Vol. 7, No. 12, September 15, 2003

LCHS-AA president Henry Dy (Batch '64) won as 1st runner-up in the Kiwanis golf tournament held recently in Dumaguete City on the occasion of the 28th Annual District Convention of Kiwanis Philippines South (Visayas & Mindanao).  After the 3-day convention, Henry and some other delegates proceeded to Siquijor where they paid a courtesy call with Siquijor governor Orlando Fua.  The governor tendered a luncheon for the visiting Kiwanians at a government resort and accompanied them on a tour of the whole province.

MSU-IIT professor among 12 outstanding teachers

MSU-IIT professor Jaime An Lim, in photo, has been chosen one of twelve Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Teachers for 2003. Lim is a professor of comparative literature at MSU-IIT.  He has devoted 35 years of his life to teaching.  A noted fiction writer, he is also a recipient of the 2000 Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas award.  He won First Prize in the Short Story in English category of the prestigious Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.  He is also the founder and first director of the National Writers Workshop in Mindanao and co-editor since 1995 of the Workshop Proceedings.  He is editor of The Mindanao Forum since 1994 and Regional Coordinator for Northern and Central Mindanao of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

Two presidents unveil Ninoy statue along Manila Bay
By Ladie M. Lluch

On the 20th anniversary of Ninoy Aquino’s assassination a grateful nation once again paid homage to the martyr whose death gave it back its freedom.  Among those who contributed a significant footnote to the nationwide commemoration is a daughter of Iligan: Julie Lluch, the artist renowned for her terra cotta sculpture.

At around 4:30 in the afternoon last August 21, two Philippine presidents, former President Corazon C. Aquino and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo unveiled a statue of Ninoy made by Julie Lluch along the bay walk of Roxas Boulevard in the City of Manila.

The event was attended by members of the Aquino family, the President of the Senate, Sen. Franklin Drilon, the entire officialdom of the City of Manila led by Mayor Lito Atienza, Liberal Party Chairman Cong. Butch Abad, bigwigs of the Liberal Party (of which Ninoy was a member) and other national figures. Among the Aquinos present were Noynoy and Butch Aquino.

As the statue was unveiled the crowd, mostly clad in yellow t-shirts, broke into applause. Confetti was shot into the air and yellow balloons were released.  Mayor Lito Atienza , as Mayor of the host city, introduced the guest speaker, Cory Aquino.  Cory spoke of her last conversation with Ninoy before he left the States for Manila.

Following the unveiling, there was a rush for picture taking, with prominent figures queuing to have their pictures taken alongside Ninoy’s statue. Noynoy was heard to remark that among all of Ninoy’s statues, this statue captured most the substance of his father.

The bronze statue was commissioned by the City of Manila, with Mayor Atienza and his son Manila Councilor Kim Atienza, personally coordinating with Ms. Lluch.  The conceptualization and preparations included an interview with Cory. The work shows Ninoy standing and facing Manila Bay, with one foot on a bench and a hand raised to punctuate a point.  A statue of Evelio Javier, Ninoy’s fellow freedom fighter, will be added later.  As conceptualized, the two are engaged in animated conversation.

A statue of Manila’s most colorful mayor, Arsenio Lacson, was also done by Julie and is now a tourist attraction also along Manila Bay. Other important landmarks done by Ms. Lluch are the Justice Arellano statue at the Supreme Court and the Carlos P. Romulo statue at U.N. Avenue cor. Roxas Blvd. Pres. Macapagal-Arroyo has also expressed plans to have a work commissioned for her.

Ms. Lluch does the bulk of the work in Iligan, before executing the final phases in Manila.  She is the daughter of former Iligan Mayor, Pacificador A. Lluch.

Roger Suminguit, Batch '73

Bon Voyage!

