THE
PIONEER Bridging Gaps. Unity in Diversity. Write to Serve.
Extended highway or parking lot? Instead of aiding the traffic flow, the road-widening project paves way for extended parking spaces. Photo by Riza Marie Padilla
The Official Student Publication of Angeles University Foundation • Vol. XLII No. 1 • June - July 2013
CON marks 93.71% passing rate by Gema Ocampo
BATCH 2013’s performance in the June Nursing Licensure Exam makes Angeles University Foundation’s College of Nursing (CON) number one out of 48 nursing schools in Central Luzon. Although no Angelenean made it to the top 10, 11 are included in the top 20. Despite this, CON Dean Dr. Zenaida Fernandez believes having topnotchers is not the measure for a school’s performance in the board exam. “Hindi gauge ang pagkakaroon ng topnotchers sa board exam. Pwedeng meron kang Rank 1 pero kung very poor ‘yung overall performance, di siya maganda. For batch 2013, 93.71% is very successful,” Dr. Fernandez said. She attributed this success to the faculty’s close monitoring and hands-on preparation. From admission, nursing students are told that they have to perform very well in the board exam and to improve their study habits. A few weeks before the board exam, willing exam takers stayed in one hotel
Road-widening in AC burdens community AUF meanwhile copes with changes by Reynaldo Donato Jr.
RESIDENTS AND motorists along McArthur Highway in Angeles City are “greatly” affected by the road-widening project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The project, which started in March, aims to provide the motorists of Meycauayan, Bulacan to Mabalacat, Pampanga a more conducive way to drive. However, Melody Dizon, an employee of a laundry shop
located along McArthur Hi-way, complained that the project affected their business. “Hindi na nakadaan ‘yung mga customers namin. Ginawa lang parking space ‘yung daanan. Tapos kapag continued on page 5
Orange Apps CEO promotes CEA to grow employer mindset to studes ‘exponentially’ says Dean
by Lilet Sicat
“OUR GOAL is to change the mindset of the Filipino youth of wanting to be an employee instead of being an employer after graduating,” said Orange Apps Chief Executive Officer Gian Scottie. In partnership with IdeaSpace Foundation and Smart Inc., Angeles University Foundation (AUF) staged the opening of this year’s “IdeaSpace: Technopreneur Bootcamp” series. According to Scottie, this continued on page 3
regional event aimed to “inspire thousands of young minds all over the Philippines” to develop their ideas into commercial products. Moreover, Scottie said it still depends to the people if they are going to be “successful” in this kind of industry. “If you have the passion, you have the control and the power to your dreams. Work hard for it and you can make it happen,” he added. continued on page 3
by Krishna Elaine Magdangal
THE BIRTH of Bachelor of Science in Architecture – a new program under the College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA), former College of Engineering – is a result of “blood, sweat, and tears,” said CEA Dean Engineer Paul Javier. According to Javier, he is confident that their enrollees will grow exponentially continued on page 3
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NEWS
JELA: Student-leaders are advocates of change, growth by Kier Ocampo
“WE ARE in an incredible position to be a good impetus for change and a catalyst for growth for our fellow Angeleneans and fellow Filipinos,” said University President Joseph Emmanuel L. Angeles (JELA) in this year’s induction ceremonies of mandated and non-mandated organizations’ officers of Angeles University Foundation. During the address, JELA acknowledged the efforts of all student-leaders who contributed in the success of this year’s Welcome Freshmen. Moreover, JELA discussed the true essence of success by relating the experience of Christopher Reeve, the original “Man of Steel,” who became famous in his acting role in Superman and eventually became successful at the young age of 24. He emphasized success is all about the importance of the family and good treatment to the people around them. Furthermore, JELA advised the student-leaders to be of one dream, to be of one team and to fly one flight which imposed challenge on them. “The speech was about the Angelenean distinction from other schools that AUF is truly one of the region’s best and definitely one of the country’s finest,” said University Student Council President Mary Heliane Fabian regarding JELA’s address. Meanwhile, according to Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines (IECEP) President Paolo Infante, student-leaders must use their positions in a good way to better serve the Angelenean students and for the betterment of the university. The event was led by JELA together with Vice President for Administration Dr. Sylvia Soriano and the deans from different colleges.
Mr. Pure Energy performs live in concert for a cause by Gema Ocampo
TOTAL ENTERTAINER Gary Valenciano fired up the stage with his hit songs and signature dance moves for the benefit of Angeles University Foundation Medical Center (AUFMC) patients with heart ailments and diabetes held at AUF Sports and Cultural Center on July 26. Dubbed as “Gary V. Sings Just for You,” the concert was ignited by Gary V., who has been struggling with juvenile diabetes himself, as he performed some of his OPM hits, classics and contemporary favorites with his son, Paolo. He opened the event with “Hataw Na” and “Heto Na Naman,” and crooned the audience with his hits “Di Bale Na Lang,” “Natutulog Ba Ang Diyos,” “Warrior Is A Child,” “Tayong Dalawa,” “Sana Maulit Muli,” and “How Did You Know.” He also sang “Kamusta Ka Pampanga,” a song he popularized in the 90’s which paid homage to the resilience of Kapampangans following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo and the pull-out of the US military base in Clark. Additionally, born to a Puerto Rican mother and a Filipino father, Gary V. revisited
Serenade for a cause.
Mr. Pure Energy dedicates a concert for the benefit of AUFMC patients. Photo by Katherina Faye Galvan
his Puerto Rican roots by singing “Smooth” and “La Bamba” while playing the percussions. Meanwhile, the concert was an initiative of AUF Chancellor Dr. Emmanuel Y. Angeles and AUFMC trustee and cardiologist Dr. Edgardo Timbol. According to Office of University Relations Director Ma. Teresita Paras, Gary V. was chosen to perform because of his huge fan base in Pampanga. “His personal values are aligned with the core values of AUF, and I knew from day one of the negotiations which took five months that he will
be greatly appreciated for his music and talent,” she said. Furthermore, Paras also said that Gary V. did not fail to meet their “pretty high” expectations. “He was supposed to perform only for 1.5 hours but he gave us a 2.25-hour show. Not all artists are as generous and accommodating. Backstage, he and his wife Angeli were telling me that they enjoyed the audience as well,” she added. The event gathered a crowd of 2300 composed of outsiders, AUF students, faculty and parents, and AUFMC doctors and employees.
SOL hits 1st spot in 2012 bar exams by Krishna Elaine Magdangal
THE SCHOOL of Law (SOL) achieved the top spot in the 2012 Bar Examination with 100% passing rate for first timers and 80% overall – the highest nationwide. Justice Jose Vitug, Dean of SOL, said they owe the success to the School (of Law) and its faculty. “They have done enough for the School. They taught about it knowing that it’s not going to be a money-making object,” he went on. Vitug explained the establishment of SOL was
conceived to give chance to people around the area because they may find it “difficult” to study in Manila. Furthermore, Vitug said he is “happy” in putting up the school and for being able to support students who have the love for the law. “All of the law schools are good and excellent, we’re just trying to be a little better,” he added. Meanwhile, Assistant Dean Domingo Navarro said it took a collaboration of exceptional administration,
THE PIONEER • The Official Student Publication of Angeles University Foundation
faculty, and students to come up with good results and words like “commitment” and “passion” to build an outstanding school. Moreover, School Secretary Atty. Marianne Beltran-Angeles said they aim to attract excellent students and to have a topnotcher now that they have attained number one in the Bar Exams. “Having a topnotcher is our challenge to the students. Before, tinatawanan lang nila but now they’re up for it,” Angeles said.
IS Invasion. BYA Buidling temporarily caters 4th year IS students due to insufficient classrooms and other facilities.
Photo by Deanne Belle Canlas
NEWS
AUF-IS studes transfer to main campus by Hee Soo Oh
ANGELES UNIVERSITY Foundation Integrated School (AUF-IS) Director Jesse M. Balinas said senior students are transferred to the main campus in preparation for the K-12 system. According to Balinas, they want to expose young high school students to world class laboratories. The Sta. Barbara Campus has also been utilized by the seniors who call themselves CHAMPS, pertaining to the core values of IS (Compassion, Honesty, Appreciation, Modesty, Peace, Service). “With the rolling out of K-12 curriculum with President Aquino signing the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 into law on May 15, we will be here for a while,” he said.
They chose to stay in the main campus because the senior IS students will need laboratories for Math, Science, Computer, and Technology and Livelihood education. These facilities are more accessible in the main campus, especially the library, guidance office, canteen, clinic and Sports and Cultural Center for P.E. At the same time, college professors were invited to teach some high school subjects. “Since we are one growing family, we get to share all the available resources for the advancement of education where we anchor the future,” Balinas said. Moreover, Balinas added that the rooms on the third floor BYA building were chosen as the classrooms for students
because the other buildings are highly specialized such as the IT building and the medicalrelated facilities in the twin building. “That leaves us with the more generalist type of learning classrooms which are found suitably at the third floor. We would like the seniors to be situated in one wing, same floor, and accessible to the faculty room,” he said. However, Balinas added they are experiencing challenges of transportation which are worsened by the road repairs. “Since the teachers of IS are highly mobile, we prepared their schedule to make room for travel time, attend general faculty meetings, and other functions related with IS concerns,” he said.
Orange Apps...
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Meanwhile, Shared Services Dept. Associate Director Ramil Valencia said that people can only excel in changing lives if they love what they are doing and they are not forced into it. “Never do something against your will because you can make other people happy doing it while you torture yourself,” Valencia said. During the event, Computer Science student Reijhanniel Campos gave a lecture about his experience as a finalist in last year’s bootcamp series competition.
Words of Inspiration. Reijhanniel Campos shares his experience in last year’s IdeaSpace bootcamp series. Photo by Riza Marie Padilla
According to Campos, though it was “scary” at first, the experience exposed him to the real world and improved his knowledge about the field he chose to be in.
“I was overwhelmed because among 700 entries, napili kami sa top 20 and we had the chance to socialize with the big names in the business industry,” he said.
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CEA to grow... from page 1 because the college is doing everything to make sure quality education is given to the students, especially now that they expect stiff competition and all eyes are on them to watch their performance. Also, he is proud of the first batch of BS Architecture students who are “lean but mean.” Currently, there are 28 students enrolled in the course. Meanwhile, the college is still experiencing birth pains but minimal problems are resolved with the utmost support of top management. On the other hand, CEA – College Student Council (CSC) President John Carlo Molina is excited because they now have a bigger family. He added that there will be more talented students that will make their college proud. The CEACSC gave fliers, distributed business cards, and shared photos to promote the new program. BS Architecture is the youngest course offered in AUF. According to Javier, with the college’s optimistic approach and strategic attack, it is not impossible for it to become the strongest in the years to come. “Today we share the pie, tomorrow we will monopolize,” he added.
CON marks...
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where they brainstormed and reviewed together with the CON faculty as a support system. This method has been used in the previous years and has proven to be very effective. According to Dr. Fernandez, external review centers are also invited to the school so that board examtakers can still be closely monitored. One hundred forty nine out of 159 first-time board exam takers passed the Nurse Licensure exam and three out of nine repeaters passed, giving AUF a 90.48% overall passing rate against the 42.80% national passing rate.
