Alumni Night

The Alumni Night was held on March 16, 2008 at Olongapo City Convention Center (dating Phil Am). The occasion start at 5pm but the parade of the alumni batches did not start until 10pm. Batch 80 was given a part of the program. Our part was for the batch to sing, and sang we did.

You have seen the practice on the previous post. The performance of the batch during the alumni night would be seen on this video . We tried our best classmates, even if the members of the batch got very few practice. Cliff provides the accompaniment but you would not see him. He is at the back of the singers. Jen's voice could be heard at the top (due to her more closer to the mic) but everyone did their best and share their talent (there were only 3 mics not enough to cover everyone). The boys although few did their best and sang their heart out (after 2 long necks of Fundador).

On this Video we were singing the last part of "Teach Your Children" and this was followed by "Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran" by Asin which was our 3rd and final song. The batch has changed some parts of the lyrics to fit the current situation. I think everyone remembers this song.

And the lyrics goes like this . . .

wala ka bang napapansin

sa iyong mga kapaligiran

marami nang anak namin

pati na ang mga apo namin

hindi na masama ang pag unlad

at malayo-layo na rin ang aming narating

ngunit masdan mo ang mga buhok namin

dati kulay itim ngayo'y may puti na rin

ang mga duming ating ikinalat sa hangin

sa langit huwag na nating paabutin

upang kung tayo'y pumanaw man

sariwang hangin sa langit natin matitikman

mayroon lang kaming hinihiling

sa aming pagtanda sana ay tag ulan

I-pod namin as aming dadalhin

upang sa Starbucks na lang tayo mag ja-jaming

ang mga batang ngayon lang isinilang

may J-S na silang natitikman

samantalang nung panahon ng Batch 80

ang J-S di man lang nasubukan

lahat ng bagay na narito sa lupa

biyayang galing sa diyos kahit nung ika'y wala pa

ingatan natin at huwag nang sirain pa

pagkat pag kanyang binawi, tayo's mawawala na

alex pineda

Our Practice of Teach

Our batch decides to sing, and they say that Jen was the one who pick the songs. If were going to sing, we need to practice at least to have a rhythm. Cliff was the conductor, music teacher, coach and guitarist for the batch (we were once genesis II members). On this video we were singing "Teach Your Children" by CSNY. Teach your children is our song number 2 on the line up of 3 songs.

And the lyrics goes like this...

YOU, WHO ARE ON THE ROAD, MUST HAVE A CODE

THAT YOU CAN LIVE BY

AND SO, BECOME YOURSELF

BECAUSE THE PAST IS JUST A GOODBYE

TEACH, YOUR CHILDREN WELL, THEIR FATHERS HELL

DID SLOWLY GO BY, AND FEED THEM ON YOUR DREAMS

THE ONE THEY TEACH, THE ONE YOU'LL KNOW BY

DON'T YOU EVER ASK THEM WHY,

IF THEY TOLD YOU, YOU WOULD CRY

SO JUST LOOK AT THEM AND SIGH,

AND KNOW THEY LOVE YOU

AND YOU (CAN YOU HEAR AND)

OF TENDER YEARS (DO YOU CARE AND)

CAN'T KNOW THE FEARS (CAN YOU SEE ME)

THAT YOUR ELDERS GREW BY (MUST BE FREE TO)

AND SO PLEASE HELP (TEACH YOUR CHILDREN)

THEM WITH YOUR YOUTH (YOU BELIEVE AND)

THEY SEEK THE TRUTH (MAKE A WORLD THAT)

BEFORE THAY CAN DIE (WE CAN LIVE IN)

TEACH YOUR PARENTS WELL, THEIR CHILDRENS HELL,

WILL SLOWLY GO BY, AND FEED THEM ON YOUR DREAMS

THE ONE THEY TEACH, THE ONE YOU'LL KNOW BY

DON'T YOU EVER ASKED THEM WHY,

IF THEY TOLD YOU, WOU WOULD CRY

SO JUST LOOK AT THEM AND SIGH,

AND KNOW THEY LOVE YOU

alex pineda

Practice

On the day of registration we also need to practice for our batch presentation on the alumni night. The Alumni night was the culmination on all the celebration for the home coming. Here is a video at the beginning of the practice while we were waiting for the rest of the gang. It was done at Susan's house and Susan prepared a lot of food as if she knows that me and cliff would be there.

alex pineda

Registration

The first day of the alumni home coming was the registration of all alumni that will attend the celebration. I was directed to go to the auditorium which was on the 3rd floor of the new building situated on the location of the social hall during our time (the social hall is now a concrete building, our old school rooms in elementary that was torn down and connected to make one big hall, where we used to do our activities was gone. The principal's office, teachers lounge and teachers meeting rooms where located on the 2nd floor of the social hall.)

As I was climbing up the stairs to go to the registration area. I run into one of our batch mates, Cliff (who was so surprised that I was there). Cliff was going down the stairs looking for other batch 80 members. Then Francis showed up at the bottom of the stairs and so the three of us went up to register. After registration we went back downstairs, climb into the stage where our principal (Mrs Ridon) and some of our teachers were and together watched the presentation of students on the quadrangle. We also got handed some barbecues on stick (I just hope there's more of them) and I ate one.

This picture was taken inside the registration hall which was the whole auditorium.


alex pineda

Introduction

Here I am again making something I have never done before. I just came from the Philippines on my vacation and it so happens that it was also the date of SJS alumni Home coming. Needless to say, I ended up attending the occasion. In one of my heart to heart talk with Jen. We ended talking about the probability of starting a blog regarding our batch. Our beloved Batch 1980 of St. Joseph's School of Olongapo City. On that short talked, we felt that we need some way to express the needs of our batch. We long for connection and updates regarding our school, our city and our batch mates. We do have a yahoo group but it was felt that yahoo group alone does not satisfy the need for connection with each other (we need more). We need something that is dynamic and active. So here it is the BLOG which can be accessed by anyone from our batch (just send me an email and I will send you the sign in and password). So that we can tell those who want to hear what we want to say, regarding ourselves, development, improvement and anything else as long as it does not hurt anyone.

So here it is Jen, our very own BLOG. I do remember that you as a journalist wanted to post related things to our batch, school, Olongapo, or anything under the sun. As long as it is interesting.

Alex Pineda