Researchers compete, bag fourth in RICE
Transcription
Researchers compete, bag fourth in RICE
O p i ni on F e at ure Scien ce sports The future we create One year older This year in research The path to victory 6 » Welcome to the Equilibrium. 8 » A review of VCSMS’s first year. 12 » The best of ValMaSci’s research this 2015. 15 » Resident ValMaScian athletes share their secrets. The Equilibrium » Researchers compete, bag fourth in RICE June2015–January2016 Volume 2, Issue 1 The official ValMaScian English publication fb.com/VCSMSgazette Mathletes win int’l tilts in HK, SG Five ValMaScians went overseas this year, winning bronze, silver and merit prizes in two international mathematics competitions. Vincent Cabalar Innovative ideas. Divine-Kai Tan (second from right) presents the Hydroino 2.0 to visitors at the Regional Inventions Contests and Exhibits. Photograph: Daryl Talabo. Vincent Cabalar Three research groups from the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science competed in the 2015 Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits (RICE) last September 28–30, 2015 at the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP), Cubao, Quezon City. Alec Denji Santos, Kaila Nicole Jaucian, Daryl Talabo, Ma. Theresa Angela Gaviola, and Simon Clark Carillo won fourth place in the Student Creative Research (Sibol Award) for the high school category with their research project en- titled “Multi-Faceted Window Design: Arduino-Controlled Emergency Escape Window Design Using MQ-2 Smoke Sensor Circuit”. The other participants were Carl Joshua Quines, Vincent Cabalar, Sophia Dominique Dizon, and Marc Errol Añon, with their research project entitled “Prototype Pedestrian Crosswalk Barrier: A Novel Design to Reduce Pedestrian Accidents”, and Juan Roy Taguinod, Divine-Kai Tan, and Rio Gabriel Rodriguez with their research project entitled “Hydroino 2.0: Arduino Controlled Irrigation System”. After the event, the Valenzuela Public Information Office (PIO), as well as GMA News approached Santos’s group to feature their work. The Valenzuela PIO released an article about their work, and a segment featuring their invention appeared on GMA’s program, 24 Oras. UNTV also featured a segment on the invention of Taguinod’s group. The 2015 RICE was a program of the Department of Science and Technology – National Capital Region and the Technology Application and Promotion Institute. A three-day exhibit was held at the TIP’s Activity Center wherein different schools and individuals presented their innovation products and inventions under different categories. The different categories were as follows: Outstanding Invention (Tuklas Award), Outstanding Utility Model, Outstanding Industrial Design, Outstanding Creative Research (Likha Award) and Outstanding Student Creative Research (Sibol Award) for high school and college students. There were also a series of games with prizes and fora that Continued on page 12 » Arnisto tops RSSPC 2015 Carl Joshua Quines Robots from the future. ValMaSci’s robots at the 2015 PRO: (clockwise from top right), PH-SAT, SOAR and PH-99. Photograph: Jason Barrios. Full story on page 13 » Genesis Arnisto topped the Pagsulat ng Editoryal category with first place in the 39th Regional Secondary Schools Press Conference (RSSPC), held at Mandaluyong National High School, Mandaluyong Elementary School and Highway Hills Integrated School last November 21, 28, and December 5. She will compete in the National Schools Press Conference, which will be held in General Santos on February 2016. Jeremy Calzado bagged seventh place in the Pagguhit ng Editoryal Kartun category and James Jastine Solivio won fifth place in the Copyreading and Headline Writing category, both in the RSSPC. ValMaSci’s English radio broadcasting team, with the members Carl Joshua Quines, Levi Azriel Degaños, Veronica Therese Rivera, Iris Sofia Selma, Aldrin Dizor, Franklin Duane Madriñan and Xandra Marie Villareal also won seventh place in the Best Technical Application category. ValMaScian journalists have also garnered multiple awards during the Division Secondary Schools Press Conference (DSSPC), which was held at Valenzuela National High School last September 30 for the English categories, and at Valenzuela City Library Hub last September 17–18 for the Filipino categories. Both were declared as overall champion in the individual categories. Winning first prize were Louise Ann Dominique Alarde for the Editorial Writing category and Jason Renz Barrios for Pagsulat ng Lathalain. Second place were Jeremy Calzado and Genesis Arnisto for Pagguhit ng Editoryal Kartun and Pagsulat ng Editoryal, respectively. Winning third place were Angelina Montes for Editorial Cartooning and Tracy Marie Moreno for Science and Technology Writing. Fourth place were Juan Miguel Antonio for Sports