The Varsitarian P.Y. 2014-2015 Issue 04

Volume LXXXVI, No. 4 • October 23, 2014 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF SANTO TOMAS Manila, Philippines

University targets higher QS ranking

Despite rain, thousands flock to La Naval STEADFAST faith is much stronger than the rain.

Unwavering faith and devotion characterized the active participation of devotees despite inclement weather during the celebration of the La Naval de Manila feast at the Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City last Oct.12.

Heavy rains fell hours before the 4 p.m. procession but thousands of devotees continued to assemble in the church, expressing their desire to honor Our Lady of La Naval.

Despite the ankle-deep flood caused by the heavy outpour, Rynah Magbitang, a fourth-year entrepreneurship student from Angelicum College of Quezon City, said she was ready to stay for the procession which had strengthened her faith through the years.

“I have been doing this for years. I don’t mind the weather because I have a devotion to the Blessed Mother and my faith is strengthened every time I attend the procession,” Magbitang said.

In line with the Year of the Laity,

this year’s celebration had the theme, “Maria: Inang Layko, Ina ng Layko,” which extols the Blessed Mother as the best example of a lay person in the Church. The Blessed Virgin accepted the call of becoming the mother of God and this “obedience and complete surrender” is an act the laity was urged to emulate.

The faithful present during the procession said their faith had never been stronger. Strong devotion to the Lady of La Naval had also yielded miracles in terms of deepening family relationships.

Gloria Mutuc, a pharmacist from Parañaque, said her strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary was influenced by her mother, who was a cancer patient.

Mutuc’s mother had asked the Blessed Mother to help take care of her children as she went through the difficulties of having cancer.

“My mother would always invite me to pray the Holy Rosary. It was a way for our family to get through our mother’s cancer period,” Mutuc said. “I inherited my mother’s devotion and learned to

imbibe Mary in my life.”

Now a mother of five, Mutuc shared her Marian devotion to her children by encouraging them to join her in praying the Holy Rosary daily.

Fely Serafico, a devotee from Pasay, said her devotion to the Marian image started when she asked the Blessed Mother to grant her daughter a child.

Serafico’s daughter was struggling to have a child but after three years of joining the La Naval procession and novenas, her daughter finally got pregnant.

Serafico also attributed her 90-year-old mother’s lengthy life span and healthy disposition to her faith in the La Naval.

THE UNIVERSITY will establish a committee to focus on the improvement of UST’s standing in the QuacquarelliSymonds (QS) world university rankings, following its poor showing in recent years.

Maribel Nonato, director of the Office for Research and Innovation (ORI), said Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. had decided to form a committee of administrators that would synchronize UST’s strategy to achieve better QS results.

“The move of one will certainly affect the other office kaya kailangan parallel, synchronized ang mga [strategies]. Father Rector will be calling a big [meeting with the] lead offices,” Nonato said.

UST landed on 500th place, the last spot, in the 2009 QS World Rankings.

The University descended to the 501-550 bracket in 2010, then to the 601+ bracket in 2011 and 2012. Last year, UST slid to the 701+ bracket on the list of the top 800 universities in the world.

QS world rankings are based on five criteria, namely: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio, and international student ratio.

The University did not fare well in the 2013 criteria except in employer reputation, where it ranked 350th with 45.1 points.

Meanwhile, in the QS Asian rankings, UST landed on the 141st spot this year. Last year, the University placed 150th, its lowest standing in five years.

The University’s Asian ranking has also declined. UST ranked 101st in 2010, 104th in 2011, and 148th in 2012.

The criteria for the QS Asian university rankings include: academic reputation (30 percent), employer reputation, faculty-

A role model for the laity In his homily during the feast day’s High Mass, Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, O.P., UST vice chancellor

La Naval PAGE 8

University PAGE 3

Francis appoints UST vice chancellor to theology body SEA OF LIGHT. Devouts of the of Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de La Naval de Manila join the celebration of her feast.

BASILIO H. SEPE

‘Skills’ save some professors from ‘No MA, no teaching load’ rule APPARENTLY, there are exceptions to the “no master’s degree, no teaching load” policy.

While 87 professors and instructors without Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MS) degrees have been retired to comply with the minimum requirement of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) that UST has implemented since 2010, a few others without higher degrees were allowed to stay. UST gave consideration to faculty members teaching “skill-based” courses, according to Secretary General Fr.

Winston Cabading, O.P. “May mga exceptions to the rule dito sa [master’s degree for] programs that are not MA-based.

Like for example, you teach the flute. This talent [is] skillbased. This is something that you don’t learn as you go higher. So, binibigyan mo ‘yan ng leeway but there are certain areas [where] you really need [a master’s degree],” Cabading told the Varsitarian in an interview.

The recent hiring of teachers with only bachelor’s degrees under their belts was intended to address

the growing student population. “[L]umaki lang tayo. Our population grew by a few more thousands in comparison with what we had in 2008, 2010, 2011, [and] 2012,” Cabading said.

According to Section 35 of CHEd Memorandum Order (CMO) 40 series of 2008, or the Manual of Regulation for Private Education of 2008, a faculty member can only be tenured in a higher education institution if he or she is “a holder of master’s degree,” and, if applicable, a holder of the appropriate professional license.

For breaking news and real-time updates visit: www.varsitarian.net

POPE Francis has appointed UST Vice Chancellor Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, O.P. as the lone representative of the Philippines to the International Theological Commission.

Timoner, prior provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines, was chosen along with 29 other theologians from different countries last Sept. 23.

The new members of the commission will serve for five years, from December 2014 to 2019.

The International Theological Commission advises the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the in-depth study of Church doctrines. It was established by Pope Paul VI on April 11, 1969.

Timoner is the fourth Filipino to become part of the Vatican commission after the Jesuit Fr. Catalino Arevalo in 1980, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle in 1997, and Don Bosco priest Fr. Francis Gustilo in 2009.

Timoner said being a member of the Vatican commission was a “humbling experience,” adding that there were “better and more qualified theologians in the country.”

“I know that the appointment is not a reward for something I have done, but a call to service too big for me. I believe my main work is to learn and to share with

Professors PAGE 5

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@varsitarianust

Appointment PAGE 6

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2 News

The Varsitarian OCTOBER 23, 2014

Editor: Gena Myrtle P. Terre

Assistant Editor: Lord Bien G. Lelay

OCTOBBER 23, 2014

Faculty Union distributes P10-M savings THE UST Faculty Union (USTFU) has given back P10 million in excess funds to its members, covering union dues collected since 2010. USTFU President Dr. George Lim said the savings were distributed because the union had “enough funds.”

“The P10 million is only what we saved during our term of office,” he said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

The distribution of the fund began last Oct. 10, with union members claiming their checks from their respective faculty club presidents after accomplishing a membership identification form.

The distribution of checks to retired professors began last Oct. 15 at the USTFU office.

The payout was based on teaching loads of union members. The maximum amount was set at P18,000, based on a full 24-unit teaching load.

Tenured professors, lecturers hired before 2001, retirees, and administrative officials with teaching loads from 2010 to 2015 were eligible to a share in the savings.

Christmas donation Meanwhile, Barangay Poblacion in Batan, Aklan was chosen to receive USTFU’s P1-million donation to victims of typhoon “Yolanda.”

The donation, which came from the union’s Christmas party budget last year, “took some time” to be released because USTFU implemented a selection process.

“One of our requirements is a clear and concrete plan on how they will use the money.

We want the money to be used for the people in the community,” Lim said.

The beneficiary was chosen from a list of communities nominated by professors, which was screened by a committee formed by USTFU. “We are just waiting for the email of [the plan of Barangay Poblacion]. One of our officers will go there with a trust agreement, and the first check will be addressed to the parish.”

The donation will be made through the Immaculate Conception Parish, whose parish priest is Msgr. Pedro C. Frac.

“The beneficiary is the community not the parish priest. The parish priest is only our vehicle,” Lim said. “The money has always been there. We were just waiting for them. We don’t want the P1 million to go to waste. We want the money to benefit the real people.” ARIANNE F.

MEREZ

Student-focused teaching system adopted in Architecture THE COLLEGE of Architecture has adopted a new “student-centered” teaching system with the full implementation of an “Outcomes-Based Education” (OBE) curriculum this semester.

Architecture Dean John Joseph Fernandez said the OBE curriculum would be focused on the teaching strategies of professors, rather than the subjects, to facilitate students’ learning.

“With OBE, we aim to explain to the students the things that they did wrong and make them fully understand,” Fernandez said in an interview.

In UST, Architecture students are required to submit three plates for their design subjects.

In the old curriculum, students who failed in the first plate were allowed to work on the succeeding plates. The scores for the three plates were averaged at the end of the semester to determine their grades.

In the OBE curriculum, students will not be allowed to work on their second and third plate unless they passed the first.

“When students fail, the plate is given back to them and a one-on-one discussion is conducted,” the dean said.

Students who fail in the first plate will be allowed to do it again until they meet the standards set by the professor, but the highest grade they can get for their repeated works is 75.

The curriculum change was also implemented in preparation for ASEAN integration in 2015, and to meet the requirements set by the Commission on Higher Education to maintain a “Center of Excellence” status and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities for a Level 1 accreditation.

Other faculties and colleges that have shifted to the OBE curriculum are the Faculty of Arts and Letters, Faculty of Engineering, College of Nursing, and the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management. ARIANNE F. MEREZ

BARRED. Security tightened within and around the University following the fourth consecutive hosting of the University of the Bar Exams.

BASILIO H. SEPE

Live wire kills Med stude during ‘Mario’ A second-year UST medicine student was electrocuted while braving floodwaters on España Boulevard amid the onslaught of Typhoon "Mario" last Sept. 19.

The same live wire that killed Siegfreid Nathan Arcilla, 22, also victimized two others that day. But Far Eastern University student Cedric Fabie, 18, and hotel employee Glendon Benedicto, 22, survived.

Arcilla was killed after his umbrella touched the live wire near UST's Gate 1 around 5 p.m., police

investigation showed.

Vendor Radel Sumagang saw the victim lying on the ground and sought the help of UST security guard Geronimo Mazo. But Arcilla did not reach the hospital alive.

Arcilla's wake at Camp Crame, Quezon City from Sept.

21 to 24 was opened to the public to raise awareness on the incident, said Dale Dakila, UST Theological Society President and a close friend of the victim's.

Arcilla's remains were cremated

the following day at the St. Peter Crematorium.

“Maybe there was something lacking on the part of the government,” Dakila told the Varsitarian.

Arcilla was a graduate of biochemistry from the UST Faculty of Pharmacy. He was also a former Red Cross Volunteer.

The Faculty of Medicine and Surgery offered a Mass for the victim last Sept. 22. ARIANNE F. MEREZ

ROBERTO A. VERGARA, JR.

Civil Law Dean to students: ‘My office is always open’ FACULTY of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina has called on students to raise their “concerns” directly to his office or to the student council, in response to anonymous posts on Facebook.

Divina released an open letter last Sept. 19 through the Civil Law Student Council’s official Facebook page, addressing students who had anonymously vented “their frustrations and disappointments with the [faculty], its professors, or fellow students” on pages such as “UST Law Files.”

“If you genuinely wish to help improve our faculty, as I presume you do, I encourage you to channel all your concerns either to me directly or through the student council. In return, I assure you that all your legitimate questions, problems, and requests will be appropriately addressed,” the letter read.

Usapang Uste

One of the anonymous posts claimed that some professors practiced “nepotism” and “favoritism” in class. “We have this subject last [semester] na hindi binalik ang final exam booklet. [Medyo] nagdududa kami na kaya [hindi] binalik ang booklet [ay] dahil may nangyaring ‘magic’ sa final grades. Lagi kami nagpa-follow up sa Dean’s office tungkol [sa] booklet namin, pero wala pa rin,” the post said.

“Gusto namin ng justice.

Gusto sana namin fair magbigay ng grades.

Wala sanang adjustment na gagawin dahil lang kamag-anak o dahil maganda ang estudyante,” it said.

Also on Facebook, an alumna, Pia Embuscado, expressed her disappointment

over the surge of complaints from Civil Law students. “If you have any ‘legitimate grievances,’ Dean Divina is waiting for it.

Stop doing it here [on Facebook].

We expect more from you considering that you [have] better facilities now than what we had before,” Embuscado said.

Civil Law Student Council President Victor Villanueva urged the students behind the controversial Facebook page to remove their cloak of anonymity.

But he said: “The fact that some students find the need to express their sentiments anonymously, not just in UST Law Files but in all Facebook pages of similar nature, reflects the inherent difficulty among students, not just law students, to challenge the authority in any

school setting.”

Divina said bringing the complaints to his office was only fair to the people involved. “[I]t affords fairness to people who may be perceived to be the cause of the problem by giving them sufficient opportunity to explain themselves, a process so basic in law,” he said in his letter.

Divina emphasized that he was open to communication, and that students were not barred from bringing forward their sentiments.

“One thing good about our faculty, the dean’s office is always open. The dean doesn’t sit on a pedestal or ivory tower ... I’m here.

