Lyceum Dance Troupe and Lyceum Chorale are seeking new members

Two dynamic Lyceum organizations will be holding their official recruitment of new members for this schoool year 2008-2009.

Lyceum Dance Troupe will be holding their auditions this coming July 2 and 5 from 1:00-4:00 in the afternoon at the Freedom Hall. For those interested, pls contact 09062893622.

Meanwhile, Lyceum Chorale, touted to be one of the best here in Manila, will hold its auditions from July 1-4 , beginning 9:00-11:30 at Room 201. Interested students may contact Louie at 09297677390

Lyceum welcomes Baehwa Women's College

Lyceum recently welcomed 49 Korean students from Baehwa Women's College who will be here for a one-month Extensive English Course from June to July 2008.

A luncheon meeting was held at the Le Cafe last June 25 and the Koreans were introduced to their English teachers from the College of Arts and Sciences. These Koreans were brought here by their assisting manager Mr. Jin through the invitation of our university's English Language Department headed by Prof. Alfredo Diamante.

The Koreans will also be handled and assisted by 15 selected senior Lycean students who will serve as their tutors for this period of time. Baehwa is the first college from Korea that showed interest to our university's extensive English course for this semester and they will be followed by another batch of students from the same school, and the third would be coming from Jinju University.

Among the many schools and universities here in Manila, Baehwa chose Lyceum because of its extensive promotion, and not to mention affordable but quality education.

You know how much you pay for education?

The blogger has done some petty research about the tuition fees of our dear university. Thanks to the help of our admissions staff (Ate Rach).

I know you guys are curious enough who pays the most for a semester's education. Let's take a look....

1. Arts and Sciences................................. 26,000.00
2. Business Administration .........................26,000.00
3. International Relations ...........................26,000.00
4. Computer Studies .................................32,000.00
5. Engineering ........................................30,000.00
6. International Hospitality and Management .....28,400.00

Whew!!!! 26k is already the blogger's tuition fee while still a student at UST--and that's 2 years ago. Just to let you know that our parents really have to work hard for our studies. These days, indeed, everything is going up.

So the School Year has started..

It's inevitable. The school year has indeed started. Lyceans have now started a brand new journey in a cycle that we call education.

As expected, excited students came to school with full hopes of creating an unforgettable experience in our Lycean community with their friends, soon-to-be-friends, professors, ex-enemies, librarians, canteen servers, tinderas from the bookstore, photocopy guys, manong janitors, registrars and a lot more. Truly, the year is a great one for everyone. (We just have to seize it, of course).

The new school year welcomed the arrival of our new students, the Freshmen. It is so surprising that despite our economic problem nowadays, many students still managed to afford our school tuition fees. The blogger, upon entry to the university has seen a quite large tarpaulin posted in front of the university showing its sincere welcome to our newbies. Well, that is quite incomparable to other schools who prepare really so much for their new students. Anyways, our freshmen has become our school's newest generation. We just hope that they will easily learn that they are no longer high school students, and that they should be responsible university guys from now one.

The university has changed a lot. Well, there are positive ones and of course, negative as well. New and well-painted comfort rooms, brand new computer sets, and who would not notice, a newly-refurbished, dirty white-painted building of Lyceum. Nothing has changed so much in our library, it is still the same. It is actually one of my favorite places. After all these developments, some places have been consistently undermanaged- not to mention many classrooms with really weak airconditioning, a couple of comfort rooms that still look like graffiti rooms (I wonder how ladies' CRs look like), slow internet connections, and some university officials who still seem to be in a vacation mood.

We just hope, again, that this year would be very promising. The Pirates have come again. Let's see what will happen.

Here comes another School Year!!

Summer is finally over!! That's a fact.

And school is finally here once again. (Sigh). It's been over a month that we have spent our summer vacation and I personally would miss getting full rest with my bed and going out with my family- for just one week. That's another fact. I only got vacation for a week, yeah, working at night is a different story.

I will definitely miss the halo-halo which I missed once again, going out to resorts, staying at your friends' house to drink, ice creams, and a lot more. I know you guys love them all as well.

Anyways, the blogger would like to welcome the new school year 2008-2009! New faces, new teachers, new subjects, new crushes (=D), almost everything new except Lyceum itself. Well, how I wish the school would be very promising this year. I am now a senior student majoring IR, and this is my last year!! Yeepee!!

To all freshmen, we welcome you to our Lycean community, hope you'll enjoy and have fun while staying here. Dare to become great students, dare to become the best Lyceans! !Hasta!

