Sciena Staff of 2009-2010 Editor-in-Chief: Joey Cuayo Associate Editor: Jared Asuncion Managing Editor: Eirish Sison News Editor: Nelissa Marcos Features Editor: Jann Sy Culture Editor: Ryan Madrid Literary Editor: Gero Lumain Graphics Editor: Peach Arines Photography Editor: Joseph Cheng Layout Editor: Gamaliel Cabria Adviser: Carlo Casllo Staffers: Marinell Panglao, Alex Almocera, Kai Boydon, Angel Ramoso, Marylee Roa, Harry Gasmen Layout: Andy Palma, Bryan Manzana, Jessa Pandy Illustrators: Niall Lanip, Richter Orpilla, Omar Panlilio, Kenne DelaRosa Contributors: Andrea Ocampo, Prana Pambid, Pia Vega, Sarah Penir, Cyndi Bandong, Max Gana SCIENTIA The Official Student Publication of the College of Science Ground Floor, College of Science Library and Administration Building (CSLAB), Velasquez St., University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Email: [email protected]Facebook: http://3.ly/facebookscientia Multiply: scientiaonline.multiply.com
The decade just past has been one riddled with disasters aplenty. From tsunamis and hurricanes to economic downs and commodity price highs, the past ten years has made worriers and pessimists out of many of us. More than darkening views on what is to come, however, there have arisen grimmer views on our generation’s capacity to fix all that has been broken and lost, going so far as to call us “The Lost Generation.”
Questions have arisen about whether our generation can rise to the occasion and take on the challenges and problems that will be left for us to solve by the generations and events past. We have been criticized as being a generation fuelled by the need for rewards. A professor of the university once told his class, “You are the generation needing constant assurance.” This trait has cast worry upon whether we will be motivated enough, if at all, to work towards bettering the current global situation. They ask if we would have enough confidence and drive without their affirmations and rewards to function well on our own.
Also, with the furthering of technology and how we use them, the world is truly becoming borderless. With that, there is anxiety over the loss of culture and the loss of tradition, and thus the demise of the values that had come with them. There is fear that with the loss of culture, there is a loss of belonging and group identity, and a consequential cultivation of a more selfish individual.
Are we truly a generation unfocused, needy, cultureless and selfish?
Generation Y, or the Millennial Generation, is composed of the cohort between 1982 and 1994. We are often described as confident, visual and multitasking learners who are technologically savvy and easily bored. Statistics on our generation’s personality tests have pointed to our being generally warm, outgoing, and more organized and self disciplined than Generation X. We have been shown to value balance, especially in our lives, and we do not take kindly to the thought of having 80 work hour weeks, as some of parents may have had. Some of the more candid articles have called us “Generation X on steroids.”
The world is quickly becoming borderless but does that truly mean the death of cultures? In an article on preparing for the education of Generation Y by Stephanie F. Gardner, PharmD, EdD, in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, she states that Generation Y is better educated and more accepting of multiculturalism. Our exposure to different people from different walks of life has made us more aware of our culture and of the culture of others. Our generation has learned to be more accepting of others, perhaps as a consequence of the increasingly connected world we have been growing up in. We have the capacity to take into consideration the possible effects of our actions and decisions on others not only from our immediate community but also on those of communities outside our own. Such an ability, if cultivated, would empower us, as future leaders, to one day make decisions that would benefit both our local and global communities.
The Millennials may need more assurances and rewards to bring us to our full potentials, but do our motivations always need to come from doting elders and cohorts? May we not be motivated by the want of finding solutions to the crises we face? Positive reinforcement need not come directly from others for a job well done. Our generation, with our greater exposure and
near constant connection with the international community, has a great capacity for unified action. We find an even greater motivation knowing that the things we want and the actions and decisions we choose to make are shared and supported by our peers. More importantly, knowing that we share the same visions of what the world should be (and shouldn’t be), and the knowledge that we would be acting collectively as a generation may be more than enough to encourage us to push towards a brighter future.
The aforementioned professor had, on the same day, told his class, “You are the generation who sees the mistakes of the generations before you, and you are determined to not repeat the same mistakes.” We have been witness to the more obvious consequences of the actions of the past generations. We have seen where we could go wrong and we would be careful to avoid them. The Boston Globe in 2006 reported a decrease in divorce rates because of the younger generation, our generation, marrying smarter. This trend has been attributed to the Millennials having been witness to the alarming divorce rates of the previous generation and becoming “more savvy about the likelihood of divorce.” We have felt the consequences of the mistakes of our parents’ and grandparents’ generations and we are wary of committing the same errs and inflicting the same consequences on our own children.
No generation has been left untouched by criticism from the generations before them. What is important is that we listen to what is being said and we take what we can from them, moving on to bettering ourselves. We will continue to study hard and prepare ourselves knowing that, one day, the world will be in our hands and there is a lot of work to be done. Soon, we no longer will be Generation Next, but Generation Now. When we do, we will rise to the challenge, just as the past generations have, and we will do our best to ensure that what we leave behind will be better than what we were given. The ruler for our accomplishments won’t be what the past generations have done, but what we intend for the world and how far we’ve come to achieving it.
04 Outstanding Graduates of College of Science Leads Class of 2010
07 Three CS Institutes Commemorate Centenary of Relaying Academic Excellence
20 JAM SESSION
12 TACKED
30 POKE!
25 Fire & Ice
31 From the Horse Mouth
14MELTING POT 16 PEER REVIEW
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A new roster of excellent graduating students of the College of Science anew proved the never-ending prowess of the best and brightest stu-dents of the University of the Philippines. To know their insights on how they made it to the top, here are all the outstanding CS students as they show their brilliance in answering simple yet important questions.
NatioNal iNstitute of GeoloGical scieNcesName: Likha Goce MinimoAge: 19Course: B.S. GeologyResearch Lab: (none yet) Thesis Topic: Wala naman kaming thesis talaga sa BS Geology but I’m working on the “Distri-bution and Geochemistry of Igneous Why you chose your course: Rocks in Mind-oro Island ” for my special topic for the Geology 170 (Field Geology) (mahabang kwento)
Before UPCAT, I originally liked Geography (and FA, Architecture, Linguistics, Journalism, etc) but since I also planned to take the DOST Scholarship exam, I had to choose among the science and engineering courses. I chose BS Ge-ology, because:
1) I didn’t want courses that are heavy on math subjects. Therefore, goodbye engineering.
2) It was, I thought, closest to Geography.
3) Among the sciences, Earth Science was my forte.
To my frustration, I wasn’t able to get the schol-arship. Only after my interview for admission did I realize that it isn’t that close to Geography, and in taking BS Geology, I’d get the same math series that engineering students would. I told myself, if I don’t get good grades in Math 17, I’d shift out. And yes, I didn’t get a good grade in Math 17. It was my first 3.00. But I chose to stay at NIGS because I fell in love with Geology 11.
Major probs encountered while studying:Math. I usually zone out when it comes into the picture. (hahaha) But, I knew I had to conquer that wall. I had to see through and know how important understanding the math part. It was part of the Science language. I’d say, “Iginapang ko ang math series ko” (and all the subjects that entail the knowledge of them).
Fighting for my priorities. I believe learning isn’t all in the classroom, lab, and field. I want to be involved in whatever God is doing in my gen-eration. I juggle acads with family, friends, work, ENCM, GeoSoc, CSSC, small group, ministry, sports. I’m GC, but usually only right before and after exams. So at times I get so drowned with everything I barely have time to study. But I know that God wants me to set my priorities right: Spending quality time with Him and my family, then acads, then whatever He has called me to do at that time. I had to learn that I’m not a one-woman-team. I had to stop doing ev-erything all at the same time. I had to take only
Outstanding Graduates of College of Science Leads Class of 2010 by: Marinell Palangao
what I could do excellently by His Grace.
Study habits: I’ve tried many. I’ll share what’s effective: 1) At home, declare “acad mode!” 2) Quiet time: write on my journal to clear my mind of my worries, and then read my Bible to get a good perspective. 3) Eat if I’m hungry. If I’m a little sleepy, I’d set my playlist on. 4) Clear my study space. Prepare all the stuff I’ll need. Sit comfort-ably (but not too much), then, aja acad mode! 5a) If I’m studying, as in studying in advance (not cramming), I read the references then take notes. 5b) If I’m preparing for an exam, I read my notes, then the book (if my notes or the prof’s lecture are insufficient). Draw diagrams and write important points on an index card/sketch pad. Practice computations if necessary. 6) If ever I fall asleep more than thrice, I stop. I ask my mom/sister/roommate to wake me up (I usu-ally don’t hear my alarm clock). I sleep, not just nap. 7) Continue only when I’m honestly awake.
Hobbies: When nostalgia strikes, I love drawing, doodling and writing on my journal/sketch pad (creative non-fiction, poetry, songs), taking pictures and videos, making AVPs, quoting books and my friends, then posting all these in my websites. I’m also in to martial arts (taekwondo and judo). I spend my free time with family and friends, chatting (in person, or via text/internet), walk-ing, eating, singing and dancing, star-gazing, travelling or watching movies and TV series with them.
Likes and dislikes:Likes what honors God. Dislikes the opposite.
What contributed most to your success? God’s grace and provision. Everything else is hinged on that, my loving family, supportive friends and mentors, my faith.
You’re graduating with honors, how do you feel? I feel glad, happy, satisfied. I’ve been praying for it since my freshie year. I’ve grown so much in keeping that vision of graduating and giving God the glory and my parents the experience of putting a medal on me again. It has stretched my faith, made me believe Him for greater things, and actually disciplined me. I remember my parents telling me back in elementary “Grades are important but are not everything. Do what makes you happy.” I’m glad that during my col-lege years what made me happy is realizing the plans God has for me. Jesus wants me to live a LIFE of leadership, integrity, faith and excel-lence. With that I can serve Him, this nation, and even the next generation.
Name: Glacialle TiuAge: 20Course: BS Geology Research Lab: Volcano-Tectonics Lab
Thesis Topic: (wala kaming thesis, geol 170 lang ) geology of Northwest Mindoro (probable special topic) Tsunami Vulnerability of NW Mindoro
Why you chose your course: Nauto lang ako nung classmate ko sa Chem 16 kasi nag-shift aq mula IE tsaka natuwa ako kay Sir CP (Carlos Primo David)sa NatSci2
Major probs encountered while studying: Madalas magfieldwork kaya kawawa yung mga GE subjects ko... panay palyado, daming kak-abisaduhin, Mas masarap maglakwatsa/umi-nom/ magparty kaysa mag-aral!!!, Napakaram-ing distractions
Study habits: Katulad sa Math Series DNE -does not exist!!! Ay meron din pala: bawal umi-nom bago mag-exam kasi aantukin ka pwedeng lumabas bago mag-exam basta mag-overnight ka para di malate!!! Maging madiskarte lalo na sa pangongolekta ng mga “lumang babasahin”
Hobbies: matulog, manood, kumain, manood habang kumakain, manood para makatulog, ku-main tapos matulog...
Likes and dislikes: gusto ko ng maraming maraming pahinga at peraayaw ko ng beer na may lagnat
What contributed most to your success? my family, my friends, my mentors, my class-mates, my detractors, my neighbors, my crush, my ...
You’re graduating with honors, how do you feel? shy... hehehe...May dinagdag pala ako... Mabuti pang magka-3.0 na nakatawa at kasama ang iyong mga kaibigan kaysa magka-1.0 habang nag-iisa
Name: Erika Blanca R. CallagonAge: 19 years oldCourse: BS GeologyResearch Lab: Earth Materials Science Labora-tory
Thesis Topic: Geology of Northwestern Mind-oro/Geochemistry of Eocene sedimentary rocks from the Lasala Formation, Mindoro: Con-straints on provenance and tectonic environ-ment
Why you chose your course: I think learn-ing about our Earth is simply worthwhile and also practical.Major problems encountered while studying:
Study habits: regularly attending classes, spend-ing some time in the library, (then doing work in the laboratory and having fun with friends!)Hobbies: Music (singing!), Movies, Nail Polish, Earrings.. hehe
Likes and dislikes: Likes: 80’s music (classic rock, slow rock, and everything else!), green, chocolate, sansrival, sleep, stickers; Dislikes: veg-etables (hehe) and tardinessWhat contributed most to your success? family, friends and mentorsYou’re graduating with honors, how do you feel? Super!
Molecular BioloGy aNd BiotechNoloGyName: Ma. Isabella C. PamintuanAge: 20Course: MBB Research Lab: Protein Structure and Immunol-ogy Laboratory
Thesis Topic: Isolation, culturing and charac-terization of tardigrades in Quezon CityWhy you chose your course: “Mahirap daw.” *laughs* “Tama sila.” *laughs*
Major probs encountered while studying: “Minsan hindi ko maintindihan yung book. Hint, hint - Van Holde and Skoog, grrr die.” *laughs*
Study habits: “Nerd one day, pasaway na video gamer the next.”
Hobbies: Drawing, video games, reading, Magic cards, and hula hoops.
Likes: Food and sleeping. And a certain some-one. *laughs*
Dislikes: I hate roaches!What contributed most to your success? The ability to stay awake for long stretches and then sleep like a log after.
You’re graduating with honors, how do you feel? Hindi pa tapos ang laban - ten years of med to go.
Name: Fides Angeli D.C. ZauldaAge:19Course: MBB Research Lab: Plant Molecular Biology and Plant Virology Laboratory
Thesis Topic: Abaca Bunchy Top VirusWhy you chose your course: “Kasi bago ang field.”
Major probs encountered while studying: “Sarili kong katamaran.”
Study habits: Nagca-cram ako.
Hobbies: writing fanfiction
Likes: “I like a lot of things...Dislikes: “...and I dislike a lot of things.”
What contributed most to your success? God.
You’re graduating with honors, how do you feel? It’s great, but it’s not everything. And I mean that in a good way.
Thesis Topic: Cancer photothermal therapy us-ing single-walled carbon nanotubes
Why you chose your course: Like any kid, I’ve always been fascinated by living things. What I really liked about MBB is it puts (more like pushes) you on the edge. Most of the time we look at the more fundamental processes of life but at the same time we have to be discern-ing enough to put these little pieces together and try to find out how they contribute to the larger scheme of things. Though it’s quite tricky keep-ing this balance, being on that edge is one of the most exciting and thought-provoking experi-ences ever.
Major probs encountered while studying: There are just too many distractions. There are really times when everything else except the task at hand becomes a distraction.
How did you make it? people around me who were willing to help and encourage me, an ex-tra dose of happy thoughts and learning which battles to fight and which to just let go
Hobbies: reading stuff that’s not required, watching tv, going to the movies, waveboard-ing,” pangungulit”
Likes: yummy food, enough sleep, Manila, Bob Dylan, ice-cold CokeDislikes:the sound of tearing paper, ketchup and mayo the smell of antibiotics
Study habits: I try not to cram.
On graduating with honors: It feels nice to know that the work I’ve put in is being recog-nized. I’m happy with it but I’m happier still for my family.
