The Art Within

Art is truly present in science. A team of Cornell University researchers have recently discovered that kirigami, the Japanese art of paper cutting "allows scientists to manipulate single-atom-thick sheets of carbon as if they were pieces of paper". The results from the painstaking task of graphene isolation (accomplished through dissolving aluminum underneath the material) - a stretchable sheet, a pyramid and a spiral, are lovely miniature versions of the same shapes on paper. 

      Photo from Melina Blees 

According to the website of the graphene research community at Manchester University, graphene is 

"a two dimensional material consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb or chicken wire structure". It is the world's thinnest material, concurrently maintaining a spot as one of the world's strongest. An electrical conductor at par with copper, it also transparent. The Manchester research community declares that graphene "will revolutionize the 21st century". The findings of the Cornell research team adds another merit to this amazing material.

Besides that, the artistic output is not just for show. It is also purposeful. In the future, Cornell physicist Melina Blees said that in the future, tailored graphene structure can be used to measure the weight of small objects and a living cell's electrical signals.

The artistic possibilities from graphene manipulation are a reminder that art and science are not in two sides of a great divide. They are in harmony and should both be utilized to improve society. Whether you are from the sciences or the arts, remember to utilize the skills and wisdom gained from your field to give back to society.

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"Leprosy and Psoriasis, not Flesh-eating disease"

Few days ago, the media brought up a very alarming news about a flesh-eating disease. They showed us about 2 people that has an unusual skin disease that they said, the doctors cannot explain what it is.

Dr. Anna De Guzman, the Pangasinan provincial health officer said that it was not true at all. Dr. De Guzman that the person from Sta. Barbara has leprosy and has suffered from an adverse reaction from a drug. The second patient which is from Villasis has psoriasis.



The tourism industry in Pangasinan was affected, People were affected and local business men were affected because of the OA media.









There was an internet trend that there is a prophecy by a self-titled prophet Vincent Selvakumar of the Voice of Jesus Ministries in April 2013 that there will be a flesh-eating disease would spread from the Ilocos Province to the world. Dr. De Guzman added that the media sometimes exaggerate news just to connect to the said prophecy.



The media did not mind of the consequences. They did not conduct any research before they spread the news about a very alarming matter. But to clarify things, the DOH said that it was just a hoax.

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A Test of Critical Thinking

An election season in UP Diliman is not complete without the incessant room-to-room campaigns, speeches full of big promises, flyers posted on every corner, and forums to test the candidates’ wit and true capabilities. It’s no surprise that the aspirants have taken advantage of the ease of social media and eagerly took campaigning beyond campus grounds and into cyber space. In response, Facebook pages like Factcheck Diliman, The Diliman Heckler, and just recently, Tanungan sa Diliman, have been created to accompany the many promotional posters spreading on the internet.

Each of these Facebook pages serves a different purpose. Factcheck Diliman is the arm that aims to check the credibility of any information disseminated by the parties and expose anomalies that may arise with regard to the elections. Tanungan sa Diliman is more specialized, and serves as an avenue for voters to ask questions to any candidate and have the answers be revealed for everyone to see and scrutinize. Last but not the least is The Diliman Heckler. As its name entails, the Heckler serves as a comic relief amidst all the tension brought about by the election season.

Although the creators of these mediums may have had only noble intentions during the period of their conception, the users have to ask themselves if their functions still stand as something positive, or whether or not they have brought about more harm than good.

Factcheck Diliman, for one, has been the go-to site for relevant information- so much so that some people have proclaimed a post from Factcheck as immediate truth. This precisely goes against the level of critical thinking that the page sought to uphold. While this is not true for other people, Factcheck sometimes propagates internet disputes among students with opposing views. It is perfectly fine when these are approached with respect and proper reasoning, but some of the comment wars on the Facebook page do not always remain healthy. And when Factcheck releases its information, one can’t help but wonder what its source is, and whether or not it is as credible as it claims to be.

