CLASS HISTORY


DATE: December 20, 2008

    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