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An interview with Mary Grace Torero

By Raf Madrigal

She is on a mission to change the perspectives of KEMers on what it really means to be a part of the Ways and Means Committee. She is not the type who’s afraid to get her hands dirty. After all, WAM is way more than just cleaning-up. Together with her group of hardworking committee members, she is able to prove that WAM is a force to be reckoned with. Folio is very much pleased to have Mary Grace Torero, the Vice President for the Ways and Means Committee as featured KEMer.

Raf | Grace

Why did you join UP KEM?

Kasi,  feeling ko kelangan ko na magka-org. Nag-aapply na yung mga kaibigan ko, so more likely for friendship din. Parang nakiuso lang ako, haha!

Was there a time when you thought of giving up the app process and applying for that other ChE org?

Oo, feeling ko naman lahat ng apps may ganung tendency. Pag nahihirapan na, giving up is always an option.

Why did you choose to run for Executive Council? Why did you choose your current position?

N/A. HAHA. Feeling ko naman, every KEMer knows my story about being an EC. I don’t want to explain and answer this question anymore. Alam niyo nang lahat sagot ko dito.

Are there any other UP orgs that you are affiliated to?

None.

Have you regretted running for your current position in the EC?

HAHAHA. Tawa na lang ako!

Being an EC is very tough. It demands a whole lot of your time. How do you manage to study despite your EC work?

True! Syempre, I should know my priorities. Gasgas man ang linyang ito pero andito ako sa UP para mag-aral. Mahirap talaga ang time management pero kelangan talaga siyang i-practice para makapag-survive sa ganitong lifestyle.

Who among your co-EC members do you get along with the most? Why?

Madami sila eh. Pinakamadalas kong kasama sina Dyan, Jaypee at Jen. Tipong kami yung sabay-sabay uuwi after every meeting tapos tulungan din sa mga endeavors.

Do you believe that the other ChE organization is slowly challenging our tradition of excellence?

Maybe. For me, parang kelangan talaga nilang gawin yun. Kailangan nila tayong pantayan. May goal sila kaya kapag naabot nila yung goal na yun, nagiging successful at magaling sila kasi they prove that they can do better. On the other hand, tayo naman, we just continue all the events that we have. Mas pinapaganda lang natin ang mga events throughout the years.

Is UP KEM ignoring the fact that UP ALCHEMES is starting to make its move to be recognized as the number one ChE org and starting to dominate the population of the ChE students?

I think yes. Honestly, we always think that we are the best organization but to level-up hindi lang sa point na  mapantayan kundi malampasan na tayo. Feeling ko, as an org, kailangan na din natin mag-isip ng ways not just to level-up but to attain sustainability sa lahat ng aspects from members to events.

What can you say about the number of inducted members of UP KEM? What do you think is the reason behind this?

Feeling ko, malaking factor talaga ang app process, especially na nagiging kalat na siya sa kahit sino. I mean, parang alam na nila ang mangyayari kaya sila natatakot. Tipong hindi pa nga nila nasusubukan tumambay, mataray na ang tingin nila sa lahat ng nasa  tambayan or feeling nila hindi sila papansinin or something. Pero for me, depende na talaga yan sa aplikante kung gusto nila ba talaga o hindi mag-org at kung anung org ang gusto niyang salihan. We can persuade them but we cannot decide for them.

How long have you been in the Ways and Means Committee?

Since I became a member.

What is you favorite ChE subject?

ChE 134 – dito mo kasi mafifeel kung ano talaga ang use ng ChE sa buhay mo. Mamumulat ka kung ano ba ang gamit niya in real life. Pero, parang madidisappoint ka sa mga ginagawa ng ChE in real life pag nalaman mo. Hindi kasi ganun yung ineexpect ko sa pag- tinake ng course na ‘to.

What ChE subject do you hate the most?

ChE 123

Describe yourself in three words.

Thin. Loud. Funny.

Who among your current committee members do you see great potential to be the next Vice President for Ways and Means?