We can discuss your concerns,” he said in an interview, adding that he had a dialogue with some students shortly after he released his letter.

DAYANARA T. CUDAL

Mga samahang relihiyoso sa USTe

By MARIA KOREENA M. ESLAVA

Noong 1928, inilunsad ang Order of Marian Crusaders (OMC).

Layunin ng OMC na maging tulay sa pagkakaroon ng mas malapit na ugnayan sa Panginoon ang bawat mag-aaral sa pamamagitan ng mga kumbokasyon at mga malalayang talakayan tungkol sa Bibliya gayundin ang pagsasagawa ng buwanang espirituwal na rekoleksyon sa kapilya ng Unibersidad.

Sa kabila ng adhikaing ito, hindi bukas sa lahat ang samahan. Bago maging isang opisyal na kasapi ng OMC, kinakailangang pagdaanan ng sinumang interesado ang apat na antas ng initiations depende sa kani-kaniyang kaalaman at pananampalataya.

Taong 1933 nang itatag ang Holy Name Society (HMS) n a isang samahang ekslusibo sa mga Katolikong kalalakihan ng Unibersidad na naglalayong bigyangpuri ang ngalan ni Hesus sa pamamagitan ng buwanang debosyon a t komuniyon at sa pagkilala sa Mahal na Birhen bilang Kaniyang ina.

Kaiba sa OMC, isa nang samahang global ang HMS bago

pa mabuo ang sariling sangay nito sa UST kaya naman maluwag ang kanilang nagiging pagtanggap sa mga nagnanais sumali.

Pagpapatunay dito ang pahayag sa isang artikulo ng Varsitarian noong ika-2 ng Oktubre 1933 kung saan sinabi dito na naglunsad ang HMS ng isang malawakang kampanya na humihimok sa mga miyembro nito na mag-imbita ng mas marami pang mga mag-aaral na makiisa sa kanila.

Tradisyon na ng pagiging mag-aaral sa isang Katolikong unibersidad ang pagbuo at pagsapi sa ganitong mga samahan, makikitang higit pa rito ang pangunahing layunin ng mga miyembro ng OMC at ng HMS. Sa pamumuno ni Prof. Jose Hernandez ng College of Education, nagtutungo pa a n g mga miyembro ng mga samahang ito sa Tondo tuwing Huwebes upang magturo ng katekismo sa mga bata sa mga pampublikong paaralan. Nagbunga ang hakbang na ito sa

adhikain nilang higit pang mapalawak ang napaaabutan ng kanilang mga paniniwala at pananampalataya.

Sa kasalukuyan, kabilang sa mga samahan sa Unibersidad na may kaparehong layunin ang Christ’s Youth in Action, CFC-Youth for Christ (CFC-YFC), Student Religious Organizations (SRO) Music Ministry, Pax Romana, Bosconian Thomasian Youth Movement, Marian Evangelization Community, UST Campus Feast, SRO Core Group, at UST Lifebox.

Tomasino siya Alam ninyo ba na isang Tomasinong inhinyero ang patuloy na gumagawa ng pangalan hindi lamang sa kaniyang napiling larangan kung hindi maging sa pagiging isang awtor, tagapagsalita, negosyante at imbentor?

S i Reynold Agustin, nagtapos ng kursong Chemical Engineering noong taong 2004, ay ginawaran ng 2014 Young Thomasian Achiever in Entrepreneurship.

Noong 2007, inilathala ang

Usapang Uste PAHINA 9

3

2 Law frats suspended over ‘standoff’

CSC enforces new students’ grievance system THE CENTRAL Student Council (CSC) has introduced a new form for student complaints against fellow students, faculty members, administrators, support staff, and organizations.

The “STRAW Form,” launched during the Students’ Rights and Awareness Week (STRAW) held Oct. 20-24, can be obtained online or from the CSC office, the Office for Student Affairs (OSA), and college student councils. The form must be enclosed in an envelope and submitted in drop boxes at the OSA and council offices.

According to the project proposal, the presidents of CSC and the college student council will represent the complainant in investigations. Complainants may seek the assistance of a lawyer.

CSC President Ina Vergara said the project’s main objective was to protect and uphold the rights of Thomasians through a formal grievance mechanism.

“Ang STRAW Form ay nagtataguyod ng isang mabuting pag-uugnayan sa pagitan ng estudyante at administrasyon sa pagreresolba ng mga isinumiteng saloobin o hinaing,” Vergara said.

The Varsitarian News

Thomasians top med tech, chemistry, electronics eng’g boards THOMASIANS emerged as topnotchers in three state licensure examinations in September, although UST recorded lower passing rates in medical technology and electronics engineering.

UST slipped to 10th place in the medical technology board exams after posting a 93.30-percent passing rate, with 209 passing the test out of 224 examinees, results from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) showed.

UST was the top-performing school in the medical technology boards in 2010, but slid to third place in 2011. It ranked second in 2012.

Last year, UST plunged to eighth place after recording a 95.19-percent passing rate, equivalent to 277 passers out of 291 examinees.

The sole topnotcher from UST was Hanna Clementine Tan, who shared the eighth spot with Jason Cuevas Bansuela of Silliman University. Both scored 89.30 percent.

Saint Louis University, University of the Immaculate Conception-Davao, and Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas were declared the top-performing schools.

The national passing rate slid to 82.60 percent or 2,986 passers out of 3,615 examinees, compared with last year’s 83.30 percent or 2,276 out of 2,716 examinees.

UST also recorded a slightly lower passing rate in the licensure examinations for electronics engineers, 54.92 percent (106 passers out of 193 examinees), compared with last year’s 55.86 percent (81 passers out of 145 examinees).

Second placer Harold Alexis Lao led the new batch of Thomasian electronics engineers with a score of 90.60 percent.

Engineering Dean Philippina Marcelo said the college was using a “more structured system” of outcomes-based education (OBE)

Graduate School offers master’s degree in OT THE UST Graduate School has introduced a master’s degree in occupational therapy (OT) to meet the growing demand for higher studies in the field.

Dean Marilu Madrunio said the new program was initiated by College of Rehabilitation Sciences Dean Cheryl Peralta, who serves as program leader for the health sciences cluster of the Graduate School.

“It was through her that the feasibility study was made, which revealed that more than 90 percent of occupational therapy graduates expressed their desire to pursue a master’s degree,” Madrunio said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Twelve students enrolled in the program this semester.

It has also become necessary for the Graduate School to offer a graduate program in OT due to the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHEd) requirement that those teaching professional courses in universities must have master’s degrees.

“In the Philippines, the large number of young professionals driving the economic growth is creating the need for programs that promote good health and wellness, which is basically what occupational therapy is all about,” Madrunio said.

OT is defined as the evaluation and analysis of physical and psychiatric conditions using definite activities, to avoid disability and to push for independent function in all aspects of daily life.

The University’s undergraduate program in OT is recognized by CHEd as a Center of Development (COD). CODs are either public or private higher education institutions that have demonstrated the highest level of standards in the areas of instruction, research, and extension.

PACUCOA accreditation Meanwhile, the Graduate School is also preparing for Level IV accreditation under the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (Pacucoa). The Pacucoa visits will be on March 12 to 14, 2015, and will cover Master of Arts and Master of Science programs, Master in Business Administration (MBA), MS Pharmacy, MS Medical Technology, and MA in Education.

Grad School PAGE 5

to improve students’ performance in the licensure examinations.

“Based on our own very high standard in the University, much is to be desired. We don’t consider ourselves ‘satisfied’ because we did not manage to land in the topperforming schools’ honor roll. We will continue to work very hard to avoid these unfavorable results next time,” she said in an email to the Varsitarian.

Only the University of the Philippine-Diliman was named the top-performing school in the electronics engineering board exam for schools with 40 or more examinees. It had a 92.50-percent passing rate, or 37 passers out of 40 examinees.

De La Salle University-Lipa was the top performer in the roster of schools with more than 50 examinees after getting a 98.28-percent passing rate, with 57 passers out of 58 examinees.

The national passing rate declined to 31.58 percent from last year’s 34.51 percent. Out of 4,851 examinees, only 1,532 passed.

In the separate board exams for electronics technicians, UST recorded a perfect score, with all 34 examinees passing the test.

Meanwhile, the University improved its passing rate in the licensure examinations for chemists with a score of 78.26-percent. Thirtysix UST examinees passed out of 46.

The rate was higher than last year’s 63.83 percent or 30 out of 40 passers.

Two Thomasians made it to the top 10 list of passers: Carlo Andres in fourth place (88.25 percent) and Angelo Gabriel Buenaventura (86.75 percent), who shared the ninth spot with Robinson Bryan Andres of UP Manila.

Four universities made it to the Boards PAGE 5

UST nagbigay ng halos P100,000 para sa ‘Tulong Tomasino Para sa Iraq’ HALOS isandaang libong piso ang ibinigay ng Unibersidad sa Dominican Province of the Philippines (DPP) bilang tulong sa mga Dominiko na nasa Iraq na naiipit sa karahasang dulot ng teroristang Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Sa pamamagitan ng Tulong Tomasino Para sa Iraq, isang proyektong sinimulan ng Simbahayan Community Development Office, nagbigay ang UST ng P99,343 noong Okt. 8.

Ayon kay Marielyn Quintana, direktor ng Simbahayan, layunin ng proyektong tumugon sa pangangailangan ng Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine of Siena-Iraq at ng iba pang mga Dominikong pari at madre roon. “Ang purpose natin is for us to be able to respond to the call of the Dominican nuns and priests who are taking care of the refugees in Iraq,” ani Quintana.

Opisyal na inilunsad ang proyekto sa Banal na Misa para sa kapistahan ng Mahal na Birhen sa Parokya ng Santisimo Rosario noong ika-8 ng Setyembre. Ang pinansyal

na donasyon ay ibinigay ng UST sa DPP at ipaaabot naman sa Province Dominicaine de France, o mga Dominikong Pranses.

Nagmula ang panawagan na tumulong sa mga naiipit sa kaguluhan sa Iraq sa isang forum ng Simbahayan noong ika-4 ng Setyembre.

Ani Quintana sa kanyang pambungad na talumpati sa forum na nagpapatuloy ang genocide ng ISIS sa mga Kristiyano gayundin ang pagwasak sa mga simbahan.

“Today in Iraq, the Islamic state continues its genocidal campaigns against Christians where churches are destroyed and desecrated, where women have been kidnapped, raped, and are now being sold in a public market,” ani Quintana.

“The priests and religious including the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation of Tours and the Sisters of St Catherine of Siena, who are staying in the place, find themselves today at a loss on how to provide basic necessities for about 130,000 Christian refugees scattered in four cities in northern Iraq.” JEROME P. VILLANUEVA

University aims for better ranking in QS FROM PAGE 1 student ratio, citations per paper, papers per faculty, and the proportions of international faculty, international students, student inbound exchange, and student outbound exchange, all with identical weights of 2.5 percent.

UST topped other Philippine schools in the citations per paper category for the third straight year with a score of 98.1, despite going down five notches overall to number 12.

In the international faculty criterion, UST also led Philippine universities, ranking 116th. UST slightly improved to 74th spot from 77th last year in the employer reputation indicator.

UST recorded better results in the international students (9.7 points), papers per faculty (2.1 points), and student inbound exchange indicators (2.2 points), placing 201st in these categories in the Asian survey.Nonato said the University had a “strong” research landscape, a necessary

factor for UST to be known globally and thus boost its performance in QS’ academic reputation criteria.

“Kung baga hindi kasi pinag-uusapan ‘yung quantity. We may lag behind in terms of the number of publications but we have some good researches with high impact, meaning that paper has a lot of citations,” Nonato said.

This academic year, UST has a total of 113 researchers affiliated to the research institutes of the University namely: the Center for Health Research and Movement Science (CHRMS), Center for Religious Studies and Ethics (CRSE), the Research Center on Culture, Education, and Social Issues (RCCESI), and the Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences (RCNAS), ORI data showed.

The highest number of researchers is in RCCESI, 57, while RCNAS has 43.

CHRMS and CRSE have six and seven University PAGE 10

The UST Faculty of Civil Law has suspended two fraternities involved in two separate "standoff" incidents last Oct. 12 and 13.

In a memorandum signed by Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina, members of the Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity and Aegis Juris Fraternity were suspended from “all bar operations and other student activities within [the] UST campus or other site where [the] UST Faculty of Civil Law has an official activity.”

Civil Law said the memorandum was a precautionary measure to ensure the security of all reviewees and students of the faculty.

The memorandum was issued following a complaint from the Office of the Bar Confidant, referring to a supposed confrontation between the two fraternities during the bar exams last Oct. 12.

According to Civil Law Student Council President Victor Villanueva, the council was gathering statements from witnesses to the two incidents.

“Hindi ko na-witness, pero from accounts of students who were there, may sakitang naganap, not just yesterday but also [last] Sunday,” he said.

UST Security Chief Joseph Badinas said there was no physical confrontation between the two fraternities last Oct. 13 and that the members left the University using separate gates to avoid further misunderstanding.

“We just guided the students para safe na makauwi. Wala namang sakitan na nangyari, parang discussion lang,” Badinas said in an interview.

