve as much benefit to your class, then just shut up and think of other ways in which you can help.
After a dozen of debates and more than often deliberations, the class had come up with an idea to pursue. The proponents were among the most active during preparation. The oppositions simply act out what is inherent to many Filipinos; the culture of apathy. Some thought that since their ideas were disregarded, why then should they bother to help and support the contradiction? What happened next were counterparts of flying casseroles for quarreling couples. Many clamor why some would deny themselves from engaging in the preparation, why some could still find time to log-on to Facebook as others couldn’t even catch a minute of sleep. The unequal role assignments preceded some days of literally counting participation and involvement so as to satisfy the growing apprehension and conscience of each member.
Apathy. This really is the cancer that gradually infiltrates the very core of Filipino culture. Well, since you’re in a group, whether you agree or disagree with the majority, you are opted by your so called superego to be lured unto involvement. We see a fellow jeepney passenger throwing candy wrappers through the window. Let us not think that since it doesn’t concern us, our duty and participation is exempted. We are actually committing negligence by the omission of our moral duty. We are each other’s keeper. We must look after each other. We all belong to the same locality, same city, same region, same country, same specie. We ought to empathize.
What good will a room full of geniuses do, when none of them agree with each other. It is better to have a room full of idiots who have the same foolish thought. At least they’ll be getting somewhere.
Our clinical instructors gave our section another chance to improve, by holding another class presentation in a few weeks time.
The imminent 75 might have shaken the dormant and slumbering initiatives from each of us.
I just hope we learned our lesson.
(Comments and reactions send an email to reylangarcia@gmail.com or view http://www.theyoungvoice.blogspot.com)