After four years, the UP Chemical Society brought back a face-to-face implementation of their weeklong anniversary celebration, ChemSoc Week last September 24 to 30, 2023. With the theme of Postmodern Plutonium: Vintage Bonds, Current Connections, events were a success within the Institute of Chemistry and beyond.
Bumpy. The road to ChemSoc week was not smooth. The organization experienced problems with time, resources, and manpower. Despite this, UP ChemSoc persevered. Enough money was raised to fund the events, the exhibits were constructed, and the venues were full, yet the manpower sufficed.
Bold. A fresh concept with Wes Anderson’s aesthetic became the anchor for all the events. Bright colors filled the publication materials while UP ChemSoc braved through the face-to-face executions of their events except for Luminescence, a mobile photography contest conducted online. IChem Sing had Chemistry students sing silver sonnets. Exergonic made a boom with their invited speakers. The Grand Pakain fed 250 people from fac, staff, and students. Truly, fortune favors the bold.
Bonding. ChemSoc Week was also an opportunity for everyone to bond. From preparations to actual executions, members and even alumni were present to make the events successful. Despite the pressure, the members made sure to focus on the positive and have fun with the workload. From Sunday’s Thanksgiving to Saturday’s Member’s Night, each member had a chance to interact with one another and their alumni in ways they’ll surely remember.
Biggest. Probably the most memorable phrase from ChemSoc Week was “the biggest?” as it represented the comeback of Brain Freeze, the biggest ice cream eating contest in UP Diliman. Moreover, this has been the largest execution of the ChemSoc week for most of its current members. There was a grand photoshoot for the profile pictures. Online engagement in UP ChemSoc’s social media accounts was seeing new peaks. Massive sponsorships were received for the implementation of the events.
However, the most important B in this year’s ChemSoc Week is Beginning. Not just because it happened at the start of the academic year, but because it also laid down the foundations of the organization post-pandemic. Most of the current members were products of the online application processes, without any experience in handling a face-to-face ChemSoc Week. Nevertheless, they managed to make it a success. This 94th Anniversary Week marks the beginning of a new era, a Postmodern Plutonium, and the legacy of The Few, The Proud lives on.
For more information and to catch the latest happenings of the UP Chemical Society, check out their official social media accounts.
