TinyTower!

What’s in a name?

Our group is named Tiny Tower because the team is made of Janine, who is small and Lyssa, who is tall. Also, we wanted to show that great things begin from small things and that’s what we’re all about. Slowly but surely, we’ll make our way to the top!

To RAPD or not to RAPD?

To RAPD! Why? It’s because RAPD is the most fun you’ll ever have. It’s where the coolest and most awesome people are. It’s where science meets humanities meets art. It’s a plethora of all things creative, exciting, and new. You’ll experience creating, marketing, and selling your own product. The experience is really something because you’ll get to apply everything you’ve learned. Bottomline is if you want to make the most of your last year, then this is the elective for you!

Do first impressions last?

Definitely not for RAPD. At first, we thought that it would be an elective filled with research and paperwork basically just like the STR subject. We thought it would be STRessful and time consuming. BUT IT WAS SUPER FUN AND THE PEOPLE WERE AMAZING. Although we still had to research and work in the lab, it was all good because we were enjoying what we were doing. Time flew by so fast! And as they say, time flies when you’re having fun!

Our project in a nutshell

We made a disinfectant from Talisay leaves and called it Tealisay. We placed the leaves in a soxhlet extractor and mixed the extract with water. It was hard to get the weird smell out of the extracted solution. We decided to dilute it further. The resulting solution was transparent and had a faint green color and faint leafy smell. After making the product, we had to market it. It was hard explaining to people that the disinfectant was not meant for hands but for surfaces only. In the end, our hard work paid off and we made profit. It was fulfilling to see people buying and supporting our product.

Things we’ve learned

From our experience, we’ve learned to think about other people and be sensitive to the customers needs. We learned to work as a team and to think beyond. We learned to be more confident in ourselves while also accepting constructive criticism. We learned to hold responsibility over our product and those who will be using it as well.

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.

It is difficult to pick only one best memory in RAPD but if there has to be one it would have to be our YMSAT experience. Debuting and selling our product for the first time was surreal. It was like giving out our only daughter to marriage. :( However, seeing the customers’ response made it fulfilling and worth it! We were able to showcase what we have been working on for the whole year. We were glad that it had a warm welcome. It was the highlight of our RAPD experience.

Our last hurrah

For all of you who think that an str elective is STRessful, you are wrong. Take our word for it. RAPD is fun and certainly a fruitful elective. If you have the will and perseverance to see your ideas come to life then feel free to join RAPD. Once you’re in, there’s no turning back, but don’t fret because you won’t regret a thing.