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Written by Aliah Nicole C. Brillante Visuals by Jayvee P. Fulgencio The University of Santo Tomas (UST) is set to shift from Blackboard Collaborate Ultra to Zoom Meeting video conferencing platform for synchronous online classes on October 1, 2020. This is following the letter released by the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs dated September 25, 2020. Attached to the letter is a document stating that the university will be integrating Zoom Meeting inside the UST Cloud Campus as the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra’s validity ends by December 15, 2020. However, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams will still remain available in the cloud campus as options for video conferencing. Furthermore, the document states that the Educational Technology (EdTech) Center has already announced to the teaching and non-teaching academic staff, support staff, and students of the university the process of Zoom account activation via UST Gsuite email. Activation of accounts will be valid for 30 days after the email from edtech.techinfra@ust.edu.ph, UST Cloud Campus’ official email address, is received. UST has subscribed to two types of licenses for Zoom Meeting: the University Pro Subscription for Faculty Members with teaching load for the current semester, and University Basic subscription for on-leave faculty members, guidance Counselors, librarians, non-academic staff, and students. The inclusions of the said platform are shown in the table below. As for meetings having more than 300 participants, the respective Dean’s/Director’s Office of a faculty or college must submit a request for a Zoom Webinar to the EdTech Center. For security purposes, invitations for Zoom meetings are only set within the ust.edu.ph domain. In the event that an outside speaker needs to be invited, a letter endorsed by the Dean must be sent to the EdTech Center prior to the session.

Written by Carl Tristan Gile Photo courtesy of Asst. Prof. Raymundo Melegrito Asst. Prof. Raymundo Melegrito, former chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering from 1985 to 2000, concluded his 41 years of service at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) upon his retirement last August 2020. Engr. Melegrito started working at the UST Faculty of Engineering in 1979, one year after he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in the university. According to him, teaching was not his first career choice as he aimed to find a job before in the industry. However, he came to love the profession when he was offered a teaching position in UST. When asked about what he likes most in teaching, he said “Everything from mentoring my students, having a good relationship with my co-faculty members, and challenging myself to do better every year in teaching subjects.” In his 41 years of teaching experience, he treats his first and last job in the faculty as the highlights of his stay in the university. It is when he first worked as a laboratory supervisor from 1980 to 1982, and when he became the chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering from 1985 to 2000. Throughout his career, he mentioned that seeing his students excelling with their chosen careers made him proud as a professor. “My proudest moment is when I see my students who were under me succeed in their chosen careers and handle high positions in their respective jobs,” he expressed in an interview with Thomasian Engineer. Upon retirement, Engr. Melegrito has been spending his time bonding with his granddaughter and serving in the community of Couples for Christ (CFC) with his wife. He mentioned that his family, former colleagues, good health, and contentment are what matters most to him in life. As a professor who has experienced a long career in teaching, he advised the young professors to always persevere in their jobs and be patient with their students. He also reminded them to always be updated with the changes in technology especially on the subjects they teach. “Teaching might not be very rewarding in terms of monetary considerations since the industry offers more but it is rewarding in terms of having a part of molding your students to become good professionals,” he added. Engr. Melegrito also served as the vice-president of the Mechanical Engineering Network (MEN), internal auditor of the UST Faculty Union (USTFU), incident commander under the Crisis Management Committee, and adviser of UST Eco-Tigers – the UST representative in the annual Shell-Eco Marathon Asia.

Written by Julia Catmunan Photo by Julia Beatriz Galvez I see the irony between me and the girl on the screen, It’s funny how we exist simultaneously. Living two lives in two faces, Does she know who she is? Fed up by words that you don’t hear in real life, Liked by people who go against your back. Still, I long for the praise and acceptance, Why is everyone better on screen? Hidden behind this pretentious wall, I sometimes feel like it’s real. We gain what we thought we needed, While we lose a part of us every day. I lie in bed awake – her portrait is in my hand, It’s funny how we exist simultaneously. I live two lives and have two faces, Do I know who I am? No matter how pleasing the facade is, Its downfall will come. But don’t fret, for you will find, The real thing behind the screen.

