ESCAPADE Magazine

MARCH 2015

1March 2015 | ESCAPADE Magazine

Ture voluptas et

Volume 1, Issue 1 march 2015

4Perfect Places to take a selfie!

Hungry? TRY THE JSEC

EXPERIENCE!

Bird Watching:A PROF TO TAKE:

Henson Lee-YUNot a regular prof,but a cool prof!

redefining adventure.

Venture Enterprise

Bored? Try

the new “thing” in Ateneo!

MARCH 2015

1 March 2015 | ESCAPADE Magazine

CONTENTS

MARCH 2015TABLE OF CONTENTS

3BIRD WATCHING IN ATENEO:A New Kind of Adventure

13HENSON LEE-YU:View the World on a Chemist’s Lens

7HOT SPOTS:

Ateneo, One Big Photoshoot Paradise

17FOOD TRIPS IN ATENEO:

Cool Food in a New School

MARCH 2015


CONTRIBUTORS

TOMMY TIANGCO

JUSTINE RAZON

DIORJICA RANOY

RENEE LUGTU

Renee Lugtu is currently taking up Bachelor of Arts in Economics at Ateneo de Manila University. She has had a strong desire for art and nature for as long as she could remember.

Diorjica Ranoy is currently taking up Bachelor of Science in Management, Major in Legal Management at Ateneo de Ma-nila. She hails from the province of Pangasinan and has been fas-cinated with the beauty of nature ever since she was a toddler.

Justine Razon is currently a student of the Ateneo de Ma-nila University taking up Bachelor of Science in Management, Major in Legal Management. She finds happiness in going on thrilling adventures and sharing these with people.

Tommy Tiangco is currently taking Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. At first, he was a very shy and lazy student, but the Ateneo has made this caterpillar turn into a beautiful butterfly.

MA

GA

ZI

NE Venture Enterprise

Volume 1 Issue 1All rights reserved 20152/F Gonzaga Hall1108 Katipunan Ave.,Quezon CityTel. 551-2803 local [email protected]

Diorjica Faine V. RanoyEditor-in-Chief, Layout Artist

Renee LugtuVP for Graphics Design

Justine Gabrielle B. RazonEditorial Assistant

Tobias Miguel Y. TiangcoEditorial Assistant

THE TEAM

ABOUT THE COVERGo on an adventure in the

Ateneo and experience the beauty and grandeur of the campus starting with Escapade: The Ultimate Ateneo Adventure Starter Pack!


MARCH 2015BIRD WATCHING IN ATENEO

TEXTRenee LugtuPHOTO COURTESYTrinket Canlas, Romy Ocon

A NEW KIND OFADVENTURE

Looking to be one with nature? Wanting to venture out into the wild? Bird Watching is the way to go!

“What do you wanna do to-day?” My friends would ask me during breaks. Usually, we would get ourselves a meal from one of the stalls in Gonzaga Café, but it gets tiring on a three to four hour break. Staying any longer in such a place would even tempt me to spend more. Walking around the campus would just be as tiring, if I didn’t have any particular desti-nation. I realized that there was really nothing to do on campus if I didn’t have any of my gadgets with me. That is, until a friend of mine, who was taking Biology as her science subject, suggested that we go birdwatching around the campus.

Birdwatching (or Birding) is watching wild birds while they’re in their natural habitat. With bird-ing, we get to identify birds just by observing their appearance, behavior, or the sound they make. Of course, I initially thought the idea of searching trees and bush-es for birds was strange. But after joining the birding activity, I real-ized that it’s one of the best ways to explore the natural setting on campus: through being absorbed in the habitat of the creatures’ in it.

My friend and I asked Ms. Trinket of the biology depart-ment about the guidelines for birdwatching on campus. She said

that all we needed were a pair of binoculars and a field guide—all of which can be lent to us by the department for free. The field guide that would be given to us contained information about the different species of birds; it showed pictures of each species and which traits to look for in a bird. None of us would be having a hard time looking for the ones in the book, since the school had 50 species of birds. In the past bird and tree walks held by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines in our campus, only 17 and 19 species were found.

