Sinag Ends Dream Run at World Solar Challenge
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NATIONAL SITUATIONER COMMENTARY Estrada’s pardon, 3 The Student Complaints, 10 What would have been the fate of Dig deeper into the rationale behind former President Joseph Ejercito common student grievances against Estrada had he been a leader of professors in the University. another country? BASTIONLaSall OF ISSUE-ORIENTED CRITICALia THINKINGn VOL.VO XLL. VXIlV NO.II NO.4 6 THE T OFFICIALHE OFFICIA STUDENTL STUDEN PUBLICATIONT PUBLICATION O FO DEF DE LA L ASALLE SALL EUNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY 14 NOVEMBER 18 NOVEMBER 2007 2006 Tuition to increase by all-time low 3.61% BY LORAINE SAGUINSIN AND CREZEILLE FRANCISCO THE STUDENT COUNCIL’S (SC), the Faculty Association (FA), (SC) proposed 3.61 percent tuition the DLSU Employees Association (DLSUEA) PUSO, and the University fee increase (TFI)—the lowest in Administration. All the sectors in the the University’s history to date—for committee have three representatives, next school year was finally adopted with the exception of the SC which has four. Each sector is only allowed one by the Multi-Sectoral Committee on vote. Budget (MSCB) during the signing Based on estimates shared by SC of the Memorandum of Agreement President Noey Arcinue, the Faculty last Oct. 31, 2007. Association (FA) proposed an increase that ranged from 10 to 12 percent using a purchasing power rationale; According to Yolanda Yao, the DLSU-PUSO put forward a hike chairperson of the MSCB and president of between 2.5 to 2.7 percent, citing of the DLSU-Parents of University inflation figures; the Administration, Students Organization (DLSU-PUSO), meanwhile, set it at 0 to 1.7 percent. this year’s committee was prompt in PHOTO BY JENNERSON ONG approving the increase, approving Empowered. Tao Po, a play presented during the GK One World celebration last Oct. 27, where DLSU was a part of. Shown above is a scene Why 3.61 percent? the students’ proposal after only two during the first of three acts, which depicts the Filipino youth. Deliberations on the TFI for next meetings. This year marked the first school year feature proposals from the time that the student sector’s exact previously enumerated sectors, which proposal was adopted by the MSCB. are largely based on next year’s projected Previously, the lowest TFI was at 3.828 inflation rate. percent, approved three years ago (SY A research group led by SC 2004-2005). Sinag ends dream run at Treasurer Reagan Dykimching together The MSCB, which decides the with LA Representative Greggy Chua University’s annual tuition fee increase, and CSO Vice Chairperson Internals is composed of the Student Council World Solar Challenge SEE TUITION, PAGE 9 BY ALLIV LORELEI SAMSON Lasallians recount Glorietta 2 blast overing a total distance score of 2,691 km., Sinag, the Philippines’ first fully-functional solar car, was 11th to arrive at BY GALE MARAMBA the finish line and was ranked 12th overall in the Challenge class of the 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge (WSC). CThe 3,000 km race started on Oct. 21 at Hidden Valley Motor Sports Complex in Darwin, and ended last Oct. 28 at ON OCT. 19, 2007, THE WHOLE Adelaide, Southern Australia. country was gripped with fear, as an explosion rocked the Glorietta 2 Despite being the heaviest and the tallest Sinag overtook a few cars that eventually did section of the Ayala Center in Makati entry in the race, Sinag finished with a day not make it to the finish line. The Philippine to spare and reached the finish line at 4 pm, solar car only needed minor adjustments to its at approximately 1:25 PM. With 11 an hour before the cut-off time of the race brake system on the third day, and maintained people dead and more than a hun- that day. its position for most of the race. dred people injured, the authorities The team achieved its first triumph when Sinag was initially at 35th (inclusive of are exploring a terrorist angle to the Sinag passed the scrutinizing test and the both car classes) to begin the WSC. Then, qualifying events to compete in the Challenge the team passed the first control stop at incident, though the true nature of class of the race. A total of 41 entries took Katherine and climbed to the 21st spot. On the explosion is still unknown. part in the World Solar Challenge: 23 for the the third day, despite problems with the brake PHOTO BY ALVIN LAU Challenge class, and 18 for the Adventure system—which caused the car’s tires to wear Despite initial police reports that PHOTO BY KRIZIA PARAS class. (Challenge class cars were newly built for while the rest of the competition had at least out faster than expected—Sinag reached the speculated that the blast originated from the event. Adventure class cars are those that two years to prepare as