Writing and Vanessa De Leon Romana for Feature Writing. Ahlan Mae Gapido won fifth place for Pagsulat ng Balitang Agham. Sixth place were Lovely Angel Gonzales for Photojournalism, Continued on page 13 » Several mathletes from the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science have once again seized different awards in the recently concluded 11th International Mathematics Competition (IMC) and International Mathematics Wizard Challenge (IMWiC). In the 11th IMC held at Singapore last August 1, the Philippines topped the other ten countries participating, including the host country Singapore and other powerhouses such as China and Taiwan, with 216 medals, 31 of which are gold, 60 are silver, and 125 are bronze, finishing first in the prestigous international contest. Mark Vincent Carabbay bagged the silver prize, Axirazel Lorenzo and Ryan Christopher Santos bagged the bronze prize, while Jasmine Faye De Guzman took the merit prize award. Elementary and secondary students from both private and public schools throughout the country also managed to win 83 merit certificates. China bagged 27 gold medals while Taiwan took home 19 gold medals to place second and third, respectively. Thailand was fourth with 12 golds followed closely by the countries of Malaysia and Myanmar with seven golds each. In the IMWiC held at Hong Kong last August 9–12, the Philippines finished second place overall with 138 medals and 63 merit awards. The elementary and high school students from different schools won 12 gold medals, 37 silver medals, and 89 bronze medals. China was declared as the overall champion with 16 golds, followed by the Philippines with 12; the host country Hong Kong, 11; Taiwan, 7; Macau, 4; and Indonesia, 2. All-in-all, 913 students participated in the competition. Among the Philippine winners is Sophia Dominique Dizon, who won bronze in the competition. All students who competed in the international competitions were trained by the Mathematics Trainers Guild (MTG) Philippines, a non-governmental organization which aims to increase mathematics proficiency throughout the nation, primarily among students. They were trained for twelve Saturdays by the MTG at Grace Christian College, after which selected students from the twelve-Saturday training were invited to to the Young Mathematicians Inhouse Intensive Training Program, which was held in Baguio. Selected students were once again invited to the one month Mathematicians Olympiad Summer Training Program (MOSTP), which was held at the Philippine Institute of Quezon City. From the MOSTP, students are chosen to participate in various international contests such as the IMC and IMWiC, among other competitions. “Nakakuha ako ng bronze,” Lorenzo said. “Masaya dahil after ng mahaba-habang sakripisyo ay naging sulit ang lahat”, he added. 2 » news VCSMS holds ASEAN Youth Forum June–December 2015 » The Equilibrium » ValMaScians grab awards in Nutrition Month Vincent Cabalar The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science held its first schoolbased ASEAN Youth Forum last November 13, 2015 at the school’s collaborative room. With the theme “Moving Towards High Quality Education”, the event was organized by the Araling Panlipunan Club, in cooperation with the grade 10 students namely, Axirazel Lorenzo and Lhiana Reign Bañares, both from grade 10-Schrödinger. The event was participated by about 100 students from different year levels, holding a day-long activity such as song-writting, poster making, and other youth-oriented activities. Both Lorenzo and Bañares were inspired by the ASEAN Youth Forum they attended in Thailand on an earlier date. The event could not be possible without the help of Mrs. Edna De Jesus, ESP and AP coordinator, together with the help of other teachers from the Araling Panlipunan department. Dagoy, Rivera shine in Prinsipe at Prinsesa ng Kundiman 2015 Veronica Therese Rivera Two students of Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science showed off their singing prowess in Prinsipe at Prinsesa ng Kundiman 2015 held last August 19 at Dalandanan National High School for the district level and competed last August 25 at Valenzuela City Auditorium for the division level. Jake Dagoy, the representative for the Prinsipe ng Kundiman, won fourth place at the district meet after performing the song “Magbalik Ka Hirang”, ending his journey at the division level. “I was a little bit nervous while singing the first part of my song, but after a while, I was able to put back my confidence and I hope I gave a wonderful performance”, Jake said. Veronica Rivera won second place at the district meet, making her way up to the division level, where she performed at the Valenzuela City Auditorium, together with the eighteen other contenders singing the same piece, “Ikaw ay Akin”. “It was a