Vol. XLII No. 1 • June - July 2013
NEWS
CCDS, CCF to initiate ‘TULAY’ project by Gema Ocampo
A NEW program called TULAY or “Tutorial Undertaking for Literacy and Advancement of the Youth” which centers on assistance on public elementary schools is what Center for Community Development Services (CCDS) Director Glicel Grace Tiamzon wants to embark in terms of community development this year. The said project will be a joint effort of CCDS and the Center for Christian Formation (CCF). The National Service Training Program (NSTP) under CCF will be the core group for this project. Furthermore, Tiamzon said if students want to volunteer for the program, they could do so through their respective colleges. “To integrate different colleges and units of the university, we will also expand based on their expertise. For example, the College of Nursing students could teach the kids hygiene,” she said. According to Tiamzon, TULAY will have initial 10 Saturday tutorials that will start in September since the months of July and August are for conceptualization, planning, and preparation. “At the end of this academic year, we will have at least 10 public elementary schools with TULAY project,” she added. Sapa Libutad pull-out plan CCDS also have a pullout plan for Sapa Libutad, its adopted community since 2009, wherein the integrated community development for the place is nearing its completion. “We will finalize our project with them. We will turn over everything in April 2014,” she added. CCDS aims to have a successful turn-over ceremony for Sapa Libutad and will hopefully register a communitybased organization. “We will equip them with the necessary knowledge, training and skills to ensure the sustainability of the project.”
Welcome Freshmen 2013 goes magical by Jerremie Anne Lopez and Gema Ocampo
“WELCOME TO the magic of university life” served as the theme for this year’s Welcome Freshmen organized by the University Student Council (USC).
An Enchanting Experience. Papa Payong of PGT adds magic to Welcome Freshmen 2013 with his astounding umbrella act. Photo by Vince Francis Pineda
Aside from having a theme, guest performers were also invited such as Marvin the Magician, Angel from Pilipinas Got Talent, and acrobat duo Zion Show of Talentadong Pinoy. According to Office of Student Affairs and Financial Aid (OSAFA) Director Ma. Gwendelyn Oronce, she was “reluctant” with hiring guest performers since this is the first time artists outside the school were invited to perform for the said event. “I was thinking about the additional expenses. I was thinking that maybe it would not be appreciated but when I saw the reaction of the audience, I was pleasantly surprised,” she said. Meanwhile, USC President Mary Heliane
Fabian admitted that introducing change is difficult. The usual activity during the past Welcome Freshmen nights was only a formal ceremony followed by a disc jockey opening the dance floor. According to Fabian, the objective of the theme was to reinforce team spirit among students. “We want to let the freshmen remember that the magic is not only in the welcome freshmen ceremony itself but it continues throughout the academic year,” she added. Nevertheless, according to Fabian, there were no glitches encountered during the event as well as in the preparation because the USC started planning it since April.
Young tiger hailed as new NFJPIA prexy by Gema Ocampo
FOURTH YEAR Accountancy student Matthew Gopez becomes the newly elected president of the National Federation—Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (NFJPIA). Gopez has been in the organization for two years, first serving as the regional council president of Region 3, the largest regional council, from 2012 to 2013. He later won in the JPIA national election. “The feeling is confusing. On the national scale, the decisions are more strategic than operational. You would have a hard time sleeping whenever you try to implement a decision that will affect the entire nation,” he said. According to Gopez, it has never been his goal to be president until he completed his Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC) journey. “The congress kasi made me realize that the disturbance in me to lead must
be quenched or entertained. I did run because I saw a lack of continuity and sustainability in the organization. I wanted to bring change,” Gopez said. Despite his success, plans to run on a long scale are not his biggest concerns. “I initiated our aspiration to challenge conventions. Hence the batch name Banyuhay. We will have our flagger program SYNERJPIA, a conglomeration of top 40 accountancy students in a leadership congress. We will have conventions in different parts of the nation.” Above all, Gopez hopes to represent Angeles University Foundation (AUF) as one university that produces the finest accountancy students and leaders thereon. NFJPIA is solely the national organization of accountancy students in the nation and is accredited by its mother organization, Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
THE PIONEER • The Official Student Publication of Angeles University Foundation
Photo Credit: Nhei Salvador
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Roaring Tiger. Matthew Gopez, BS Management Accounting 4 student, is elected as the new National President of the NFJPIA (2013-2014).
“To date, we have 63,000 members. It is safe to say that we are the biggest student organization existing in the Philippines,” Gopez added. JFPIA is composed of 13 regional councils and is now in its 31st year.
NEWS
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DepEd, CEd team up for K-12 by Krishna Elaine Magdangal
UL in search for new lib system
THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) in partnership with College of Education (CEd) organized the K-12 training of Grade 8 teachers in preparation for the implementation of the new system this school year. The two-week seminar facilitated by Angeles University Foundation (AUF) and DepEd trainers catered to teachers from the Pampanga cluster. CEd Dean Dr. Elvira Balinas explained that K-12 did not happen instantly and had been in the works in the past years. By virtue of CEd being a Center of Excellence for Teacher Education, the college was given authority by DepEd to serve as a host institution and perform a mass training in three learning areas namely Science, English, and MAPEH. “You cannot implement something if the teachers are not prepared so one of the strategies of DepEd is to conduct mass training for teachers to bridge the gap,” she said. Balinas added that they have the best trainers and the college did its best to make the training programs as excellent as possible. “I think we did not fail DepEd in its expectations in terms of providing the service,”
THE UNIVERSITY Library (UL) is searching for a better library system that will suffice their requirements. UL Director Amor C. Martin explained that the new system will be “worth it” if it is in Machine Readable Cataloging Record (MARC) language and is Resource Description Access (RDA) ready to match all records of the library. Aside from MARC and RDA, other factors to look into are cost, maintenance, customization, and technical support among others. “Maraming considerations kaya bear with us,” Martin said. While the new system is not yet implemented, PlatoNixz is being used. “The purpose of getting the system instead of the Schoolbliz with the library management system is due to some of its functions,” she said. As of July 2012, all files of the library were loaded into PlatoNixz but the system was only implemented by second semester.
K-12 Groundwork. In collaboration with the College of Education (CEd), the Department of Education (DepEd) prepares Grade 8 instructors in Region 3 for the new education system. Photo by Deanne Belle Canlas
she added. Furthermore, Balinas said this activity fulfilled the university and CEd’s main goal to partake in the professional development of teachers as part of their community extension. Meanwhile, AUF-Integrated School (IS) teacher Jarrent Tayag described that K-12 “follows a spiral progression.” “Pahirap nang pahirap ang mga topics pero hindi biglaan,” he said. Tayag also added that the lessons are linked and K-12’s purpose is for the students to have an understanding of the concept, making it a path for the students
Road-widening...
umuulan, lumalala ‘yung baha,” Dizon said. To keep a smooth flow of traffic for the drivers, alternative routes were provided by the road widening committee. However, Antonio David, a Checkpoint Holy Hiway jeepney driver, saw that these routes only worsened the situation. “Yung ibang daanan, nakabagal lang sa traffic kasi mas lalong lumiit yung mga pasukan ng mga sasakyan sa mga eskinita,” he added. Stand of the university According to Angeles University Foundation (AUF) Vice President for Administration Dr. Sylvia
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Soriano, they have no choice but to abide by the memorandum given by the local government unit. “Can we do anything about it? Nabigla na lang kami na tinitibag na ‘yung daan,” Soriano said. However, the university supports the government’s goal to build better roads for the citizens of Angeles City. As far as the university is concerned, Soriano said that they cannot wait for the project to finish and to mitigate the burden of the affected community. Earthballing scheme To give way to the project of DPWH, the trees in front of the campus needed to be
in choosing their future careers. On the other hand, Christina Infante, a Biology teacher in Pulung Santol High School, said educators face a huge challenge because they have to get out of their comfort zones to teach the new curriculum. “Magbabasa talaga kami – ‘yon ang challenge namin,” Infante added. The signing of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or the K-12 Act ended the Philippines’ 10-year basic education cycle in the hopes of making the country’s future generation more productive and competitive both nationally and globally.
removed. According to Office of University Relations Director Ma. Teresita Paras, the trees were earthballed and relocated to Lakeshore where there is available space for them to grow undisturbed. Furthermore, Paras said that a monitoring scheme is initiated to check on the welfare of the trees. The cost of the said procedure amounted to P220,000 which was shouldered by the AUF community. “Di naman natin ine-expect na maging kamukha sila nung inalis natin. It will definitely take time. Pero buhay naman sila,” Paras said. No accidents so far Security Official Eduardo
by Krishna Elaine Magdangal
continued on page 7
Dizon said that there were no reports of construction-related accidents as of now. “Students who pass along the road are aware of the construction that is being made that’s why they follow guidelines for everyone else’s safety,” Dizon said. Progress report According to Angeles City Project Engineer Edward Garcia, their initial target to complete the project is in September, but they are doing all their efforts to complete the road by the second week of August. “We are pushing all our limits to finish the project with ease and efficiency,” Garcia said.
Vol. XLII No. 1 • June - July 2013
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NEWS
COLLEGE BITES College of Allied Medical Professions (CAMP) CAMP-CSC President Jansenn Ray David said that aside from the yearly activities they have in store for the CAMPers, more emphasis will be given to the two new departments of the college: radiology technology and occupational therapy, which were part of the physical therapy department. Meanwhile, the annual campus open will be held during CAMP month in September and will include an open house for high school students. The event will not only showcase medical technology, pharmacy and physical therapy, but will also exhibit occupational therapy and radiology technology for the first time. The college will strive to make students more involved in activities. This year, volunteers can also participate in regular medical missions of the college apart from the members of non-mandated organizations. CAMPers can also contribute to the projects of other colleges for there will be collaboration among the eight colleges. College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) “We have so much in store for the CAS family this school year,” said CAS-CSC President Glean Ruth Castro. According to Castro, aside from the Clean As You Go (CLAYGO) campaign and Token Economy, another activity they organized is the Lead Conference Series. Castro said that this conference series aims to improve, motivate, and inspire the college’s student leaders to effective student governance. College of Business and Accountancy (CBA) CBA-CSC President Renzel Evangelista said the Tigers are “stronger, bolder and fiercer” for they have established a tighter relationship between the NMOs, CYOs and CORs. According to Evangelista, the CBA-CSC allotted more time for community extension programs and student-teacher activities compared to last year. College of Computer Studies (CCS) “We want to make a change to have a stronger participation of the student branch. We want to serve as leaders rather than to be mere seminar organizers,” said CCS-CSC President and President of Student Society on Information Technology Education (SSITE) Region 3 Naema Kahil. According to Kahil, the SSITE officers aim to generate community extension programs and make use of “innovative or traditional programs.” CCS will also be joining Students’ Assembly on Information Technology Education (SAITE) to “bring back its glory” as they bagged 10 gold and two silver medals last year.
STC, AUF-PLS promote environmental protection by Jerremie Anne Lopez
For Environmental Preservation. The AUF-Pre-Law Society and student volunteers embark on their major activity, Paint-the-Trees Project. Photo by Ervie Joshua Pascual
ANGELENEANS MANIFESTED their concern for Mother Nature as they support the environmental cause which was led by the Save-the-Trees Coalition (STC) with the Angeles University Foundation - Pre-Law Society (AUF-PLS) during the Independence Day. Former AUF-PLS President Kane Nielsen Payumo acknowledged the efforts of student volunteers for waking up early on a no-class day, walking the stretch from Sindalan to Baliti, and staining themselves with white paint. “The effort of painting the trees means a lot. It’s a thing to be proud of for it is a legacy that will be etched on the trees for good, literally,” he said. The cause was an invitation from Atty. Francisco Yabut, legal counsel of STC and one of AUF-PLS’s faculty advisers. “Save-the-Trees Coalition filed a temporary protection order to prevent the government especially the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from cutting the acacia trees along McArthur Highway. Instead of killing them, we need to preserve them to preserve life,” Yabut said. It might seem confusing that AUF approves road-widening project
THE PIONEER • The Official Student Publication of Angeles University Foundation
but shouts a big no for the cutting of trees. According to University Student Council President Mary Heliane Fabian, protecting the trees is not congruent to refusing road widening because the university can still uphold the reverence for Mother Nature just like what the student volunteers did in the said cause. In fact, Yabut said he sees no conflict if AUF supports road widening. According to him, McArthur Highway became “crowded” because of many business establishments and institutions that cause heavy traffic for both vehicles and people walking along the highway. “What AUF did was they earthballed the acacia trees in front of the main campus and donated them to Lakeshore in Mexico, and I commend AUF for doing that because that means they recognize that the trees should not be cut,” he said. Meanwhile, STC Spokesperson Cecile Yumul made it clear they are not against road widening; the only thing they are asking for is the trees to be safe. “We are fighting for these trees to be declared as landmark trees. The basic round figure with two arms stretched out is a human figure telling you that if you cut a tree, you cut your life,” Yumul said.
