Classes at all levels will begin on 15 June, Monday. See you all soon and God bless!

Live! 10PM (GMT+8)

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Let us pray for the eternal repose of Jasper Dulay of 3rd yr HS Rinaldi. He died on his bed early this morning.

Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.

The slides of Fr. Mike Laguardia, SDB’s Lenten Recollection: Just for an Hour, is available for download.

Just click here to download.

Tune in to our live webcast of the Lenten Recollection happening today at the Diocesan Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, Canlubang, Laguna.

Recollection starts at 4:30 PM.

Click here to watch.

The 8th batch of Don Bosco College–High School Department had its commencement exercises yesterday, 03 April 2009 at the college gymnasium.

This batch picked Legatvm Nostrvm Vivit in Aeternvm (Our Legacy Forever Lives!) as its battle cry.

What follows is the speech of Adriann Caldozo, the class valedictorian. More graduation photos could be accessed here.

***

Longing have I been for this day. Loathing have I been for this day.

Fr. Luisito M. Castaneda, SDB, Rector, Fr. Joel N. Camaya, SDB, Principal, Fr. Keith Michael T. Simbulan,SDB, Spiritual Moderator, faculty, fellow graduates, parents and guests,  good evening.

Our stay in this Institution is comparable to a violin. The beautiful music may end, but the strings remain.

Now, we have this-Graduation. Doesn’t it sound too good to be true?  I know that it gives the graduates a feeling of euphoria and bliss. A feeling we don’t want to lose. It feels like we just crossed the finish line in a marathon, making a slum dunk, a win in a debate, the “yes” of a girl we like or a good night’s rest after a long day of work. It gives us this sense of fulfillment.

Let’s consider these two situations: one is in summer vacation and one is in the middle of the school year. When one is at home, savoring his vacation, he wants to go back to school for he gets broke, wants to have baon, , says that it’s boring to be at home with nothing to do and misses hi classmates. While in the second situation, where one is in the middle of the school year, one is impatiently waiting for storms, Malacanang announcements, holidays and vacations. That is what occurred in our High School. I call it “The Great Irony of High School.” And now, it repeats itself tonight.

We have been longing for this. Yet we loathe it still. We long for the end. The end of haircut inspections. Reprimands by APSA. Diorama-making in a week. Quizzes in Filipino. Reflection papers. Angry yells in 2^nd year. Waking up early in the morning. Yet, we loathe it for the end entails parting. Our parting as a batch, as a class. This even might be the last time we would be able to assemble as a whole batch. We would be going to different universities and colleges. Some would still be together but for most, they would go on with their way. This might be even the last time we would see each other in their Barong Tagalog. Who knows, maybe next time you see your friend in his Barong Tagalog is when he is already the President of the Philippines or when he is already getting married. When would we be able to see again our whole class having their DVD marathon in our classroom? Classmates eating together during break times? Our friends going out during Friday nights? When will we be able to see these faces in their 2×3 haircuts?

We would not remember what we had for our quizzes but those times we ask ¼ sheets of paper without the teacher seeing it or the times we make negotiations with the person checking our paper. We would not reminisce our videos and plays but the experiences and bonding we had to make those.

Before we even part and leave, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has been part of our stay, the Salesians, the faculty, and most especially, our classmates and friends. Through the Salesians, I have seen a new world other world bigger than mine even to the world of seminary where many are being pushed by a stubborn Indian Salesian. Through them, I became friends coming as far as from Naga and Mindoro. Through them, I have met priests crazier than those coming from the mental hospital but still make sense and ask for extra rice. I will surely miss the Salesians.

The faculty who had given their time and effort to share their wisdom ( jokes and mischievous ideas) to us. We are ever grateful to them. I learned that they do not eat students, they just make them suffer, that an English teacher could go as far as Geography, History, Science, even Philosophy and other languages such as Latin or Greek and that a physics teacher would show-off her Mac in class (San ka pa?)

For my batchmates, classmates and friends, we did it. We have made it through. I sense that most of you don’t want to leave this place and your friends but will gladly leave our teachers. Surely, you will miss your classmates and your friends. In our retreat, Fr. Noel said that our classmates were there for a reason; that it is not a mere coincidence.

Last March 7, 2009, I had a chance to talk to one of our classmates. He said that he was already hurt. “Hurt?” I asked him. He was hurt because we are already parting. He was a having a remorse. A remorse of being friends with us. He said that he regretted that he had friends with us because he would just miss us so much that he can’t carry it and could not let it go. Maybe, we became his home; a home he couldn’t leave.

Yet, we may have forgotten that this is only a preparation for a greater challenge ahead of us. A preparation for us to chase and reach our own personal legends, our dreams! As our college life unfolds, I wish everyone good luck. We may get too busy but please do remember to keep in touch with one another and me!

