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Christmas at Silliman >>> Sillimanians Reap Medals in SEAG >>> 2 Engineering Students to Receive BPI-DOST Award >>> SU Confers Honorary Degree on Wilfred Uytengsu >>> 6 Receive SNAAF Incentive Awards >>> Professor to Present Paper in China Silliman University celebrates Christmas with the story of the birth of Jesus Christ coming alive every night, from December 16 to 21 at the Amphitheater. Dubbed “The Living Nativity”, the program features pupils from the Early Childhood and Elementary Departments of the School of Basic Education in a series of repeat performances of the nativity scene. Around six performances are staged from 5:30PM to 8:30PM by some 250 to 300 pupils, each performance showcasing pupils coming from different year levels. Pastor Hidita Villas, Associate Pastor for Christian Education and Nurture, and one of the lead organizers of the program, said “The Living Nativity” seeks to facilitate better understand of Christmas and a conscious celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. “This is our way for us in the University to have a more meaningful and significant spiritual journey this Christmas,” Pastor Villas said. It is the first time for the University to feature “The Living Nativity”, a program conceptualized by the SU Church and made possible through the support of the Administration and the School of Basic Education. Pastor Villas hopes that the program will be made an annual event in the University. In
celebrating Christmas, Silliman also boasts of an acacia tree
lighted with 80 multi-colored stars. Standing in front of the
Alumni Hall, the acacia tree was decorated with the support of
Silliman alumni Engr. Winglip Chang and Atty. Felipe Antonio Remollo
and the Pan Hellenic Society. The Silliman University Student
Government also decorated some 24 acacia trees narrowing down
to the SU Church with giant Christmas lanterns. A welcoming sight
to those arriving by boat to Dumaguete at night is also the Silliman
Hall, now decorated with different colored lanterns displayed
around its terrace. Silliman alumni Jennifer Chan and Mark Javier, and fifth year Computer Engineering major Wayne Ian Larsen garnered medals in archery during the 24th Southeast Asian Games held December 12 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Chan and compatriots Amaya Paz and Abbigail Tindugan bagged the gold medal in the Women’s Compound division, while teammates Javier, Larsen and Marvin Cordero bagged the bronze medal in the Men’s Recurve division. Despite having joined numerous international archery competitions, Javier, the lone Filipino archer to qualify for the Beijing Olympics, still has something memorable to share about his latest feat. “The most memorable part was my last arrow since I was the last shooter of my team and I had only 8 seconds to release it. My last arrow won the games by 4 points,” Javier related in a text message. SU archery varsity coach Rowel Merto accompanied the archers as a coach of the Philippine team. Chan
and Javier graduated with a baccalaureate degree in General Science
and Information Technology, respectively. Chan is also one of
the country’s pride, having represented the Philippines
in several international tournaments, including the Olympics.
(The Weekly Sillimanian) Two graduating students of the College of Engineering and Design are among this year’s recipients of the Bank of the Philippine Islands-Department of Science and Technology (BPI-DOST) Science awards. Recognized for their individual works in the field of science are Alan Ricardo (Mechanical Engineering) and John Lawrence Sun (Computer Engineering). Both were chosen based on their research projects, academic performance, and leadership potential. Ricardo’s research project is titled “An Investigation on the Colorific Value of Acacia and Its Utilization as Alternative Bio-Mass Fuel for Wood Stove”, while Sun’s is titled “Automated Transaction System for Vending Machines”. The
BPI-DOST Science award intends to give recognition and incentives
to students who excel in specialized fields of science. Each awardee
receives P20,000, apart from an offer for employment with BPI.