Actually, kahit sino sa kanila ang pwede. Puso lang talaga ang kelangan at dedication sa work. Pero pwede din naman sapilitan!

Would your future lover come from KEM? (Do you want your future lover to be a KEMer?) Why?

NO. HAHA Actually, ayaw ko na from ChE ang future lover ko (choosy pa talaga ako.haha). :)

What are your future plans as an EC? What can you say about the disinterest of male KEMers to join your committee?

All I wanted habang WAM VP pa ako is a clean and organized tambayan. Kaya sana, tulungan niyo akong maachieve ang part na yun. Tipong hindi lang kayo maglilinis kasi sumisigaw sigaw na ako na feeling ko hindi naman naging effective. Hindi ko alam. Baka sobrang lakas na ng boses ko hindi niyo na naririnig. Assign cleaners  para sa committee niyo (na dinadaan din sa sapilitan yung paglinis kahit responsibility niyo talaga yun). Gusto ko, kahit wala ako sa tambayan or yung walang magreremind sa iniyo ay maisip niyo na kelangan pa ring imaintain yung cleanliness niya.  Hindi kayo nagkakalat randomly at binabalik niyo kung saan niyo kinukuha yung mga hiniram niyo para naman hindi mahirapan yung sunod na mangangailangan ng gamit na yun. Hindi naman ako nag-WAM VP para iremind lang kayo na maglinis kayo. Hindi din naman nabuo ang WAM Committee para linisin ang kalat na iniiwan niyo sa tambayan everyday! Syempre, aside from this wish (clean tambayan), nag-eexpect din ako ng successful shirt sale and other merchanidise sale.

 When it comes to the disinterest of male KEMers naman to join WAM, wala na akong magagawa dun. Baka ayaw nila ng hard work, o kaya naman detailed work, o yung pinakaayaw ng lahat – yung maglinis.  Feeling ko hindi lang naman male KEMers ung walang interest to join WAM. Pati na rin yung ibang ayaw ng masyadong trabaho (as others may call it - peasant work). Pero seriously, lahat ng KEMers ay pwedeng mag-WAM. Hindi kailangan ng kahit anong talent o skill, sipag lang at willingness to work. Yung WAM kasi, feeling nila na puro lang paglilinis and all. Actually, the real thing is you find the simplest ways and means to do a task. You provide the cheapest materials (since limited ang budget) pero with high quality at i-execute mismo yung dapat gawin ng mabilisan lang(para umabot sa deadline) tapos lalaitin lang ng mga taong pag pangit. Never naman naka-experience ng log work haha!  Hirap kaya nun! Try niyo!  In the end, napakafulfilling naman  kapag nagawa mo yun at nakita mong successful ang kalalabasan.

What can you say about the KEMers’ negligence of their duties to keep the tambayan clean?

For me, sobrang unfair na piling-piling tao lang per committee (same faces lang ang nakikita ko) ang naglilinis. Sila na lang forever yung naglilinis. For sure, may ibang committee members na never pang nakahawak ng walis sa tambayan kahit alam naman nila na committee nila yung assigned to clean. Don’t you find it unfair? And to think na yung mga hindi naglilinis or ayaw maglinis yung nagkakalat (Hindi ako nag gegeneralize!). I think KEMers should also know their responsibilities. Kailangan natin ng konting disiplina. Promise, useful yan sa life. Dagdagan niyo pa ng cooperation.

Do you think that assigning cleaners for the day is effective?

Yes, basta masabihan lang sila beforehand na sila yung cleaners. Dapat, cooperative lang din yung members. Sabihin nila kung available ba sila or not to clean para kung hindi, maiassign sa ibang committee members.

If you were to live a celebrity’s life for a day whose life would it be? (Foreign/ Local)

Kathryn Bernardo or Julia Montes! Para kahit one day man lang makasama ko si Coco Martin or si Daniel Padilla. Yuck kadiri ang jologs ko! Pero seryoso. Super crush ko talaga sina Coco at Daniel. Calling all fan girls! Alam ko marami jan!