Villanueva said he was not against fraternities as students had the right to form organizations, but these groups should not cause harm inside the University.

“My personal stand is that I allow them to settle their conflicts as long as it is not done in UST. Ang payo ko lang lagi sa kanila, take it outside,” Villanueva said.

DAYANARA T. CUDAL AND ARIANNE F. MEREZ

Gen ed departments transferred to colleges next year THE University-wide Department of Social Sciences is set to transfer four disciplines to a number of colleges, to promote specialization and strengthen faculty affiliation.

General psychology will be under the Department of Psychology in the College of Science and will be headed by Claudette Agnes, while socio-anthropology will be transferred to the Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets) and will be headed by Josephine Placido.

Economics, taxation, and agrarian reform as well as Philippine government and Constitution will also be moved to the Artletsbased departments of Economics and Political Science, respectively.

This means that the departments will be under the respective deans, instead of the vice rector for academic affairs. This setup follows the organizational structure of universities abroad.

It’s possible the social sciences department will soon be abolished after all disciplines are transferred to their respective college-based departments, said Arlene Calara, department head.

“What’s important is to build specific departments focused on the faculty who are specializing in those fields,” Calara said in an interview.Placido said the opening of an Artlets-based sociology department would be a “booster” to academic reputation, adding that the realignment was part of the “internationalization” efforts of the University.

The Varsitarian earlier reported that the departments of philosophy, English, literature Transfer PAGE 10

4 Opinion The

Varsitarian OCTOBER 23, 2014

OCTOBER 23, 2014

Fear

Editorial

Purist on Purisima AMID glaring cases of police corruption and incompetence, notably the kidnapping of two men and stealing P2 million in broad daylight on Edsa by eight policemen, some of them already convicted administratively of graft cases against them, President Aquino has stood by Director General Alan Purisima of the Philippine National Police (PNP), insensitively declaring that he was standing by his man.

It didn’t matter that Purisima was not exactly being blamed directly for the corruption of his men; no, he was not about to bow down to the dictum of command responsibility like that required of an officer and a gentleman.

He was being taken to task for his obscenely rich lifestyle by accepting money from rich families of rescued kidnap victims and for his failure to file his statement of assets and liabilities as required of any public official.

The gross insensitivity, nay the sheer arrogance, of Purisima has rubbed off on the President, whom one remembers as having declared in his inaugural speech that he would follow the “daang matuwid” or right path of a public servant. The road has apparently forked and the administration has started to trod the crooked path. The adage, “The captain goes down with the ship” takes on a whole new level of ridiculousness in this case.

Purisima has been more than insensitive; he has been hidebound and shameless. Asked to explain his wealth and high living, he said he had accepted “goodwill money” from rich Chinese-Filipino families whose members had been victimized by kidnap syndicates and rescued through PNP efforts.

Why the President chooses to stand by Purisima is a mystery. If he couldn’t let him go, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago suggested that the President should appoint him to the National Police Commission or Department of the Interior and Local Government. “That’s the best way, under the circumstances, to get rid of a suspicious character,” she said. “In other words, President Aquino, please kick Purisima upstairs so that he will leave the PNP alone,” she added.

Still, Aquino had the audacity to defend him even while he was on a presidential trip to Brunei, even laughing off the allegations hurled at Purisima. While boasting of the anti-corruption drive of his administration, he seemed averse to entertaining any impure thought about Purisima. On Purisima, it seems, the President is a purist.

The Varsitarian FOUNDED JAN. 16, 1928

SARAH MAE JENNA A. RAMOS. GRACELYN A. SIMON RALPH JOSHUA D.R. HERNANDEZ Editorial Board GENA MYRTLE P. TERRE News Editor LORD BIEN G. LELAY Assistant News Editor PAUL KENNEDY A. LINTAG Sports Editor ANDRE ARNOLD T. SANTIAGO Special Reports Editor JUAN CARLOS D. MORENO Features Editor JONELLE V. MARCOS Patnugot ng Filipino APRIL JOY E. DY Witness Editor HEDRIX AR-AR C. CABALLE Sci-Tech Editor KRISTELLE-ANN A. BATCHELOR Circle Editor MICHAEL CARLO C RODOLFO Online Editor KENO CARLO C. ENRIQUEZ Art Director JOHN PAUL R. AUTOR Photography Editor News Dayanara T. Cudal, Arianne F. Merez, Bianca Kristin A. Taray, Jerome P. Villanueva, Roberto A. Vergara, Jr. Sports Angelica P. Abello, Karl Cedrick G. Basco, Delfin Ray M. Dioquino, Josiah Darren G. Saynes Special Reports Mary Grace C. Esmaya, Mary Gillan Frances G. Ropero Features Jelina Anne S. Bunagan, Mone Virma Ginry P. Gumapac Literary Josef Brian M. Ramil, Alpine Christopher P. Moldez Filipino Erika Mariz S. Cunanan, Maria Koreena M. Eslava, Kimberly Joy V. Naparan Witness Angeli Mae S. Cantillana, Danielle Ann F. Gabriel, Marie Danielle L. Macalino Science and Technology Maritz L. Lubo, Rhenn Anthony S. Taguiam Circle Elyssa Christine A. Lopez, Ethan James M. Siat, Aliliana Margarette T. Uyao Art Jean Helene C. Estella, Ma. Aurora A. Gonzales, Kirsten M. Jamilla, Ava Mariangela C. Victoria Photography Nazzi M. Castro, Alvin Joseph Kasiban, Basilio H. Sepe Editorial Assistant Julius Roman M. Tolop

FELIPE F. SALVOSA II Assistant Publications Adviser JOSELITO B. ZULUETA Publications Adviser

Letters/comments/suggestions/contributions are welcome in the Varsitarian. Only letters with signatures will be entertained. Original manuscript contributions must be typewritten, double-spaced, on regular bond paper, and should include a signed certification bearing the author’s name, address, year, and college. The identity of a writer may be withheld upon request. The editors will not be responsible for the loss of materials. Contributions must be sent to THE VARSITARIAN office, Rm. 105, Tan Yan Kee Student Center Bldg., University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila.

FROM PAGE 7 response system or the “fight or flight response.”

These neurotransmitters are akin to drugs like Morphine and Codeine in their ability to suppress pain or invoke pleasure.

Melissa Stoppler, M.D., added in an article that while these neurotransmitters are similar to drugs because of their effects, they do not lead to addiction or dependence.

When these neurotransmitters combine together, she said they can contribute to a “fulfilling” scary experience.

In an article, Robi Ludwig, M.D., explained that as soon as fear disappears, the adrenaline rush is replaced by a “sense of powerfulness and euphoria,” or a sense of satisfaction. This is why an encounter with a headless priest in the Lovers'

Perils of Varsitarian sports journalism FIRST of all let me be clear, I do not hate UST teams.

Like a true Thomasian, I celebrate with pride every time the Growling Tigers win and get hurt every time they come up short.

The only difference is that unlike a regular student or normal fan, I have a responsibility to tell the community the story behind every jubilant victory and painful defeat our studentathletes go through.

As a student-journalist, it is my job to tell the truth. Even though I work for the 86-yearold official student publication of the University that will forever give focus to UST squads win or lose, losing my objectivity and being biased for the Tigers is not included in my job description.

Just because I’m part of a UST-based paper does not mean that I have to sensationalize every win by our teams and sugarcoat every game that they lose. It would be unfair to myself as a writer, unfair for the Varsitarian, unfair for the Thomasian community and

But it does not necessarily mean that if you have “Sto. Tomas” in front of your jersey, you are guaranteed to be a champion. more importantly, unfair to the players.

However, despite our great efforts to deliver the undisputed best journalism in UST, some of our own teams do not take kindly of our actions in telling the truth.

I understand that UST is a legitimate and proven powerhouse when it comes to sports. There is no debate that the Growling Tigers, formerly the Glowing Goldies, are one of the best, if not the best in the UAAP. If you need proof, 39 out of 76 overall championships should be enough to close the argument before it even starts.

But it doesn’t necessarily mean that if you have “Sto. Tomas” in front of your jersey, you are guaranteed to be a champion. Our current Tigers will have to work hard and win to sustain the high-profile status our sports program is known for.

As a writer, I’m well aware that I cannot please everybody with the things I write but I simply cannot understand why some players, coaches and even fans take offense when an article comes out saying that a particular team played poorly.

True responsible journalists should not hide the facts in a story especially if it is

essential to the readers. It does not mean that we are haters if we just fulfill our duties of telling the truth and informing the public what happened in an event.

That is why I cannot fathom why the Varsitarian is sometimes denied access to (OJO: ACCESS TO WHAT?) especially if other news outlets are free to conduct their own interviews and research. As the one and only official student publication of UST, we deserve to be involved, the students that read our printed and online news articles deserve to be involved. I am not saying that everything should be served to us on a silver platter, all I’m saying is that at least give us a fair chance, after all, we practice journalism and we do not practice public relations.

In the end, amidst all of the complex complications and dare I say politics and favoritism involved in the world of journalism and collegiate sports, as Thomasians, we will always Cult PAGE 5

For Bench, sex—and sexism—sells

Last September 20, readyto-wear retail giant Bench mounted its biennial denim and underwear fashion show, “The Naked Truth,” at the Mall of Asia Arena. Entertainment celebrities walked down the ramp wearing only their undergarments, a scene which earned applause and awe from thousands in the hall and tens of thousands in the virtual world.

People had been flocking to what amounted to a soft-porn carnival for several years now, but it was only this year when a hue and cry was raised. What caught the attention of feminist groups was actor Coco Martin emerging on stage as a circus ring master pulling a female acrobat looking like a circus animal on a leash. Netizens said they were “disgusted” and women’s rights activists said the scene demeaned women.

Among the critics were Sen. Pia Cayetano, Gabriela, and the Philippine Commission on Women. They said the Bench show violated Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women, which presses for the “non-discriminatory and non-derogatory portrayal of women in media and film to raise the consciousness of the general public in recognizing the dignity of women and the role and contribution of women in family, community, and the society through the strategic use

People had been flocking to what amounted to a soft-porn carnival for several years now, but it was only this year when a hue and cry was raised. of mass media."

Bench issued later an official apology. Coco Martin himself made an apology, saying he would no longer participate in any similar show.

Despite the apologies, one wonders how the demeaning import of the show could have escaped Bench and the actor.

If they were really sincere and meant well, such acts should not have been done in the first place.

Yet despite the flak, some netizens defended the show, insisting that the uproar was merely a misunderstanding and that the show, despite the excesses, was an exercise of creative freedom and artistry.

But there is nothing artistic and creative in dehumanizing women and treating them as sexual objects or animals.

Moreover, it seems only this year when an uproar was raised over the blatant denigration of womanhood

when in fact, Bench had been mounting the show every two years that basically portrayed women—and men like Coco Martin—as nothing more than sex objects.

In fact, Bench has been capitalizing on the old marketing adage all along: Sex sells. This means it has been commodifying women—and men—all along.

Many feminists and Netizen holier-than-thou’s have overlooked Bench’s sex-crazed marketing pitch all along. But now they raise a hew and a cry over . . . cruelty to animals?

Even some Netizens have described the Bench lingerie carnival as a “discreet porn show,” so how is this removed from white slavery or human trafficking?

Commercialism should not be an excuse to compromise human dignity. ***

To promote press excellence and foster camaraderie among campus journalists all over the country, the Varsitarian, the 86-year-old official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas, invites you to be part of a major BREAK THROUGH of journalism in Inkblots, the 16th UST National Campus Journalism Fellowship from Dec. 1 to 3 at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex (TARC), UST, España, Manila.

Register now for only P1,500.00 and learn from the top, new media professionals.

The fellowship will consist of seminars on news writing, sports writing, features writing, opinion or column writing, online journalism, lay-outing and cartooning, among others.

Fee covers the Inkblots fellowship kit, lunch, and snacks.

The Varsitarian will host welcome cocktails on the first day, December 1, and a fellowship dinner on the last day.

For inquiries, contact the Varsitarian at: 09175626767 (Globe), 09255687015 (Sun), 09994154229 (Smart) or 4061611, loc. 8235. You may also email varsitarianinkblots@ gmail.com.

Limited slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. REGISTER NOW!

Professors FROM PAGE 1 Moreover, universities should have “faculty members with relevant degrees in their areas of specialization” by 2014 to maintain their university and autonomous statuses, as stated in CMO no. 46 series of 2012.

Article 8, Section 3 of the 2011-2016 collective bargaining agreement between the University and the UST Faculty Union allows contractual and part-time appointments for faculty members without master’s degrees, but the University can remove them from the faculty roster when their contract expires.

Ricardo Balog, assistant dean of the Faculty of Engineering, said tight competition between private firms and the academe was making it difficult to encourage engineering practitioners to pursue higher degrees.

“There is that difficulty in getting engineers into

Cult FROM PAGE 4 cheer for our Growling Tigers no matter what.

Despite some misunderstandings every now and then, the Thomasian student inside us will always make us support our beloved University in times of grand coronations and even during agonizing setbacks. We just have to find the fine between fan and student-journalist and unlike other people, we cannot go crazy and shout “Go USTe!” at every coverage.

