M.B.S.
(Macam Boleh Sahaja)
My alma mater. The one and only school in the world that gave me hope, meaning and a little bit of worth in this pathetic life o' mine. Till today, I've witnessed the rise and fall of school icons, learnt forbidden secrets behind the curtains, experienced the harsh, cruel environment between the titans of the school, and well, survived through it all...
With more than a hundred years of history, MBSSKL or Methodist Boys' Secondary School Kuala Lumpur boast a living record of unsung and known leaders in our world today. (I won't go into detail bout the whole matter, but will post them someday-neh?). Yet, the school sumhow isn't perfect. Don't take my word for it. Ask any student you see in this school, and they can tell you heaps of stories about the school, its system, its rules (ahem...), and maybe share a little inside story on Mr. Wong's latest tie pattern. We've got the best teachers in Kuala Lumpur, the best facilities - the largest Libarary, the most advanced IT Lab, fully equipped Science Labs, throngs of societies, clubs and co-curricular activities.
No school is worth a second glance without the mighty titans:
Prefectorial Board of MBSSKL
Board of Student Librarians of MBSSKL
IT Brigade of MBSSKL
Board of Sportsmen and Sportswomen MBSSKL
and to top them all, the President's Council of MBSSKL.
Though very honoured and blessed as student leaders of the school, they still lack a HUGE sense of belonging. School is a place where we learn to live, love and make friends, share what we have and get something in return. But from the way I see it, the charts are on the plundge for the titans of the school. As the years go by, the standard suffers a severe drop. No more do we see capable leaders who are willing to fight for their rights, but we see more and more individualistic corncakes who choose to 'get-in-the-groove' and then forget all about it. The certificate matters more than dedication and sense of belonging.
I remember a time when this old man (ragged clothing, white beard, untidy looks) came up the flight of steps into the new library for a quick glance of the new builing (it was the year the new block was newly built). He came in and started telling us to get him this magazine dated 1976. So we were like 'ok... we'll give it a try...'. Things like this were rare during duty hours. You don't expect some old timer to barge in and ask for an ancient autobiography. So the entire workforce on duty that day helped in the search, and alas, I found it within one of the deeeeeepest shelves in the darkest part of the library (ok I made it up, it was on the teacher's table).
What happened next was the most touching thing in my life. After 30 over years, this man, (name not mentioned here), returned to his alma mater juz for a glance at the old times he had. He told us tales of his boyish adventures, how they played pranks on teacher's cars, football and sports under the rain. It was then that a thought hit me hard on the head - Where have all this gone to? Is examinations so important that we disregard the better part of growing up? All the administrators have now are rules, rules and more rules to 'control us in case we get into trouble'. But control us to what extent? Till the last remenance of joy, freedom and occasional mischieve that plays such a pivotal role in constructing the design of our lives are squeezed dry out of us? Or is it until we all leave school one day, only to find that people label us as 'smart robotic nerds?'. Believe it or not. I sometimes feel a sense of pride for the people who dare stand up against prefects or teachers just to prove thier point.
Yes, they may get into trouble, but these are the individuals who will find that there is more to life than just going to school, study, come home, study, eat, study, sleep, wake up and go to school again.
Our 'student leaders' need something to boost thier ceativity, bring change and drama to spice up people's lives. Being a student leader isn't about yourselves! Its about influencing and helping the people around you, aid them to realise what they can or cannot achieve in life. Its about paving the way for future generations to understand that life does not revolve around school, making friends, having tea and lepaking during the weekends, dating girls, driving on your new Toyota. Its about doing something people will remember you by, something that you yourself will look back during your golden years and say 'Hey, I've done something usefull with my life and I'm not regretting it one bit.'
So I say, if you want to be somebody, you gotta look beyond the things you can reach, look deep down and find yourself, then only can you can make a change.
Rumours have long sinced spread about the unsettlement between the 2 largest Board of MBSSKL - Prefects and Librarians. To tell you the truth, it was plain non-sense. There were a little bickerings here and there, but definately no war. Well, not until lately, that is. Prefects tend to live in a world of thier own, thier superior authority over students and immunity from teachers place them as the leaders of the school.