nerve-wrecking experience for me. But even though I lost, I was able to gain some fans so it was worth it,” Veronica said. A series of training sessions was conducted before the contest proper, headed by Ms. Lyka Nayre. Each session focused on diction, breathing, stage presence and emotions while singing. Math wizards join 2015 PMO James Jastine Solivio Five math wizards of the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science tested their skills in the 2015 Philippine Mathematical Olympiad as they took the exam last October 17, 2015, held at Ateneo de Manila University. Grade 7 student Vincent Dela Cruz and grade 8 student Mark Vincent Carabbay were trained by Ms. Marilyn Soriano, while grade 9 student Jireh Gumaro and grade 10 students Carl Joshua Quines and Axirazel Lorenzo were trained by Mr. Augusto Logronio. The five students of VCSMS accepted the fact that only one of them qualified for the area stage, Carl Joshua Quines, as the PMO staff announced the qualifiers for the area stage last November 7, 2015. Quines had already taken the exam for the area stage last November 14, 2015, and is currently waiting for the announcement of the qualifiers for the national stage, which will be held next year, in January 2016. Proper nutrition. Vingalliah and Ceazar, Mr. and Ms. Nutrition. Photograph: Faiza Asilum. Carl Joshua Quines The ValMaScians grabbed several awards during the Nutrition Month celebration last June 2 to 31, 2015, with the theme “Timbang iwasto, sa tamang nutrisyon at ehersisyo”. Varied contests were held such as the Poster Making, Tarpaulin Making, Slogan Making Contest, Nurtrilympics, Mi- necraft, Food Bazaar and the Mr. and Ms. Nutrition Pageant. For the Poster Making Contest, Carla Pajinag was named champion, with Jardine Valdez and Angelina Montes following as second and third. For the Tarpaulin Making Contest, Kenneth King Ko won first place, Sophia Lindo won second place and Rushaid Elinzano won third place. For the Slogan Making Contest, Cheska Lazaro won first prize, with Ferlyn Mendez who was named second and Jason Renz Barrios who won third. In the Nutrilympics, teams composed of members from different year levels had to complete a set number of tasks. Points were awarded upon completion of the task, and the top three teams were awarded. The team deemed most organized was also awarded. The team which won first prize were Jireh Gumaro, Nico Marion Santos, James Tan, Aldrich Gatbunton and Rigo Inoferio. Second place was the team of Adrian Matthew Citra, Joscel Sagun, Denzel Darilag, Andrew Angel Española and John Byron Garin. Winning third place was the team of Kurt Dynel Mallaca, Jenry Ann Macapagal, Loreen Pangkoy, Rayner Cura and Jacel Azañes. The team named most organized was composed of Jovencio Urbien III, Danica Salonga, Carla Teologo, Lara Francyne Pabillicu and Cyril Dela Cruz. For the Minecraft Contest, students from each grade level formed teams to compete against other teams from the same level, completing tasks and answer questions related to nutrition. Two teams won from grade 7: the team of Andy Amurao, Dustine Yuzon and Len Blones, and the team of Adrian Conrad Dangue, Job Leroi Santiago and Kenneth Uy. From grade 8, three teams won: the team of Rio Gabriel Rodriguez, Andrew Demition and Gabriel Santiago, the team of Maverick Trinidad, Eddie Jearll Ferrer and Francis Bobis, and the team of Matthew Olaer, Vince Cruz and Fredrick Ilan. From grade 9, the team of Erick John De Ocampo, Jayson Divino, Keith Catalan, Brennan Martin, and Joshua Pulmano won, and from grade 10, the winning team was composed of Carl Joshua Quines, Kenneth King Ko, Vince Isip, Axirazel Lorenzo and James Jastine Solivio. For the Food Bazaar, 9-Morgan won first, followed by 10-Schrödinger and 8-Lamarck respectively. Ceazar Ian Crucillo and Vingaliah Palao of 10-Maxwell were named Mr. and Ms. Nutrition. Jonathan De Guia and Annesley Gentolea of 9-Watson won second place, Bianca Abella and Omar Dela Cruz of 8-Leeuwenhoek won third, Rea Revadillo and Jhanryme Decillo of 9-Curie won fourth, and Kaila Nicole Jaucian and Harold Moreno of 10-Thomson were named fifth. The event could not be possible without the effort of the TLE Department, headed by Mrs. Lerine Estrella, as well as the officers and members of the TLE Club. Researchers dominate 2015 Division, Regional Science Quests Victorious. ValMaScians pose with their trophies from the Division Science Quest. Photograph: Tessa Atanacio. Vincent Cabalar Several students from the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (VCSMS) bagged awards as they competed in the Regional Science Quest 2015, with this year’s theme, “Preservation and Conservation of the Ecosystem,” last November 23 at Malinta National High School and at VCSMS. For the Science Quiz Bee, Adrian Matthew Poblete won first place