Written by: Allen Atienza and Mary Andrew Dalogdog Photo taken by: Jayvee Fulgencio Dr. Anthony James C. Bautista, PME, PhD, faculty researcher of the UST Mechanical Engineering Department, presented his Logistic Indoor Service Assistant Robot (LISA) project, in a webinar hosted by DOST - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST - PCIEERD). Engr. Bautista was the fifth among six speakers to present his LISA project in the webinar entitled "EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN RESPONSE TO COVID AND POST-COVID CHALLENGES" held last September 8, 2020. In his talk, he presented the history, progress, and current status of his LISA project, and explained how the agency continuously supports his project. “It was an honor to be part of the program and to be invited by DOST,” he said when asked about his thoughts on being a speaker in the event. In August, DOST - PCIEERD granted support funds to Engr. Bautista, allowing him to further develop the LISA robot. “DOST is very supportive with our initiatives in the Faculty of Engineering as long as the project is in their priority area such as emerging technologies,” he said in an interview with Thomasian Engineer. The goal of the LISA project is to manufacture budget-friendly, remote controlled, interactive telecommunications robots in order to reduce interaction between frontliners and other possible carriers of the virus. Starting as an idea in May 29, LISA robot units have been developed, improved, and deployed through several hospitals. For more information about the project, check out the following articles Engr. Bautista Innovates LISA Robot and LISA Robot. Besides his ongoing plans to deploy them in public hospitals, he is also developing the LISA robot into a food delivery robot for quarantine facilities, and a disinfection robot for workplaces such as offices, warehouses, etc. He aims to deploy the units by the last week of September or first week of October, 2020. Engr. Bautista expressed that being a Filipino researcher alone is enough motivation for his work. He also added that the UST Faculty of Engineering is always behind the country’s health care workers in providing tools and assistance to aid in the pandemic. The seminar is part of the webinar series conducted by DOST to commemorate the 10th anniversary of PCIEERD last June 30, 2020.

Written by Allen Atienza and Lance Lasam Art by Maui Carlouisse M. Maramag We have explored for ways to replace the physical interaction that was robbed from us. Ever since we were caged in our homes, we have longed companionship other than our families. In video games, of all things, we have found fun and bliss that is better when played with other people. We bring to you two games that have saved people from potential millions of hours of boredom in the past month, Fall Guys (PC/PS4) and Among Us (PC/Mobile). In August 2020, Newzoo recorded a total of 112.8M hours watched on Fall Guys Twitch streams, while Among Us recorded a total of 30.5M, landing them on the top 2 and top 10 games, respectively. Among Us was released on June 15, 2018, while Fall Guys was released on August 4, 2020. Among Us suddenly blew up in popularity, while Fall Guys became a huge success that contends even the greatest games of all time such as League of Legends, and CS GO. What made Among Us become popular two years after its release? What made Fall Guys a huge success in its first month? The games have certain charms and mischiefs that anyone can pick up, but if you want the description, here’s why. Among Us: It’s Not Me, I Promise For a game that actively fosters both teamwork and distrust among everyone, Among Us is really enjoyable and fun to play. A group of at most 10 players get to join in a spaceship or a planet as crew members and must fix it and return to civilization. Only problem is that there is someone killing the crew members one by one - the Impostor. This InnerSloth has recently gained popularity when Twitch streamers and YouTubers from PewDiePie to GLOCO partook in the chaos. Now how do you play this game? Basically, this is one (or two or three) versus EVERYONE. As a crewmate, you need to find the Impostor. As an Impostor, you need to kill everyone else. The crew fixes the ship, while the Impostor (or Impostors) sabotage it while blending in with the crew. The game requires calculation, tactics and wit. You can use every feature present in the map and every diversion technique possible to thwart every other player from their mission. But, YOU MUST. BE. AWARE.AND VIGILANT. The last one standing, whether he be an Imposter or a Crewmate, wins. Despite its competitive edge, Among Us is a less stressful and a more enjoyable game to play. All you really need is a device and Wi-Fi, and it lets you in the simple yet compelling