I was terribly in the need to urinate when I went up to SEC B third floor for my compa ana lab class, so after I placed my bag inside the room, I immediately ran to the comfort room at the end of the corridor. Unfortunately, it was locked, so I had to prolong the agony of my distended bladder. I ran down two flights of stairs to the second floor, and immediately went inside the comfort room. I automatically went for the first cubicle from the sinks (it's my habit to go for the cubicle nearest to the door in every bathroom, because by experience, it's always the cleanest), but it was in use, so was the one next to it. So I charged to the third one.


This is what I immediately saw upon entering the cubicle. I found it weird and a bit freaky, but because my bladder was like a water balloon being thrown around, I took no heed and immediately unfastened my pants and sat down like a princess. I'll deal with it after my distended bladder would resume its empty state. When I was finished with my business, I saw something in the corner of my eye. I turned my head to the right wall of my cubicle and what I saw nearly made me fall off the toilet seat.

I know it sounds stupid, but it scared me shitless (no pun intended. I was there to urinate, remember?). The first thing I saw was the handprint, and in my head, I was expecting to see a bloody white-clad girl looking at me above the cubicle next. My initial shock dissipated when I was able to digest the writings with the handprint.

The Ateneo administration is going implement a dress code policy/guideline effective this summer, and this sudden implementation generated a lot of comments---ranging from quiet protests and curses to outrageous cussing and debates among students---especially from those whose 'uniforms' to school constituted of flip-flops, tank and sleeveless tops, tops with plunging necklines and backlines (if there is such a term) and shorts.

For students it was irrational, and it doesn't affect our learning in anyway, but the administration won't hear anything of it. They're pissed over the alarming number of students who go to school in 'pambahay' themed outfits (think board shorts paired with a sando) which in their view (or in any adult's point of view) is not proper. More disturbing for them is the fact that more girls are discovering short (and I mean short) skirts and shorts (think sexbomb shorts or pekpek shorts as people call it) and tops with plunging necklines.

Though I personally am against wearing pekpek shorts to school, I love wearing the non-pekpek ones, especially on PE days when it's too heavy to bring denim pants in your bag for an hour and thirty minutes of travel time and when it's too hot for pants. I personally haven't seen guys walking around in sandos and boardshorts, but girls in pekpek shorts I have seen. I just thank God that those girls don't have to commute home like me. They set a standard on the length of shorts and skirts that's acceptable--if you put your arms to your sides, the length of the garment must reach your fingertips. This is fine for me, just as long as they don't totally ban shorts. This length is considered too long and too manang by many. Hey, are you people disfigured or something? God created your proportions. Try putting your arms to your sides and you'll see that it's still about three inches above the knee. It's the balance between decency and shortness. Blow up the admin office when they say that your knees should be fully covered up to your ankles, but this? COME ON.

What about of sleeveless and tank tops then? The question everybody poses here is why ban this? The plunging necklines I can understand, but the sleeveless and tank tops? COME ON. There are sleeveless and tank tops that are decent, and girls wear this because it's too hot outside, or it's fashionable. It's irrational to ban this because showing your arms and the skin around your shoulders in garments is not in anyway indecent, unless you live in Afghanistan.

Moreover, maybe the reason for the tank top wearing is also why people wear slippers to school. Furthermore, it's a hassle to wear shoes at times. Slippers, you just slip `em on and go. But as many adults say, why wear slippers to school? It's pretty much like wearing a shirt-jeans ensemble to the inauguration of the president of the Philippines or an extreme comparison, going to church clad in your underwear. You are terribly under dressed for school if you go in your slippers, they say, at least go in strapped sandals. They have a point in this...damn it.

My mom always stressed that she hates to see students going to school in slippers and/or shorts. It makes her feel like we're slacking off. But we really wear these things because we are comfortable in it; well, at least in my perspective. If the adults in the administration take comfort for slacking off, or worse, indecency, then what we have here is a clash of definitions.

Back in the cubicle, I chuckled and looked around somemore. I turned to face the door.


Red fingerprints at the door and its lock. I mentally cursed myself in my head for touching the door without taking notice of the things on it. It was then I realized that I didn't know what the red things were yet. First I thought it was candle wax, but I scrapped it because candle wax would not dry up that cleanly on a wall, even a thin layer of it. It would crumble sooner or later. Paint? Could be. So I chuckled again, and left the cubicle. I went back to lab and took my blockmates to the cubicle for a look-see. I was really interested on the fact that somebody took it this far, but my excitement turned to disgust when somebody asked "Regla ba yan?"

A way to find out popped into my head. I took the dipper drizzled with red stuff out to the technicians and asked for some hydrogen peroxide. Girls, you know why hydrogen peroxide (agua oxenada) is effective for removing blood stains in our skirts and pants, right? Blood reacts with it, forming white bubbles.


There it is. Blood.

So the question here now becomes what is the source of the blood? I was thinking menstrual fluid, but it's too sick, too unimaginable, too crazy. But on the flipside, it's very plausible. I also thought it was just paint. Maybe there was a variety of paint that reacts with H2O2. After all, a handprinting booth at the SEC B foyer was in operation the whole day, which could possibly be the source of the paint (only the SOURCE, not the CULPRIT. that's different). After we went back up to the lab to further chop up our cat, school authorities had the CR closed and investigated. Water based paint, they say. I'm tad sure that it's blood you have there. Test water based paint against H2O2. Let me know if I'm wrong.

Two adjectives for the act: radical but idiotic.
To the person (who, I'm pretty sure is a member of the female species): There are other ways to protest if you hate it that much, honey.