UST Christmas Concert Gala 2013

UST holds Christmas concert for Typhoon Yolanda relief

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Christmas Concert Gala, the most awaited musical event on campus, marks the beginning of a new decade with a significant purpose – to help the victims of typhoon Yolanda.
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UST CHRISTMAS CONCERT. The UST Christmas Concert Gala 2013 will be aired on IBC 13 on December 24, 2013 at 7:00pm-8:00pm, and PTV 4 on December 25, 2013 at 7:00pm - 8:30pm.

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Lighting of the UST Christmas 2013

The UST Symphony Orchestra

Now on its 11th year, the Christmas Concert Gala has contributed to charitable causes particularly the heritage conservation efforts of the University and the scholarship fund of the Conservatory of Music.

This year, organizers decided to donate proceeds to the victims of typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas.

Spearheading the benefit concert are the UST Rector, Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, O.P. and the UST Christmas Concert Gala chairpersons, Fr. Isidro C. Abaño, O.P., UST Museum Director and Ms. Maricris C. Zobel, art patroness.

For this year, homegrown talents of the University will take center stage.
 

Guest performers include Dulce (photo) one of the country’s formidable belters and international competition winner who will do a rendition of J. Peterson’s “Night of Miracles” (A Christmas Cantata) and a duet with her son, David Cruz of A. Adam’s “O Holy Night.”

Two-time Choir of the World Champion; UST Singers (photo) under the baton of Prof. Fidel Calalang, Jr. and the first Children’s Choir of the World Champion, Hail Mary the Queen Children’s Choir (photo) conducted by Theresa V. Roldan will interpret popular choral pieces and Christmas classics.

Completing the roster of performers are students and alumni from the Conservatory of Music to be joined by the UST Symphony Orchestra, Liturgikon Vocal Ensemble and Coro Tomasino. (Photo below)
 

The traditional community singing will feature all-time favorites “Silent Night,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “Joy to the World.”
 

Since its inception, the Christmas Concert has always been held at the UST Chapel, recreating the European tradition of holding grand concerts in magnificent churches and cathedrals. This is also UST’s way of giving thanks to its numerous friends and benefactors for the past years.Maiden performance was held at six in the evening on December 5, 2013 at the UST Chapel.
From Press release, UST

All star cast and traditional community singing  of all time favorites “Silent Night,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “Joy to the World.”

Photos of presentation taken by Dr Abe V Rotor, December 5, 2013.  

A Christmas Message on behalf of millions of children "Begging for a Seat in School"

Begging for a Seat in School 
Dr Abe V Rotor

A reproduction of an untitled painting by an unknown artist

A disturbing scene to Maslow -

     could he have been wrong?

What is self-actualization

     to the striving throng?

What's good is the Bastille trilogy -

     pillars of modern society:

equality, fraternity,

     liberty - sans dignity?

Motherhood words may come easy;

     they cannot be mistaken,

for the lips that speak of promise

     are easily forgotten.

And the world goes on as it seems;

     a beggar boy, its conscience:

lost youth, lost hope, lost future

    in the midst of affluence.

The door is jarred to full view

     and knocking wouldn't lend an ear;

indifference makes man blind

     or takes him to the rear.

He who feels for the needy

     with nothing to give is a fool,

in a world deaf to a poor boy

     begging for a seat in school. ~

NOTE: A student of mine from Iran at the UST Graduate School left this reproduction as a souvenir. The painting was made by an unknown artist, apparently belonging to the post classicism at the dawn of realism.

Terms given to groups of animals capture their unique qualities

Dr Abe V Rotor 

A flock of birds

A colony of ants 

Here is a long list of terms given to groups of animals.

1.    A COLONY of ants                                             

2.    An ARMY of ants

3.    A STATE or SWARM of ants

4.    A HERD of asses

5.    A DROVE of asses.

6.    A TROOP of baboons

7.    A CONGRESS of baboons

8.    A COLONY of bacteria

9.    A CULTURE of bacteria 

10. A BATTERY of barracudas

11. (A BATTERY of lawyers)