gameplay, and makes you develop your intelligence (and your growing cynicism) along with your friends and other players. Basta ‘wag kang sumunod sa yapak ng mga peenoise diyan. Please. Fall Guys: So Random You Can Hug People Your character? A Bean with arms and legs in a costume. Your options? Run, jump, grab, or fall. In order to win, you must go through a set of challenges and eliminations where even a potato brain can reign supreme in a lobby full of 60 random and unpredictable humans. That is Fall Guys, a massive multiplayer party game on PC that has become a hit for more than a month since it's release. Besides Among Us, Fall Guys has been a huge hit for the community, and a huge source of content for streamers and Youtubers alike. It’s developer, Mediatonic, gave the game a chaotic design that made the game enjoyable and a breath of fresh air. Why do people enjoy this game? There are three simple points to enjoyment in Fall Guys: Cosmetics gives the game lots of energy Imagine the final obstacle course, the pursuit for the crown, in a level full of vibrant colors. A hotdog racing against a smoothie zooming past obstacles. The game’s aesthetic is defined by its rainbow palette, coupled with a collection of random skins that players can earn by playing the game. Both design and physics are goofy It seems to have a charm similar to Takeshi’s Castle and Wipeout, as you have one goal with a lot of random contenders going through a level that is filled with random but doable obstacles. Couple that with its goofy cosmetics, and you will have a very random overall experience that is guaranteed to entertain you. The design is funky, but the physics is even more goofy, which makes up for bizarre moments such as characters flailing around, getting tackled into the air, or even falling flat on the face due to a missed jump. Predicting how the physics goof up in the game is as much fun as not even expecting it at all when you play. The game is simple enough for everyone to play it. Risk and reward has always been apparent in video games, and so has the frustrations that come along with it. Grinding and training to be number 1 makes for a pretty stressful time. Fall Guys goes beyond this concept due to the enjoyment it brings in its simple design. The controls are simple enough for anyone to play. The game tells you what you have to do, and the lobby is so full of players that you are going to worry about getting tackled (in a fun way) by other players into a pit of pink goo. It’s simple and chaotic, but it makes up for a good time, and for very fun and silly moments. References: BlueStacks. (2020). How to Be a Smooth Criminal in Among Us. Retrieved from https://www.bluestacks.com/blog/game-guides/among-us/amongus-smooth-criminal-guide-en.html C.A. (n.d.). A Dummy’s Guide to Dealing With Toxic Filipinos in Among Us. Retrieved from https://udou.ph/lifestyle/a-dummys-guide-to-dealing-with-toxic-filipinos-in-among-us/ Innersloth. (n.d.). Among Us. Retrieved from http://www.innersloth.com/gameAmongUs.php GLOCO. (2020). FILIPINO VTuber Plays AMONG US. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOjtTj6OqL0 Grayson, N. (2020). Among Us’ Improbable Rise To The Top Of Twitch. Retrieved from https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/09/among-us-improbable-rise-to-the-top-of-twitch/ Newzoo. (2020). Most Watched Games on Twitch. Retrieved from https://newzoo.com/insights/rankings/top-games-twitch/ PewDiePie. (2020). Among Us but IQ is 600. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l73BDS95OpM Scheurle, J. (2020). The silly, chaotic, random design behind Fall Guys’ success. Retrieved from https://www.polygon.com/2020/8/20/21375212/fall-guys-game-design-randomness-esports-success-sales

Written by Elyssa Vernadette R. Marcadejas Image taken by Jeremy R. Edera What do you desire? In this world of misplaced feelings, Which do you seek? The beginning, or the end? The sun, or the rain? The bloomed, or the withered? The relief, or the pain? The wounds, or the scars? I seek light amid this darkness, the endless cycle of misery I'm tired of being tired, that I forgot the clear sight, unblocked by tears So, I picked beginning, for a clean slate, The sun, for a newfound light, Bloomed, for a sense of purpose, Relief, for an underlying comfort, and wounds, for immense but swift pain. I pursued hope. But she picked the opposite. For the end is the start of beginning, the rain draws out a rainbow, some are withered before they bloom, pain is soothed by relief, and scars are trophies from healed wounds. Hope emerges from sorrows. This is the right path for what I’ve longed for. The path of tearful nights, unending regrets, and repeating anguish. The path to being worthy, of true happiness. She knows this, for she is I, tomorrow.