NatioNal iNstitute of PhysicsName: Miguel P. Sison Age: 22 Course: BS Applied Physics Research Lab: Instrumentation Physics Labo-ratory
Sobrang Cheesy!B: Mahal mo ‘ko?G: Oo naman.B: Gaano karami ang pagmamahal mo sa akin?G: Kasindami niyan! (turo sa langit)B: Ng stars? Eh wala namang stars eh.G: Yung air molecules kasi yung tinuro ‘ko.
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Why you chose your course: I thought it was the most interesting and challenging field among all the sciences. (coolness factor... geeky ba pakinggan?)
Major probs encountered while studying: Difficult subject matter, Difficult teachers, Study habits: Virtually non-existent... comes and goes depending on the “exam/project/problem
set season”... cramming, cramming, cramming Hobbies: aside from solving countless prob-lem sets... PC, PC games, Movies, Sports (any), Downloading Animes, Series, Movies (strictly for personal use only... hehe), Reading various stuff in the internet
Likes and dislikes: Likes Food, Dislikes Bad Food
What contributed most to your success? what success?
You’re graduating with honors, how do you feel? tired... very tired...
iNstitute of MatheMaticsName: Victor Manuel ArichetaAge: 19Course: BS MathResearch Lab: none
Thesis Topic: Elliptic Curve Cryptography Over Eisenstein Integers
Why you chose your course: Kasi nung HS, sa math lang ako magaling. Parang medyo wala lang akong mapili. Nung nasa math na ako, dun ko lang nalaman na sobrang…sobrang (n times) ganda pala ng math. Kaya din a ako umalis.
Major probs encountered while studying: Yung Eng 12 ko! Medyo kinabahan ako nun kasi feeling ko talaga pwede ako bumagsak. Aside from that, parang wala naman academically. Ang mas nagsu-suffer ay yung mga extra cur-ricular activities ko. Talagang napapabayaan ko sila.
Study habits: Kapag nagegets ko yung lesson, naca-caram ko siya dun sa gabi ng exam. (Kasi nakakatamad mag-aral, mas masarap pa matu-log). Kapag hindi, nagpapanic na ako tapos nag-aaral ako ng mga isang lingo. Tsaka nagpapaturo madalas yung mga kaibigan ko kaya mas napi-pilitan akong maintindihan yung lesson. Totoo yung “the best way to learn something is to teach it.”
Hobbies: Facebook, video games, books, tulog, kwentuhan. Seryoso, nauubos yung buhay ko ng walang ginagawa. Ay, tsaka learning pala. Labo. Hobby ba ang learning?
Likes and dislikes: Dislikes: Chem!! Sobrang..
Outstanding Graduates... (continued from page 5)
sobrang…sobrang (n+1 times) bobo ako sa chem.. Ayoko din ng sapilitang pag-aaral. Ay. Ayoko pala ng kahit anong sapilitan. Ayoko ta-lagang napipilitan. Likes: Learning. Math syempre, physics, philoso-phy, psychology, tsaka video games, pangarap ko magkaroon ng nth generation handheld at con-soles, kung anuman yung latest n.
What contributed most to your success? Feeling ko yung CS11 ko. Dun ko kasi nafeel na kaya ko pala eh. Malaking part talaga yata ang confidence. Kasi kapag mataas yung mga tao sa first exam, mas nag-eeffort sila eh. Pag naman mababa, nawawalan na ng gana. Swerte lang ako kasi maganda yung simula ko. Kung na-down ako siguro dati, hindi ako magiging successful.
You’re graduating with honors, how do you feel? Masaya pero hindi dahil parang ang gall-ing ko. Alam kong hindi sukatan ng katalinuhan ang grades. Masaya ako dahil ang saya saya ng parents ko. Eh wala naman akong ibang maibi-gay sa kanila kaya pag alam kong napapasaya ko sila, Masaya na talaga ako.
iNstitute of cheMistryName: Miguel Carlos GonzalezAge: 22Course: BS Chemistry
Research Lab: Organometallic and Materials Chemistry Research Laboratory
Thesis Topic: Harnessine Visible Light with Ruthenium Sensitized Dye-sensitized solar cells
Why you chose your course: chemistry ang first choice ko. And since I was a child. I am al-ways interested in being a scientist. Originally first plan ko is maging paleontologist. Mahilig din ako sa dinosaurs..all about science in general. Masaya yung chemistry ko nung high school so nung pagdating ng college, chemistry na ang pnili ko.
Major probs encountered while studying: Initially yung pag-aadjust in UP’s academic standard, for example yung chem. 17. Kailangan mong maglevel up at para maka-adapt in UP’s way of teaching. At dapat din marunong kang magbalance ng iyong time. Like nung first and second year ko, I was in the swimming varsity team. Kaya nung higher years ko, tinigil ko na siya para makapagconcentrate sa studies
Study habits: it’s subject dependent. Halimba-wa, pag mahirap, one week akong magaaral, pag madali naman, mga 3 days
Hobbies: paitning, playing the flute, swimming, practicing arnis and poetry
Likes and dislikes: In terms of studying, mas gusto ang understanding than memorizing, and I was not happy with memorizing
What contributed most to your success? My parents, they will let me decide what I want to do in my life, and my thesis adviser, siya yung ang-eencourage sa akin to choose my own topic. Very supportive siya and binibigyan din niya ako ng freedom.
You’re graduating with honors, how do you feel? Happy, and I feel fortunate
Name: Martin Ian P. MalgapoAge: 19
Course: BS Chemistry Research Lab: Organometallic and Materials Chemistry Lab
Thesis Topic: Ruthenium Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Why you chose your course: I thought Chem was the most interesting among the sci-ences (and I was not mistaken) when I was in high school.
Major probs encountered while studying: Unconsciously drowsing off after reading just a few pages of your readings, distractions of any kind (I easily get distracted), The need/desire to eat every hour while studying.
Study habits: Certified crammer, haha, but I sometimes study with my closest Chem friends. Hobbies: Watching movies and series, facebook-ing, listening to my idea of a good music, and sometimes play some instruments, thinking ran-dom thoughts, (secretly) writing about anything, and of course, eating. Likes and dislikes: Is this supposed to be what I like and dislike about a person or a thing? Hmmm… There are no particular attributes that I like or dislike about a person as long as that one is cool to be with. When you’re friend with someone, you get to accept him even though he has traits you dislike eh.
What contributed most to your success? The undying support that my family, especially my mother has been giving me, for allowing me to choose the path I believe I want to take.You’re graduating with honors, how do you feel? I already feel both honored and happy just to be graduating from UP Diliman as a Chemist. Making it with distinction, parang bonus na lang ‘yun.
These truly inspirational students showed that the combination of hard work, belief in oneself and trust in God are the stepping stones towards success.
Earth Day. Let’s do our part in preserving our home.http://www.earthday.net/
Three CS Institutes Commemorate Centenary of Relaying Academic Excellence
by: Ma. Andrea Geneive P. Ocampo and Nelissa S. Marcos
This year, the College of Science (CS) celebrates a milestone in imparting quality education and academic excellence as three of its institutes namely, the Institute of Math, Institute of Chem-istry and Institute of Biology, observe their 100 years of existence.
Solving through the decadesThe Institute of Mathematics, formerly known as the Department of Mathematics, was estab-lished on June 3, 1910. It was one of the units in the College of Liberal Arts in UP and was approved to be an institute by the Board of Re-gents on August 22, 2007.
As early as the 1930s, the department produced notable pioneers in the field of Mathematics in the Philippines. Vidal A. Tan, Enrique Vi-rata and Francisco Perez were all graduates of the University of Chicago, which had the best mathematics department in the US at that pe-riod, and the first two being a UP President and UP Executive Vice President, respectively. After WWII, they were later joined by Raymundo A. Favila who joined UP in 1949 and headed the department for two decades. He was honored with the rank of Academician by the National Academy of Science and Technology and was the first and one of only three mathematicians who became members of the academy.
During the mid-1970s, the PhD Mathematics Program was established from its basic BS and MS degree. It opened a door to producing many promising PhD’s locally added to the return of the PhDs from their studies abroad which brought about the emergence of many young, dynamic and forward looking faculty members. The split of the College of Arts and Sciences on 1983 brought about the milestone in the depart-ment’s history as the University highlighted the need for research. Teaching being the major function of the department, it seeks to start re-search as well. From this decade on, the institute produces core specialists on important areas of mathematics and it holds strong collaboration with the institutes abroad. This period brought about issues that were resolved by its conversion into an institute, as it was known this day.
“There will be activities that will highlight and celebrate the 100 years of Mathematics in UP. Revolving around the theme: “100 years of
service and scholarship, and still counting!” – the Institute will have a fun run, exhibits, a centennial publication, a grand alumni home-coming, the inauguration of the Math Building Annex, and a cen-tennial mathematics conference. Throughout the year, public fo-rums will be held both inside and outside the university to promote mathematics and showcase the In-stitute’s academic achievements.” said the Institute of Mathematics Director, Jose Maria P. Balmaceda of the Institute of Mathematics.
The Institute will also organize a regional school (with young schol-ars from Southeast Asia) as part of its celebration.
“The Institute is committed to im-proving its research and publication profile (es-pecially in ISI-indexed journals) and to improve the numbers of graduates especially in the PhD program. Currently, the Institute is the top-pro-ducer of MS graduates in the CS, but we hope to increase the graduation rate even more. We plan to develop more specialists in some areas of mathematics where the Institute is deficient.”
Director Balmaceda remarked when asked about the institute’s plans in pursuing academic excellence.
Experimenting with the yearsBeginning as the Department of Chemistry in 1910, it was housed in a building in Padre Faura St. (where the UP College of Dentistry is now located). It was eventually reorganized as an in-stitute in 1987 and is designated by the Commis-sion on Higher Education (CHED) as a center of excellence in chemistry and chemical education. “As a center of excellence in chemistry and chemical education, the IC-UPD has always supported research activities and programs that will advance the frontier of knowledge and ad-dress our country’s scientific and technological problems requiring fundamental chemical solu-tions. IC has maintained excellence in the major research areas of chemistry.” stressed Institute of Chemistry Director, Florian del Mundo. “In keeping pace with the rapid advances in the analytical instrumentation and chemical educa-tion, IC has upgraded its existing analytical and laboratory equipment by acquiring more ad-
vanced and sophisticated instruments through the support of various research funding agen-cies and the university. IC established a quality system in its Instrument Room and Analytical Services Laboratory which gained an ISO ac-creditation in 2009. In addition to this, IC has established and maintained a functional chemi-cal waste management system. These in-house systems are in place in order to minimize risk and ensure the highest level of safety in its fa-cilities.” said Director del Mundo about the ad-vancements in instrumentation and facilities.The Director also reiterated the projects and studies being conducted by the institute which includes: the development of new problem-based teaching methodology to fittingly pre-pare its BS Chemistry students for their future careers in the industry and academia; pursuing collaborative research work and networking with local and foreign scientists and institutions; improving/upgrading/maintaining teaching and research facilities to world-class standards; training researchers, students, faculty, and other future experts through courses and seminars and workshops offered by the invited experts or sci-entists through the Balik Scientist Program of DOST and ensuring that the new IC buildings construction are completed on schedule and within budget through weekly coordination meetings on site with designers, contractor and
construction manage-ment.There are also a list of activities scheduled throughout the whole year in commemoration of IC @100 which en-compasses professorial chair lectures, IC centen-nial logo contest, first aid training, KKP-DAS 1st Graduate Research Seminar at UP-Ayala Technohub Conference Room, fire safety drill, IC centennial memo-rabilia sale, Sportsfest, Polymer P3 Workshop: Polymers for Packaging,
Paints, and Pharmaceuticals. Workshop seminar to be conducted by Balik Scientist alumnus Dr. Rigoberto Advincula, Alumni Homecoming, photo exhibit and ISACHEM 2010: Internation-al Symposium on Advances in Chemistry and Materials. IC will also have two new buildings located at the National Science Complex, UP Diliman.
Another at 100?The Institute of Biology is also celebrat-ing their 100th year this 2010. Read about the institute and more on Scientia On-line (http://sc ient iaon-line.multiply.com).
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With an overwhelming 10 golds out of a possible 11, The UP Marine Biological Society (MBS) has cornered the overall championship in this year’s edition of the Pre-Medical Honour So-ciety’s Hexameet tournament. MBS was denied perfection by the UP Zoological Society (ZS), who scored a satisfying win over their rivals in the finals of the volleyball competition. With a scoring system that rewarded 50 points for first place, and 40, 30 and 10 for the succeeding plac-es, MBS was able to garner an unassailable 540 point total- A full 210 points ahead of closest competitors ZS, who had 330 points at the end. The UP Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Society (MBBS)/Rockhounds tandem finished third with 310 points, and the UP Association of Biology Majors (ABM)/EnviSoc settled for last place with 270 points.
Setting aside MBS’ domination of Hexameet 2010, one of the more interesting storylines that developed was the tight race for second place between perennial championship challengers ZS and the MBBS/Rockhounds duo. The com-bined MBBS/Rockhounds squad reached the second spot on the podium a total of four times, most notably in the popular team sports basket-ball and football, but settled for last place three times as well. ZS only notched two silver med-als, but suffered less fourth place ignominy than MBBS/Rockhounds. Also crucial in ZS’ success-ful bid for overall second was their volleyball triumph over MBS, a single gold that the MBBS/Rockhounds team was unable to match.
While ABM/EnviSoc may have wound up fourth in the table, they posed a definite threat to the
other participants, finishing with as many second place finishes as MBBS/Rockhounds. The ABM/EnviSoc partnership was particularly impressive in the water, finishing second to only MBS in both swimming contests. Unfortunately, their challenge was limited to a handful of events and their squad sputtered to fourth in almost half of the available competitions, sinking their cham-pionship aspirations.
UP MBS dominates Hexameet 2010 by: Max Gana
No Rules, No Laws, No Shame by: Prana Pambid and Pia Vega
Last February 18, the University of the Philip-pines Geological Society, the College of Science Student Council and University of the Philip-pines Optics presented Binibining Ba ‘To?, a cross-dressing competition held annually dur-ing CS Week. With the theme, “Le Cirque du Fabuleux: No Rules, No Laws, No Shame,” male representatives from eight participating organi-zations dressed up as women a la Moulin Rouge, a French-style cabaret.
The pageant opened with a dance performance and the introduction of judges, namely Mr. Jose Wendell Capili, Dr. Marian Roque, and Mr. Car-
lo Lapus. The contestants then went up the stage and introduced themselves using their creative aliases: Antoinette Brigitte Pavloveux from the Pre-Medical Honor Society (PMHS), Elle Vivien de Vaklavoosh from the Association of Biol-ogy Majors (ABM), Ferreax Moance from the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Society (MBBS), Vin vi L’amour from the Pre-Medical Society (PMS), Katazyra Dolinsky Sklodowska du Sacre Coeur from the DOST Scholars Asso-ciation (DOST-SA), Virginie Jacquot L’quetitia from the Geology Majors Society (GEMS), and Marguerite Et Jonquille from the Chemical So-ciety (ChemSoc).
Two CS students bag BPI-DOST Science Awardsby: Carlo Castillo
In its 21st year, the BPI-DOST Science Awards was yet again given to three exceptional under-graduate researchers of the university for their achievements in the field of science and technol-ogy last February 15 at the College of Science Auditorium.
