By Arabella Balderama and Therese Bernal

It’s time to pack your bags, sit back, and let the dawn of the morning sun embrace you as you set out on a new adventure. Just like any getaway—take this as a reward, an unparalleled creation of fleeting but poignant memories that will surely resonate for years.

After months of endless assessments, lectures, and carrying out tedious responsibilities, with the beginning of the school year’s second half, students of the ASHS have finally been given an opportunity to spend a day outside of the four narrow confines of their classrooms. As the annual strand days return, all sections are finally given the once-in-a-school-year chance to bond with one another, make new memories, and share their unique experiences as one collective strand.

Strand days aim to let the students unwind. Similar to embarking upon a new adventure, this series of celebrations allow the students to form a tight-knit bond with each other, serving as an avenue for new memories and connections. After two long years of not holding the strand days, juniors and seniors across all strands were permitted to attend an onsite event together for the very first time.

Strand Days Recap

This year, each strand allowed their students to journey through varying places and themes—transforming the school campus with new, exciting, and far-fetched concepts that are sure to capture the hearts of everyone in the community.

The Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) Strand was the first to celebrate its Strand Day on January 27, 2023, with the afternoon program following the theme “ABM’s Wild West”.

According to Samantha Faith Cruz, ABM Secretary, the said theme was meant to encapsulate the feeling of being carefree and rowdy while being very competitive and dedicated to doing the prepared activities.

Different activities, such as “Post-it ABM”, a fashion show, Zumba, and games, spearheaded by the ABM Council alongside the strand coordinators, promoted camaraderie and sportsmanship among the students in the strand.

A week later, students from the General Academic (GA) Strand celebrated the same annual event on February 3, 2023, with a theme “GAme Time”, showcasing GA’s qualities as one whole strand.

Lee Gosuico, GA Chairperson, said the GA Council wanted to emphasize the importance of bringing out the strand’s energy with the theme.

“Regardless of the name, we wanted to showcase that GA will always be the strand that can maximize fun with meaningful experience, while, of course, still managing to hype up the event in a very GA way,” Gosuico stated.

The afternoon program of “GAme Time” centered around the activities set up in 22 stations, divided into three categories: physical, trivia, and variety.

The Humanities and Social Sciences (HumSS) Strand was the third to celebrate its strand day, also known as “HumSS Carnival”, on February 17, 2023—their theme highlights the HumSS students’ talents and uniqueness as individuals that have a heart and passion for service.

The day kicked off with an opening mass, followed by HumSS Talent Show and HumSS Core-ny-val, which encapsulated the strand’s spirit as the students and teachers performed.

While all of the aforementioned festivities were happening, HumSS classes were selling products for their Katipunan Fund Drive, as the others sat on mattresses to represent their close-knit strand.

The afternoon program involved HumSS Kapatid, wherein junior and senior sections were paired, allowing them to bond and bridge gaps in between.

To close the annual event series, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Strand (STEM) took a trip by the seashore on March 24, 2023.

According to Ika Baquir, STEM Project Committee’s Overall Co-head, the STEM Council chose a beach-related theme because they wanted to take STEM on a mini “vacation.”

Ady Rivera, STEM Vice-Chairperson, said that “STEM Day: By the Seashore” was a sequel to “STEM Connect: By the Campfire,” where students are away from the academic grind and move to a change of natural scenery.

A paraliturgy was conducted to start the day in the FLC Building, followed by a morning program headed by STEM teachers, which involved a quiz bee entitled “Ex-STEM-plary” and parlor games in “STEMinute-To-Win-It.”

Meanwhile, the afternoon program consisted of diverse class activities, STEM Growth–an avenue for senior and junior interactions, and STEM Display–a talent showcase.

Journeying Avenues for New Memories

With this year’s series of Strand Days coming to a close, a myriad of memorable experiences we’re sure to have marked the hearts of every student, no matter which strand. Indeed, the novel opportunity of allowing the students of each of the four strands to unite in a positive and engaging environment allowed new core memories to be instilled in the minds of everyone involved.

Establishing strong connections between students from the same strand was also highlighted in the celebrations, contributing to the positive memories that may resonate with every student, even past senior high school.

“Among all the things that we did, I genuinely enjoyed participating in the games where I got to meet new people. Even though we weren’t really close, we were able to easily form an alliance and a bond just by playing together,” Aleina Emboltura, a GA student, said.

The strand days also served as creative channels for life-long learning. Denise Santiago, a STEM junior, said that engaging with seniors allowed her to grasp useful tips, especially for the upcoming college applications.

It isn’t every day that the batches are able to bond and engage with each other. Chiaralei Rumbaoa, a grade 11 HumSS student, expressed her excitement in being able to meet more of her seniors—citing that the HumSS strand day was “super engaging,” despite the inevitable presence of logistical drawbacks on the day itself.

The same sentiment was echoed by ABM students Alshana Almeda and Anika Cajigal. “It was loaded with several activities that surely gave us the opportunity to showcase our advocacy in promoting corporate sustainability,” Almeda said. “Overall, the event was just exactly what we needed in celebrating the ABM spirit before the year ends.”

“Everyone had so much fun and the [classes] were able to bond with themselves and their moderators. I’d say that even though some classes didn’t come home with awards, I’m sure everybody won that day.” Cajigal expressed, on the other hand.

At the Edge of a New Adventure

All four strand days have, without a doubt, arrived at a very successful conclusion. Going home empowered with a new flame of roaring skills and connections, every member of the ASHS community was sure to feel the echoes of their strand spirit—whether ABM, GA, HumSS, or STEM.

Although only a month is left until the school year comes to its fateful end, time still isn’t up for both juniors and seniors. As a door closes, another one always opens—and as we enjoy one last month together as a community, we each have the freedom to dictate our own stories with every newfound memory and bond we make.

So, ASHS, what are you waiting for? Leave your baggage of worries, anxiety, and stress by the door, and prepare to embark on a new adventure in the place where you’ll always belong.

The car stops, and the sun sets, but your travels are yet to be over. The strands of our interwoven fates are written in the twinkle of the stars overhead, and you have all your life—guided by each memory and skill you create—to traverse the mysteries of the night sky to meet them.