Salita ni Jezel Chua Guhit ni Keith Portia Andres Walang tigil ang pagbuhos ng ulan sa loob ng unibersidad, hawak ko ang aking payong bilang pamandong at ang aking mga aklat habang nagmamadaling iniiwasan ang bungkos ng mga estudyanteng hindi ko kilala. Kakaibang emosyon ang nararamdaman ko sa tuwing umuulan. Tila ba’y napakalungkot ng langit at napakaraming tao ang patuloy na lumuluha. Sa aking pagsilong natagpuan ko ang aking sarili sa Parokya ng Santísimo Rosaryo. Habang nagdarasal, may naramdaman akong pagtitig mula sa aking tabi. Sinuklian ko ito ng mapanuring tingin ng bigla nyang sinabing… … “pwede bang makipagkilala?” sabay bigay ng matamis na ngiti sa kanyang labi. Dito nagsimula ang lahat. Sa Parokya ng Santísimo Rosaryo. Madilim na kalangitan, nagngangalit na ulan, ang langit ay lumuluha at puno ng hinagpis. Dalawang taon na ang lumipas mula nang magkakilala kami sa Parokya ng Santísimo Rosaryo. Ngayong araw, magkikita kami ng aking kasintahan sa parke kung saan kami madalas na nagtatagpo. Masaya kaming nagku-kwentuhan habang kumakain ng aming pananghalian, kahit na sa ka-tirikan ng araw ay mas pipiliin kong maging malapit sa kanyang tabi. Kinuwento nya sa akin ang mga nakatutuwang ganap ng kanyang araw, naalala ko’t natapon pa nga ang malagkit na sorbetes sa kanyang asul na damit. Lumipas ang oras na punong puno ang lugar ng ingay ng aming pagtawa. May dulo pa ba ang kasiyahan? Biglang umiyak ang kalangitan, sa aming pagmamadali ay magka-akbay kaming dalawa sa iisang payong habang tumatakbo pauwi – ako’y masaya sa iyong piling. Hindi ko malilimutan ang ngiti mo sa tuwing tayo ay unti-unting nababasa ng ulan. Kakaibang ligaya ang dulot ng aking mahal, tila binigyan mo ng gintong liwanag ang kulay-abo kong buhay. Siya ang nagsilbi kong inspirasyon upang makapag-aral ng mas maigi at unti-unting tuparin ang aking mga pangarap. Walang araw na lumipas na hindi niya ako napaligaya. Siya ang nagsilbing araw sa panahong hindi masaya ang kalangitan. Walang tigil ang pag-tibok ng aking puso habang iniisip ang maaaring mangyari. Habang ako’y nasa aking kama at napapaisip, nagpapawis ang aking mga palad at hindi ko ma-ipinta kung ano ang aking nararamdaman ngunit tiyak akong may bagyong darating. Kinaumagahan na ng malaman kong magkikita kami ng aking kasintahan sa may Parokya. Napakalakas ng pagbuhos ng ulan, ramdam ko ang pagsigaw ng langit. Habang naglalakad ako papalapit sa simbahan, pabigat ng pabigat ang aking loob. Sa aking pagdating sa pintuan ng parokya, una kong nakita ay ang aking irog, nakaluhod, nagdarasal, at lumuluha. Ang mata nami’y nagtagpo, puno ng kalungkutan at pagsisisi. Hindi ko namalayan nang sinabi nya ang mga salitang hindi ko nais marinig. “Tama na. Hindi na ako masaya.” Saad niya at iniwan akong nag-iisa. Umuulan at puno ng pait. Hindi ko maipinta ang aking sarili. Sa dilim ng kalangitan, binalot ako ng sakit at kalungkutan. Ang dating mga halakhak nating puno ng galak, ngayon ay wari’ng multo sa katahimikan. Ang mga lugar na madalas nating puntahan, na kung saan tayo ay nakangiti at nagmamahalan, ngayo’y alala nalang ng kahapong naririto ka sa aking piling. Ang mga pangakong hindi natupad ay nagsilbing memorya, ngunit hanggang memorya nalang pala. Hudyat ito ng Diyos na hindi tayo para sa isa’t – isa. Napakahirap maiwan ng walang sagot sa kung ano ang dahilan ng iyong paglisan. Sa tuwing bumubuhos ang ulan ako ay nagdaramdam, na tila ang emosyon ko’y sumasabay sa lumbay ng kalangitan. Nalulungkot ang Diyos sa ating pagsasama. Inaamin kong ako’y nagkamali na sabihing ikaw ang araw sa aking tag-ulan, ikaw ang kabaligtaran - ika’y galit na langit sa mundo kong ginagalawan. Nagsimula at nagtapos ang ating istorya sa Parokya ng Santísimo Rosaryo, katulad ng ulan ang pagmahahal mo ay huminto at tumila. Sa pagsikat ng bagong araw nawa’y maari tayong magtagpo pang muli, sana tayo ay magtagpo pang muli. Ako ay umaasa na sana’y di tayo abutan ng kalungkutan sa muli nating pagkikita… Sa aking mga mata, tumulo ang ulan.