This year, the recipients of the award are Miguel Carlos I. Gonzales (BS Chemistry) for his thesis
entitled Harnessing Solar Energy in the Visible Region with Ruthenium Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (Adviser: Dr. Jim Josephus G. Minglana), Danielle P. Canlas (BS Computer Science) for her thesis entitled S-URE C.O.U.N.T. Secure Canvassing for an Open and Urgent National Tally (Advisers: Dr. Susan Pancho-Festin and Mr. Philip Christian Zuñiga), and Ma. Isabella Pamintuan (BS Molecular Biology and Biotech-nology) for her thesis entitled Isolation, Culture, and DNA Barcoding of Local Moss Tardigrada Species Isolated from Quezon City, Philippines (Adviser: Dr. Denise Noelle Mirano-Bascos). Each received a cash prize of Php 25,000, a tro-phy and certificate of recognition, and a job offer from BPI.
Present in the event were UP Diliman Chancel-lor Sergio S. Cao, College of Engineering Dean Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, College of Science Dean Caesar A. Saloma, College of Science As-
sociate Dean for Academic Affairs Ronald S. Banzon, and BPI Senior Vice President, Teresita B. Tan. College of Science Secretary Evangeline C. Amor hosted the program.
The BPI-DOST Science Awards began in 1989. Every year, three undergraduate students from the leading universities and colleges in the coun-try are chosen and recognized for their contri-butions in the fields of mathematics, physics, engineering, chemistry, biology, and computer science. This is a joint project by the BPI Foun-dation, Inc., the Department of Science and Technology and the University of the Philip-pines.
Gonzales, Canlas and Pamintuan join 60 other names in the roster of UP Diliman awardees for the past 21 years.
The contestants first demonstrated their talents which ranged from singing and dancing to act-ing out scenes in French with subtitles. In ad-dition, the contestants were also given the task of acting out a scene wherein they had to select a presidentiable, present a production number for that presidentiable, and ask for something in return. The lovely ‘ladies’ also had to tandem their beauty with brains when answering typical beauty pageant questions with intelligence and wittiness. Finally, in a display of creativity and skill, they danced like professionals and, used the most unlikely things, such as electric tape, as garter belts in their presentations and costumes.The competition ended with Ms. Moance being the crowd favorite, Ms. Jonquille as the most tal-ented and best in long gown, Ms. Pavloveux as the most beautiful in cabaret costume. The title “Binibini ‘d Panaleux” went to Ms. L’quetitia, who garnered a score of 85.2%; “Binibini Mon-tique en Manaleux” to Ms. Pavloveux, who scored 89.5%; and “Binibini Bateux 2010” to Ms. Jonquille, who garnered the highest score, 95%.
Tuition fee hike at 66% proposed in IC by: Nelissa S. Marcos
In accordance with the redesign of the labora-tory components into a set of integrated labora-tory courses, the Institute of Chemistry gathered the Chemistry majors taking up the new 9-unit block courses in the CS Auditorium last January 18, 2010 to “conduct a student survey regarding the institution of new laboratory fee of PhP 500/unit for the Integrated laboratory courses of the new BS Chemistry curriculum starting First Se-mester S.Y. 2009-2010.”
The 9-unit block of integrated laboratory courses (Chem 101.1, Chem 101.2, Chem 102.1 and Chem 101.2) is “geared towards a problem-based learning (PBL) approach in studying chemis-try where students are required to use several techniques and nearly all instrumental methods commonly encountered in modern chemistry.” Thus, valuable skills and knowledge will be gained by students for their preparation in their future employment in the industry or academe.
To keep pace with the rapid advances in analyti-cal instrumentation and chemical education, the IC has upgraded its existing analytical and labo-ratory equipment by “acquiring more advanced and sophisticated instruments through the sup-port of various funding agencies.”
The said increase from PhP 300 to PhP 500 per unit (a 66% increase) is allegedly due to insuf-ficiency of the current laboratory fee to pay for the high cost of chemicals and consumables, and to partially subsidize the use and maintenance cost of the instruments. The insufficiency is cit-ed to have its roots on the “Philippine economy experiencing an average inflation rate of 5% per year.”
The proposed laboratory fee (see attached side-bar) was based on the cost analysis of the chemi-cals and materials to be used by each student for each integrated laboratory course, and that “the cost for the use and maintenance of the instru-ments was not included in the analysis, as the IC pays for it at PhP 1,200.00 per student.”
The total cost of chemicals was divided between the estimate 20 students per integrated labora-tory class to arrive at the actual cost of chemicals used per student.
The increase is said to be necessary for IC to “sustain a successful operation of the integrated laboratory courses to continually provide its stu-dents the best chemical education which is at par with the current international standard.”
Being gifted with intelligence is not exactly common. Ditto for having talent. Lucky are those who have both.
The UP College of Science Chorale, or simply the CS Chorale, is composed of a body of talented and brilliant students from the College of Science with a passion for the performing arts, particularly singing. The group was formalized in 2007 and, ever since, ballads have been sung more and more vividly, and arrangements have become more and more daring. The CS Chorale has proven itself to be a powerhouse of vocalists, culminating to the declaration of their victory over eight other colleges in this school year’s University-wide Karolfest.Besides joining the annual Karolfest, the CS Chorale performs just for the sake of singing, participating in BPI awarding ceremonies, recognition days, ‘CS Idol,’ CS Carolfest, lectures, game quizzes and by request of various organizations.We were able to sit with Terrence Teh, the conductor of CS Chorale, to ask him a few questions about the group.
SCIENTIA (S): Around when was the group established?Terrence Teh (T): Three years ago, nung first year ako actually. Kasama ako sa mga founding majors. It was founded by Jana Mier, from MBB, the MBB representative then.
S: How many members are in the group now?TT: We have about sixteen members.
S: Are all of you from the College of Science?TT: Yeah, pero yung vocal coach namin is from the College of Home Economics, Food Technology.
S: What are the majors of the members?TT: Tatlo lang eh: from Math, MBB, Bio.
S: How about from the others?TT: Wala, unfortunately.
S: Do you guys perform always perform a capella, or do you also perform with accompaniment?TT: Puro vocals, tapos nung last Karolfest, nagtry kami with accompaniment.
S: How often do you guys practice in preparation for an event or gig?
TT: Well, we have practices regularly, every week. In case of events, nag-iincrease kami ng frequency, like twice or thrice a week.
S: Does it conflict with your academics?TT: Minsan, pero magagaling ‘tong mga members ko. Hindi nagpapabaya ‘yan.
S: You guys were the champions of the University-wide Karolfest; how did it feel to win the competition?TT: (Laughs) Well, at first, nung naanounce ‘yung College of Science, nagkaroon pa ako ng mga two to three seconds lag time, before I realized, ‘Uy, kami pala ‘yon.’ And then, I’m like (puts on an expression of shock). Tuwang-tuwa talaga kami, we were all very happy and excited!
S: Have you guys won before this school year?TT: Yeah on our first year, ano kami, we won second place sa Karolfest.
S: Wow, congratulations! Who were your competitors this year? Kasama ba ‘yung College of Music?TT: I don’t remember all of them but, College of Engineering, CSSP, MasComm, Law, NCPAG. Pero wala yung College of Music. Hindi talaga sila kasali.
S: Do you guys prefer performing contemporary pieces or traditional pieces?TT: Actually, diverse yung mga pinaplay namin, kung anong magandang piece na maisip namin, from contemporary to traditional, meron kami.
S: How different is it performing in a group? How does it compare to performing in a band or as a soloist?TT: Well, magkaibang bagay talaga ‘yon. Kunyari, when you’re singing solo, iba yung delivery ng voice mo. Because when you’re singing in a group, kailangan mo pa i-consider yung sound ng mga fellow singers mo. So you have to adjust your volume, your pitch and kailangan nagbeblend talaga kayo.
S: What are your plans for the future?TT: I’m hoping na next year sana maka-recruit na kami ng members from different institutes – sa Chemistry, NIGS, at sa Physics. Sana talaga. And we’re planning to have this concert this June. Ayan, plug plug. (Laughs)
S: What message would you like to leave our readers about singing, performing, studies, love or life, in general?TT: Ang hirap naman niyan! (Laughs) Well, as students of the College of Science, haggard tayo sa mga studies natin. Ayan ang message ko: don’t let it stop them from singing, kasi kung passion nila ‘yun, pursue nila. ‘Wag na sa love, wala akong alam diyan! Sali rin kayo CS Choral next year! And we are always open for applications. Wala kaming auditions. So wag kayong mahiya kung ‘di maganda boses ninyo. Hindi rin maganda boses ko. (Laughs)
Catch the CS Chorale during events in the College of Science, wherein they are often (if not always) asked to perform. If you’re interested in joining the CS Chorale, you may contact Terrence (09275008420) or approach anyone from the group.
Doing the college proud. Our Karolfest 2010 Winners: The CS Chorale.
Meet the Brains Behind the Talent
BiologyKristine Olisa - SopranoAnne Marjorie David - AltoAndrew Torres - TenorLucille Cano - SopranoSarah Margaret Chong - Alto
MathRalph dela Cruz - BassTerrence Teh - Tenor/ConductorJo-Hannah Guttierez - SopranoOlga Martinez - AltoKennettee Vargas - SopranoVicman Aricheta - Bass
College of MusicAntonio Rey Manuel - Conductor For KarolfestLuis Marvin Dizon - Pianist
The 40 Year Old Graduate
Correction: 43 Year Old.
Mr. Agustin Santos Organista Jr. isn’t your typical student. Unquestionably, he’s an incoming graduate of BS Chemistry who is a lot older than other students, but that’s not what makes him unique. Unlike most of us, Agustin Organista is an adult. He’s been through it all, college, work abroad, and now, college again. But why?
Why would anyone want to go back to the stressful experience that college forces down our throats once he or she has “made it”? Admittedly, college isn’t just about the studies; it’s also about the parties and the fun, or so I’ve heard. Regardless, isn’t college once enough?
To answer this question, I had to pick the brain of Mr. Organista himself, who was working on his thesis when I came over to do an interview.
Looking at Mr. Organista, I had a feeling that he was a man that knew a lot of things – and not just random useless things, but the kind of knowledge one acquires with age and experience. In fact, if you didn’t know he was a student at the University, you would probably mistake him for a professor.
Working on his thesis of Ion Selective Electrodes- the detection of Mg2+ ions, he told me of his dramatic (or not so dramatic) life story. He was a city boy who grew up in Metro Manila and entered the University of the Philippines for the first time right off from high school. Eventually, he graduated with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 1989.
Not one to wallow stagnant waters, in 1990, he moved to the United States and started work on pressure sensor designs for Medical Measurements Incorporated in New Jersey. However, while working, he started to take an interest in bioinformatics, the application of information technology and computer science to the field of molecular biology. He also saw the need for knowledge in chemistry in his career and everyday life. These newfound interests led him to restructure his career path.
In 2007, he finally decided to pursue a degree in Bioinformatics, but he needed a background in chemistry or biology to do so. He opted to return to the University of the Philippines to complete the prerequisites and Dr. Titus Quibuyen assisted him in the tran-sition into his BS Chemistry course. So in the summer of 2007, he enrolled for the grueling Chemistry 17.
And three years later, here we are now.
On his choice of a second degree, he explained that chemistry is essential in everyday life and was particularly important in his line of work. Also, it’s possible that his mother, also a chemist and teaching at Adamson, had further influenced him to pick that course.
He expressed his concerns about his initial reservations about enrolling at his age – that he might feel out of place because of the young student body and that the students could be his kids given the age difference. Also, the return to studying itself worried him. He explained that work is a lot different from studying – where work is pretty much routine, studying is dynamic and taxing.
When asked whether he had any regrets with the decisions he has made, he responded immediately with a clear and concise, “No.” For him, neither the training nor the knowledge he had acquired from the two courses he had taken was wasted because he believes that they go hand in hand. In the work he shall pursue once he has graduated, he believes that those two degrees will especially come in handy.
He mentioned that he would probably start his own business in the manufacture of scientific instruments because local manufacture is nonexistent. Having such an operation would reduce the price of materials because instruments would no longer have to be imported. He also has plans to get married in July, which is why he would not be returning to the United States for work.
He mentioned that he would probably start his own business in the manufacture of scientific instruments because local manufacture is nonexistent. Having such an operation would reduce the price of materials because instruments would no longer have to be imported. He also has plans to get married in July, which is why he would not be returning to the United States for work.
At the end of the interview, Mr. Organista left us all with some words of advice:
Don’t be selfish with what you have because when you’re older, you’ll become wiser and start to see the bigger picture.
“Don’t stop learning,” and invest in knowledge because the technological field is evolving very rapidly.
Finally, study and work performance are not correlated, he did well in work, even though he was not the best student.
In the end, I finally understood why Mr. Organista came back to college. It was to learn. He taught me a valuable lesson that day: no matter how young or how old you are, as scientists, we are called to pursue knowledge and truth. We are students for the rest of our lives.
Whether we like it or not.
By Jann Sy
12 SCIENTIA: Junior issue
FEaturEs
13SCIENTIA: Junior issue
FEaturEs
TACKED|The Third Millenium in ScienceBy Alex Almocera and Carlo Castillo
For two millennia, the body of science has been continuously and limitlessly expanding. Thousands of facts, hypotheses and theories have been presented by the greatest scientists and thinkers that ever lived, all aiming to improve the quality of human life through the understanding of its complexities and intricacies. Some of them have remained unchanged in textbooks for hundreds of years. Some of them have been disproved and have
been replaced with new thoughts. Some were even totally eliminated from existence.
This decade, with modern technologies continuously emerging, everything becomes more and more detailed and specific. Devices become smaller and lighter while allowing the storage of millions and billions of information. Microscopes start to resolve images at the atomic level while telescopes begin to detect extraterrestrial bodies thousands of light years away.
Here are some of the millennium openers that surely brought gargantuan impact to today’s science.
BIOLOGY
The Human Genome ProjectFinally in 2003, the sequence of the human genome was revealed. After 13 years, the 3 billion base pairs of the human DNA, coding for 20,000-25,000 genes, were determined. Diseases and disorders can now be predetermined by looking at DNA in print. Just with your written adenines, cytosines, guanines and thymines, one can be pre-diagnosed with diseases like cancer.
Full article: http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml
RNAi: RNA InterferenceNow, it’s not your simple replication-transcription-translation scheme in the central dogma anymore. In 2002, it was discovered that ribonucleic acids (RNAs) play a vital role in gene regulation. Certain types of RNA, the microRNA (miRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA), can bind to other RNAs to regulate (positively or negatively) their activity in a process called RNA interference or simply RNAi. Andrew Fire and Craig Mello shared the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on RNA interference.
Full article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12110901
Stem cell researchThe start of the third millennium witnessed the rapid advancement of stem cell research. Several papers on adult stem cell plas-ticity have been published including claims of the devel-opment of artificial human cells from stem cells. In Octo-ber 2007, the No-bel Prize in Physiol-ogy or Medicine was shared by Mario Capecchi, Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies for their discoveries of principles for intro-ducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells.
