The Honors Society's Pioneering Officers

Congratulations to the following pioneering officers of the Honors Society of Notre Dame of Kidapawan College. They were elected during the First General Assembly last July 17, 2009.

President       : Melvin Karl P. Diamante     Nursing
Vice President  : Mary Joy D. Cartagena       Accountancy
Secretary       : Marjorie May A. Salva       Accountancy
Treasurer       : Ervene Biyo                 Accountancy
Auditor         : Cherry Lyn Alimento         Accountancy
P.I.O.          : Ma. Evelyn Vios             Accountancy

Tao ka ba o hayop?

Natutunan ko sa aming Religious Education subject mula pa noong nasa mataas na paaralan pa lamang ako na tayong mga tao ay nilikhang kawangis ng Diyos. Sa ingles "We are created in the image and likeness of God." Subalit magpasahanggang ngayon ay gumugulo pa rin sa aking isipan ang tanong kung bakit may mga taong masahol pa sa hayop.

Kahapon ay nabigla ako ng nabalitaan ko na may isa na namang bombang sumabog sa Lungsod ng Cotabato (tinatayang tatlong oras ang layo mula sa Kidapawan). Ito ay itinanim sa labas ng Katedral ng Immaculate Conception habang nasa kalagitnaan ng isang misa.

Ang pangyayaring ito ay kumitil sa buhay ng limang inosenteng sibilyan at sumugat sa napakaraming iba pa. Ito ba ay gawain ng isang taong nasa tamang pag-iisip? Bakit kailangan pa nilang mangdamay ng mga sibilyan kung talagang may mga bagay silang ipinaglalaban? Ano ba talaga ang layunin nila sa paggawa ng mga karumal-dumal na bagay na ito?

Mariin kong kinokondena ang pangyayaring ito. Isang maling paraan ng pakikipaglaban ang ipinakita ng mga taong sangkot dito. . . pakikibaka ng mga "duwag at traydor!"

Hindi maaayos ng paraang pananakot ang anumang gusot na mayroon sa ating lipunan. Kung tunay mang may mga adhikaing ipinaglalaban, bakit kailangan pang idamay ang buhay ng mga inosenteng tao na walang ibang hinangad kundi ang mabuhay ng payapa? Hindi ba ito maidadaan sa mapayapang pag-uusap?

Hindi rin natin pwedeng gawing isyu ang relihiyon sapagkat sa pagkakaalam ko ay nagkakaisa ang doktrina ng bawat relihiyon na ang mundo ay ginawa ng Diyos para pamuhayan ng lahat ng nilalang. Kung ganoon ay dapat matuto tayong makipamuhay sa ating kapwa. Maaaring mayroon tayong mga pagkakaiba subalit hindi ito sapat na dahilan para tayo ay magkagulo at magpatayan.

Patuloy nating ipanalangin ang kapayapaan 'di lamang sa ating bansa kundi sa buong mundo. Ito na lamang marahil ang paraan upang maipaabot natin sa mga taong sangkot sa terorismo na "may bukas pa" at hindi dapat idaan sa dahas ang anumang pakikibakang kanilang isinusulong.

Isa lamang ako sa mga libu-libong taong nagnanais na magkaroon ng mapayapang buhay. Sana'y kaisa kita sa bagay na ito. Kung hindi ay muli kitang tatanungin, "tao ka ba o hayop?"

Support Puerto Princesa Subterranean River to be one of the new Seven Wonders of Nature

Let us vote for the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River to be one of the "Seven Wonders of Nature." To vote, visit http://www.new7wonders.com/. We only have two days left to show our support to our beloved country. On July 7 midnight dateline, all voting will be on hold as the results of the second phase are calculated and verified. The top 77 nominees will be shown on the above website on 9 July, from which the New7Wonders of Nature Panel of Experts will advise on the choice of the 28 Official Finalists, to be announced on 21 July 2009 - the day that voting resumes in the Official New7Wonders of Nature, as chosen by over 1 billion votes and to be revealed in 2011.

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The underground river is reputed to be the world's longest. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water's edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave.

The Dean's Listers from the Engineering and Technology Department

Congratulations to the following students from the Engineering and Technology Department who qualified for the Dean's List - Honors Category for the 2nd Semester School Year 2008-2009.