Tanungan sa Diliman poses a different problem entirely. Hiding under the veil of anonymity, anyone is able to ask any question to any candidate. The page updated its status, saying, “We just want to clear that we post the questions that are directed and for the candidates, regardless of its background, connotations, denotations, and implications.” This may be a good thing in the name of transparency, but any incriminating question posted on behalf of accountability is a poor excuse for attacking a candidate. Besides, judging from the influx of posts, most of the questions are left unanswered and are just bombarded with "likes" from the students who are itching to get any form of response.

Contrasting the seriousness of the first two mediums, The Diliman Heckler gets on the funnier side of things. Admittedly, many of the Heckler’s posts do merit a chuckle or two. But things turn sour when the page makes skin color and religion the basis of its humor. More than once it has posted offensive remarks involving various candidates. Others may argue that it is all just clean fun, but when the Heckler trudges on the candidates and stoops so low just to get a laugh from the readers, it stops becoming a laughing matter.

Common to the three sites is the question of who really run them. There can never be an absence of biases, or complete impartiality with regard to the elections or any of the three opposing parties. And certainly, these personal notions are reflected in each post, like, and comment of these Facebook stars.

These sites are not, in essence, a bad addition to the UP politics. It is just their usage that sometimes leads them to be seen in a negative light.

In a few days’ time, election season 2014 will be finally over and these Facebook pages can go to rest along with the other candidates. But when the time comes for all of it to begin once again, each person should be more conscious of his actions and be conscientious of everything he writes and reads. After all, the power of social media is no longer a new marvel to this generation. All it takes is a little responsibility and caution. In this way, the minds of the UP students can continue to grow in positive critical thinking.

*the pictures above are taken from the respective Facebook pages of Factcheck Diliman, Tanungan sa Diliman, and The Diliman Heckler

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TABATA Workout: The New fitness Craze

High Intensity Interval Training a.k.a. HIIT is becoming famous nowadays. It doesn’t need a lot of time to do this workout. All you need is 15-20 minutes of your time and it’ll guarantee you to get in shape for a fast-approaching event. Research shows that a 15-20 minutes HIIT can burn more calories than 45 minutes to 1 hour jogging and according to a post by Charlotte Hilton Andersen; a 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, just 2 weeks of high-intensity intervals improves your aerobic capacity as much as 6 to 8 weeks of endurance training. A type of HIIT that is becoming a fitness craze is called the Tabata Workout.

“Tabata Training can be done with a number of different exercises. The idea is to use an exercise that gets the whole body involved, or at least the major muscle groups. Tabata Training can be done with barbells, dumbells, kettlebells or just bodyweight exercises. 

A study by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata, who founded Tabata training, found that high intensity training improved VO2 max (or your maximal oxygen consumption)  by about 14%, while anaerobic capacity improved by 28%. These effects will help you shed those extra pounds of fat, while also building lean muscle. 

If you want to add tabata to your weight workout, simply pick four barbell exercises that you can easily transition between. Perform the first exercise for as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, then perform the second exercise as fast as possible for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds, and repeat this process for the remaining exercises.” - 4 Minute Fat-Burning High-Intensity Workout by Mehmet Edip

Barbell Tabata Workout:

1. Reverse Lunges
2. Shoulder Press
3. Romanian Deadlifts
4. Back Squats

Once you've completed all four exercises you're only half way done, because you'll only be two minutes into the Tabata. Go back to the first exercise and repeat the entire complex again without ever dropping the bar.

Here's a sample of a four-exercise dumbbell Tabata complex:

Dumbbell Tabata Workout:

1. Bicep Curls
2. Incline Flyes
3. Arnold Shoulder Press
4. Side Lateral Raise

* 20 seconds on each exercise with a 10 second rest in between x 2 sets

And for a fast, cardio shred try this workout:

Cardio Tabata Workout:

Sprinting – sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds x 8 times
Jump rope – jump for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds x 8 times 

Who says you need a couple of hours to workout? Try this and you'll be in shape in no time.

