UST ChES Concludes ChES Week with Sportsfest and Culminating Night

by Ezekiel Escoto and Patrick Dela Cruz (Sportsfest), Jardine Bonifacio (Culminating)

photos by UST-ChES MemDoc*

The UST Chemical Engineering Society (UST ChES) wrapped up this year’s ChES week last January 30 with two back-to-back activities called “Trails: The UST Chemical Engineering Sports Festival 2016” and “Review: Culminating Night 2016”. These two events held at the Quadricentennial Pavilion Open Court is annually held to promote physical wellness and sportsmanship to the Chemical Engineering community, and to formally close the ChES week.

Sportsfest: Battle of Stamina and Endurance

As the penultimate event for the ChES week, expectations were high for the event. Casual students observing the happenings said that the event was anticipated to be fun as it brings out the competitive spirit of the students.

Human Snake

Exciting games and activities round up in a fine Saturday which includes major sporting events mainly basketball, volleyball and badminton followed by minor games like tug-of-war, dodgeball, human snake, obstacle course and water pong.

Tug-of-War Players pull with all their might

For basketball, the first three games were played in the Fabella court outside UST, and the remaining basketball games and the rest of the games were played in the UST Quadricentennial Pavillion Practice Gym. The match-up for the games were determined by drawing lots with one lucky batch already advancing to the semi-finals. The games were played in single elimination, batch versus batch, with the exception of badminton. The badminton event first conducted round robin elimination between players of the same batch to determine who gets to represent their respective batches.

Batch 2017 (4th year) secured the trophy as overall champions by winning the basketball, tug-of-war and water pong games. Class of 2016 and 2019 were tied for the second spot after victorious stints in Badminton (5th year), Human Snake (5th year), Volleyball (2nd Year) and Obstacle Course (2nd year).

Badminton

                Badminton champion duo, Carla Evaristo and Camille Valencia were both asked about the competition. Carla said “Sobrang gagaling ng mga players and nahirapan kami ni cams kasi minsan umaabot kami sa 3^rd set. Masaya yung game. Sana may ganoon pa next year para maramdaman nila yung saya ng badminton during sportsfest”. While Camille commented “Super dikitan ang laban. Magagaling yung mga players. Ang angat lang naming ni Carla is luck kasi samin lagi natatapat yung bola so nakakapili kami if court or service”. She then jokingly added “lagi kaming court so doon kami sa hindi nakakasilaw”.

Basketball

For the popular Filipino game, basketball, Batch 2017 basketball team captain Angelo Orallo said “Masaya, kasi una sa lahat na-defend namin ang pagiging champion namin last year at walang masamang nangyari sa lahat ng players. Tapos nakita kong nag enjoy yung mga ka-batch ko pati na din yung ibang batch sa pag-represent ng mga batch nila. At natuwa din ako nung nakita kong may mga bagong magagaling na players sa lower batch. Ball is life, thank you God”.

Joshua Baylon, a 2^nd year volleyball player, has this to say about the ChES Sportsfest: "Masaya kasi nga marami akong nakilalang ibang year levels na naglalaro din ng sport na nilalaro ko."

Many students were excused in their classes as they were expected to participate in the games. Professors, instructors, support staff, and students tightened their bonds as they participated in a Zumba dance and on a friendly basketball game between the ChE basketball varsity team and a team of chemical engineering laboratory technicians from the department. An exhibition game between mixed faculty (like instructor Edsel Calica) and varsity players was also conducted for volleyball.

The event was made possible by the efforts of its project heads RD Layug and Performing Arts and Recreations Committee Officer in Charge Kaye Suing.

Culminating Night

It was a fine Saturday evening when UST ChES set up the stage for a celebration that same night for the culminating night in order to formally close the week-long activities filled with fun, energy, and knowledge.

The culmination night, which ran for almost three hours, was hosted by the 2016 Chemical Engineering Youth Ambassador and Ambassadress, Renzo Gabriel and Corina Tan. Ronald Reveche, the project head and the Business Manager of ChES, lead the program with the opening prayer and remarks.

Of course, there’s no time more perfect than the Culmination Night, in announcing the winners for the games and contests held the whole week. For KEMIKALAN, the organization’s own quiz bee, the winner was Team 4 (Mark Lorenz Capili, Pauline Losaria, Joyee Ann Zhang, Jayson Ordinaria and Luisito Reno Chin). As for the variety show, the APC group of 5th year student received their plaque and cash prize. The 4th year representatives got their award for being the overall champion of the sportsfest.