Written by Lance Kasel C. Lasam Visuals by John Patrick Villa Since UST now deals with online learning, students and teachers use a wide array of apps for our virtual classrooms. Any and all platforms are now used for online learning, but perhaps the most used type among all these softwares are live video conferencing platforms. Apps such as Zoom, Google Meet and Discord are now often used as avenues for teachers and students to participate in interactive classrooms. Each platform is different with features that are absent in others. However, how will you ensure that your classes will be without any problems? What program is more fitting for the budget and capabilities of both the teacher and student? Google Meet According to Business Insider, Google Meet is the most suitable platform when you want a larger collection of applications used in tandem with online classes. The app offers 720p video quality, call encryption, presentation modes, and has improved its service by including a tiled layout for larger calls. It also has the advantage of having more integrations with other applications like Skype for Business and, especially, with other Google services, like Google Calendar. You can use Google Meet if you want a more integrated experience with other applications, especially considering the relative reliability of other Google applications and services attached to it. Zoom Unlike Google Meet, Zoom is a dedicated video conferencing tool. Thus, this is a better choice if you only want a place for video meetings. The app also offers similar features as that of Meet, however it has more user capacity than the former. Zoom also has integrations with Skype for Business and Google Calendar, along with Microsoft Outlook, Google Drive, and others. Zoom has plans for both workplace and education settings. Education plans allow support for a maximum of 300 participants for each meeting. Workplace plans offer more support for more participants, and include many administrative features and can even have unlimited cloud storage and customer service. You can use Zoom if you want to focus on the video conference itself. The platform is a better avenue for video meetings with other participants, students and teachers alike. Blackboard Collaborate Blackboard Collaborate, the video meeting extension of Blackboard Learn, is a platform that is specially designed for education purposes. As their website states, it is a simple and reliable platform for virtual classrooms. It can be operated via any device, and has the necessary features for a comprehensive virtual learning experience. Features such as audio capabilities, recordings, polls, and breakout rooms have been most useful to students. However, there are problems with it, particularly when it comes to writing math equations (Tonsmann, 2014). Overall, Blackboard Collaborate is a nice video classroom, especially since it is designed specifically for school usage. Discord Despite the app being mainly used for gamers and having a different interface than other platforms, Discord can also be a good set-up for virtual classes. Many UST students, such as those from the IICS, use it because it is capable of storing codes. People like Hendrick Gliocam, the current president of the Thomasian Nihon Kyoukai (TNK), uses Discord for the organization’s meetings and data management. Why so? The app has a top-notch interface, and the app often does their best to optimize data usage as the user has to manually stop the data flow. Along with a screen-sharing feature, audio is often smooth and is also capable of noise suppression. The platform has no time limit for meetings. A Discord server can have an unlimited number of group chats within it. You can use the channels to communicate with the whole class, or use direct messaging to chat with someone. Teachers can even see which students are active, inactive, or are busy watching video games, however they should be wary of users hiding their game activity. Discord, though, has a learning curve, and older and newer users can have a hard time using its features. However once you get the hang of it, you can gather and have classes there with ease. Microsoft Teams Microsoft Teams is a platform designed for team collaboration. This is a good application especially when the participants come from remote places, or the amount of members is significantly large, as an article from Compete 366 states. All participants can use channels to converse with each other. They can also share documents with each other using SharePoint. Meetings can support up to 10,000 people. It is also one of the few platforms that enables offline users to still join a meeting with audio conferencing via phone. Teams offers a nice transition to a digital workplace, where the platform enables better productivity and increased transparency among its users. However, working here can be a challenge in the start. The cons include a confusing structure for files and limited flexibility which can lead to users tediously copying information in order to disseminate it to other teams. Despite the challenges though, Microsoft Teams is a good platform when it comes to handling workload and meetings of significant numbers of people. The Choice is Yours Not every video conference site is perfect since there will be distractions while participating in a virtual meeting. Even so, there are many different avenues to collaborate, engage, and participate with your fellow students and teachers. It doesn’t hurt to know and explore around what is in store in each of these video conference platforms. References: Blackboard. (n.d.). Blackboard Collaborate. Retrieved from https://www.blackboard.com/teaching- learning/collaboration-web-conferencing/blackboard-collaborate Compete 366. (n.d.). Microsoft Teams – what is it and should we be using it?. Retrieved from https://www.compete366.com/blog-posts/microsoft-teams-what-is-it-and-should-we-be-using-it/ Cornell, J. (2020). How to Hide What Game You’re Playing on Discord. Retrieved from https://www.howtogeek.com/664456/how-to-hide-what-game-youre-playing-on-discord/#:~:text=Open%20the%20Settings%20menu%20in,now%20close%20the%20Settings%20screen. de Looper, C. & Cohen, S. (2020). We compared Google Meet and Zoom to see which is better for remote working and learning — and Zoom is the more comprehensive video conferencing tool. