Once More for La Salle!

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March 7 is the traditional DLS Homecoming event, and it was one grand fiesta! Like years past, it saw La Salle alumni coming from far and wide to meet up with old friends. For once, the venue was the open ground floor of the College building instead of the football field. Clearly, the organizers had had enough of the March rains that had always threatened (and actually spoiled in instances) past reunions.

The new venue allowed a different sort of program for the festivities. For one, a proper theatre type stage was possible. Fritz Ynfante, the DLS alum who is an experienced theatre director, was the Show Director. Fritz Y thought up a Mardi Gras theme for this year and thus the 2009 extravaganza was held for all to see. To ensure that the program run well, the eve of the event was rehearsal time for the participants. At showtime the next day, the professional chorus line dancers, samba drum ensemble band and homegrown talents (students and alumni) were well briefed as they alternated in displaying their carnival inspired wares on stage.


After the colorful and loud opening number, Brother Bernie made his acknowledgment speech in behalf of the La Salle community. And then the GS59 video show kicked in. The crowd was all eyes and ears as the video showed the milestone decades in a La Salle Taft boys' life. The video displayed sentimental scenes from the old campus and socio-political scenes from the eras even as the individual photos of Batch59/63 graduates flashed beneath it. After the serious stuff, the video capped its presentation with the driving Hail One La Salle song that saw more than a dozen Batch63 die hards in formation on stage singing their hearts out.


The event was the 50 year celebration for GS59 and wont happen again. The video presentation to the Alumni body was a major project of the year for Batch63. The Batch63 persons responsible for putting things together were Vince Misa (representing Batch63 in the Alumni Project committee); Art Alvendia (conceptualizer and adviser for the video show production); Quito Moras (the Video's voice overdub); and Oni Mayo (composer of Hail One La Salle). But in the end, what made it all happen is of course Batch63 guys who bankrolled the video project and all those who came from far and wide to sing on stage and show the world what being a La Salle boy is all about.

I understand that the festivities that night in Taft lasted way beyond the Mardi Gras stage presentation. However only few Batch63 remained to partake of the camaraderie with other batches and the free flowing San Miguel beer. What is evident is that shortly after the stage presentation, most of the guys (probably convinced by the Dirty Dozen) typically crammed into vehicles and headed for more exotic watering holes around town. Things never change, it seems.