In between the award-giving ceremonies, intermission numbers kept the audience entertained. Jay Russell Avendano and Marien Moriah Canlas, Variety Show’s 1st Runner Up, and the Chemical Engineering Dance Crew, delivered their last performances for the week.

To officially close the program, UST ChES President Ann Christine Baual delivered the closing remarks which was followed by the singing of the UST Hymn, thus ending the 2016 ChES Week which was deemed successful.

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*Uploader's Note: Pictures were supplied by Mark Danver Mendoza, Chair of the UST ChES Membership and Documentations Committee

At Day 2: FOREFRONT Continues to Educate Partner Communities on Solid Waste Management

news by Darwin Eugenio 
photos by Jeth Abisamis (UST-ChES ComDev)

On its second day, the UST ChES Community Development Committee continues in its noble mission to inform, educate and promote Solid Waste Management through its off-campus event titled  "FOREFRONT: Footsteps Towards A Greener Future” held last February 7, 2016 at North Triangle Alliance, Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal.

Headed by its project heads Arun Nanda Kumar, Maria Kassandra Tan, Jeth Abisams, Hazil Magpayo, and Paula Bacani, the second day of the event was graced with the presence of enlightening speakers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and its two branches, the National Solid Waste Commission (DENR – NSCW) and the Environment Management Bureau - Environmental Education and Information Division (DENR-EMB EEID).

 

 (Left Picture: UST ChES participants scanning the books to be later given as prizes.

(Right Picture: Ms. Zeny Alzate giving an opening message.)

Held at the Kristong Hari chapel by the mountainside, the event was formally opened by Zeny Alzate, the chapel coordinator who praised the efforts of UST ChES and UST Simbahayan (the community development and charity arm of the University of Santo Tomas).

An icebreaker game, Pinoy Henyo, was then played to make the atmosphere lively and to interact with the audience – mostly community residents in the area. The said game was hosted by Hannah Gohing and Hazel Pullan.

Hannah Gohing (left) and Hazel Pullan (right) facilitating a game

A resident guessing the word placed above her head.

The first speaker, Nelie Dimer, from the DENR NSWC, was then called on to discuss the situation of solid waste management in the country. Her hands-on dynamic approach was appreciated by the thirty-strong audience. As she was speaking, volunteers and participants took on their painting materials and trooped to the other side of the chapel to paint some newly-donated garbage bins made of sturdy high density polyethylene.

Ms. Nelie Dimer from the DENR - National Solid Waste Commission

Participants at the outskirts of the chapel smile for the camera.

Ms. Nelie Dimer listens to one of the questions of the residents

After Ms. Dimer finished her interactive lecture, a lunch break was held with the UST participants handing out free food to the participants.

Engr. Binuya, an Engineering Sciences faculty member takes a look at
the work done by the participants and volunteers.

After lunch break, the organizers decide to have another game to get the attention of the residents as they just finished their lunch and were returning to their seats. The game, “Bring Me” had residents scrambling to give the item asked by the two game masters – Kassandra Tan and volunteer Darwin Eugenio. The winners of the game were given prizes – a tote bag from UST ChES’ sponsor M’Lhuillier and a book on making crafts from recycled materials.

Winners of the game (3rd from left to 2nd from right) with their prices.

The last guest speaker, Mr. Niño Pinalva of the DENR-EMB-EEID, presented numerous powerpoint and audio-visual presentations discussing some of the grievous environmental problems the country is facing and how communities can work together to address such issues. The community members present in the chapel listened intently as he discussed these issues.

Mr. Nino Pinalva of the DENR EMB-EEID

A roundtable discussion was held among grouped community members and UST participants to discuss on the solutions they promised to do in order to improve solid waste management practices of their community. The fruits of these discussions were then discussed among the entire audience afterwards.

A resident reading a book on making crafts from recycled materials.

The event was formally closed by Arun Kumar, who thanked the participants for giving their full attention to the speakers. A photo-taking opportunity was then held before the community residents left the chapel.

Residents smile for the camera

Mr. Nino Pinalva (4th from left) being awarded a certificate of appreciation.
He is flanked by the project heads of Forefront.

