I was deeply saddened when I read “When you’re taught to ‘behave’ but never to fight” by Meg Adonis (Young Blood, 7/12/20).
I myself am a product of St. Theresa’s College, not in Quezon City, but in Manila. I studied at St. Theresa’s College Manila (STCM) for 14 years, from elementary up to college. I am two generations away from Miss Adonis. Generations change, times change, but values never change.
I am not aware of how things are being handled at this present time in STC Quezon City, but I believe I have a hint on the current issues bothering Ms Adonis, which were in the news not too long ago. Perhaps something serious came out of this issue so that she felt she had to write about it, but I am not here to dwell on that.
When I was a student in STC Manila, the school was run by the ICM Belgian nuns. Like the experience cited by Ms Adonis, we were molded to become and behave like ladies, encouraged to study well—but we were never “shamed if we did not do well in class.” Our teachers, both lay and religious, called us individually to talk to us about our grades after distribution of our report cards. This encouraged us to do better. We were never “programmed to function and think in a certain way.”
True, we were strictly disciplined, but not unjustly so, and indeed, we rebelled against the discipline. True, no institution is perfect and our school and administrators had their imperfections and faults; they are only human, after all. AND I firmly believe that today, in this modern world of 2020, the methods used by the old institutions of learning during my generation would no longer be appropriate because “times have changed.”
Despite all these, I still value my Theresian upbringing and education. I value how we were taught to help the poor, to volunteer as catechists to neighboring families’ children, to help raise funds for worthy causes, to make sacrifices during the Lenten Season. I consider this a special privilege granted to me, for which I will always be grateful.
The Theresian Motto is “Let your light shine.” In my young mind then, that simply meant, “Make a difference.” If I can contribute something positive and worthwhile, let me do it. Let me share whatever talents God has given me and not be a fence-sitter.
I really commiserate with Ms Adonis at this moment. I can feel her hurt and anger. But I am sure she will find a way to make HER light shine in the midst of the disappointments and disillusionment she now feels for her alma mater.
Surely, we, Theresians, can face the world on our own.
LITA CALUAG CRUZ
Tandang Sora, Quezon City
litacc41@gmail.com