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/google-meet-vs-zoom Gutierrez, G. (2020). Gaano ka-lakas mag consume ng data ang inyong video call. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/digitalgurotutorials/photos/pcb.173497380933940/173497210933957 iSpring. (2015). Moodle vs BlackBoard – That is the Question. Retrieved from https://www.ispringsolutions.com/blog/moodle-vs-blackboard Jackson, B. (2020). The Benefits of G Suite for Your Business (Why We Use It). Retrieved from https://kinsta.com/blog/g-suite/ Lopez, A. (2019). Does Discord on PC consume more data than the mobile Discord app? Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/Does-Discord-on-PC-consume-more-data-than-the-mobile-Discord-app/answer/Aldo-Lopez-9 Lyles, T. (2020). Discord’s mobile app is getting background noise suppression because life is noisy. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/28/21337457/discord-mobile-background-noise-suppression-feature-krisp Mykhoparkina, O. (2020). Discord vs Slack – Gaming, Working or Both? (Our Team’s Feedback). Retrieved from https://www.chanty.com/blog/discord-vs-slack/ Storyals. (2019). The pros and cons of Microsoft Teams. Retrieved from https://storyals.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-microsoft-teams Tonsmann, G. (2014). A Study of the Effectiveness of Blackboard Collaborate for Conducting Synchronous Courses at Multiple Locations. InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 9, 54-63. The University of Edinburgh. (2020). How many participants can attend a Blackboard Collaborate session? Retrieved from https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/learning-technology/communication/frequently-asked-questions/participants#:~:text=Blackboard%20Collaborate%20session%3F-,How%20many%20participants%20can%20attend%20a%20Blackboard%20Collaborate%20session%3F,arranged%20in%20advance%20with%20Blackboard.

Written by SORA Art by Shinkiro UST has a long history of turning their back on petitions made by their own students. Noting the time when our UST central student council filed a petition letter regarding the institution's continuity plan during the ongoing 2020 pandemic in the Philippines. This petition suggested to either end the term, mass promote its students with accompanied bridging classes and/or freeze the current semester or term. UST stood firm in their decision by stating their preparedness and eagerness in giving what’s best for their students in keeping education alive during these pressing times. But UST has finally stopped falling on deaf ears towards the students' concerns. Due to a number of requests of different student organizations inside of UST, the Permission to post memorandum regulations were revised. This is a good step for UST after all the issues that the university is facing. With the release of multiple revisions, it is clear that UST intends to listen. The memorandum is essential, but the university should have researched and studied their guidelines further before release. These revisions could have been done during the research stages of the guidelines instead of when it was released. CHED’s memorandum order could be one of the reasons for UST to abruptly come up with such guidelines. This memorandum required student organizations to report their activities to their respective school administration. Guidelines were then recently released by UST which required permission to post forms to be accomplished before any social media posts can be published. In creating such guidelines, it is vital to fit the stakeholders’ best interest. However, it is also necessary to have a compromise between the control of administrators and the freedom of their students. These guidelines felt unnecessary and other student leaders thought so as well. The Anakbayan Chapter in UST stated that they condemned the guidelines given and have requested for the memo to be abolished. Additionally the League of Filipino Students said that the approval process was a burden to the students and their respective advisers since it adds another set of approval within the group resulting in slower information dissemination. Believe it or not, the students’ comments and criticisms towards the memorandum led changes for the greater good. UST was right in hearing the petitions which led the decision to the right direction. It also became a way of letting their student leaders know that they are still with them during these trying times. Regulation of UST orgs’ social media is reasonable as long as it is done out of good purpose. UST proved the purity of their intention by providing a better set of guidelines that guarantee the school’s control in social media outside the campus without sacrificing the student body’s voice in crucial matters. This gave an opportunity to keep the organization’s voices in social media but also give governing bodies a say in virtual events. In creating crucial decisions, the university should not do things on the spur of the moment. As bearers of the name Royal and Pontifical university, we should be able to show a level of competence, compassion and commitment towards our own constituents. The purpose of the law should always be above the law itself, after all.