12. A SHOAL of bass

13. A COLONY of bats                                                 

14. A CLOUD of bats

15. A SLOTH or SLEUTH of bears

16. A COLONY of beavers

17. A FAMILY of beavers

18. A GRIST, HIVE, SWARM of bees

19. A CLUSTER or NEST of bees

20. A FLOCK or FLIGHT of birds.

21. A POD of birds (small flock)

22. A VOLARY of birds (in an aviary)

23. A BRACE (a pair of game birds or waterfowls)

24. A DROVE of bullocks

25. A KALEIDOSCOPE of butterflies                

26. A FLUTTER of butterflies                                 

27. A RAINBOW  of butterflies

28. A CARAVAN, FLOCK or TRAIN of camels

29. An ARMY of caterpillars

30. A HERD, DROVE or DRIFT of cattle.

31. A MOB of cattle (US and Australia)

32. A POUNCE of cats

33. A KINDLE, LITTER OR INTRIGUE (for kittens)

34. A BROOD, FLOCK, RUN or PEEP of chicken 

35. A CLUTCH OR CHATTERING of chicks

36. A HERD of cows

37. A KINE of cows (12 cows are a FLINK)   

38. A PACK of coyotes

39. A TRAIN of coyotes                                                                              

40. A BAND of coyotes    

41. A ROUT of coyotes  

42. A HERD, SEIGE or SEDGE* of cranes              

43. A CAST of crabs

44. A CONGREGATION or NEST of crocodiles

45. A BASK or FLOAT of crocodiles.   

46. A HOVER, MUSTER, or PARCEL of crows.

47. A MURDER of crows        

48. A HORDE of crows                                           

49. A PARLIAMENT of owls

50. A LITTER of cubs

51. A TROOP of dogfish

52. A PACK (wild dogs) or KENNEL of dogs

53. A LITTER of puppies

54. A FLIGHT or DOLE of doves

55. A TEAM, FLIGHT or FLOCK* of wild ducks in flight

56. A CONVOCATION of eagles

57. A CONGREGATION of eagles

58. An ARRAY of eels

59. A HERD or PARADE of elephants         

60. A CRASH of elephants

61. A HERD of elks

62. A GANG of elks

63. A CHARM of finches

64. A SHOAL, DRAFT, NEST, SCHOOL of fish.

65. A RUN of fish in motion                                      

66. A STAND of flamingoes                                         

67. A FLAMBOYANCE of flamingoes

68. A CLOUD, HATCH or SWARM of flies

69. A SKULK of foxes                                               

70. A CLOUD, TROOP or COMPANY of foxes

71. A GAGGLE or FLOCK of geese

72. A SKEIN, TEAM or WEDGE of geese (in the air)

73. A PLUMP of geese (on water)

74. A CLOUD OR HORDE of gnats

75. A FLOCK, HERD or TRIBE of goats

76. A TRIP of goats 

77. A CLOUD of grasshoppers                           

78. A SWARM of locusts

79. A NEST of hornets      

80. A SCATTERING, SEIGE or SEDGE* of herons

81. A CHARM of hummingbirds

82. A BEVY of larks

83. An EXALTATION of larks                                  

84. An ASCENSION of larks

85. A PARTY or SCOLD of jays

86. A TROOP of lemurs

87. A SCOURGE of mosquitoes

88. A PACK or SPAN of mules

89. A WATCH of nightingales

90. An ENCHANTMENT of nightingales

91. A TEAM or YOKE of oxen                                   

92. A DROVE or HERD of oxen  

93. A BED of oysters

94. A SQUADRON of pelicans

95. A FLOCK or FLIGHT of pigeons

96. A DROVE OR STRING of ponies.

97. A NURSERY of raccoons

98. A MURDER of ravens                                                                    

99. A CONSPIRACY of ravens 

100. A HERD, HAREM, TRIP or ROOKERY* of seals 

101. A DEN, BED, PIT or SLITHER of snakes.

102. A NEST or KNOT of snakes

103. A HOST of sparrows

104. A FLIGHT of swallows                                                                              

105. A BALLET of swans

106. An AMBUSH or STREAK* of tigers    

107. A COMMITTEE of vultures

108. A SCHOOL of whales

109. A HERD of whales
110. A ZEAL, HERD or DAZZLE of zebras                                                                                                                           

Acknowledgement: Thanks to Hint and Things Collective Nouns, Internet
 Wikipedia,

Malunggay is the most popular tree vegetable in the tropic.

Dr Abe V Rotor

 Compound leaves of malunggay (Moringa oleifera); botanical description of malunggay; mature pods hanging on the tree.  (Useful Plants of the Philippines by WH Brown; Wikipedia 

In the province no home is without this small tree at the backyard or in a vacant lot. The leaves, flowers, juvenile pods and young fruits of Moringa oleifera (Family Moringaceae) go well with fish, meat, shrimp, mushroom, and the like. It is one plant that does not need agronomic attention, not even weeding and  fertilization, much less chemical spraying.  You simply plant an arms length cutting or two, in some corner or along the fence and there it grows into a tree that can give you a ready supply of vegetables yearound.  What nutrients do we get from malunggay?

Here is a comparison of the food value of the fresh leaves and young fruits, respectively, in percent. (Marañon and Hermano, Useful Plants of the Philippines)

·         Proteins                                 7.30             7.29

·         Carbohydrates                     11.04             2.61

·         Fats                                        1.10            0.16

·         Crude Fiber                            1.75            0.76

·         Phosphorus (P2 O 5)             0.24            0.19 

·         Calcium (CaO)                      0.72             0.01

·         Iron (Fe2O3)                        0.108            0.0005

Owing to these properties and other uses, rural folks regard malunggay a “miracle tree.” Take for example the following uses.

·         The root has a taste somewhat like that of horse-radish, and in India it is eaten as a substitute to it.

·         Ben oil extracted from the seed is used for salad and culinary purposes, and also as illuminant.

·         Mature seeds have antibacterial and flocculants properties that render drinking water safe and clear. 

From these data, it is no wonder malunggay is highly recommended by doctors and nutritionists for both children and adults, particularly to nursing mothers and the convalescents.