A week ago, it was announced that I was given this honor to give this address. While I was making this, I didn’t know what to say. But, I then realized that I had so many things to say that I don’t know what to speak off first.

Yet this title is for the batch. We could all be valedictorian. One valedictory address from one of my classmates said that we could all be valedictorian- in music, in football, in debate or even in entertainment. And so, I acknowledge each of the graduates. Those who worked hard for this. Those who almost didn’t graduate or march. Those who spent nights just to submit their projects for them to graduate. Those who were hanging but still made it through. I congratulate everyone. And for that reason, they deserve a round of applause.

And to end this anxiety, I don’t want to delay your celebrations. Do you still remember when we were in our kindergarten? Our world was only the playground, just like the animals placed at the rotunda a couple of days ago, and our home. And now, as we begin a new chapter of our lives, the world is laid on our hands. The college is almost close to real life. Slowly, the world is being turned-over to our hands. The whole world is ours to change and to serve as leaders!

May our feet stay on the ground and let Don Bosco’s teachings stay within us. Go and Chase your dreams! Let us make legacy that will live forever! I will leave you with one excerpt:

When we’ve left each friend and brother,
when we’re parted wide and far,
We will think of one another, As even better than we are.

Believe in Greater Things! The graduating batch of the college department chose this theme  to cap off their years of stay in Don Bosco College (DBC).

The 42nd commencement exercises of exercises were held today, 28 March, at 4 in the afternoon at the college gymnasium.

The dean of the college, Fr. Vester Casaclang, SDB, welcomed the graduates and the guests for the commencement exercises.  Fr. Louie Castañeda, SDB conferred the degrees to the graduates.Fr. Michael La Guardia, SDB, a former dean of DBC and the guest speaker, challenged the graduates to live the motto of their batch.

Here is a list of special awards conferred on some of the graduates.

Special Graduation Awards

WATCH THE ARCHIVED WEBCAST HERE!

The 42nd Commencement Exercises (College)  live webcast will begin today at 3:00 pm (GMT+8). The graduation rites will start at around 3:30 pm (GMT+8).

On a technical note, for optimum viewing experience, your connection speed must reach at least 750kbps. You can check your connection speed via Speedtest.net.

Congratulations fellow Bosconians! God bless!

Golden Globe (and now the Oscars) winner Danny Boyle’s glittering film career may never have happened - if he hadn’t been talked out of becoming a priest.  

The Radcliffe-born director scooped four awards for Slumdog Millionaire and repreated the success at the recently concluded Oscars awards yesterday morning (Philippine time). Former schoolmates said Boyle has always been destined for greatness. But they were relieved that he ditched plans to join the priesthood when he was a pupil at Thornleigh Salesian College in Bolton, between 1973 and 1975. Father Gerry O’Shaughnessy, who was in the same English literature class as Boyle, said: “It is difficult to think when you are at school that your mate will get a Golden Globe, or be on course for an Oscar.  

“He was a very pleasant lad, he called a spade a shovel. He was honest to goodness. Danny is still a Lancastrian, he has never forgotten his roots.” Boyle - whose father still lives in Greater Manchester - was one of the stars of the glittering Golden Globes ceremony in Los Angeles.

But Fr O’Shughnessy said his old friend’s life might have taken a different path had it not been for the school’s priest. “Father Conway was an absolute gem,” said Fr O’Shughnessy. “He is dead now, but he encouraged Danny not to go into the priesthood. He told him: `The priesthood is not ready for you and I don’t think you are ready for the priesthood’. 

“If Danny had joined we would not have seen the genius he is today. Although he would have made it to greatness in whatever career path he took.” Boyle, 52, began his career in theatre, and became a BBC television producer before going on to direct Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and The Beach. 

He was inspired by a `great mentor’ at the school called Frank Unsworth, said Fr O’Shughnessy.  ”We both had a dynamic drama teacher,” he said. “He touched a chord with Danny. He took us to Stratford-upon-Avon to see a Shakespeare play and we also performed J.B. Priestley’s When We Were Married.”  

Vinny Holland, who taught maths and sports at the school, said: “He was a solid student. He scored an A in English, and Bs in History and Economics, in the days when exams were a lot tougher.” Former headmistress Alison Burrowes said: “Everyone was absolutely thrilled. We look forward to the next Danny Boyle coming out of the school. It provided a foundation for him. It gave him the confidence and courage to go on. He was always full of energy - a good pupil who was interested in all aspects of learning and it certainly stood him in good stead.” 

Slumdog Millionaire is the tale of a young man from the slums of Mumbai, who goes on to win Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Source : austraLasia email news service