Three years after the LCHS Spectrum folded up in 1969, a few of the staff members, upon returning home to Iligan for summer break, had a reunion of sorts. Inevitably, the conversation included reminiscences of their LCHS days. Out of the blue, Henry Yu brought up the idea of putting up a special summer newsletter just for the summer break, to trace and make an update on the whereabouts of LCHS alumni.
Time-Out Newsletter. On June 1972, the concept took shape and the group came out with a mimeographed newsletter called Time-Out. The single issue of Time-Out was rich in information about alumni: where they were, what they took up in college, who graduated, who got married, etc. The paper was distributed as an insertion in the Chinese Commercial News, whose distributor in Iligan was Henry Yu's father, Lim Hua Lam.
The Time-Out staff was composed of Henry Yu and Janet Lee, as editors; Betty Bernardo, Vy Beng Hong, Rene Tio, and Roderick Ngo as staff members. The issue was funded by a small group of alumni, namely Christopher Chua Teck An, Charles O. Sy, Ruben Lee, Melecia and Letecia Dy, and Shirley Co.
The Plumblossom. For almost 20 years after the LCHS Spectrum folded up in 1969, LCHS was to remain without a student publication until 1988, when another student paper hit the scene in LCHS. The new school organ was called Plumblossom, a monthly publication of high school seniors and grade VI pupils.
The paper came out monthly with 4-6 pages per issue. It covered a wide range of features ranging from news and info about new teachers, speeches and theme compositions of students, results of oratorical contests, and other accomplishments of LCHS students. It also carried crossword puzzles, cartoons, as well as news bits on the construction of new classrooms and other school facilities. Among its notable features were photo updates of the on-going construction of the new school building at the Pala-o campus.
The Staff. The talents behind the Plumblossom came from high school and elementary batches of 1988-1989. They were Carlo Bodiongan, editor; Maximillian Te, associate editor; Gay Marie Tiu, managing editor; Alfred Lai II, features editor; Rose Marie Pateño, Farah Fe Genobaten, Amabelle Abadiano, Jonah Debalocus, news reporters; Aicelle Dy Pico, Jeanette Ngo, An Lin Ang Jr., feature writers; Terrence Chua, circulation manager; Brendon Bernardo & Franklin Tan, photographers; Fernando Apao & Jonathan Mark Te, artists; Mrs. Ma. Celetin Amor-Ham & Ms. Brenda Serate, advisers.
The Plumblossom had one thing in its favor not enjoyed by its predecessors. It harnessed the speed and facility of modern computer technology in producing its monthly issues. Something unheard of by previous LCHS publications. Yet, like all its predecessors, it concluded its existence with the end of the school year, leaving only faint echoes of its once vibrant voice in the inner recesses of one's memory. (Reprinted from the Spectrum, Mar. 22, 1999 issue.)