“Nag-enjoy mga volunteers. Everyone just fell into place, maraming natutunan, at maraming learning opportunities.” remarked Arun Kumar, also the Chair of the UST ChES Community Development Committee.

A group photo of the residents and volunteers. In front of them are the four
garbage bins donated by UST ChES ComDev.

“Interacting with the community was fun. Even if I’m just a young college student, they listened and had fun sharing their thoughts on how they could mitigate the amount of trash they produce. I felt at home with them, unexpectedly. They also shared, with visible happiness, their contributions in managing solid waste. I really recommend this event as it brings out the inner volunteer in you.” a 5^th year-level volunteer said.

The participants and volunteers from UST.

Two faculty members, Prof. Edna Quinto and Engr. Rose Ann Tamolang, also participated and observed the event. The third and final day of FOREFRONT will be held on February 21, 2015 and is open to all UST-ChES members.

UST ChES Opens ChES Week with Kemikalan 2016

by Queen Desiree Dalisay

Kemikalan, an annual quiz show organized by the UST Chemical Engineering Society – Student Affairs Committee, was one of the many much-awaited events for the weeklong celebration of the UST Chemical Engineering Society Week. “Kemikalan 2016: Journey to Divergence”, a battle of wits and intelligence among chemical engineering students was held last January 25, 2016 at the Education Auditorium, Albertus Magnus Building.

Photo Credits: Jobie Tuscano (UST-ChES MemDoc)

Spearheaded by Althea Mae Mendenilla and Denzel Duane Soliaban, the quiz show challenged participants on their knowledge of fundamental Chemical Engineering Courses, namely in the Mathematics, Engineering Sciences, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering domains.

The Participants and Judges

Participants were chosen through a qualifying examination given to every section during the first week of classes. Six teams, each consisting of five members – wherein each member represents a particular year level - were formed. The quiz team also joined in on the challenge provided by the questions given, but was not included in the competition.

Protests and corrections raised by the participants were reviewed and verified by Engr. Mardie Pacia, Prof. Edna Quinto, and Assoc. Prof. Bernadette Duran, all from the Chemical Engineering Department who served as this year’s judges for Kemikalan.

The Quiz Show Proper

With its theme being derived from a famous book and movie series, Kemikalan 2016 deviated from its predecessors by providing additional challenges and twists that the participants braved using their wit and strategic thinking. The quiz show was divided into three major rounds and two bonus rounds. The major rounds, Aptitude, Switch, and Divergent consisted of 10, 12, and 8 questions, respectively. While the bonus rounds, Insurgent and Allegiant consisted of only one question each and were asked in between the major rounds. Each bonus question allowed a team to either earn 200 points for themselves or deduct the same from another team’s.

Upon finishing the Aptitude Round, the top five teams randomly picked from the five factions, namely Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite while the sixth team remained faction less. These factions gave them powers that can be used twice for the Switch Round and once for the Divergent Round. For the end of the Switch Round, the top scoring teams had a chance to pick the faction that they think will benefit them best. The team who picked Abnegation had a chance to pass for a certain question but still get half the point for that question. Amity gives a team the ability to extend their time while Candor gives a team the ability to not allow an opposing team to use a calculator for a given question. The team with the Dauntless faction can freeze an opponent and finally, the team with the Erudite faction can copy the answer of another team.

The questions provided by the organizers really tested the knowledge of the participants as shown by the number of protests during each round. And while the participants were given a break from the pressure their brains are experiencing, the audience had a bit of fun themselves through the Kemikalkalan. Ten students volunteered and were asked a series of trivia questions until only one remained. The last man or woman standing received a prize from the UST ChES.

Photo Credits: (UST-ChES MemDoc)

Winning Teams

And upon the end of all the quiz show, the bottom three teams were named while the ranking of the top three teams remained unknown until it was announced at the Culminating Night by the end of the ChES week.

On the said night, it was announced that the top three winning teams for this year’s kemikalan are the following (from 1^st to 3^rd place): Team 4 (Mark Lorenz Capili, Pauline Losaria, Joyee Ann Zhang, Jayson Ordinaria and Luisito Reno Chin), Team 3 (Jerelle Javier, Raven Mancilla, John Dela Peña, Amir Bracino, Christelle Sepe), and Team 5 (Cheska Teñoso, Edward Felipe III, Jazinda Capati, Jed Dupaya, and Charmaine Layson).

