ACADEMIC BASH BLASTS TODAY
By Blessy Pontillas

     This year’s Academic Bash will start today. It will be a week - long intellectual fiesta with numerous academic activities. Its theme: “Responding to Global Warming through Science and Technology”.
     Last January 22 and 23, the participants were busy setting up their investigatory and recycling projects exhibits, in the physics and chemistry laboratories, respectively. The exhibits will open for section visits today, January 25. Exhibits for investigatory projects would be in the Chemistry Lab while the recycling projects would be displayed in the Bio Lab.
     The exhibit titles of investigatory projects from the freshmen are: “Guava (Psidium gaujava) Leaves: A Natural Organic Fertilizer in Growing Squash (Cucurbita maxima) Seeds” led by Sherlynne V. de Leon.
     “Newspaper and Fabric as Substitute Soil for Camote (Ipomea batatas) Tops Germination” is led by Denise Cuadro; “Used Cooking Oil as a Source of Light or Flame,” by Jamie Garcesa; “Recycled Chalk dust as Effective Chalk for Chalkboard,” led by Janine Cabiling; and “Used Ground Coffee as Skin Moisturizer”, led by Paola Jennica Mandapat.
     From sophomores: “The Feasibility of Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Palm Leaves as Bio-Ethanol,” led by Pamela Eleanor Viernes; “The Viability of Grinded Orange (Citrus sinensis) Peelings as Flour,” led by Renz Jenen Serrano; “Pandan Leaves as Cockroach Repellant,” led by Angelica Gabagat..
     From the juniors: “Pulverized Glass Bottles as Additive to Recycled Newspaper for the Production of Harder Paper Product,” led by Janssen Ramos; “Cigarette Butts as Alternative Material for Cork Boards,” led by Wendy Apawan; “Effectiveness of Powdered Eggshell with Flour as an Alternative Chalk”, led by Myro Morada.
     From the seniors: “Cork Out of Newspaper and Peanut Shells”, led by Freberly Ballad; “A Comparative Study of Longevity between Parrafin Wax Candle and Candle with 50% Juices from Selected Acidic Fruit Peelings”, led by Ana Nastor.
     On January 26, the Science and Technology Fair and Congress will be held at the Alvendia Hall wherein the participating team will discuss their research to their fellow researchers and to the panel of judges before an audience of students and teachers.
     The winners in the different bash competitions will be awarded on Friday at the roof deck.
     “I hope that it will enhance our responsibility to become pro-active stewards of the environment. It will also help a lot in combating climate change through science investigations”, Mrs. Nilda Cruz remarked.