Written by John Carlo O. Urbano Visuals by Jayvee Fulgencio Over the last decade or so, a gamer has evolved from being lame and weird to being fun or trendy, and usual today. A new field and growing paradigm of gaming rise and is becoming one of the most relevant and influential video game societies among teens and young adults. Third-year Civil Engineering student Sean Henry Rex III emerged as one of the most ideal and competitive players of UST eSports. With his skills, strategic thinking, and heart strong spirit, he earned a huge achievement as a gamer. “The games that I usually play are strategic games, some of them are League of Legends (LoL) and Legends of Runeterra (LoR),” he said in an interview with Thomasian Engineer. He started from just simply playing Tetris and Pacman on a Gameboy until Play Station Portable (PSP) games like Tekken and the like. “Actually, I was introduced to eSports during 2014, for me, it was just a game, something that my friends and I enjoy,” The junior student said. In 2014, online games such as Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) became more popular. “Together with my friends, we enjoyed playing League of Legends and decided to join a local tournament. We enjoyed every moment of that tournament, especially being competitive and the mindset of being a champion is always there. I think from there I was introduced in the world of eSports,” he said. Sean exemplified his mastery in online strategy games as he proved mettle and became a champion in 2019 Team Fight Tactics (TFT) eSports AcadArena. Rex represented the Teletigers recently in the hearthstone event at the eSports AcadArena this year. “I did not win the series but I stole a game versus the opponent, which has played for a long time,” Rex said, who is proud to steal a game from a pro player. One of Rex’s favorite gamers, Disguised Toast, motivated and inspired him to continue playing eSports and to be well-known in the eSports community. Sean considers the Mogul: All Stars Event 2019 his best moment in Esports. There, he competed with his Senior High School friends and qualified as the top team in the whole region. “We competed against the GH West, one of the recognized teams in LoL and the rank one player is in that team. But with a good team spirit and sheer determination, we beat them,” Sean said. He changed his study habits in college after considering himself easy-go-lucky during his high school years. “My subject loads are tight so I have to manage my schedule in studying and playing online games. If there are school-related works, I do them immediately so I can still practice and play games,” Rex said, who considers online games as a stress reliever. “Prepare yourselves, do advanced studies on calculus and geometry so you won’t get left behind in your class,” he shared. #NotJustAPlay, this is Sean’s message to the community who sees eSports as just a simple game. “It’s not just a simple or an ordinary game, but rather it is a real sport.”

Written by Mary Andrew Dalogdog Visuals by Jayvee Fulgencio In line with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine restrictions, admissions to the university will be conducted online through the University of Santo Tomas Admission Rating (USTAR). The results of USTAR will be based on the applicant’s previous school records (grades) and academic performance, unlike in the previous years, wherein applicants were required to take and pass the university’s entrance exam (USTET). Similarly with USTET, USTAR will be having cut-off scores for each program depending on their level of competency. Some colleges may require additional entry assessments (interviews or skills tests) as supplements to passing the USTAR. At this moment of posting, USTAR is only open for college applicants. Applicants are required to secure a clearance from the UST Office of the Registrar before paying their application fees (refer to the table below). To obtain the clearance, the applicant must send an email of the required documents and reference number to the UST Office of Admissions (ofad@ust.edu.ph). After securing a clearance, applicants may advance to the next procedure as indicated below. College applicants (currently enrolled in Grade 12) will be allowed to choose from two programs: priority and alternative program. Incoming college students may start their applications through the official website of UST Online Applications (https://ustet.ust.edu.ph/). Application slots may also be disqualified, forfeited, or debarred due to misrepresentation of information, violation of application instructions, non-payment of reservation fee, and non-submission of documents. Application requirements must be accomplished on or before December 18, 2020, moreover, results will be announced in the year 2021. Updates and announcements regarding the university applications will be posted on the official website of the UST Office of Admissions (https://ofad.ust.edu.ph/).