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‘Pio’ EIC named as GMA scholar COLLEGE BITES by Jerremie Anne Lopez
AFTER UNDERGOING a “tedious” screening process, The Pioneer’s editor-in-chief emerged as this year’s GMA Network scholar. AB Communication 4 student Rheinlander Musni said that it is a great privilege to receive scholarship from one of the biggest networks in the country. Moreover, the scholarship grant will also cover all expenses for his schooling and may offer Overwhelming Moment. him employment after Rheinlander Musni, AB Communication 4 student (center) takes hold of the spot graduation. as the GMA Scholar for the A.Y. 2013-2014. (L-R) AVP for Corporate Affairs Teresa Meanwhile, Musni said Pacis, OSAFA Director Ma. Gwendelyn Oronce, CAS Dean Dr. Olga Angelinetta Tulabut, and University President Atty. Joseph Emmanuel L. Angeles. that he manages to balance Photo Credit: GMA Network, Inc. his time both as a scholar and as an EIC. description. I hope that he continues to “Kapag natapos ko na ‘yung cherish his passion,” she said. assignments or nakapag-review na ako Office of Student Affairs and Financial para sa quizzes, gagawin ko naman Aid (OSAFA) facilitated the release of tasks ko as EIC since ang pagiging EIC results and the signing of contract on kasi walang pinipiling oras, EIC ka all May 29. the time,” he explained. GMA Network scholarship is granted College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. to graduating Communication students Olga Angelinetta Tulabut said that Musni who excel in their academic performances deserves the scholarship and she feels and experience financial difficulties in very proud of his achievement. continuing their studies. “There is no doubt that he will Only three universities are privileged receive the scholarship grant. He is not to receive the scholarship grant – Angeles just an ordinary student for he is a very University Foundation, Don Bosco insightful person. I think when you define Academy Mandaluyong, and University an intelligent student, for me, he fits the of the Philippines Diliman.
UL in... from page 5
“Nag-full blast kami ng second sem last year so nagamit siya then by October, the Management Information Systems and Services (MISS) proposed to connect the Schoolbliz with the library system so all transactions were automatically posted,” she went on. This action eased some of the work of the library such as the signing of clearance ever since the paperless clearance system was used during A.Y. 2012-2013. Updates on Lib facilities Meanwhile, there are three new and “convenient” workstations in the library that host various databases. These provide academic and recreational materials such as E-Library USA, ProQuest Central, eLibrary, and HERDIN.
The online databases were acquired by the UL through networks and linkages to American Shelf of Thomas Jefferson Information Center, Commission on Higher Education, International Monetary Fund, and Department of Science and Technology. Martin also said that she has proposed to install LCD TV monitors and white boards in the discussions rooms of the Health Sciences, Filipiniana, and CBA Library to help students in brainstorming, presentations and the like. She added that the students’ library fees are “sulit” and stressed it is up to the students if they will utilize the multimedia materials, subscriptions, and various information resources available in the library.
College of Criminal Justice Education (CCJE) CCJE-CSC President Evelyn Pangilinan said their college will not only focus in organizing community extension programs but also in joining every competition in the university such as the intercollegiate competitions. Meanwhile, the Junior Law Enforcers Association will conduct bloodletting activities such as the “Oplan: Sandugo,” in partnership with the Society of Future Medical Technologists, and blood donation in Ospital Ning Angeles. College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) Innovated activities are in store for the Bobcats as their CSC officers opened the school year with developed projects that will cater and boost the competency of Engineering and Architecture students. Aside from improving the students’ abilities, the Adopt-a-School project is one of the best programs the student leaders have planned. This community extension program will expose students outside the university. This project will be maximized through activities such as ground improvement, repainting, and tutorials on Math, English, and Filipino subjects. College of Education (CEd) CEd-CSC President Kenneth Villanueva said they target to empower the establishment and reestablishment of the College’s Non-Mandated Organizations (NMOs). The Education Leaders for Nationbuilding, former CEd Honor Society, will provide tutorials for CEd students, literacy training service, and a fund raising program for Send-a-Student-to-School project. Meanwhile, the Metamorphosis Art Club, first art club in CEd, will give workshop not only to college students but also to public schools and street children. The products made by the participants will be sold by the officers and the income will be given to the children. College of Nursing (CON) According to CON-CSC President John Frederick Halili, they plan to have medical missions and other community extension programs every month, possibly in coordination with AUF Medical Center and CAMP. “It was the idea of former [CSC] President Renato Galvan, and we decided to put it in our plan of activities because it was really a great plan,” he said. This project which will provide operations such as dental hygiene and health teachings, mostly on health promotion and disease prevention, will benefit the adopted communities of AUFMC.
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OPINION
EDITORIAL
ROAD WIDENING: Benefit or Burden? THE OPENING of March welcomed residents, businessmen, and motorists along the McArthur Hi-way in Angeles City with a road widening scheme spearheaded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the imperative of the national government. This may seem like a fully pleasant project for the people, but by assessing comments during its implementation, exclamations of utter dismay will emerge. Angeles University Foundation, being the most affected academic institution for it is within the renovation site, suffered highly throughout the course. The tremors, which at worst can cause dizziness, and the loud noises coming from the heavy artillery from large trucks bulldozing the pavement became an outcry. Students also complained of the danger that the narrowed roads had caused, especially during rush hours when vehicles race, as the pedestrian sidewalks inevitably became vehicles lanes. And perhaps the most resounding of all violent reactions is the resulting wider concrete being ultimately a parking space and a loading area for a long line of jeepneys. This was also to blame for the slower flow of traffic which caused hassle for student commuters and motorists. Some surrounding trees were cut off and taken to unknown whereabouts. Head Engineer Edward Garcia said that this was initiated to improve the drainage system and prevent threats of flooding especially this upcoming rainy season. It was also a way to mitigate the heavy flow of traffic rampant in that extent of Angeles to Balibago. As for the trees, AUF’s Vice President for Administration Dr. Sylvia Soriano said that they were replanted in a renowned resort in Mexico, Pampanga. The road-widening around the AUF area may have been reaching completion, yet the overall renovation until the designated area is far from being consummated. Although the project met clamor, there were also students who looked at the bright side. Some lauded the convenience it brought especially to pedestrians. Some students praised the government’s initiative to neutralize road issues, and claimed that the benefit in the latter years would eventually outweigh its cost. It won’t be too far until we see its completion, until the second week of August if possible. Yet its good implications and negative results are not meeting equilibrium. From here, questions begin to rise: What is next after this road-widening project? Will the foreseen results bring lasting convenience to the people it covers? Perhaps the answers will slowly surface when the AUF community slowly forgets about this whole renovation thing like nothing happened.
Bark and Bite
STUDENT-JOURNALISTS bravely dip their sharp quills into a bottle of indelible ink and fiercely scratch the tips of these on paper. We vow to be the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf, and the voice of the dumb. Advocating the cause for independent and responsible campus journalism, we function as watchdogs of the society or – in a narrower scope – of the university. To act as a check on the administration shall serve as our watchword as we passionately write to serve the Angelenean community. During our intensive strategic planning, a boggling question has been raised by a student-leader: Does bashing the administration determine the success of the student publication? Criticizing the administration through the hostile student publication may mean that the management is ineffective and inefficient, and that an urgent change must occur for the purpose of implementing a better system of supervision. However, aggressive student-journalists tend to cross the line and resort to sensationalizing issues about the administration, thus violating the ethics of responsible journalism. On the other hand, a student publication that praises the administration’s efforts every time does not exercise healthy journalism. Either these achievements are delivered in a truthful manner or the publication is gradually turning into a PR paper of the administration. But how could you blow someone’s trumpets when on the other side of the coin, the students are screaming at the top of their lungs for change? Journalists are the eyes of those who unfortunately fail to see the undeniable truth and those who blissfully ignore the bitter reality that is being slapped in their faces. As watchdogs, we shall never turn a blind eye to the spiteful status quo and we must “bark” to direct the idle attention of the students and the administration to the predicament at hand.
THE PIONEER PIONEER •• The The Official Official Student Student Publication Publication of of Angeles Angeles University University Foundation Foundation THE
“Does bashing the administration determine the success of the student publication?” If there is a problem to be solved, a concern to be addressed, a question to be answered, journalists shall never turn a deaf ear to the excruciating cries of the students and we shall speak for them through writing. Journalists must ensure that complaints will never fall on deaf ears; they must be heard by concerned authorities so that the machination of change will be put into action. However, in our duty to be voice of the voiceless, we must cautiously discern which protests need to be voiced out to the administration. Sometimes, students tend to whine about a problem which they themselves commit. For instance, the dirty comfort rooms in the university have been the patrons of grumbles from students where in reality, their unhygienic and irresponsible utilization of the facilities is the root cause of the problem. Should student-journalists address this concern to the administration and blame them for this foul dilemma? No. The students are our bosses and the administration is not our enemy. That statement is not about “playing safe,” but it is more on the exercise of neutrality and hostility simultaneously. The Pioneer takes a firm stand that we are neither pups to be tamed by the administration to woof for them nor are we dogs for the students to bark for their senseless rants.
OPINION Skepticism Within DEFEAT. DISSATISFACTION. Wrong Decisions. Low self-esteem. Fear. These are the ingredients to make one of the bitterest slices of your life, SELF-DOUBT. Self-doubt has demolished the foundation that I have been building for my future multiple times. It comes and goes, and as much as possible, I do my best to beat it. If you have experienced the same thing, then keep reading, because I’ll be listing down some of the things that we all need to realize when it comes to selfdoubt, not based on a psychologist’s point of view, but based on my own knowledge and experience. Self-confidence is the complete opposite of self-doubt, and as a person with multiple personality, I tend to forget one of the two, and most of the time, it is self-confidence. Why do I forget about it? Maybe because I see a massive amount of people better than me? Maybe because someone told me that I am not good enough? Or is it just because I have experienced defeat? I don’t think so, but I think it is very interesting to talk about these things. Self-doubt line number one, “Am I good enough?” I have asked myself this question multiple times, and I really regret asking it. There are times when people ask me this question, and because it annoys me, I’ll answer them with another question: “Do you think you are good enough? If you think you aren’t, maybe it’s time for an upgrade.” I can’t really sympathize with people who ask that question because they see other people with superior talents. Self-doubt line number two, “I wasn’t able to impress them.” This is a line that we never want to say, but because of the society, we may hear ourselves say this a little too often. When I speak of the society, I don’t exclude myself, because I have to be honest that I have judged a lot of people. Here’s another example, a teacher who is not impressed with your presentation. But have you asked these things to yourself? “Was I ever listening to that teacher?” or “Did that teacher ever teach me anything for me to become impressive?” Writing this column, I thought to myself that I may hear myself say line number two in the future. That didn’t stop me from writing, but it challenged me to have faith within myself. I have written this not to impress, but to express my opinion. Self-doubt line number three, “I’ll surely be defeated in this one.” This line is like saying everything you do is deemed to fail, and it is usually yelled not by intuition, but by fear. Having faith in defeat is like not having faith at all. Just like the exaggeration of line number three, we also tend to exaggerate the perception that people have about us. Maybe that is also the reason why we feel that we can never win. We expect people to have high expectations, and we tend to negatively look for a way out. The things I listed above may have caused me a lot of incertitude in the past, but ever since I started having faith in myself, they are actually the things that push me to work harder so that I’ll become a better person. If I can do that, maybe you can too, BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF.