Spectrum's most durable columnist Marie Janiefer Lee (Batch '87) has joined the Rotary Club of Muntinlupa South.  She was inducted as a new member last Sept. 2.  She will also be writing for the club's weekly newsletter very soon.  These Rotarians are lucky to have a talented and super-active member like Janiefer in the club.  Last Sept. 8, Geronimo Sy (Batch '87) celebrated his birthday at the Cafe Adriatico together with some close friends in Manila.  In photo, left to right: Stanley Lee (Janiefer Lee's husband), Janiefer, Geronimo Sy, and Romeo Sy (Batch '87) who arrived that same day from Iligan with his "special" friend Karen Co. Meanwhile, Marie Joan Q. Quidlat (Batch '87), together with her husband Mike Quidlat, bade goodbye to Iligan last Aug. 30 and left for Los Angeles, U.S.A.  They might eventually settle there for good when their papers are completed.  Joan is a former assistant secretary of the LCHS-AA.  We're all gonna miss her.  To Joan and Mike, Bon Voyage!

Peter Dy (Batch '66) is back home in Edmonton, Canada, after a funfilled two-week holiday.  He and his wife Tita arrived in Edmonton last Aug. 31 after driving for almost 12 hours across the U.S.A. and Canadian borders.  The long drive kicked off from Surrey, B.C. where Peter visited his niece Marie Josiefel Ello (Batch '83).  The trip also took him to Seattle, Washington, where Peter and Tita stopped by to join Greg Dy (Batch '59) who was attending a convention of the Philippine Masonic Association of America at the Seattle Marriott Hotel.  "Tracers" also learned that Joseph "Kangkang" Siao (Batch '67) returned recently to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.A. for some business matters.  Ever on the go, Aida Lim-Uy (Batch '61), owner of Cebu Fortune Travel, Inc., jetted off to Hong Kong last week to attend a special convention of travel agents from all over the world.  The convention was sponsored by the Hong Kong Tourism Association in cooperation with the Cathay Pacific Airways.  It was aimed at bringing back tourists to Hong Kong and regaining the prestige that it once enjoyed as a tourist mecca before the SARS breakout early this year. Last Sept. 12, Stanley Ong, son of Conchita Te-Ong (Batch '62) was installed as 1st vice president of the Mandaue Lions Club 301-B in the club's 33rd induction ceremonies held at the City Sports Club, Ayala Business Park.

CEC Foundation Day
Tue, 02 Sep 2003 07:07:23

Thanks for the article on Cebu Eastern College 88th Foundation Day celebration.  Hope to see all on Sept. 27, 7:00 p.m., at the White Gold House, Cebu City.  --Kho Siok We (Batch '59), Cebu, Philippines, via text message +639194478678

Your Spectrum web site is a great place to find long lost friends.  --Su Huei-Chen, Taiwan, email: lalibrrado@yahoo.com

Declamation piece
Sat, Sep 6 2003

Can I have a copy of the declamation piece: "Alm, alm, alm ... give me a piece of bread, spare me your mercy!" ("Tracers," Spectrum, Aug. 19, 2002 issue) Plzzzz ...  --Mae, Metro Manila, Philippines, email: herzbelle@yahoo.com

Why I didn't leave LCHS
Tue, 02 Sep 2003 21:19:31 -0500

This is in reply to the article by Cherrie Anne Lim-Mosqueda entitled "Why I Left LCHS" (Spectrum, Sept. 1, 2003 issue).  I would like to say that Cherrie Anne's experiences in LCHS were very dissimilar to mine.  I graduated from LCHS in the late 1990s.  I have attended both my elementary and secondary school in LCHS and up to now I have no regret doing so.  Many of my batchmates have transferred to other schools in Iligan especially immediately prior to the start of our secondary years but I have to say that those of us who stayed in LCHS were better off.

During my years in LCHS, I did not experience having my teacher embarrass me in front of my classmates nor did she ask us to strip in front of the class.  I remember that the reason my former classmates decided to transfer is that they could no longer handle studying two curriculums -- English and Chinese.

The school may not have the best facilities nor do they have teachers with Ph.D. and masters degrees but it is not inferior at all in terms of the quality education it provides its students.

