At the elite Clark University, student life is dictated by the M.E.R.I.T. system, an algorithm that rewards good performance and punishes bad behavior-controlling everything from campus privileges to sought-after scholarships.
Enter Wysiwyg Watson...
Oops! Ang larawang ito ay hindi sumusunod sa aming mga alituntunin sa nilalaman. Upang magpatuloy sa pag-publish, subukan itong alisin o mag-upload ng bago.
WYSIWYG
MY SCHOOL day was far from over after our four o'clock dismissal. Before five, I headed to the CyberSpace Room on the ground floor of the ICT building. Students and faculty members who wanted to browse the internet for assignments and research could come here and spend an hour or two.
"Napaaga ka yata ngayon, Wiggy?" greeted the student aide stationed at the desk. Only a few people were allowed to call me by that name, and he was definitely not one of them. I would have scolded him, but I had more important things on my mind.
"Ako nang bahala rito sa Cyberspace," I told him as I put my bag behind the desk. "Puwede ka munang mag-merienda o mag-time out kung gusto mo."
"Talaga?" He quickly stood up, clutching his stomach. "Saktong-sakto, kanina pa kumakalam ang sikmura ko kasi hindi ako nakakain ng lunch kanina. Ikaw muna ang bahala, ah? Mag-time out na rin ako after kong kumain."
Yeah, whatever. Just leave me in peace.
I applied to the student aide program—not because I needed financial help, since my family was well off, but because I was curious about how the university managed its network. Just to be perfectly clear: I didn't have any bad intentions. I only wanted to understand its system's strengths and vulnerabilities... and that was it.
I promised myself I wouldn't use my skills for nefarious purposes. But recent events had me considering crossing a line. The thought brewing in my mind might be controversial and potentially illegal, but my reason felt justified. I still hadn't figured out exactly how, but there was something I could do in the meantime.
For Irene. For Serena. For everyone else who have been treated unfairly by the merit system.
While working as a student aide in the CyberSpace Room, I had done a few questionable things. Nothing too serious, but technically illegal, as I was breaching the privacy of some students and faculty members. Just to be clear again: I hadn't done anything harmful with what I collected.
Desperate times called for desperate measures. Here I was, sitting in front of the desktop, suddenly wondering if I should go through with my plan. My heart knew what it wanted me to do, but my mind was cautioning me.
"Think about the consequences! Think about your future!" my mind said. "Gusto mo bang magaya sa tatay mo?"
"Just search your feelings, and you know this is the right thing to do," my heart countered. "Hindi mo 'to ginagawa para sa sarili mo. Ginagawa mo 'to para sa ibang tao!"
Ugh! Just hours ago, I was one hundred percent decided. Now that I was only a few clicks away, I was having doubts.
My right hand trembled as I moved the mouse pointer over a folder I had kept hidden. My heart was pounding loudly and my throat was getting dry.
