All four items are provided as Garawa to Sayagyis and Sayamagyi attending SPZP-2000. T-shirts were provided to all sayas, sayamas and volunteers. The rest were put on sale for fund raisi
Commemorative Issue of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” for SPZP-2000 (I served as Chief Editor. Saya U Thein Aung and Ko Henry Lim were Associate Editors)
Appreciation award (from RIT Alumni International)
Pen from U Tun Aung (EC68)
Diary for SPZP-2004
The cover is worn out.
Key Chain for Shwe YaDu 2014
Received the Key Chain from Saya U Tin Htut (M60)
Address Book for 69ers in 2009
U Aung Min (M69) has updated the address book. I do not have the latest version.
USA hosted the FirstRIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe in October 2000.
The Celebrations kicked off with an Informal “Welcome” Dinner / Gathering” at a Sea Food Restaurant. The Main event was the Reunion and SPZP at Embassy Suites Hotel near San Francisco International Airport. The Family event was the “Farewell” Lunch / Gathering at a High School.
Donors
Saya Allen Htay‘s article, “Can you spare US$500 and more?” was a major factor for having Donors — large and small — for SPZP-2000.
In particular, there were Five Golden Sponsors. Steeve Kay (U Thaung Sein, EC70, Southern California) Benny Tan (Tan Yu Beng, M70, Northern California) Ivan Lee (U Khin Maung Oo, M69, New Jersey) David Ko (U Tin Myint, GBNF, M67, Northern California) U Maung Maung Than (M79, Texas)
SPZP-2000 Organizers
SPZP-2000
U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76, web master) copied the names/tags from the very first posting from his album.
Sitting L-R: Saya U Mya Htoo (Civil 68), U Benny Tan (Yu Beng, Mech 70), Saya KC Chiu (Dr. Tin Aung, Chem 63), U Hla Min (EC 69) Editor Extraordinaire, Saya U Allen Htay (GBNF, Civil 58), Saya U Nyo Win (Dr. K H Chen, Mech 65), Saya U Tin Htut (Mech 60), Saya U Maung Maung (George, Chem 66), Daw San San Nyunt (Sandra, Mrs. Thein Aung, Mech 76)
Standing L-R: U Soe Aung (Mech 75), U Gordan Kaung (Kaung Kaung Oo, Mech 83), U Myint Swe (EP 74), U Anthony Ng (Aye Tun, Mech 76), U Mya Thwin (Phillip, EP 75), U Maurice Chee (Hla Myint Thein, Mech 75), U Thura Thant Zin (Mech 76), Sayalay U Thein Aung (James, Met 72), U Myint Lwin (Henry Chee, GBNF, Civil 63), U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76), Daw Yi Yi Khaing (Audrey Wong, Civil 84), Daw San SanSwe (Mrs Myint Swe, EC74)
All of them, except KMZ, live in various cities across Northern and Southern California. KMZ lives in a city near Seattle, Washington State.
Publications
The Commemorative Issue of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” was published for SPZP-2000. I served as Chief Editor. Henry Lim (U Aung Myint, BAPS) and U Thein Aung (Met72) volunteered as Associate Editors. Maurice Chee (M75) served as Publisher (in addition to being Co-Chair, Working Committee; Financial Controller; Logistics Head)
It featured articles by Sayas and Alumni.
My poem “SAYA PU ZAW PWE” was published in the Newsletter as well as in the ex-RIT website (designed and implemented by U Khin Maung Zaw). Several sayas and alumni contributed to the two series : 64 “Countdown to the Reunion” articles and 36 “Post-Reunion” articles
SAYA PUZAW PWE Poem by Hla Min
S eems like it was only yesterday A t our alma mater in a land far away Y ou taught us to work, play, laugh, even cry A nd coaxed us, forced us to aim for the sky
P roblems in real life, lab, computation, survey U nderstand concepts, design, display, … Z eal, zest, ardor, grit, passion to make it “our day” A rchitects, engineers, we’ve come here to say W e honor your metta, your cetana — we fully can’t repay
P resently we meet, alum from five decades we greet W ith memories true, fond, sweet E cstatic yet sad that the GBNF could not join this memorable fete
Notes
The term “SAYA GADAW PWE” has religious connotations.