Possibilities. Stem cells are predicted to one day have the capacity to increase the human life span to a mind-boggling 150 or more years.
PHYSICS
We are not alone!
Life beyond earth? Artist David A. Aguilar’s rendition of the planet GJ 1214b orbiting its own star.
Ever pondered on the possibility that aliens really do exist? Just in 2009, a literally giant waterworld was spotted orbiting a red dwarf star in the constellation Ophiuchus 40 light years away from our very own Earth. Chances are, life could exist or may have existed in this planet. Is there really life out there? If yes, imagine the vast consequences it would entail to the fields of science, philosophy and, especially, religion.
Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/dec/16/waterworld-planet-earth-life
Oh, I see benzene!Microscope resolutions have become finer and finer since its beginnings in 1590. Now, the chemical structure of a compound can now be visualized at the atomic level. Shown in the picture is the organic molecule pentacene which is formed by fusing five benzene rings adjacent to each other. With modern techniques, one can now see the beauty of the tiny molecules in real life just like as how we see them in textbooks.
Stick figures no more. Pentacene as visualized using a modified atomic force microscopy technique developed by IBM.
Full article: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17699-microscopes-zoom-in-on-molecules-at-last.html
One trillion bytesFrom your kilobyte-sized floppy disk, to your megabyte-sized compact disk, then to your gigabyte-sized flash disk, and now, here comes a terabyte-sized storage device! In 2007, Hitachi Global Shared Technology released its 3.5-inched terabyte hard drive for desktops. Imagine 330,000 3MB photos (or around 250,000 MP3’s!) literally at the palm of your hand!
One trillion bytes! Do you currently have enough data to need a trillion bytes of storage?
CHEMISTRY
Venom as insecticides?In 2004, Glenn King and his Australian colleagues mapped out toxins of venom from a Blue Mountains funnel-web spider (Hadronyche versuta), in the hopes of creating an organic alternative to the commercial insecticide.
Harvesting spider venom. Photo credits to Professor Graham M. Nicholson of the University of Technology,Sydney.
J.J. Thomson’s ProblemThis problem asks: how can a layer of particles coat the surface of a sphere? It has laid dormant for a century, until the problem was tackled and solved in 2003 by a team of National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported scientists. This breakthrough may give us a better insight in dealing with known molecular structures, such as those in viruses, or when creating new ones.
A breakthrough in solar power!In 2008, a cheap catalyst capable of creating oxy-gen from water was concocted, eliminating an ob-stacle in developing artificial photosynthesis: one that uses solar power to provide useful fuel. Solar power would provide energy for the catalyst and water would be converted into a storable form of chemical energy – hydrogen and oxygen gas. We may be well on our way to a form of affordable, clean [renewable] energy!
An Inconvenient TruthAfter his defeat in the 2000 presidential elec-tions, Al Gore showed to the world a slide show of a few (if not many) geological and scientific examples showing the bad effects of man-made climate change. Though the film’s contents are debatable, it still struck some inspiration and awareness worldwide. Al Gore’s environmental efforts had led him to garner a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
Possible life on Mars?Here’s a feat in planetary geology: in May 2007, the Phoenix, soon after landing, found ice in a trench. This discovery supports the possibility of Martian life, despite incompatible climates on the red planet.
To the Center of The Earth!Now we can better understand the inner struc-ture of the Earth. In March 2007, a team of sci-entists explained how they can produce high-resolution 3D images of the Earth’s insides right down to the core center, utilizing a simple imag-ing technique used in oil mining, some seismic arrays, and mathematical work!
Love for PI in the 21st century!Since Egyptian times, π= 3.141592… has caught mathematicians in a calculation race of increasing accuracy. In December 2002, it has been calculated (by π-aficionado Yasumasa Kanada, et al.) up to 1.24 trillion digits; in April 2009, up to 2.58 trillion digits; and last December, up to 2.7 trillion! Calculating π has amazingly pushed the envelope of computational capabilities!
The biggest [Mersenne] prime!While some look for more accurate π’s, others look for bigger primes. Currently, the biggest one is of the form 2n-1, and was found in 2008, at n = 43,112,609. In fact, 9 out of top 10 currently larg-est primes have been of this form!
Sources:-The Largest Known Primes: http://primes.utm.edu/largest.htm-GIMPS: http://www.mersenne.org/-Time Magazine:h t t p : / / w w w . t i m e . c o m / t i m e / s p e c i a l s / p a c k a g e s / a r t i -cle/0,28804,1852747_1854195_1854157,00.html
Mathematics can help cure cancer!
Strength in Numbers. Who would have thought that math would be the key to curing leukemia?
Here is an exciting example of math marrying medicine. In an exciting paper released in 2008, Doron Levy and his team at the University of Maryland proposed a model that can aid doctors in dealing with certain leukemia patients!
The endless line of people waiting in the com-munal bathroom in the morning sunshine. The ever-momentous sensation of knowing that there is no water in the shower. Stray cats rum-maging the garbage cans in utility rooms. And, oh! Not to mention, the many “surprises” that may really take you by surprise once you see what’s inside that closed toilet bowl.
Ah. Just a few of the everyday-bliss in a dor-mer’s life – well, that’s if you want the truth to be served in a plate full of sarcasm, toppled with fake exuberance.
Now, if you really want to know what it’s like to be living in a dormitory, be warned. You may not want to go to your next open-house trip in a friend’s dorm, or you may want to think twice in applying for a dormitory this summer or for the next semester. Not that I’m discouraging you to do so. I’m just going giving you a glimpse of what you’re about to get in to.
Let me say that most of the things that I will be exposing are exclusive to UP dormers – dormers who share the same sentiments and dramas, with yours truly.
The Bathroom Problem. Especially to all you freshmen dormers out there, you may be able to relate to this. Of course I also spent my freshman year in a dorm, and I understand that you’re having daily problems between you and that toilet seat, or even with the shower. With the toilet seat, unlike what you have at home, it’s neither clean nor cleaned at all times. Trust me. Been there, done that. By now, you should already be friends with your pail and dipper. In times of need, they are of extreme help. (If you know what I mean.) Second, and I need not explain this very thoroughly, but to those who are non-dormers, this is the kind of “thing” that you don’t want to know, at all. It’s the unsightly thing inside a toilet bowl. There. Almost said it. *cringes* Anyhow, shower problems are no biggie once you’re best friends with, again, your
pail and dipper (make sure you don’t use the same ones inside the cubicle.) Water faces a rare kind of extinc-tion in UP dormi-tories. They become extinct at night, the time when you need it a little less than in the morning. I don’t know the exact reason behind this bizarre fiasco. However, here in my new dormi-tory, I don’t face the bathroom problem as seriously as I used to when I was still a freshman. Times and experiences have shaped me to be tough and enduring.
PrediCATment. For upperclassmen dor-mers, including myself, we’ll let pass the bath-room crisis. But this one, never. Sure, they’re cute. Might be irritating at times, but still cute. Nevertheless, looks can be deceiving. They are creatures lurking in the darkness of every floor’s cupboard. Watching and waiting for someone who may well open the door to the utility room where they will ransack the garbage bins for leftovers and the like. They have even de-
veloped this habit of taking a dump anywhere. As in, anywhere. They’re none other than your friendly neighborhood, Felis domestica. Cats, in other words. There was even this one time, just recently, I was scratched at my right foot. Be-ing the paranoid that I am, I washed the area of the scratch with soap, and bathed my foot in ethyl alcohol. I was afraid I might have rabies. Still not satisfied, I searched through the inter-net for symptoms, prevention, and possible cure for rabies. I made my mom and my dad call me to make sure that I really didn’t have it. Even my roommates, although laughing their hearts out already, told me I wouldn’t get rabies, un-less there was blood. Anyway, up until now, I am still monitoring and observing myself just to confirm that I’m totally rabies-free. See? These deceptive creatures don’t help one bit in the lives of us dormers. Just they wait and see until I’m taking up Bio 101 (or is it Bio 102?). We’ll need cats dissected. And I just happen to know the right place to find them. HAHAHAHAHA! Just joking.
Noise Trouble. It’s fun when you set that boom box with loud, party music once in a while. That at least, for once, being in a dormi-tory is fun and festive. But, please. Be reminded that it’s not every day your dorm mates won’t have exams, papers due, or mountains of read-ings to go through. In some cases, the ones to
curtain callsummer stages
by eirish sison
Tatlong Mariya Tanghalang PilipinoMarch 12 to 21, 2010. Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater), Cultural Center of the Philippines.The Philippine adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” promises to breathe new life into the classic tale of three once-rich sisters who were forced to relocate to the province after their aristocratic family’s fall from grace. The story moves from the original Russia in the early 1900s to a remote province in Northern Luzon at the dawn of Martial Law, but the re-alism, dark humor and utter humanity of the characters definitely stay the same.
Avenue Q Atlantis ProductionsMarch 12 to 27, 2010. Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Building, Makati City.Avenue Q is said to be one of the most popu-lar musicals ever staged in the Philippines, and with good reason. The funny, irreverent story about life in the Real World entertained both Manila and Singapore audiences who definitely saw themselves in the characters. It asked some interesting questions (What CAN you do with a B.A. in English?) and said things that people were already secretly thinking (The Internet = Porn). Also, it has puppets. The production had its “farewell run” in early 2008. Atlantis is breaking a promise with this latest restaging of Avenue Q, but no one’s really complaining.
Legally Blonde Atlantis ProductionsJune 25 to July 18, 2010. Meralco Theater, Ortigas Av-enue cor. Meralco Ave, Pasig City.Elle Woods goes from screen to stage as the sorority girl from the 2001 movie “Legally Blonde” takes on the straight-laced world of Harvard Law. Seeing the Delta Nu sorority girls dance and sing lines like “Omigod, you guys! Omigod!” will make you wonder how ex-actly their very perky president will fit in with those “stuffy old men in suits.” See the world in shades of pink this June as actress Nikki Gil brings everyone’s favorite blonde lawyer to life.
Cats Lunchbox ProductionsJuly 24 to August 8, 2010. Tanghalang Nicanor Abelar-do (Main Theater), Cultural Center of the Philippines.To sell a musical to a Pinoy, you don’t have to do much other than say two words: Lea Salonga. Seeing as “Cats” is wildly popular by itself, that may have been unnecessary. The world-famous
stage actress and singer gets to sing crowd favor-ite “Memory,” which is possibly one of the most easily recognized songs from musical theatre. (It goes “Memory, all alone in the moonlight...” Yes. That one.) Don’t be fooled by the open-ing date still being four months away. The CCP Main Theatre is really big, and tickets for this show are unusually expensive, so save up now if you want a seat you can clearly see the actors from.
There isn’t much to watch on stage between March and July, unfortunately. However, it doesn’t mean that your theatre experience has to be cut short. Lots of companies like Reper-tory Philippines, Trumpets Playshop, PETA, and CCP offer courses in acting, singing, and sometimes even playwriting. So, this summer, mix it up, step away from the audience seats and really experience theatre for yourself. It’ll be something you won’t forget.
(continued on page 25)
14 SCIENTIA: Junior issue
breaking freeBakasyon Na! Basaan Na!
by Angel Ramoso
Kakukuha lang ba ng eksam? Kapapasa mo lang ba ng iyong formal report o RDR? Pagod na pagod ka na ba sa mga gabing wala kang tu-log? Tapos dumagdag pa ang init ng araw at ang uhaw ng El Niño. Ngayong patapos na ang se-mestre, malamang naiisip mo nang magbababad na lang sa harap ng telebisyon o sa kompyuter. (Maliban na lang kung magsu-summer ka ng ilang units. Hay nako, aral na naman.) Mag-palamig ngayong tag-init! Dito sa Grotto Vista Resort, tiyak na mararamdaman mo ang sarap ng bumabad sa tubig. Break time na!
Ang Grotto Vista Resort ay matatagpuan sa Bulacan. Oo, sa probinsiya nga ito pero ma-layo man ay malapit din! Sabi nga sa kanilang website, kung manggagaling ka ng Maynila, la-binlimang (15) minuto lang ay nandoon ka na, at malamang North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) ang daan mo nito. Paliko-liko man ang daan, siguradong sulit din ang pagpunta mo. Walo la-hat ang kanilang mga swimming pool. Mayroon silang pribadong palanguyan para sa mga taong gusto magmuni-muni o makapag-isa. Mayroon ding pampublikong palanguyan para sa mga ta-ong nagtitipid at gusto makipag-“friends”. Ang Grotto Vista Resort ay hindi lang resort sapag-kat may sarili silang hotel, sports hall at mga function hall kung saan pwede rito ganapin ang isang debut o reception ng kasal. Mayroon din silang sariling restaurant, gym at souvenir shop. Sa halagang Php 150.00, isang buong araw ka na makakababad sa mga palanguyan nila. Maari ka ring magbayad ng Php 200 para sa isang umbrella na pwedeng kainan at pag-iwanan ng gamit. Puwede mo ring upahan ang slide build-ing nila na kung saan sa inyo ang isang buong palapag.Bago bumalik sa UP, daan muna sa Grotto Shrine at manalangin na makapasa sa semes-
treng ito. :)
PARA MAKAPUNTA DOON MULA UPMaliban sa paggamit ng NLEX, may mas ma-daling paraan upang makarating doon gamit lamang ng isang bus at isang dyip. Sumakay ka ng bus na “Tungko” mula Jollibee Philcoa. Pagkatapos ay bumaba ka sa “Pecson.” Sakay ka naman ng dyip na “Grotto.” Pababa ka sa Grotto Vista Resort. Nandoon ka na! ‘Di ba madali lang?
OVERNIGHT RATES:
Suite Room (24hrs)2,200 Php
good for 5 persons
De Luxe Room (24hrs)1,500 Php
good for 2 persons
Standard Room (12hrs)900 Php
2-4 persons
charges in excess of max capacity 100 Php/head
charges in excess of time 100 Php/hour
extra mattress 100 Php
Para sa mga iba pang detalye puntahan na lang ang pahinang ito sa web:
www.grottovistaresort.com.ph
Have you joined even at least one Facebook page or group just because the moment you read the name, you thought to yourself “Hey, that’s so me!”? Do you express yourself through the Facebook groups and pages you join? Yeah, us too.
As one Facebook page states so aptly, “Idaan sa “BECOME A FAN” ang TUNAY na NARA-RAMDAMAN :)))).” For this issue of SCIEN-TIA, we set out to find which 10 FB pages and groups are the most popular and relatable to the CS population.
CS students’top ten facebook groups and pages
9Narinig ko sa UP (Overheard at UP)
8When I was your age, Pluto was a planet.
7Lahat ng bagay parang pag-ibig
6When I Was Younger, I Put My Face Close To The Fan To Hear My Robot Voice
5Counting how many hours of sleep I will get right before I go to bed.
4San tayo kakain? Kaw? Kayo? Kaw bahala. Di ko alam. Kahit saan!
3PAPUNTA NA ‘KO! (PERO ‘DI PA UMAALIS NG BA-HAY)
2Sir, partial points. Please.
1Pretending to think when the teacher is looking at you.
10Pretending to Text in Awkward Situations
16 SCIENTIA: Junior issue
PEEr rEviEw
17SCIENTIA: Junior issue
PEEr rEviEw
with his guitar riffs that explode into richness, is the paradigm of good music.