Salita ni Vibiana Lopez Guhit ni Jemmaica Framancilla Halos tanghali na nang magising ako sa umaalingawngaw na tunog ng aking ringtone. Papungas-pungas ako nang kinuha ko ang kumakatal-katal kong telepono sa lamesa at sinagot ang tawag, nang walang pagnanais malaman kung sino man ito. “UY!” pagbungad sakin ng lalaking nasa kabilang dulo ng linya. Nagtaka ako nang mapagtanto ko kung sino ito sapagka’t bihira lang ang may tumawag saaking kaibigan, at higit na nakakagulat na ang kaibigang ito ay hindi ko na nakaka-usap nang ilang buwan. “Thomas? Ikaw ba ‘yan? Ba’t ka napatawag? May nangyari ba sayo?” sunod-sunod kong tanong. “Hoy! Nakaka-asar ka bakit di ka nagpaparamdam, namimiss na kita! Actually, napanaginipan nga kita kagabi tas medyo kinabahan ako lalo na ang tagal na natin di nag-uusap tas wala na kong alam sayo. Sorry nga pala doon ah.” dire-diretsong sabi ni Thomas bago siya tumigil sandali at bumuntong-hininga, “Medyo nahihirapan kasi ako sa lahat ng nangyayare ngayon kaya di na rin ako masyado gumagamit ng social media eh. Pero ano kamusta ka na ba? Okay ka lang ba? Kamusta sila Tita?” Napatigil ako nang maproseso ko ang lahat ng kaniyang sinabi. Kung nagtataka man kayo, si Thomas ay isa sa pinakamatalik kong kaibigan. Nakilala ko siya noong unang baitang pa lamang kami kaya isa talaga siya sa pinaka mahalagang tao sa buhay ko, ngunit gaya nga ng sinabi ko, matagal na rin mula noong huli kaming nakapag-usap. Bagama’t nalungkot ako sa mga panahong hindi kami nag-uusap, naintindihan ko rin siya dahil ganoon din naman nararamdaman ko noon eh. Kung tutuusin, ganoon pa rin naman ang nararamdaman ko ngayon--pagod, yung tipong sa isang galaw ko lang ay ubos na agad lahat ng enerhiya ng katawan ko. Kaya naman, sa pagtawag sakin ni Thomas ngayon, kahit na kagigising ko lamang, naramdaman ko ang kaginhawaan, na para bang ako’y lumulutang sa langit nang bahagya. Mahirap kasi--sobrang hirap talaga ipa-ubaya at tiisin lahat ng mga kaganapan sa paligid natin. Lalo na’t nakakaapekto ito sa mga aspeto ng ating buhay, kung saan, mas nahihirapan tayo maghanap ng kasiyahan sa gitna ng kaguluhan. Kung kaya’t, hindi kasalanan ang maghanap ng mga bagay na magbibigay satin ng kaligayahan. Mapa simple man o magarbo. Ang importante’y ang paraan natin sa paghahanap ng mga bagay na ito; ang kaligayahan ko na hindi ikalulungkot at ikasisira ng iba. “Kala mo naman ikaw di ko namiss? Sorry rin ha? Medyo nahihirapan din pero alam mo sobrang gumaan loob ko dito.” sagot ko kay Thomas at tsaka tumawa nang kaunti, “Pero ano ba kasi napanaginipan mo? At tsaka, ikaw ba? Kamusta ka na?” at nagpatuloy ang aming usapan ng may ngiti sa aking labi. Sa simpleng paraan tulad ng mabilis na diskurso namin ni Thomas, nasaksihan ko ang liwanag ng pag-asa at nakita ko na magiging maayos din ang lahat. Ang luwag kasi sa damdamin kapag may nakaka-alala satin ‘no? Yung mga simpleng kamustahan lang na ganito o mga magagaan na biruan, isa na talaga ‘yon sa pinaka masarap na pahinga natin ngayon. Dito ko rin nakikita na sa likod nitong pandemya, hindi ako nag-iisa. Kaya kung meron mang nagpapasaya sayo ngayon, ‘wag mo itong ipagkait sa iyong sarili at iwasan mong bitawan pa ‘to. Mahirap na makahanap ng tunay na kaligayahan ngayon, na sa kabila ng maliliit na pamamaraan ay mararamdaman mo ang galak at importansya. Sa gayon, kahit may pagod tayong nararamdaman, sana laging sumagi sa ating isip na ang kalayaan at ang kaligayahan ay hinding-hindi magiging isang suntok sa buwan.