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Navigation Pad About Us
The File Cabinet
Articles
Dept.
of Chemistry |
History The
History of the Ateneo Chemical Society
After the Second World War, the
country was left in ruins. There was a need for rapid reconstruction.
Many technological advances and innovations were made to comply with the
demands. A few years later, the wheels of modern industrialization
started moving too fast. In order too keep up, schools like the Ateneo
de Manila established extracurricular activities to encourage the
interest and active participation of students in specific fields.
In 1959 under the leadership
of Johnson Leung, the club president, the Faura Science Club was formed.
This organization was composed of a small group of Ateneans dedicated to
stimulate a student’s interest in science. They focused on the three
branches of science namely Biology, Chemistry and Physics. They invited
guest speakers to give talks and lectures. They wrote student journal
reports about the interesting scientific advances, and held frequent
club activities. The activities that made the Faura Science Club unique
from the rest were their field trips. The members toured chemical
plants, physics laboratories and medical schools to acquaint them with
the intricate processes of actual scientific work.
In 1960, the students felt the
need to specialize in each of the three sectors namely Biology,
Chemistry and Physics. They wanted to focus more on a specific field. As
a result the Faura Science Club broke down as a single organization into
three individual clubs. The chemistry sector gained its independence as
a single org. The Ateneo Chemical Society was born.
In 1961, Rev. William J.
Schmitt became the chairperson of the Chemistry department and the
moderator of the Chemistry club. The members were given access to
laboratory equipment and to avail themselves of all opportunities for a
thorough understanding of the sciences.
The Chemistry club had its
first executive board in 1962. It was composed of only three officers.
The president was Ricardo Herrero. The vice-president was Lorenzo
Limgenco and the treasurer was Arturo Santos.
In 1963, the Chemistry Club
was formally named, “Ateneo Chemical Society” or “ACHES” for
short. The president was Hilario Lay, Patricio Tanco was the
vice-president and Raul Tanchoco was the secretary. Their goal was to
show the importance of Chemistry in today’s fast expanding world. They
want to encourage interest and research in these particular fields. They
arranged fieldtrips and went to significant places like the
Institutional Rice Research Institute in Los Banos. They also organized
talks and lectures given by prominent scientists like Dr. Gerald
Osborne, a Fulbright Exchange Professor.
Former vice-president Patricio
Tanco was elected as ACHES president in 1964. The vice-president was
Joseph Tana and the secretary was Claro Llaguno.
In 1965 the number of members
rose to a swelling total of 29 students. The members were given the
chance to supervise the newly constructed Chemistry library. They were
also given the chance to perform experiments in the lab on his own (as
long as he doesn’t blow up the lab). The annual field trips, seminars
and lectures were continued to extend classroom knowledge. The president
was Benjamin Y. Mandanas, the vice-president was Salvador C. Ondevilla
and the secretary-treasurer was Antonio C. Cuyegkeng.
After so many years, the
Ateneo decided to expand its science curriculum and constructed the
Chemistry Building, which is later named as, “Schmitt Hall”. This
new addition to the school is located on the west end of the old science
building. This one million-peso edifice was inaugurated on November 28,
1965. It was completed through the sponsorships of the Rockefeller
Foundation, local industrialists and businessmen.
This structure became the new
Head Quarters of the Chemistry department and the new home of the Ateneo
Chemical Society. It was like the organization was entering the dawn of
a golden age. This opened a lot of new possibilities to Chemistry Majors
and members of ACHES. This meant more activities are now possible; a lot
of modern equipment and spacious laboratories are at the students’
disposal. ACHES was able to maximize its potential and has become a
moving and vital activity in the campus. The president of the org for
school year 1965-1966 was the former secretary-treasurer Antonio C.
Cuyegkeng. The vice-president was Manuel Yatco and the
secretary-treasurer was Jose Cruz.
Even after 45 years the Ateneo
Chemical Society never lost sight of its traditional mission of
promoting Chemistry and awareness in the society. It continues on
providing the members with fun and interesting ways of learning the
field like fieldtrips, seminars and talks by prominent guests. Hopefully
in the future, the organization will continue its tradition of
excellence. Sources:
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