At last, I have finished my day's work in the skylab.
As I laid down to sleep, I was disturbed by the giggles and shouts of some teenagers outside
--- children of my fellow scientists.
Ah youth! You are so filled with zeal and excitement! Their laughters
began to ring louder and louder in ny ears, taking me millions of light
years to my home, earth, 40 years ago when I was just a youth like them.
Memories swiftly flashed back in my mind --- memories of the things we used
to do, the things we used to say. I sighed then I smiled.
Our group was a closely knitted one. Everyone's wish of making our class
famous far and wide (whether for the good or the bad things we do) has
somehow been the binding force that held us all. That was why we have
rejoiced over our being "first" in many things, for these certainly placed
us in the history (unwritten) of QCSHS. Well, talking about school attire,
we have been the first to have the kneelength skirt, the first class to wear
the bow, and the first to have shorts as P.E. uniform. As for the boys,
they have been the first and probably the last class to wear the Sea scout's
uniform in scouting. It was also in our first year in science high school
when the sections Star, Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury were renamed Curie,
Darwin, Edison and Einstein respectively. A new section called Newton for
the freshmen has also been formed. For the first time in the history of
QCSHS a class has been divided into 5 sections. We were also the first
batch that had the college type of schedule in our four years in high
school. In addition to this, we have been the first and the last juniors to
have Practical Arts and to be under the baking class; the first to have the
integrated-physics curriculum in the third year, and the first to graduate
under the heterogenous method of sectioning. In reality, these are but
vanities. Yet, we took pride in them.
I also remember how we have worked hard to stand out both in school and
out-of-school activities. Who can ever forget that freshman who toppled all
the upper classman down in his ingenuity, when he won the "Name our Science
Club" contest? Who can ever forget that guy who christened our science club
Sciath Society (Aghamatika) coining Sciath from the words Science and Math?
Well, his name was ... was ... oh, Manuel Aquino. Likewise, still a
greenhorn in the sicence high school, Orlando Cruz has already shown his
incentive mind when he won 2nd place for his project "Rotary Switch" in the
Division Science Fair. Not wanting to be outdone by the boys, Mitos Barba
won 2nd place for her project "Square root machine" in the Division Math Fair.
A math quiz was also held and the class was represented by Renato Herradura
and me, for topping the qualification exam that has been given to the
freshmen. But our class was no bunch of "academic fanatic" people. We also
excelled in other fields as proven when Quintin Estioko won the poem writing
contest held during the English Week, and when Melchor Carandang, Ramoncito
Gozar, Athena Gorospe have been chosen to be among the delegates to the CMLI
convention in Baguio City.
And for all our hardships in making the floor of our rooms shine like
mirror, and in raising fund for the beautification of the front of Bldg. A,
Zone I has been awarded a certificate of appreciation during the Recognition
Day, 1974. The class' activity did not stop with the end of the
schoolyear. A couple of students have been selected to form the Social
Studies I Demonstration Class and was used by Mrs. Aurora Perez, our SS
teacher, in demonstrating the new conceptual approach of education to
teachers from various schools.
The following schoolyear, heavier responsibilities have been given us.
Athena Gorospe, together with the other sophomores, has been elected to head
the Future HP now known as the JHP. The school's greenhouse was only one of
the fruits of their leadership. On the other hand, I wonder who knew the
three women behind the school's winning the PNB Mag-impok Movement? I bet
everyone must have known the foremost of them, Mrs. Teresita Mamenta. But
they have known that the other two came from our class? Unknown to many,
Rita Aurelio played an important part in the contest, as the right hand of
Mrs. Mamenta, painstakingly collecting the students' deposits during the
entire contest. Lilia Jumaquio, who had the highest savings account then,
has been given the "Most Thrifty" award by the school. Incidentally, aside
from being thrifty, she was also good in flower making. She won a flower
making contest (division level).
