TURNING POINT

by Ian Sabalza

    WITHOUT our even realizing it, S.Y.1998-1999 will soon culminate in the different graduation ceremonies this month, leaving only fond memories and realities learned the hard and other painful way.

    As in a day of reckoning, it's rather fair to evaluate ourselves. Did we meet the things expected from us students? What values have we imbibed in this Catholic institution? What changes in our character have taken place? In other words, was our stay in this school fruitful and worthwhile? Did the efforts and patience of our mentors pay off? Or did we simply remain truants the whole year through?

    Margaret Sangster could have said it better, poetically: "It isn't the thing you do, dear; It's the thing you leave undone. Which gives you a bit of heartache. At the setting of the sun."

    As we go agog this summer vacation to afford our wearied minds a breathing space (and wait eternally for Mula Sa Puso to end its telecast), it's about time that we do ourselves a little justice by letting go of our heartaches that have burdened us the entire school year.

    Education is said to be the key that unlocks the door to this bright future we all look forward to. Yet despite our constant failures and relapses, we surely can have all the things we aspire for life. We just can't have them all at once, of course.

    In his monumental book entitled Mystery of the Ages, the late Herbert W. Armstrong said that ambition "is not only the desire for accomplishment; it includes the will and the drive to pay the price." How true.

    On the other hand, Max Lucado, in his book And the Angels Were Silent, wrote that "the people who make a difference are not the ones with credentials, but the ones with the concern."

    Last October, at the eleventh hour, we are able to release the Target in its tabloid form. Sorry, the release was rather delayed because of some adjustments we had to contend. It also taught us one thing: to act responsibly.

    We're pleased to come up this time with the Target in a newsletter form as a supplement to the tabloid. This is the second newsletter we have so far produced. The first one was issued in 1996 under the editorship of Mr. Humbert Doloroso (then a collegian). It was published in the form of a two-page mimeographed newsletter. To say the least, it was a crude copy. But it has served its purpose as a school publication.

    You must understand, too, that aside from our one and only computer which sometimes works crazily, we're also prone to commit mistakes. Time comes when we become cross-eyed meticulously proofreading the texts that are brought to the press to be finally printed. Minor grammatical, typographical and punctuative errors are thus overlooked. We also realized that some defects are brought about by mechanical faults in the printing press which are surely beyond our control.

    Finally, we  from the Student Publication Office (SPO) would like to thank the whole kit and caboodle for allowing us to "serve" our school in our own little way. Sorry, too, for any trouble we might have caused you.

    We also wish everyone a happy summer vacation. Enjoy it over tall refreshing glass of halo-halo, avocado shake or whatever cools you off.