“I’m a writer, and I see better writers than me. That doesn’t stop me from writing.”
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Frame of Reference MY THREE years of stay in college has been, well, bumpy. I can’t say that I’ve had that perfect kind of college life that everyone tells me that I can have. People always tend to sugarcoat things for others to be comfortable in the kind of environment that they would go into. Little did they know that once they’ve come inside that said “promised land,” they will realize that not everything in this life can be easily achieved. I have dealt with many people whom I do not know what they really want in their lives. People who just “go-with-the-flow” and let fate bring them to wherever it takes them. I admit that I’ve been that kind of person, too. I did not care about whatever I did, wherever I wanted to go, whatever stuff I know that are bad for me and did not care about what other people thought about me. But then I realized, “if I still continue on doing these kinds of stuff, will I ever get to somewhere? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I’ve totally changed from who I am before. FACT: Everybody will resist change at some stage. Let’s face it: it is so hard for all of us to do drastic changes for ourselves, may it be shedding some weight, quitting smoking, lessen drinking, etc. But come to think of it, if we do these things, we will surely benefit from them. If we would just remember the main reason we are here –which is to nurture the life that God (or other gods, for that matter) has given us, we could be the change that the world has always been waiting for.
“It is so hard for all of us to do drastic changes for ourselves.”
We can see that change has always been present in the realm of any situation in our lives. According to Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “All flows, nothing stays. Nothing endures but change.” It is inevitable, it has always been present. From where our ancestors were to where we are right now, it’s all because of change. They say that experience has always been the best teacher. If we can embrace change, we will start looking for lessons in it, thus leading us to learn from our experiences. Managing things that are going on in our lives is very hard, but it is up to us on how we will handle these things. It is hard, for sure, but it’s up to us on how we will look at those happenings. We may also seek for answers that are very hard to find, but if we only simplify our questions and see the bigger picture, all of the things that we seek could be easily found. As many people say, change has never been an overnight process. It takes a lot of effort and time to do this. Like a cocoon, it will take quite some time before we morph into fully-grown butterflies. If we start now, if we act today, that change can bring us to a bigger and better future.
Vol. XLII XLII No. No. 11 •• June June -- July July 2013 2013 Vol.
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OPINION
All The Small Things THE ELDEST was once a baby. The superstar was once a minor actor. The first was once the last. The biggest was once the smallest. And now, it’s time to be humbled with small things. Because of its nature, small things make it hard for us to see them and at times, they deter us. But if we will take enough effort to observe and feel them, appreciation comes. Unfortunately, many of us do not. Sometimes, our minds are blinder than our eyes because what we see is not what we get all the time. *** I may seem to dig in an old and small issue but a case unclosed is still a case to solve. How will you blame a student for working unsatisfactorily on a project if his teacher didn’t teach anything… yet? I know it is ironic but there are teachers who require students to do tedious work that they haven’t mastered yet. Am I on the right track? Teachers are supposed to teach, not to criticize alone. But as I see it in some universities, it is the otherwise that they do. Again, I emphasize there are some – which means not all. Competent teachers with a true heart of a mentor are still around and this fact lets me exhale a healthy sigh. On the other side, students have this responsibility to ask when in doubt. Our parents pay a lot—or sometimes too much— and therefore, we deserve so much quality education as well. A question is never an offensive one when it concerns many, when it is constructed properly and when it is tattled in polite tone. Unfortunately, we, as students, tend to criticize teachers without clarity. Remember: someone who always babbles badly about other people usually doesn’t have anything good about themselves to talk about. And besides, we are students which means we need to study hard or rather harder as it is instrumental for success. I couldn’t agree more to the fact that it is a big attitude to pay attention to small details. Paying attention to small things is what makes a big thing. Again, when in doubt, ask. It is nice to criticize but that is not the end. Be part of the solution. Devote attention to small details because these are keenly seen and served as a singular basis for judgment. If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. Sometimes, this is more than enough. Big-hearted people are those who can extract big value in all things. True enough, all little things are not what they seem to be when cherished and appreciated. And sometimes, they make our minds and eyes blind. As the classic and golden nugget goes, and I quote, “Walang maliit na bagay na di nakakapuwing.” As your official university student publication, The Pioneer, we, piolets, will keep on singing with our journalistic voice to integrally write the continuing history of the university and fearlessly seek for the shining truths—even the smallest ones— within and around the Angelenean world.
“Paying attention to small things is what makes a big thing.”
Numerical Value I THOUGHT school was all about grades – acing your exams, meeting your deadlines, being on top of the class and graduating with Latin honors. How about the paranoia you feel after taking the exam? Have you ever felt like the world was on your shoulders just because of that one question you got wrong? That one quiz you missed or failed? Well, I always feel like a loser whenever I get the simplest errors in the exams. Have you ever felt that too? Experiencing such indicates that you are grade conscious or what they call “GC.” They are the ones whose mindset is that number, that grade, is the passport to success and only those with high marks will have the brightest future. It is the excellence in academics without the penetration and manifestation of the things you learned. There are a lot of forces that push them to be GC. One of which is the pressure coming from their family or peers. Probably, most GC people are the first of their family to stand on college grounds. There are also students who have parents abroad who want them to succeed and it is where pressure builds. As a result, it becomes an obsession. It turns into a relationship with books and numbers that is hard to avoid. In order to achieve their desired grade, pride is being set aside just to ask for additional grade. There are some who even consider cheating as an option while some people I know will even meet behind closed doors just to get the grade they want. So tell me, what is the purpose of having the highest marks if you didn’t earn them the right way? Doesn’t your conscience bug you when behind every accolade is a dirty little secret? But the thing is, in reality, highest marks are not equal to success because it is the attitude that also matters. It is about how we use our skills and intelligence in a productive way. Grades don’t define who you are. You define who you are. Competition comes within you, not from anybody else. What really counts is your effort. Learning takes place when one applies what he has learned. Grades are just numbers but have big impact in our existence. They should be the center of attention but not an obsession. Learning doesn’t circulate around the four corners of our classroom, but also, outside the walls of our campus. Everybody wants perfection. Everybody wants to achieve their goals. But students should bear in mind that what may be easy for you is hard for others and vice versa. Remember that it is all about the output, not the input. Schools don’t only focus on the academic performance but also on the molding of character. As a GC, we tend to make a lot of sacrifices – social, physical, emotional, spiritual – which do not make our college life worthwhile. It is where contentment should be applied. Learn to appreciate and to be contented with what you have. It is more gratifying to have a 90 that you deserve than a 97 that you are not worthy of. Do you consider yourself grade obsessed, regressed or are you blessed?
“Grades are just numbers but they have big impact in our existence.”
THE PIONEER • The Official Student Publication of Angeles University Foundation
OPINION Preferred Silence
SILENCE IS no different to a riddle. It’s a student’s greatest gift to a professor yet the most intolerable pain to a lover. It bears the best news to a worried warrior but the most hateful to a birthing mother. Silence may equate to an embarrassing surrender or an unrecognized triumph. Silence is fought for though obtained through the noisiest manner. It dictates victory while it entails failure to gain anything at all. It’s too impressive how a dictionary can define it when in fact the word could actually be the only one in it. We’re really into much of a labyrinth here. In the simplest sense, silence can come from the intelligent and noble end yet it may be also the most foolish stunt. When a professor loves putting his students to shame more than putting lessons inside their heads, silence can become your way of respect and the indication of his insensitivity. But if a student’s affinity to listen to a terrible professor is tragically disregarded over his fancy to listen to everybody’s trash talk about how terrible that professor is, silence loses that nobility. In a heart-wrenching situation where it came to a point that the continuation of what primarily felt to be a perpetual friendship solely relies on the insane courage to break the soundless atmosphere, would you still regard silence as the best way to go? When you come into a realization that turning into a fool for someone is deemed nothing but beauty and bliss, wouldn’t it be the stupidest choice to shut yourself up about it? Silence is a friend to anyone afraid of turning words into knives. Losing an argument with someone whose idea of winning is the ceasing of words uttered is plain rubbish. Someone who determines the intensity of his unfair victory by the depth of humiliation he inflicted is the same detestable person who owns the face where you would want your closed fist to be. One should be scared of a person’s silence. It entails how one can be undeserving of the words that would come out of his mouth. Moreover, the truth that lay between those words. I was not kidding when I said that silence is a complicated maze. It can get us lost. But after pondering more than required and usual, we could give our brain cells a break by entertaining the notion that silence is shaped by the type of person its bearer is. If you think that being humiliated for asking an innocent question to someone who let authority swell up his head takes more than murmuring to yourself the realization that you should not have asked the question in the first place, don’t you think it is much less of a hassle to just stand up for yourself rather than go through the trouble of looking for a paper bag to wear over your head to avoid eyes that look at you with embarrassment? You can also dismiss the silence and risk tongue-tied words speaking of that special person’s beauty. Or not. Then again it will depend on your practical preferences. If you can endure looking at an eyesore that is her boyfriend while having regret as your bitter companion, be quiet then. But we could now get out of the maze by stating that silence ends when importance comes in. Your integrity is important. You wouldn’t be silent about it. That beautiful girl is important. You wouldn’t let her slip away. Friendship is priceless. You wouldn’t trade it for unsaid words, would you? Which would you prefer?
“Silence is a friend to anyone afraid of turning words into knives.”
11
Blind Pursuit IT’S AN enigmatic wonder how children or to say the least, everyone in great hopes of creating bubbles; a sphere of enjoyment; a fragile, freefloating magic of air. And it’s rather a fascination how a pursuit of the not-knowing can make use of great oxygen for its creation, yet a simple pierce can result to its extinction. I’m not sure if perplexity even begins to cover this but here lies the significance of it. The pursuit of meaning has long been questioned for generations. Despite being in a world full of ambiguity, can you live a hopeful life? Apparently, the answer to this question can only be answered until one’s world has been shaken long enough for one to realize that everything only makes sense in the end. The problem is, not everyone gets until the end. And not everyone knows that it makes sense. So to say that we are in the pursuit of getting until the end per se, where do we go from here? We, students, are often challenged by frustrating requirements and deadlines, on which we might find ourselves lacking the motivation to work despite the goals we have set; when we become trapped in the idea of the suffering outweighing the triumph. And what could be worse is when the desired goal is not or never achieved. Suffering—the fear of a student or in its broadest sense, every human being. But Langston Hughes is never wrong in saying: “Folks, I’m telling you, birthing is hard and dying is mean—so get yourself a little loving in between.” The entropy of creating a perhaps—may it be a dream job or anything that is of self-interest—is easy to perceive just like when you create a bubble; its creation and progression, so fascinating that you get attached to its magic and the consciousness of its existence. But then, there lies ambiguity. I once read that everything that comes together must fall apart, which then entails the unsolicited suffering that has to come along with the consciousness. By the time that the bubble has reached its limited potential to float, ask yourself: Is the suffering worth it? Have you found happiness in-between? It is repugnant to say that everything is a black out. But the issue is not to search for the meaning; it’s to seek the truth. I’d like to believe that the void can never be filled without the truth. Uncertainties are certain, yes. And that the search for a meaning is a very complicated idea that can either cause happiness or emptiness when perceived. “What am I here for?” can be a tricky question that can take a lifetime or even a deathbed to answer. Ideally, there must be some sort of an epiphany to all of these. Realistically, there is none, unless you make it. That’s the challenge, isn’t it? You have to create meaning on your own. I don’t want to pretend like I know everything; I may be right on this theory, I may be wrong. But even without a cosmic meaning to one’s existence, the pursuit of the unknown is there. It’s existing. Just like how stars exist during darkness; it’s up to you to find its purpose, for the mind has infinite capability to control and maneuver things. “Energy is never created and never destroyed,” Einstein once said. And so the hopes of creating a bubble—life—is endless. Though, abruptly, the pursuit may pop, it can only change its form but never destroyed. You are alive so act like it.
