Almost all universities in Baguio City have declared their academic break. However, some people still could not understand why it is a must. Some still think that the problem arising in our society should not be given attention. Being suicidal is a disease that must also be cured like any other illness. Many people can still not comprehend that each person has a different way of dealing with problems. The world is changing, so is the condition of life. Things that may have worked before may not work now. Every day the story differs. Painful for many, but it might be more sorrowful for others. We do not have the resemblance of mind and status that our views will never be any more necessary if we may have. Though, why do some still not realize that the academic loads with the additional effects of the pandemic are too much? Why do some others criticize without fitting their feet to the victim’s shoes first?
Numerous students are still adjusting, and the others appeal for a break because they cannot find a way to manage it. I may not have the worst standing, but I am speaking up for those who are. Having own battle means having own reasons. A few may not feel the anguish, but the preponderance has established their voice which explains that it is worth fighting since it is for the welfare of all the students. Student rights were never distinct from human rights. Students never felt entitled, but instead, they knew their rights to be understood. Learners now are not vulnerable; it just so happens that the impacts of the environment are compelling and unruly. The learners are neither indolent nor reckless, but preferably, they are mentally exhausted, which causes the students to take their own lives due to unbearable workloads. The incidences feel devastating because suicide cases continuously rise. It must be one of the most prominent concerns of our society, and this starts within us.
Scholars from various universities are starting to feel that the world turns its back on them because of burnouts, pressures, tensions, anxieties, disappointments, stresses, unreasonable expectations, and the feeling that they are on a battlefield, where sometimes, their worst enemy is themselves. Nevertheless, since our demands are now granted, thanks to our brave and brilliant leaders of the universities of Baguio city, we finally now have time to regain our inner balance.
To my fellow students, keep in your mind that life may be a curse, but it is up to you how to make it a gift. It is up to you to turn hideous beings into something exquisite. Despite this, there is a step before you can do that. You need to learn how to love yourself. Loving yourself is a vital ingredient of appreciating life. Because when the time comes when everything feels complicated, your mind will remind you that you love yourself, which leads you to make better decisions or something pleasing for yourself. It makes you realize that these horrible things that challenge you are part of life.
You will learn that life is a combination of pain and pleasure. You will never appreciate life if you never experience pain. You will never become successful unless you feel sufferings. So, consider your pain and suffering right now as part of the process to be successful. Find your purpose in life because you never started if you do not have a goal in the first place. Discover your mission, and ending your life was never included as a purpose. Having a goal means you cannot give up. So as long as you can, do not give up.
Students must be thankful and feel blessed. Also, if you can manage your obstacles at the moment, try to check up on your friends and family. As stated by Dolly Parton, “If you see someone without a smile, give some of yours.” You should plant these lessons in your mind and let them grow inside of you. When you think everything turns negative, you will be able to find the tiny positive in it. It is because you bear something powerful in you. Preventing suicidal cases is our fight and let us face this challenge. It is not only for you and me but for the majority. We can never give up as long as we believe in something or someone. (MARK JOSEPH ROMERO)
April 25, 2024
