The “Kings of High School”: A Hefty Crown To Carry

Layout by Erizha Jane Santos

Heels clicking through tiled floors, boisterous laughter echoing through halls. To others, it may seem like they have everything under control.

The Grade 12 corridors. 

To some juniors, the atmosphere around the seniors may seem intimidating, especially seeing them passing by with that quiet confidence. Leading the Student Government, clubs, sports teams, and various school organizations with sharp determination. While in class, these same seniors discuss topics about socio-political cases with great fluency and composure that often leaves their teachers in awe. 

Practically everyone looks up to them, with some even granting them playful titles such as “Hari ng High School.” 

However, has it always been like this? Is everything actually that effortless? Once the others step inside the homeroom of these campus “kings,”  will their image remain the same?

Despite it only being the second week of classes, the Grade 12 students are already met with a bunch of activities, such as work immersion surveys, college course-related queries, research groupings, meetings about outside school activities that will start next month, and most importantly, the looming college applications. 

The pressure is definitely slowly creeping in. And the need to keep up with each co-curricular activity while balancing academics is definitely not easy. 

However, this is something each and every senior has been preparing for, even during Junior High School because of the common phrase, “Lalo na pag nag-Grade 12 kayo,” or  “Malalaman niyo pag nag-Senior High na kayo,” often thrown by teachers during discussions.

And once reaching that place, the feeling of being overwhelmed still lingers. 

The facade of being “kings” is slowly vanishing. Because sooner or later, this will be replaced by frantic tapping of laptop keys, groups huddled together on every corner of the room, and rarely seeing these Seniors due to how busy they are juggling everything.  

Most people see the achievements and badges of the seniors that often leads to overlooking the long sleepless nights they endure in order to finish their works, study sessions, or research papers. 

Though they may be seen as kings, the crowns that they carry are surely heavy. 

Yet, despite the heavy crowns sitting on their heads, there is something remarkable happening within these halls. 

The same feeling of pressure and being overwhelmed is what binds the seniors together. In the midst of chaos, you can still see that they are helping one another. 

You may see some groups having a tutoring session at the back of the room before exams, offering words of comfort to a friend, or celebrating and eating at a restaurant after class when a big task is completed. 

The title “Hari ng High School” may have started as a joke, but in reality, it is what pushes them through to make the title even more meaningful. Not through perfection, but through determination and mutual support. 

As the impending college life slowly approaches, the seniors are surely doing their best to leave a positive mark and as inspirations to their juniors.