We were also given a pam-phlet from the Wild Bird Club of


BIRD WATCHING IN ATENEO

the Philippines entitled, “Birding for Beginners”. Days before the activity, we were advised to consid-er the weather condition—it shouldn’t be too hot or sunny. We also had to wear dull-colored clothing so that we wouldn’t alarm the birds, and hats to shade our eyes. I brought a notebook with me to jot down whatever characteristics I could find from a bird. But I ended up making sketches of the birds and label their distinct characteristics to make it more visual and easier to identify. We were given a pair of binoculars and a field guide to help us identify the birds we’d find on campus. It was a large book that had a photo of a bird on each page, containing infor-mation about them. It shows certain details to look out for in birds.

Our itinerary started with Manila Observatory at around 3:30 PM. My friend and I kept quiet once we started so that we wouldn’t startle the birds and hear bird calls better. The first bird we spotted made

a screech kind of call. It stood on a tip of a stem pro-truding from a bush about 3 meters away from us and 2 meters from the ground. I stood still and looked through my binoculars to get a closer look. Its long, flat, brown tail stood out the most, especially since its back was facing us; it even had some hints of or-ange or yellow color on its back, with a white color on its sides, which turned into black on its crown. I switched my camera on, zoomed in quickly to the bird’s back, and just when I pressed the shutter but-ton, a loud sound from the camera made the bird turn around, showing his black beak and white col-ored belly, and quickly flew away from us—I forgot to turn the camera’s shutter sound off. But thanks to the notebook I kept, I made a rough sketch of the bird’s body, checked the field guide, and it turns out that it was a Long-tailed Shrike. It was described to be a noisy and aggressive bird. I actually thought that I’d feel frustrated for not being able to snap a

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stopped walking, a small, thin bird flew from one of the trees down to the edge of the road in front of the Jesuit Communication (or JesCom) Building. It was dominantly brown and grey with dark-tipped feathers that formed a ridge-like pattern. But just like the first bird we’ve observed, it flew quickly flew away somewhere else before we catch a closer look at it.

Again, the feeling of disappointment re-turned since I wasn’t sure if the character-

istics I’ve observed from the bird would be enough to have a beginner like me to track its species down using the field

guide. I flipped the first few pages of the field guide and stopped when I saw what

looked familiar to the one that just flew away: a Zebra Dove—it was shown to have blue skin around the eyes, which I felt bad

for not seeing; and a soft coo, which makes them the most common candidates as pets.

Once again, what felt like a short encounter magically became like a month of knowing

them, thanks to the guide. The Wildlife Sanctuary located near the

baseball field was our last stop. It was within a forest, so there was an abundance in greens,

which, I admit, we’ve only seen for the first time. The sound of several crickets surrounding us calmed me down, as if there was really nothing to worry about. Deeply immersed in the calmness of the environment, I took a deep breath of the fresh air from the place and checked for bird calls near-by. The calls I could hear were mostly from a high-er altitude from the ground. I didn’t even know where to look with my binoculars, or if I could look any closer to observe them. I stood at the same spot in the sanctuary for about five minutes, until I finally heard a call that was quite close to our spot. It stood on one of the bare branches of

photo of it, but instead, finding out what it actual-ly was using the field guide felt rewarding, since it

felt like getting to know everything about the bird even if I spent only a minute or two with it.

Seminary Road was our next stop; it was lo-cated in between the College Covered Courts and

the Department of Communication Building. The road was narrow, but it was more calming than

I expected—the narrower t h e roads became, the more lush greens appeared; the tall trees in

o p -posite sides

of the roads were so close to

each other, they looked like they were hugging already. The cool breeze blew off the leaves from the trees, and the silence amplified the breeze, which also made the bird calls that followed stand out even more.

After listening closely, one particular bird call was soft and low pitched, seemingly forming a song with its peaceful call, as it was continuous with different patterns. My friend told me that she could hear it coming from the trees next to the road going to the San Jose Seminary. I snuck closer to the source of the song-like call, and as soon as I

BIRD WATCHING IN ATENEO

MARCH 2015 BIRD WATCHING IN ATENEO

the young trees in the sanctuary. This time, the species was trickier to find in the guide, since it had all of the traits a common bird would have: a dominantly brown body, black streaks on its feathers, a white ring around its neck and a black beak. The closest one we could find from the guide was a Eurasian Tree Sparrow, also known as the Maya in the Philippines. As we concluded our activity, I felt like I wanted to search for more birds, but it was already 6PM and the sun was setting—it’s time to say goodbye to the birds.