I believe the main advantage studying in LCHS is the somewhat personal touch you get from the teachers because of the minimal amount of students per class.  Not only that, we each got to experience joining the many extra-curricular activities.  When I was in college, many of my batchmates would exclaim that they have not experienced joining in contests, the intramurals, etc.  I am proud to say that my classmates and I each had our fair share of these activities.  I also commend the administration for exposing us to a comprehensive curriculum.  Additional courses offered by the school were the likes of statistics, accounting, public speaking, journalism, analytic geometry, calculus, etc.  I also feel that because we have Chinese math, our skills are better in some ways compared to the graduates of other schools.  I remember that during academic interschool competitions, LCHS never failed to place if not win in almost all of them.

I am not saying that our system is already textbook perfect, when in fact it does need some tweakings.  But nevertheless, I never felt inferior during my years in college.  I had, most of the time, a more thorough knowledge and understanding of the many different subject matters compared to my classmates who are graduates of different schools.

This is not in any way offensive to Cherrie Anne Lim-Mosqueda.  It is very unfortunate for her to have such experiences in LCHS.  I am forever grateful to LCHS not just for the friendships I made but for the many lessons I learned, in and out of the classroom.  Why didn't I leave LCHS?  Simple!  It was the best.  --"stissy stissy" <stissy@myself.com>

I have been agonizingly waiting in vain for an explanation why LCHS students laugh every time Mr. Fidel Fuertes lectures about the very strict "Code of Kalantiaw."  Could this be the reason why Cherrie Anne Lim-Mosqueda left LCHS?  I also noted that her grammar is a bit very flawed when she stated ... "Such kind of teachers 'is ' very important, especially to preschool children.  Sadly, they are a rare breed these days."  Maybe this is a direct result of her being not a ' full time' LCHS student?

Even LCHS students who are not a declared "Magna cum Laude" such as Marie J. Q. Lee, Charles O. Sy and Roger Suminguit could have done a much better job.  LCHS teachers like Mr. Fidel 'Kalantiaw' Fuertes must really have the ability not only to make their classes more enjoyable but also make their 'regular' and 'average' and 'full time' students remain humble despite being really excellent!  Kunichiwa to all! --"Hiro S. Nobumasa" <naruwan4ever@yahoo.com>

[Rejoinder:  The use of the verb "is" in the phrase "Such kind of teachers is very important, especially to preschool children ..." is grammatically correct.  This is a complex sentence in which the applicable noun is "kind" and not "teachers."   The same rule is observed when we say:  "This type of criminal acts is (not "are") punishable by death."  --Charles O. Sy]

This space is reserved for the LCHS Alumni Association and LCHS Alumni Foundation, Inc.


Victor L. Chiu, Batch '65

A few weeks ago, Beng Hong, Terry Racines, Boy Lim and I were working on the drafts for the awards certificates that would be given during the forthcoming induction of alumni officers.  When Terry started to write "Chairperson, Awards Committee" under his name, Boy intervened and suggested to use "chairman" instead of "chairperson." Terry smiled and immediately complied.

Although it was brief, Terry's smile conveyed a lot of thoughts.  I’m sure that in her academic environment, some women's group -- ever vigilant of their rights -- would not take Boy's injunction sitting down.  They would restore “chairperson” as the proper and politically correct choice and probably accuse Boy of male chauvinism.  It is such kind of women’s group who were responsible for the evolution of “chairman” to “chairperson” and eventually to just plain “chair.”   I may address a female head of a committee as Madame Chairman but for the life of me, I cannot bring myself to address her as Madame Chair.  It sounds so contrived, so artificial, so unnatural.

For sure, Boy and I are products of the Sixties.  Back then, we did not have this kind of nonsense.  It was understood that chairman, man or mankind necessarily included women -- for where would mankind be without women?  It was understood that a displaced manhole cover was as dangerous to women as it was to men.  All that time, we used "manpower, manslaughter and man-hours" with both men and women in mind.