“Despite being in a world full of ambiguity, can you live a hopeful life?”
Vol. XLII No. 1 • June - July 2013
TANONG NG
Editorial Staff 2013-2014 Rheinlander Musni Editor-in-Chief
ESTUDYANTE
Renz Alfonso Associate Editor Reynaldo Donato Jr. Kevin Quiambao Managing Editors Darlene Amabele Salunga News Editor Janna Dela Cruz Features Editor Nikko Raphael Villanueva Sports Editor Danielle Carlos Literary Editor Neil Salonga Head Cartoonist Riza Marie Padilla Head Photojournalist Jonathan Belleza Layout Artist Kane Nielsen Payumo Circulations Manager Hee Soo Oh Elijah Marie Vicher Chiefs of Correspondents O Seong Kwon Jerremie Anne Lopez Krishna Elaine Magdangal Gema Ocampo Kier Ocampo Lilet Sicat News Correspondents Ma. Bernadette Castro Leslie Gechelle dela Cruz Daniella Pattine Dizon Mary Heliane Fabian Kelly Stan Fausto John Edward Mamangun Gerard Alain Nulud King Jim Pamintuan Emmanuel Panti Genesis Santos Gestrelle Lides Sarmiento Features Correspondents Kathleen Camille Apilado Edgar Allan Dela Cruz Rosiah Rodriguez Sports Correspondents Jerusha April Canon Camille Eloise Eisma Frances Sharina Gonzales Gem Alen San Pedro Maria Erika Yumul Literary Correspondents Kim Christian Cunanan Denise Ann Loredo Danielle Paul Panique Harriet Kim Anh Rodis Cartoonists Deanne Belle Canlas Katherina Faye Galvan Ervie Joshua Pascual Vince Francis Pineda Adrian Yalung Photojournalists Ms. Cristina B. Reyes Adviser
STUDENTS: they walk the halls. They use the comfort rooms. They open their bags for inspection then scan their IDs hurriedly. They listen to speakers in the auditorium. They wait for their professors in an initially non-air-conditioned room. Then watch powerpoint presentations prepared by those professors. They travel through the overpass. They look for a shortcut to reach PS in a jiff. Yet students ask. Students want to know.
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Bakit may Schoology? Okay lang sana kung maayos yung website, kaso minsan parang nasisira. May chance pa bang maalis yun?
Kasi gusto naming matulungan ang mga students na ma-improve yung mathematical ability nila. Alam natin na mahirap ang Mathematics, halos majority ng mga students, ganun ang opinion. Humihirap pa lalo dahil kulang sila sa practice. Sa schoology, we give exercises/activities para ma-develop yung habit of practice. Mathematics is synonymous to practice. Hindi lahat ng matatalino sa Mathematics ay pinanganak na meron nito, most of them ay nakukuha sa tiyaga at pagsasanay. Ayos naman ang website, recognized pa nga ito worldwide and was even awarded by a reputable award giving body for school-based activities. Kung minsan nasisira or nadidisconnect, baka yung internet connection na ginagamit nila ang may problema, not the site. We are exerting effort to help students, extending hours just to upload the different activities for them to practice or to work on, make follow-ups if activities are being done and be able to help them, though THIS IS NOT THE USUAL SET-UP. Many students are appreciative of what we are doing and we are happy for that. Sana, others too will find it the same way. Engr. Ireneo Herrera Department Head, Math and Physics
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What developments would be in store for the current freshmen for the next four or five years?
There are so many projects in store for our students, all of which are developmental in nature. Aside from strengthening our existing student services, we plan to hold and facilitate more youth empowerment activities geared towards nation building. Ma. Gwendelyn Oronce Director, Office of Student Affairs and Financial Aid
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Bakit may internet fee sa tuition? Unfair naman sa mga di gumagamit ng internet ng school.
It’s like any other fee that is included in the tuition. It is used for the operation or provision of services of the university. In this case, for internet and other IT resources. Use it. Mr. Ramon Santiago Director, Management Information Systems and Services
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Meron po ba kayong plano para mas ipakilala ang radio station DWAU para sa mga students? If meron po, ano po ang mga iyon? Sayang po kasi kung iilan lang ang nakakakilala eh.
NTC only allowed us to operate with 10 watts which is very limited. So we are exerting our best efforts in DWAU through our online channel (www.awdio.com/ dwau) so that the radio station will not only be limited to the Angelenean community but internationally as well. We are also doing our best to improve this through maximizing international connections and rotary hookups. We also ask student trainees and volunteers to recommend it to their friends and relatives abroad. Students who conduct their programs also use their social media accounts to encourage fellow students to tune in and listen. Mr. Ron Nethercutt Director, DWAU Radio Station Ms. Hyzel Angeles, Program Coordinator, DWAU Radio Station
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Bakit po kung kailan may class tsaka pa lang nira-rush ang paggawa ng main gate?- Meg, AB Comm IV
The massive digging done on the on-going road widening project by DPWH along Mac Arthur Highway somewhat created an enormous difference in elevation between the new road level and the existing finish floor level of the campus (about one meter difference). Besides, these diggings somewhat “jeopardized” our concrete fences/posts in front of our University, which would endanger the lives of the stakeholders. As a solution, a major stripping of the existing concrete within the main gate was implemented to address the dual problems mentioned. Consequently, since this action will take some time, the University decided to simultaneously do the improvement of the façade of Angeles Hall. The main gate is temporarily closed to protect the students and employees from accident and harm. Right now, we are sort of experiencing “birth pains,” but eventually, we will all be proud of these new landmarks which will be finished in a couple of months. Engr. Jose Macapagal Jr. Director, Campus and Facilities Development Office
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Bakit pag nagche-check yung guard sa PS, tutusukin niya lang?- Patrick Pacheco, BSTM 4B Using stick during bag inspection is a security SOP. But the OSSS will do something to improve this! Thank you for calling our attention. Dr. Noel Barela Director, Office of Safety and Security Services
Is something baffling, mysterious or disturbing to you? Stop wondering and start sending your questions to The Pioneer’s Facebook account (The Pioneer AUF) and your question might be the next one to be answered.
Google what?
GL SS J by Leslie Gechelle dela Cruz
ANNICK ROLLAND, an eye expert from University of Florida, stated that the glass assures the user free head and body movement while enjoying the wearable computer’s display. Yes, you read that right. It is a wearable computer with voice command through a microphone. It is already awesome that Google Glass made it possible to fit a whole virtual world and the physical onto a user’s eyes. What’s even more amazing is that it can display all that in 3D! It has 16GB storage capacity, with a display equal to a 25-inch screen from eight feet away. You can also capture quality videos with its five-megapixel camera. But it does not stop there. It is also Wi-Fi ready. It has a GPS chip, and it can be connected via Bluetooth and micro USB. Now, can you imagine all that stuff in a 50-gram
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eyeglass? This is already happening in real life. The days where this kind of thing is only seen in the movies are gone. The frames do not have lenses fit to them at this time but Google is considering of having a joint venture with sunglass dealers like Ray-Ban and Warby Parker. The company is in the process of working with frames and lenses that will match the prescription of the wearer. Ethan Nagel, a 43 year-old software developer and vice president of a start-up company called TomFoolery Inc., uses Google Glass. “One of the fundamental tenets of Google Glass is to not be distracting.” He mentioned that when people check on their smartphones for a text message while in a conversation, they can’t pay proper attention to both acts. But Google glass gets rid of that distraction. The most promising thing about Google Glass, according to Nagel, is that “almost everybody [who used it]
NOT SO
CLOSED the book. Inhale. Exhale. My mind was going over the things I have read, and I was dumbfounded. I reopened it, and started reading the book which dramatically reached out to me with its words. Allow me to present to you, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. If you would open a Webster’s Dictionary and look for the meaning of the word “dystopian,” you would realize that it is an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives, even though I know that you may or may not know the meaning of the word “dehumanized.” I know that you’re getting the idea of this so-called dystopian world. Shatter Me is a novel whose equation is dystopian setting plus a pinch of romance. What differs it from other dystopian novels is its dramatic and poetic writing. It lets you feel what the
by Ma. Bernadette Castro protagonist feels about a certain episode in her life. “All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.” Juliette Ferrars is not your typical teenager. Her touch is deadly; it can kill anyone. According to Tahereh Mafi, she incorporated what she wanted to be into Juliette’s character. “She has a lot of inner strength and a lot of compassion. I admire her for being able to hold onto her humanity in a world that has given her nothing to hope for.” The Reestablishment, dystopia’s version of a government, decided to lock Juliette up, for what they considered was for her own good. No one stopped them so she was left there to suffer. Juliette hasn’t touched anyone for months. She hasn’t eaten well for quite some time. She just sat in a corner, staring up at the sky,
As we all Internet users know, Google can be considered as the most popular search engine in the World Wide Web. Google is not anymore confined within the boundaries of the Internet. It has now developed an emblem for innovation. This innovation is named Google Glass, also known as Project Glass.
has had a positive experience.” Google Glass also proved to be a big help during an event on June 21, 2013. Dr. Pedro Guillen from Madrid conducted a surgery while using Google Glass. He became the first physician in the world to broadcast such surgery. The operation was streamed over the Internet which allowed telemedicine expert from Stanford University, Dr. Homero Rivas, to take part in the surgery. To improve the patient’s clinical health status, medical information was exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications. Google Employees believe that Google Glass will be around the cost of current smartphones. An explorer edition for testers and developers to be released in early 2013 will cost around P63,000. A price some people may find uneconomical and impractical, but definitely worth to serve your comfort.
EXPECTATIONS waiting for that white bird with streaks of gold, soaring freely and gracefully, for it was the only thing that reminded her of hope. But it never came. Then one day, Juliette was given a man for a company. He was locked up with Juliette and shared her terrible predicament. Apart from his apparent insanity, the man reminded Juliette of someone, someone from the past. But why was he there? Why was he locked up with her? Of all the people in the world, why him? Those questions and more, you would need to find answers to yourself. he novel made a lot of people feel what Juliette had felt. Many people like me needed to close the book because we felt that certain intensity while reading. But I know that if you go and start reading this novel, you’ll do exactly the same thing.
T
SEPTEMBER
EVERY YEAR is a successful year for the movie industry. And yes, as expected, 2013 still continues the industry’s brilliance.
by Gerard Alain Nulud
Future Flicks
Earlier this year we sang and cried in Les Miserables, fancied the adorable minions in Despicable Me 2, raced with Fast & Furious 6, got scared in Monsters University, witnessed Stark fight in Iron Man 3, and slain zombies in World War Z. Wondering what movies will be giving you some adrenaline rush from September to December this year? Wonder no more. Here is a list of movies that will surely satisfy your fancies.
Insidious Chapter 2
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey Scream in the cinemas as the sequel continues the horror that the first movie has left off. The Lambert family, taking a vacation after all the stress they had from the supernatural, believes that the ghosts finally ceased to bother. As time passes, things get more frightening. A ghost of a woman in white dress has begun inhabiting Josh’s body. Shake and shriek as you watch the family do everything to drive the evil away from their lives – and to obtain one thing that they have been desperately dying to have, peace.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan
The first movie ended with a happy finale. Flint and his friends already assumed that they were already having their happy ending from the tasty tragic incident until Flint learned that the machine still functions. Now witness Flint and his pals stop the machine and save the world once more. This time, it would be harder to stop the machine as they battle appetizing beasts like living pickles, voracious tacodiles, shrimpanzees, and apple piethons.
OCTOBER Gravity
Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney A medical engineer, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is on her first Space Shuttle mission together with a veteran astronaut, Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney). During a spacewalk, their shuttle was destroyed by space debris, leaving the two stranded in space with no form of communication from earth and with limited oxygen supply. They will be forced to work together to bring themselves back on earth before their breathing oxygen runs out. Is their limited power enough to get them back to earth?