How do you see yourself in, say, 3 years?

Dapat by that time, may trabaho na ako.

Do you see yourself joining Maskipaps?

Not at all.

What can you say about the similarity between you and Ishka? Yes, I’m referring to the body built :)

Haha! Parang yun lang naman talaga ang similarities namin. Or maybe, we both speak straight English. Charot! Haha! Baka pareho kaming mabait at mahaba ang pasensya sa mga assigned cleaners na hindi naglilinis.

Featuring Jeneath Neo, Vice President for Educational Affairs

We are, first and foremost, college students. We enrolled in UP because we need to learn. Of course, we are all entitled to grow and have fun. KEM offers that and then some. Then again, we must all remember that our academics must always come first. The KEMer featured in this interview lives to motivate the KEMers to excel just as much in academics as they have been for other events. Folio is glad to feature Jeneath Neo, the Vice President for Educational Affairs of UP KEM.

Folio |  Jeneath

Did you ever see yourself as being part of the EC back when you were a new member?

Nope. As in never talaga. Actually, never kong inexpect na magpapaka-active ako sa KEM. Mataas kasi yung tingin ko that time sa mga members and EC ng KEM. Ang iniisip ko is never naman akong magiging katulad nila. Basta, something like that.

When you were just a regular member, what things did you expect from the EC of that time?

Mababaw lang ako nung naging member ako ng KEM. Yung perspective ko sa EC noon is parang dapat maging close sila sa mga KEMers at maging active and present sa lahat ng events ng KEM. Kasama na rin dyan yung aim na dapat maging EWOC. Pero syempre, nung tumanda na, iba na rin yung perspective ko sa kanila. More than anything else, I expected the EC to guide the KEMers sa path nila. Kasi, ang mga KEMers, especially new mems, hindi pa talaga alam kung ano at kung hanggang saan yung potentials nila. For me, I’m expecting the EC to give more opportunities sa members. It’s up to the KEMers if they will grab these opportunities or not.

Why did you choose to become the VP for Educational Affairs?

Kasi, first love ko talaga ang committee na ‘to (charot)! Siguro, ang yabang ko kung sasabihin ko to pero para kasing ako na yung na-mold na maging VP for Educational Affairs Committee. New member palang ako, super naging active ako dito sa committee na ‘to (and never kong iniwan). And I think mas alam ko yung mga bagay-bagay under this committee given na naging director ako last year.

What sorts of things make your job as a VP hard? What about things that make it easy?

For me, mahirap ang maging VP for Educ kasi masyadong maraming bagay ang kailangan mong i-consider. Hindi lang yung academic standing ng KEM ang hinahandle. Kasama na rin yung continuous connections to other schools as well as high school students. Concerning the acads ng mga KEMers, may sari-sariliing study habits ang bawat students. May magaling sa study groups, sa mga reviews, sa studying on their own, etc. And nakita ko rin kung paano nahihirapan yung mga past VPs about this. The best that the committee can offer are the reviews and yung binibigay na review materials which I think is nakakatulong naman sa mga KEMers.

Despite all of this and kahit na mahirap, thankful talaga ako sa mga members ng Educ. Makita mo lang silang nagwo-work at nagiging supportive sa mga events ng Educ and ng KEM is fulfilling talaga. Thank you talaga guys!

How do you define academic excellence?

For me, academic excellence is not all about grades. What is really needed is yung good ethics sa lahat ng ginagawa, simpleng probset man or what, with focus and concentration sa lahat ng bagay. And with a big EFFORT. You are doing something not just for the sake of doing and completing an academic activity pero yung aim mo is to learn something from those activities. And you can even apply it to other aspects since confident ka sa mga alam and ginagawa mo. And that, I think, is the definition of academic excellence.

Mahirap ang ChE. Despite this, how do you manage to encourage the KEMers to achieve academically?