But not anymore.  The women’s liberation movement insisted on removing all biases against women, including those that were inherent in the language.  They advocated the use of gender-neutral words and sentences.  Instead of fireman, use firefighter; man, person; stewardess, flight attendant; aviatrix, pilot.  Instead of writing “Are there any freshmen who would like to work in the library?” write “Are there any first-year students who would like to work in the library?”  Instead of writing “Danny's grandmother lives by old wives' tales,” write “Danny's grandmother lives by superstitions.”

But then it would not do to apply the change they advocated in all situations.  For instance, when Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone,” it would be awkward to translate it into a gender-neutral sentence, such as “Person does not live by bread alone.”  To say that “Man or woman does not live by bread alone” would make Jesus sound too hesitant and indecisive.

In spite of the women's liberation movement, people still make some inanimate objects feminine.  The revolutionaries, for instance, cry for the Motherland while the environmentalists want to preserve Mother Earth.  St. Francis of Assisi paid tribute to Brother Sun and Sister Moon. And people, seeing a full moon rising from the horizon, exclaim, "Lovely as a queen!"  At the the lift-off of a rocket, they shout, "There she goes!"  When the train comes around the bend, they announce, "Here she comes!" Looking at a sailboat passing by, they admire, "She's a beauty!"

We used to write “Somebody has left his pen on the table.” without fear of committing any grammatical mistake.  But feminists objected to the use of the universal his, especially if there were women around.  They said that the sentence should read, "Somebody has left his or her pen on the table."  So, we began reading a lot of “he or she” and “his and her” in the newspapers, magazines and books.  But too many his’s and her’s eventually became so annoying that some people intentionally committed grammatical error by writing, “Somebody has left their pen on the table.”

Surprisingly, such error is beginning to become commonplace, and perhaps acceptable.  Since English is a living language, it changes as it grows -- and it changes according to the whims of the people who speak it.  No king or bishop or general can impose his will on how people speak their language.  Thus, splitting infinitives, beginning a sentence with a conjunction, ending a sentence with a preposition and other grammatical no-no’s have turned out beautifully in the hands of good writers.

Perhaps, in the future, when the women will outnumber the men, Boy and I will stop using "chairman."  We will write "chairwoman" instead.

Pacificador M. Lluch Jr.

There are two meanings of the word rumination.  One is the act of pondering; meditation.  The other is the act of chewing cud.  There are of course correspondingly two classes of beings who ruminate and both are called ruminants.  One is the human ruminant, described as, one who is in the process of meditating or contemplating.  The other is beastly, any of various hoofed, even-toed, usually horned animals, such as cattle, sheep and goats, characteristically having a stomach divided into four compartments, and chewing cud consisting of regurgitated, partially digested food.

So, one who presumes to be of the meditative and contemplative sort, and who publishes for posterity the product of his meditation may be correctly, albeit awkwardly called a ruminant, no matter how uncomfortably it calls to mind that other class of ruminants, the cows and the goats.

The interesting question, however, is how come the word rumination has two meanings -- one being the act of meditation and the other being the act of chewing cud?

If you have observed cows and goats closely as I have, it will not take you long to answer the question.  But first allow me to regale you with a side story on how I came to have had the privilege -- a pleasurable one I can assure you -- of observing goats at length.

Way back in 1976, heeding the call of entrepreneurial adventure, I set forth to establish what I envisioned to be a large ruminant empire:  a ranch teeming with thousands upon thousands of goats, with myself being the top ruminant, the Goat King.

Armed with this dream, I went to the DBP, impressed them with my vision and secured a loan.  Then I began in earnest to build my goat ranch on a 100-hectare farm.  I set out in search of breeder goats, reaching as far as Davao, Zamboanga and Siquijor Island (yep, I stayed almost a month in that blissful island widely known for its friendly and honest people -- but it was also there where I first came to hear of a religious cult that practiced a sort of sexual orgy, expressed in the admonition "kuot sa makuotan, hikap sa mahikapan."  Of course, it was mere hearsay from my standpoint.

In two years' time, my goat farm was swarming with around 450 goats of all sizes, from dwarf Siquijodnon ruminants to giant and aristocratic Anglo-Nubians which today an excellent specimen of which costs something like P14,000 per breeder buck.