NOVEMBER The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, coming home as victors from the 74th Annual Hunger Games, think the struggle is over. But wait, Katniss smells rebellion along the way. Katniss senses that her hardships aren’t over yet. Meanwhile, President Snow, still under control of everything, prepares for a completely different Hunger Games. Moreover, District 13, supposedly bombed by the capitol a long time ago, plays a huge part of Panem’s history. Is it really history?
Ender’s Game
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley An alien race called the Formics has attacked Earth. In preparation for the attack, the best young children are being trained to find the future savior of the mankind. Ender Wiggin, a shy boy who is brilliant in strategies, is pulled out of the school to join the force. Excellence was found in him. He was then told by Colonel Graff that he’s the military’s hope, resulting in his promotion to military school. He was then trained by Mazer Rackham to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will depict Earth’s future and the human race’s fate. The Ender’s Game, invading the cinemas in November 2013.
DECEMBER The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage This movie continues the adventure of Bilbo Baggins the hobbit together with Gandalf the Wizard, and the dwarfs. They are on a quest to reclaim what is rightfully theirs, the lost dwarf kingdom of Erebor. Will they succeed in retrieving it or will Smaug the Dragon completely take the kingdom away from the dwarfs?
by Elijah Marie Vicher
THEY SAY most Angeleneans are prestigious and well-off. They cannot imagine us eating street food like fish balls, banana cues, and the like. But what do most AUF students really prefer to eat? Is it the cheaper ones or is it the high-end ones? Before the answer to that question is revealed, here are a couple of things you have to know about the two.
High-end food is usually served in restaurants and cafés. People prefer to eat High-end food as it is highly reputed for its impressive quality of taste and sanitation. However, with the food’s nature of being deluxe, an ample amount of time is consumed for preparing it. Not very much ideal for a student granted with such short break. High-end food, as we know, is served by waiters and waitresses. “High-end, at least, safe siya kahit may kamahalan at well sanitized,”said Goldwyn Clint Natividad, TOUR2B student. Indeed, another factor that lures people into restaurants is the assurance of sanitation. There is a guarantee that the food is clean in a high-end restaurant because of health inspectors who may come every now and then.
“Bakit ka pa magse-settle sa mahal kung pwede ka namang magpakabusog sa affordable na presyo,” said Darren dela Cruz, BSCE3 student. Cheap food is affordable, wallet-friendly food. Food that are produced from fast food chains, eateries, street stalls and the like can be considered as “cheap” food. They usually range from 50-60 pesos and are usually quick and ready to eat. People nowadays choose to live practically. But even if eating food in the corner saves time and money, there are still things we need to consider before savoring that fishball or burger — the source of ingredients, the health risks, and the cleanliness. “Actually, wala namang masama sa street food as long as malinis ‘yung pinagmumulan. Problema kasi hindi natin alam kung malinis ‘yung pinangluto at saka ‘yung iniluto,” explained Dr. Jill Lapuz of the University Health Services. She also mentioned that we can acquire diseases like Typhoid fever, Amoebiasis, and Hepatitis A.
After the battle of what makes an Angelenean tummy satisfied and mouth water, cheap food reigned supreme by casting its delicious spell on 60 percent of the interviewed students. High-end food is not left with an embarrassing loss as it got 40 percent of the votes. But the true winner may not be identical to every Angelenean’s stomach, but what’s important is that as long as the food you prefer can sustain you all throughout a stressful college life, high-end and cheap food are never foes.
AM I AN ANNOYING facebook FRIEND? by Kelly Stan Fausto
FACEBOOK UNDOUBTEDLY drove the whole world insane. As a social networking site used by more than a billion people, it became a popular means of expressing oneself and connecting with friends. And in a virtual world that huge, mistakes can sometimes be committed and worse, overlooked. Based on www.time.com by Techlicious writer and editor Elizabeth Harper, five of those became somewhat common. Posting private or sensitive matters in public It is fun that people can share stuff through posting on their walls. What only makes it “uncool” is that sometimes, users post or comment something that others are not supposed to see. This mistake might hurt other people’s feelings. It can enrage them and worse, it might cause a relationship to end. If you have anything to say and it is only meant for a particular person, Facebook has its own messaging system. Remember that you can always chat with that certain friend to talk about private matters.
Overzealous tagging
Many people like to take loads of pictures and upload them on Facebook in a flash. But here’s the thing. You do not just tag your friends in your photos. Do it only if they told you so or if it shows a decent image of your friends. Tagged photos sometimes automatically appear on your friends’ Facebook profiles, and they may not always want all their photos to be seen by people online.
Posting too much status updates
“For me, it’s okay to post something like that on Twitter. But if you do it on Facebook, it just doesn’t look proper. Some would say they shouldn’t care, because it’s their profiles and they can do everything they want in it. But I think that people should give themselves even just a little privacy,” said Karmina Palaganas, a second year AB Communication student. Everyone has friends who just like to share literally every single thing they do. Some people get bothered in constantly seeing repetitive and oftentimes uninteresting stuff posted by their friends. So be sure to remember this: Not everyone wants to know that you are making a sandwich, that you are done making the sandwich, that you have taken a bite of that sandwich, and that you have finished that sandwich.
Arguing with your friends about hot issues like politics or religion “You can argue with your friends personally. Talking about it through Facebook will just create greater misunderstanding
between you and your friends,” said Leewelyn Fausto, a first year BS Tourism student. If you really want to keep your friends, you need to be careful when it comes to talking about hot issues. It will certainly make you feel bad when you get offensive feedbacks from disagreeing with a friend’s post. Remember that your friends may not always agree with you and that is no reason for you to be rude to them. Doing so will lead you to losing your friends both on Facebook and in real life.
Neglecting spelling and grammar “It would make your post more neat and understandable, therefore, leaving a bigger impact on those who would see it,” said Eileen Bautista, a second year BS Psychology student. Most people nowadays use abbreviations and internet slang. It is widely popular in texting and now, on social networking sites. But no one is interested in reading a post that has too much typographical errors and word shortcuts that are oftentimes nonexistent. Identifying what language the post was written in becomes both an annoyance and hard work. If you want to post something that is important enough for all your friends to see, it’s better to take time to write it out clearly. Otherwise, let them blame you for their imminent headaches. Everybody makes mistakes. We just have to be responsible enough to observe the proper Facebook etiquette so that we would not get ourselves a bad reputation not only on Facebook but anywhere else.
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FEATURES
HOME:
the new gym by Daniella Pattine Dizon
In A time where staying fit is considered already mainstream, the gym has become a great business venture for many. Pictures of people all sweaty from a cardio treadmill run, looking from a mirror while on a Pilates machine, going gaga over boxing or tennis or what have you, are everywhere these days. Enrolling to a gym takes more than just the willingness and the need for taking photos and sharing them to the world. It needs money, time and effort, too. But you busy and financially problematic people do not have to worry anymore because frankly, there’s no other gym like home. Here are a few ways to prove that. On cardio. You can do jogthrows. It’s more like jogging in place but instead of raising the knees to the waist, you just kick the air lightly alternating both feet while thrusting your hands crossed. A minute of this already does so much. And according to Reader’s Digest, when it comes to cardio, the first steps are the most important ones, so just don’t stop there. On limbs. The best ways to develop those biceps, triceps, quadriceps, and all the others are still the natural ones. Squats, pushups and lunges never get old. But to add a little
more twist, you can try doing burpees. Alternately change your position from standing to assuming a “frog” sit to initial push-up position. Then just repeat inversely. Bodyfitnest, a blog by Isaac Dozier, states that burpees don’t need to share or be shared. They are their own thing so why make it complicated? Abs, you say? If you’re looking for abdominal muscle strengthening, try including your old buddies, crunches. Unlike the usual concept of sit-ups in which you start from lying down with legs flexed to lifting your upper body up to the knee, it proves more effective to just simply crunch a bit then do as many thrusts as you can. Also, keep in mind that there’s no need for too much pain. Do everything leveled to your tolerance. Just remember to be consistent. Take note of how much you can do for a time then beat yourself the following day. Your psyche helps too. Imagine a body that you want to have. Imagine feeling sexy and next thing you know, you already are. These steps imply no need for money, for transportation, and heavy equipment. The only things you’re required are motivation and enthusiasm. But that should come from within. Be better. Step up for yourself now and appreciate the results!
Why is it so hard to be in
shape?
by John Edward Mamangun
Diet - BIG WORD! Well, this world is a realm of dieters. Majority of us, if not all, want to be fit. However, starting on the diet is never easy. It requires more than the best intentions. As you get into the circle of fitness, things may somehow seem manageable. But as it progresses, you will realize that it is not an easy task, and perhaps a daunting one – especially with the consequences around you.
“I guess, may times na sasabihin natin mag-didiet tayo tapos kapag nakakita tayo ng masarap na pagkain, sasabihin natin ay bukas na lang.” – Ms. Sucharade Nicdao, Faculty Member, CAS “Mahirap mag-maintain ng diet plan lalo na kapag mga kabarkada mo palakain.” – Aaron Cayanan, BS Pharmacy student “Mahirap mag-maintain ng diet plan kasi masarap kumain.” – Daryl Layug, BS Secondary Education student “I think it’s the lack of discipline. Kase kung may discipline ka, kahit maraming temptation, ime-maintain mo pa rin ang diet mo.” – Kirsten Sagun, BS Medical Technology student Most of us find “food” as the main culprit for being unsuccessful to sustain our dietary efforts and to attain our desired goal. But apart from it, hundreds more exist. Lack of knowledge about what is healthy When on a diet, we think of healthy as “low fat,” “0% fat,” or “no sugar.” The problem is not all seemingly healthy foods are healthy. Some conceal nasty surprises like prepared salads. You might assume that because it’s salad, it’s healthy. But according to fitnea.com, prepared salads found in grocery stores and fast food restaurants teem with fats. Even its “low fat” dressing is loaded with calories in sugar form. Surprised? Next time read about the food you eat. Surely, you’ll learn a lot. Too focused on food alone In most cases, concentrating solely on your food intake would not give the straight fix. If you are ambitious on losing an impressive amount of weight, diet must be accompanied by working out and changing your lifestyle correctly. Lack of purpose Losing weight is a continuous battle. It does not stop on dropping a couple of pounds. Unfortunately, for some, their purpose is just temporary. Sad but true! Go on a diet for yourself; not for other people’s approval. If you want to flaunt a slamming body, do something about it today, not tomorrow nor next week. Too hard on oneself Going on a diet might require you to drop some of the meals you used to. The body may find it difficult to adapt readily so prepare for that extreme dietary shift. On the other hand, others “punish” themselves through starvation. Yet another bad idea. When you starve yourself, it will be even harder to resist the urge to eat more food plus it may also jeopardize your health. Lack of moral support Discouragement may lead to failure. According to Carole Carson’s Weight Loss Psychology: Why Your Brain Might be Holding You Back, one of the most potent forces for positive change is the emotional support of the individuals who surround you. Therefore, it is very essential to inform the people around you about your plans and goals. You might want to influence some of them, too. Dieting is a survival challenge. If you have the perseverance, the heart and the willingness to do it, it may just be like a walk in the park. It’s never too late to change. Start moving.