Again, let me be clear. I do not hate UST teams. I just happen to work with the best student publication and it is my job to tell the truth, even if it hurts all of us.

Ice bucket FROM PAGE 7 or IPS cells, begin as adult human skin cells but slowly become stem cells, which are ready to become other cells.

The Association added that this process offers a good opportunity to model the disease process and to discover and test new therapies. “[T]he stem cell line was established many years ago under ethical guidelines set by the [United States's] National Institute of

Lane on one night could be a good tale to tell the next morning, sleepless night aside.

However, De Guzman added that not everyone perceives stimuli as fear the same way. According to him, because fear is inborn and inherent, it could be acquired and learned.

“What may be fearful to you may not be fearful to me,” he said. “[Judging something as] threatening is also influenced by past experiences.”

Due to fear's “personal” nature, other people enjoy being afraid more than others.

Apparently, the “thrill” of fear could be addicting.

“This (the feeling of satisfaction after fear disappears) is especially the case when it comes to simulated fear,” Gladeana McMahon explained in an article.

Simulated fear are mechanisms that cause fear without the presence of an actual threat. Examples are

“screamers” or the sudden appearance of unsettling objects, eerie music and disturbing graphics.

McMahon added that simulated fear is also the reason why people seek high-intensity activities such as dangerous sports or riding roller coasters.

De Guzman explained that this “enjoyment” will also depend on a person's particular perception of the activity in question.

“Others may find it (the roller coaster) dangerous, others may just focus on enjoying the ride,” he said. “It depends on what you choose, and how you react to the situation.”

Ludwig added in another article that some people tend to scare themselves just to gauge their limits.

“There is a great sense of satisfaction when we can prove to ourselves [that] we can handle more anxiety than we ever imagined we could,” he said. “It is common for people

to want to push the envelope just to see how much fear they could handle.”

the academe,” Balog said.

“Experience is in relation [to] OBE (Outcomes-Based Education). [T]hat is even comparable, if not more [than what] an MS or an MA faculty member without industry experience can offer.”

Engineering had the highest number of tenured faculty members without MA or MS degrees in academic year 2012-2013 at 23, according to data from the Office for Faculty Evaluation and Development (OFED).

The University had a total of 120 tenured faculty members without master’s degrees, while 1,085 out of 1,400 faculty members had master’s degrees that year.

The Varsitarian has requested for data on the number of master’s degree holders in academic year 2013-2014, but OFED has yet to respond.

the master’s degree requirement.

A total of 87 faculty members retired in Academic Year 2013-2014, OFED data showed.

Engineering recorded the highest number of retirees at 11, followed by the Faculty of Arts and Letters with 10 retirees. The College of Fine Arts and Design and the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery had nine retirees each while the UST-Afredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy and the College of Architecture had seven retirees each. The Conservatory of Music and the Institute of Religion had six retirees apiece while the College of Science had five retirees.

Four professors retired from the College of Nursing, three retired from the College of Commerce and Faculty of Pharmacy, and two each from the College of Education and Institute of Physical Education and Athletics.

UST High School, the Education High School, and the Guidance and Counselling Department had one retiree each.

Last year, UST offered the Voluntary Retirement Program to tenured faculty members without master’s degrees. It gave 120 percent of basic monthly salary per year of service to faculty members below 63 years old who have rendered 10 years of creditable service.

The University also offered the Special Reprieve Program, which provided study leave with pay equivalent to a fulltime teaching load to faculty members who wish to finish their postgraduate degrees.

Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. told the Varsitarian he was confident UST would retain its autonomous status because of the large number of graduate degree holders in the University. “ Academic Affairs informed me that [above 90 percent] of our faculty [have graduate degrees.] It is not an easy decision on our part but we are complying with the basic requirement of [the Manual] and CHEd,” Dagohoy said.

JEROME P. VILLANUEVA

Boards

Grad school

FROM PAGE 2

FROM PAGE 3

list of top-performing schools.

Ateneo de Manila was named the top-performing school after all its 26 examinees passed the exam. Three UP campuses— Los Baños, Diliman, and Manila placed second, third, and fourth, respectively.

The national passing improved to 59.72 percent or 421 passers out of 705 examinees, from last year’s 56.04 percent or 320 passers out of 571 examinees.

The Varsitarian sought comments regarding the medical technology boards from Faculty of Pharmacy Dean Elena Manansala, but she declined. D.

Some PhD programs will also undergo accreditation for the first time on March 21 next year.

More retirees The number of faculty retirees increased last year, with some opting for voluntary retirement after failing to meet

One team I definitely do not hate is the Gilas Pilipinas.

For a fan who started paying attention to our national team playing in international competitions in 2002, I am proud to witness our current renaissance.

Although still short of a gold medal, the progress shown by Gilas Pilipinas in highly remarkable and I believe every Filipino should be proud.

I know we Thomasians love our basketball too and we should go all out for our Gilas Pilipinas the same way we go all out for our Growling Tigers Yes, both of them give us a lot of heartbreaks but it will just make their eventual breakthrough that much sweeter. #LabanPilipinas #GoUSTe. Neurological Disorders and Stroke,” the association said.

“This research is funded by one specific donor, who is committed to this area of research.”

However, Rosales explained that the effectiveness of stem cell research in the treatment of ALS has yet to be proved by recent studies.

“I had about 10 or so patients [with ALS] before, and they went abroad to undergo stem cell treatment,” he said. “All of them did not make it. In short, it's still not proven [to be effective] yet,” Rosales said.

Fear and health In spite of being enjoyable, fear in excessive amounts may be unhealthy.

McMahon explained in an article that extreme fear in situations of real danger can last for long periods of time.

These experiences could even trigger post-traumatic stress disorder, and even lead to severe depression.

She added that this is why children get traumatized with monsters, like with clowns and mascots.

De Guzman explained that since fear is invoked by a stimulus, then the fear is a “reaction” to a “condition,” which is the situation in question. “Unlearning” this condition and removing the fear entirely could be done through psychotherapy or behavorial therapy.

Booming enrollment The number of enrollees in the Graduate School increased by 9 percent to 1,937 this semester from 1,776 last year, statistics from the Graduate School showed.

The MBA program is the most popular with a total of 223 enrollees this semester, up by 3 percent from 216 last year.

Thirty-six out of 62 graduate programs saw an increase in enrollment.

T. CUDAL, A. F. MEREZ AND B. K. A. TARAY

BIANCA KRISTIN A. TARAY

A light in the darkness Mary might hold a piece to solve the ALS puzzle.

Rosales explained that unlike other ALS patients, Mary is a “special case.” She was diagnosed with ALS at 23 years old, far too young compared to other cases.

According to the doctor, ALS commonly starts to affect people aged 60 and above. While he had ALS patients as young as 30, 23 years old was still something new to the picture. Rosales wanted to send Mary’s blood samples abroad for testing, but neither the Clinic nor her family had the funds to support the trip.

Her mother-in-law said that P50,000, which was the approximate cost of the flight, was no easy money.

This was why Rosales and his staff were planning to talk with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to request for financial assistance in bringing Mary’s blood samples to the United States for tests. For now, the doctor could only prescribe supplements to support her body.

“I really believe there's something [happening inside her body] other than ALS,” he said. “This is why we want to send her to the United States.”

The Varsitarian Opinion

5

Condescending eyes THOUGH ManilArt never fails to enthrall with its annual stint, it is quite a depressing sight to see how the audience it consistently draws is the same brood of quintessential art enthusiasts.

The crowd has never diversified. There were the heftilypriced artworks displayed—having the participation of more than two dozens of local art galleries and a multitude of prized Filipino artists—in lieu of the mellow music and complimentary comestibles.

How likely, can we presume, that these factors intimidate the mid-class level to attend events alike?

American artist Andy Warhol once said “making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.” Yes, art comes with a price—a good amount.

But it is not supposed to hamper people—of all classes, to think twice before basking on its magnificence.

A regular ticket to the ManilArt only costs 200 pesos, 150 pesos for students. It is tantamount to usual cinema tickets, or maybe a fast food meal. It may be easy to blame the seemingly vague overwhelming concept it presents itself as to “ordinary” people or perhaps the price of admission, for deterring the common crowd.

Despite that price, can we assume that everyone can afford a ticket? Or maybe a better question would be: if everyone is willing to afford the ticket, considering there are other commodities that must be answered first?

American artist Andy Warhol once said, "making money is art and woking is art and good business is the best art."

Also artists cannot cheapen their craft for the affordability of a larger crowd perhaps, in the same manner that physicians can not heal patients for an alternative price.

A friend of mine, a budding artist, said it personally insults him whenever a client bargains his work.

“Hindi naman pwedeng bababaan mo ‘yung value ng work mo, just because. Minsan nga, gusto nila, thank you na lang ang kapalit,” he said.

But money is not the only issue here.

In Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, basic necessities like food, shelter, and clothing always come first. It's not until a few levels upward wherein the need for creativity or spontaneity can be found. What appears to be interesting to one may not appear interesting to another.

Likewise, the faculty of people to discern art differ.

It takes extensive research and exposure to the arts for one to truly comprehend it.

The Philippines, being a developing nation, does not have a lot of room for lavish activities—at least, for a fairly big fraction of its population, excluding those who are well-off. Art literacy is also something that does not come free or can be found just sitting around the corner.

So is art only for the elite?

It is not. However, our present times heed more to the upscale class, considering the factors mentioned.

I am looking forward to the day an art fair, or even just a simple exhibit, can bind various sets of people together—one that does not choose based on financial or societal standings.

Maybe, in a parallel universe, everyone can purchase art for their own consumptions. One, wherein money and lack of enough inclination is not an issue.

Or, who knows? Perhaps, in the near future? *** The Varsitarian, the 86-year-old official student publicaion of the University of Santo Tomas, is currently in need of web developers.

Our website, www.varsitarian.net, needs a redesign and an overhaul.

Interested parties are invited to submit a resume or their company profile to the Varsitarian office at Room 105, Tan Yan Kee Student Center building, University of Santo Tomas or to ralphjdh@gmail.com.

If you have any questions you may contact Ralph Joshua Hernandez at 0905.977.0919. *** A major breaktrhrough is in store for the participants of the 16th edition of the Inkblots, UST's national campus journalism fellowship.

It is slated on December 1 to 3 at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex.

For inquiries, contact the Varsitarian at: 09175626767 (Globe), 09255687015 (Sun), 09994154229 (Smart) or 4061611, loc. 8235. You may also email varsitarianinkblots@ gmail.com.

Martyrs FROM PAGE 8 has to suffer,” Aligan said.

Martyrs’ Week ended last Sept. 26 with a “Candle Walk” at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church and around the campus, participated in by students

from different colleges and the Central Seminary. Images of Thomasian martyrs were raised during the procession.

Last September, the Simbahayan Community Development Office started a fund-raising drive for victims of persecution in Iraq. A total of P99,343 was sent to the French Dominicans (see related news story).

6 Literary

The Varsitarian

OCTOBER 23, 2014

Editor: Hedrix Ar-ar C. Caballe

Harvey Castillo

Palanca reaffirms literary calling FOR THE many talented writers birthed by the university, winning a Palanca award means the affirmation of their position as writers accepted into the elitist circle of literary giants the readers of this country look up to. In the case of Literature sophomore Harvey Castillo, winning his first Palanca meant two things: another Thomasian to be recognized in the country’s most prestigious literary barometer, and a personal record to keep as one of the youngest Thomasians to bag a Palanca Award.

The boy among titans Castillo’s passion for writing first bloomed in high school. He began with script writing for class activities.

“I was first into writing screenplays. I would always be tasked to write it whenever there’s a dramatization in class,” Upon entering the university, he soon found his passion blossoming with the help of his deeper understanding of literary forms, thanks to his literature course.

CASTILLO

Appointment

said.

FROM PAGE 1

The International Theological Commission will meet on December 1-5 at the Vatican.

my students and others what I have learned,” Timoner said.

Timoner attributed his appointment to the international body to his five-year stint as the rector of the Central Seminary from 2007 to 2012. Life in the seminary, where the theological virtues of faith, hope and love are emphasized, prepared him for the position, he said.

“As seminary rector and faculty member of the Faculty of Sacred Theology, I worked and lived with those who were preparing for the ordained ministry, who do not just study theology as science but who strive to live a theological life,” Timoner

Acknowledgement of the PH Church Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, O.P., rector of the Central Seminary, said having a representative in the International Theological Commission was an acknowledgment by Vatican of the Philippine Church’s significance in Asia.

Pedregosa said there were two main qualifications for one to be appointed to the theological commission: scientific knowledge of theology and fidelity to the Magisterium or teaching authority of the Church.

“Being prior provincial, UST vice chancellor, and seminary

rector gives you the reputation that you must be a man of the Church and of integrity. You can’t be appointed to these positions without having the qualities of faith in the magisterium and extensive knowledge in theology,” Pedregosa said.