Oh how I loved to see my herds as they came into the corral from the pasture, shining coats glistening in the sun!  And how I would spend days and days worrying and treating them one by one when diseases broke out.  Even today, long after the last of my goats had gone, I still dream of my beloved ruminants.

So that was how I was able to observe goats when they ruminate.  At 8:00 in the morning, the goatherds would drive them out to the pastures, there to browse on grasses and bushes.  At 12 noon, they would be driven back to the goat houses to rest and drink.  That is when they start ruminating.  Goats have four compartments in their stomach.  The first compartment is called the rumen.  The food they take in is stored in this compartment to be partially digested.  Then when they're ready to ruminate, they regurgitate, or bring out the food, now called cud, from the rumen and begin chewing on it.

When they ruminate they're often sitting down, or standing still, and their eyes which are half-closed, give you the impression that they are either savoring the taste of their cud, or meditating on the pleasures of polygamy.  So we can guess now at the probable reason why we use the term ruminate when we speak of a person who is engaged in meditation or contemplation.

Rumination. When we use that word, we should remember that it is an act done by two classes of beings: would-be philosophers and dumb cattle and their four-stomached friends.  I take pains to explain these things so that you readers wouldn't think me too presumptuous and prone to intellectual pretensions by my choice of the name or title of this column.  For after all, not all products of rumination or meditation are gems of thoughts.  Oftentimes they are nothing more than goat droppings and cow dung.

[Editor's Note:  Pacificador Lluch Jr. is a former editor of the Sword & Shield of St. Michael's College, Iligan City. The first time this article saw print was 16 years ago, in the author's own weekly newsmagazine, the MindanaWeek, which went out of circulation in the late 1980's.  This piece is reprinted here because the author finds it an excellent explanation for the choice of the column's name, Ruminations. Comments are welcome at: ladjous@yahoo.com]

Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87

It’s my lifelong wish to visit new places, to be free to wander around the world.

I know that it would be great to sip a cup of hot coffee in one of those al fresco cafés in Paris.  Will their coffee burn my tongue differently from the ones we have here?  I know it would be delightful to feel the tingling sensation on my cheek as a whiff of cold wind brushes by.  But who would be at home brushing away the tears from my little girl’s cheek when she stumbles and falls.

I know that it would be great to hear my footsteps as my heels hit the cobble streets in Portugal.  And hear it echo down the different chambers of my heart.  I’m sure its sound will reverberate quite nicely inside my hollow heart.  But how will I hear the  patter of my baby’s footsteps when I’m millions of miles away.  Will somebody enjoy the sound of her laughter and her squeals when I’m not there?

I know that it would be great to take in the picturesque villages in the outskirts of Austria, and see for myself if the hills do come alive with the sound of music.  How I wish I could see a glimpse of Maria and the kids running and singing in the open fields.  But who would play and dance with my little girl back home, who would always tug at my skirt, every time she hears a music.

I know that it would be great to watch the sunset from my window near the river that separates Buda from Pest in Budapest.  Will it be as enchanting as the postcard I got?  But who will watch the sunset from my terrace with my little girl? Who will point out to her the different shapes of the clouds that roll by? Who will patiently explain to her the different shades of orange that are exploding in the sky?

I know that it would be great to savor the taste of French words in my mouth; will it sound as romantic if I’m the one saying it? I wonder how my little girl will react when she hears me speaking in a strange language.  I’m sure her little punt nose will wrinkle in distaste.

I know that it would be great to feel the wind on my face as I sprint through the stretch of the Great Wall of China.  I’m sure it would be an experience just to see just how far I could go.  But who would run after my little girl as she dashes through our gate when left unattended.  Will the yaya be swift enough, will she be able to grab her just in time?

I know that it would be great to ride those gondolas along the canals of Venice.  I wonder how clean are their canals compared to ours here.  Do they stink as much as some people said they do?  But who would ride with my little girl as she goes to school every morning? Will she be held as tightly as I would hold her?  Will she be safe as she crosses the street to her school?