What sets this experience apart from other ways of exploring the different spots on campus is that all the senses are used to fully experience the nature found in the campus. If you’re looking for a great way to discover and explore the campus, I suggest you give birdwatching a try; it’s educational, it’s free, and most importantly, it’s fun, especially since it’s a social activity. It’s an adventure that shouldn’t be missed.

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Parum qui opti

MARCH 2015


HOT SPOTS

HOT SPOTS:Ateneo, One Big

Photoshoot Paradise

TEXT AND PHOTOSDiorjica Ranoy

With the advent of technol-ogy, photographs are becoming a big part of a teenager’s life now-adays. As the internet becomes more accessible for everyone to share their prized photos in social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr and others, more and more teenagers are getting hooked into photography and modeling. And of course, in the battle of likes and shares in these websites, Ateneans are not to be outdone.

Put away the books and readings for a while, for it is time for an adventure! As a new fresh-man of the Ateneo equipped with a smartphone, you must know the hot spots to take pictures at to get those cameras working!

Taking a picture is one thing. Finding the perfect setting to take a picture is another. But

because of the magnificence and grandeur of the Ateneo de Ma-nila University campus, this issue is not a problem to picture-sav-vy Ateneans. Whether it is for a school project, an advertisement for your beloved organization or just a replacement for your cur-rent Facebook display picture, the Ateneo’s wide campus is a perfect photo-shoot place (if you know where to go)!

From the shady School of Management (SOM) Forest to the secluded Loyola School of Theol-ogy, there is a lot to be captured inside the Ateneo Campus for that perfect photo to post.

Here are several pho-to-shoot places in the campus of Ateneo that you may have never thought of visiting for that selfie you are dying to share on Insta-gram or on other social network-ing sites:

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HOT SPOTS

The SOM Forest is a great photo-shoot place de-spite it being notoriously known as the “Make-Out, Make-Out Lang (MOMOL) Forest”. This big patch of land with towering trees is perfect for a wild-themed photo.

One can enter into the said forest by going through the big wrought iron gate at the end of the SOM building. The gate acts like a portal, very much like Narnia’s—It takes you from an urban setting to an almost fantastical woodland when you take that step outside the big gate.

Aside from towering trees, bushes and flowers can also be seen in the forest. During the day, the forest appears to be a vibrant area. It is alive with winds swaying the trees and birds flying in the cano-py of the forest. Posing among the rows of trees with just the right amount of sunlight during the day can get you a nice, magical photograph with butterflies and insects that gives the sense that the forest is very much alive.

During the night, the forest turns into something completely different. From a living vibrant forest buzz-ing with life, it turns into a place similar to the Forbid-den Forest in the Harry Potter series. Due to the lack of lighting, it is deemed as a shady place for most Atene-ans, making it ideal for gothic and dark images.

INTO THE WOODS OF THE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT FOREST

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HOT SPOTS

The much-celebrated Church of the Gesù is known for its striking architecture—it is triangular in shape, symbolizing the Holy Trinity and the vision and mission of the school. Because of this oddity com-pared to the other churches in the Philippines, it is usually used as a landmark for the Ateneo. It is located on top of Sacred Heart hill, over-looking the wide Bellarmine field and the whole of Ateneo de Manila for it is believed to be the highest point at the campus.

The peculiarity and elegance of the Church of the Gesù make a good spectacle for teenagers and professional photographers alike. These picture hungry beings flock to the Gesù either to take a selfie with the Sacred Heart of Jesus in front of the Church or to check out the field at the left side of the Church where a statue depicts the Agony in the Garden. However, what others do not know is that there is one more angle to check out—the view from the top of the Church.

From the side of the Church, one can already see the railings be-hind the big cross on top of the building. Moving further towards the back, you will notice that the pathway is lined with bushes and the metal railings on the roof is gradually revealing itself, getting bigger with every step. Finally, when one gets to the back of the Church, the metal railings leading to the big cross at the apex will now be in full view, as if inviting anyone courageous enough to take the climb.

The long climb may seem daunting at first, but once you get to the top of the church, you will feel like a champion. You will feel as if you are one step closer to the heavens, being closer to the sky and over-looking the Ateneo and Katipunan Avenue. Because of the pyramidal shape of the Church of the Gesù, standing at the top feels like being on top of a mountain. However, instead of standing on soft, loamy soil and seeing a rugged terrain below, you will be stepping on hard, white cement and viewing a smooth slope all around.