• Ciriaco, Eliezer A. (BSIT 1) ----------------------- 90.97%
• Munte, Jotanie C. (BSECE 1) -------------------- 89.85%
• Ang, Keyfe Christian L. (BSCS 4) --------------- 89.67%
• Lerio, Meliza C. (BSIT 2) --------------------------- 88.72%

NDKC students who have enrolled the required number of loads for a semester may qualify for any of the following:

1. STAR HONORS: A student must have a General Weghted Average (GWA) of 93% or more with no grade below 90% in any subject.
2. HIGH HONORS: A student must have a General Weghted Average (GWA) of 90% or more with no grade below 88% in any subject.
3. HONORS: A student must have a General Weghted Average (GWA) of 87% or more with no grade below 85% in any subject.

Congratulations and keep up the good work!

The Honors Society of NDKC

The Notre Dame of Kidapawan College has now opened the selection for membership of the Honors Society with yours truly as the moderator. Mr. Santiago G. Angulo Jr, the Director of Student Affairs and Services told me that I can now start gathering all Dean's Listers of NDKC to be members of the said club.

I hope that the society will inspire students to be at their best so that they could also be part of this elite group of individuals.

The DSAS office will be giving the Honors Society a year of probationary status. Hopefully, after submitting the necessary requisites, regular / active status will be awarded to the club by School Year 2010-2011.

A big challenge awaits whoever will be elected officers of the society since they will be building the foundation of the organization.

Will the Philippines be great again?

"This nation will be great again", according to former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, when she ran for Presidency many years ago. My father also told me that this was a very famous line from the speeches of the former President Ferdinand E. Marcos who ruled the Philippines for 20 long years.

I personally believe that our country could be great again. However, this will not happen overnight. Even the next President, if there will really be elections in 2010, would probably have difficulty in making this thought a reality. Others even think that life is hopeless and that they will just die living in a third world country.

Is our country already hopeless? Can the government help us survive in this very competitive world? Or we just have to face the reality of living alone and hoping for nothing from our government?

From the very beginning I have believed that we should never stop from hoping for what is best. Everything happen for a purpose. We can only change our country or even the world if we will start from ourselves. Our value orientation will for sure have a big impact. And so if all of us will change our value orientation then there will be a domino effect.

We are always faced with a question of what is the best solution to the problems of our country and I have come to realize that the best solution is "us Filipinos". If we will only love genuinely our country then we will do only things that would benefit the majority. Moreover, going back to basics just like paying our taxes promptly, following traffic rules, implementing properly the law, and by just being fair to our fellow countrymen, will really be a BIG help.

We should not wait for another problem to come our way. Let us all start changing our country by changing ourselves for the better. Hence, in the coming elections, let us all vote for whoever is the most deserving to lead us. He/she may not be the most intelligent candidate, the most charming, the richest, or the most famous, but he/she should be able to manage our country fairly.

Remember, there should be no room for mistake. If we will elect the wrong national leaders, then we will again suffer for the next six years of our lives. That is, if we are still alive.

Is Discrete Mathematics a useless subject?

What is Discrete Mathematics?

Discrete Mathematics is the part of mathematics devoted to the study of discrete objects. Here, discrete means consisting of distinct or unconnected elements.

Why study Discrete Mathematics?

There are several important reasons for studying discrete mathematics. First, through this course you can develop your mathematical maturity: that is, your ability to understand and create mathematical arguments. You will not get very far in your studies in the mathematical sciences without these skills.

Second, discrete mathematics is the gateway to more advanced courses in all parts of the mathematical sciences. Discrete mathematics provides the mathematical foundations for many computer science courses including data structures, algorithms, database theory, automata theory, formal languages, compiler theory, computer security, and operating systems.

Goals of a Discrete Mathematics Course

A discrete mathematics course has more than one purpose. Students should learn a particular set of mathematical facts and how to apply them; more importantly, such a course should teach students how to think logically and mathematically. A discrete mathematics course blends and balances these five themes.

• Mathematical Reasoning
• Combinatorial Analysis
• Discrete Structures
• Algorithmic Thinking
• Applications and Modeling

There are no useless subjects. Every subject offered in a college or a university has a purpose. Even the one-unit PGP subject offered by NDKC has a significance.