I know that it would be great to sleep in one of those old taverns in Dublin.  Feel and smell the century old sheets and dream of the knights who’ve been there, who’ve slept in that same old bed.  I would wonder how many battles they have won and how many wounds were they nursing when they rested on that bed.  But who would be sleeping with my little girl?  Who will she snuggle to when the dawn turns colder and her blanket is gone?

It’s my lifelong wish to be free to wander, to soar like the bird and see different places.  But I know I’d have a hard time flying far and wide if I leave with a heavy heart.  If I leave my most precious possession behind ... my little girl.
 
 

How you can send text messages from PC to cell phone for free
By Peter Dy (Batch '66)

Ever heard of TXT2Mail?  TXT2Mail (coined from "Text to Mail") is a two-way email to mobile phone connectivity offered by Chikka Mobile. It combines the power of email and the Short Message Service (SMS) on GSM phones.  This new gateway service allows PC users to send TXT messages from their email address to any SMS-enabled mobile phone. In turn, mobile phone users can instantly send and reply to e-mails received as text messages.

Any user can send and receive e-mails, to and from a mobile phone, provided that the mobile phone is subscribed to a carrier that is supported by TXT2Mail. Currently, TXT2Mail supports subscribers of SMART Communications, Inc. and Globe Telecom subscribers.  This facility is particularly useful for our alumni stationed abroad.  By registering with Chikka, they can communicate instantly from their PC to the cell phones of their families and friends here at home for free.  However, there's a minimal value-added service fee of P2.50 for every text message sent from one's cell phone to PCs abroad.  Which is still a bargain compared to placing a long distance call.  To register with Chikka, visit this website: www.chikka.com

"Chain letters are the ideal place to collect addresses." said Bill Orvis, who maintains the U.S. Department of Energy's hoax advisory Web site. Organizations that help users and companies fight spam have begun to take notice. Orvis, for example, recently posted Web warnings for government employees and the public, pointing out the dangers of forwarding chain letters. So far, no spammers have been caught harvesting e-mail addresses from chain letters, but Orvis thinks it's just a matter of time. "Just by forwarding a message to a dozen friends, it only takes a few generations before you fill the network with messages," he said.

In our high school days, the LCHS laboratory in the old Roosevelt campus was one of the finest among schools in Iligan.  Housed in a solitary one-storey building (in photo), it was equipped with a host of scientific paraphernalia that could cost quite a fortune today.

Inside this once venerable lab and under the icy gaze of Albert Einstein in a picture frame on the wall, we explored Newton's law of gravity, tested Archimedes' law of buoyancy, marveled at quantum effect, probed into the colors of the spectrum, dissected frogs, and peered into the microcosm of living cells.  We even learned to exclaim "Eureka! Eureka!" whenever we found ourselves a new puppy love.

True to the purpose for which it was envisioned, the lab opened doors to a whole new world of nature's mysteries for LCHS students.  The facility came fully equipped with complete sets of laboratory implements: Bunsen burners, tuning forks, test tubes, flasks, beakers, prisms, gyroscopes, microscopes, weighing scales, including specimens of various fauna and lepidoptera.  It also housed a rare menagerie of stuffed animals that included a mongoose, an egret, an iguana, an eagle, a monkey, a hornbill, a python, among others. There were also an infant monkey, a viper and other reptiles preserved with Formalin in bottles and jars.  I once found myself expressing bewilderment at how a new arrival posted among the lab's exhibits could appear so prehistoric yet strikingly authentic. To which my seat mate promptly reminded me, "That's not a specimen, silly.  That's our new science teacher!"

One of the lab's prized possessions was a man-size plastic model of the human anatomy, which we "dissected" layer by layer in our biology class.  Unlike some of my classmates, I never developed any interest in biology, least of all indulging in such gruesome exploration into man's internal organs.  It would have been different though had the replica been that of the female anatomy.

