After several earthquakes and aftershocks felt recently, several students of Ateneo de Davao University urged the administration to suspend the remaining school days, fearing that these earthquakes will be more dangerous in the coming days and will be in conflict with the supposed scheduled exams.

Just recently, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Davao del Sur, causing several damages on the university’s buildings, one of which was greatly damaged is the Finster Hall forcing classes on the said building to be moved to other buildings.

Aftershocks continue to be felt thus causing the postponement and delay of the supposed scheduled preliminary exams on December 16 – 21.

The Office of the Academic Vice-President announced on Tuesday night that the affected exams due to today’s earthquake were to be moved on Friday and in the morning of Saturdays, causing widespread frustration among Ateneans on Twitter and social media.

User @chxrlttx said:

The students also expressed their concern regarding cracks of some buildings of the university.

User @lawrencetapuz tweeted:

“After Sunday’s earthquake, I’ve come to realize that earthquakes indeed should not be taken lightly. Therefore, I am hoping for AdDU to address this concern by suspending the class for the whole week and move the exams next year as we may never know what the future holds for us. This is not just for me, but for all the people especially the ones that are far from their loved ones when in times of danger,” Amiel Colon, a Civil Engineering student, said.

Students have also expressed their worries on the effect of earthquakes on their mental health and academic performance.

“No amount of reassurance could subdue the anxiety the entire school feels. The situation already goes beyond students’ fear in failing the subjects, it now is more confined to surviving a natural calamity away from their family, the school collapsing while they’re taking their exams, and the unnerving uncertainty that everything will be safe,” Pia Vismanos, a BS Accountancy student, said.

“Don’t send students who cannot become the fullest extent of students they are, compromising performance and imposing a mental toll with something they are ultimately of no control on,” she added.

Taking into consideration the technicalities of class suspension, Audrey Mhea Mejos, an AB Psychology student, explained that students understand why the University wants to push through the classes as much as possible citing the CHED requirement of number of hours “that may cause longer or additional number of days by the end of the semester.”

Mejos, however, also pointed out that safety and well-being should be the University’s main priority. “The cancellation of classes will not just benefit the students but also the faculty, administrators, staffs, and especially the thorough renovation and assessment of the buildings that were damaged due to the frequent earthquakes,” she said.

The University of Immaculate Concepcion, Holy Cross College of Davao, Assumption College of Davao, as well as the Grade School department of Ateneo de Davao University have declared the suspension of classes further announcing the resumption of their classes on January 6 or 7, 2020.

Ateneans are still awaiting on further anouncements by the school administration.

As of press time, AdDU ranks 17th in the Philippines’ most trending topic in Twitter due to the clamour of the student for the suspension of classes.