Since the SPZP-2000 organizers and attendees profess different religions, the term SAYA PUZAW PWE (meaning honoring the mentors and paying respect to them for their metta and cetana) was chosen.
GBNF means “Gone But Not Forgotten“.
As of November 1, 2021, the GBNF list for the Class of 69 is 115 (about a third).
Of the 20 (or so) EE sayas of our RIT days, almost half are GBNF.
Singapore SPZPs
Singapore hosted SPZPs in December 2002, April 2007 and December 2010.
Saya U Moe Aung was Chair of SPZP-2002 and SPZP-2010.
U Nyan Win Shwe (William, M72) chaired SPZP-2007.
Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung” was published for each SPZP. Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) served as Chief Editor.
My poem “SAYA PU ZAW PWE” was reprinted on the Back Cover of SPZP-2002 Sar Saung.
My poem “SWE DAW YEIK” was printed in SPZP-2007 Sar Saung. In my later writings, I use SWEL DAW (following Saya’s usage) instead of SWE DAW.
My article “A Sad and Short Clip : EE Sayas” was published in SPZP-2010 Sar Saung”.
Yangon SPZPs
Yangon hosted SPZPs in December 2004, December 2012 and December 2016.
There was a slight earthquake on the day of SPZP-2004.
A follow-up SPZP was scheduled for Yangon in December 2006, but changes in Political Climate dictated the SPZP to be rescheduled for Singapore in April 2007 (around Thingyan).
SPZP-2012 was the first to be held at the Gyogone Campus.
Thanks to H.E. U Aye Myint (EP72) for his initiative to bring back glory to our beloved alma mater, and to the sayas, sayamas, and alumni who made the “Home Coming Reunion” possible.
There were tears of joys.
On a sad note, the higher authorities transferred U Aye Myint to another Ministry before he could help the alma mater to the fullest extent.
SPZP-2012 led to the founding of Swel Daw Yeik Foundation (SDYF), the Shwe YaDu Celebrations (with the planting of 50 Swel Daw Bins), and the RIT-YIT-YTU Alumni Association (ARITA) — to name a few.
In the first conference on “History of Programming Languages”, thirteen languages were presented.
There are hundreds (and possibly thousands) of programming languages that have been proposed and/or implemented.
At a given time, there is a relatively small group of “preferred” programming languages.
Background
In Computer Science and applications, a Programming Language is a language used to program (e.g. instruct) computers.
In the early days, computer engineers and selected programmers have to program in Machine Language (with strings of Zeroes and Ones). They are due partly to the choice of Binary Number System as the basis of designing Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) of the computer.
On the ICL 1902S computer, we often had to use the 24 keys to enter short pieces of Machine Code. That is history.
To bridge the human users and the computers, the next step was to use Assembly Languages such as (a) Simple/Symbolic Assembly Language (b) Macro Assembly Language.
An Assembler translates a program in Assembly Language into Machine Language instructions.
A Macro Processor translates Macros (a well-defined group of Assembly Language instructions) into Machine Language instructions.
The development of the first dozen (or so) programming languages can be found in the Proceedings of the first HOPL (History of Programming Languages) Conference.
Currently, there are thousands of programming languages (some for academic purposes) and a limited number used for production.
Evolution of Programming Style
Procedural programming (e.g. telling the computer system what to do, emphasis on the “verbs”)
Non-procedural programming (e.g. telling the computer system what one wants)
Object Oriented programming (e.g. emphasis on the “nouns”)
Functional programming (e.g. based on “functions”)
Logic programming (e.g. based on “Horn logic” and similar logic systems)
Top down step wise development
Bottom up & Middle out techniques
AI programming
Within each paradigm, there are several programming languages with known advantages and limitations.
Theoretical Model
Alan Mathias Turing presented a theoretical model called “Turing Machine”, which is primitive but has the computational power of modern computers.