Timoner obtained his bachelor’s degree in sacred theology in UST in 1994. He earned his licentiate in sacred theology and master’s degree in intercultural theology in the Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen of the Netherlands in 2004.

Timoner served as rector of the Central Seminary in 2007.

He started his four-year term as prior provincial of the Filipino Dominicans in 2012. DANIELLE ANN F. GABRIEL

Though he takes more interest in poetry nowadays, he says it was Mario Vargas Llosa, George Orwell, and Shakira Sison, whose works influenced and inspired his essays.

With the encouragement he received from his parents whom he described as very supportive of his dreams and writing prowess, he pursued literary writing and joined.

“I remember posting a link of the Palanca Awards’ call for entries in our section’s Facebook page, only to find in the end that I was the only one who joined. When I decided to enter the category (Kabataan Essay), I chose to because the essay would cater to teenagers,” he smiled., He went on telling the Varsitarian that, indeed, maybe Lady Luck was on his side that time.

He passed his entry on the day of the deadline itself. Composing it only weeks before the deadline, he admitted not being able to revise his entry and check it for any error. “I wasn’t keeping my expectations high then. He was sure, however,

that he won because he wrote with his own voice, saying things that were closest to his heart at the moment, without any sense of pretense. He believes it was the rawness and beauty of it that outshone the other contestants’ pieces. somewhere he’s knowledgeable enough as he share with them the same thoughts and sentiments they live-by.

For Castillo, deviating from the world of art is an anathema, “I could imagine myself outside the world of letters as long as it is still within the realm of art like painting or drawing,” he said.

Aside his recent achievement, it is interesting to note that part of his student life was spent lately in service to The Flame, the official student publication of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, as a literary contributor. This year, he is the incumbent secretary of the AB Literary Society.

He would spend most of his free time reading books; “You would probably see me by the stairs near our

classroom, or simply in my seat, killing time reading poetry.”

Outside school, he finds delight in spending time with his family, “Beyond being a writer, I am a son. I would often cook for my parents when I’m at home,” he told the Varsitarian.

From here on out Though Castillo has found somewhat of a niche in the literary world by writing essays, he plans on divulging into the world of speculative fiction. “I’m currently into writing creative non-fiction.

I usually take on a realist approach because it’s what I’m used to, thanks to the books that I’ve read. Usually, the books that you read reflect on the writing that you produce,” But writing isn’t all that Castillo considers doing. After finishing his undergraduate course in Literature, he plans to expand his knowledge by enrolling for a post-graduate degree in Creative Writing.

Palanca PAGE 10

Quiapo And there I stood, bare, immobile adrift a sea of jaunty people; awake but with eyes shut.

Bells, kids, jeepneys, all- indistinct chattering, though I had heard before, faceless now in being.

Wide streets, miles away from bed papers, plates, draftsweight upon my back; never certainly, I should have not deviated from the route I took beforeall seemed fine then, wellorchestrated.

On a vast plain of unspoken vespers at the mercy of the sun wanning, I saw on the bridge ascending a vehicle of a thousand nevers.

Alpine Christopher P. Moldez

OCTOBER 23, 2014

The Varsitarian Sci-Tech

7

UST gearing up for West Valley Fault quake threat he said.

By RHENN ANTHONY S. TAGUIAM Research from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) showed an impending “big one”–an earthquake of at least 7.2 magnitude from the West Valley Fault that could devastate Metro Manila.

Renato Solidum, Ph.D., the director of PHIVOLCS, said about 31,000 deaths, 14,000 to 385,000 injured, and at least P2.6 million of economic losses are at stake should the earthquake hit an unprepared Metro Manila.

“We are not saying that the next earthquake from the fault will be [magnitude] 7.2,” Solidum said. “We are saying that the fault is capable of releasing an earthquake of that strength.”

The West Valley Fault is a locked fault located along the Marikina Valley. It was discovered by geologists in the 1920s while PHIVOLCS learned it was active during the 1990s.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), faults are breaks found on the Earth’s crust.

Locked faults, which do not move for long periods of time, could gather more energy and generate very powerful earthquake compared to other faults.

Earthquakes may occur when tectonic plates between these faults move. Solidum cited the Marikina Valley as an example, with the West Valley Fault slowly stretching the central part of Luzon for thousands of years, eventually forming the valley.

“During the 90s, PHIVOLCS and the USGS released a report that the [West Valley] fault moved four times in the past 1,400 years.

The movement has generated close to magnitude seven earthquakes,” he said. “While the interval between those events was not exact, they have an average interval of 400 to 600 years.”

Solidum said that the last earthquake from the fault occurred in 1658 or 356 years ago.

Though earthquakes do not follow patterns, he said this might be an indication of a future calamitous event that needs preparation.

“If you compare 356 to 400, then it’s almost like [the earthquake will occur] within our generation, or maybe in the next [generation],”

7.2 magnitude PHIVOLCS currently monitors two fault lines, the West Valley Fault and the Manila Trench, due to their potential to release very powerful earthquakes.

PHIVOLCS estimated the maximum

magnitude of an earthquake that could occur along the West Valley Fault to be 7.2.

Solidum, on the other hand, said that an earthquake from the Manila Trench could reach a s high as magnitude 8.3 and even generate a tsunami.

Aside from ground shaking, other hazards to expect are fires, landslides and liquefaction.

A

tsunami may also occur if the fault is located near a body of water.

Liquefaction is an event where soft layers of sand may behave like liquid during ground shaking. Solidum said this could cause buildings to tilt and fissures to occur on roads.

“Though liquefaction is not considered a killer event, [it] will affect the mobility of people because of the damage it could cause,” he said, adding that Manila is part of the areas in the region with high liquefaction potential.

S h o u l d liquefaction h a p p e n alongside g r o u n d shaking, fires and landslides, Solidum warned that people may be isolated inside Metro Manila.

PHIVOLCS, in a recent study, created a vulnerability map after considering the earthquake’s potential damage to nearby cities and provinces. There are four “isolated zones” located along the map, one for each cardinal direction.

These zones could be “isolated” should liquefaction and other earthquake hazards impair or even destroy roads, bridges and other modes of transportation connecting cities in Metro Manila that are along rivers.

If the Pasig River becomes impassable, cities like Quezon City and Makati could be isolated to the north and to the south zones,

respectively. On the other hand, should the Marikina River be impassable, cities like Manila and Pasig could be separated to the west and to the east zones, respectively.

Solidum added that relief and search and rescue response could be designed with the “isolation zones” in mind. Due to the characteristics of each zone, respondents should be mindful of the resources each zone might require.

For example, Manila, which is located along the west zone, is almost directly beside the Manila Bay. Should the 7.2 magnitude earthquake happen, Solidum will expect help for Manila to come from the Manila Bay via sea transport, or from places outside the isolation zones.

He added that fixing modes of transportation along these zones should be prioritized.

“You cannot just visit places right after an earthquake,” he said. “This is why you have to fix roads and make sure bridges are passable after the event.”

Structurally safe Meanwhile, University officials assured that buildings inside the campus are strong enough to withstand a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

Lawrence Pangan, the University’s Buildings and Grounds superintendent, explained that structures inside UST were built with an earthquake as strong as magnitude 8.0 in mind. Should the magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit Metro Manila, superficial damages are to be expected but the buildings itself would not give in to the earthquake.

He added that in-house inspections by experts and out-house inspections by visiting officials of municipalities contribute to the management of the University's structures. Done during the first quarter of every year, these tests are conducted to check what kind of fortification could be done to the University's structures.

Officials who recently conducted inspections in the University declared that the buildings within the campus are structurally safe. In order to further reinforce the structures better, Pangan said they added piles–materials to improve the foundation of buildings–and retrofitting, or the addition of new technology to improve already-existing structures.

More than ice buckets: ALS’s colder reality The psychology of fear

By MARITZ L. LUBO and RHENN ANTHONY S. TAGUIAM UNDER a pink blanket, “Mary” seemed like just another patient shivering from the breeze coming out of the air-conditioning unit in the corridors of the University of Santo Tomas Doctors' Clinic.

Wheelchair-bound and smiling, Mary had bright eyes that had no trace of the disease that was out to get her life. She has been having a hard time moving her limbs for the past two years.

Raymond Rosales, M.D., a specialist on nerve-muscle movement disorders, diagnosed Mary with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Chances are, Rosales said, Mary may eventually succumb to total paralysis. With no cure for the disease, Rosales said about four percent of ALS patients undergoing treatment barely make it past a decade.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive degenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The disease slowly kills motor neurons in the lateral nervous system, the part of the body responsible for muscle movement. This may eventually lead patients to slowly lose the ability to control their muscles, to total paralysis, and even to death due to respiratory failure.

The disease can manifest in two “varieties,” limb-onset ALS, and bulbar-onset ALS. Limb-onset ALS is when motor neurons slowly die around the upper and/or lower limbs. This is characterized by the increased difficulty of moving the upper

and/or lower limbs, or getting easily off-balanced.

Bulbar-onset ALS, on the other hand, affects facial muscles. This kind of ALS is characterized by difficulty in chewing and swallowing food, as well as speaking with other people.

“They (patients) cannot eat because they have a hard time chewing and swallowing [in cases of bulbar-onset ALS],” he explained “The food that is meant for the stomach may also go the lungs. Patients could die of pneumonia or respiratory failure,” Rosales said.

No cure yet According to the ALS Association, an estimated 350,000 are suffering from ALS worldwide.

Rosales said riluzole is the only medicine in the market designed for treating ALS. Other treatment methods are still undergoing tests.

Riluzole is an antiglutamatergic, a medicine that is designed to dampen the growth of excessive amounts of calcium that was said to be able to destroy motor neurons. But riluzole is just a treatment, not a cure, Rosales said.

“It (riluzole) only delays the progression of the disease,” he said. “It could extend the lifespan of patients for about three months, but that's it.”

Local ALS research might have been possible should funds be available. However, Rosales said the extent of the research

could go just as far as studying the disease in itself, with research on treatment costing too much.

“Even when the ALS Association gained millions of dollars through the Ice Bucket Challenge, they still haven't found a cure,” he said.

Stem cells Research on ALS, however, garnered criticisms because of its apparent use of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which are stem cells obtained from the inner mass cells of human embryos.

Socrates Villegas, the president of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines, said in a statement that donors participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge should declare that none of their donations be used on research involving ESCs. “Catholics who participate in the challenge and who make donations to this research must also demand of fund-raisers and organizers an assurance that none of the donations made will be applied to researches that are ethically reproved,” he said.

The ALS Association explained that of more than 100 different research projects they are conducting worldwide, only one study using ESCs was being funded by them.

These stem cells, called “induced pluripotent stem cells” Ice bucket PAGE 5

among Filipino ‘thrill-seekers’

By RHENN ANTHONY S. TAGUIAM

FROM spiders to heights to ghouls and goblins, science deconstructed fear as a mixture of chemicals designed to ensure our survival.

However, fear maybe just a tip of a psychological iceberg. It stems from a need to help the human body respond to dangerous situations.

Rosalito De Guzman, M.D., a professor from the College of Science, explained that aside from being a natural occurrence, fear also helps a person detect threats.

Referred to as the “fight or flight reaction,” fear is provoked by threats that urge a person to decide whether or not they should “fight” the fearful situation or “flee” from it.

“When [people are] afraid, the tendency is to withdraw from the stimulus,” De Guzman said. “Thus, the danger is reduced and risks are minimized.”

The stimulus, or the situation, can produce responses depending on who perceives it. For example, the sight of food can invoke hunger, and a bed can invoke sleepiness.

Fear, on the other hand, may be invoked upon the thought of a lady in black with red eyes, because it is not a normal occurrence and thus can be considered a threat.

The rush When fear is invoked, the body undergoes temporary but sudden changes. Also known as “adrenaline rush,” the sudden changes are characterized by quickened heartbeat, accelerated breathing and heightened alertness due to the release of hormones like adrenaline, endorphins, and dopamine.

The rush gives us the necessary surge of power and energy to fight or flee from the situation.

These types of hormones, also called as neurotransmitters, are released depending on circumstances, which could explain why people get chills when listening to a spooky story or a headless creature, but still nudge their friends to finish their story.

Endorphins, for example, mostly respond to stress and pain, while dopamine regulates pleasure. Adrenaline, also called epinephrine, is produced during situations of high stress and is part of the body’s acute stress Fear PAGE 5

8 Witness

The Varsitarian

OCTOBER 23, 2014

Editor: April Joy E. Dy

Despite rain, thousands flock to La Naval FROM PAGE 1 and newly appointed member of the International Theological Commission, said Mary is revered because she had done her part by accepting God's.

“We revere and pay respect to Mary though she is a laity because we recognize her role as Christ’s mother and as our mother,” Timoner said.

Timoner said recognizing the importance of Mary's role in the Church meant recognizing the laity as an integral part of the Church as well. “The laity is as important to the Church as the clergy. It is not that that being ordained means you are on top. Think of it as a relationship where one complements the other,” he said.

Timoner compared the laity-clergy relationship to that of a husband and wife, wherein “the husband is not a husband without a wife.”

He added: “It is the laity that gives meaning to what they do. The laity lives out the teachings. The clergy are the teachers, but what is a teacher without students?”