THE PIONEER • The Official Student Publication of Angeles University Foundation
DEVCOM
17
PHILIPPINES IS known for its
one of the country’s best
Vol. XLII No. 1 • June - July 2013
18
DEVCOM
THE WASTE management crisis that our country faces today calls for an urgent need for us to take part and change our attitude toward our waste. To help us achieve this goal, Mother Earth Foundation (MEF), a non-government organization, urges us to begin this change in our homes and school area. MEF aims to propagate awareness to different sectors such as schools, government offices, church organizations, and business establishments regarding the proper ways to manage our waste. In a seminar titled “Proper Solid Waste Management” organized by AUF Biological Sciences Society on July 24,
MEF President Froilan G. Grate, an environmental educator who claims to have not used straw in eight years, began by making distinctions between waste and discards. “Discard is not waste until we waste it,” he said. So how do we not waste our discards? Recycle. Proper segregation is an important part of recycling. It facilitates in setting apart discards that can be reused such as plastics and throwaway clothes, and discards that can decompose and be made into fertilizer. In line with R.A. 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, MEF helps in the establishment of Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) all over the country. MRF is a plant that receives biodegradable waste for composting and nonbiodegradable waste which will be sorted for re-use and recycling. It aims to reclaim still-usable materials from our discards. The non-recoverable materials will then be sent to disposal facilities such as a landfill. MRF proves more efficient and environmentally sound than old methods like burying and incineration. MEF Philippines has helped in establishing over 1,000 MRFs in the country. As stated in MEF’s official website,
this was achieved by conducting workshops and seminars to barangays, cities and municipalities, NGOs, government agencies, religious organizations, and private sectors. Waste has been a problem in our country since time immemorial, and it is more forcefully brought to our attention in times of floods such as Bagyong Pablo in December 2012 which resulted in thousands of casualties and loss of properties. It is high time to get out of our passivity and take action toward the development of an effective solution. A waste solution like MRF keeps us from suffering the grave consequences brought by misdeed again. But the base step in the process is segregation, especially in those done in smaller units such as the school. How properly do we segregate in this institution? Office of Student Affairs and Financial Aid (OSAFA) Director Ma. Gwendelyn Oronce said that the segregation of school discards into nabubulok at di-nabubulok has only been executed this academic year so the school is still in the process of making policies for a better implementation of waste
THE PIONEER • The Official Student Publication of Angeles University Foundation
segregation. In line with this, the AUF-USC launched a movement called “Green Crusade” that revitalized the already existing campaign namely the CLAYGO (Clean As You Go) and NoVa (No to Vandalism). In addition, the Green Crusade helps to promote awareness among students regarding the importance of keeping the school environment clean. Better policies are yet to be implemented. Meanwhile, we must do our part in responsible waste segregation. We help in preventing our discards from turning into waste or we reduce our discards. If we look at these actions relative to our present environmental conditions, we might think that Zero Waste is just a dream. We must keep this dream, however, and fuel it with action backed by environmental awareness. The actions we take need not be gigantic but just our mean share in the total responsibility. If enough people do the same, we can gain potency that is enough to move our community toward Zero Waste.
DEVCOM
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SOL-SC innovates steps toward environmental improvement by Elijah Marie Vicher
GO RUN, Go Green – Lex 2013. Run and bear a tree, let us support life for you and me. It is never too late to start reforestation and to give life to a dark forest that was brought down. The School of Law-Student Council (SOL-SC), in partnership with Marketing Management 4-B and AUF Pre-Law Society, held a doublepurpose event on July 28, “AUF Lex Run 2013: Go Run Go Green,” which aims to promote the university’s SOL and to aid in planting and upbringing trees for the environment. SOL-SC President Camille Ross Parpan claimed that part of the
proceeds will go to a tree planting venture at Gintong Pakpak, Arayat, Pampanga which will be a lifetime commitment and a benefit to the Savethe-Trees Coalition (STC). The initial plan was to implement one-is-to-one ratio, meaning one registrant is equivalent to one seedling. But as the program turned out, SOL-SC realized that the ratio is not enough. They have decided to allot more than one seedling for one registrant. It is indeed saddening to know that the number of people concerned for the environment is declining, but there are still groups of people who devote their hearts for the betterment of Mother Nature. Since Parpan and the SOL-SC body promised a lifetime upbringing of trees, it will not only benefit their group but also the rest of humanity. Trees are very crucial in our lives, and we have the responsibility to maintain their existence. There are a number of benefits that we would miss if there would be only few trees left. They provide oxygen, they serve as buffers from extreme heat, and they help prevent flooding – these are just few of the benefits that we get from them according to STC Spokesperson
Cecile Yumul. It is a fact that it rains often in our country, so how can Filipinos survive without the trees, especially those in lower grounds? “No matter how many canals you put, the water will keep rushing down to San Fernando,” Yumul said. The big question is: How can we contribute to the environment? Considering the fact that we are students and most of us live an ordinary life, Lex Run involves us to help the “green” community and, at the same time, the activity gives enjoyment to participants as it promotes physical fitness and the spirit of competency. “Maganda ‘yung purpose ng event. This small step can cultivate a new forest and it will benefit the whole community at large,” said Renzel Evangelista, a Lex Run participant. Innovations are good but they will become a lot better if they will be continuous. As Parpan mentioned, “Hindi lang kami magtatanim tapos bye na.” We should continue the things we started and it is a must to finish them. Taking initial steps and leading people to join you is a tough job to do, but if it will benefit us and the future generation, why not?
Vol. XLII No. 1 • June - July 2013
Never again will I let you bring me down Never again will I let you beat me Never again will I lis ten to your lies Never again will I keep this fro Never again will I fall into the
wn
pit
Hero in Disguise What if one day you discover You are not actually who you are That you are, in fact, the ones you are in doubt of That maybe you are the characters made by your own creative mind That you are living to find out your supernatural side. Then you accidentally revealed what you are capable of Will you accept the responsibility or deny the key? You asked time to think about it, so seriously That you spent your allotted time practicing already You have learned the power of invisibility, the power of mind-reading The power of teleportation and the power of foretelling The power of invisibility, you have used To not pay attention to whatever is happening around you You don’t care if you’re hurting someone And you excuse yourself of being a human.
The pit of insecurity and loneliness, of depression and defeat Never again will s I trust you ppines the ha n o d e e f Nor will I ever id was l you d l a r o F let you in me d spite within red an t a h r you oul creted yful s And se my once jo You thought you could read minds, into I l l But the truth is, you just assume everything that comes your i w again way Never d i a be afr You always want to be there for everybody when they need and help nd up To sta t for myself In just one call, you hurry up to go to wherever they are figh ed on on p Congratulations! Teleportation is within you! t p a e t p s s e to be bused and e r But when you’ll be the one needing them, do they do what g a And d, a grade you do? e D t and Lastly, you have this habit of predicting the future oymen j n Just e r Of what will happen to you if you’d rather choose r you action o f Either grab the opportunity or just refuse satisf And never think about all of these issues again, in. Never a g a never Now your allotted time to think is about to end… I’ll leave on you with choices to review n a C ril ha Ap s u r e -J Pause. Relax. Believe. You can do it. There’s no other superb you *** Sharina Gonzales ***
UMBILICAL COR
by Gem Alen San Pedro
Trivial thing it grew larger and Resenting d financial problems Amidst the is our skills that ca to be on top. But And as for a stude Art by Harriet Kim Anh Rodis
THE TRUE SENSE OF POWER
LITERARY
by Maria Erika Yumul
Geared up and ready for battle. Show them what we are and take home what’s ours! Little by little we see their faces get ourselves together Their fierce looks strike our very soul but we have to battle the up heat to other We stare at each ed them clench we as ng breaki to close Our weapons are ourselves for ped equip have we what start to signal We wait for the wered But there is still a question remained unans What are we really fighting for? ourselves? Are we fighting for our people or are we fighting for glory? and power for g fightin we are or Are we fighting for life reason sole a for is war this that s remain The fact still victory To see who has the might and who’ll receive the sweet who A little bit more patience and we’ll see who’s ves to them A little bit more strength collected and we’ll prove oursel ning? happe that’s hing Why is there a sudden pause to everyt know? to left have we else Is there something We’re loosening our grips on our weapons for some reason ne’s there And we’re looking up to the heavens above as if someo A bright light shone above our heads And a figure is coming down We are all in awe and in sudden weakness We fell to our knees and humbled ourselves down The king has arrived and has landed before our very eyes thing His majesty told us that we’re fighting for the wrong er strong It isn’t about the physical power or who’s It’s about the strength of the heart Its capability to battle out life’s own warfare He has imprinted His very words in us We are honored to have His presence; Almighty One and the ever glorified being the God, Who built the strong fortress of power in our hearts
Guinness Book’s Record Holders by Camille Eloise Eisma
Have you ever given speculative views on why someone would grow their hair 5.627 meters like XieQiuping of China? Why Aaron Gregg of Canada risked his life when he made 88 chains aw juggling catches resulting for a world record? At our house, we have several collections of books piled in tall shelves; alias “mini library.” From every volume of Sesame Street with big bird and the whole friendly bunch, multip le sets of encyclopedias, law books, medical references, dusty hardbound novels, to one of the most-valued books we have… indicating itself proudly with bold white letters: “Guinn ess World Records.” I recapture my memory clearly during those breath-takin g moments the first time I held the heavy almost-cereal-boxsized book, excitement boiled in my stomach while an unexpl ainable thrill clawed its way to my lungs. As I deliberately browsed to its pages, being stunned is an understatement; I litera lly dropped my jaw. “How on earth did those people achieve that?” Swiftly, a bolt of lightning came rushing on my mind. They are people who were once plain usual; now significantly recognized. They were apparently popularized by the abnormalcy of their doings. They are the world’s record holders. An unexpected vivid flashback came. My younger self summon ed back. The time knotting a blanket at my neck instan tly transforms me to a brave hero. Mud can be formed to a chocol ate cake with baby powder as icings. Broom can definitely make me fly like a wicked witch on bedtime stories. Refrigerator boxes are buildings and houses. Anything is incredibly possib le! I hit realization, if you strongly believe on someth ing like in those cherished early days, you will achiev e it. Those record-holders unquestionably trusted what they think is attainable while others never thought of a slim chance. They heroically took the risks because they bluntly trusted themselves. I am entirely in awe of the Guinness Book not because of the astonishing records, instead by the people behind those. People blessed with great understandin g that glory and power starts on a simple act of believing.
RD TO SUCCESS
o
gs erupted in the society. Connecting the history of our destiny’s threads, one can realize how d larger only to form into a relentless cord. deeply, poverty is one of the primary reasons why this cord strongly grips. With all those s, it would be a great thing to even have a piece of paper and a one-inch long pencil. fact that not everyone has the privilege to be sent to a great school, at the end of the day, it atapult us into the pages of supremacy. Indeed, we live in the world where everyone wants one should realize that in order to attain power and glory, we should start with ourselves. ent like me, education is the key and is the umbilical cord to success.
22
SPORTS
SPORTS EDITORIAL Risking Dynasties LET’S TAKE this moment to say goodbye to “The Truth” Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett sporting that green and white uniform. We may also say farewell to Kobe Bryant’s sixth championship aspiration. This off-season couldn’t get any worse for the Lakers and the Celtics, why? Because two of the most storied franchise in NBA history are clearly screwing up their chances on rebuilding their respective rosters. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics provided diehard fans some of the greatest finals series of all time. Seriously, both squads are built on legends such as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Cousy, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and many more. All the names mentioned became massive superstars in their own right. They were foundations for the Lakers and the Celtics to be on the championship pedestal season after season. But as of late, both squads participated in disastrous deals that sent them into a whirlpool of fiasco. First are the 17-time champions, the Boston Celtics. After participating in a lopsided deal sending Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets, banner number 18 won’t come any sooner. This leaves the C’s with marquee playmaker, Rajon Rondo, the only legit superstar in the team. The offensive aspect of the Celtics’ game will be challenged since no player on the brand new roster can really score in bunches. Another Achilles heel for them will be their inside presence since no prominent big man on the squad can pound the ball inside and defend the league’s premiere centers. Next is the team that bleeds purple and gold, the Los Angeles Lakers. The arrival of Steve Nash and Dwight Coward, oh Howard, didn’t help. Nash got injured and the so-called Superman blamed everyone except himself for his lacklustre performance. Pau Gasol became so soft and Metta World Peace got more technical fouls than good games. Kobe Bryant got injured in the crucial stretch of the regular season making the championship dream hazy for them. With Howard leaving after messing up the Lakers, they had the chance to get considerable players Chris Kaman, Nick Young, Jordan Farmar, and Wesley Johnson. What they need now is to land a significant free agent that may help ease Bryant’s scoring load and still be a defensive threat. Both these franchises are trying to go back on the grandest stage for basketball supremacy by going the extra mile, taking on risky deals. But as of now, after all the changes that they have gone through, it looks like it will take a long time before we see the Lakers or the Celtics or both of them in the NBA Finals once again.