for grade 8 while Adrian Conrad Dangue won fourth place for grade 7. In the Science Investigatory Project (SIP) contest, the group of Ranzmae German, Vingalliah Palao, and Baby Grace Garganera won second place with their project, entitled “Potential of Tubang Bakod (Jatropha curcas) Seeds, Makabuhay (Tinospora rumphii Boerl) Vines, Kakawate (Ghiricidia sepium) Leaves and Ylang-ylang (Caranga odorata) Flower Extracts for Treating Different Variety of Woods for Furnitures”, under the team category for SIP–Applied Science. In the SIP–Life Science category, the group of Kelly Marie Guardiano, Juneille Ann Cagadas and Glyza Marie Arañez won fourth place with their project, entitled “Bactericidal Effect of Combined Extracts of Santol (Sandoricum koetjope) Pulp, Avocado (Persea americana) Seeds and Pineapple (Ananas comosus) Core Against Escherchia coli”. Poblete and German’s group will be competing in the National Science Quest, which will be held in Mindoro. VCSMS students also bagged awards during the Division Science Quest 2015, with the theme “A Science Nation Innovating for Global Competitiveness”, held last October 23. In the Science Quiz Bee category, Adrian Conrad Dangue, Adrian Matthew Poblete, and Lhiana Reign Bañares won first prize for the grades 7, 9 and 10 categories, respectively. VCSMS also participated and won first prize awards in all the categories for the SIP. For the SIP–Life Science category, the group of Guardiano won first place. Also for SIP–Life Science, Lhiana Reign Bañares won with her project entitled “Evaluation of Genotoxicity in Tap Water Samples from Public Elementary Schools in Valenzuela City using Allium cepa Chromosomal Aberration Assay” for the individual category. For the SIP–Applied Science category, the group of German won first place as well. For the individual category in SIP– Applied Science, Veronica Therese Rivera won with her project entitled “Bone Char (Carbo animalis) as an Additive for Hollow Blocks”. Avianca Francisco also won in the Division Science Quest, winning second place in the collage making contest. Recognitions were also given to the science teachers of VCSMS, Ms. Maria Teresa Atanacio won first place for her Science Intervention Materials (SIM) for grade 7. The group of Mr. Albert Tolentino, Mrs. Merlyn Gamboa and Mr. Mark Euclid Marquez was awarded third place for the SIM for grades 8 and 10. “[Conducting an SIP] is very difficult. Even so, you’ll be amazed by the discoveries. Just like how simple things around us could possibly be a cure for an epidemic.”, said Keart Ramos Juanillas, division SSG president. “Yes, it is very difficult because it requires patience and most of the data will be based upon your observation”, he added. Juanillas also competed in the Division Science Quest under the Science Quiz Bee. The VCSMS Science Department cooperated with the Senior Scouts and the Supreme Student Government in organizing and facilitating the Division Science Quest, setting up the venue and ushering the guests from other schools. The success of the event could not be possible without their respective parts and services. Casio Philippines visits ValMaSci Andrew Demition Casio Philippines and the Metrobank Math Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP) visited the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science last December 1, 2015. ValMaSci was one of the schools picked by Casio and MTAP due to its standing as one of the Top 15 Performing Schools in Mathematics. The program started with the national anthem led by the mathematics club president Juine Arvie Lavarias fol- lowed by the opening remarks led by ValMaSci’s principal Dr. Jameson H. Tan and Casio Philippines President Joel Serrano. Serrano said that “Dito, sa sampung mag-aaral, ay takot sa Math pero yung iba takot sa guro mismo.” Before the program ended, Casio’s mascot, Mathew, performed a dance number and the audience was given a chance to have a picture with him. Casio also bought with them a large calculator, named Mathewlator, where students from various grade levels answered questions from it. Math is important. Joel Serrano explains the value of math. Photograph: Anton Herrera. news » 3 The Equilibrium » June–December 2015 » VCSMS welcomes Mrs. Salonga Genesis Arnisto The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science welcomed its new Principal, Mrs. Ma. Christina Salonga, last January, replacing Mr. Jameson Tan after two years. She has a heart of a mother and she treats the school as her own child. Also, Ma’am Salonga is a proud mother of an alumnus coming from the pioneer batch of Valenzuela City Science High School, batch Optimus. She started teaching at Malinta National High School. After the long years of teaching she became the principal of Balangkas Elementary School. She believes that a student