Fr. Lauro de Dios, O.P., director of Angelicum School in Iloilo, said devotees should not attend for the sake of

having their prayers or wishes answered, but to demonstrate and live out the message conveyed by the rosary and other traditional practices in the Church.

“The laity is recognizing the challenge of our faith.

It’s easy to kneel down or give donations. But it is more important that we learn how to apply the value of the Holy Rosary in our lives,” Lauro said in an interview.

Fr. Christopher Jeffrey Aytona, O.P., assistant director of the Dominican Province of the Philippines’ Institute of Preaching, said the number of devotees was not important.

“The success of the feast does not rely on numbers. No matter how many devotees come to the procession, if they do not embody the message of the Blessed Virgin Mary which is to follow and entrust ourselves in God's will, then the feast would not be a success,” Aytona said.

The image of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, also known as Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de La Naval de Manila, is the oldest ivory carving in the country.

In 1907, it became the first local Marian image to be

The majestic image of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary drew a huge crowd.

canonically crowned.

The feast of La Naval is celebrated in commemoration of the miraculous victory of outnumbered Filipino

Christians persecuted by ISIS hailed as modern-day martyrs

A priest blesses the markers of the 'modern-day' martyrs.

BASILIO H. SEPE

BY MARIE DANIELLE L.. MACALINO PERSECUTED Christians in Iraq and Syria were hailed as “modern-day martyrs” in the annual UST Martyrs’ Week at the Faculty of Sacred Theology last September 22 to 26.

With the theme “Called to Serve, Heroes of Faith,” Martyrs’ Week honored Christians in Iraq and Syria who were killed by the extremist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

In his homily during the opening mass, Secretary General Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P., said martyrdom had become inevitable, with Christians being persecuted in various places around the world.

“We see all over the media Christians being crucified and tortured simply because they were born and raised under the Catholic

faith,” Cabading said.

Cabading said Iraq and Syria, countries in civil war, had huge Catholic populations before ISIS managed to take control a number of territories.

Extremists have persecuted Christians and religious minorities, such as the Yazidis, in their bid to establish an Islamic caliphate.

More than a million people have fled their homes after being given the ultimatum by the group to convert to Islam or face death.

Fr. Rodel Aligan, O.P., dean of the Faculty of Sacred Theology, said the Christians executed by Islamic extremists had shown acts of faith and enough courage to leave a legacy to modern Christians. “The foundation of faith that leads to martyrdom is the faith that

can withstand the test of time and adversities. It is clinging to the truth about Christ whatever the consequences may be,” Aligan said in his homily during the closing Eucharistic celebration last Sept. 26.

Aligan said the red vestments worn by Dominican priests during Holy Mass symbolized the blood that the modern martyrs had shed for their faith. “This [wearing of the red vestment] is to remember the martyrs who gave their lives in order to live under the teachings of God,” Aligan said.

The celebration of Martyrs’ Week should help Christians remember the true meaning of the Catholic faith, he added.

“To be Christ-like, one Martyrs PAGE 5

and Spanish warriors over Protestant Dutch invaders in 1646.

With only two trading galleons to fight 15 Dutch

JOHN PAUL R. AUTOR

warships, the FilipinoSpanish force asked for the intercession of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary to help them win the battle, vowing to walk

barefoot in procession to the old Santo Domingo Shrine in Intramuros. DANIELLE

ANN F. GABRIEL AND MARIE DANIELLE F. MACALINO

Website for papal visit launched LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN – In line with the Church’s call for a new evangelization, the media office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has launched the official website for Pope Francis’ apostolic visit in 2015.

The website, papalvisit.ph, features six panels: “Pope Francis,” “The Visit,” “News,” “Messages,” “Resources,” and “Links.”

In his message on papalvisit.ph, Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, chairman of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Social Communications, said Filipinos can learn about the teachings of Pope Francis through social media interaction, as a form of reflection and prayer.

The site, launched last Sept. 14, also carries the official logo of the papal visit, symbolizing the theme “Mercy and Compassion,” and the colors of the Philippine flag—red and blue.

Filipinos can get updates from the official Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube accounts of the papal visit. The links to the social media accounts are posted on the website.

Internet users may also watch the video for the National Prayer for the Papal Visit and the official theme song titled “We are all God’s chidren,” which was sung by Jamie Rivera with the Hail Mary The Queen Children’s Choir.

The official papal itinerary will also be posted in November as soon as it is announced by the Vatican. Media accreditation will also be available on papalvisit.ph by November.

‘Online missionaries of God’ The website was launched during the

The website features a countdown.

Catholic Social Media Summit (CSMS) last Sept. 13-14 at the Pangasinan Training Development Center, where the Filipino youth were called to be responsible “online missionaries of God.” Reflecting on the theme “The Encounter,” Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas reminded the youth of their Christian duty to spread the Gospel.

“The Internet is one of the greatest blessings of God in the third millennium. You go online to search for God. You must put Christ into it,” the CBCP president said.

Acknowledging the benefits of social media, Villegas said the youth should use social media with favor, fervor, and passion to avoid utilizing social media for the wrong reasons.

Michael Angelo Lobrin, a motivational speaker and author, said spreading the Gospel through social media is a response to CBCP’s declaration of 2014 as the Year of the Laity.

“God also has entrusted evangelization to the laity through the use of the gift of social media,” he said.

Being an effective online missionary is not only limited to evangelization inside the church, but also in different fields as students or young professionals. “Bring Jesus anywhere. Social media is a gift but it can only be a gift if we understand its essence. It is built so we can also encounter His beloved,” Lobrin said.

The third version of CSMS has evolved since its inaugural version in 2012. A total of 14 parallel skills and advocacy workshops served Website PAGE 10

SCREEN CAPTURE

Patnugot: Jonelle V. Marcos

IKA-23 NG OKTUBRE 2014

The Varsitarian Filipino

9

‘Selfie’ hinirang bilang salita ng taon sa Sawikaan 2014 Hinirang na salita ng taon ang “selfie” sa Sawikaan 14, ang kumperensiya ng Filipinas Institute of Translation (FIT) bilang isang masinsinang talakyan na naglalayong maitanghal ang pinakanatatanging salitang namayani sa diskurso ng sambayanan sa nakalipas na taon. Idinaos ang kumperensiya noong ika-25 hanggang ika-27 ng Setyembre sa Pulungang Claro M. Recto, Bulwagang Rizal ng Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura, University of the Philippines - Diliman.

Ang salita ay lahok nina Jose Javier Reyes, propesor sa De La Salle University, at Noel Ferrer, propesor sa Ateneo De Manila University, sa kanilang papel na pinamagatang “Selfie-selfie ‘Pag May Time: Ang Kultura ng Selfie, ang Selfie sa Kulturang Filipino.”

Ang selfie ang tawag sa pagkuha ng isang tao ng retrato ng kaniyang sarili sa harap ng salamin o sa pamamagitan ng isang smartphone o webcam at karaniwang pinamamahagi (“upload”) sa isang social media website.

Bagaman unang nabanggit ang salitang selfie noong 2002, bago pa man nagkaroon ng Facebook, popular na ang pamamahagi ng mga sariling kuha ng larawan sa MySpace.

Ayon kay Reyes, malaki ang naging gampanin ng teknolohiya sa pag-usbong ng salitang selfie nang maimbento ang mga mobile photo applications tulad ng Instagram at ng Visual Supply Co. “Ang pagpapakilala sa merkado ng mga smartphones na may kakabit nang kamera ang sadyang nag-angat sa selfie sa kasikatan,” aniya.

Narsisismo Sa isang banda, nabibigyan ng “sense of empowerment” ang mga tao na ibahagi ang kanilang sense of aesthetics sa iba sa pamamagitan ng selfie.

“Ang selfie bilang isang photography ay nagbibigay ng kontrol sa taong nagse-selfie dahil may kakayahan siyang pumili ng larawang gusto niyang ibahagi at piliin din ang hitsura niya sa larawang kaniyang napili,” ani Ferrer.

Sa kabilang banda naman, maituturing na isang kabalintunaan ang konsepto ng selfie sapagkat kasabay ng pagkonekta sa publiko sa pamamagitan ng social media ang pagkadiskonekta sa publiko ng taong gumon sa selfie.

“Kadalasang wala nang paki-alam ang kumukuha ng sariling larawan sa mga taong kasama niya o sa mga nangyayari sa kaniyang paligid,” anina Reyes at Ferrer.

Dagdag pa nito, isinawalat ni Reyes na isang matingkad na manipestasyon ng kultura ng narsisismo o ang labis na paghanga sa sariling katangian ang pagse-selfie. Pagsasalaysay niya minsan nang winika ni Bishop Teodoro Bacani na ang narsisismo ang kulturang nagsusulong ng pagkamakasarili.

“Ang narsisistang kultura ay iyong bawat gawain at ugnayan ay nakabatay sa pangangailangang magtamasa ng mga simbolo ng ya-

Usapang Uste MULA PAHINA 2 kaniyang librong “Calculator Mathematics” na isang kalipunan ng mga katanungan para sa mga board examinations sa Engineering, Education, at Civil Service. Si Agustin rin ang awtor ng “Statistics” at “Engineering Economics, Calculator Simplified.”

Kasalukuyan niyang tinatapos ang kaniyang ikaapat na libro na kaiba sa naunang tatlo, isa itong self-help book.

Nang simulan ni Agustin ang pagsusulat ng mga reviewer books, sa halip na magpalathala sa labas, naisipan niyang magtayo na lang ng sariling palimbagan. Sa ganitong paraan, makakabawas pa siya ng gastos. Kaya naman noong 2005, itinayo niya ang Calq Trading and Publishing. Bukod sa naging best seller ang kaniyang mga libro, naging pinakamalaking supplier rin ng mga calculators sa Manila, Davao, Cebu, Albay, Misamis Oriental,

man at kapangyarihan. Sa ganitong lipunan, ang kompetisyon ay walang katapusan,” giit ni Reyes.

Sa kabila nito, malaki rin ang naiaambag ng selfie sa pagtatampok ng mga propesyon at negosyo, sa pagbabalita at sa pagsulong ng mga partikular na isyu o galaw ng pulso ng bayan sa tulong ng social media.

‘Selfie capital’ Ayon sa isang artikulong inilabas ng Time Magazine noong Marso, nangunguna ang Filipinas sa larangan nang pagkuha ng selfie.

Nagtala ang bansa ng may pinakamaraming selfie sa buong mundo na aabot sa 4,155 na mga selfie ng 2,915 na mga taong gumagamit ng mga gadget tulad ng camera, smartphone at iba pa.

Pagpapaliwanag ni Ferrer, naging instrumental ang paglaganap ng reality shows sa telebisyon sa paglakas ng kultura ng selfie.

“Lahat na siguro tayo ay nangarap maging isang artista o star ng kani-kaniya nating buhay.

Sa pamamagitan ng pagse-selfie, naipapakita natin na kahit papaano, tayo mismo ang bida, kumbaga nais nating maging kilala ng tao,” aniya.

Pinaalalahanan din niya ang mga Filipino na higit na unawain ang konsepto ng selfie lalo na ang mga bunga nito sa kanilang pagkatao.

“Bagaman ang selfie ay nagpapahiwatig ng mga di-kanais-nais sa kultura ng ating henerasyon—pagiging indibidwalistiko, narsisismo, konsumerismo—lalong higit na kailangang unawain at angkinin ang salita upang magkaroon ng kritikal na kamalayan ang mga Filipino sa hatid na panganib at pangako, pinsala at posibilidad ng salitang ito,” paglilinaw ni Reyes.

Dinamismo Idinaos ang Sawikaan 2014 sa pangunguna ng FIT at kaisa ang Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), National Commission for Culture and the Arts , Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura, Commission on Higher Education, at Department of Education.

Naniniwala ang FIT at KWF na ang paglulunsad ng Sawikaan kada-dalawang taon ay isang malikhain at mabisang pamamaraan upang mapatampok ang dinamismo ng wikang Filipino.

Maaaring inomina para sa salita ng taon ang mga salitang bagong imbento, bagong hiram mula sa katutubo o banyagang wika, luma ngunit may bagong kahulugan o patay na salitang muling binuhay.

Ayon kay Virgilio Almario, Pambansang Alagad ng Sining at tagapangulo ng KWF, bagaman hindi purong Filipino at maaaring kolokyal na mga salita ang itinatanghal sa Sawikaan, masasabing hango pa rin ito sa mga pangyayaring tunay na nakaaapekto sa kamalayan ng mga Filipino.

"Marami sa mga nominadong salita ay bunga ng pangyayari na masyadong naapektuhan

at Palawan ang Calq makalipas lang ang dalawang taon.

Taong 2008 naman, nilikha niya ang “Quice”— ang kauna-unahan at kaisaisang Android application reviewer para sa mga kukuha ng mga licensure exams sa Chemical Engineering, Education at Civil Service sa bansa.