Owing to the valuable items stored inside, the lab was often kept closed under lock and key.  It was accessible to us only during laboratory period.  Yet, even if it were open any other time, students would still dread getting inside the lab during unholy hours.  The lab was said to be haunted.  At times when the campus was deserted, eerie sound of feet shuffling thereabout was said to have been heard inside the lab.  Which was odd because nobody could have been inside since its two doors were locked from the outside.

On a dare, I once stayed behind on campus with a classmate after school dismissal.  As soon as everyone had gone home, we sneaked up to the lab and perched ourselves atop a stool to peep inside the lab through the overhead glass window.  The silence was bizarre yet we heard none of the dreaded shuffling sounds inside.  Suddenly as I scanned the room, I noticed a slight shadowy movement up ahead.  It was scary and I felt a chill running down my spine.  When I looked again, I saw to my horror a faint apparition reflected on the glass window on the opposite side of the wall.  I almost fell off the stool.  It turned out to be a reflection of my own face.

For many of my peers, a trip to the LCHS lab was always a period of new discoveries.  To me and several other naughty cohorts, however, it was a time to deviate and venture into our own form of scientific explorations.  We hid ourselves at the back of the lab and experimented with Chesterfield and Pall Mall.  We reached the conclusion that indeed a filtered cigarette tasted milder than one without filter.

To most of my classmates, laboratory hour was meant for scientific experiments.  To me, it was a time to explore the science of courtship.  While my classmates were busy firing up a miniature steam engine, I busied myself enticing a female classmate to experiment with our own kind of "spontaneous combustion" at the back room of the lab.  Needless to say, our experiment was fiery yet clumsy.  Well, what could one expect from a lab at first sight?

The exterior decorative wall of the lab also provided us with a convenient platform to try our skills in the science of hieroglyphics.  On the lab exterior walls could be traced such titillating graffiti as "Ramdracalav Boys"; "Alaber Brothers"; "Rewms"; "I luv Lucena";  "Walastik Gang"; "Me Tarzan, you stupid"; and many such other ancient doodles all affirming, as it were, the existence of a Sino-Jurassic tribe in LCHS even long before the discovery of speech.

From the lab, we also discovered the magic of chemistry.  Occasionally during lab period, we would stash away a few milligrams of mercury which we rubbed on our coins to give them a brilliant coating.  Alas, we discovered the morning after that the coins had turned into pieces of discolored and useless junk resulting from their chemical reaction.  Expensive lesson indeed.

Laboratory recess was also our chance to sneak back into our usual lair behind the lab to embark on a form of group research.  We formed ourselves into clusters and experimented with the science of probabilities in playing cards.  From such experiments, we discovered the dynamics of Black Jack and Baccarat and redefined the meaning of cardiology.

Such were the lessons in science that we picked up at the once fabled lab of LCHS.  To this day, the lessons have remained intact and invaluable in a world where the mystery of life is sometimes made easier to live by when one has sampled a little of everything.

"Little Mermaid" swims to Cagayan de Oro
By Cherrie Anne Lim-Mosqueda
Batch 1990

Kagay-anons are in for a rare treat this October as Grace and Pointes Dance Center mounts the ballet production of “Little Mermaid.” It will be the first of its kind in the history of ballet productions in Mindanao. The “Little Mermaid” (in photo) is a full-length ballet in two acts that is choreographed and starred in by two international ballet stars from the Atlanta Festival Ballet in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Gregory Aaron and Nicolas Pacaña will play the parts of King Triton and Prince Eric respectively. Mr. Aaron is the co-artistic director of the above non-profit ballet company since 1990. He has been performing, teaching, and choreographing for students and audiences in the Southeast since 1999. Mr. Pacaña, on the other hand, is a native of San Nicolas, Cebu, who danced his way to international fame through some scholarship grants. He is recognized as one of the finest of classical danseurs. At present, he also acts as co-artistic director of the same prestigious ballet company that Mr. Aaron is working for.