Yes, mahirap talaga ang ChE. No doubt naman dito. For me, yung first step lang sa pag-encourage sa kanila is to make them realize na even from the smallest things like pagpasok sa classes hanggang sa pag-prioritize ng exams ay importante; more on giving tips sa pag-prioritize since kakayanin naman talagang i-balance ang KEM work and academics.

What can the KEMers expect from the Educational Affairs Committee?

I think what KEMers should expect from us [the committee] is that we will not only provide more assistance to them in terms of academic concerns but also, we will increase our connections and reach out to more high school students as well as other academic organizations.

Can you talk about KEM’s theme, Beyond Infinity, in relation to the Educational Affairs Committee?

More than anything else, I think the biggest challenge for the Educational Affairs Committee is tolet the KEMers realize just how important academics is in balancing their priorities.

Beyond Infinity does not only pertain sa kung ano pa yung magagawa ng KEM. More importantly, it pertains sa infinite potentials ng KEMers.Kung sa dami ba naman ng events ng KEM wherein nachachallenge tayo na- iimprove pa yung events kaya dapat we are capable of pushing our limits in terms of our academics kung mas papahalagahan lang natin ‘to. And I think that it’s our job (the Educational Affairs Committee) to help and motivate the KEMers.

If you had the chance to have any position in the EC other than being the VP for Educational Affairs, what position would you have instead and why?

Actually, hindi ko talaga alam! Parang as VP for Educational Affairs lang talaga ako. Hmm, given the experience siguro, I’ll go for VP for WAM since most of my work sa loob at labas ng KEM is inclined sa logistics work.

ATE JEN! Mag-maski ka na daw!

Omg, almost three years ‘ko narin ‘to naririnig. Alam kong matagal nyo na akong inexpect na mag-maski pero you know naman, busy na next sem sa engg week so HINDI talaga! And please, diba goal naman nating lahat is manalo yung KEM sa mga night events? So para ma-ensure yun, HUWAG AKO ang isasali!

by adonis

The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star

-          Why? Nothing special, actually. It’s only the first music video ever aired on MTV.

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8r-tXRLazs

Metallica – One

-          Probably one of the creepiest music videos ever.

-          The song’s theme and lyrics are based on Dalton Trumbo’s 1939 novel Johnny Got His Gun, telling the tale of a soldier who is hit by an artillery shell and loses his limbs, eyes, ears and mouth. His mind functions perfectly, however, leaving him trapped inside his own body. Trumbo directed the movie adaptation in 1971, from which the footage for the “One” music video is taken.

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzgGTTtR0kc

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Dani California

-          Another nostalgia-bringing RHCP song.

-          It features the band impersonating huge rock icons playing their most memorable gigs ranging from the Beatles in The Ed Sullivan Show, to Nirvana during their MTV Unplugged performance in New York.

-          It shows the evolution of rock as a genre of music: rockabilly, British Invasion, psychedelia, funk, glam, punk, goth, hair metal, grunge, and lastly, their own genre which they consider to be a fusion of all those parts.

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb5aq5HcS1A

Weird Al – The Saga Begins

-          Another of Weird Al’s signature parodies, this one is a parody of Don Mclean’s American Pie.

-          The video recounts the events in Star Wars Episode I, from the perspective of Obi-wan Kenobi. What’s amazing, is that Weird Al wrote the song before the movie’s massive release in 1999. He based everything solely on internet spoilers. He had done such an accurate job with the story line that after the pre-screening, he ended up making only very minor alterations.

-          American Pie’s first lines were “A long long time ago, I could still remember how that music used to make me smile.” This parody opens with the lines “A long long time ago, in a galaxy far away, Naboo was under an attack.”

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrN7vifyoKc&feature=related

OK Go – Here It Goes Again

-          It features the band performing a  very creative dance choreographed on treadmills.

-          The video was so remarkable, it was parodied in shows such as The Simpsons and The Fairly Odd Parents.