BeyoncE From a subset of Destiny’s Child, Beyonce has grown to be a lone and prominent universal set herself by being a staple artist of every existing R&B playlist. With her exotic beauty and powerful vocals that is at par with Mariah Carey’s, she took the world with her highly catchy tracks like To The Left, If I Were A Boy, Single Ladies, among others. This wom-
an is the diva of the most recent Grammys, having beaten her 2004 record by taking home 6 awards out of 10 nominations in just one night.
Incubus Who can resist Bran-don Boyd’s chocolate abs – I mean, music? Rather than blandly telling the substance of their songs like what most artists these days do, they show them and let the public mull for themselves. Their multiplatinum albums prove Incubus worthy of the title Gods of the Alternative Metal.
Last 2008, they have decided to enter a state of hibernation for personal reasons; however, it seems that they’ll be releasing an album in 2010, as they have hinted in their official blog.
Kelly Clarkson Graduating from her American Idol stint, Kelly Clarkson has evolved as one of the most prominent American pop artists of our day. Each of her album is packed with discrete attitude and commercial appeal – a perfect mixture for a record to be profit-able and be regarded with great favor. Her voice which is a mash-up of soul, fierceness and pow-er grants her the title of being highest-selling American Idol alumna so far.
Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas is at the forefront of the hip-hop music scene and it is not a wonder why. All the tracks they have decided to promote became instant worldwide hits and party music favorites. They have an incredible discography compared to most mainstream hip-hop groups. They seem to have no sign of stopping as they continue to take accolades. Re-cently, their album The E.N.D brought home the Best Pop Vocal Album title in the Grammy Awards. Along with these feats, the Philippine flag being brandished around the world with Allan Pineda Lindo’s (stage name: apl.de.ap) in-clusion in the group.
Pink Originally an R&B singer, Pink has shift-ed to a more pop rock-oriented musical style in her sophomore album. It may have been for the better since Missundaztood is presently her highest-grossing album. She is one of those rare artists that talk about reality in a rather creative and playful manner. Her gorgeously raspy vo-cal cords as well as her jolty live performances do define what a rock star should be. Yet, at the same time, she also manages to create soulful and earnest tracks like Who Knew and Dear Mr. President.
Jason Mraz A phrase to describe his music: catchy tongue-twisters. He first entered into the mainstream with his song The Remedy from his album Waiting For My Rocket To Come. His popularity heightened even further with the release of Mr. A-Z. This singer-songwriter is experienced in handling the guitar, mandolin and the keyboard. His international break-
through was initiated by his lead single I’m Yours from We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. He’s Mr. A-Z and he’s all about the wordplay!
in thetube
by jared asuncion
the top ten viral vids of the past decade
Fighting for airtime used to involve long te-dious lines at the TV station. Now, everyone can squeeze out brain farts and artistic juices for the whole world to see. How? This decade saw the birth and rapid growth of YouTube. This issue of In The Tube explores the different va-rieties of entertaining videos which have spread like wildfire during YouTube’s first few years in the World Wide Web. You’ve probably watched most of the videos here, but who says you shouldn’t watch these awesome vids again? And so without fur-ther ado, here’s a list of some of YouTube’s widely-spread vids.
Charlie The Unicorn http://bit.ly/18MSCnCharlie the Unicorn became a hit because of its unpredictability. Random missions and obsta-cles are always in the way. Top it up with annoy-ingly cute voices for the unicorns, and you’ve got yourself a viral video. Related Videos: Pokemon (http://bit.ly/9LLkq),Reuben Alcazaren (http://bit.ly/yZd9X)
Benjo at angBatalyong Pitbullhttp://bit.ly/6OORTaThe guys in Iloilo who made this dub obvi-ously had a lot of time in their hands. Their
group worked together to dub a new cohesive storyline for the movie 300. If only all group mates in UP worked as hard as these guys.Related Videos: Jaboody’s Shamwow Dub (http://bit.ly/1XICAn), Lakas-Uhaw (http://bit.ly/3iJZ2i)
Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka K-Brosas http://bit.ly/dyDgzInitially just a routine of K-Brosas, this video was too funny not to repost in Facebook. It’s her comedic take of the popular OPM song. Watch this video and make it your litmus test on how dirty your mind can get.Related Videos: Torn (http://bit.ly/xNGg), This Ain't A Scene It's A Goddamn Arms Race (http://bit.ly/a3r5N2)
Dramatic Chipmunkhttp://bit.ly/EpvCAccording to its users, this must be the best 5-second video ever uploaded to YouTube. Go see for yourself and be amused.Related Videos: Suprised Little Kitten (http://bit.ly/h46Wo), Meow Mix (http://bit.ly/RK99Z)
Inmates Dance to Thriller http://bit.ly/W5EthNext to Manny Pacquiao, this is the next thing we’re known for worldwide. Aside from “Bu-tse Kik”, Yoyoy Villame always told us “Mag-Exercise Tayo Tuwing Umaga”. These inmates took “exercising” to a whole new level and in-stead boogied to the tune of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.Related Videos: Jollibee Flash Mob (http://bit.ly/6okV6), KFC/Jollibee Nobody Showdown (http://bit.ly/Lq5YJ)
MCDONALD'S El Bimbo Commercial http://bit.ly/SRbIRYou have to hand it to McDo’s creative team for these well-conceived commercials that make you actually want to watch local TV more! This short but sweet ad shows us a full-length love story that ends quite differently.Related Videos: Tween Commercial (http://bit.ly/8m5lZ8), Nestle Cream (http://bit.ly/cVxn94)
Hot Tamalehttp://bit.ly/7LZuyoHave you ever had “It’s a Small World” after all stuck in your head? Well, the World Wide Web already has its own collection of these songs, starting from “Hot Tamale”. This song basically talks
about how the singer likes hot tamale over other tamales of different temperature.Related Videos: You are A Pirate (http://bit.ly/JPdAR), Badger Badger Badger (http://bit.ly/3N5osH)
Here ItGoes Again http://bit.ly/VutuNOK Go has gained popularity by posting a video of themselves dancing to their song in TREADMILLS. Yes, in treadmills. How cool does that sound? They also have one about wall-papers, too.Related Videos: Sorry Sorry (http://bit.ly/NS7PU), I Gotta Feeling (http://bit.ly/3omlf)
Math Geniushttp://bit.ly/12LgU3It is not advised to watch this video a few hours be-fore your Math 17 exam. At some point of the video, he will declare that a triangle has three sides, right?
And on the fourth side, there are four sides.Related Videos: Janina San Miguel (http://bit.ly/F82xE), Keys Me (http://bit.ly/609si)
Moymoy Palaboy Papa Omm Mow Mow http://bit.ly/Vp0hYMoymoy and Roadfill are the perfect ex-ample of how a lot of cour-age can get you s o m e w h e r e . (Parang pag-ibig.) Their singing prowess aside, these two are brave enough to look stupid for comedy’s sake. Where has it gotten them? Well, they’re now re-curring guests in Bubble Gang.Related Videos: Hitmanbreakeroftheye (http://bit.ly/2XnwT) , Numa Numa (http://bit.ly/1BD6WN)
10. Spirited Away Hiyao Miyazaki was named one of the most influential people by TIME magazine in 2005 because of his creation, Spirited Away, the only non-English animation movie to win an Oscar. The story revolves around a ten-year-old girl named Chi-chiro who gets separated from her parents when they enter the spirit world acci-dentally. With the help of a boy named Haku, she begins her epic journey to win her
parents back from the evil witch, Yubaba. The movie rouses the imagination with its dream-like setting, giving the timeless themes of love, preservation of nature, and growing-up a fresh look. It used to be that animation was only for children but, a movie as excellent as this is, it is enough even for Isko and Iska.
9. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a movie set in China in the Qing Dynasty. Li Mu-Bai, a master swordsman about to retire, asks his friend and secret love, Yu Shu-Lien, to take his prized sword to Sir Te as a gift. However, the sword is stolen by Jade Fox, the murderer of Mu Bai’s master. The tree top fight scene and the roof top chase scene were unforgettable. Lu Shu-Lien (played by Michelle Yeoh) gave mar-tial arts a feminine face. Other martial art mov-ies featured the craft purely as a violent sport but in this movie, it is like watching a well-choreographed dance – which of course, later became the standard for other action movies.
8. Moulin Rouge The Moulin Rouge is a night club, a dance hall, and a bordello. It is where the rich and powerful come to play with the young and the beautiful. Enter Satine, the star of the Moulin Rouge. The performances are very compelling so as to make the audience believe that a jaded night club entertainer could fall in love with an obscure aspiring writer. It is one of the few musicals that is exclusively for mature audiences.
7. Catch Me If You Can In his 19th birth-day, Frank Abagnale Jr. conned 19 million dol-lars by posing as a doctor, a pilot, a lawyer, and a parish prosecutor. Unlike the movies above, this film does not offer any heavy themes. Despite the storyline’s predictability, we are kept interested from start to finish because of how Frank kept FBI Agent Hanratty perpetually run-ning after him. Catch Me If You Can, based on a true story, is a comedy, a drama, and a thriller all rolled into one.
6. Gladiator The year is 180 AD. General
Maximus Decimus Meridius is appointed the next ruler by the dying Roman Emperor Mar-cus Aurelius. When Aurelius informs his son, Commodus, of this decision, he is overcome by rage and jealousy, killing his father and tak-ing the throne. Commodus then gives orders to have the general executed and Maximus’s family eliminated. The fight for freedom by Maximus and Hannibal’s Forces brings out the patriot in-side every person. Because Gladiator also tack-les issues of politics and democracy, it is not a mere action movie, but one that awakens our social consciousness.
5. The Dark Knight “Why so serious? Let’s put a smile on your face… ” and proceeds to slit the mouth from ear to ear. Those expecting to be entertained by a movie about Batman and his fight against the usual antagonists are going to be disappointed. The Dark Knight is a psycho-logical thriller about a person who was broken by traumatic childhood experiences. This movie will leave us a-trembling because we are pre-sented with a character who does evil things not for financial gain, not for fame, and not even for revenge, but simply for want of bad things to happen.
4. Lord of the Rings Trilogy One ring to rule them all and in the darkness bind them. In Middle Earth, a hobbit Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring journey on a quest to destroy the One Ring and its maker, Dark Lord Sauron. The trilogy covers this epic adventure from J.R.R. Tolkien’s master-piece novel, showing human-ity and its struggles: the lust for power, self-sacrifice, and forgiveness. From the story to the actors to the set, the movie is perfect.
3. Avatar Pandora is an earth-like moon 4.5 light years from our planet with reserves of Obtanium, an invaluable metal. However, it is inhabited ten-foot blue creatures called the Na’vi who wor-ship a goddess, Eywa. Our hero, Jake Sully is paraplegic ex-marine who arrives on Pandora as a replacement for his deceased twin brother, a scientist. Jake takes his brother’s avatar and thus begins his journey to discover the new world and himself. Avatar now holds the distinction of being the box office top grosser (dethroning Titanic). Combining state-of-the-art filming and vivid storytelling, this movie is truly one of the best of our time.
2. WALL-E Disney Pixar brings animation to a whole new level. A Waste Allocation Load Lift-er Earth Class (WALL-E) robot has been clean-ing up an abandoned earth for seven hundred years. One day, an Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator (EVE) robot lands on the planet. The two robots eventu-ally fall in love. However, EVE is taken back to space and WALL-E voyages to bring her back. One may not expect to find the movie espe-cially entertaining because the main characters are just robots. However, WALL-E proved to be a sweet and touching love story.
1. Finding Nemo There are 3.7 trillion fish in the ocean. They’re looking for one. Marlin, a clown fish (Amphiprion ocellaris) has a son, Nemo, who was born with one s m a l l fin. After losing his wife and the rest of their eggs to a barracuda, Marlin promised that he would never let anything terrible happen to his only surviving son. One day, Nemo is captured by a scuba diver. What’s a father to do? Together with Dory, a regal tan (Paracanthurus hepatus) with short term memory loss, Marlin embarks on a journey to bring his son back.
dopplereffectby Sarah Penir
the top ten artists of the past decade
Amassing this list from the pool of exceptional artists is a feat itself and ranking them would be an even greater feat—unfortunately though, the latter is pretty difficult and thus, will not be carried out for obvious reasons. It should be noted that the eligibility of the following artists are based on their activity over the yesterdecade as well as their impact and appeal to the general public.
Coldplay Nearly every starting musician has made a cover out of one or other Coldplay song. Ever since their debut album Parachute has been put into public distribution, they have become
the touchstone for the subsequent bands that have adopted the same soft, delicate melody. Their heartfelt lyrics and song arrangements have made them evolve from the quiet band that they used to be to music awards superstars.
Snow Patrol In a span of 15 years, Snow Patrol has undergone five reformations. So far, only the group’s front act Gary Lightbody has stuck around after all these years. It wasn’t un-til their track Run (2004) that they were able to receive commercial success and acclamation. What sets Snow Patrol apart from other bands out in the market is their lyrical eloquence and their quiet rhythm that builds up to heavier and louder verses. Contrary to the “Coldplay clone” title they got when they were only setting out in the industry, they now have a sound that is distinctly Snow Patrol. In case they don’t ring a bell, Snow Patrol is the artist behind some songs from the soundtracks of One Tree Hill, Grey’s Anatomy and Spiderman 3.
Green Day Green Day’s career began in the 1990s when they released under the indepen-dent record label Lookout!. They were origi-nally known as the Sweet Children but they eventually dropped the name for Green Day to avoid confusion with another local band. Their popularity declined after they released their
sixth album Warning but it did set out skyrocketing again in 2003 with Ameri-can Idiot. This group redefined the punk rock music scene that was starting to become stale over the repetition of the same guitar chords and drum beats. Their albums American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown both garnered the Best Rock Album Grammy Award for 2005 and 2010, respectively.
John Mayer Though this fellow missed a shot at Roll-ing Stone’s Top 100 Guitar-ists of All Time, his spot in today’s generation of
guitarists is certainly indisput-able. His first two albums Room for Squares and Heavier Things have already attained multiplati-num status while his vocal per-formances for Your Body is a Wonderland and Waiting on the World to Change have snatched the Grammys. His voice, along
Tough Acts to Followby Joey Cuayo and Jared Asuncion
TBA is one of the two bands who were named the champions of this year’s College of Science Battle of the Bands, entitled 3.2.1 BLASTOFF! All of the members are students of the university and most are members of the well-known organization, UP Music Circle (MC). Smiling faces greeted me when I first introduced myself as their ‘interrogator’ for the evening. As we got ourselves com-fortable before the interview, they already had me laugh-ing at their antics and exchanges. I felt easily at ease in the company of such a clearly close-knit and friendly bunch, and as I pressed the record button of my tape recorder, I knew that the interview would be fun to conduct and maybe a bit challenging to get down on paper.