The ACM Turing Award (named in honor of Alan Turing) is considered the “Nobel Prize in Computing”.
Alan Perlis, a pioneer Computer Scientist and Programming Language Designer, defined a “Turing Tar Pit, where everything is possible [to compute], but nothing is easy.”
Alan Perlis was an early recipient of the ACM Turing Award.
On June 30, 1963, the OPA (Old Paulians Association) invited the top students from the Matriculation to attend the dinner.
I stood 7th in the whole of Burma in the Matriculation examination held in May 1963.
Burmese American Professionals Society
Lifetime Member of BAPS
Volunteered as a Contributing Editor of the BAPS Newsletter.
RIT Alumni International
Founding member of RIT Alumni International.
Served as Chief Editor of the RIT Alumni International Newsletter for 22+ years.
A commemorative edition of the Newsletter was published for SPZP-2000.
Soon Kyway in 2016
In August 2016, U Maurice Chee (M75) organized a birthday soon kwyay at Dhammananda Vihara, Half Moon Bay, California.
On behalf of the Alumni, Saya U Myat Htoo (C68) presented the “Alumni Appreciation Award”.
Retirement Soon Kway of Ko Maurice Chee
Ko Khin Maung Zaw (EC76) designed the first RIT web site. He came down from Seattle to attend the Retirement Soon Kway of Ko Maurice Chee (M75).
The picture was taken at a sea food restaurant overlooking the San Francisco Bay (within sight of SFO — San Francisco International Airport).
Ko Benny Tan (M70), Ko Maurice and Ko KMZ are Core Organizers of SPZP-2000.
Toastmasters International
I am a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM)
Miscellaneous
Past Vice President of TBSA Editor, Dhammananda Newsletter Master of Ceremonies, Memorial Service for Sayadaw U Silannanda Contributing Editor, “Paying Homage to Sayadaw U Silananda”
RIT and its successors have produced many distinguished authors and/or Laureate Poets.
Tekkatho Moe War
Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War, EE 63)’s works include
Editor of RUESU (Rangoon University Engineering Students Union) Magazine
Chief Editor of “Hlyat Sit Sar Saung” (published the EE Association)
Chief Editor of RIT Annual Magazines (for a decade or so)
Chief Editor of commemorative “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung” (for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007, and SPZP-2010)
Chief Editor of commemorative “Swel Daw Yeik Magazine” (for Shwe YaDu and SPZP-2016)
“Swel Daw Yeik Foundation News/Updates”
Articles and Poems in newspapers, journals, magazines
Author and/or Co-author of Books (Poems, Articles)
Ma Sandar
Daw Cho Cho Tin (Ma Sandar, A 71) won several National Literary Awards. She donated several of her books to SPZP-2012, the Golden Jubilee, and selected “G Hall Thus”. Her spouse, U San Maung (A 7x) served as an editor of the “GJ” issue for the combined 1st BE intake of ’64 and ’65.
U Myint Pe
U Myint Pe (“Cartoon”, “Lushwindaw Seik Kyi”, M 72) is a co-founder of the famed “RIT Cartoon Box” with Saya U Khin Maung Phone Ko (“Phone Ko”, C 64) and Saya U Aung Myint (“Kyant Ba Hone”, Pet 69). He and fellow “Cartoon Box” alums (such as Mann Be (a) Aw Pi Kye) compiled a commemorative book for SPZP-2012 and a commemorative pamphlet for GJ.
U Thiha Latt
Saya U Thiha Latt (T8x) is a Cartoon Box alum. He coordinated the publishing/printing of “Swel Daw Yeik Magazine”, “Cartoon Selections”, “History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar”, …
Other Notable Authors, Poets and Composers
N. Jar Thaing served as contributing author & editorial adviser of various RIT publications.
Maung Sein Win (Padeegone)
Saya U Taing Oke (“Yin Maung”)
Saya U Thet Lwin (composer of “Mya Kyun Nyo Nyo Kun Yeik Kho”)
HlaMin 