"Memories, wrapped between the pages of my mind... " Unwrapping...
WE HAD classes under the gym in rooms called G-rooms, and we were smallish classes of 30 or fewer students. Our teachers were from the cream of the college faculty, who refused to treat us like the children we actually were. So we essentially had to be rapt students, and we were, at the feet of esteemed professors Estoque, Mayo, Ramos, Rillera, Ruff, Villacrucis. There were more, but they are indeed wrapped between the pages of my mind, in alphabetical order. Smiley.
Unwrapped are memories of those G-rooms, cement floors with red wax over them, wooden desks fashioned to their chairs, windows on one side of the room, beside a red metal door. A blackboard to the left wall of the metal door, as you entered. The G-rooms were the classrooms of the four smallish classes of the UB Science High.
August was a busy month for us, a month when our sports intramurals kicked off, the opening for which we rehearsed in July, mostly. The Science High was much known for our cheering numbers, delivered with almost Teutonic precision and which, we were told, were a sight to behold. Thing is, if you were in the Science High, you did not get to see what they were talking about, unless you were one of the cheerleaders.
Like you did not see Music Barn. It was a Science High concert done when my class of 1974 were freshmen. Emmett Asuncion was our director, Romeo Mon his adviser on matters theatrical, Dave Medina our guitarist, Dave Tabligan our pianist. That show had the class of '73 running in place in slow motion yeeeaars before Michael Jackson debuted his iconic moonwalk.
The "intrams" had each major division of the UB Science and Preparatory Highs compete in cheering and mainly, basketball. The Science High team was called The Greyhounds. Art Soria ('73) was center, so was another '73-er named Robert. Buddy Resurreccion was I think, "Captainball" all throughout the years my class was in high school.
My own classmates who became Greyhounds were, in alphabetical order: Sam Ancheta, Rey Dacones, Alex Galace, Emil Ruff, RestieTabita, Ino Wi. Again, there were more, Danny Arnobit suddenly slips out of the unwrapped pages.
In the rainy month of August, we all with the rest of UB, commemorated Triple 8 on the 8th, 18th, and 28th, the university foundation day and some other significant celebrations. There were parades. There were cheering uniforms. There were basketball uniforms. There were days of thunder as we tried to be in classes in the G-rooms as games and cheering pounded on the bleachers above our heads.
Nobody ever thought of hungry ghost month, for goodness sakes. We were too busy with life and living. A caution now, though. Be careful this month of hungry ghosts that began middle of this week, even as we reminisce, remembering even those from high school who have left us.
There's that song again. "Memories, sweetened through the ages, just like wine... "