XAVERIAN'S CORNER

The 7th C

Carlos Locsin, Xavier Awardee

Posted Friday, 15-Dec-2006 11:17 AM

     Good afternoon dear Grade School teachers.

     Two years ago, I stood on this very stage and shocked my batchmates when I performed a jazzed up version of Chicago’s All That Jazz for our English One Act Play. Our section ended up winning the contest, but I never performed in a play again. I realized then that I was not really gifted with the ability to act, sing or dance on stage. So do not worry, today, I am not here to do a repeat performance and shock all of you. I am here this afternoon to share with you experiences about a gift that I received during my years in Xavier: The Xavier Award.

     The first time I received the award was when I graduated from Grade 7 in 2001, and it had such a great impact in me that I continued to receive it until I graduated in fourth year. Receiving the Xavier Award has been a constant reminder for me to be a man of the 6 Cs, and as I look back at the different experiences of the 6Cs I realized that different persons helped develop these Cs in me.

     My grade school CLE teachers were significantly responsible for the formation of my conscience. Every year, within the lesson or at the start of CLE, our teacher would tell us to visit the chapel every day, even for a short while. One of them said that if you can’t stay too long, just drop by and tell Jesus: “Hi”. As a grade school and high school student, I was never really able to follow this faithfully. It is only now that I am in college that it is a non-negotiable for me to drop by the chapel for five minutes every day. My grade school teachers were some of those who helped me get into this habit, and as a result, I have been telling the same thing to the prayer cell group I am guiding: "Try your best to visit the chapel every day."

     As a result of this kind of prayer life, one Wednesday when I was in first year college, I realized the course that I really desired to take. But realizing this on my own was not enough. It was a grade school guidance counselor of mine whom I turned to for advice regarding the step I was about to take. I started out as a freshman Management of Applied Chemistry major in Ateneo. And in the middle of this school  year, just last October, I shifted to BS Psychology. But even while I was in Xavier, a lot of teachers helped me understand myself and shaped my character. A teacher of mine in Grade 5 helped me develop my leadership skills by encouraging me to run for a position in the Executive Committee. After serving two years as class Treasurer, he told me to take the challenge and run for a position in the Student Council Executive Board. Unfortunately, I was not elected in Grade 6 as a class officer. I lost in all the positions. But my teacher still encouraged me. He still told me to run the following year. And so when I was elected as class Treasurer in Grade 7, I took the challenge and ran for Grade 7 Level Representative. After that, I continued to develop my leadership skills, and was active in the Student Council Executive board of the high school every year.

     Serving in the Student Council was a way of training me to build communities, and be one with people in a community. Yet my early days as a leader learning to build community did not really look too promising. As a grade 4 class officer tasked to discuss the class banner making contest, the other officers and I were not able to control the class. Ideas were flying around, going haywire. Furthermore, as one of those in charge of organizing the Appreciation Day party, I had no face to show my Class Adviser as paper plates were the ones flying around the classroom this time. But our Class Adviser never gave up on us. She spent a lot of sessions with the five of us class officers and come Christmas party, no more paper plates were flying around, only the beautiful voices of my classmates who were performing the song: "Do You Hear What I Hear?"   At that point, I heard and learned my very first lesson in community building. Now that I am in college, I have found myself inspired to help build a community in Payatas. As a requirement for Theology last semester, we were required to do pastoral work. After the end of the semester, I still find myself going back to that community every Sunday, continuing to help with the catechesis, and the different activities they have.

     Building communities would not have been possible if I was not equipped with competence and the necessary skills. The well-rounded formation I had began in the classroom. It was the constant words of encouragement of the many grade school teachers I had that motivated me to graduate with second honors. Some teachers saw potential in me and invited me to join special programs like MTAP. I spent several Saturdays trying to develop my mathematical skills. Unfortunately, I never made it past the elimination round of the contests. But the Math teachers that got me into it never stopped encouraging me. When I got to high school, my Math teacher in Second year saw potential in me again and moved me to the advanced class at the end of the year. However, at the end of the second quarter, I was moved back to the regular class. But still, I never lost hope because the teacher in the regular class helped me bounce back. I graduated the year first honors inspite of being move taken out of the advanced class.

     We, Xaverians, are always told to share the many things we learn and have. Back when I was in Grade 5, towards the end of the schoolyear, I remember that one  Friday afternoon, I was submitting the projects of my class to a teacher in the workroom. After submitting, my teacher spoke with me awhile and told me to, step up and help people in any way I can next year, and the following years. Because of this, I decided to join the Eucharistic Crusaders where I learned to serve mass, and became active in Christmas and outreach programs. This led me to continue in high school by joining the Youth Christian Life Community (YCLC). Now that I am in college, I am still active in ACLC, CLC in college. We go to Payatas every weekend to facilitate enrichment activities like coloring, group dynamics and simple games. Aside from that, the compassion that was taught to me by that teacher also inspired me to show it to the gifted public high school students of Quezon City and Marikina when I joined Alay Ni Ignacio, or ANI. ANI is a summer school program where these high school students are given advanced lessons and exposed to different activities and workshops that help develop themselves. I was a Christian Living Teacher.

      One of the apprehensions I had before teaching Christian Living in Alay ni Ignacio was surviving the entire one hour and 15 minute sessions speaking in straight Filipino. I have to admit that I am not the perfect Filipino speaker. In fact, after delivering my graduation speech in Grade 7, my Lolo told me that I sounded like a foreigner who was trying to speak Filipino. The weakness was there, but it was no excuse, I still had to improve the way I spoke Filipino. So, as part of enriching and making me appreciate the rich Filipino culture, a teacher of mine in Grade 7 lent me some Filipino novels to help in the improvement of my Filipino communication skills. "At masasabi kong lubos itong nakatulong sa pagpapagaling ng aking pagsasalita sa Filipino. Dahil sa simpleng bagay na ito, bumunga sa aking puso ang mas malalim at makabuluhang pagmamahal sa aking kultura bilang isang Filipino."  (Remembering this little gesture gave me the confidence and helped me realize that deep in my heart is a rich reserve of Filipino culture, and it was simply a matter of opening up that wellspring, in order to teach Christian Living.)

      And so you all clearly see that every C was made present by certain individuals, whom I would like to call the 7th C in the life of every Xaverian --- The Cher. I would not have discovered a lot of the gifts in me if not for the little words of my teachers that have made a big difference in my life. One afternoon while practicing for my graduation speech, I saw a teacher who told me: "Dapat tuloy-tuloy na yan. Do not change, continue to be a Xavier Awardee in high school, and even after that.” Now that I am in college, I still strive to live a life of the 6 Cs, and be true to the values that the gift of the Xavier Award has instilled in me.

      A lot of people say that Xaverians are very gifted and talented individuals. Yet sometimes, they do not realize what gifts they have on their own. In a very real way, it is people like you teachers who inspire excellence in us students and, through your guidance and example, lead us to make a difference.  So today I ask that you continue to encourage, guide and help your students in the formation of the six C’s within them.  I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be guided by you and can only wish the same for your  students and my fellow Xaverians.

       It is you teachers who ignite the flame in the torches of the lives of us students, and that we can make it shine brightly by becoming men fully alive, endowed with a passion for justice and the skills for development. Ignite Xavier! Luceat Lux!

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