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA

Weezer – Perfect Situation

-          This video features Girl Next Door star, ELISHA CUTHBERT!

-          It’s about Weeze, a fictional predecessor to Weezer, with Elisha as the legotistic and unprofessional lead vocalist.

-          She is eventually replaced by Rivers Cuomo, the band’s actual vocalist, who plays Weeze’s introvert manager.

-          And did I mention, it has ELISHA CUTHBERT?!

-          She’s hot!

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwv-iRvyDZg

Weezer – Pork and Beans

-          The video is about memes that attained internet fame.

-          Many youtube celebrities joined the band to film the video, including the Chris Crocker (Leave Britney Alone! Guy),  the guys that made the diet coke and mentos fountain video, and the Star Wars Geek duo of Ryan and Dorkman.

-          It also references to other famous videos on the internet, like the Dancing Banana, Soulja Boy Dance and “Will it blend?”

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_jGlyqoYoo

Foo Fighters – Big Me

-          When the band wrote the song, they realized that it sounds very  much like a mentos TV ad jingle. So they decided that the music video should be about a mentos-parody – “Footos, the fresh fighter.”

-          The video’s success led to many fans throwing Mentos at the band whenever they played the song live. For an extended period of time, the band did not play the song live due to this, as Grohl cited: “We did stop playing that song for a while because, honestly, it’s like being stoned. Those little … things are like pebbles – they hurt.

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLdJQFTnZfA

Foo Fighters – Learn to Fly

-          This hilarious Eddie Murphy-style video shows just how talented Dave Grohl is; he’s a badass drummer (being the drummer of Nirvana), he’s a terrific song writer, a rocking vocalist and one hell of a comedic actor.

-          The video features the band playing different characters of different, size, shape, and even gender. Jack Black and Kyle Gass from Tenacious D, who are good friends of the Foo Fighters, also appear in this video.

-          In the video, all the passengers and crew of the plane, including the pilots were accidentally drugged. The only ones left clear-headed are the band, and now they must literally, “learn to fly” a plane.

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VQ_3sBZEm0

Foo Fighters – Long Road to Ruin

-          The music video of the song is a comedic spoof of a stereotypical 1970s-era hospital soap opera (General Hospital in particular), and is essentially a “show within a show”. As seen in the opening credit sequence, the Foo Fighters portray the actors who in turn portray the show’s characters. Grohl plays “Davy Grolton”, who stars as the main doctor, “Hansom Davidoff”. Drummer Taylor Hawkins plays “Ty Hawkstone” (“Les Groper”, Davidoff’s womanizing colleague). Guitarist Chris Shiflett plays “Christopher Mishomotohama” (“Little Jimmy”, a severely injured child). Bassist Nate Mendel plays “Ned Bender” (“Saul Goode”, the show’s shady antagonist). Actress Rashida Jones guest stars as “Racinda Jules” (“Susan Belfontaine”, the doctor’s love interest).

-          In order to avoid confusion with the soap opera (also entitled “Long Road to Ruin”) and the “real world”, the scenes in the soap opera have brown tones to make it more vintage, while the real world retains normal color.

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=308KpFZ4cT8

It was a rainy day, but the pounding rain did not stop the KEMers and potential applicants alike to pursue the quest to find their own treasures. This semester’s orientation seminar entitled “KEMQuest: The Journey Begins” encouraged its audience to start discovering their lives’ hidden treasures by embarking on an adventure with UP Chemical Engineering Society, Inc. (UP KEM).

The orientation seminar held last July 4, 2012 at the Engineering Theater was attended by 67 unaffiliated chemical engineering students and was backed up by the presence of more than a hundred resident members and 14 alumni – all eager to guide the potential applicants in applying to UP KEM.

Christian Bryle Leano and Lara Angelica Casalme, the hosts for the event, warmed-up the audience as the seminar started.

The program was opened by the heavenly voices of KEM Choir who led the doxology and national anthem. Afterwards, different speakers – members and once members of UP KEM – shared their insights on the organization.