UST-ChES Holds Seminar on Nanotechnology

by Dana Coleen Pineda

As part of the series of events prepared by the Chemical Engineering Society (ChES) for the UST-ChE community last ChES week, the UST Chemical Engineering Society (UST-ChES) conducted a nanotechnology seminar titled "MAGNIFY: Exploring the Building Blocks of Nanotechnology" last January 27, Wednesday, at the UST Engineering Conference Hall.

A group photo of the participants.
(Photo Credit: Mark Danver Mendoza, UST-ChES Memdoc)

The said seminar, hosted by Jr Mabanta and Noelle Ivonette Reyes of UST-ChES Publicity Committe, focused on nanotechnology, related government DOST Projects, ADMATEL, Nanolab, and the testing capabilities that gives chance to the Chemical Engineering students to boost their knowledge in nanotechnology.

Dedicated speakers Engr. Jo Ann Sy, Engr. Jesse Jagape, and Dr. Araceli Magsino Monsada shared their knowledge about nanotechnology, its benefits, and risk to humanity. Engr. Sy shared her knowledge about the projects of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and their testing capablities. She also talked about the facilities and the machineries inside the nanolab.

After the first talk, an intermission number was performed by Gio. "Dahil nanotechnology ang topic, kakantahin ko po ang Little Things ng One Direction" he said to typify Nnnotechnology before singing.

Engr. Jesse Jagape, talked about the advanced tools for nanotechnology and the Advanced Device and Materials Testing Laboratory (ADMATEL) which was established to reinforce and upgrade the failure analysis and materials testing facility of our local industry. On the other hand, Dr. Araceli Magsino Monsada discussed about the synthesis and characterization of Nano Titanium Oxide and the photocatalyst coating which enhanced the aging resistance.

An open forum was also held to give students the chance and freedom to ask and to give their opinions before the program ended.

Talents Abound: UST-ChES Conducts Annual Variety Show

by Kevin Chad M. Cerezo

                In line with the weeklong celebration of the 40^th year of the UST Chemical Engineering Society (UST-ChES), the Chemical Engineering Society held its annual variety show titled “Restrospect: The UST ChES Variety Show 2016” on January 29, 2015 at the Albertus Magnus Auditorium. The said event was conducted to highlight the talent and skills of chemical engineering students in various fields, such as singing, dancing, on-stage acting, and the like.

The APC Group and their High School Musical-themed performance.
(Photo Credit: Jobie Tuscano, UST-ChES Memdoc)

The "R&M" Singing Duo performing an acoustic number
(Photo Credit: Alyssa Alcala)

Christine Pagaduan performing a solo number
(Photo Credits: Jobie Tuscano)

            Taking home the bacon with the highest weighted percentile, the A.P.C. group composed of mainly fifth year students, retained their two-peat championship title with their skit inspired by the 2006 Disney hit movie, High School Musical. The first and second runner-ups of the tilt were the “R&M” (Russel Avedano) singing duo of the second year students and solo singer freshman Christine Pagaduan, respectively.

The "R&M" duo being interviewed by the three hosts
(Photo Credit: Merryl Marquez/The Reaction)

The APC Performers
(Photo Credit: Merryl Marquez/The Reaction)

The APC Performers 
(Photo Credit: Merryl Marquez/The Reaction)

            Carl Edward Fulgencio, leader of the APC group performers, said that their victory was unexpected. “Yung skit concept 2 days ago [bago yung variety show] lang nabuo tapos 1 day before [ng show] yung rehearsal kasi wala naman pasok noon.” he said. (“The concept of the skit was done 2 days before the show while rehearsals were done the day before since there were no classes [on that day]”) Mark Jed dela Cruz, an APC performer, said that the competition was nice.

            Eight performances, either by group or solo, were done. Evaluation of the top 3 entries was based on the votes coming from the audience and the percentile ranking in accordance to the criteria set by the judges. The judges of the competition were selected Thomasian students, namely: Meeko Evangelista of the Faculty of Engineering; Eizel Lyn Marcelo of the Conservatory of Music; and Chelsea Tamayo of the AMV College of Accountancy. Cash prizes and certificates were given to the respective winners. This year’s variety show was headed by Jorge Ochoa, UST ChES Public Relations Officer, and Coleen Palicpic, Vice Chair of the Publicity Committee. The UST ChES Publicity Committee served as the organizers of this yearly event.