Joey (SCIENTIA): Before anything else, please intro-duce yourselves to our readers.Lisa (L): Lisa Marie Ramirez, 2nd year, BS Chemistry, and I play the keyboard.Josef (JO): Josef Mari Olaybal, 4th year Visual Com-munications sa Fine Arts. I play the triangle (all laugh) Or, uh, guitar.Justine (JY): I’m Justine Yapyuco, a 4th year BS Me-chanical Engineering student. I play the bass.Dana (D): I’m Dana Michelle Villacorta, fourth year BS Community Nutrition. I do vocals.April (A): I’m April Santos, BS Community Nutrition, 3rd year, vocals.Erik (E): Erik Galvez, BS Applied Physics, 3rd year; I play the drums.SCIENTIA: Congratulations on your win! How did it feel to be named one of the two first placers?D: Shocked!A: Lisa, Josef and I were beside the stage and when they called the third placers, we were like, ‘…Okay, we’re not gonna win. We’re not gonna win anymore.’ They [the third placers, Ang Bandang Mmm] were really good! Tapos, nagtinginan na lang kami ng parang, ‘Okay lang! Okay lang..’ (all laugh) And then when they called TBA, we just stared at each other and were just like uh..E: Actually, noong sinabi na tied ang first place, tiningnan ko si Dana tapos sabi ko, “Sana tayo ‘yung isa doon, sana tayo ‘yung isa doon.” (pauses) Ewan ko, feeling ko okay naman ‘yung performance namin with respect doon sa..audience? Kasi pumapalakpak naman sila after ng set namin.D: Noong first part kasi, walang pumapalakpak tapos parang kami parang “aww okay.” Kaunti lang kaibigan ‘yung namin sa audience.A: After our first song, people were clapping and we were like, “Oh! Hey (grins), this is working!”SCIENTIA: What songs did you play during your set and why did you choose those songs?E: Noong nasa [Music Circle] tambayan kasi kami, nagiisip kami [ng pwedeng songs] kasi ang vocalist namin noon ay si April pa lang. Tapos naguusap kami ni Justine, “Ano bang bagay sa boses ni April na tingin mong bebenta sa tao?” Tinitingnan namin ‘yung iPod niya tapos naala ko ‘yung Jamiroquai na song na parang (taps a beat out briefly on the table) Tapos na isip ko na heavy bass ‘yung song at magaling si Justine mag-bass. So sinuggest ko ‘yung Virtual Insanity. Umoo naman si Justine, tapos tinanong namin si April kung kaya niyang kantahin ‘yun, tapos okay naman daw. So, ayun, good to go ‘yung Virtual Insanity as first song namin.
Ta-pos ‘yung second song namin is ‘yung Boston by Augustana. It took a while bago namin na-finalize kasi pinagisipan din namin kung ‘yung Maroon 5 ba o ano na. JY: Marami ‘yun eh. Mga five songs ata?E: Tapos noong isang gabi, tumingin ako sa Youtube ng mga videos tapos pinakinggan ko ‘yung Boston tapos tipong “aww…”All (TBA): Aww… (all laugh)E: Tapos naisip ko kung ito kaya tugtugin namin since emo naman si Apri so babagay lang siya. (all laugh) Joke lang joke lang!A: Wow, what a friend! (all laugh)E: So ayun, sabi ko game, try natin ‘yung Boston.SCIENTIA: How long have you guys been playing together?A: We met in Music Circle but we’ve only really been a band for about a month.E: Actually, we started jamming together with rock and roll, di ba? Yung tumugtog tayo nina Josef.A: Senior moment!E: May isang instance kasi na may nag-request sa Music Circle kung pwede kami mag-produce ng bands para tumogtog sa isang rockeoke. Kaming tatlo pa lang nina Josef at Justine nagsasasama-sama noon so nag-jam na kami then. Tapos nagusap kami ni Josef na, “Tara, gawa na tayo ng band.” Tapos nakasama ko si April sa isang frat party. Si Lisa naman… Naisip namin na wala kaming keyboardist so tinanong namin siya since nagko-compose na sila nina Josef at Justine ng mga songs. Si Dana last minute nang nasama siya samin.A: Yeah, para may second voice.E: Para maging “thicker” ‘yung vocals. So, first time pa lang talaga naming mag-jam ng sama-sama. A: Basically, Music Circle is approached by a lot of orgs to provide entertain-ment for events. A lot of the time, what happens is that whoever is available at the time will just get together, jam kaunti, tapos ‘yun na.SCIENTIA: So, why TBA? I’ve been told there was a long explanation for the name. (All laugh)E: Actually, wala siyang explanation. (All laugh)
Deadline kasi ng registra-tion form was Friday at
5:30. Hindi pa kasi kami nakapag-decide kung anong
panga- lan namin so sabi ko, para safe, “TBA” so if ever makaisip pa sila ng band name, pwede naming sabihin sa stage na may excuse kami kung bakit “TBA” ang band name. Pero, since tinamad na rin kaming magisip at okay lang naman din sila [sa pangalan] di na rin namin pinalitan.D: So, in short, wala lang talaga kaming naisip na name.A: Yung super weird na spiel [about what TBA means] na ginawa namin ni Dana while they were setting up was just to kill the dead air.E: Actually, di pa nila alam na ‘yun na ‘yung naging band name namin noong pinass ko ‘yung form. Sinulat ko pa nga as description ay “to follow.” (all laugh)SCIENTIA: Do you guys take your inspiration from any particular band, artist or genre?JO: Tokyo Jihen!E: Medyo weird nga dapat kasi ‘yung gusto naming song noong una Japanese song [by] Tokyo Jihen na more of progres-sive jazz. Fusion siya.JO: Sobrang jazzy siya.E: Pero naisip namin na sobrang hirap makahanap ng vocalist for that so sabi namin tara, hanap na tayo ng pwedeng vocalist para sa battle of the bands. Then sinubukan namin ni Jus-tine na mag-stick to that genre na punk jazz. Eh¸Jamiroquai
is more of acid jazz. So, ayun, it’s really more of fusion.SCIENTIA: But, individually, what are your tastes and preferences in music?A: They’re quite different, actually.L: I’m more into alternative rock, but because of MC, napapakinig na rin ako sa jazz.JO: Iba’t iba ‘yung sa’kin eh. May alternative heavy rock. Pwede rin akong pop rock, like ‘yung dating All-American Rejects (the girls giggle).JY: So medyo kinakabahan kami noong Thursday kasi wala pang songs.E: Kinausap ko nga si Garrick [of Run 7] noong morning of the BotB at sabi nga niya sakin, “Hayaan mo, pag bad practice naman, good show yan.” (all chuckle)D: Kinakabahan talaga ako. Kaya di na nga ako masyadong nagyaya ng bonggang-bongga sa friends ko kasi parang (makes a pained sound and all laugh)A: We told our friends about it, but we didn’t really tell them to come.E: So, isang run through lang ‘yung nagawa namin. Kaya nung bago kami mag-perform, feel ko talaga na di pa kami ready kasi one run through lang… Di talaga comfortable for me. Hindi pa yan ready.SCIENTIA: So, you guys didn’t invite many friends to come watch you perform?A: We told them, but we didn’t, like, urge them to come.E: Ako baliktad eh. Sabi ko sa friends ko, nood kayo para mapagyabang niyo ako. (all laugh) “Nood kayo, please, kailan-gan ng audience [impact].” (more laughter)SCIENTIA: What are your plans, as a band, for the future?E: Well, may balak naman talaga kasi kami nina Justine to form a band at may composition na nga sila. Ang problem lang kasi is with the vocalists, dahil super busy nina Dana at April. Sinasabi namin ni Justine na, tara, kung pwede, permanent na sila, pero kung di talaga makuha ¬–JO: So, can you sing? (at interviewer; all laugh)A: When we were looking for time to practice, they’d ask, “Do you have time on Tuesday night?” and we’d be like “Ohh… We have a paper to finish and an exam.” Then they’d ask, “Then what about Wednesday?” And we’d still have something due. “What about Thursday afternoon?” And we were just like, “…Okay.”E: But we have plans.JY: Iba na siguro ‘yung band name. (All laugh and agree)JO: Pero kung na-establish na gusto na [‘yung TBA], eh di na kailangan baguhin.SCIENTIA: If you were to send out a capsule in space containing three items, what would those three items be?D: Erik Galvez (all laugh) siya na ‘yung makikita na lang ng mga alien life forms.A: Ay, oo nga. Kung ganun, di pala pwede [si Erik]. (all laugh)D: Oo nga, kasi kung ikaw ‘yung nakuha (addressing Erik), baka isipin naman nila ang pangit ng human race. (more laughter)
A semi-long discussion, punctuated by frequent bursts of laughter, ensued between the members of TBA that, unfortunately, the word limit for this article can no lon-ger cover. A memorable suggestion for their time capsule contribution was a record of a brilliant drum solo, just in case the alien life forms that would find their capsule might have plenty of hands and Erik wanted to be able to show them how much we can do with just two. Finally, they decided that they’d include a set of movies that best showcased human nature, a record or iPod full of the best songs for every genre and time, and a photo album of dif-ferent people from and places in Earth. It was, however, very clear to the writer of this article that this band was also not just gifted in talent, but gifted with a friendship and chemistry that is undeniably infectious. This writer left the band positively charmed and hoping to catch the next gig TBA (or whatever they may opt to call themselves in the future) may play.
(This writer should probably mention that Erik would like to thank the judges of the battle of the bands, and
Dana would like to thank her yaya for her wardrobe. Personally, this writer would like to thank TBA for being such sports dur-ing their grilling session. Thank you and congratu-lations again!)
Along with TBA, Run7 won this year’s Battle of the Bands competition. Half of the band was formed during their days in Philippine Science High School. The initial group then grew here in UP Diliman, with new members from our very own College of Science. Before the interview, they seemed shy and nervous but as the discussion pro-gressed; they eventu-ally got comfortable with getting inter-viewed.
One of their members, Mikael André Pura, was un-fortunately not avail-able during the time of the interview.
Jared (SCIEN-TIA): Please introduce yourselves.Garrick (G): Garrick Bercero, UP Diliman, MBB, Third Year, Guitars.Cy (C): Cy Tamura. UP, yeah, Third year, Physics, Keyboards.Janel (JF): Janel Favila, Ateneo de Manila University. BS Management Engineering. On vocals.Paolo (P): Paolo Racadio (looks at paper with question), UP, Second Year, BS MBB, drums.Jerwyn (JY): Jerwyn Yao. UP. Fourth Year. Guitar. MBB. ‘Yun.SCIENTIA: So, congrats. How does it feel to win [the Battle of the Bands]?JY: It feels great kasi ‘yun ‘yung first Battle of the Bands na nanalo kami na kasali ako. I’ve joined some battles in the past, and yeah, bigo. So yeah, it feels nice. ‘Wag mo gayahin ‘yung sagot ko Pao, ah.P: Happy.JF: Happy.C: It’s okay. Yeah, I think it could have been better.SCIENTIA: How?C: Well, um, maybe, I should have, like, gone on the sound balance thing ‘coz it was really bad. ‘yung sound balance like the instruments weren’t balanced properly, so we had these parts that we planned that weren’t heard properly. Like the drums were really, really loud. Ok, not really, really loud, But they were pretty loud compared to the others. Yeah, I think it could have been better.G: Well, bandmates kasi kami ni Janel in high school and nanalo na kami before eh. So… (chuckles) Kasi matagal na eh, it’s like three years since [we last won a contest], so masarap ring ma-relive ‘yung feeling.C, JF, P, JY: Emo!SCIENTIA: So, what songs did you play?JY: We played 1, 2, 3, 4 by Feist. Tapos Wade in the Water by Eva Cassidy. And then we played A Medley of Kids by MGMT. And then Poker Face by Lady Gaga.SCIENTIA: Paano kayo nagkakilala?G: Well kasi friend ko si Cy from high school tapos si Janel, kasama ko rin. Tapos ka-course ko rin si Jerwyn at si
Pao at si Mikael, in absencia. So, ‘yun. Basically ako ‘yung naging focal point. Pero si Jerwyn ‘yung nag-invite gumawa ng band. Tapos ako ‘yung nagsama ng other people.SCIENTIA: So, matagal na kayong band? Or just before the contest lang?C: We just formed to win. (All laugh) …or let’s provide an alternate answer?G, JF, P, JY: Ok na ‘yun! (More laughter)C: But I’m the one who said that.SCIENTIA: So, why Run 7?P: So, ‘yung unang name namin dapat, unspeakable. ‘Di pwe-deng sabihin. Upside-down exclamation point at question mark. Yeah. Tapos si Cy nag-send ng recorded na practice namin. Tapos ‘yung filename, Run7. Tapos naisip namin ni Jerwyn. Okay na ‘to. For the people. Paano kung ‘yung host sinabi niya ‘yung name na ... di nga kaya eh. So ‘yun Run7 na lang. Pero wala siyang meaning talaga.SCIENTIA: Who or what bands were able to influence you?G: Mainly sa blues, like si Eric Clapton. Pero usually when I try to pick songs to cover, usually indie rock. So if you’ve noticed sa mga selections namin, mga indie sila.C: What do I say? Well, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Basically... (All laugh) I dunno. I guess in picking songs, we keep our in-fluences, y’know on the context of the band. So I guess... yeah. We try to keep it a bit mixed. So... yeah.JF: Ako basically, kinakanta ko lang kung ano pinapakanta nila sa akin. Bigyan akong song, aralin ko, sure! Pero yeah, ok naman.P: I listen to metal... Woah! Parang ang layo doon sa pineplay namin. Pero ‘yung metal pinapakinggan ko. Rock so nung una medyo weird para sa akin ‘yung pineplay namin. ‘Di ba soft type of music siya? Pero I listen to other songs. Kunwari ballads. Tapos gagawin ko siyang maingay. Kasi fun. Tapos gusto ko maraming pinapalo eh. Sa drums, ‘pag maraming nakanotes na nakapasok.JY: Mainly ang influences ko ay blues and jazz. Pero lately more of nagdidiverge ako into progressive rock. So ‘yung tatlo. Siguro mga bands like Rush, Coheed and Cambria and stuff.
continued on page 23
22 SCIENTIA: Junior issue
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23SCIENTIA: Junior issue
CulturE
↑↑↓↓←→←→BAa decade defined in games
by gero lumain
Ten years have passed since the year 2000 and during the past ten years, we’ve all witnessed the evolution of games and their continuous di-versification: from the simpler Crash Bandicoot games to the complex Final Fantasies to the downright crazy like Katamari Damacy. There are so many games from just this decade that the sheer number is enough to kick us out of school. Out of all these games there are those that stand out, those that define their genre and/or those that have changed how the genre is viewed as a whole by presenting innovative ideas. In this issue of the Konami Code, we’ll give you, our dear reader, a list of five games that defined the decade.
Counter-StrikeReleased at the start of the decade in 2000, this first-person shooter began as a multiplayer modification to the single-player Half-Life 2. Counter-Strike was an innovation not only to the multiplayer shooting genre but also to com-puter games in general by promoting the mod-ding (modification) of a base game and coming up with a totally different gaming experience. Modding became a trend in almost all com-puter games and eventually gave rise to more and more modifications, content, and original games from those existing ones; Counter-Strike included of course.