Student Leaders? Maybe. Leaders of Tommorow? Nah... Kick them out of the Board and they go crawling back to the society they once felt beneath their feet and beg to 'fit in'. The pioneer prefects - age old boys that served the school with passion and drive, are the ones to learn from. Their selflessness, compassion and love for MBS set new standards and paved way for future generations to observe, learn and implement. But somewhere along the way, influences, lust for power and corruption turned it all upside down. Admit it or not, it happens. the new breed of prefects were snobbish, arrogant, and above all, individualistic. The prefect's grand concept of 'Place others before thy self' turned into 'Place thyself before others'. From 'earned respect' to 'demanding respect'. No longer do boys look up to prefect and think, 'I want to be like them'. Instead, its 'I want to be like them, so that I have a good name, I can book people, get away with trouble, meet hot girls and be closer to being an icon in school - in the name of fame.
Librarians? They are no better. From the sacred guardians of knowledge and keeper of the most important documents in school to becoming an entity - lost souls trying to fit in. The circle of librarians are always considerd nerds, smarty pants and lifeless freaks. Solely because they consist of the best minds in the school. My initial dream when I signed up to be a librarian was because of the gallant attitude of my seniors during my years as a junior. Oh, how I marvelled at their uncanny ability to chalk up new ideas and put them into action. It was the year of excitement and experiences. Everyday was a new day in the library, and the things I see and learn are beyond imagination. I see things I ever thought possible, played games I ever knew exist. But this dream shattered the year my seniors passed the baton down unto me. Sometimes I feel like crying, for the failure in upholding their legacy. It was like the Dark Ages, where the barbarians (Irresponsibility, Individualism, Selfishness, Betrayal, Power Hunger) fought against civilization and prevailed. My vision for a new library was thrust back into my face, and it was never to be. At one point, I even came this close to losing my position as the Chairman of the Board.... I begin to wonder why this position means so much to everyone.
The answer I found out was shocking. There was no intention of improvement. I felt more like a puppet under strings than a student leader. All the ideas my seniors once taught me were considered 'against the rules'. We work for only one cause now - to serve and to obey. And well, the effects sunk in. Coming up to the library became a chore. The priceless memories once held within the walls were no longer there, replaced instead by cheap railings and cloth curtains, new polished counters and metals gadgets. 'Out with the old and in with the new eh?' But at the cost of desecrating our opportunity to express, discuss and learn? So I guess the bad prevails over the good then...
What you don't see is what you don't believe. Well, believe this. The shortest serving Board ever to be implemented, exist, and honoured so highly by the school administration - IT Brigade. With a history span of less than 3 years, members consisting of so called IT experts and Tech consultants, they have become the number one refugee camp for students who want nothing to do with the old titans, but instead decide to start a trend of thier own, proclaiming their identity to surpass that of the other Boards. They boast excellent preformance, good rankings, and minimal mistakes. But what the public don't know is that it was possible only due to the small amount of members they have. Ok, I know a few 'true' IT Professionals, but only a handful. The others seem more like leeches to me, basking in another's glory. Some who proclim themselves IT-Brigade members can't even handle a minor technical glitch. I know a librarian who can fix a computer all by himslef. Should he be allowed to sign up as well? How about giving him the rank of an EXCO since the exsting ones seem to talk more than they act?
So I ask you. How are the titans going to unite, when a new organization can appear out of the blues and threaten to overthrow what we have done in a hundred years, in reference to what we have not been able to achieve during the recent years?
Therefore, I cry out to all the student leaders of the school, we need more than just your pretty face and promises. We need to band together, set things right. Make the titans live to see the daylight once again. We need order, system and a little lineancy, and the fruit of all this, is respect for one another, respect from the school and the community, and respect from yourself.
I love my school, but only if it would appear to be more like one.
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VanRyuzuki: Is everyone's head this BIG?
Den: ....