From there, of course, taking a selfie or a picture is mandatory to reward yourself for the tiresome climbing (but do so with ease and caution)!

THE GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN ATOP THE CHURCH OF THE GESU

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HOT SPOTS

Did you know that there lies a pathway from the Eliazo Hall to the Loyola Schools Covered Courts? This route is famous among dormers rushing to their Physical Education classes.

The narrow pathway is only wide enough for a single person. The cement has accumulat-ed green algae, dust and dirt throughout its ex-istence. The surrounding is almost mountain-ous and surrounded by tall, green trees. One can

THE STAIRWAY TO THE COVERED COURTSswear that a snake, lion or any sign of wildlife will spring out from the woods randomly. Its abandoned and remote look makes it perfect for a creative photo-shoot. The rocks, trees and el-evations allow for the shooting of photographs from multiple angles.

If you are up for a mild trekking journey, a photo-shoot, or a simple adventure out in the woods, this area is excellent!

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HOT SPOTS

The Loyola School of Theol-ogy (LST) lies in a secluded part of campus. Due to its location, it is not frequented by the typical Ateneans, making it more ideal for lots of cou-ples to hang out here. But whether your aim is to get away from the harsh reality of Ateneo academics or to take marvelous pictures to show off, going to LST is rewarding despite the long walk.

Staying in the area will give you a feel of being in the country-side—No skyscrapers can be seen from atop the hill. The location also boasts of a bird’s eye view of the city of Marikina.

Aside from these, the land-scape of LST is also picture-wor-thy. The garden is filled with pebbles and rocks plus hints of rocks here and there. The area is also lined with trees and bushes, giving it a feel of being in Baguio City. Just like in Baguio, the eleva-

A BIRD’S EYE VIEW FROM THE LOYOLA SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

tion makes you feel as if you are on top of the world, looking down on roofs of colors red, blue, green, brown and others all the while enjoying the cool, fresh breeze. At night, this view turns into a sea of lights, perfect for a bokeh of lights as your background as magical as the thousand lanterns seen in the movie Tangled.

For those who are not faint-at-heart, these locations will prove to be fruitful for your mini photo-shoot sessions. From magical to gothic to a feel of being in the countryside, the Ateneo campus covers it all! Why travel all the way to the provinces when you can shoot a marvelous picture inside the Ateneo?

Remember, life in the Ate-neo is not just one big challenge of academics; it is also one big ad-venture of having fun, and taking pictures! So go ahead and start capturing memories!

MARCH 2015


HENSON LEE-YU

HENSON LEE-YU:View the World through a Chemist’s Lens

TEXT Justine RazonPHOTO COURTESYHenson Lee-Yu

All Freshmen in Ateneo are required to take two Natural Sci-ence subjects in their first year in Ateneo. During my first semester, I took Physics because I have loved the subject ever since high school. However, this semester, I only had two options namely, General Chem-istry and Environmental Science. Although most people choose to take Environmental Science be-cause it is an easy A, I choose to take Chemistry because I find this subject more challenging and ad-venturous.

Taking Chemistry as com-pared to taking Environmental Science is surely not an easy A ac-cording to previous batches. How-ever, taking Chemistry under Hen-son Lee Yu is definitely worth the extra effort. He is a professor who

has made a complicated subject be-come so simple and interesting such that even though we are allowed to have unlimited cuts in his subject, I would not want to miss any ses-sion in his class. Since he is a young professor and not an easy A, no one would want and dare to enlist in his subject.

I first underestimated him ever since our first meeting. While students started filling up the class-room seats, I thought that our first meeting would be a free cut since no professor has entered yet. I thought this professor would be a give away one for Chemistry until after a few more minutes after the second bell, some more people came inside the classroom. As they entered, one of them went in front, near the teach-er’s table, then eventually intro-duced himself. He stated is name and it happens to be the same name written on the Chemistry syllabus. It was then where I found out that that he was actually our professor and not just a confident student who in-troduced himself to the whole class.

I have mistaken him to be a student because he does not look

However, what many fail to recognize is that he is an under-estimated legend-ary professor.

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HENSON LEE-YUlike a typical professor who comes to class in business attire but instead he wears a comfortable loose t-shirt with simple jeans just like most of us. He looks like a chemistry geek just because he wears glasses along with an eye-catching shirt with Chemistry spoofs writ-ten on it.

