The Importance of Modifying an Audience

Having phobia on the on going conflict between the Arm Forces of the Philippines and the Bangsamoro Army, the School principal disseminate some precautionary measures and defensive technique on how to skip the variance. After the Flag Ceremony, she brought the students into attention. The students were silence and attentive in waiting for her declaration.

Principal: The on going clashes with the Arm Forces of the Philippines and the Bangsamoro is thing about we must consider. I want you to stay in the campus. Did you see that bill board under the Marang tree?

Students: Yes Ma’am…!

Principal: What is that?

Students: Ma’am, “NO LOITERING”!

Principal: Very Good! That means, you must be inside the school campus! Are you aware of the recent inconsistency?

Students: Yes Ma’am!

Principal: Can you tell me? Any body, five points for a good answer!

Student: Ma’am, the difference between the Arm Forces of the Philippines and the Bagsamoro Army!

Principal: and then…?

Students: (in chorus) War!

Principal: Alright, since you are too young to understand, let me directs you to some security measures. Consider this flag to be your base. You sit under the shade of our National Flag, the Flag of the Philippines. If you do, INSHA= ALLAH, you will stay unharmed. Both Combatants will recognize you as Law Abiding citizen. Do not forget, “sit under the shade of the Philippine Flag. You can now report to your respective Classroom.

The principal enters to her office and prepare for her instructional materials. As she go through with her first group of students in that day, she found few who are not around. She started to check the attendance when one student raised her hand and say, “Ma’am, others are still outside!” She instructed the same to call her classmates in order for them to begin.

After a while, the student came rushing. She reported on the others refusal to enter in their classroom. The later are afraid to get in, for they are scared of soldiers. With out verifying further, the principal rushed and ordered to search every classroom to check on the presence of what the students were alarmed of soldiers. They checked every corners of the room and found nothing to be alarmed in.

The principal returned to the Flagpole and face the students calmly. With a tone of low voice, she asked the remaining students what made them stay under the sun, guarding the flying flag. One very shy student answered that, again they were afraid of soldiers. But… who told you there are? The principal ask slowly. I will be giving bonus for the first student who will provide me the best information about your fear, said the principal. The students answered almost in chorus and said…You say it just now! We must sit under the shade of the flag to remain unharmed! The poor principal scratched her head, twisting her neck for she was punished by herself. The announcement was made clear but interpreting about sitting under the shade of the Philippine Flag was too meaningful that mere High School students cannot understands for it requires number of books to define it fully.

The principal was slightly wrong when she uses meaningful lines to an audience that ranges from 12-15. She mistook the audience to be a group of Lawyers or Journalists. Perhaps the said school official was in a hurry to bring the school away from the present conflicts. That was why she was not able to evaluate her audience. The students concerned must be thankful to their school principal.

This concerned me a lot. When I am giving lectures and advise to my students, I always see to it that the words I spelled will not spoil their younger mind. I rather used words of comparisons than contrasts. Using contrast might not be visible to them. We may rotten their sense of silence and keep the opposite.

The sensitivity of the variance today requires careful approach when imparting to the young generations. They are not supposed to misunderstand the conflicts for we might be putting them at risked. They are our hope, because when everything subsided, we need their support in any form. Let us protect the young, as we mentors see the magnitude of the students to prop up in the near future. They may be are significance to hold up our objectives as Bangsamoro.