Ragnarok OnlineRagnarok Online, known also as RO, was first released in 2001 and is still growing. It was the very first MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) ever to hit Philip-pine soil and began the trend of MMOs within the country. The game was presented in a simple 2D-sprites-in-3D-environments style and the
gameplay was simple yet effective. Thanks to it, we now have a ton of MMO games for every kind of gamer; from racing to platform gaming to standard role-playing.
Warcraft III (DotA)Who hasn’t heard of the Warcraft III modified map known as Defense of the Ancients, better known to us as DotA? This is another example of taking a base game and coming up with an utterly different gaming experience by modify-ing it. Its special spin comes from the gameplay where the player needs only to control a single unit, or Hero, rather than micromanage an en-tire base in Warcraft III. DotA is to strategy games as Counter-Strike is to shooting games, and is still being continually modified, rebal-anced, and rewritten to this day.
TekkenSure, the Tekken series has been around since before 2000 but it was in the years of 2000 to 2010 that it became very, very popular. Tekken is a fighting game and over the ages it has evolved from its original linear battle system to a more streamlined three-dimensional system. It makes this list as it defied fighting game standards by assigning each button to one of a character’s limbs instead of having each button dictate the strength of an attack. This breaking of the fight-ing game mold has yet to be done well by any other game and so Tekken remains as the only
“King of Iron Fist” on this list.
Plants VS ZombiesThe last game on our list is 2009’s Plants VS Zombies. We’ve talked about this addictive tower defense game before in a previous issue but it finds its way into our list of decade de-fining games for two reasons: 1) PVZ took the tower defense genre and made it its own by in-troducing the left-to-right grid layout, and 2) The game gave us a casual game that just about anyone, regardless of age, gender, or interests, could pick up and get addicted to. Other than that, PVZ’s crazy premise (defending your lawn with weaponized plants) and zany designs (who doesn’t love that cute Sunflower?) help to bring a truly unique and enjoyable game worthy of our list.
All these games are some of the most pivotal works in their respective genres: shooting games for Counter-Strike, fighting games for Tekken, strategy games for DotA, MMOs for RO, and tower defense games for PVZ and many of these are still growing and evolving as time passes. Now that we’ve seen the past decade in games, we can look forward to better games in the fu-ture. With this, we close this issue of the Kon-ami Code and as the Counter-Strike announcer would say: “Counter-Terrorists win!”
go go gadgetfive Gadgets That Shaped a Decade
by joseph cheng
The previous decade has left us with a huge advancement in scientific technology for the everyday consumer. Although we would like to reminisce about how life was like ten years ago, we simply could not imagine how we can con-tinue to live our lives today without the gadgets that we got a hold of in past decade. Here are
some of them:
Mobile / Cellular PhoneWhat they have replaced: Pagers and PDAsAlthough the cell phone has been around since the 1980s, it was only in this decade that the cell phone literally became attached to the Filipino. For most of us, the first cell phone we could re-member is the Nokia 5110 and the game called
“Snake”. Today, there are multiple brands and over hundreds of different models to choose from. Furthermore, the capabilities of a cell phone don’t just end with being able to talk to the other party. Cell phones are flashlights, ra-dios, music players, cameras, internet browsers, and even GPS!
iPodWhat they have replaced: the tape and CD playerDoes anyone still remember the Sony Walk-man which revolutionized portable tape music? Well, the fact of the matter is that tapes are long gone and the Apple iPod is now king... for now. Launched back on October 23, 2001, the iPod’s market slogan was “1,000 songs in your pock-et,” yet everyone today now knows that 1,000 songs simply won’t be enough. The original idea was simple: replace the tape with a 5 GB 1.8-inch hard drive. Today, Apple uses the same 1.8-inch hard drive but with 160 GB of capacity
on the iPod classic while other versions use flash memory.
USB Flash DriveWhat they have replaced: 3.5 inch floppy disk and zip drives
There’s a strange eerie sound every time some-one turns on the SCIENTIA computer: it’s the sound from a different era, the era of floppy disks. These guys used to fill the bags of stu-dents and professors alike, but their 1.44 MB capacity was no match for the tiny yet mighty 8 MB USB Flash Drive that was first released in the 15th of December 2000. Riding on the mas-sive market penetration of the Universal Serial Bus (USB), the USB Flash Drive promised more storage on-the-go with a smaller footprint. As the pace quickened, it became so much cheaper byte for byte than the floppy disk that it eventu-ally removed the floppy disk from the market. These little guys are so strong, stories circulate that it could survive and still present your data even after getting washed with your clothes*!* SCIENTIA discourages its readers for at-tempting this and will not be responsible for any memory loss nor anguish on the part of the reader who decides to experiment.
NetbookWhat they have replaced: expensive mini laptopsThe two biggest problems with a laptop is that (1) it’s expensive, and (2) it’s bulky. The net-book solves these problems because it is not only smaller, and thus lighter, than their older brother, but is also cheaper since the hardware specifications have far left the application soft-ware requirements behind. How much pro-cessing power do you need to create your PPT,
type your lab report, or even play Plants versus Zombies? The answer: not much. That’s the same with the price of a regular netbook com-pared to a laptop with enough silicon to battle a regular desktop.
Digital CamerasWhat they have replaced: film camerasIt is sad that the people responsible for creating the digital light sensors essential to our digital cameras only got their Nobel Prize last year – 40 years after it was created. This is probably only because it was in the previous decade that digital photography took off. Can you imagine having no pictures at all in your Facebook ac-count or not being able to picture those last minute assignments? Neither can I.
be blamed may not be the whopping stereos, but the owners themselves. When the stereos are turned off, the owner, together with friends and roomies are out and about, chatting and laughing loudly, as if they have the place only to themselves. I have to admit, though, I’m some-times guilty of this. Back when I was a fresh-man, it was usually my room and the people in it who always received “threats” or scowls from some of our dorm mates. Even Ate Guard said she heard our voices all the way down at the first floor. We thought she was just overreacting, but truth is, we were really loud. But I know better now. My roommates and I are still noisy, but only on special occasions. And we always see to it that it’s not the hell week or cram night. We make schedules. XD
Home Sickness. What can I say? Home is the sweetest place on the planet. And the things I’ve written above just makes me want to call my mommy. >_<
Okay, I know I’ve been biased by listing the four possible worst nightmares of being a (UP) dor-mer. But, being a dormer brings a number of benefits as well.
For instance, whenever you need help in your schoolwork, you can always ask your room-mates and dorm mates who are halimaw. Hali-maw in the sense that they know the answer to almost anything you ask them: Chemistry, Biol-ogy, Physics, or that Calculus problem that has kept you up for nights. Sometimes, they’re even willing to tutor you. All for free and within comfortable reach.
Another is that you are able to meet other peo-ple from all over the country. It kind of amazes me how varied the cultures from the different Philippine provinces are. But no matter how many differences there are, there’s still a con-verging point somewhere. And I think that’s what’s so wonderful about it.
In the dormitory, you will definitely meet friends who will be with you for the long haul. In contrast to your friends in high school and the four years of strong bond you shared to-gether, a different kind of bond will develop between you and your fellow dormers. The mo-ment you wake up to the time you sleep, and the things happening in between; you share these with them. Every day, you get tired of seeing the same faces, and still be happy doing so. They will be with you through the course of morning until night, sometimes without having taken a bath yet. They will be with you in times when you haven’t eaten a meal because your ATM ac-count is still dismal and has yet to be replen-ished. They will be with you through thick and thin, simply put.
And the most important of all are the experi-ences you have when living inside this helluva dorm. Experiences that will help you pull through your life as a student, and ultimately, as a person. It’s not home. But coming from a far-flung province? You always get a feeling that it is. Oh, dorm sweet dorm!.
There’s No Place Like Dorm
SCIENTIA: Future plans? What do you plan next?G: I don’t know about the others. Wala naman akong exact plans although baka magplay tayo sa Grad Ball ng MBB seniors? Not including you [Jerwyn]. (Laughs) Pero, we’ll see if it works. So I dunno, kung kailan ba ‘yun? Haha. So if schedules work out, siguro ‘yun ‘yung next one. I don’t know afterwards.C: Yeah I’m not sure if anything’s gonna happen really. But y’know, whatever. If something happens, then fine.SCIENTIA: How about next year’s Battle of the Bands?C: I dunno I guess it’s kinda like, um, I don’t wanna win again. I think, we should... give other people a chance. (All laugh) Oh yeah. (More laughter)Run7: Cy Tamura! C: Yeah. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah.JF: Yeah. Kasi nga ‘di ba nagsama-sama kami for the event lang. As a band, di pa namin napagusapan kung ano plano namin or itutuloy ba namin ito. Pero ako naman, forever naman akong kumakanta I guess. So ‘pag may dumating na event or gig na pwede kaming kumanta ulit... sure, why not? As long as okay naman. And sabi nga ni Garrick, ‘yung schedules namin.P: ‘Yun nga. Kung may option na magplay kami again… ‘yun, okay lang nga. As long as pwede kaming lahat, pwede kaming mapractice. Tapos since newly formed pa lang kami, tingin ko, kahit papano may compromise pa rin sa pagpeplay ng isa’t isa. I mean, ‘di pa tayo sobrang nagjajive? I mean we need to work on that. Kung magpoprogress pa kami as a group. KUNG. Ewan ko.JY: Sana magkaro’n pa ng future plans. Kasi ako lang ‘yung aalis kasi magmemed na ako next year. Pero kung kaya namang i-squeeze sa schedule, sabihin natin may malaking event na nag-offer magpaplay sa amin, e di why not? I mean it’s exposure, it’s experience. Tsaka sabi ng mga bandmates ko pera daw. (Chuckles) If given the chance na pwede kaming magprogress as a band. Why not? I per-sonally think maganda ang line up namin. I think we can bring something new to everyone who wants to listen.SCIENTIA: Okay, ito medyo essay type na. If you were to launch a time capsule into space as a band. What three things would you put in it?G: Cell samples.C: They’re gonna die.
G: I mean siyempre, under the right conditions. Tapos pwede tayong i-resurrect on some other planet.JF: Ano ulit ‘to?SCIENTIA: Time capsule to space. Siguro mga after 50 years babalik or something.G: I dunno. Sound recording. Kung may aliens na makakuha noon. Dapat physically imprinted siya doon sa [thing]. Kasi kung CD, kailangan mo ng CD player. Kasi space capsule, I think ‘di na natin makukuha ‘yan.C: I mean it’s dangerous what if like, “Ah humans! Let’s eat them!”. So maybe we don’t want to send a space capsule in space?G: Or baka hindi nila maintindihan ‘yun. Kasi sound is a perception of the mind. So basically wala tayong sinasabi? (Laughs) Pera.Run7: Maglalagay kami ng maraming-maraming pera.G: Pictures.P: Ilalagay ko ‘yung password ng Facebook ko.G: Tapos mahahanap ng mga aliens.C: Aliens are bad!G: So bale, cells, email/Facebook password ni Pao. Tsaka ‘yung vinyl recording?JY: Una magsesend kami ng cell samples namin sa space tapos para kung... natin... di ba? Para kung pwede tayong ma-i-clone. Lalo na si Janel. Para pwede kaming maclone ng ibang aliens. Para pwedeng makaplay in other planets.Run7: Hindi rin. Kasi walang memory.JY: So para mabuhay lang ulit kami. Tapos, isang gold vinyl record na may diagrams ng mga bands na nagpeplay. Para wala lang. Recording namin? Para ayun. May record-ing kami in space. (Laughs) Tapos lastly, mga pictures. Facebook pictures ni Pao Racadio. Para ma-add siya ng mga sexy alien girls.
Having formed their band just a few weeks prior to the competition, they already seem to be at ease with each other. Although they have tight schedules and heavy academic loads (most of them study in UP, after all), the band admitted they need more practice in order to truly perfect their act. With such impeccable talent, Run7 will surely score a lot of gigs in the future. Who knows? With their vinyl recording in space, they might even get one from another planet!
JOKE TIME!Q: Paano nalaman nung wall na ampon siya?A: “Anak, iba ang iyong pader.”
(continued from page 14)
(continued from page 21)Jam Session
24 SCIENTIA: Junior issue
litErary
25SCIENTIA: Junior issue
litErary
DECADE
Ten clocks have sTruck
The midnighT hour
signaling end of day
differenT clocks for differenT ends
yeT Their faces are dyed The same
WiTh lies of change and promises kepT
Whose True naTure only knoWn To feW
WiTh boTh rising hope and crushing fear
abundanT WiTh deaTh and life aneW
The years have come and gone
all ThaT Time is passed
WhaT is lefT is The fuTure
Where True joy can be found aT lasT?
Gero Lumain
Inkblot
Inverse Element
Featured Works
Sides of a Noise SeaWe live in a sea of noiseFrom sources both normal and mundane:A roller coaster’s provides the rider excitementBut gives bystanders a pain;The jackhammer’s nets the worker paymentBut annoys the passers-by;Children’s playing to themselves is funBut for the studying student a distraction from on high;Music to one is noise to anotherThat much is for sureBut maybe that is and always will beThis sea of noise’s allure
Drabbles
Gero Lumain
editor’s
NOISE
Deserted from the flock of universal complexity,Commons are perplexed by the unknown identityThrough time, works are carried out independently;Deep with in is anonymous of perpetuity.
For the convention that imposed regulations differently,Comrades’ permanence and steadiness are affected greatly.Every semester, various faces one can see,Will these pals of circumstance last eternally?
Desiring for a moment filled with stability,A group of circle appeared in serendipityWith out enough knowledge regarding their identity,Being a companion, gave what is worthy.
The plan is to establish their individuality;To assess who has the admirable qualityWith special events that were held joyfully;Being a friend, discerned their perceptible personality.
Established band must possess strength and flexibilityTo perpetuate the fondness that developed affectionatelyFragments of the circle must be trustworthyFor the absolute friendship may grow fruitfully.
Knowing a Precious BandRichter H. Orpilla
Gah!!!Five upcoming tests,
Three reports that’re due,Readings to be read,
There’s too much to doFeeling a bit crushed.
Finish this later;Maybe even procrastinate too.
Ba-koom!The world’s spinning.
The numbers are causingA pain in my cortex.
Head’s in a vortex.A countdown’s begun:
Three. Two.
One.Ka-boom!
Exploded my brain; I’m doomed.
Crashed CalCulator
Gero Lumain
chill outbreathe in
breathe outrelax
it'll be all rightwe'll get this over with
it'll be finewe'll be okay
i've gone over my speechgone over my lines
gone over everythingthat needs going over
and now it's timechill out
breathe inbreathe out
relaxit'll be all right
…and now it's time
Clandestina
Confidence
Fire & Ice
26 SCIENTIA: Junior issue
litErary
27SCIENTIA: Junior issue
litErary
Fire & Ice
Spin three times round and round,Touch the doorknob; it's safe and sound.All bracelets and pendants are in place,All that's left to put on is a smiling face.
Walk down the street; kind faces about,No black cats, neither thin nor stout.The horoscope predicted sunshine fair,Fortune is with me, no matter where.
Scroll within dough tells the tale,“Stay focused, and you shan't fail.”Never has it ever been wrong before,Never, according to local folklore.
