THE FINAL STAGE: OUR SENIOR YEAR

At long last, the long- awaited moment finally came. Anxious to make our last year in high school the best, we went all out in everything we did. We gave our everything our best shot. From sports to academics to Saturdays nights out -- we wanted only the best.

We were dying to get out of high school, strict regimented schedules, the back lessons to catch up on, projects to complete, eager to leave all these behind. And then it hit us right between the eyes. We were in such a hurry that we had no time to really consider if the four years we had spent in high school was enough or sufficient. We had grown physically, mentally and spiritually as well, but was it all enough? We see in retrospect how things could have been and we foresee how it could be in the future. Just the same, we all learned from our mistakes. In fact, we can very well say that our Senior year was a year of catch-up  learning because it was during this point in our academic life where we finally realized the value of education in our future.

United. Yes, we were one united batch. It was during our last year when we felt and tried to be as close to each one as possible, perhaps, at the back of our minds loomed the prospect of that day when we shall all part. Everything we did began to assume special significance, and started to become immediately memorable. For threee long years, we had been bumping into each other, not caring whose face it was. It seemed that we didn't even know, in a personal way, all of our own batchmates. So, on this last year, we made up for everything. We tried to stay as a united batch, nakikisama and spent time with our peers even for just one year, our very memorable Seniors year.

As our memories drift back in our minds, we remember the day when we first hit high school. The years ahead seemed all too long, and we had not even warmed our freshmen seats when we were already dying to graduate. Now that we are just about to graduate, we yearn to pull the years back, longing for just a little more time in high school. Graduation has finally arrived. Behind it trails the memories that we have between our first day and last day in high school --- crammed with events and experiences that helped shape what we are today. Some were good and others were not so good. But the best of experiences and memories took place in our Senior year. Small treasures for time to pick over.

It was also during this year when we grew closest to our teachers. Before, we were never within an arms length near our teachers but this year, we grew closer to them. One with our teachers, one with our batch, one with our friends and one with the school. It was also during this year when all the underclassmen looked up at us. As Seniors, we were naturally expected to be role models to the lower batches. We have to admit however, that even though we were not the best of models of all times, we nonetheless guarantee that others had learned a thing or two from this very remarkable batch. Of course, there were grudges and competitions but we took everything in stride.

The year was filled with anxieties and challenges, difficult to hurdle, but in the final run --- we made it. We learned a whole lot about the world, about each other, and most importantly, a whole lot more about our own selves as we started thinking about what directions and degrees we would take in college. After 4 long years of camaraderie and brotherhood, we will now begin to go our separate ways. And the sorrow of parting is that some of us may meet again, and some, perhaps not. The only comfort lies in the belief that somehow, we have left something of ourselves in each other.

We wish that we could turn back the clock...