HISTORY

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All rights reserved. University of San Carlos Chemical Engineering Society, Nasipit Talamban, Cebu City, Philippines.

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History of USC Chemical Engineering Society

Chronicles of the Influential Siblinghood

It has almost been fifty golden years since the instant success of the birth of an organization of influence freshly became the talk-of-the-campus event in the University of San Carlos – yet the Talamban campus.  That remarkable affair in history marked the threshold of the organization to its long ongoing voyage in the course of time.  Now, briefly though, by an imaginary wand, come with me as we browse through some pages in the history of this humble affiliation of equally good servant-leaders.

Prologue: The Fraternity/Sorority Image

It is inevitable today that the words that used to have good meanings in the past are now what most people fear, due mainly to lack of understanding or permissiveness, perhaps.  What could be more comforting than a sense of siblinghood within a society of brothers and sisters from different families, and thus different perspectives and diverse personalities?  And just what is so scary about that? The members of this order wishes to say that the descriptions the other people see are not really important.  What others fail to see can never hinder the growth of this organization, after all.  So whether it is addressed as a society, a fraternity, a sorority, and a circle of friends… this Siblinghood will endure until the very last of days, independent of whatever labeled image there is.

Chapter 1: The Name

The name of this organization is the University of San Carlos Chemical Engineering Society.  It is abbreviated as USC ChES.   It is essential to prefix it with USC since a similar name is called for the student alliance in the Chemical Engineering Department of the De La Salle University system.

Chapter 2: The Nickname

USC ChES - It sounds so much like a particular board game, chess, which symbolizes warfare.  Basically two players, one of which will be the victor through a closest encounter of The King in the fastest line of attack, play it.  This organization indeed symbolizes warfare against the trials both surpassed and yet to come.  It has already triumphed in the first round (50 years) through a very close encounter of the Martial Law ordeal, which almost eradicated this organization in the rim of existence.

Chapter 3: The Birth

The nativity dates back to 1957, three years after the Department of Chemical Engineering was established in the university.  It was initiated by the class of 1959 (Vince Bendanillo, Elsa Pilapil Roska, Joel Trinidad, Jerry Turno, Leopoldo Mercado, Letty Labro, Ester Matela and Lydia Mayol Canalita) and supported by the ChE faculty head during that time, Sir Cesar Dakay (a ChE board topnotcher).  It was due to the need for them to form a group or society for Chemical Engineering students that could represent the entire ChE student populace.  While the College of Engineering had the KmTriE fraternity for Mechanical and Electrical Engineering students, and Ateliers for the Architecture and Civil Engineering students, the ChE residents were on the verge of creating something exceptional.  Instead of forming a fraternity and a separate sorority for the ChE students, the prime movers decided to make it a society wherein they could characterize both male and female species in one organization, after all, nearly half of the ChE students that time were women. 

Chapter 4: The Historic Document

The vitality of the USC ChES frat/sor was made through the hands of two gentlemen: Fred Amores and Rene Kintanar, who were just third year students during that same year, but were blessedly chosen to inscribe such a historic document of the org – the USC ChES Constitution and By-laws. 

Chapter 5: The Credit of Loyalty

The USC ChES pin, which showed a slide rule, a gear in the center and a chain linking both ends of the slide rule, was bespoke for the members to wear and to furnish membership recognition, and of course, credit of loyalty to the siblinghood.  It was designed by Mr. Raul Espina, initially settling the org into 3 divisions: the RULE (Legislative Body); the GEAR (Executive Body); and the LINK (General Body).

Chapter 6: The Investiture

That same year (1957), the formal inauguration of the society was made with approximately 100 inaugural members.  The early delight was promptly shared by a team of the undergraduates all the way down to the freshman class and the society's power was predominantly carried by class leaders namely Jess Alcordo, Fred Amores, Rene Kintanar, Raul Espina, Danny Cabatingan, Elmer Buntag, Betty Garcia Cruz, Mabuhay Faigao, Jesus Serrato, Roque Cervantes.

Chapter 7: The Presentation

In 1958 (early September), there was an induction of the new set of officers, and the first presentation of the PIN to each of the inaugural members was held.  The instant success of the birth of the organization was a very loud event, thus it became the talk-of-the-campus affair.    According to Sir Vince Bendanillo (one of the prime movers), this was partly due to the fact that many of the USC ChES members had already distinguished themselves in academics, campus politics, and other university activities.  And the present membership is the recent living legacy of this very "ChESly" attribute.

Chapter 8: Phenomenal Highlight

What followed was probably one of the most phenomenal highlights in the history of this organization of influence.  All the class officers elected in 1958 (from 1st yr – 5th yr ChE classes) were recruited and made them the core of the USCChES membership; the responses were good. And incredibly, within just a few months duration, the USCChES became a significant power in the university.  As well, the top ranking ROTC officers and a number of junior officers like Mr. Jerry Turno, Jr., Mr. Joel Trinidad, and Mr. Leopoldo Mercado, were members of the USC ChES at the time.  The entire ROTC unit was composed only of two battalions handled separately by Sir Jerry Turno (First Battalion Commander) and Sir Vince Bendanillo (Second Battalion Commander). 

Consequently, the company and participation of uniformed ROTC officers endowed The Society with status. That year, Sir Vince Bendanillo was given the honor to serve as president (also for a second term the following year) and Jess Alcordo the VP, Danny Cabatingan the treasurer, and Ma'am Elsa Pilapil Roska the secretary.  After the seniors left, Ms. Elsa Pilapil Roska, the founding member (who later became the dean of the college of engineering), continued to grant the guidance and support desirable by the society to persevere through a long journey in the course of time.

Chapter 9: The Growth

The Siblinghood grows through an annual opportunity of membership slots.  Each aspirant, called a neophyte – meaning a beginner or an apprentice of a new relationship, has to undergo a 1 month personality training (which contains modules of Life's very essential lessons) to be molded into equally brave, effective and humble servant leaders, prepared to face the battle in the real ChES board, in the real warfare, ready to conquer fears, and learn from mistakes.  And most importantly, getting through Life without taking simple and basic things for granted.  The Society has been through many tests, undergone many changes, and it has grown to be a mature affiliation of good servant leaders.  And there is no doubt that it is still growing, continuing to be more mature, and more ripened.

Chapter 10: The Checkmate

Round one of the warfare constitutes the first fifty years of trials and conquests.  In the board game of ChES, it has bagged the victory through surpassing the Martial Law tribulation in the year 1986.  For a period of time, the USCChES was frozen. 

Chapter 11: The Revival

After the Martial Law, the University of San Carlos Chemical Engineering Society continued to grow as an organization of influence, affected not by the stationary occurrence.  It was able to make its own way to being more firm, gathering strength from its strong foundation.

Chapter 12: The Equilibrium

Recently, the inflow of new members is higher compared to the classic traditions.  At present, the student members totals to 65.  And it is in this part of the USC ChES life that it starts to attain the equilibrium between two vital, oft-compared factors: quality and quantity.  After all, the equation still remains unperturbed: quality lover quantity; Or in due words, the larger the quantity, the higher the quality.

Appendix: The Acknowledgement

Life is like a huge stage play, and everyday is a rehearsal.  The people are the actors, and HE is the sole Director.  The University of San Carlos Chemical Engineering Society would like to acknowledge Our GOD and wishes to thank HIM for constantly directing the Society's daily rehearsals without leaving the Director's seat even for a single moment.  WE LOVE YOU Lord.