Sa ilang taon niyang pagtuturo sa mga review centers, nanaig kay Agustin ang kagustuhang makatulong sa mga reviewees na mapadali at gawing nakaaaliw ang kanilang pag-aaral para sa board exams kaya naman naisipan niyang gumawa ng isang quiz-type reviewer na magagamit nila anumang oras at lugar na hindi nila maaaring gawin kung gamit ang mga makakapal na libro.

“Una kong sinubukan gawin ang Quice gamit ang Symbian Operating System [BF1] dahil hindi pa sikat noon ang Android,” aniya.

Bukod pa rito, itinatag ni Agustin ang Calculator Education Philippines (CEP) na isang advocacy

campaign na naglalayong maturuan ang mga Filipino sa kung paano ang tamang paggamit ng mga calculator.

“Alam naman natin na hindi lahat ng Filpino ay marunong gumamit ng mga calculator kaya nililibot namin ang bansa upang magbigay ng mga lectures at discounts sa mga gustong bumili ng calculator,” ani Agustin.

Mula naman sa CEP, itinatag niya ang Reynold M. Agustin Scholarship Grant na kaniyang paraan upang makapagbigay ng pagkakataon sa mga mahihirap na magtagumpay.

Sa katunayan, mayroon na siyang 12 na mga iskolar mula sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa.

“Nagtapos ako ng elementarya, hayskul, at kolehiyo bilang isang scholar. So na-instill sa akin yung ideya na malaking tulong yung magagawa ko sa isang tao pag binigyan ko ng scholarship,” aniya.

Matatandaang si Agustin ang kauna-unahang recipient ng scholarship na handog ng UST Engineering Alumni Association na nakabase sa United States.

(Mula taas pababa) John Kelvin Briones, Rebecca Anonuevo at Virgilio Almario.

ALVIN JOSEPH KASIBAN

ang ating consciousness," aniya.

Ilan sa mga salitang itinampok ang salitang “Endo” nina David Michael San Juan at John Kelvin Briones na nagkamit ng ikalawang gantimpala habang ikatlong gantimpala naman ang salitang “Filipinas” ni Rebecca AñonuevoCuñada.

Kabilang din sa mga nominadong ang “Bossing” ni Frederick Perez, “CCTV” ni Christoffer Mitch Cerda, “Hashtag” ni Mark Angeles, “Imba” ni Xavier Roel Alvaran, “Kalakal” ni Christine Maria Magpile, “PDAF” ni Jonathan Vergara Geronimo, “Peg” ni Jethro Tenorio, “Riding-in-tandem” ni Joselito de los Reyes, “Storm Surge” ni Carlo Arcilla na ipinirisinta ni Roy Rene Cagalingan at “Whistle Blower” ni John Enrico Torralba. MARIA KOREENA M. ESLAVA AT KIMBERLY JOY V. NAPARAN

Sa kasalukuyan, maliban sa mga k u m p e r e n s i y a n g naiimbitahan siya bilang tagapagsalita, inilalaan ni Agustin ang kaniyang oras sa paghahanda sa mga reviewees na kukuha ng Chemical Engineering Licensure Exam sa Nobyembre. Ito ang kaunaunahang batch ng reviewees mula sa review center na kaniyang itinayo nito lamang 2014, ang Quice Review Center.

Tomasalitaan Bantolinaw (png)— pagdilim ng araw sa pagsisimula ng eklipse.

Hal. Buong pananabik niyang hinintay ang pagkakataong matunghayan at mapagmasdan ang bantolinaw.

Mga Sanggunian The Varsitarian Tomo II Blg. 5, Setyembre 1, 1928 The Varsitarian Tomo VI Blg. 4, Agosto 1, 1933 The Varsitarian Tomo VI Blg. 8,[BF2] Oktubre 2, 1933 2014 Total Awards Souvenir Program.

Maingat na paggamit ng wika, tinalakay sa Kapihang Wika MALAKI ang maiaambag ng isang responsable at matalinong midya sa pagpapadulas ng wikang Filipino mula sa oral language tungo sa isang linang at alinsunod sa pamantayan na written language.

Ito ang binigyang-diin ni Virgilio Almario, Pambansang Alagad ng Sining para sa Panitikan at Tagapangulo ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), sa idinaos na Kapihang Wika sa Filipino noong ika-30 ng Setyembre sa Bulwagang Romualdez, Gusaling Watson, Lungsod ng Maynila.

Hindi na maikakaila ang impluwensya ng midya sa taumbayan at ang kontriubsyon nito sa kanilang pang-arawaraw na pamumuhay kaya naman layunin ng KWF na makausap at makapalitangkuro ang midya patungkol sa wasto at disiplinadong paggamit sa wikang Filipino upang maging kaisa nila ito sa kanilang kampanya tungo sa paglilinang at paglalagay sa pamantayan ng wikang Filipino.

“Sa pamamagitan ng inyong mas maingat na paggamit ng wikang Filipino, makakapagkalat tayo ng norms,” ani Almario.

Mahalaga ang konsepto ng language planning sa pagpapayaman ng wikang Filipino dahil dito nakalagay ang mga hakbang na dapat gawin kapag mayroong isang ipinapanukala na wikang pambansa.

Aniya, isa itong bagay na pinag-aralan ng linguistics noon pang 1960s at gayong pinag-aaralan ito sa kolehiyo hanggang sa kasalukuyan, hindi naman ito ginagamit.

Sa lawak ng gumagamit, hindi na maitatanggi na marami na ang gumagamit ng wikang Filipino sa bansa.

Pagpapaliwanag niya, kapag sinabing paglilinang, ito ang kagustuhang mapabuti ang wikang Filipino hindi lamang sa pagsasalita kung hindi maging sa pagsusulat Wika PAHINA 10

10 Limelight

The Varsitarian

OCTOBER 23, 2014

Art Director: Keno Carlo C. Enriquez

OCTOBER 23, 2014

Editor: Paul Kennedy A. Lintag

The Varsitarian Sports

11

Tiger Jins’ MVP keeps promise to maintain UST legacy

BEN N' VIDES BY KIRSTEN M. JAMILLA

TOMASIKNOW! BY AVA MARIANGELA C. VICTORIA

TOMTOM! BY JEAN HELENE C. ESTELLA

Paul Romero unleashes a kick against an opponent.

JOHN PAUL R. AUTOR

FROM a tag-along to a superstar.

Paul Romero has come a long way from simply accompanying his sister to her taekwondo training after the Tiger Jins team captain notched four gold medals in his five-year UAAP stint.

The recently awarded Most Valuable Player of the men’s taekwondo tournament said he was thankful to his sister for introducing him to the sport.

“Taekwondo is a common interest in our family. My sister was the first to try the sport. She urged me to give it a try and later on it became our quality time when we were kids,” Romero told theVarsitarian.

Romero started training taekwondo at 8 years old and admitted that he dreamt of being a part of the UST Jins, a powerhouse in the UAAP. According to the 5’7” Nueva Ecija-native, being part of one of the best teams in the country served as his motivation every time he competes.

“Even before I entered UST, when you say taekwondo, UST

is the toughest team to beat.

There were times that they get the championship in all the divisions, men’s women’s and juniors’, and those really motivated me. I want to continue the legacy that my seniors started,” Romero said.

Romero continued the “legacy” and the proud tradition of UST after he led the Tiger Jins in dethroning long-time rival De La Salle University to reclaim the crown in dominant fashion in the recently concluded season 77 joust.

UST won their 12th UAAP title after a clean sweep and Romero grabbed a gold medal in the under 63 kg category.

Despite bidding goodbye to his UAAP career, Romero’s taekwondo exploits will still continue as part of the national team, from which he was given the chance to compete in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

“They told me that Asian Games is next to the Olympics so I really trained hard for the competition and MVP PAGE 10

Male Tigersharks finish 3rd, Female swimmers fourth in UAAP Wika

rin ang ahensya ng manuwal sa masinop na pagsulat na nakabatay sa Chicago Manual of Style.

at pagbabasa hinggil sa tinatawag na mga pormal na diskurso.

Isang mahalagang hakbang na nakapaloob dito ang paglalagay nito sa pamantayan o ang pagpili ng isang standard language at dito kakailanganin yung pagsasagawa ng norms o mga kaalaman na pangkalahatan dahil gayong marami nang nagsasalita ng wikang Filipino, iba iba naman ang kanilang leksikon o bokabularyo at pinanggalingan.

Upang isulong ang kasalukuyang programa ng KWF na standard language sa pagsusulat, mayroong ipinalabas ang ahensya na isang ortograpiyang pambansa at kanilang hinihikayat ang midya na gamitin ito para sa nagkakaisang istilo ng paggamit ng wikang Filipino sa pagsusulat, pagbabasa at pagsasalita saan mang panig ng bansa.

“Hindi nangangahulugan na pare-pareho tayo ng salita. Ang mahalaga, kapag binigkas natin, iisa yung paraan natin at kung tayo naman ay nagsusulat, iisa ang paraan natin ng pagsulat,” ani Almario.

Bukod sa ortograpiya, naglimbag

Transfer

University

FROM PAGE 3

FROM PAGE 3

and the humanities, history, foreign languages, and social sciences will be under Artlets, while the College of Education will absorb the Filipino department. Offices, however, will remain at the Main Building.

The Academic Senate, the Board of Regents, and the Board of Trustees have approved the realignment scheme.

Calara said the realignment would have a “dry-run” beginning the second semester, while full implementation will take place next academic year. JEROME P. VILLANUEVA

researchers, respectively.

UST produced 210 research papers between 2013 and 2014, ORI data showed. There were 123 research papers in 2013, 105 of which were published in indexed journals covered by QS in its research criteria. For 2014, 87 research papers have been produced so far, out of which 66 were published in indexed journals.

Indexed journals, the journals considered in QS surveys, are those cited by indexing firms such as Thomson Reuters, ScienceDirect,

and Infocus, among others.

Secretary General Winston Cabading, O.P. told the Varsitarian that the University should improve its research component and education curriculum to become a “research university,” the highest university status as determined by the Commission on Higher Education. “[Some universities are trade universities] or professional universities. Ang intention nila is to produce graduates for the professional field,” Cabading said. “[O]ther than forming just simply professionals in their field, you also want the University to be research-oriented, which means `yung mga professionals mo ay driven by research.” JEROME P.

MVP

Website

FROM PAGE 11

FROM PAGE 8

luckily, I got the bronze medal,” Romero said, referring to the 2010 Asiad in China which he described as one of his proudest moments.

Romero admitted that although he is a member of two different teams, the pressure is heavier with the Tiger Jins because he needs to serve as a leader to his teammates.

“I always tell them to keep their feet on the ground. For me, you won because you’re the best during your time and you need to share your experiences with your teammates because the time will come when they will replace you.

When it comes to losing, I remind them that they lost because they did something wrong and the only thing that they can do is improve and do everything right the next time they compete,” he said. ANGELICA P.

as a curtain-raiser to the event. The advocacy workshop included topics such as the “fight against human trafficking,” the “modern scourge of homosexuality,” “consecration to Jesus through Mary,” the election catechism, “healing the Filipino diaspora of the family,” “overcoming pornography,” and “real and true justice.”

Skills workshops included creating graphics for social media evangelization, expressing Catholic faith and beliefs through article and content writing, creating videos and animation that communicate the Catholic faith, spreading Catholic faith and beliefs through social media content sharing, social media for parish and organizations, and using Instagram and Pinterest for evangelization. ANGELI MAE S.

MULA PAHINA 9

ABELLO

CANTILLANA

Iba’t ibang salita, iisang bansa Kasunod ng panayam ni Almario, ipinaliwanag naman ni Purificacion Delima, dating Dekano ng College of Arts and Sciences sa University of the Philippines-Baguio at kasalukuyang full-time komisyoner ng KWF sa wikang Ilokano, ang mga layunin at kinahinatnan ng kanilang proyektong “Linguistic Atlas ng Filipinas.”

Habang pinapayaman at pinapaunlad ang wikang pambansa, inaalagan rin naman ang mga rehiyonal

VILLANUEVA

na wika at tinitingnan kung paano ito nakakapasok sa wikang pambansa at kung paano nakakaimpluwensiya ang mga ito sa pagtatayo ng norm.

Ang proyektong ito ng KWF na pinopondohan naman ni Senador Loren Legarda ang magdodokumento at magmamapa ng lahat ng mga wika sa Filipinas at tutukoy sa distribusyon ng pook at tagapagsalita ng bawat wika.

Layunin nito na maimapa ang mga wika sa buong Pilipinas, maidokumento ang mga wika sa buong bansa at mailarawan ang mga wika sa Pilipinas hindi lamang ayon sa kung saan at sino ang mga nagsasalita nito

kung hindi maging sa mga baryasyon at ugnayan ng bawat wika.

Ayon kay Delima, kanilang nakikinita na sa taong 2015, mabubuo ang "Linguistic Atlas” bilang isang aklat na kapapalooban ng kumprehensibong impormasyon tungkol sa mga wika ng Filipinas.

Sa kasalukuyan, nalagyan na ng deskripsyon ang 89 na wika habang nasa proseso pa ng balidasyon ang 111. Gayunpaman, hindi 200 ang pangkabuuang bilang ng lahat ng wika sa bansa sapagkat marami sa 111 ang may duplikasyon sa pangalan at nagkaiba lang sa pagbabaybay.