must bring the lessons and proper conduct from his/her elementary days until he/she becomes a high school student. Hence, she said that cleanliness and orderliness are essential to nurture the emotional quotient of ValMaSci students. With her excellent skills and high standards, she was promoted to Principal II and became the head of Arkong Bato National High School. She admitted that even though she came from a small institution, running a bigger school challenges her. Until in May 2015, great opportunity with bigger obstacles arrived. She was informed that she will be the new principal of ValMaSci. The truth is that she didn’t expect that thing to happen. Never in her dreams nor in her goals that she wanted to be a teacher. So, being offered to be the principal of Val- MaSci, she questioned herself if she is deserving to lead this institution. After much questioning and confusion she finally stepped on to the august hall of ValMaSci, the gem of the city. In the first days of her stay, she said that the time was so fast. It is very hard to believe that she was now sitting on a chair where great responsibilities are given. In an interview, she said that “Ako ang principal na maliit pero malaki ang puso“. She also added her favorite quote, “Walang pagkakatuto kung walang kalakip na disiplina“. Thus, made her a disciplinarian with a very motherly understanding heart. “I am a disciplinarian with a motherly heart.” Photograph: Dem Catapat. VCSMS celebrates Science Month Campus scribes join Liyab 2015 Vincent Cabalar Raising awareness. Rutherford performs their science jingle at the atrium. Photograph: Faiza Asilum. Vincent Cabalar The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science once again celebrated Science Month 2015 with the theme “MateREALIZE: Synthesizing Ideas, Extracting Knowledge, and Forging Science Nation as Agents in Innovating Global Competitiveness” last September 7 – October 2. The Youth for Environment in Schools Organization, together with the Robotics Guild, led its kick-off activity with the release of the dozens of colorful ceremonial balloons. Both science organizations launched several school-wide scheduled contests and activities simultaneously for the month-long Science Month clebration. A notable program is the “My Own Mug Friday”, in which bringing of own tumblers and mugs is imperative when ordering for drinks and water at the school canteen. The aim of this project is to lessen the use of plastic cups. Students were awarded stubs for bringing reusable containers which were counted and included in the total scores and marks of the individuals and their respective sections. As the contests were conducted, many students from various year lev- els garnered awards and recognition for winning in their respective competitions. For the poster making contest, Angelina Montes was named as the champion, followed by Jillian Merin and Karla Mae Pajinag for second and third. For the mosaic making contest, Avianca Francisco was named first place, followed by Kathleen Bartolo for second place. For the Science Quiz Bee, ten students were chosen in each batch by their Science teachers. They were arranged into ten groups with four members each, with one student from each year level. The teams answered ten easy questions, ten average questions and five difficult questions. The team of Dan Andrei Sales, Adrian Matthew Poblete, Patricia Balatayo and Alexis Jacinto won first in the Science Quiz Bee, followed closely by the team of Marc Alric Lim, Patricia Jan Solisa, Andrea Cabalar and Jasper Turado, and the team of Shaun Christian Coralde, Danica Salonga, Emlyne Shane Duldulao and Rushaid Elinzano winning third. In the Minecraft Infrastructure Contest, students were tasked to create a building in Minecraft following the theme, an innovative school. The sec- tion of 10-Schrödinger won first place, followed by 7-Riemann and 8-Mendel. The water boosted rocket competition was divided into three categories: height, accuracy and overall design. 9-Meyer won first for height. For accuracy, 8-Leeuwenhoek lead the competition. The section of 9-Meyer was also named winner for the design category. Ten ValMaScians won in the Infoshirt competition, where students designed their own shirt. Ceazar Ian Crucillo, Shania Ashley Cordova, Levi Azriel Degaños and Lui Joshua Cuadra won first to fourth place respectively. Veronica Therese Rivera was named as the Boses ng Kalikasan, followed by John Rey Ibañez and Miles Tolentino for second and third place, respectively. The Science Jingle making contest was the highlight of the month, as each section presented a five-minute dance to raise the youth’s consciousness on the importance of being innovative. The section of 9-Rutherford was named first place, 9-Meyer won second while 10-Thomson won third place. The section