The cast of “Little Mermaid” is composed mainly of Grace and Pointes Ballet Center’s stable of ballet dancers led by its Directress, Ann Grace Daque. Ms. Daque herself will be portraying the major role of the sea-witch Ursula. She founded the dance center 10 years ago with the vision of uplifting the ballet standards of this city way above its norms. At present, there are about 80 students in Ms. Daque’s ward whose ages range from 2-20. Two of Ms. Daque’s top ballerinas, Jonah Vergs Corinne Lao and Hochille Mae Bongcas, will be dancing as the Queen of the Sea and Ariadne, respectively. The Queen of the Sea is King Triton’s wife while Ariadne is the sea-witch’s daughter out to grab Prince Eric from Ariel’s arms. The role of Ariel, on the other hand, will be portrayed by Sheila Lendio, a Cebuana ballerina who dances for Balletcenter, Cebu.

Balletcenter is the birthplace of the classical dance in Cebu. It is the same school that honed the talents of both Mr. Pacaña and Ms. Daque. It was founded 50 years ago by Ms. Fe Sala Villarica, Cebu’s prime ballet innovator.  The school bases its syllabus on the Soviet System as epitomized by the Russian Vaganova method that produced world-famous Russian dancers. Ms. Daque has adapted the same syllabus for her school here in the city. Last year, in celebration of its 50th year of bringing magic and wonder to the Cebuano community through its ballet dances, Balletcenter staged the anchor performance of “Little Mermaid” in Cebu. The show won critical acclaims both from ballet aficionados and the general public. Ms. Daque hopes to elicit the same response from Kagay-anons as her school stages the same production on Oct. 4 and 5, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. at the Capitol University Gymnasium. Tickets are available at P100, P150 and P200. Sponsors, patrons and advertisers who want to become part of this major event may contact Grace and Pointes Dance Center at the following numbers: (088)8572321 or (0919)2733794.

Cinderella
By Candice Ang Uy
Cebu, Philippines

Once and far away in a manor
lived a wealthy man and his
beautiful, kind-hearted daughter.

She had grown up without a mother
and so hoping to ease her plight
the father paid court and married another.

But this joyous time was brief
the father was soon dearly departed
the little girl alone in her grief.

With her cruel and wicked ways,
the stepmother banished her to
sweep cinders and the hearth to stay.

With the girl unrightfully disowned
she and her daughters set about
making her whereabouts unknown.

How quickly the years had passed
with all her work, Cinderella
had naught to dwell on her past.

Growing more beautiful by the day
unchanged in sweetness and temperance
in her heart dreams and wishes lay.

One morn, quite a stir be in the house
the geese flapped with excitement, the
ancient horse, too, down to the tiny mouse.

The prince was having a ball
and maidens from the kingdom
were to come one and all.

What delight!  Oh, what glee!
for the lady he chooses
his coveted bride she shall be.

Her looks so unkempt
filthy and tattered rags clinging
how Cinderella’s wounded heart wept.

Suddenly a glimmer of light
sparkling beams of magical dust
lit the dark of night.

“Hush, don’t cry my child,”
her fairy grandmother said.
“In this carriage you shall ride.”

A well-sprung coach of such class
and on her tiny feet
exquisite slippers of finest glass.

A gown of spangled silk and lace
Cinderella could only wonder
what was to be her fate?

Pay these words with heed
be home this night by twelve
for undone shall come this deed.

A magnificent sight at the ball
everyone stopped and stared
none recognizing her at all.

She had roused his heart
and as he danced with her longer
he could not bear for them to part.

The clock had struck by then
Cinderella hurriedly broke away
would ever they meet again?

Only a glass slipper he found
desperate were his efforts
her presence lingering all around.

A proclamation he duly signed
the lady who fits the slipper
in marriage he would bind.

Her stepsisters tried all their might
but failed to fit their feet
inside the slipper so slight.

It broke under duress
leaving the Grand Duke trembling
and stuttering with stress.

Whereupon Cinderella took out the other
all gasped to see, disbelieving
the dazzling piece none another.

The prince, he took her aside to marry
after so long a time searching
why should he still tarry?

Happily ever after this tale ends
for Cinderella and her Prince
their love was truly heaven-sent.