EDITORIAL - If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen

It has been said that if you cannot stand the heat, you better get out of the kitchen. This is a saying that holds true in the controversy surrounding St. Theresa’s College as it does in so many other situations.

STC disallowed a high school senior from participating in her graduation ceremony because of alleged violations of school regulations such as posting photos of herself in a bikini on Facebook, while holding a cigerette and intoxicating drinks.

The incident generated global attention and has drawn a wide variety of comments, both pro and con. Parents of the girl went to court and obtained a temporary restraining order but the school promptly sought reconsideration.

The case became very controversial because it is a very emotional one, both for the girl and those who have taken her side, and for the nuns who run the school as well. Much of the emotions were stoked, however, by side issues that have cluttered what this is really all about.

And what this is really all about, the crux of the matter in this case, is that rules have been violated and must be dealt with. All the other issues — from whether wearing a bikini is obscene to whether privacy was violated — can be argued ad hominem without resolution.

The only thing that matters here, the bottomline that everyone must deal with, is that every community of people, be they countries or companies or mere families have rules to govern the conduct of those who belong to them, the absence of which can result to chaos and anarchy.

STC does not pull girls off the streets to study in the school. It is parents and their children who go to the school and apply for enrolment. The word apply is stressed to make everyone understand that acceptance hinges on certain conditions, such as abiding by the rules.

It is not fair to criticize the rule against exposing skin as being too harsh because STC does not impose it on anyone other than its students. It is an exclusive STC rule. And if anyone cannot accept that, then they are always free to find another school. It is as simple as that.