Class of the Month

 A Special Science Class Like No Other
by Fr. Erick Santos

      Special Science students were perceived to be academic-oriented: ordinarily, a bunch of nerdies who would have more class hours than the regular classes.  Special priviledges were given which turned out to be extra loads on subjects.  During sophomore years, we were already taking up Math 3 (Geometry), Botany and Zoology apart from the regular Biology offering.  Junior years made us struggle with Advanced Algebra (Math 4), Chemistry, Physics (Science 4) and Journalism was a required subject.  (This spared us from taking the regular Practical Arts subject).  Senior year was made up of college stuff:  Introductory College Physics, Introductory College Chemistry, Analytic Geometry and Calculus, Humanities and the usual required Journalism class.  There could have been very little time for enjoyment.

      SS Cancer '78 defied all rules in labelling and academics.  For the first time, Special Science classes were no longer made up of the serious stuff.  Flexibility was the name of the game!  We graced programs with aplomb. Never mind if we had to sing the same songs in each (alternately doing "Ang Pipit", "Saranggola ni Pepe" and "Love is Surrender" - the class theme song).  We even once mounted a unique dance interpretation of "Bohemian Rhapsody".  We joined school and extra-school contests.  I remember representing THS in various extemporaneous public speaking, oratorical and elocution contests.  I was once declared regional champion in Biglaang Talumpatian. While serving as editor of "Ang Sulo" (I was the first SS student to hold the post), I bagged the national championship in the Essay Writing Contest during the National Secondary Schools Press Conference held in Tabaco, Albay in 1978.  My staff then succeeded in bagging the Lope K. Santos Award for Developmental Journalism. Tess Umipig won in various division math and science contests.  Leah Espino was sent as an exchange student to Maryland, USA.  Rey Bisda was the official school artist who used to work on the monthly theme of the school bulletin board.

      An anointed section, indeed!  The lowest grade that a student of this section got from the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) was 97% while the rest got either 99+ or 99%.  During that year, Torres High lorded it over among all high schools in Manila.

     During the Linggo ng Wika 1977, our class, in full-force, presented and unprecedented original Pilipino musical entitled EPIKO '77; giving the "Malakas at Maganda" a new treatment complete with colorful costumes: Diana Lansangan as the sarimanok; the girls as either flowers or butterflies; the boys as bees or what have you; Leah Espino as the bamboo encasing the two leads with Edmon Liao, Chit Esteva and Thelma Diwa narrating everything in song.  I wrote the libretto which came alive through Tess Umipig's musical score.

     We also fell victims to various school controversies:  I was questioned and branded a local subversive for writing a short story in "Ang Sulo" which dealt with how physics proved to be the waterloo of teachers and their inability to capture the student interest regarding the subject.  My physics teacher broke down and I had to face a panel of interogators both in the Science Dept. and the Office of the Assistant Principal.  It was sweet revenge when the Division Office of the Journalism Supervisor declared my piece, "Ang Guro sa Pisika" , a beautiful and haunting fiction.

     We pioneered the famous "bell shock."  It was more of a fund-raising scheme for the class 'though.  Anyone who was caught moving while the hourly bell was ringing would give 10 cents (or was it 25?) for the class fund.  Rey Medenilla was once caught by the bell while talking to the librarian.  She herself was shocked when Rey suddenly froze in front of her.

      The class joined the School Drama Festival when we were still Juniors.  All other sections presented established plays and some adaptations; we chose to mount on stage my original work "Cell # 13" whose setting was at the Mental Hospital.  What I entended to be an honest-to-goodness comedy was branded a "slapstick" by the judges.  We ended up bringing no award.  We just dismissed the play as something very much ahead of our time.  And the class "coup d grace," a newsletter entitled CANCEROUS (Subtitle: thirty-three heads is better than one . . .) which bravely lampooned the administrators and teachers; revealing their funny "aliases" (Kobang, Barbie Doll, Snooky, etc.) and disturbing ('though striking) ways and actions.  It went around during the graduation ceremonies with teachers giving me a "Joseph Estrada look" complimented with sharp pinches on either  my arms and waist.

      We also defied the dress code during graduation when we decided to wear long sleeves barong instead of the suggested short-sleeves ones.  We were used to leaving the classroom of Mr. Pecatoste if he failed to come within two minutes at the start of the class. Graduation was capped by an all-night party (there was curfew, remember?) at the Espino Residence in Rodriguez St., Balut.

      Majority of the boys were members of the Model Troop 85 while the girls were all with the Model Girl Scout Troop.

     And while the airwaves continued to play the likes of "Were All Alone," "Dick and Jane," Don't Cry Joni," My Fair Share," "Laki sa Layaw Jeprox," and Stylistics and Bee Gees tunes, we decided to look for each one's place in the sun.  I and several others decided to go to UP Los Baños; others went to UP Diliman and Manila; still others enjoyed the "Torres High Part II Phenomenon" at PLM and a few went to PUP and other good colleges.

      Occasional reunions were held.  Each one was characterized by a vivid recollection and reminiscence of the the colorful epoch in THS history.

      The class produced three doctors, several accountants, business entrepreneurs, corporate doyens, countless engineers, men and women in the academe and surprisingly, a priest who never had an inkling of any heavenly calling. "Kumpletos recados" so to speak.

     Yes, the music of the late 70s have returned:  retro is the in thing.  The same music with which we started discerning the implications of the real game called life after THS . . . help us, with much nostalgia, to hum our ways toward the apex called "fulfillment."  The Cancer proved to be contagious . . . and yes, it grows!