regulars in the bien- 11th position. “Every single day we encoun- the ignition of an LPG tank from Luk “It was a bomb” have qualified for any previous event. There nial event. tered problems,” recounted Overall Technical Yuen Noodle House, majority of the One student even had minor wounds is also a Greenfleet technology class “for Team Leader Engr. Rene Fernandez. “Just one people who were present during the ex- on her arm due to the falling debris vehicles demonstrating new [environmentally- The story of the race small mistake and you are out of the race,” plosion believed that a bomb caused the caused by the blast. Anna Leah Pallon (I- conscious] automotive technologies.”) According to Kaiser Fernandez (IV recalled Robert Obilles, the Overall Student explosion, due to the extensive damage POM) stated that she and her friend were Team Sinag was composed of 42 com- ECE), Electrical Student Team Leader, Sinag Leader (IV ME). and casualties. dining at Tokyo Tokyo restaurant when bined faculty and student members; 15 of ran between 50 to 60 km/hr during the race, On day four, Sinag reached Adelaide The Glorietta shopping mall is fre- the blast happened. “The floor just shook those 42 went to Australia. The team had while most of their competitors were on Springs and by that time has traveled 500 km. quented by thousands of shoppers daily, and it felt as if there was an earthquake,” just seven months to complete the solar car, much faster speeds. Despite their safe velocity, According to the World Solar Challenge’s including Lasallians. she described. “The whole place was IN THE KNOW SEE SINAG, PAGE 6 SEE LASALLIANS, PAGE 3 THES-QS 2007 rankings released Nobel Prize winners to visit De La Salle Harvard University remained from Scopus rather than Thomson Three Nobel Laureates and an ex- Bank president James Wolfensohn discuss Tomas, and the University of the Philippines on top of the Times Higher ESI; full-time equivalent data for World Bank president will be visiting the “Beyond East-West, North-South: Peace and will join DLSU in welcoming the Nobel Education-Quacquarelli Symonds all personnel-related statistics University between this month to April 2008 Prosperity in a Four Speed World.” Finally, winners. (THES-QS) World University were used; and scores for each as the Philippines co-hosts this year’s Bridges- on April 24, 1996 Peace Prize recipient and Rankings for the fourth straight indicator—peer review, recruiter Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos Horta year, with Cambridge, Oxford, review, international faculty Thailand, a program in the tradition of will deliver a lecture on “Building a Culture and Yale rounding out the global ratio, international students ratio, the 14-year old United Nations-sponsored of Peace and Development in a Globalized top five. Tokyo University, at student-faculty ratio, and citations European Peace Summits. World.” number 17, was the highest-rated per faculty—were aggregated to On Nov. 15, 1999 Economics Prize Among the resource persons invited, Asian institution, followed by the a z-score. winner and Columbia University Professor those who will not speak in the University are University of Hong Kong (18th), DLSU was ranked 392nd in Dr. Robert Mundell will deliver a lecture 2004 Economics Laureate Dr. Finn Erling Kyoto University (25th), National last year’s THES-QS survey. The entitled “Economic Development by Fitting Kydland, 1975 Medicine Laureate David University of Singapore (33rd), University of the Philippines, Globalization into the National Development Baltimore, and 2004 Chemistry Laureate and Peking University (36th). according to an announcement in Strategy.” Dr. Mundell is known for his Aaron Ciechanover. For this year’s rankings, THES- its website dated July 23, did not research on the effects of fiscal and monetary In 2003, Thailand became the first Asian QS reported several changes in its participate in the 2007 ranking, policies in open economies. country to host Bridges, which then featured survey methodology: reviewers’ “due to time constraints.” It was On Jan. 10, 2004 Laureate for Physics 26 Nobel awardees and 76 partner institutions. own universities were removed 299th in the 2006 survey. THES- Dr. David Gross from the Kavli Institute Angeles University, the Asian Institute of from distributed questionnaires; QS has yet to release the list of for Theoretical Physics will speak about Management, Ateneo de Davao, Ateneo the applicable citation period was universities ranked 201 to 400 as “The Coming Revolutions in Fundamental de Manila, Mapua Institute of Technology, cut from within the last 10 years to of press time. Physics.” March 6 will then see former World University of San Carlos, University of Sto. the last 5 years, with data coming CLOCKWISE: MUNDELL, GROSS, RAMOS-HORTA, WOLFENSOHN UNIVERSITY 2 14