Meanwhile, the class continued on its struggle not to permit any student
from the lower year and even the higher years, win over us. Again we have
succeeded when Roland Ubando and Orlando Cruz, together with Marcelo Garbo,
copped the first place in the Local Science Fair, integrated science and
biology category respectively. Roland's winning project was "The Effects of
Neutralization of Soil on Global Temperature" and Orlando's was the
"Sterilization of the Common Housefly through Gamma Radiation." Orlando and
Marcelo represented the school in the Regional Science Fair, Biology category.
Our Junior year proved to be more exhilirating --- finding ourselves in a
neck to neck battle with the seniors. The summer 1976 has been one for both
Melchor Carandang and me when we passed the entrance test for the Ateneo
Summer Seminar for high school juniors. I, fortunately, was awarded a
half-tuition college scholarship for Ateneo when we graduated.
If we had found our junior year exciting, we found our senior year very
challenging. We have been given the highest positions of leadership for the
school's various organizations. Melchor Carandang became the Barangay
captain of the SCB, Marcelo Garbo was the President of the SCIATH Society,
Athena Gorospe was the Editor in chief of the Electron, Susan Ramos was the
President of Banyuhay, Belen Furigay was for the Z-Club, Rita Aurelio was
for the English Club and Roland Ubando was for the Hi-Y. Roland Ubando was
also the president of the Hi-Y Supreme council (QC chapter). Robertina
Mortel for the Himig and Esperanza Mendoza for Indak. The last 2 were
organization founded for the first time by class '77.
For the first time, the girls won the Nat'l. CAT Competition, while the
boys placed 1st runner up in their division. For the first time too, the
CAT Competition was divided into 3 phases. Hence our girls were the first
champion of the phase 3 CAT Competition.
On the other hand, Ezra Elmo Martinez, our science researcher of the year,
won 1st prize in the Regional Science Fair, technology, with his project
"Passible Production of Electricity from Bacteria". Romulo de Jesus "New
Method of Extracting Square Roots" placed 4th in the Math category. Roy
Manglicmot's "Gas Saver" won 4th prize in the technology category. A
science poster contest was also held, where Quintin Estioko, dopped the
first prize. Both Elmo and Quintin qualified to be in the National Science
Fair.
As in the CAT competition, the press conference has also been divided, this
time, into 2 phases. Orlando Cruz placed 8th in sportswriting and Makar
Josef de la Cruz placed 14th in newstory writing, in the first Luzon NSSPC.
In the NSSPC, Orlando won 10th place in sportsstory writing contest while
the literary-feature page of Banyuhay, won 4th prize. Athena Gorospe, also
won a consolation prize on the On the Spot Essary Writing Contest held
during the Drug Abuse Prevention Week.
Another "first" was when our school joined the contests being sponsored by
the Knight of Columbus annually. Melchor Carandang, after a heavy fight
with a student from Philippine Science High School, placed 2nd in the
science category, while Marcelo Garbo placed 4th.
Roland Ubando led his group of HiYer in retaining the Most Outstanding
Delegation crown for our school. For the first time since our school
started joining the annual convention, 4 out of the 10 MOD in the
convention, came from our school, namely Roland U., Lourdes Sadiua, Susan
Ramos, and me. Lourdes Sadiua place 1st in the Talumpati contest, Mitos
Barba won 3rd prize in the declamation contest and Roland Ubando placed 2nd
in the extempo contest. He has also been given the Hi-Y Leadership Award
and the Most Outstanding Hi-Yer Award. In addition to his laurels, Roland
and I, won 3rd prize as a team in the Tanung-Sagot contest held at the PSHS.
In the local contests, most of the winners came from the seniors too,
considering our advantage in experience and learning, but in the end of all
these struggles and achievements, what have we to say?
"Too many things to do, so little done! Again, vanity!
As I looked back to those 4 long years, I have realized that no enjoyment,
however inconsiderable is confined to the present moment. A man is happier
for life for having made once an agreeable tour or lived for any length of
time with nice and unpleasant people.
Then I looked at the stars around me and remembering our vanities and
pride, I wondered how many ofus have already reached their own stars. Then
I sighed. Ah youth! You are so filled with zeal and excitement!
Agnes M. Brazal
Class Historian