Current organization adviser and Department of Chemical Engineering faculty Dr. Analiza Rollon shared her experiences as an applicant during her time. Engr. Francis Paul Peralta, alumnus and father of a freshman student, talked about the uniqueness and competitiveness of UP KEM in the past years. Ms. Annabellee Chua – a fresh alumna who graduated summa cum laude earlier this year – made a quick speech to encourage the unaffiliated students to try UP KEM. Lastly, 11B’s Summa KEM Laude Steven Michael Resma shared how UP KEM helped him learn new things about the College of Engineering.

Alumna Dr. Analiza Rollon poses with her daughter Ann Elizabeth Rollon, a current member of UP KEM.

Speakers from the Registration Committee (RegCom), Inhenyero, UP Career Assistance Program for Engineering Students (CAPES), Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers-Junior Chapter Luzon (PIChE-JCL), Philippine Association of Chemistry Students, Inc. (PACS) and Engineering Student Council (ESC) gave glimpses on how their respective organizations work. They also shared how UP KEM helped them develop the skills required by their respective organizations.

 The attendees looked very entertained from the talks of the guest speakers.

Lastly, the Executive Council of UP KEM introduced themselves and their respective committees. Current Vice President for Membership Philemon Romualdo Suyosa III explained the organization’s application process to the attendees.

To entertain the attendees, different intermission numbers were prepared by the organization’s very own talent pools, showcasing the various talents that the KEMers possess. The KEM Skittles made the whole Engineering Theater burst into laughter with their comic skit showing the treasure of finding one’s self in UP KEM. The KEM Troupers brought out a strong performance as they grooved to “Stronger”. Last but not the least, the KEM Band wowed the audience with their four-men-one-guitar cover of “Somebody That I Used to Know”.

The AVPs shown during the program also brought excitement and laughter to the audience, especially during the Recruitment AVP prepared by the Recruitment Team. Excitement raised even more when the names of the lucky winners of UP Powercards and passes to the movie “The Dark Knight Rises” were announced.

To cap off the event, the orientation seminar’s overall head Jake Gacuan thanked everyone for attending and also encouraged the prospect applicants to set sail and hopefully find their treasures in UP KEM.

Organized by the Engineering Student Council (ESC), this year’s Engineering Opening Week dubbed as ‘Pschedelia’ was lined up with circus-themed events that brought together the college’s freshmen and upperclassmen. From June 25 to 29, the freshmen got to bond with their bloc mates and fellow freshmen, as well as with their bloc handlers.

Day 1: ‘Spectra: Enter the Kaleidoscope’

The week formally started with the Opening Program held at the UP Film Institute. After the program, the freshmen were led to the College of Engineering for the ‘Grand Pakain’ and bloc photo shoot.

 Freshmen from blocs G3, G5, and G7, together with some blochandlers, smiled for the camera right before the “Grand Pakain” began during Spectra: Enter the Kaleidoscope.

In the afternoon, the freshmen proceeded to their respective departments/institutes for their orientation seminar where they got to know more about their degree program and their home department/institute. After the Chemical Engineering (ChE) Department Seminar, the ChE freshmen were toured around the College of Engineering Library II located at the UP Alumni Engineers’ Hall.

After the seminars and tours, ‘Make Your Mark’ – a cheering competition between bloc-handling organizations together with their freshman blocs – was held at the Christy Hernandez Activity Center (CHAC). UP Chemical Engineering Society, Inc. (UP KEM) with blocs G3, G5 and G7 won third place in the said competition.

Before the day ended, the Day 1 Surprise was unveiled. The freshmen got the opportunity to fly balloons with their wishes tied onto them.

Day 2: ‘Fairocious’

Day 2 of the Engineering Opening Week gave the engineering organizations the opportunity to present themselves to the freshmen. The organizations had their own exhibits at the Melchor Hall second floor lobby. They also had booths at CHAC where fun games and prizes awaited the freshmen.