UNESCO Lyceum attends Cafe Scientifique

Three UNESCO Lyceum officers recently attended a video conference sponsored by the British Council that aims to promote understanding and knowledge regarding present environmental challenges of the world.

The Café Scientifique video conference on “Climate Change Begins at Home” between Manila - London - Edinburgh was held on 5 June, 5:30PM-8:00PM at the British Council premises.
Café Scientifique events provide a unique forum for discussing topical and thought-provoking scientific issues in a way that is much more relaxed, informal and accessible than a public lecture. The event brought together young student leaders at universities, professionals, as well as community leaders to take part in the discussions on climate change: the science, impact, and roles of individuals and communities. UNESCO Lyceum was represented by LV De Guzman, Dionell Batoon (yours truly), and Ivy Bernardo, all senior students.
The event was led by Dr David Reay, a Climate Scientist and Research Fellow from the University of Edinburgh. Quentin Cooper of BBC Radio facilitated the event from London while Mitzi Borromeo, a local environmental advocate, facilitated in Manila.

Philippines' 110th Birthday!!!

With pride and passion, we commemorate the 110th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898 and the victory of the Philippine revolution of 1896 against 333 years of Spanish colonialism and oppression. On this momentous occasion let us pay tribute to all our heroes who fought for our freedom. On this auspicious day, we remember that the Philippine flag was first displayed, the national hymn was played and the independence from Spain was proclaimed in the balcony of the home of general Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite.

As one Philippine nation, let us continue to struggle for real freedom and truth. We are one strong nation, we are and forever will be.

The blogger would like to share his effort in spreading to the entire nation that we should be proud of being a Filipino!! Stand up, be proud!!! Mabuhay!

(Thanks to Bay Area Indymedia)

Lyceum sweeps 2008 Intramuros Debate Championships

Fatima Macanan and JJ Domingo (Lyceum A) swept the preliminary rounds en route to a masterful clinching of the Intramuros Cup. The competition was an invitational for universities and colleges in the Intramuros area. Participating schools included Lyceum of the Philippines, Mapua Institute of Technology, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and Letran College.
Lyceum A was joined in the finals by Lyceum B, PLM A and Mapua A. Rolan Garcia of Mapua A was adjudged as the best speaker of the finals.
Roselyn Rabanera was Chief Adjudicator with Alvina Antonio and Mark Ysla as Deputy Chief Adjudicators.

Breaking Teams
Lyceum A (9 pts)
Lyceum B (7 pts)
Mapua B (7 pts)
Lyceum C (6 pts)
Letran A (6 pts)
Letran C (6 pts)
Mapua A (5 pts)
PLM A (4 pts)

Top Ten Speakers
1. JJ Domingo (Lyceum A)
2. Fatima Macanan (Lyceum A)
3. Ryan Castaneda (Lyceum B)
4. Bryan Costa (Lyceum C)
5. Clarence Santos (Mapua B)
6. Barny Rivera (Lyceum B)
7. Fairyline Sy (Letran A)
8. Ira Zagala (Lyceum C)
9. LA Sevilla (Mapua A)
10. Arvin Ramos (Letran A) and Allysa Catherine Legazpi (PLM A)
(thanks to phildebate.net for the articlce)

All Interested Senior students: Korean Tutorial

The Center for Professional and Continuing Education of our university, headed by Mr. Alfredo Diamante, is inviting interested junior and senior college students to their Tutorial program which will cater Korean students this coming semester 2008-2009. About 150 Koreans will troop to our university to study English for a couple of months and tutors are really needed.

Interested applicants have to submit their 1st Semester Enrolment Assessment Form (EAF), one ID picture, and a photocopy of their previous grades. You may submit your documents to their office at the second floor, beside Graduate School office. Tutorial sessions will be paid.

CIR releases 2008 Journal

It is such a very pleasant feeling to know that your own speech will be published in a journal. I am referring to the first journal released by the College of International Relations last May. The Journal represents the unwavering efforts of the CIR Community to enhance their learning and skills toward the achievement of academic excellence that the Lyceum of the Philippines University strives to pursue. The Journal is a concentrated endeavor to acknowledge and project the potentials of the faculty members and the students, an encourages them to continually improve their professional competence and academic performance.

The Journal is divided into two parts: the speeches of the students who participated in the KSearch Asia Consulting, Inc-CIR English Language Oratorical Competition, and articles and speeches of the faculty members and college officials. The topics of the Speeches of students are on three very timely issues: English Competency, Poverty, and Terrorism.