Despite how informal he dressed, he seemed to be such a professional and experienced teacher as he discussed the syllabus he had prepared, and empha-sized on the rules and regulations we have to abide by, despite having only 3 years of experience. As he dis-cussed the syllabus, I was overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of topics we have to finish by the end of one semester, from understanding what Science really is, up to his forte, drug discovery. Today, I am surprised that I was able to ace one of his two long tests despite my hatred of Chemistry.

However, he sees to it that his simplified defini-tion is still accurate and precise. He makes the period-ic table trends seem less complicated than how most of us were taught before. One of the periodic table trends is electronegativity which he explains as simple as “the desperation of an atom for one more electron” as compared to wikipedia’s alienating definition of electronegativity which is a “measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons.”

Sir Henson is not just a professor who goes to class then defines some Chemistry concepts and then leaves the class expecting that our limited stor-age brains can retain all the information he gives until finals week. Instead, he enthusiastically uses real life situations to explain Chemical terms.

I can recall how he explained physical and chemical change by cooking a sweetened banana des-sert for the whole class. He first put sugar and water on the pan then explained that a chemical change occurred as the sugar caramelizes. The banana turned brown af-ter a few minutes then he explained why people usually put calamansi on peeled bananas. It was only that time where I found that the reason behind bananas turning brown is because it oxidizes and people put calamansi because calamansi is an anti-oxidant thus, it prevents

Henson Lee Yu is one of the few people who can teach his pro-fession to his students well by making complicated terms more student-friendly.

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HENSON LEE-YU

What is adventurous in taking his subject is that he uses cre-ative techniques to be able to convince the students to pay attention to what he discusses.

the banana from turning brown. Moreover, he also relates intermo-lecular forces to personal relation-ships we establish, and he justifies how electron orbitals are just like buildings. He also convinces us that stoichiometry is just like making sandwiches and because of his cre-atively unique strategy to explain Chemistry’s complicated phenome-na, students like me, who despised the subject before have learned to love this subject.

He is a great teacher be-cause he creates an atmosphere in our class-room conducive for learning by encouraging in-teractive class discussions to evaluate wheth-er his students are still coping up with him. He is quite flexible with the sched-ule such that as he teaches the lesson, he makes sure that major-ity if not all of the students un-derstand it be-fore he proceeds to the next one. Even though he is patient enough to follow the students’ pace in learn-ing the topic, he sees to it that the list of topics written on the syllabus would all be taken up by the end of the semester. True enough that by this day, our class finished all top-ics written on the syllabus with one month to spare for additional topics.

In Sir Henson’s class, no one is expected to memorize chemical elements, terms and equations. Even if one does, it would not be enough to pass his class because for him, it is more

important that his students under-stand what process these chemi-cal equations go through and how these chemical formulas are de-rived.

He has high expectations for all his students which is seen in the long tests he gives which are 75% essay questions on how chemistry works. Some of the questions in his long tests were “Why should people stop boiling

broccoli in order for it to retain its nutrients?” and “Why can’t people ever be overdosed by Vitamin C but possibly be overdosed with Vitamin E?” Questions like these were not discussed one by one in class but, his students who understood his lessons, will be able to derive answers for these real-life-situation questions. Understanding his lessons, tak-ing down notes as he discusses, and reviewing them is enough preparation for upcoming long tests.

H e deals with the short-attention span students have nowadays by bringing to class more con-crete examples of whatever he discusses. As he discusses the Ideal Gas Law for example, he brings to class marshmallows, liquid nitrogen, and a syringe to precisely show how the Ideal Gas Law works. First, he discussed how volume and temperature are directly propor-tional from the

equation (Pressure x Volume) = (moles of substance x Ideal Gas Constant x Temperature). He proved this by pouring liquid nitrogen whose temperature is -196.15 ˚C to the marshmallows and as he does that, the marsh-mallows shrank. This proves that volume and temperature are directly proportional be-cause as the temperature of the marshmallow decreased, its volume also decreased. Af-ter proving this relationship of volume and temperature, he

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HENSON LEE-YU

Concrete discussions and experiences like these tend to retain in our memory and eventually help us in answer-ing some items in quizzes and long tests.

It’s inspiring that he chose to teach because he lives by the Jesuit saying, “Cura Personalis.”

