Interview by the Newsletter Club of the School of the Holy Spirit of QC (SHS)

1) full name: Maria Carminda Velez Lagud
2) bday: 10/10
3) nickname: Min Min
4) movies: Patch Adams, Seven Years in Tibet, Hook, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Disney/Pixar films, Shrek 1 & 2, Pay it Forward, Contact, The Rookie, Bicentennial Man, Stepmom, Ms. Congeniality, Save the Last Dance, and almost everyone’s favorite: My Bestfriend’s Wedding
5) hobbies: listening to music, reading books, surfing the net and downloading mp3s, learning new things
6) food: kare-kare, sinigang, salads, pasta, Japanese food, Mexican food, cakes… I love to eat!
7) music: a variety – oldies: Carpenters, Beatles, Julie Andrews; recent: Jars of Clay, Vertical Horizon, Duncan Sheik, Avril Lavigne, Mandy Moore, Matchbox 20, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz; even some classical music and movie soundtracks
8) What made you decide to apply and teach in SHS? To give back (even just a little) what my alma mater has given me.
9) First impression of SHSians: That they’re just like us then. There are times that I see the faces of my classmates in my students now and it makes me smile as thoughts like these enter my mind: “A, ito mahirit, parang si :) ng batch namin…. Ito, si :) kasi patawa lagi…”
10) How were you like during your SHS days? I loved being with my classmates. I tried my best to get good grades. I loved retreats. I liked going out for outreach. I enjoyed the intrams. Ask my teachers for more details. :)
11) Difference between SHSians before and now? SHSians then had less thus lived a simpler life. We didn’t worry with the rules prohibiting cellphones. If we liked giving messages to our friends, we would write letters and give (not during class hours) them to our seatmates who happen to be our busmates and who are also our neighbors. I wonder why we didn’t get tired of each other and I also wonder if you still do the same now. Projects were usually handwritten or done using the typewriter or with the only word processor we knew before we graduated from high school, WordStar. Don’t worry it’s not as old as the EDVAC or ENIAC, or those that needed punch cards to operate. :) We had to rely on books, magazines, journals and newspapers for our research. There was no internet then. Twenty Pesos as “baon” would be enough for a day or more. Until 3rd year high school, we didn’t have the AVR. The Dramatics Club used to perform in the projection room, though it was larger then because it extended until the AV Materials Room in the library now. Setting these aside, I still believe that SHSians haven’t changed as time passed. We’re still taught the same values and deep in our hearts, we know, (don’t deny!) that our consciences are busily working 24 hours by 7 days a week, reminding us to do what is good, true, simple and beautiful.
12) What values have you learned in SHS which helped you even after graduating? Believe it or not, our school motto: Truth in Love – if you have truly imbibed it, will really be tested once you’re in the real world. Living it out will help you be a better person each day and it will help you foster good relationship with everyone you deal with.
13) Returning to our dearest alma mater: It feels so good to be back home. Our graduation song had the lines: “It’s a long way home.” It’s truly a long journey. If you go to college and then life gets busy, you won’t even have the time to visit Holy. But if you will it, if you retrace your steps, then you’ll be home. You don’t need to be physically present in the school grounds. Spending time with batchmates anytime, anywhere and taking time to know how our teachers are doing will be just as good as setting foot here again.
14) Message: Let’s be grateful and proud of having been a part of the school’s 25 years of loving service.
15) Why teach math? I am amazed at how Math explains certain things in life through the use of symbols/numbers (e.g. knowing the probability of missing one movement in a famous softdrink “clap” commercial). Math can really be fun. Puzzles, brain teasers, even the Rubik’s cube were only some of the creative ideas from mathematicians which they would want us to explore too. This fondness for the subject is what I would also like to share with my students.