THE 30th-year class reunion for a group of close-knit Sandys Secondary alumni demonstrated beyond a doubt that the former students had lived up to the school's motto Lux In Tenebris (Lighten The Darkness).

During their reunion, held last weekend at the Port Royal Golf Club, the class of 1972 and several of their former teachers recalled the days when these students were gaining the academic and social groundings to become shining examples for the community.

Long gone are the huge afros, platform shoes and crisp pleated skirts so popular in their school days. These have been replaced by business suits and the hustle and bustle of the real world. After the opening remarks by master of ceremonies James Conyers, glowing tributes to the former teachers flowed as easily as the assortment of beverages on hand.

One of the trips down memory lane was the reading of the Form Four Orange attendance register by Mrs. Ruth Talbot, who was the first person to teach commercial subjects at the then-Sandys Secondary High School. One by one those present answered when called and by the end of "roll call" the attendance rate was around 85 per cent. After a brief speech by Mrs. Talbot, those attending rousingly sang the school song - with no one stumbling over the lyrics, even after 30 years.

As an added plus to the evening's entertainment, guests were asked a series of trivia questions based on their alma mata. It was interesting to note that former Sandys Secondary teacher Arthur Hodgson had made the transition from the academic to the political/judicial arena.

Other bits of trivia revealed former music teacher Cecil Smith hit all of the right notes when he went on to become a choir director at St. Paul AME Church for a number of years. Also another former teacher, Marva Phillips, went on to head the computer department of the old Bishop Spencer School.

A former chairman of the board of governors of Sandys Secondary, who carved an impressive niche for himself on Parliament Hill, is none other than Minister of Finance Eugene Cox. A former student who did not forget his academic roots is current chairman of the board of trustees of Sandys Middle School and Director of Public Prosecutions Khamisi Tokunbo.

Among the ranks of female teachers who left a positive impression on her former students was Mrs. Iris DeShield, who originally taught at the Prospect School for Girls before transferring to Sandys Secondary.

Some of the former and present teachers shared their experiences and heaped praise on the class of 1972 for their hard work, which has paid huge dividends in the workforce.

Among some of the interesting stories told by the teachers on hand was Mr. Hodgson's desire to enter Parliament even when he was a young teacher at Sandys Secondary. During his stint there, 30 per cent of his students went on to college, and several of his former students went on to become civil servants, lawyers and headmasters.

Jamaican Honorary Consul Winston Laylor, who at the time was the youngest teacher back in 1972, recalled when Sandys and the Berkeley Institute were rivals in both sports and academics. The former lower maths and physical education teacher said: "As long as I have my fellow teachers around me, I'll always be a part of Sandys."

Former teacher and present headmaster Melvyn Bassett recalled his days as a student in 1966 to his rise through the ranks as a geography teacher to his present position.

"I have interacted with you as parents and it is gratifying to go to some of the offices in town and see former students. We are so pleased to see how well you are doing. Your success was on the backs of those who made sacrifices for us."

Former headmaster Mansfield Brock saw generations of students walk the hallowed halls during his watch.

"I'm happy to know that I've impacted upon your lives in a small way. Arthur Hodgson and Melvyn Bassett are my former students. I see students who have made successes of themselves.

"It has everything to do with your agenda, not your genes. What's most rewarding is when I meet your children. Congratulations for being a wonderful group of people, you have made me proud - keep up the good work!

Former student Damon Simons praised his former teachers and the school, recalling his days as a prankster. He recalled an incident when he was able to imitate Headmaster Brock to a degree that he actually instilled fear in his peers - until he was caught by the man himself and earned himself a trip to the office!

During the closing remarks, other students credited their time at Sandys with instilling positive qualities in them that have helped them in later life.