The speeches of students included were from Erica Geisha Autea, Glady Brojan, Connie Ross Suarez, Dionell Chris Batoon (yours truly), Ma. Lourdes Cengca, Ricardo Benjamin Osorio, Toby Vigal and Charmie Binag.

The speeches from the CIR faculty included were from Dean, Ambassador Reynaldo Arcilla, Mr. Yuri Domingo, Mr. Jeorge Alarcon, and Prof. Gladys P. Nalangan.

Lyceum Debaters performed well at the World's Championships

The 28th World Universities Debate Championships was held last December 2007 in Assumption University in Pattaya, Thailand. The World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) is the world's largest debating tournament, and one of the largest annual international student events in the world

Our debaters who proudly represented our university and our country in the said event were the following: Suzy Claire Selleza, the captain of the team. She’s been debating for four years now, and has served the Lyceum Debate Society first as Keeper of the Purse (treasurer) and now as Grand Chancellor (president). She’s appeared on ANC’s Square Off with Barny Rivera and has broken into the octofinals of the National Debate Championship (NDC) twice. She’s also been to several other tournaments including the Asian Universities Debate Championship (AUDC) in 2006 in Manila, the Philippine Inter-Collegiate Debate Championship (PIDC) and its predecessor, the Inquirer Inter-Collegeiate Debate Championship (IIDC) and several other local inter-varsities (IVs). She’s taking up AB Legal Studies and is now on her fourth year. She plans to pursue Master’s Degree in International Relations or Public Policy abroad, most probably in the National University of Singapore.

The second member is JJ Domingo, a junior International Relations student. He started debating in high school under the Oxford-Oregon and Lincoln-Douglas formats. He adjudicated in the Inquirer Inter-School Debate Championship (IISDC) in Ateneo in 2005 and debated in several competitions including the IIDC, CSB IVs, UST IVs and the Manila AUDC. He stopped debating last year but I adjudicated in the ICU Tourney in Tokyo, joined some practices of Aoyama Gakuin University Debate Club in Yokohama and helped in the 2007 recruitment of the Sophia Debate Society in Tokyo.

The third and last member of the Lyceum team is Lourdes Cengca, they call her Cheeney. She served as the adjudicator. She's also from the College of International Relations. She already graduated last May, as Cum Laude (cheers!!).Like Suzy, she has broken into the octo’s of the NDC in Baguio last year. She adjudicated in the IISDC and several IVs, and debated in the Manila AUDC, IIDC, PIDC and NDC.

The Worlds uses the British Parliamentary style of debating. There are two sides, the government who proposes a case, and an opposition who opposses it. Each sides are divided into two benches: the opening and the closing teams. The opening team makes the case for the whole side, while the closing team extends the case further. That makes four teams in a round. The best team would get 3 points. The runner up gets 2, the third placer gets one point, and the last placer zero

In the preliminary rounds, the Lyceum was able to defeat a composite team from Princeton University (United States) and University of Alberta (Canada), University of Technology Sydney A (Australia), Brandeis University C (United States), University of La Verne C (United States), Rhodes University B (South Africa), International Islamic Univeristy E (Malaysia), Univeristi Malaya (Malaysia), teams from the Universiti Teknologi Mara (Malaysia), Colombo University (Sri Lanka), North-South Univeristy A (Bangladesh), Lahore University of Management Sciences B (Pakistan), Mahidol University (Thailand), Tokyo University A (Japan), Keio University A (Japan, EFL Champion) and Hanyang Univeristy D (South Korea)

Here's a summary of Lyceum's performance:
Total Points for Lyceum A- 15 points
Total Speaker Scores for Lyceum A- 1318
Over-all Philippine Ranking for Lyceum A- 8th
Over-all Worlds Ranking for Lyceum A- 148th
Total Speaker Score for J- 661
Total Speaker Score for Suzy- 657
Over-all Philippine Ranking for J- 28th
Over-all Philippine Ranking for Suzy- 30th
Over-all Worlds Ranking for J- 424th
Over-all Worlds Ranking for Suzy- 449th

(many thanks to thenutbox.i.ph for the article and pictures)

Lyceum Chorale rakes Golds in Indonesia

The competition was actually held last year, but the blogger would still like to extend its congratulations to the team that brought once again pride and honor to our dear alma mater.

