This document lists 10 things that are uniquely understood by Johnians, or students of St. John Institute (SJI) in Iloilo, Philippines. Some key aspects that only Johnians understand include strictly following the school's grooming codes and discipline policies, having a separate wardrobe for school, and feeling a strong sense of gratitude and community as a Johnian despite the high standards of the school. Overall, the document conveys a sense of pride in being part of the SJI community and understanding the nuances of the school culture.

1. 10 Things Only We, Johnians, Understand
By Leah Cioco
As Johnians, we had been strictly trained to follow a clear set of rules that are essential in
our core values formation. From forming straight lines without a single noise, to following
appropriate grooming codes- strictly ponytails for the girls, and only clean cut for the boys, we
had learned the importance of obedience to these rules. We had and still have to else, we suffer
the well-known consequence of an anecdotal record.
If there was one thing that we would all agree about, it would probably be our silent questioning
of the existence of these firm guidelines. After all, other schools do not have them. But then again,
at the end of the day, what matters most is that we didn’t go through these alone- had been all in
this together. As Johnians, we are known for our God-centeredness, academic excellence,
cultural integration, concern for others, and more than anything - our discipline. In line with it all,
listed below is what only we, Johnians, understand.
1. The eco bag is a must. You simply have to have it with you at all times.
All Johnians have at least one eco-bag for us to able to minimize trash disposal in school.
What’s good about having an eco-bag is that it’s not only for our crumpled pieces of paper or
our empty plastic bottles perhaps, but also for our other essentials. In other words, eco-bags
are multifunctional necessitates. Everyone in SJI has one, but whatever it is that’s inside for
sure is very important and is one’s own personal business.
2. You’re every so often worried about being late. But then again, there is only one
common reason for being so: traffic.

2. Let’s face it. Traffic at SJI, especially when your watch says it’s almost 7AM, can get really
maddening. For one, a majority of the Johnians have cars that they use in going school
on a daily basis. So if you’re one who’s having trouble waking up or for some reasons, you
often arrive at the nick of time like me, one thing that you dread the most is getting late.
Being late means stuck in the pool of cars all lined up to the same destination which is
school. we fear being late because in any case, after reaching the limit of three tardy
marks, you will be sent home, be unexcused for whatever quiz or activity that you had
missed for the day, and worse- be issued a slip by the Discipline Officer (DO).
3. For girls- you have that longing to let your hair down, but at the end of the day,
you’re thankful that you had it all tied up.
Ladies, I am sure that you can all relate to this. Certainly, there must have been days when
you felt like you really had a great hair day and felt the need to show it off, but due to strict
prohibition of doing so, you irritably tie your hair in a neat ponytail- just like all the others.
The grooming code of keeping our hair tied up at all times may sound wearisome, but a
lot of benefits come along with it. After a long day that we’ve spent on doing school
activities, we can’t help but feel tired and worn-out. But with our crowning glories tied
neatly, that load of stress seems a bit lighter to carry.
4. You’ve developed a separate wardrobe for school.
All schools have dress codes. The most common and appropriate protocol is a pair of
pants and any sleeved shirt. This applies to Fridays when we are required to wear our
school spirit or Johnian shirts. Although this clothing combination is widespread and all, in
SJI, wearing a pair of pants is not enough. There is strictly a range of hues and a kind of
fit that the pants you will be wearing in school must be. For you to be completely following
the rules, your pants must be anything but skinny, joggers, or tight fit, and its hue must be
somewhere between blue and black. Anything other than that means getting a minor
offense. And because of that, we have built another wardrobe that’s for school use only.

3. 5. You don’t mind sitting on the floor.
We may be branded as privileged as we study at SJI, but little do others know that we are
always ready to get our hands dirty. If other schools have built-in seats in their gyms for
their students, we have a smooth polished ground in our Msgr. John Liu Activity Center
that we wholeheartedly accept as our seats. Some Johnians may be living lives of luxury
at home, but in school, everyone makes use and is grateful for whatever we have. Simply
put, thirty minutes of recess or perhaps three hours spent watching a program seated on
the floor is nothing for the students of SJI.
6. You’ve developed a new sub-dialect of English and Ilonggo, making you have
different accents and vocabulary compared to other Ilonggo speakers.
Try listening to your Ilonggo and comparing it to someone on the street. You’ll notice the
difference.
7. Your Chinese is sub-par.
Any Johnian can greet anyone in Chinese without any effort at all. But then again, a
majority of us can only begin a conversation with a “Ni hao,” or a “Zao an,” but keeping
the chat going is another thing. Apparently, we say these greetings to our Chinese nuns
and teachers out of habit and respect. Other than this, most of us can barely converse in
fluent Chinese without the help of Pleco.
8. Nerds aren’t really nerds.
A far cry from America where liking geekier things gets you a black eye every so often,
but here at SJI, being smart is a really good thing. For one, most of the smart people are
in the popular cliques, and sometimes they straight up lead them. This fact is probably
because of our institution’s high regard for academic excellence and our student body’s
intellect in itself. Unlike other schools that group students in sections according to grades,
at SJI, we are all mixed and are treated equally together so that the really smart ones get
to help and inspire those who make an effort to be like them as well.

4. 9. You’re not afraid of accidentally leaving something behind in school. You know that
whatever it is that you’ve forgotten about will be returned to you in one piece.
Although this one is bad for honing our responsibility, knowing that all Johnians possess
the value of honesty and concern for others is a really good thing. From small things like
a hanky to P500 or even a P1,000 peso bills, we know that our fellow Johnians are there
to return them. After all, there is only one other option that SJI does when you do not claim
whatever it is you have lost- they donate it to our les fortunate brothers and sisters- which
is still a good thing.
10. Despite the high standards you have to put up with, you are nonetheless grateful
for being a Johnian. Regardless of our grumbling like "Why am I learning this?! I'm going
to be a doctor, not a writer!", "Nails, hair, clothes, what's next? Are they going to demand
that I buy Hua Ming branded shoes for intramurals?", we consider Hua Ming as home.
This probably why it was so sad and infuriating to see the Church go. It took away so many
memories of our childhood in the playground and first Friday masses in our parish. We
love Hua Ming. We may not show it, but we breathe blue, we bleed blue, and we will
forever be blue. So, no matter where life takes you, always remember who you are. You're
a Johnian- the best of the best, a cut above the rest- so sit tight little Xiao Ming, the ride's
not over yet.