NBA Stars Invade Philippines by Nikko Raphael Villanueva
THE PHILIPPINES is a basketball-loving country. That is why international sports and mobile brands are trying to give back to the people by bringing international basketball superstars to the motherland. Just this July, four-time MVP LeBron James visited Manila for a one-day stay in the country. The trip, dubbed as the “Witness History” tour, marked King James’ first ever visit in the Philippines. He made a grand entrance in the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena before squaring off in an exhibition scrimmage wherein he displayed some of his flashy plays. Basketball players who participated in the game include ballers from the Gilas Pilipinas national squad and collegiate stand-outs from the UAAP and the NCAA. In the same month, James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Eric Gordon of the New Orleans Pelicans also visited the country to grace the NBA 3X Philippines 2013. This is a three-on-three tournament for young and aspiring basketball players. It is Harden’s second time in the country. The first is when he played a pair of exhibition games alongside Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, and other NBA stars in 2011. While for New Orleans’ guard, Eric Gordon, the tour was his first chance to be in the Philippines. All-Stars, Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose are also set to return to the country. Both of them played in two exhibition games
District tournament...
King in Manila. NBA Star LeBron James during his visit in the Philippines. Photo Credit: Google Images
teaming up with other NBA stars when they visited way back in 2011. Bryant, who is a frequent visitor in the country every offseason, will be having a promotional tour for a mobile brand. On the other hand, Rose will stay in the country from September 1416 before he tours to other parts of Asia and Europe for an internationally famous sporting brand. And before the year ends, the first ever NBA pre-season game in the Philippines will be held inside the MOA Arena on October 10. It will feature the young and dynamic Houston Rockets squad taking on the defensive-oriented Indiana Pacers.
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also the first time that the 50/70 division was played at the Asia-Pacific Regional level. This special division was for children 11-13 with 50-foot pitching distances and 70-foot base paths, thus the term 50/70. The Asia Pacific Regions (known as ASPAC) included
countries from the Middle East for the first time. Saudi Arabia and UAE participated this year while Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar might join next year. Little League powerhouse Chinese Taipei also joined Big League Baseball.
Nation’s Pride. The Philippine Softball team brings pride to the country after defeating other foreign competitors in the AsiaPacific and Middle East Regional Tournament. Photo by Riza Marie Padilla
THE PIONEER • The Official Student Publication of Angeles University Foundation
PH Softbelles will advance to the World Series The Pinays swept all four divisions with teams from Manila, Iloilo and Laguna beating their counterparts to clear their road to the World Series. Reigning World Series champion Manila ruled in the Big League division after a 13-1 victory over Guam. Laguna scored a near 4-3 triumph which concluded the Senior League tournament, while Iloilo dumped Guam, 18-9, for the Junior League. And for the Major division, Philippines surpassed Indonesia, thus giving them the championship. The Philippines will represent Asia-Pacific in all four divisions of the softball World Series next month in the United States.
SPORTS Smashing curiosity to passion by Rosiah Rodriguez
SHE CAME like a million shuttlecocks on a rally instantly capturing the sport-loving crowd with her distinct skills and determination to win. Get to know the woman behind it all. Debra Anne Tiangco, a third year AB Communication student, will let you see what’s beyond the racket and the shuttlecock. Smashing start “Hobby ko na talaga, sa daan nga lang kami naglalaro nun e.” Unhesitant in raising a hand when her grade school teacher asked if someone knows how to play badminton, that’s where it all began. Tiangco has no formal training then, but it became her hobby and later on pursued it. She transformed from a 9-year-old girl who was just curious to try the game to a woman who really fell in love with it today. Driving achievements “Yung nasa AUF na ako, dalawang beses akong nagchampion tapos 2nd runner up sa PRISAA.” With her passion for badminton, she has competed
in Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA), Ambet’s Cup Bulacan Championship, and Magalang Badminton Tournament Championship. Tiangco’s future competitions include the XP2 Badminton Tournament, City Meet (a badminton tournament among different schools in Pampanga) and the PRISAA Regionals 2013-2014. When playing, Tiangco bears in mind that it’s not always about the awards she may receive. The most significant thing is that she enjoys what she is doing while balancing it with her studies. Badminton is a sport where they seldom conduct competitions so when an opportunity comes, Tiangco gets into full swing. Ready to show the people that no matter how challenging it gets, she can definitely take the bull by the horns. Coach’s whistle “Kahit gaano pa kagaling ang player, kapag walang diskarte at utak sa laro it all goes to waste.” This is what her coach, Arthur Yuzon, always reminds his players. Tiangco has undeniable skills and the wit to outsmart her opponents.
She is always open to criticisms and knows how to adapt to changes which took her where she is right now.
The Smasher. Debra Tiangco during one of her Badminton games. Photo by Riza Marie Padilla
Wife-Carrying: From a crime to a sport by Kathleen Camille Apilado
“…TO HAVE and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.” – short, yet a very meaningful vow that newlyweds should obey. In everything they do, they should always face those TOGETHER. Just like in a very rare sport that couples must try which is wife carrying. It’s certainly not a conventional sport – many people may have never heard of it. Upon hearing this, the first thing that may come to your minds is simply a husband carrying his wife, right? Well, if that’s what you think, this is the chance to give you more knowledge and background regarding this sport. Let’s begin! What is Wife Carrying? According to howstuffworks. com, wife carrying is an odd yet funny sport that originated in Finland. It was believed that this was created through historical tales about an infamous thief named Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen in the late 1800’s. He and his fellow thieves were accused of stealing food as well as women in the village to become their wives whom they carried on their backs (wife stealing). Ronkainen also
trained his thieves to be “faster and stronger” by carrying heavy sacks which eventually evolved into a sport. The Obstacle Course The original course is a rough, rocky area with fences and brooks but has been changed to suit modern conditions. Sand replaced full rocks, fences remained and some parts of the area were filled with water. The Rules 1. The length of the official track is 253.5 meters and it has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle which is about one meter deep. 2. The wife to be carried can be your own or any lady as long as she is 17 years old above. The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kilograms. If she is less than 49kgs, the wife will be burdened with a loaded rucksack to comply with the required weight. 3. The only equipment allowed is a belt worn by the carrier and a helmet for the one being carried. 4. The contestants should pay attention to all instructions given by the organizers and they should be able to guarantee their safety. 5. The couple who will finish
the course for the shortest time will be considered the winner. There are special awards given to the participants who are the most entertaining, the best in costume, and the strongest carrier. Becoming a global phenomenon Wife carrying is on its way to the global stage. This sport is now practiced in Australia, USA, Hong Kong, Estonia and other parts of the world. This only proves that from one place to another, this sport will soon be known around the world.
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PH to host...
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Title winner Chot Reyes was chosen as the coach of the Gilas Pilipinas National squad. Philippines as the host country was given the opportunity to choose the group they will play in the preliminary round. Surprisingly, Reyes’ assistant Norman Black chose Group A, breaking people’s expectations that he’d choose Group D. According to Reyes, they have their reasons for choosing Group A. He refused to answer the question and just said that they carefully considered all options. In the last game in 2011 at Wuhan (China), the Philippines almost got the bronze medal but finished fourth, losing to Korea in a close fight. The national squad is ranked 45th in the FIBA world standing. Smart Gilas will start their campaign facing Saudi Arabia in the MOA Arena while reigning champions China will line up against Korea. Meanwhile, 2011 silver medalists Jordan will battle Chinese Taipei. Aside from Saudi Arabia, the Philippines will compete with Jordan and Chinese Taipei in the preliminary round. The top three teams from Manila will directly qualify for the World Cup. 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup The international cup is the main event of the federation. The new name reflects that this event is one of the biggest global competitions, together with the FIFA World Cup, the Rugby World Cup, and the Cricket World Cup. The first-ever FIBA Basketball World Cup will be held in Spain.
Photo Credit: Google Images
Vol. XLII No. 1 • June - July 2013
Alive and Kicking. The AUF Great Danes Football Team is all smiles after winning the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) meet which was held earlier this year. Photo Credit: Timothy Rivera
s t r o p S
AUF Football Team to recruit more players FOOTBALL IS becoming a popular sport in the Philippines and it finally found its way to our university. Most Angeleneans are unaware that AUF has its own football team, a squad which won the championship title in the Private Schools Athletics Association (PRISAA) meet in January 2013. Coach Jeremy Tayag, a fourth year CCS student, formed the team in November 2012 with the help of AUF Sports Coordinator Jeffrey Jervoso and with the approval of University President Atty. Joseph Emmanuel L. Angeles (JELA). According to Tayag, building the team wasn’t easy;
by Edgar Allan Dela Cruz he had to make great efforts in marketing and endorsing the sport to other schools just to find willing players to train with them for free. “Gusto naman nilang maglaro. Andyan ‘yung puso para sa sport. May potential naman kaya bakit natin sila babale-walain, di ba?” he said. Currently, Tayag is searching for efficient ways to get more players. He said that other than the open tryouts, he is planning to use the U-Games as a means of seeking potential players. As of now, Tayag’s players and trainees range from Grade 7 to college students.
From 15 players last year, Tayag managed to achieve a total of 24 players for this year’s roster. However, some players had to leave because of the set age limit at 25 years old. But not all players went empty-handed, especially Timothy Rivera who was the former captain of the football team. He is now training with the Philippine Azkals. Because of this, Tayag wants the AUF football team to keep on going. “Sana mag-tuluy-tuloy na ang football sa AUF, kahit na ngayon, walang benefit ‘yung mga naglalaro, pero hopefully, magkaroon din ng scholarship sa football,” he added.
27th FIBA Asia Championship The continental tourney is a biennial event for the Senior Men’s National teams. This year, the event is to be played at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena and Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila from August 1-11. Multiple PBA continued on page 23
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by Hee Soo Oh
Int’l Basketball Federation The abbreviation ‘FIBA’ came from the French “Fédération Internationale de
Basketball Amateur.” In 1896, the word “amateur” was eliminated when the distinction between the amateurs and professionals was abolished. FIBA now stands for Fédération Internationale de Basketball or International Basketball Federation. FIBA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the exclusive governing body in basketball. Their center of
by Rosiah Rodriguez
CHAMPS OF the District Tournament scuffled their way to the World Series during the Asia-Pacific and Middle East Regional Tournament held in Clark, Pampanga on June 30July 8 this year. A total of 47 teams from 15 countries vied in four (4) baseball divisions: Little League Baseball (LLB), Junior League Baseball (JLB), Senior League Baseball (SLB), and Big League Baseball (BLB). Participating countries include China, Chinese Taipei, CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, and United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to Little League Asia, there were several firsts in the said tournament. It was the first time that all Little League divisions played a tournament at the same time and place. This allowed boys and girls of all ages to watch the games of their older or younger countrymen. It was
PH to host 27th FIBA Asia Championship THE HEAT of the NBA finals hasn’t cooled down yet but here’s another big event which will make the basketball fans go wild again. For a country with great love for basketball, it is indeed a great privilege to host the 27th FIBA Asia Championship.
District Tournament champs tussle to World Series
operations is located in Geneva, Switzerland.