Having a professor like Henson Lee Yu will allow you to go in an ad-venture and view different fields of the world through a chemist’s lens.

continued discussing the other relationships of the variables in this equation. He also discussed how these are related to how the Air-con works, hot air balloons, and even scuba diving. (Fresh-ies, enlist in his subject if you want to find out more).

Most importantly, Henson Lee Yu is an inspiring professor. What I enjoy about his sub-ject is that throughout the semester, he shows the interplay between different fields to chem-istry which lessens the students’ question “So? What’s the point of learning this?” He also does not find satisfaction in alienating the students just to prove he has graduated college and has taken masters in the field of Chemistry. Instead, he reduces alienation by teaching us the basics and building a strong foundation for us to be able to cope with the following lessons that are for sure, more complicated.

He wants to burst the chemistry bub-ble because he cares enough for his field such that he chooses to educate students ignorant of the chemistry world. He dreams that his field would prosper by means of teaching students and making them realize Chemistry’s impact to everything. For him, people remain ignorant of this field also because of chemists who do not make an effort to explain how chemistry is also related to other fields like business. Thus, funds for chemistry are usually cut down since people, usually businessmen, do not find its im-portance.

He inspires his students who are non-sci-ence majors, to shift to Chemistry by showing us his passion for teaching Chemistry. As his student, I am able to see his passion for teach-ing such that he is always approachable and available for consultation even beyond office hours. He sleeps in the chemistry lab just to take care of some of the University’s experi-ments.

MARCH 2015


FOOD TRIPS IN ATENEO

COOL FOODIN A NEW SCHOOL

TEXTTommy TiangcoPHOTO COURTESYJeffrey Jongko, Santiago Arnaiz, Ignatius John, Google Images

I still remember my first day in the Ateneo, which could be described as not really stress-ful but more of uncomfortable. Coming from an all boys school, I had to adjust to numerous things, especially the fact that I had female classmates. Aside from this, I didn’t know what to do with my long breaks, which I never experienced in high school. With this, I had difficulty deciding where to eat and where to stay during these long breaks. It was a constant visit to differ-ent canteens and cafeterias of the Ateneo that made me final-ly decide the two best places for

Ateneans to eat. After almost a year in the Ateneo, I realized that the canteens here were more than just a place to eat or a place to burn time. Moreover, some places here in the Ateneo could be extravagant food trips that a freshman must definitely experience. Aside from this, the two canteens are not only lim-ited in being able to keep the freshmen full and healthy, but these are also places that could make them comfortable and more at home in their first year in the Ateneo.

Depending on the type of food the student has in mind

or the amount of money one is willing to spend, would deter-mine the places that I may rec-ommend on my list of different food trips in the Ateneo. In my opinion, the two places that one should visit are the famous JSEC and Gonzaga canteens. The two have different qualities and characteristics that make each place unique in their own way. For one, JSEC showcases a wide variety of stalls that are run by students of the Ateneo. On the other hand, Gonzaga of-fers commercial stalls, many of which one would see outside of school. Secondly, JSEC of-

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fers delicious dishes, snacks and beverages that honestly come at a more expensive price. On the other hand, Gonzaga offers more choices that are more affordable and are not so heavy towards one’s budget. Aside from this, the two canteens have very different ambiances and auras when com-pared to one another.

The first place I recommend freshmen to visit would be Gonza-ga, which is located at the middle of the Ateneo campus. Most stu-dents who eat in Gonzaga are those who are constantly in a rush. Many freshmen may be unfortunate to have tight schedules for their first year, but since Gonzaga offers many stalls with food that are instant and ready to eat, this allows the students to grab a snack while moving to the next class. It is a place that students would surely pass by when moving from classes located at different parts of the campus. Aside from this, the place itself offers a very fa-miliar and distinct kind of place.

Upon visiting Gonzaga on my first few weeks as a freshman, it

made me feel like I was in my high school canteen. Gonzaga has a very simple architectural layout; Most of the tables are made out of wood, wooden chairs, benches and even monoblocks. In the unfamiliar cam-pus of Ateneo, a freshman could feel uneasy and uncomfortable in the first few weeks of the school year. With this, I would recommend those freshmen to visit Gonzaga for them to feel more at ease in their new environment. The place itself is also well lit and very bright, making the place more suitable for studying and doing other schoolwork.