UP KEM prepared an interactive Ferris wheel-inspired display featuring the organization’s 5 P’s for the exhibit and Whack-a-Mole for the booth.

Day 3: ‘Le Cirque: Engineering’s Got Talent’

The top ten organizations that made it through the auditions got the chance to showcase their talents in ‘Le Cirque: Engineering’s Got Talent’. The jam-packed Engineering Theater cheered as the different organizations performed.

UP KEM – the top organization during the auditions – won first place with their unique shadow theater which they claim as the very first in the College of Engineering. UP Engineering Radio Guild (UP ERG) landed in second place followed by UP Circle of Industrial Engineering Majors (UP CIEM) at third.

Day 4: ‘Ethos: Ecstatic Existence’

Day 4 required creativity from the engineering students as they compete in a shirt-design contest held at CHAC. Each team, composed of a bloc handler and three freshmen, was given an hour to design a shirt that reflects the theme of the short film shown earlier that day.

The team composed of Daphne Karen Arenas, Angelica Ditan and Jon Michael Mendoza of bloc G5 and Jaypee Ong of UP KEM won first place in the event.

Day 5: ‘Euphoria: The Final Attraction’

 Members of UP KEM had a great time partying at Euphoria: The Final Attraction.

The Engineering Opening Week came to an end with ‘Euphoria: The Final Attraction’ as the culminating activity. The event was held during the evening at Nu’Vaine Manila, Tomas Morato. Male and female models from selected blocs and solo models from engineering organizations strutted on the catwalk in their elegant circus-themed attires.

ESC took the event as an opportunity to thank everyone for contributing to the success of the Engineering Opening Week. They also awarded the runners-up and winners of the previous events as well as the Best Blochandling Organization. UP KEM Blochandlers was awarded as the third Best Blochandling Team.

Last June 25, 2012, the UP Chemical Engineering Society Inc. (UP KEM) hosted the Chemical Engineering Department Seminar entitled “QuenChEd: Satisfy a different kind of thirst”. The event held at the Engineering Theater boasted of 74 freshmen attendees.

The program started with Engr. Marjorie Baynosa welcoming the freshmen to the College of Engineering as well as to the Department of Chemical Engineering. The welcome remarks were immediately followed by Engr. Jhud Mikhail Aberilla’s brief discussion of the BS Chemical Engineering (ChE) curriculum.

 Engr. Jhud Mikhail Aberilla begins his discussion on the ChE curriculum to the freshmen.

Many of the freshmen were taken aback because of the presented difficulty of ChE. To lighten the mood, alumnus Engr. Fra Cinco assured the freshmen that great rewards and opportunities await them as he shared his experiences in Chevron Philippines, Inc.

 The freshmen listened attentively as each speaker delivered their talks.

The event concluded with the two department-based organizations UP KEM and UP Academic League of Chemical Engineering Students (UP ALCHEMES) performing comic skits and inviting the freshmen to their respective applicants’ orientation seminars. Food and refreshments were also served to the attendees.

UP KEM brought out an entertaining and spectacular performance that wowed the audience.

“[I realized] Chemical Engineering is not an easy course, we have to strive and study hard for it. We shouldn’t take it very lightly,” Jon Michael Mendoza, a freshman, told Folio after the seminar. “I dare to face the challenge and pursue this degree program. I’m not scared; I’m challenged!” he added.

“I took ChE because I love Chemistry; until I realized, after the seminar, that ChE isn’t all about Chemistry but about Math,” another freshman, who requested to make herself anonymous, told Folio.

The ChE Department Seminar is an annual event organized by UP KEM, in cooperation with the Department of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Student Council and UP ALCHEMES, which aims to orient the freshmen on the BS ChE curriculum and to give them an idea on what lies ahead after graduation.

