Memoirs of St David's High School Part 3

The final installment. Click to read Part 1 and Part 2

Form 5
This was a year of fire and pressure. Becoming the charter President of Stargate Club was daunting. Stargate was a club aimed at creating and teaching adolescent sexual reproductive health (ASRH) or as most people put it; sex education. We were funded under a project by the International Planned Parenthood Federation Association in Japan and this came under the umbrella of the Family Planning Association Melaka (FPAM). It was a huge deal because we’re the first club of such nature in the country. Only 2 more clubs of its kind existed, one each in Japan and Bangladesh. But most people are not concerned with the background. The fact that this is new to everyone cause a lot of stir in classrooms and the teacher’s lounge.

I remember a teacher walking into my classroom one day asking for the Stargate President. I stood up and she gave me one heck of a look and then launched into what felt like a 20 minute lecture of how teaching students on ASRH will encourage them to go out and have sex, it pollutes the mind of young people, etc etc. I think she was short of saying she’s ashamed of having a student like me and how could I look at myself at the mirror everyday for what I’m doing and the possible mayhem I create.

That was tough and the pressure immense having to deal with people judging me and the members of the club. Some ran a mile while others approached us with their dilemmas. I heard the snickers behind my back but the occasional pat on my shoulders was good enough to erase all bad memories.

Asides that, there were the fun moments. For an unexplainable reason, I was good a History although I didn’t like the subject. In fact, to avoid studying for it, I concentrated in class so that I don’t have to do revision at home while a majority of the class would be completing homework from the more “important” subjects like biology, chemistry, physics or additional mathematics. I hated it so much I only studied History the night before my tests and exams. So J.Lo called me up the night before our History trial paper asking which chapters was I studying for and she’ll do the same.

When the teacher came to pass back our results, she wasn’t so happy because we didn’t do as well as expected. And there I was speaking at the top of my voice complaining very loudly that the paper was freaking hard, tricky, vague questions and whatever lame excuse I could pull of. She then proceeded to give out those who scored 90% and above. “First with 98% is Popeye, 95% CHS, 94% Ohkulala, 92%....” Holy cow, I scored again and this time J.LO was not so cool because despite studying the exact same chapters, she scored only half my score!

So I was the first president for stargate. There is another first and this time it is about something slightly different. Add Math was a subject I never got till today but being in Form 5 kinda got me to work at it harder. During the first monthly test, I actually scored my first A1 in it! So came the next test, I was set on maintaining my grade. Imagine when the teacher fumed into class saying that she was disappointed. 2 failures spoilt her reputation for 100% passes in class. Oh boy, she was really really angry.

So when she called the second name out, I calmly took my paper and it was not till I got back to my seat that I realized I was one of her students who put her through such shame. The measly 38% was a huge slap on my face for I have never ever failed anything in my life before. I didn’t see it coming, I have always danced with 40-60% average but to fail was unacceptable. What made it harder was the fact the teacher harped about it for the entire 40 minute lesson and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face as I wrote down exercises in my note book. I felt so embarrassed, ashamed, shocked, disappointed, upset, disbelief, hopeless with that one failure. I felt scared, really scared for the first time thinking I had overestimated my ability to actually pass the paper and with SPM around the corner, I was a little kitten trapped at the corner of 2 walls with a person approaching with a butcher’s knife in his hand. I don’t remember crying so painfully inside before. When Kenny gave me a hug, I soaked his coat wet with all my tears.

That only made me more determined to do better the next time. i was determined to get the best scholarships in the country to pursue my accounting degree in the UK. I had this dream for the longest time and I didn’t want a poor grade for SPM to stop me. A lot of studying was involved especially with my 2 weakest subjects, biology and add maths.

My mum then came up with a brilliant plan, to organize a prom night. With a small committee for 4 people, we had a blast of a time planning and organizing it. In fact, we talked and planned and had lots of day dreaming done during Azman tuition. No wonder I almost never got my work done on time. It was so nice to see everyone all dressed for the occasion looking pretty and handsome. The first of such party and it was a roaring success.

Verdict: Work hard, play hard

So there are my five years of secondary education in St David’s High School. The school may not look fancy with new furniture, the old paint and grey hallways but this is the school that made me grow up and prepared me for what the real world would be like. You don’t always get what you want and sometimes you get them in a different package. It is the teachers who are dedicated to their profession, true friends who stick to you through thick and thin and the enriching experiences ill never forget that makes the school very special. I love St David’s with all my heart and I would love to give back to the school who taught me some very important life lessons for here stands a true proud St Davidian.