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21 Things Judenites Can Relate To

Article Cover by Allyson Mendoza

No matter where our lives take us, high school is one thing that will surely stay with us forever. Whether it’s good or average, exciting or terrifying, the moments spent during these 4-6 years are truly memorable in their own ways. These shaped us to be the person we are today, and it just goes to show how high school is indeed forever.

The alumni of Saint Jude Catholic School can surely attest to this as going back to their alma mater feels like going down memory lane. SJCS has left a mark in the hearts of its alumni. Whether it’s a life-changing activity or an unusual habit, some things just really feel like home. So to reminisce the life-changing years spent in our alma mater, here are 20 things Judenites can relate to.

1) “Ah matalino..”

Usually, when people hear you’re from Saint Jude, their first impression of you would either be “matalino”, “magaling sa math” or “magaling sa chinese”. 

2) Midweek Break

Photo courtesy of Vexels

One perk of studying in SJCS is that you get a midweek break. Since Thursday is Novena Day at Saint Jude Parish, Judenites don’t have classes every Thursday.

3) Plate Numbers ending with 7 or 8

Photo courtesy of Britannica

Since students don’t usually have to go to school on Thursdays, most of the plate numbers of their cars end at 7 or 8. This is to avoid number coding.

4) Malacañang Pass

Photo courtesy of Ramon FVelasquez

Since SJCS is located inside Malacañang, almost everyone who goes to school riding a car has a Malacañang Pass. 

5) Morning Cardio

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

If you go to school by car, then you know how bad Malacañang traffic is. You really need to allocate a lot of time just to travel from the PSG to the church. Upon drop-off, you still have to run from the church to the gates of the school or else you might just be locked out when morning prayers start.

6) 2-day weekend = long weekend

Photo courtesy of The Management Ninja

On the downside, SJCS holds classes on Saturdays to make up for Thursdays. Thus, if a holiday lands on a Saturday, then it is considered as a “long weekend.”

7) Saturday Mass

Photo courtesy of Saint Jude Catholic School Facebook Page

Staying true to their vision of a “Christ-centered education,” Judenites attend mass every week because of the Saturday masses. These masses are sometimes held in English, Filipino or Chinese.

8) Class Suspensions

Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN News

If you study around or near Mendiola, then you know that classes get suspended almost every time there’s a rally happening in the area.

9) Memorizing wen da and jie shi

If you’re a Judenite, then you know how long and how many wen da and jie shi you have to memorize for a single test. It’s a dread to some and a nightmare to many that even alumni get Chinese test nightmares until this day. On the flip side, these arguably helped students gain memorization skills.

10) Chinese Fever

Photo courtesy of The University of Manchester

The infamous “Chinese Fever” is usually contracted by the students whenever there’s a Chinese test that day. After a night full of memorization, students tend to act like the walking dead on the day of the test.  

11) Physical Distancing during Chinese Tests

Photo courtesy of Derly Catama

Taking a Chinese test in SJCS is the definition of physical distancing. High school students across all batches usually take it on the same day. Some batches are scheduled in the morning, while some in the afternoon. Testing site is either at the ground floor or 5th floor dining hall; then each one is spaced out at the ends of each table. No wonder Judenites aren’t having a hard time practicing physical distancing today!

12) Weekend Assignment

What weekend? You still have to pass a lot of da khai or xiao khai on Monday!

13) Ahma Epang

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime

During recess, this is the Judenites’ go-to. Ahma Epang’s french fries and dumplings are staples for every student. I guess you had your heart broken too when the fries suddenly had a price increase!

14) Mang Alex’s Fishballs

Photo courtesy of Mang Alex Fishball Facebook Page

After a day packed with classes and quizzes, Judenites’ next stop is Mang Alex’s fishballs. No matter what year you graduated, you know who Mang Alex is and how tasty his fishballs are. Judenites finish his goods in less than an hour; hence, students and teachers alike usually rush to him right after dismissal.

15) Begging for Ice Cream from Another Class

Photo courtesy of Hungry Travel Duo

During celebrations, some classes rent dirty ice cream carts. So when your class doesn’t have one, you usually ask your friend from the other class if you can have one (or you just directly ask the manong for one).

16) Borrowing Neckties from other people

Once you reach first year high school or grade 7, girls’ uniforms include neckties. Then in senior high school, both boys and girls need to wear ties. However, there are times when students forget to wear these. Thus, students usually borrow neckties from their friends from another section when teachers check.

 17) Mass Panic Before Prom

Photo courtesy of Jacob Tan

Prom partners are assigned in Saint Jude; Juniors are paired with Seniors and Seniors are paired with Juniors. Hence, there is a dedicated day when the whole batch needs to line up by height so that teachers can assess who will be partnered up with who. Partners will then be revealed to the Seniors when the Juniors’ visit them in their classrooms, call them in front of the class, and give them their invitations. It might sound funny but there’s an actual mass panic for this. Nonetheless, prom is still one of the most memorable high school memories one can have.

18) Sportsfest Drama is Real

Photo courtesy of Karl Hui

Sportsfest is taken seriously in SJCS. Each batch is always competitive, and sometimes, too competitive. With everyone wanting to be on top and bring honor to their batch, competition and performance just get crazier year after year.

19)  Natural Crammer

Judenites are pros in cramming. Most, if not all, of them can cram anything from reviewing for a test, to writing a research paper, to coming up with a project. Judenites can definitely cram and still deliver with quality.

20) Biyearly School Fair

Photo courtesy of Jarold Coojacinto

School fairs only happen once every 2 years. That’s why teachers and students enjoy it as much as they can. With the recent addition of a variety show and a fashion show, the fair just gets better and better.

21) Discipline, Excellence, Christ-Centeredness, Commitment and Service

Photo courtesy of Lawrence Chan

If there are lessons that SJCS has truly instilled in each one of its students, it would be these 5 core values. As every Judenites’ foundation, these values are what set them apart from the rest.

Note: Data collected is from Batch 2018. Hence, some perspectives might be different from previous alumni.

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