The Lyceum of the Philippines University Chorale scored a unique achievement for the country with a harvest of two gold medals and one silver in the 1st Asian Choir Games held recently at the Jakarta International Expo, Kemayoran, Jakarta, Indonesia.
In its triumphant maiden sally into international competition, the LPU Chorale was one of 120 choirs competing in 21 categories. Organized by Interkultur Germany, contestants came from 13 Asian countries, including Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The Asian Choir Games held three competitions---the Qualification Round, Asian Open and Asian Choir Championships. The LPU Chorale joined the Qualification Rounds for three categories, namely Mixed Youth Choir, Folklore and Musica Sacra, acing all three and moving up to the Asian Choir Championships. Here the group scored highest, winning gold medals for both Mixed Youth Choir and Musica Sacra and a silver for Folklore.
The group’s repertoire for the Mixed Youth category were Les Chants des Oiseaux, Alleluia, Magtanim Ay Di Biro and Kasar Mie La Gaji. For Folklore, it was Chua-av, Tinig ng Lupa and Pokpok ALimpako, and for Musica Sacra, the songs were Cantate Dommo, Ave Maria Stella, Gloria and Jauchzet Dem Herm.
The LPU Chorale is composed of 29 members under the baton of Choirmaster Nicanor Infante, with Rosario Garcia as assisting artist.
Giving their full support to the group were LPU President Atty. Roberto P. Laurel, RP Ambassador to Indonesia Vidal Querol, Consul General Catalino “Jun” Dilem, the Filipino community in Indonesia, including Erlinda Humberson, Clarissa Bannelos-Sugbayo, Dolly Ann Carag, Aileen Buensuceso and Franciscus Lim, Jon Kudero of Hyatt Hotel and Bro. Pete Lapid of St. Peter Canissius Church, Jakarta.

(Article from http://www.lyceumphil.edu.ph/)

LYCEUM OFFERS FOREIGN SERVICE EXAMS REVIEW

Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) will offer a review course for the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) Foreign Service Examinations (FSO) from June 6 to August 15, 2008.
This is in answer to the need expressed by the DFA, which conducts a yearly FSO examination to recruit new officers in response to the expanding demands of the Philippine Foreign Service. The FSO exams are normally given in August or September following a pre-qualifying test given earlier in May.
LPU, through its College of International Relations, in its Intramuros campus, will offer the review course, consisting of 90 class hours over a period of five weeks, to those who have pre-qualified and other interested parties. LPU thus reaffirms its position as a leading institution in the teaching and study of international relations, diplomacy and foreign policy. Many of its graduates have joined the DFA, serving in various positions as ambassadors, career ministers, consuls general and others.
Teaching will be conducted through intensive and comprehensive lectures, allowing for questions and short discussions on a wide range of subjects including Philippine history, geography, politics and government, arts and cultural conditions, consular practices and migration, maritime problems and issues, foreign policy, international law—politics-economics-trade, diplomatic practice and protocol, English essay writing and others. There will be no written test, except in the English Essay Writing where grades may be given. The curricula, it is explained, is based on the fact that the FSO exams are keenly attuned to test examinees on the depth of their understanding and knowledge of events and developments, their analytical capability and English writing skills.
All lecturers are experienced diplomats, university professors and other professionals. Classes will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:30-8:30 PM, at the LPU campus, Muralla cor. Real Sts., Intramuros, Manila. Registration period will be from April 21 to May 31.
Interested participants may visit LPU or call telephone 527-8251 to 56 local 132.

(article courtesy of http://www.lyceumphil.edu.ph/)

2008 World Pyro Olympics

Before we see ourselves again in the upcoming opening of the school year this June, let me give you guys a glimpse of one great summer happening that most of you have witnessed, and I believe, enjoyed so much!!

2008 WORLD PYRO OLYMPICS

Surprisingly, LaMancha Pyro Productions once again staged the widely anticipated World Pyro Olympics. It is said to be the largest international pyrotechnic competition in the world held annually with this being the third time. This year's PyrOlympics featured 9 competing countries with an exhibition display from the host country, Philippines. It was held at the Esplanade at the back of the SM Mall of Asia. The last two competitions were also held in that area but it is expected to me more exciting now as the construction of the Esplanade is already complete.

People all over Manila are going gaga in this annual event-students, call center agents, professionals, movie goers, shoppers, and even the tambays in Manila Bay. The whole stretch of Esplanade was really filled with thousands of people who are very keen to see the wonders of fireworks. Isa na'ko dun.. This year, the tickets were quite expensive, but many people would still prefer not to get one as you can actually see the whole view even you're far away from the venue.

This year, Italy grabbed the title and left a wondrous impression that truly made them a world-class presentor of pyrotechnics.

The First Post

Welcome everyone!!

This is my very first self-made blog, and I dedicate this blog to all my fellow Lyceans in Intramuros, Manila. Please feel free to roam this blog, comment and speak your mind.

Thanks.