Of work, tests, councillors and symposiums.

Finally! I can sit down and blog about what has happened in the past few days. I have been so caught up with school work and tests for the first half of this week. It's a miracle I've gotten through all of them. And already I sense that next week will be just as bad, despite the break till Wednesday.

Yesterday our class went to Parliament House! What a delightful experience! My debate instincts returned as I stood in that replica of the House Chamber, but I tried to keep them under control, otherwise I think I would have just launched full-swing into a real speech against my poor classmates in the "governing party". For once, the Opposition triumphs!!! Although I realised from yesterday that my class can't debate for nuts, although some people have potential.... I think I will enter politics once I've served several years in the private sector and am financially sound...

The evening was topped off with a dinner with the debate team and coaches. I will spare you all the details as you can read about it in Owen's blog. Suffice to say that it was hilarious to watch poor Manit eat wasabi for the first time. I have a feeling we aggravated his fever...

But all of this fun was just the end of three days of pure work. After the history test yesterday I was in a perfectly good mood...... Until I went to the Student Centre (SC) to return my blazers. It still makes my blood boil to think about it. Be warned that the following paragraphs will be full of heated language and strong emotions...

I walked into the SC with the two blazers in hand to return them, but lo and behold, I was told that I could not return them. Since the debate team had borrowed 5 blazers in bulk for the debate finals, the 5 blazers MUST be returned together in bulk. Of course, they never bothered mentioning this WHEN WE WERE BORROWING THEM. I asked them why they could not strike off two from the 5 on the list. The sweet councillor behind the counter told me it was troublesome for them. She also narrated this lovely story of how their teacher had forbidden them from doing so before. Apparently, the Interact Club had once borrowed 20 blazers. When returning them, ONE guy forgot to bring his blazer. The other 19 were rejected.

I said, you cannot possibly expect me to bring these blazers back home? I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do. It's troublesome for us and our teacher says we can't do this. Maybe you can keep the blazers in your locker or ask a friend to keep it for you?

It was only as I stormed out of the SC did I realise the complete injustice of the situation. Here I was, returning TWO blazers, and they, the Welfare Committee that has over 40 members, tell me that it is TROUBLESOME for them to return TWO blazers. And of course, their teacher tells them they cannot.

SERVANT LEADERS! The elected representatives of the student body! Whom are you serving? Your own convenience or your teacher? Is it logical to reject 19 blazers because ONE forgot??? Is leadership merely following orders at the expense of the convenience of the very people you swore to serve in the sight of God and men in the cathedral??? For the love of sanity, speak up! If all councillors do is to organise functions, carry furniture and lead cheers, then any Tom, Dick or Harry can do the job. It takes more than FOLLOWING ORDERS to be a LEADER.

My class councillor asked me to be understanding and see things from THEIR point of view. UNDERSTANDING??? HAVE THEY been understanding?? I wanted to return the blazers because I would not be in school on the next two days, and if I returned them next Monday they would charge me 2 bucks for being late.... This incident is a reflection of the kind of bureaucracy the council is enmeshed in. If I, a student, have to be understanding towards THEM, then why the hell did they run for council in the first place?? To seek UNDERSTANDING???

ARGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was only during the class excursion that I calmed down. But I still fume when I think of it. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I simply cannot stand by and watch this ridiculous system perpetuate itself further. The political society has my full support from now onwards.