of 10-Schrödinger was named the overall champion of the event for the second time in a row, as last year’s 9-Rutherford was named overall champion. ValMaSci joins in MM-wide shake drill Safety first. Evacuated ValMaScians line up outside the school. Photograph: Alec Santos. Carl Joshua Quines The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (ValMaSci) joined in the Metro Manila-wide earthquake drill held on June 30 at 10 AM. The Metro Manila Development Authority led the drill for the purpose of preparing for a theoretical 7.2 magnitude earthquake which would shake Metro Manila, named as “the Big One”. They cooperated with the Department of Education so that all schools in the region would partake in the drill and also prepare for the earthquake. In the school, Mr. Lino Vitalicio, Deputy Incident Commander, led the activity, providing instructions to the students for an orderly evacuation if the “Big One“ will occur. A long bell signalling an earthquake rang at 10 AM. Students ducked under their own desks and held on to the table legs. After the long bell, three short bells were sounded, signalling for the students to evacuate the building. Students held hard items to cover their heads as they proceeded to the nearest exit in a timely but orderly manner. Earthquake victims were also simulated in order to prepare for the possibility of injured students. The first aid team of ValMaSci worked to help provide a simulation of aid to these victims, whose injuries ranged from being trapped in the building to being wounded and to being unconscious. Mr. Vitalicio then said, as a part of the simulation, that classes were suspended and that relief goods will be handed out to everyone. The earthquake drill started at 10 AM and lasted for one hour, ending at 11 AM with the students going back to their classes. Dr. Jameson H. Tan remarked that the drill was conducted in an orderly and successful manner, thanks to the efforts of each member of ValMaSci’s Disaster Response Team. Campus journalists from Ang Iskolar showed off their talents in the last Liyab 2015 – 13th NCR-wide Journalism Training Seminar last September 16 and 19 at the Philippine Normal University hosted by the Torch Publication. Students from different schools in Metro Manila participated in the annual Liyab event with this year’s theme “Binhi: Pagsibol ng Alternatibong Midya Tungo sa Responsableng Pamamahayag.” The contests and seminars aim to develop the talents of young writers. The individuals competed in their respectively categories. One of the active participants from the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (VCSMS) under Ms. Irish Ivan Eiichi, adviser of the Filipino school organ, Ang Iskolar. The participants from VCSMS were Jason Renz Barrios for Pagsulat ng Lathalain who placed tenth during the recognition ceremonies and Genesis Arnisto for Pagsulat ng Pangulong-Tudling. Trainings were also held for different categories. A series of seminars were also held for Lay-outing, Campus Paper Management, National Situation Discussion, Poetry Writing, Campus Freedom Bill and Creative Non-Fiction. As Barrios said, “Hindi ko naman talaga inexpect na mananalo ako at tuwang tuwa ako dahil ito ang kauna-unahang pagsali ko rito. Maraming naitulong sa akin ang mga speaker at na-inspire ako para ipagpatuloy ang pangarap kong maging isang mamamahayag.” Math wizards race to the top in Sipnayan 2015 Full concentration. Vincent Dela Cruz answers a mathematical problem during the final round. Photograph: Andrew Demition. Vincent Cabalar Several math wizards from the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (ValMaSci) made it to the final rounds of the Sipnayan 2015, an interschool mathematics contest for the National Capital Region, which was held at the Ateneo De Manila University last November 7 and 21. The junior math team consisted of Vincent Dela Cruz, Mark Vincent Carabbay, and Jireh Gumaro, whom competed with 70 teams from other schools in the elimination round, with only 24 making it to the semi-finals. The junior team managed to make it to the final round of the Sipnayan, bagging sixth place. Three students who competed last year returned again to compete in the Sipnayan: Carl Joshua Quines, Axirazel Lorenzo and Sophia Dominique Dizon, who, incidentally, were also the team who fought in the Mathira Mathibay and Metrobank-MTAP Challenge (MMC) in the past years. The senior teams, the first team composed of Carl Joshua Quines, Sophia Dominque Dizon, and Kelly Marie Guardiano, and the second team, composed of Axirazel Lorenzo, Leal Christian Juat and Harold Moreno, also bagged awards in the Sipnayan. The first team made it to the semi-finals, winning fifth place, the second team also made it to the semi-finals, winning fourth place. Both junior and senior teams were trained by