Featuring Kevin Basis

An interview by Folio

This person has a great passion for the cultural and socio-civic aspects of life. His love for the arts drives him to see and reach beyond the ordinary, elevating the talents and capabilities that KEM offers. With a team of cooperative and active committee members by his side, he is able to create new ways for KEMers to develop holistically. Folio is delighted to have Kevin Basis, the Vice President for Socio-Cultural Affairs, for this week’s feature.

(Folio, Kevin)

When you were a new member, did you ever see or think of being part of the EC?

As an applicant, I just aspired to be part of the Executive Council. I especially aspired to be the Vice-President for Socio-Cultural Affairs. When I was a new member, I immediately chose Socio as my committee. But even then, I somewhat never saw myself as part of the EC. I always thought that my other batchmates would be.

Then what made you decide to be a part of the EC given that you didn’t see yourself as being part of it before? Why the Socio-Cultural Affairs Committee in particular?

I ran for Socio-Cultural Affairs out of my passion for culture, arts, and socio-civic endeavors. Iba kasi yung nature ng work. I see it as a “work-and-play” kind of work – hindi lang puro administrative tasks. Also, running for the Executive Council is a way for me to give back to the organization.

By “work and play,” do you mean that for you, being the Socio-Cultural Committee VP allows you to be more interactive with the members in a way as compared to the other positions?

By its nature, it should be. But more than the interactions with the members, it is the people from the communities and the relationships that we form with them when we reach out in our socio-civic projects that matter the most. And is performing for an audience and showcasing our talents not fun enough?

What were some things that you expected from the EC back when you still weren’t a part of it?

I’m a person who does not expect a lot. I dunno. Aside from bagging the most coveted awards during their term, I just wanted the previous ECs to be close to the members. I value that relationship/interaction the most. The awards that they won are short-lived. They are good for the year they got it. Annual naman yun eh. Pero the relationships and the interaction, that’s long-term.

Hindi madali ang pagiging EC. I think that’s a given. Nevertheless, are there things that make it somewhat easy for you to perform your duties as a VP?

The previous ones tell me that being a VP is easy; it is being an EC is hard. Being a VP, issuing administrative tasks, and coordinating activities can be easy with cooperative and active committee members. Also, proper motivation from both parties helps.

Can you talk about KEMs theme this year, Beyond Infinity, in relation to the Socio-Cultural Committee?

Last year, we had to “Keep Moving Forward.” This year, we now focus on what comes after moving forward. We aim to expand our horizons and explore what’s beyond that. We want to go further and see what is out there — Beyond Infinity. And for Socio-Cultural Affairs Committee this year, we want to go beyond the usual order and beyond what is conventional. For the Talent Pools, we aim to go and think outside the box (ang choir ay ‘di pang doxology lamang). For our Socio-Civic Projects, we also want to go beyond our capacities and go for untapped resources (seeking the involvement of the LGU’s and NGO’s for our projects).

Are these some things that we can expect form the Socio-Committee this year? What other things can the KEMers expect?

Yes. Actually, we’re all pursing that right now for our projects this year. I think that KEMers should all watch out for other events of Socio for the coming months. Also, we’re trying to grow our pool of talented performers. We, the talent pool heads and I, are also seeing the potential in our applicants this semester.

Speaking of the Talent Pools, you have been overseeing them since the beginning of the semester. What can you say about the level of talent that the different pools offer?

Talent-wise, the talent pools hold vast amounts of potential. They have so much to offer. The thing is, they don’t have as much avenues for them to showcase what they got — and that’s the challenge for the talent pools. We’re trying to give them the opportunities to perform, innovate, and bring something new to the table.

If you had the chance to have any other position in the EC aside from being VP for Socio-Cultural Affairs, what position would it be and why?

I wanted to be the Executive Secretary. I have been in the Secretariat Committee for as long as I have been a member of the Socio-Cultural Affairs Committee. More or less, I’m well-acquainted with the roles and responsibilities of the Exec Sec. Also, I’m OC and I like to organize things, files, etc.

That concludes the interview! Thank you so much, Kevin!

Thank you rin! It’s my pleasure. All the best sa Folio!