Cracks in the concrete I expertly evade,I step on none; I've got it made!I clap four times and jump, oh, twice,This morning sure feels nice!
Cross the lane, head held high,Watching clouds skim and birds fly.But there was one thing I did not see,The light changing from red to green.
It probably was a rather strange sight,Ah, my sudden feat of flight!A crash, a fall, and a puddle red,Everything hurts from my feet to my head.
People shout and sirens scream,It almost feels like a crazy dream.Everything turns black, I cannot speak,Neither can I move, I am too weak.
“She crossed the street a bit too soon,“Gazing as if looking for the moon.“The truck came, the truck rolled fast,“Maybe it's what she'll remember last.”
“She was strolling, smiling as she went,“Now, that hit is going to leave a dent.“But my truck fared much better than she,“Such a poor thing, pretty unlucky.”
Clandestina
Lucky Day
From AfarMarinell Palangao
I’ve perpetually been near youExpecting the day you’ll like me too
But it seems you don’t seem to recognizeThe depth of feeling that never dies.
I’ve followed you always till the endSiding with you because I was your friend
And at the same time, I was around the cornerYou know I’d do anything you prefer.
You search for the one who would love you forever
And you didn’t seem to care enoughBut the girl you’ve been looking for is here
For that girl is me, and I’ve always been near
You never remember how much I triedNot to let you know what I hid inside
I don’t want to ruin our friendshipTo misinterpret and destroy what we keep
It ‘s just that I hate having to feel so helplessI beg for your love and heart, is it that hard?
If love is easy to give just for me,Then why can’t you give a little love to me?
We need responsible mining in the Philippines!
Sabihin na nating malamig: ang pagturing sa mga natutulog na ginto sa mapulang putik.Umiidlip ng milyong taon sa suso ng bubot na bundokbibilangin mo kung ilang tumpok ng barya ang kayangibili ng andap-andap na kinang ng maitim na bato.
Sasabihin kong tingnan mo ang bayan ko:pinapanday ng kalabaw ang kapatagan, ng agila ang himpapawidng sangumay at waling-waling ang kagubatan.
Sasabihin mong inaantok: ang bayan kong sangkahig na manokkaya sabi mo'y pukawin ang himbing at hukayin ang liblib. Tingnan mo ang bayan mong gising ang mga metal.
Sasabihin kong mahapdi: sa mata ang mga kislap ng neon,sa lalamunan ang serbesa at sa baga ang usok
Sasabihin kong mawawakwak sa dibdib: ang batang namumulot ang uling,ang babaing naglalako ng talim, ang amang hindi kumakain,
Sabihin na nating magnanaknak: sa merkuryo ang sugat, sa cyanide ang isda, sa asupre ang kangkong, sa lason ang gutom.
Heto ang Bayan ko:Tigib ng pakikihamok at matimpiing batosandata ng ilog ang mga kalansay at bungo.Hayaang humimlay ang natutulog na ginto.
Nakita ko na ang ibang bayan:Tinipon nila ang bakal na tatagpas sa kanilang mga uloBawat minahang ibubukas at sinasara ay dinilig ng kanilang dugo.Muli ipapaalala ko sa iyo:Hindi lahat ng kumikinang ay ginto.
Werwer Kong Bayan
Harriane J. Gasmen
Billions of cars havepassed this point
but none of them returned
The cat that crossed belowhas suffered the same fate
Eight more times should he risebut the pavement owns him now
Flowers should have been offeredbut no one remembers his name
so the eulogy was useless
Green light flickersand a billion more race past
the tin rusting in the sidewalkand the harmonica that fell silent
Pedestrians,they bleach their hair
unmindful of the incidentthat stored away their brother
Noontime TrafficPeach Arines
28 SCIENTIA: Junior issue
litErary
29SCIENTIA: Junior issue
litErary
Umid ang labiwaring pintuan mong nakapinidbinaon ko ang iyong mga salita, ang alaala ng iyong mukha, mga pantal mula sa 'di kilalang insektoat ang 'Kwarto o Kwatro' mong libro.
Sa pag-alis ko iiwan ko ang mga dumi ng anay, mga sapot ng gagamba, at ang tulang hindi ko maisulat, maibigkas, di ko maisuksok sa singit ng iyong pintuan
Kung tutuusin, mumunti ang ating pagkakalapitnoong kumaway ako sa pagdating moganoon, parang matagal nang magkaibigan tayogayong hindi mo pala natandaan ang pangalan ko.
Sa aking pagpalaot bumulong ang katig:Titipunin mo ang alabok ng gunitang ayaw humiwalay sa aking bungokung maaring tagpasin ng karit yaong mga gunitang tila agiw.Upang daragitin ng aliw-iw.Bumulong ako sa pinto mo ng ganito:Kung mamarapin mong mong basahin ko ang mga pulang panunuyo ng isang musmos na makatakung mamarapatin mo nais kong ilapat sa iyong pisngi ang pulang papel ng isang bubot na pag-ibigkung iyong ipahihintulot nais kong maging pulang tinig sa iyong mga akdayaong mga salitang kaniig ng iyong pagbigkasyaong mga tula.
Gaano bang humigit sa sampu ang iyong mg sasabihin kung sa harap ng pulang ahasgaanong bang tumagal ng sampung minuto ang pagtitig mo sa pulang mata ng ahasgaano bang ang pagsalsal ng bukas na daratal ay pahintuin para sa mapulang sandaliyaong mga sandaling kaniig ko ang iyong tasa, iyong aklat, at iyong tulayaong mga salitang kaniig ng iyong titik:Bakit kay lapit ng salitang halika sa halik.1
Banaag na ang agaw rilimWala kang muwang sa salitang naninimdimdahil hindi mo pa rin mabigkas ang ngalan ko.
1linya sa tulang Mga Tala sa Balarila: ni Carlos M. Piocos III
Fire & Ice
Pulang Tula: Para kay Carlos MakataHarriane J. Gasmen
If I die before I wake,and this wasn't a piece of cake,
mustering up the courage to talk to you,composing myself until I went blue.
How I wish to turn back the clock,and wait for you at the next block,
so that if I may ever talk to you,you're there to see me and look.
A fatal disease can't prevent me from saying,
how much I value you till it rings,in your ears and accept my vow,
never to let you out of my sight every hour.
Looking in your sweet face,my heartbeat started to race,
I opened my mouth to tell you,that forevermore I will love you.
But it can't come out,
it seems to me that I can't utter a sound,whenever you're nearby,
my heart beats faster than I can say "aye!"
I know that the time is near,And finally I swallowed my fear,
And told you how I felt inside,Surely the truth will abide.
I can die now knowing I said how I felt,
And once I looked at my belt,fastening it securely,
my undying love for you will continue fiercely.
the wallflower smiles tonightand thinks that someone sees her
dressed in grey and pale-huedsplendor, she is graceful in the shadows of the
moon, white dwarves glowand reveal that coins are aplenty
in the wishing well
where clocks grow oldand long black hair stand still as her
tea-colored eyes
The WallflowerPeach Arines
Marinell PalangaoIf I Die Before I Wake
I search Nakita for your soul then nothingness I stare looking at my own soul outline of pale yellow reflection.
I find your bile then bittersweet I taste swallowing at my own sweet more of bitter organ of rejection.
I try to find God within you, then I realize I can only find my own God within me. Now, I lost my track
3 LINES
Harriane J. Gasmen
Harriane J. GasmenOblatiOn
I spin around in place three timesI act like such a kid
Growing up they’ll all leave me behindBecause of how I am
Knowing that makes me feel sadAnd knowing I won’t fit elsewhere
makes me sadderBut those thoughts are for when those
days comeFor now let’s enjoy being together
Deep Thought from a ChildGero Lumain
I boot her upThe only one for me
Who keeps all that I haveMy work, my play, my everything
Within the confines of her mindI wait while she loads herselfWith what she needs to work
Suddenly black and white turn blueWhat’d I do to deserve this?
Why’d you crash on me?I care for you
I clean youWhy would youDo this to me?
Computer
Gero Lumain
_O_her majesty is on
the move.Cast
your bestmen for she
makesfalling
swords andcrumbling towers
look like cozy tea time.
The QueenPeach Arines
When I Face the WorldMy lies are truthsMy truths are liesThe mask I hide behindMy lies become trueMy truths become liesThe mask becomes my faceMy truths shatterMy lies unravelThe mask comes off my headMy truths emptyMy lies worthlessWithout a mask there is no face
Everyday I watchAs lovers walk hand in handAs friends laugh side by sideI do not understandThe value of this so called ‘love’The value of this so called ‘friendship’Maybe becauseThere are none who would loveThere are none who would befriendSuch an empty soul as I
FacelessUnsigned pieces.
When I Face the World
Untitled
Sumasalubong siyanakadipahubo't hubadnakatingala sa langittila nananalangin.
Dumarating at umaalis silangmga sumasamba sa aklat at dilimtumuklasnamulatnamanatasa loob at labasng unibersidad.
Subalit naroon pa rin siyanagbibiladnananalanginsa sinag ng araw at buwan
Siya'y naroon.Nakadipang tila Hesu-Kristosubalit walang pako walang krus walang koronang tinik walang sugatNakatingalanakahubadtila nananalangin.
Our professors are sources of both dread and inspiration, a cocktail that can be both amus-
ing and terrifying. They’ve become our Charon through our hellish journey in this river of sleep-less nights full of papers and parties ─ our college life. Like how Yoda pushed Luke into darkness so that he can find the light, our professors, amidst the grueling lectures, gave us some lines to ponder on. For this end of the decade issue of SCIENTIA, we present to you some of the best of the best lines from our beloved mentors over the past few years.
"Can you imagine, a footballer with a broken knee? Di ba pag kabayo binabaril na lang 'yun?"Dr. Cynthia Palmes-Saloma on 2008 FIFA World Player Cristiano Ronaldo
“’Thinking about you, I lost my mind.’”
Dr. Fidel Nemenzo, quoting Kurt Gödel. “You” was the Riemann Continuum Hypothesis.
“I told you not to forget that [equation]. It can save lives.”
Dr. Agnes Paras, when the class was not able to recognize an expression that Dr. Paras assumed anyone who had passed the pre-requisite of the course she was teaching should know by heart.
Student: Ma’am, may partial?Dr. Arco: No mercy, all or nothing.
Dr. Susan Arco, during the announcement of an upcoming Chem 33 exam
“Aaay, wag kalimutan, on Monday you are REQUIRED… no, wait, PRIVILEGED. But also required… to attend the [thesis] poster presentation of the fourth year students.”
“Women are very difficult to live with. BUT they are
more difficult to live without.”
Prof. Augustus Mamaril, talking about the compli-cated female hormonal cycle in a Bio 12 class
Dr. Buerano: Anong tawag sa maliit na pusit?Class: Ano po?Dr. Buerano: Psst. Psst. Psst.
Dr. Corazon Buerano, while discussing inverte-
brate anatomy in a Bio 11 class
“Ang sarap kaya ng feeling ng nag-
sespread ng bacteria. Nakakatanggal ng
stress.”Sir Fabini Orata (MBB), demonstrating the Spread plating technique during a
Microbiology lab class
“True love has no happy endings… because true
love has no end.”-GUESS WHO?
“Makulay! Ang buhay! … Sa kabilang buhay!”
Dr. Corazon Buerano, singing upon hearing her stu-dents bemoaning that they wanted to die after seeing
their Bio exam results-GUESS WHO?We dedicate these “quotes” to the graduating students that will surely miss their teachers and professors. As you walk on and escape from the hell of college life, please bring this issue of SCIENTIA to remind you of the
bitter and funny moments you have with your teachers.
Heard anything that fell from the horse’s mouth? Share it by sending to [email protected], visit scientiaonline.multiply.com for more quotes from the FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH.
Recompiled by: Gamaliel Lysander B. Cabria**extracted from the SCIENTIA Archives
32 SCIENTIA: Junior issue
As I was looking for a book on the Inhibition and Thermodynamics of Escherichia coli Peptide De-formylase, I stumbled upon this book. It was about three little pigs who built houses. I loved how the first two failed and died. Oh wait, they didn’t die? Damn it! Chil-dren’s books always end happily.
After reading the book, I remem-ber this one time during my child-hood. It was the day of the Physics 71 exam, some of my classmates took it for granted. It was just a multiple choice exam after all. They went out of the room with a smile on their faces. They then plan on going to the mall. They celebrate too early. I keep it cool. When the results came out, BAM! 60 per-cent… 50 percent… 40 percent… It was truly a wonderful sight!
There was even this guy who I overheard. “Sayang! One point na lang pasado na!”. “Sobrang care-less ko talaga!” Within a few min-utes of eavesdropping, I deduced that his biggest mistake was think-ing a setup in an item was in stable equilibrium. Everyone else knew it wasn’t. Or me at least. It wasn’t that hard to spot.
I love how most students nowadays get contented with crummy grades like 3.00 or 2.00. These stu-
dents only study the night before the exam, hoping that the pro-fessor “copy-pastes” from the handouts and notes they’ve memorized. It’s like building houses made of straw. A huff and a puff would certainly blow the house down! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Intensity 8 And these things just don’t hap-pen during long tests. I once asked one of my classmates, Jessica, to our seniors’ prom. She told me she “wasn’t ready for a relationship”. To add insult to injury, a few days lat-er, I see her making out with some douchebag. It turns out they just became official. They’d hold hands and kiss each other a lot! When you see them do PDA’s, you’re gonna think they’re as unbreakable as carbon-flourine bonds. It’s time to shake things up. After cloning Megan Fox (back when she wasn’t slow-mo) and instructing it to flirt with the douchebag boyfriend, their relationship started to get hazy. Af-ter several arguments, they decided they should “meet other people”.
I win. And that’s all thanks to un-stable equilibrium. Most people get contented easily. As long as they have a house, they’re okay with that. As long as they’re where they want to be, they don’t give a damn any-more. But with just one huff of the Big Bad Wolf, or just a small shake of the earth, and these things start to fall apart. And that’s what pleasures me most. Failure. Sweet, sweet fail-ure. And if you think the first quake’s bad, wait ‘til you see the aftershock.
One-LinersScience Pickup Lines
These lines were submitted to us by various CS students through an online form and through random interviews.
• By looking at you I can tell you’re 36-25-36, which by the way are all perfect squares.
• I wish I were adenine because then I could get paired with U.
• You look like you’re 1/sinθ. Cosecant live without you.
• Alam mo bang 9x-7i > 3(3x-7u)? in short, i<3u.
• I think of you as the irresistible force and me the unstoppable motion.
• When you and me get together it’s like superposition of 2 waves in phase.
• You’re so cute you make my zygomati-cus muscles contract.
• Our love is like dividing by zero: you cannot define it.
• You’re so gneiss I’ll never take you for granite.
• We fit together like the sticky ends of recombinant DNA.
• If I were a neurotransmitter, I would be dopamine so I could activate your reward pathway.
• Like the ideal vacuum, you’re the only thing in my universe.
• I’m attracted to you like the Earth is attracted to the Sun - with a large force inversely proportional to the distance squared.
• If you were C6, and I were H12, all we would need is the air we breathe to be sweeter than sugar.
• I have mass. You have mass. We’re naturally attracted!