(Donna Ametyst R. Bernardo) Silliman University conferred on Alaska Milk Corporation Chairman Mr. Wilfred Uytengsu the degree of Doctor of Humanities (honoris causa) in a special convocation held December 8 at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium. Mr. Uytengsu was recognized for the support he and his family have given Silliman and other faith institutions in the country on their efforts and programs to uplift the Filipino youth and to provide excellent spiritual and educational foundations for the Filipino people. A Silliman alumnus having graduated high school from the University in 1946, Mr. Uytengsu was born on October 6, 1927 in Dumaguete City. He graduated with the degrees of BS Industrial Engineering in 1950 at Stanford University and BS Chemical Engineering in 1951 at Indiana Tech University. After being away from Dumaguete for 52 years, Mr. Uytengsu, in his message during the conferral, spoke of how he learned the value of education and work ethic, especially as a young boy who lived a comfortable life but lost everything during the war. Taking reference to his parents, Silliman alumnus Don Tirso Uytengsu and Honey Tan, Mr. Uytengsu said he appreciated the value of education more when he had the opportunity of pursuing studies in the United States. “In today’s globalized world, an individual with a more diversified education and frame of mind will be in a better position to contribute and succeed…while an education does not necessarily guarantee success in the business world, it certainly provides a foundation for one to start with,” Mr. Uytengsu said. “Because of the importance my parents placed on education, I believe this enabled me to proceed on my entrepreneurial ways,” he said, sharing how this has led to the establishment of his companies, including General Milling, Basic Foods and Alaska Milk, to name a few. But according to Mr. Uytengsu, for one to be successful, one also has to have a good work ethic. “I’m not sure how this was inculcated in me, although I do remember my father mentioning the importance of working hard.” And he worked hard when he arrived from the US, realizing that this was the only way for them to grow, develop and survive. “The best business plan without the effort is just a dream,” Mr. Uytengsu said. “Once your business is started and you have established a niche, one can only succeed by working harder than his competitor if he is to expect to grow at a faster rate.” Materializing his visions for his companies meant working long hours and on weekends for Mr. Uytengsu. Sometimes, “going the extra mile” was “at the expense of spending time with my family.”
The family of Mr. Uytengsu has been generous to Silliman and other institutions in the country. In Silliman, the family, through the Uytengsu Foundation, supported the construction of two edifices: the Uytengsu Foundation Computer Center and the newly built Uytengsu Foundation Computer Studies Hall. These are in addition to an earlier building (the Uytengsu Hall) now being used by the College of Engineering and Design, and the Alaska Basketball Court fronting Woodward Hall. An existing scholarship in the University comes from the Wentworth Uytengsu Memorial Scholarship Fund, Inc. The scholarship was established in memory of Wentworth Uytengsu, an elder brother of Mr. Uytengsu, who was a pre-law student at Silliman University, but lost his life in the resistance movement in 1945. Two freshmen in the College of Law were granted the Wentworth Uytengsu Memorial Scholarship this school year. Over the years, beginning in school year 1950-1951, about 179 have been recipients of the scholarship and have become successful professionals. ............................................................................................................................... This year’s recipients of the Silliman North America Alumni Fund (SNAAF) Faculty Incentive Awards include four college teachers and two teachers from the School of Basic Education. The SNAAF awardees are: Engr. Jesus Amiscaray (Mechanical Engineering), Ms Alphita Enojo (Chemistry), Ms Rina Hills (English), Ms Ma. Emelen Nakao (Political Science), Ms Marcelita Pascual (English – High School) and Ms Emilie Sagarrio (Science – Elementary). Recipients are chosen on the basis of their teaching ability as well as activities that demonstrate moral character and Christian witness, and involvement in the enrichment of spiritual life on campus. Started in 1996, the SNAAF Award is intended to honor outstanding instructors who have manifested Christian service and maintained high quality teaching performance. It is sponsored by the alumni associations in North America. ............................................................................................................................... Social Work Department Chairperson Prof. Emervencia Ligutom will present a paper at a workshop entitled, “Women in Social Work in Asia”, at Fujian Normal University in Fuzhou, China to be conducted December 16 to 18. Professor Ligutom’s paper, “The Impact of Women Empowerment Initiatives of an NGO in a Philippine Village,” discusses the response of non-government organizations (NGOs) in the Philippines to programs and services granted to them, and how NGOs resolve the challenges they face relating to their advocacies. Supported by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, the workshop, Professor Ligutom said, aims to encourage schools to collaborate in the creation (and the eventual implementation) of a syllabus for the course Social Work and Women in Asia. (Donna Ametyst R. Bernardo) | ||||
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