TWO CENTS WORTH

by Ian Sabalza

    In his poem "To The Virgins," English poet Robert Herrick alludes to the reality that time, in all its essence, flies steadily unhindered, exorting us, then, to treasure its priceless value and make use of every opportunity it grants us.

    Apropos of this, we bear witness how each school year begins and ends. Along with it comes life's achievements, rewards and, yes, failures, too - and the passing of youthfulness. How long have we ardently desired the days when we were young and carefree - when, in our naiveness, we were building castles in the air. But gone are those days of make-believe.

    If only one could bargain with Father Time and the Fate Lachesis, or probably plead Hebe, the goddess of youth herself, to let us drink even a precious drop of nectar from her cup of immortality. Yet mythology, legends and fairy tales exist only in books and in fertile imaginations.

    It was without much ado and fanfare when the Holy Infant College opened its doors to usher-in another year of Wholistic academic formation in keeping with the mission-vision of the school. It was a lively homecoming for old timers with prayerful resolutions on hand. For new students, though, their entrance to this school proves to be another milestone for them. Yet, without doubt, their innocent faces reveal the period of adjustment to the new environment, the feeling of estrangement, and the search for their way to the pinnacle of success. Or so they hope.

    We're almost halfway through the end of the first semester. What's onward is for us to discover and is beyond speculations and wild guesses. No day, however, in which we learn something is a complete loss. Not unless we value the things Christian education affords us in this school and make use of them wisely in the future when we soon come face to face with the outside world, beleaguered by life's realities and complexities -- all in this kaleidoscopic world.

    Let me, then, share to you these lines from the book Peace of Mind by Joshua Liebman: "Many people go through life committing partial suicide - destroying their talents, energies, creative qualities. To learn how to be good to oneself is often more difficult than to learn how to be good to others."

    New dreams and ideals will lead us on our way. Each day is an new beginning. Old dreams served us yesterday. Nothing is - but now.

Jacta est alea. The die is cast.

    Sheer excitement and nervousness caught a number of us the day we elected our fellow students to hold positions in the College Supreme Student Council (CSSC) for school year 1998-1999. Kudos and good show, ladies and gentlemen. It is beyond doubt, though that this call of duty is a sort of "baptism of fire" for some officers who have been given a dose of experience to take hold a position in the Council for the first time.

    As it turned out, our elected officers come from the three contesting parties namely, the "Student Party" (SP) under Ariel Matillano, "Lamrag Party" (LP) under Nilo Buhalog, and the "Service Habited and Responsible Party" (SHARP) under Marcel Cantuba (who, by the way, got the lion's share when he won the presidential seat).

    Our officers were once zealots of their respective parties, yet they are now under the banner of service to the studentry - a thing they had kept emphasizing many a time during the campaign period. Realizing, too, that the Council is no place for lazybones and lame ducks, they had vowed to be credible and effectual leaders whose accomplishments will be their magnum opus once they have established an icon of their meritorious performance and achievements.

    We'll recall how they had solicited for our votes and invoked our support. Some, who appeared so good-naturedly, had even blown their own horns just to get our sympathy, confidence and trust. I can't help but call to mind what Abraham Lincoln aptly said, "If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend." That surely was quite obvious during the campaign period, wasn't it?

    It must be mentioned too that during those days of lively campaign (when the loyal support of everybody was sought by the candidates and their equally zealous followers), it is sad to say that friendships and good relations have been affected, sometimes with angry, hurt feelings and accusations. It is true that some had been very personal about their candidacy. But from these came humble acceptance, reconciliation and healing, both from the victors and defeated candidates (who, despite their untimely loss, have managed to keep their chins up).

    A miss is as good indeed as a mile. Many lessons have been learned, alright, Nonetheless, let's come to accept the reality that life is simply like that - full of surprises and ironies.

    Now that the election brouhaha is over, let us unitedly give our elected officers the opportunity to promote the students' welfare and herald the good name of our school. Let them do it to their heart's content. But, as some have asked, will they really live up to the students' expectation? We shall see.

    After much hectic work that sent us scurrying around to bead deadlines, we have finally found relief. Releasing this issue gives us a feeling of accomplishment. In a way we are able to reach out to you via this paper which is instrumental in keeping you abreast with goings-on of our school and other matters that concern us. We're finding it hard to believe, but here at the Student Publication Office (SPO), we are quietly but proudly celebrating the third anniversary of this paper.

    (Speaking of anniversaries, don't remind us of killing a fatted calf which will prompt us to paint the school red. That's beyond realization for now since we're tightening our belt in today's uncertain times. There are other ways of enjoyment like, in my case, reading nonfiction books like Gilbert Osofsky's The Burden of Race and Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled which every bibliophile will surely love.

    Since it first saw the light of day three years ago, the Target has been slowly carving its own niche in the field of campus journalism. Eighteen (18) collegians comprise this year's staff. A team of lecturers oriented us first about the nuts and bolts of campus journalism during the two-day seminar we had studiously attended last Sept. 5-6. We are not, uh, literati nor savants with scholastic feathers in our caps, but we do strive to publish a well-edited paper that speaks well of our organization.

    You see, we don't run short of plans. As long as our budget allows, we intend to come up with this paper twice a school year. Also, a special issue (in the form of newsletter) will be released in the future and a magazine to boot near the end of the school year. Messenger '98 we prepared last summer in Davao City (that part of the world where you find a cornucopia of durian and other exotic fruits). We thought it practical to print one kind of yearbook incorporating all the three departments to better control publishing expenses.

    Criticisms? We have our share of them. Some have criticized us prejudicially. And, miracle of miracles, we can still crack a smile in the midst of them. Well, they are probably God's little ways of helping us see our mistakes and deficiencies. So, thanks - and more thanks. We wish our critics well. But we remind them, too, with these words of Lincoln (again): "He has a right to criticize who has a heart to help." Need I say more?

    Under the advisory assistance of Mr. Gregorio Luangco and the beauteous Ms. Ma. Fe Inting, we work concertedly in good fellowship inside our small, cramped office (read: cell). We're convinced that our work requires commitment and dedication, and that being affiliated with the SPO is no joke after all for we mean business - I mean business. Service to the studentry remains our guiding policy.

    In our third year of publication, we look back on the year we started this humble endeavor and face the future with optimism. How much we're grateful to the pioneering staff and former staff members who, for the time being, have entrusted this undertaking to our care.

    Of course, this work is shared by our associates from our sister publications Echoes (high school) and Blinkers (elementary). We are independent from one another, but we share the same passion and are guided by the same principle. After all, we belong to one family where our work is a labor of love done in good faith. And that, I think, is beyond question.