I also noticed that many of the students in Gonzaga are very inde-pendent and usually come alone or occasionally in groups. The groups they come with are not even their cliques or groups of friends, but more of their classmates, block mates or group mates. In Gonzaga many of the students eat and af-terwards either leave the place, or suddenly bring out their laptops, notebooks or textbooks to start re-viewing. On the other hand, when students come in groups I usually

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FOOD TRIPS IN ATENEOsee them either cramming for an upcoming test, or preparing a PowerPoint or presentation for a specific class. Despite Gonzaga being very simple and familiar, the place itself has a wide variety of commercial stalls that students may choose from.

A stall that students definitely must try would be chicks-rule. This stall offers fried chicken chops and French fries, added with powders of different flavors. The powder includes flavors like sour cream and onion, cheese, barbeque, ranch and even Knor seasoning, which is something very unique and different. Upon trying the chicken and fries here, I instantly remembered the stall Potato Corner, that offers the same taste of powders, except for the fact that is only limited to french fries. Another would be Infinitea that offers different flavors of milk tea. With most of the classrooms of the Ateneo having no air cons, a stall like this would definitely help quench one’s thirst and serve as support in surviving the heat. Although the drink may be pretty pricey, the milk tea is very smooth, cold and delicious.

The next place that I would recommend the freshmen to vis-it is the JSEC. JSEC offers a more modern and contemporary archi-tectural design. It has tables that are made of marble, and chairs that are hand-woven supported by steel, making it more stable. Aside from this, I could compare the JSEC canteen to a food court

that one could see in the new malls around the Metro. The JSEC is somewhat an outdoor canteen, wherein not the whole place is enclosed, and only a roof is used to shade the students from the sun. Aside from this, the students, ambiance, vibe and even the dif-ferent stalls of JSEC contribute in making it more like a food court.

The ambiance of the place has a tendency to make students forget that they are in school. The place depends on natural lighting making the place rath-er dark, but this contributes in making the JSEC a place for students to more of relax and simply have conversations with their friends.

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FOOD TRIPS IN ATENEO

I also noticed that many of the students here are very differ-ent compared to those students in the Gonzaga. The students here are very clingy towards their group of friends or their cliques. I even know numerous students that would take turns in guarding their respective tables, depend-ing on the break of each student. There are even days wherein a group of friends would occupy a table for the whole day only to be replaced by other friends in their “barakda”. Somehow, the students have a constant battle in being able to get tables and chairs not only for them, but for their friends as well. JSEC is not only a place for people to unwind after a mind-boggling exam or after an intense math class with a terror professor, but the place also offers a wide variety of delicious food.

The stalls in JSEC have a very unique and individual style depending on the food each stall has to offer. With this, the stalls here are able to showcase the dif-ferent ideas, potential and talents that many of the students have to offer. The place offers a wide array of different kinds of cui-

sines Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, American and even a fusion of many others. One of the famous stalls in JSEC would be Biguettes. This stall offers a wide variety of different sandwiches, from sand-wiches that contain chicken, pe-sto and tomatoes for those who choose to go for a healthier alter-native, and sandwiches with ba-nana and Nutella to satisfy those with a sweet tooth. To add to this, they also allow the customers to choose their bread of desire, ei-ther whole wheat bread or ba-guette. Even the employees are very easy to talk to, one could even add extra meat that may cost ad-ditional charges, and also remove ingredients that one may not like in his/ her sandwich. Lastly, the stall has a Panini maker, which is able to further enhance the taste of the sandwich and make sure that the bread is perfectly toasted.

The Ateneo has a great number of other canteens and cafeterias distributed through-out the campus, including Manang’s near the covered courts, ISO near Belairmine and even a small café by the Rizal library. The ones included here

are the two best places chosen by my friends, classmates and I. JSEC and Gonzaga are definitely places that freshman should vis-it for them to experience a true Ateneo food trip. The JSEC are for those freshmen looking for unique stalls, which could not be seen outside the Ateneo. But it’s also a place for students who want to de-stress and loosen up after a stressful day at school. On the other hand, Gonzaga of-fers more mainstream stalls for those looking for a more famil-iar flavor. Aside from this, other stalls included in Gonzaga may come in handy for those with a budget, and those who are in the rush. The different places in the Ateneo do not only serve one purpose. Places like the librar-ies, canteens and classrooms are also places that help forge relationships and friendships with new people. It is perfectly normal for freshmen to fell in-timidated especially being in a new environment, but the JSEC and Gonzaga are two places that could make the freshmen feel more at home in their first year as an Atenista.

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