A quick visit to Melchor Hall

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Melchor Hall, home of the UP College of Engineering where I spent many of my years as a student and later a faculty member. I had to submit a document being with government and I didn't want to do so at the deadline. I took a few photos at the lobby, taking advantage of it practically deserted.

The lobby - notice the flooring? I recall that this was supposed to have been the work of a national artist but I can't seem to find who exactly designed this. Depicted are various representative of engineering - a highway cloverleaf (Civil Engineering), gears (Mechanical Engineering) and tripods and surveying equipment (Geodetic Engineering). I will try to get nicer photos next time and perhaps from the third floor lobby to show more of this work of art. Not shown in the photos are features referring to Chemical Engineering. These were the first 4 programs offered by the college and were sort of the pillars of engineering in the Philippines at the time.

The lobby leads to the entrance to the Engineering Library. We now call Engg Lib 1 because there is another, newer building hosting Engg Lib 2 at the other side of the campus where we now have an Engineering Complex. The boards in the photo contain the names past awardees of Best Professor, Best Instructor and Best Researcher of the College.

One of the corridors of the building brings back memories of my college years. We often waited for our classes or looked out to to the parking lot to see if our teachers were already in (we knew which were their cars).

Just outside the lobby and near the Melchor Hall steps are huge metal plaques where the names of lifetime members of the UP Alumni Engineers are etched.  We once dreamed to have our names included here the first time we entered Melchor Hall in 1988. I am happy to say that my name is now there for others to see. I plan to take my daughter to see this plaque. Perhaps she will aspire to be an engineer some day?

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