Ms. Marilyn Soriano and Mr. Augusto Logronio. “It took a lot of training and effort, but it was all worth it in the end, even if we didn’t make it to the final rounds”, Quines said. “It was a very fun and exciting experience, especially considering that all the teams qualified for the semi-finals, which was an improvement on last year’s performance. I hope for better results in the future.” The representatives for the Sipnayan often trained for several hours after class in the mathematics lab, training against problems from the past years. In the past years, ValMaSci also sent representatives for the Sipnayan. The members of the first team were Carl Joshua Quines, Jan Reggie Dela Cruz and John Dave Santos; while the members of the second team were Jade Kathleen Yu, Axirazel Lorenzo and Sophia Dominque Dizon. The first team made it to the semi-finals and won fourth place. The ValMaScian math wizards are now training for the upcoming mathematics competitions, including the MMC and the Mathira Mathibay, which will be held in the next year and beyond. Opinion » page 4 » June–December 2015 » The Equilibrium » » The Equilibrium » Publication Year 2015–2016 The official English publication of the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science. Mission To be extraordinary providers of service through our works and our words, in our lives and in our writing. Vision We aim to be the informant, inspiration and edification of VCSMS. Truth · Impartiality · Boldness Editorial Board Carl Joshua Quines Editor-in-Chief Vincent Cabalar Associate Editor Denica Daniel Catapat Managing Editor Staff Sherina Shyra Ramos News Editor Joshua Luna Vanessa De Leon Romana Feature Editors Juan Miguel Antonio Sports Editor Tracy Marie Moreno Lhiana Reign Bañares Science Editors Louise Anne Dominique Alarde Miguel Relucio Columnists Angelina Montes Cartoonist Faiza Jeninna Asilum Lovely Angel Gonzales Photojournalists James Jastine Solivio John Byron Garin Copyreaders Andrew Demition Layout Artist Contributors Genesis Arnisto Veronica Therese Rivera Chrysanthemum Mariah Mier Jason Renz Barrios Apelle Encomienda Articles All images used belong to their respective copyright owners. Permission has been asked from the copyright owners for use in the newspaper. Maria Cecilia Almariego-Atok School Paper Adviser Ma. Christina C. Salonga School Principal II The newspaper that you are reading right now is evolving, and will continue to evolve. And it is important that this evolution includes you, the reader. Your input and feedback is important for us. We create the future of the news together. fb.com/VCSMSGazette @vcsmsgazette [email protected] Filling the leadership void True leadership is servant-leadership. True leaders should not boss people, or be inactive – true leaders should push for reforms that would benefit the people they lead. Such a revolutionary kind of leadership is rarely seen in our time these days. Indeed, one doesn’t need to look beyond the classroom to see this void of servant-leadership. Take for example, the set of officers per section. A lot of responsibility falls on the president, secretary and treasurer, that is why the people elected for these positions must be able to take the responsibility that goes with it. Often, class elections turn to popularity elections, with the person having the most friends winning. When people who do not have the resources to lead a classroom are elected to the position, the class can fall into chaos. Too often the officership is considered a passive po- sition, when in fact, it is an active one – officership is not only something someone is, it is something one does. The lack of leadership in officership is not limited to the classrooms. Even in school clubs and among the SSG itself can a lack of leadership be seen. Sometimes, the club president does all the work, with the rest of the officers not doing anything; other times, the opposite happens. Sometimes, no work is actually done. The SSG’s current administration, for example, has done far less programs than the previous administration, not fulfilling their responsibility. Of course, there are also leaders which do absolutely everything, leaving nothing for the rest of the team. This is common when it comes to group work: the leaders of groups do all the work, because the leaders can’t make their groupmates work with them. Lead- ers should, after all, inspire the people around them. This problem must be changed. Effective leadership in a democracy starts with the leaders first, then the voters. Class officers should start programs to better the classroom: holding meetings, keeping the class clean, purchasing materials for the class, financial planning during events and celebrations, as well as social balance. Each person has a role to fulfill: the president and vice president should