HISTORY OF SENIORS

YEARS 1980-81

It was June 1978 when 75 freshmen invaded the high school's meager population. We were a bunch of eager, spriteful kids as we first stepped into the threshold of new challenges -the HIGH SCHOOL - leaving behind us our teachers and friends of the Elementary department. We were quite apprehensive during our first days of school - giving us fears, doubts, mixed with wonder how we could ever survive the new world we were about to face. We still recall clearly the Initiation Week. Our masters and mistresses "tortured" us with odd jobs which induded cleaning the classrooms, counting the building windows, measuring the Basketball court with a Bic ballpen, sending a love note from an infatuated master to a mistress and worst of all, copying jjobsheets word for word for some indolent master or mistress.

Our batch was an object of envy by the rest of the High School years. Don't you remember - being the "spoiled brats" of the high school, we were pioneers of the first High School Open Space. We created quite a good impression on our teachers who sized us up as loving and "innocent". And yes, we easily endeared ourselves to our beloved advisers, Miss Jess Lisondra (Opal class), Mr. Manuel Javier (Pearl class), and Miss Normita Isla (Ruby class).

The acquaintance party really scared the wits out of us. It was hard to figure out how we could ever get acquainted in the darkness of the gloomy, dim-lighted place we were in with different unfamiliar figures and faces dancing about to the beat of the music. Soon, we discovered this was how a real disco pad looked like so gradually, we loosened up our tensed muscles and flexed our bodies to the latest Travolta craze.

Our Freshman year soon passed swiftly and it was a relief to know that at least we would quit feeling the smallest amidst this huge and perplexing environment.

Our Second year in High School made us outgrow the adjustment period, We won a lot of contests, during this time and our advisers, Mr. Virgilio Jumamoy (Jade class). Madam Lolita Tan (Emerald class), and Mr. Carlos de Gracia (Amethyst class) were very proud of us.

Truly, nothing on earth could stop the Second Years from knocking the world out with a feather - and to top it all, we sponsored the first SopSen party in honor of the outgoing Seniors which turned out to be such a supersuccessful affair.

As we entered the Third Level of high school, school began to look like a "pressure cooker" what with all the deadlines we had to beat in accomplishing requirements be it a term paper in Communication Arts or a case study in Social Studies. Nevertheless, this challenged us to become independent-minded - thus, the year was filled with us sponsoring numerous parties and fairs on occasions like Valentines, Christmas, Benefactor's Day, which successfully raised funds for our very first Junior Senior Prom.

Last year's J-S Prom was quite impressive and memorable complete with colorful trimmings, balloons, and dancing lights everywhere. Everyone could attest to that - ask any last year's Juniors or Seniors and they'd say, "Our Prom was the Best..' But before any of the Juniors protest any further, it might as well be added, "Our Prom was the Best - according to us only."

It seems, we were always up and about during our Junior days. For sure, one can hardly forget the astounding success of the 3 plays we produced - "Six Weeks" by the Onyx class, "Mariana" by the Sapphire class and "Our Strange Ways" by the Garnet class. "Six Weeks" was simply Supperr! - as Nicky would put it, and "Mariana" was a hair-raising tear-jerker. However, the play "Our Strange Ways" created quite a controversy but nevertheless it achieved its purpose. Well, at least it was a good chance to show off the hidden talents of our future actors, actresses, directors, playwrights anyway. Supervised by the 3 Junior advisers, Madam Cavada, Miss Felma Felicano and Miss Jacinta Yap, the three classes achieved different awards in school activities. The much-coveted "Model Class Award" went to the Garnet class for their discipline and good character. The class was easily the faculty's Apple of the Eye. Kudos to the Garnet Class 1979-1980!

Finally, we reached our final High School year with the school giving us the privilege to inhabit the Open Space for the Very last time.

The Topaz class with their beloved adviser, Madam Nonita Legazpi cupped tlhe "Most Disciplined Class" award for one month. The Diamond Class, being the "center of Attraction" and also the "Center of Destruction" during school programs held in the Open Space, was the recipient of the "Cleanest room" award for a month. It presented a dramatic play of Dante AIighieri's "Divina Comedia" with the help of their very able adviser, Mr. Tarcisio Ruiz. The Turqoise class which is supervised by Miss Atila Talisay also garnered the "Cleanest room" award. Their classical drama of "Achilles and Hector" during the Communication Arts Week has proven the potential acting abilities of the Turquoise class.

In the field of Sports, the Seniors' prowess is unconquerable. Our being the Overall Champion among the teams during this years Intramurals because of our invincible softball, volley-ball, and basketball teams is a clear proof of this. Nobody could ever beat our very own Demoy's hook shot or a spike driven by volleyball player Luz Alfeche.

The Seniors also excell in the Arts, mind you. The batch was awarded the Best Presentation and Best Muse during the Linggo ng Wika 1980. During the United Nations' Day, we rendered a choir number which had also gained for us the Best Choir Award. Incidentally, most of us Seniors are members of the Youth Chorale which won second place in the Regional Choir competition.

Credit must be given to our CAT I unit officers and cadets this year for having gone through a succesful tactical Inspection.

To sum it all up, one can't help but be proud of the multi-talented Senior batch.

Through the years, we've become more united, with a closer sense of camaraderie and kinship among us. The inhibitions we had first felt in our first High School days have long ago subsided. We are independent. responsible and hopefully, more mature individuals. Its somehow hard to believe that we've gone through all these past years.

Now, the Seniors have just marched down the aisle to the rhythm of the graduation march. And as they leave the portals of their Alma Mater, they are faced with the reality of pursuing college and preparing themselves for the future. But deep inside, each of them know, that as they are confronted by these faces of reality, they shall someday, somehow, look back into a History they could proudly call their Very Own.

By.

Elena Liza B. Arreza