By: Ralph Reizon A. Santisteban

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UP Diliman Elections 2014

                                                 Photo from: masscomm.upd.edu.ph

It is late February, nearing the month of March and you are probably starting to see students wearing long sleeves and slacks when you’re used to the sight of jeans and various shades of oversized shirts. It is campaign period once more in UP Diliman and candidates are going door to door in an attempt to convince you that they are the choice, they are the solution and they are worthy of your much respected and needed vote.

Why vote?

               

Have you ever come across these words being said before?

                “What is the Council doing?”

                “If only I was a member of the council…”

                “Why did they decide to do that?”

                “The USC is so stupid, the obvious decision is…”

Everyone has an opinion about what is going on and everybody wants to do something about the situation. However, we simply cannot have everyone shouting what they want to say, that creates confusion and it usually ends up with no decision being made. So we have the council to voice out our opinions, to voice out our concerns. Since you have no plans for joining the council, you vote so that you still have a part in the council. Vote for the person who in your opinion thinks the way you do, that way, your opinion is heard via your candidate. Voting can be a bother and you can get on with your life without having to vote. However if you are dissatisfied with the way things are run, VOTE and get someone you want into the council.

Who are running?

It is too much of a bother to go into the candidates one by one, so we shall attempt to bring light instead to the parties running.

KAISA (Nagkakaisang Iskolar para sa Pamantasan at Sambayanan)

                

KAISA is the newest party in UP Diliman, formed in May of 2005. It is a progressive political party and dynamic student formation that envisions itself as an agent of social change through competent student leadership, proactive political action and effective social involvement. In essence, KAISA consider themselves as scholar activists, a group of students who make use of their education in order to be of use to the university and to society.

ALYANSA (Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran)

             

ALYANSA is a leadership and service formation who follows by the principles of

·        *Progressive Multi-Perspective Activism

o   Big words, but basically they consider all sides of a given situation, they act upon viewing these perspectives and work to be progressive and prevent stagnation.

·         *Academic Excellence

o   They consider academic excellence to be an indicator of leadership and social responsibility.

·         *Student empowerment

o   They believe that student participation and representation are the answers to problems of student rights and welfare.

·         *Social Justice and Progress

o   It is UP’s role is to advocate and fight for the rights of the marginalized and socially oppressed.

STAND-UP (Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights)

STAND-UP considers the present educational system as colonial, commercialized and repressive. STAND-UP fights for a change and has been at the forefront in student related struggles, consistently fighting against UP budget cuts and other commercialization schemes. They believe that a mass-oriented, scientific and nationalist education is what the Filipino student should receive. They believe that it is in a better education system that students will be oriented towards service for its people.

Simply search in iskwiki.upd.edu.ph in order to find out more about their campaigns, their history as well as the basic principles that guide the student formation.

Independent

  

The independent is basically a candidate who has no allegiance to any of the three currently running parties. They believe in their own principles and that despite the lack of a political party they have what it takes to represent and serve the students. In order to learn more about their principles and individual personalities, you should listen to campaigns and judge for yourself

So… What now?

This is just an overview of what the different parties are. In order to make a proper, informed decision, one should listen to campaigns, read the papers that they randomly give out and listen to the debates that will be happening in the next few weeks. Ask questions about their opinions on current affairs as you want individuals who feel the same way you do about current news. Don’t ask questions about personal history nor about the history of their opponents, this does not help you in making your decision; neither does it help other people in making their decision. Be respectful and maintain tact in order to judge properly the personality and the interests of a candidate. Consider all candidates, their strengths, weaknesses, what they’re campaigning for and vote for someone who will represent you the best. Do not be afraid to abstain if you do not know enough about the people who are running, it is much better than voting for someone who you barely know anything about. Abstain if you feel that nobody deserves the position. DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! It is your right and it is your chance for your voice to be heard.

                

Mykha Marie B. Tabuzo

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