Oh, how I wished for time to turn back so that I would still be in elementary school with my classmates and Mr. Openlander. But time did not turn back, and it was time for high school. I braced myself for the inevitable, but it did not come. The changes and disruptions that I feared so much were not bad at all. I realized that changes and disruptions were all part of life. You had to take them, good or bad. I enjoyed my high school classes probably more so than I did my elementary school classes. The subjects were more challenging, and because of the number of students, the competition was keen as far as grades were concerned which motivated me to work even harder than I did at elementary school. High school was exciting! High school was fun!

I remember being involved in some of the extra-curricular activities held during lunch time. These were fun times of learning and socializing. I remember participating in a TV show to promote the science fair. We did a chemical concoction that exploded (planned) filling the K-U-A-M studio with smoke. Amidst the smoke, we said our scripts inviting the people to come to the best science fair ever!

I enjoyed the glee club most of all. I remember teacher Bill Nave--mean old guy. He flunked just about everybody who took music classes under him.

Journalism class with Mr. Hay was fun. I was the roving reporter responsible for interviewing students at random and getting their views, opinions, comments on school issues, current events, etc. and printing them in a by-line column entitled The Roving Reporter in the Banana Leaf, our high school paper.

Mr. Hannah's English Composition Class was tough. On the first couple of tests we took, practically everyone in the class flunked. Some had "D's". Mr. Hannah did not like the word "it". In our compositions, we had better avoid using the word "it" because he would mark it off as wrong. You had to specify what "it" was. Mixing past and present tenses were common mistakes we all made. The use of past and present participles, I still haven't figured it out.

I have wondered many times if there ever was a class reunion held for the 1961 graduates. I have not been in contact with any of my classmates since graduation. In my mind's eye, I see these people as seventeen year olds and some, maybe, eighteen year olds. Some names come to my mind. I remember the class officers--Arlene Tsuitsui was class president, Ray Aflague was the vice president (or was it Peter Toves?), I was the secretary, George Gogue was the treasurer, and Julia Perez, the valedictorian from my elementary school, was the class reporter. There were over 400 hundred graduating seniors. The top ten students were given scholarships. Arlene Tsuitui was Number One, very smart Japanese girl, watched TV all the time and studied her lessons during the commercials, Ed Foster was probably somewhere up in the top, Ray Aflague and Peter Toves were probably up there too. I'm not sure where Trinidad Torres ranked in the list, but I heard that she went to medical school to be a doctor. Then, there were Bob Barnes, Karen Adams, and George Gogue who were probaby in the list. I'm not sure now. I think I ranked number seven. I do not remember whether Julia Perez was above or below me on the scale.

I would give anything in the world to get a copy of our 1961 yearbook. Mine was totally destroyed during Typhoon Karen in 1962. I don't remember our class color, motto, etc., or who were voted The Most Popular, The Most Well Dressed, or The Most Likely to Succeed, etc. After 40 years it would be interesting to see how those prophecies turn out, wouldn't it? At the same time, it's sad that many, I'm sure, are no longer with us.

Do I have pleasant memories of college days? I sure did, but in a slightly different way than in elementary or high school. It took me ten years of taking classes at night to finish college so the bonding of students did not happen like it did in the elementary school and some in high school. I was working full time and attending school on a part time basis.

The last semester of college, I took leave from work for the duration of the semester so I could take all the courses I needed to graduate in June. I took 18 semester hours. The courses I took were all very interesting and fun, and this helped me to get straight A for the whole semester.

I enjoyed Geology a lot; we did a lot of field trips to caves, rivers, etc. For Business Statistics, I coordinated a fund raising project to raise money so that the class would go to Saipan, a neighboring island, to study business and economic related topics relevant to the island. The fund-raising project was a musical concert where talented students and faculty members were participants. The concert was a smashing success, and we raised enough money that all the students in the class went without paying anything out of their own pockets.

I graduated with a degree in Business Administration (Management). I was a recipient of the Wall Street Business Award for being the top business student of the year. The name of the winner was engraved on a large plaque for the year specified and hung up on a wall in the business office. At the time when I graduated, there were only two names engraved; the rest were empty slots for names of future winners.

School was so much fun back then. Did you know that we will be in school and will continue to learn about God through the years of eternity? "All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar--worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul. With unutterable delight the children of earth enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the treasures of knowledge and understanding gained through ages upon ages spent in contemplation of God's handiwork. With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation--suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the throne of Deity. Upon all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator's name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed." This, my friends, is the best education we could ever attain.

"As the years of eternity roll, more glorious revelations of God and of Christ will unfold. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise."  Happiness is the Lord!