Palanca

literary competitions for the glory.

“To join competitions for the sake of winning an award is a very shallow reason,” he said.

Castillo, with his entry titled “Avoiding the Fate of Gregor Samsa,” won first place in the Kabataan Division Essay Category of the 64th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. He now belongs to the roster of Thomasian Palanca student-winners, perhaps following the steps of notable winners of major categories like Maria Francezca Kwe (Fiction) and Angelo Suarez (Poetry), who both won their awards in 2003; Kwe was a senior Journalism student while Suarez was taking his Master’s Degree in Communication. ALPINE

FROM PAGE 6 Though the Palanca he has won is gratifying enough, Castillo admits that he is far from an established writer. He urges his fellow new writers to continue revising their work even after the last period has been lain. “I myself still need help because I am still a budding writer.

As a mentor once told me: “Good writing is rewriting,” Dedicate your time to editing and revising your work. Soon, you will hone your skill from constantly revising,” As an imparting tip, he echoed many writers by reminding everyone that they should not merely join

MARIA KOREENA M. ESLAVA

CHRISTOPHER P. MOLDEZ AND JOSEF BRIAN M. RAMIL

THE UST Tigersharks clinched the third spot while the Female Tigersharks returned from a year of hiatus to bag fourth during the UAAP Season 77 swimming competitions at the Rizal Memorial Stadium last Oct. 2 to 5.

After placing fourth for the last two seasons, the Male Tigersharks collected a total of one silver and six bronze medals for 187 points to finish third overall behind Ateneo De Manila University (540 points) and University of the Philippines (325 points).

UST rookie Francis Marquez delivered the lone silver medal for the Tigersharks in the men’s 200-meter backstroke after clocking in at 2:17.14 behind Ateneo’s Gerard Reyes with 2:13.99.

His older brother, Franz Marquez, led the campaign for the UST men’s team after contributing three bronze medals from 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley and 400-meter freestyle.

In the 4x200-meter freestyle, the team of Justin Jaimas, Allen Miranda, Jux Solita

Dethroned FROM PAGE 12 Nisperos clinched the title for NU with a powerful attack, 12-25.

"Naging poor 'yung floor defense. Kahit ang ganda ng mga atake namin, hindi rin namin na-utilize," UST head coach Emilio Reyes said. "But my players did their best."

UST lost a chance to equalize in the second frame after a controversial illegal attack was called on Laure, giving the set to the Lady Bullpups, 26-28.

In Game 1 last Sept. 28, the Tigresses absorbed a tough 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 21-25 defeat.

UST opened the fourth frame with a 3-0 lead capped by a block from team captain Pauline Gaston.

But NU answered with five straight points, three coming from UST's errors, 5-3.

The Tigresses committed another service error to hand NU the match point, 24-20 before Rica Diolan finished off UST with a powerful attack, 25-21.

Despite missing out on back-toback titles, graduating senior Pauline Gaston received the Best Blocker award while Laure was named Best Attacker.

Far Eastern University's Rachel Anne Fabro is the Rookie of the Year while NU's Nisperos was crowned Most Valuable Player. A. P. ABELLO

and Michael Bunag bagged third place with a time of 8:37.31 behind Ateneo and De La Salle University.

Solita added another medal in the last day of the tourney after finishing third in the 1500-meter freestyle.

“I’m satisfied with their performance.

They did their best and they worked hard for this,” Tigersharks head coach Cyrus Alcantara told the Varsitarian.

After boycotting last year’s meet, the Female Tigersharks returned with five bronze medals for 95 points, behind Ateneo’s 468 points, UP’s 430, and La Salle’s 121.

Four of the Female Tigersharks’ five-medal haul came from the relay competitions, the 4x100-meter freestyle, 4x200-meter freestyle, 4x100-meter medley and 4x50-meter medley.

Returning UST swimmer Edlyn Son was the only individual winner for the women’s team after capturing bronze in the 50-meter freestyle tied with Ateneo’s Thea Caluma.

K. C. G. BASCO AND D. R. M. DIOQUINO

A Tigershark emerges for a breath during a swimming event.

BASILIO H. SEPE

Final buzzer sounds for top Tigress Top Tigress Lore Rivera ended her collegiate career without a title, her squad’s final game against Far Eastern University (FEU) still haunting her.

With the Lady Tamaraws ahead only by a point, the former national team standout recalled how confident she was that she can execute the gamewinning play designed for her.

“I told myself, ‘I can do it.’ I knew I can make the basket and the game was still ours,” she recalled.

But Rivera couldn’t deliver despite 3.8 seconds still left in the game as the Tigresses missed a chance to meet defending champion De La Salle University for a shot at the title.

Rivera, 21, recalled weeping afterward, realizing she was ending her stint with UST without a title.

But the pain of not winning a championship is the one thing that the Human Resource senior will not forget.

Despite a stellar off-season for the Tigresses, Rivera, the team captain, admitted that she was not playing her usual game during the onset of the tournament. Her performance affected the team, forcing the Tigresses to play catch-up as the season progressed.

“There was already pressure after four games because we wanted to get the number two spot. But we have been too complacent, which resulted in a disappointing record,” the Pampanga-native said.

At the latter part of the season and especially when a Final Four slot was on the line, Rivera found her rhythm and almost single-handedly carried the Tigresses, saying that backing down was never an option.

“Hindi ko alam kung paano tutulungan ‘yung sarili ko kasi, as team captain, hindi lang sarili ko ang iisipin ko, dapat pati ‘yung teammates ko,” Rivera said. “Buwis buhay na ako pag naglalaro, kung pwede lang ako sa lahat ng spots, gagawin ko.”

Despite the grief that came as the season ended, Rivera still considered this year as the best in her entire UAAP stint.

Rivera first arrived at the Tigers’ lair in 2008 but stopped playing in 2010 due to academic deficiencies and problems with then coach Julie Amos.

The Mythical Five member recalled how the former coach belittled her family’s status

when her parents went to UST for a meeting about her standing with the team.

“Sabi niya [Amos] sa parents ko, ‘Bakit, saan pupunta ‘yung anak ninyo? Sa La Salle?

Kaya niya ba makipagsabayan sa mga tao dun, ni-pagdadamit nga hindi niya kaya,” Rivera narrated.

After that encounter, Rivera decided to pursue her basketball career in other schools and started to train with FEU and National University.

But, as good faith would have it, she suited up again for the Tigresses in 2011 after UST officials called for her return, citing that a new head coach would lead the team.

The new coach, who still chalks up plays for the team, is former UAAP MVP Chris Cantonjos.

Rivera did not have a happy ending with the Growling Tigresses, but her journey left an indelible mark not only to her team, but to the entire Thomasian community. KARL CEDRICK G. BASCO

Rivera tries to shove her way through a defender. NAZZI M. CASTRO Rivera

Sports

OCTOBER 23, 2014

(Left to right) Ed Daquioag, Karim Abdul, Aljon Mariano, Kevin Ferrer and Louie Vigil

FILE PHOTOS

Tale of the Tigers: What the numbers say

NUMBERS don’t lie.

What went wrong with the UST Growling Tigers this season boiled down to inconsistency and shaky offense, as shown by data from Imperium, UAAP’s official statistics company.

In half of their 14 games, the Growling Tigers performed poorly in the first three quarters before getting their rhythm in the final period. They had four games where they collapsed in the end after an aggressive start.

The Tigers also slumped in offense as they only made a total of 309 field goals to rank seventh in the league. They also placed sixth in field goal percentage, shooting only an average of 35.7 percent.

To put their offensive struggles in perspective, they averaged only 62.4 points per game and their 77 points in the win against the University of the Philippines in the second round was their season high.

To make matters worse, they averaged only 39.2 rebounds per game for seventh place and although they led the UAAP with 86 steals, they

NU dethrones Junior Tigresses in HS Voleyball THE UST Junior Golden Tigresses lost their title after succumbing to a determined National University side, 21-25, 26-28, 28-26, 12-25, in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 77 girls' volleyball tournament at the Adamson Gym last Oct. 2.

The Lady Bullpups clinched their first UAAP girls’ volleyball title.

Down two sets to none, the Golden Tigresses uncorked a quick 5-0 run to gain the lead late in the third set, 20-18.

Czarina Cudias then sealed a tight frame with a service ace to keep UST’s title hopes alive, 28-26.

But the Tigresses couldn’t stop a rampaging NU side as the Lady Bullpups cracked the fourth set with a commanding 11-point lead, 8-19, after Caitlyn Viray unleashed five aces.

Eya Laure tried to carry UST but Faith Dethroned PAGE 11

never fully took advantage as they only managed 6.1 fastbreak points per game (seventh place).

Slow starts and closing out games Perhaps the biggest problem the team faced this season was giving up leads and falling into slow starts.

UST could have built some much needed momentum in the first round if not for a last-second collapse against the Ateneo de Manila University.

The same scenario happened in their games against the De La Salle University (first and second round) and in their second round showdowns with Ateneo, National University and University of the East.

In the five games they won, the Tigers averaged 66 points per game (PPG) and had a point differential of 6.6 points. However, in their nine losses, UST only managed 60.3 PPG and allowed their opponents to score 70.2 PPG. Ironically, the Tigers shot better when they were losing, connecting on 42.2 percent of their field goal attempts as opposed to 36.2 percent

when winning. The team, though, had a consistent number of turnovers, whether winning or losing, with 18 turnovers a game.

Dipping numbers One of the many reasons for UST’s downfall this season was the failure of Aljon Mariano to adequately fill the hole left by Jeric Teng.

Mariano chipped in 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting a respectable 43.0 percent from the field in Season 76. However, this year, his numbers slightly dipped as he tallied 11 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting only 34.1 percent.

The sudden fall of Mariano’s production from Season 76 to 77 was magnified when Kevin Ferrer missed games late in the season due to injury.

Bright spots Amid the heartbreak of missing the Final Four for the first time in four years, Mythical Five member Karim Abdul remained as one of the bright spots for the team.

The Cameroonian center almost averaged a double-double as he finished the season with 14.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, including a monster 24-point and 16-rebound performance against FEU in the second round which resulted in a loss.

Abdul was also most efficient Tiger with a player efficiency rating of 26.7 percent. Surprisingly, reserve center Jeepy Faundo was ranked second in the Tigers’ efficiency rating with 16.2 percent followed by Louie Vigil (15.9).

Swingman Kevin Ferrer, who averaged 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds, was also badly missed by UST in the second round.

In eight games where Ferrer saw action, the Tigers held their opponents to only 63.6 points per game and allowed 70 PPG in the six games that he was out.

“Kevin is a vocal leader, he really talks to players and I wish that he continues being a vocal leader for him to get the trust and respect of the team,” said Tigers head coach Bong dela Cruz about Ferrer possibly taking over for the team next season.

As the Tigers missed the playoffs after two straight trips to the finals, their lackluster numbers speak for themselves.

However, improvements from Louie Vigil, Kent Lao and rookies Renzo Subido and Regie Boy Basibas are some of the little victories UST can take into the next season.

“Everybody needs to step up. There is no superstar in the team next season so everybody needs to step up. We are looking for more competition and we plan to join leagues to hone the playing style of the team and to develop our coaching as well,” dela Cruz said. KARL CEDRICK

G. BASCO AND DELFIN RAY M. DIOQUINO

UST Paddlers lose to UP in Final Four THE UST Paddlers missed a shot at the crown after stumbling against the thirdseeded University of the Philippines in the Final Four of the UAAP Season 77 table tennis tournament last Oct. 1 at the Blue Eagle Gym in Ateneo de Manila University.

The Tiger Paddlers settled for third place after squandering their twice-tobeat advantage against the Maroons in the semifinals, losing 1-3 and 2-3, in the first and second matches, respectively.

In the knockout match, the UST duo of Alberto Bazar and Norielle Pantoja steered the Tiger Paddlers to a 2-1 lead after a convincing 3-1 win over their UP counterparts.

But the resilient Maroons mounted a comeback with back-to-back victories in the fourth and fifth matches to dispatch the UST squad and enter the finals.

"The team did their best, they really wanted to win, but the breaks of the game didn't go our way," Tiger Paddler head coach Jackson Que said.

Despite the loss, Que believes the team

will return strong next season as the Tiger Paddlers will maintain an intact lineup.

Meanwhile, the Lady Paddlers landed in fourth place after suffering a tough 2-3 loss against the defending champions UP in their semifinals match.

UST's Celinder Montes managed to forge a deciding fifth match after escaping Lusha Maderal with a 3-2 victory.

However, V Lupeba could not find her rhythm and failed to stage an upset after getting swept by Noriko Nichino in the decider.

"Yung sa last game, yung service at offense niya [V Lupeba], abang na abang na ng kalaban," head coach Lori Wadjad said.

"UST dapat ang nag-ooffense pero nahirapan talaga siya sa depensa ng UP." JOSIAH DARREN G. SAYNES

A Tiger Paddler aims to return the ball. NAZZI M. CASTRO