organize meetings and initiate actions; secretaries should record and should ensure that people keep their words; treasurers and auditors should make financial planning open and efficient; while PROs and sergeants-at-arms should ensure that no one has any bitterness with one another through promoting communication. The same goes for clubs and the student government – if everyone does their respective roles and plays their part, then the overall burden of work will be less. The responsibility doesn’t end with the leaders. It also goes to the voters. It is up to them to elect people whom they believe have the resources to initiate change; to treat elections not as popularity contests but as serious forums for determining the future of the school. After all, true leadership is servant-leadership. Leaders should not avoid responsibility or boss people around, but instead inspire the people around them. Being a leader is not only what someone is, but what someone does. Filling the void of servant-leadership requires the cooperation of the leaders and the voters – and if this void is filled, a better future will come. to come. This is not a newspaper which will come and go. We have also teamed up with Ang Iskolar to form the ValMaScian Gazette – a coalition of the newspapers of ValMaSci, to help bring the news closer to you. The ValMaScian Gazette has a Facebook page and Twitter account at fb.com/VCSMS Gazette and @vcsmsgazette where we post announcements as well as cover the events that happen in the school. Your voice is important But in all of this, it is important that the readers do not lose their voice. You are important in this newspaper. Your contributions to this newspaper are invaluable, and indeed, what would a newspaper be without its readers? You are the people who make this newspaper important. The future we create Welcome to the new Equilibrium. We decided to change everything about the previous designs, and create a new, better look. Pretty much everything is different about the new look, and we hope that you’ll enjoy the new Equilibrium better than the old one. The first thing you might notice is the new masthead. The blue double chevrons, the Equilibrium’s new symbol, was chosen to represent our values as a newspaper. The chevrons symbolize a forward motion, progress and change, values that we hope to promote in being a steadfast provider of the news. Next, we changed the fonts. The old design used Georgia for the body text, while in this design we chose Coranto instead. We feel that Coranto has a sharp, mature and precise feel that makes it perfectly suited for the Equilibrium’s values. The Equilibrium’s pages now have a focus more on typography. Pages are now more organized, with emphasis placed on more important stories. The font size is also smaller, a decision made after researching reader preferences. The smaller point size will also allow more text to fit in the page, making the newspaper more economical. The Equilibrium’s new design breaks traditions that other school papers have established. And we will do so. We are paving our own path, creating a new, revolutionary design. It might be against the designs of other school papers, which may sometimes be too colorful, messy or difficult to read – our objective is to create a clean, fresh design that the readers will actually enjoy reading. Internal changes And the changes are far more than the design – the Equilibrium itself is changing and evolving. We have grown from our humble and small ten person taskforce to a thirty member team, recognizing the importance of an individual, rather than producing several articles, write fewer, better quality ones. We have also actively asked for community involvement in this issue, placing readers as contributors to the newspaper. The Equilibrium has also changed internally: our new team is now focused on growth and on leaving a legacy. Senior writers help train and build up junior writers, so when the time comes that they have to leave, the juniors become seniors and can help train new, future writers. We’ve done this to ensure that the journalism we provide lasts not only for a year, but to start a legacy which will continue through the years Editorial policies The Equilibrium now has a mission, a vision, and core values. We have an editorial policy now, the values of truth, integrity and boldness, values that we fully intend to reveal in our newspaper. Truth, integrity and boldness – values that appear in our writing, our lives and our actions. Our newspaper, after all, is a local newspaper, providing coverage of the events of ValMaSci, something that no other newspaper can do. Which is why you will see fewer articles that have no relevance with VCSMS, especially in the science and sports sections. We decided that a local voice is important for ValMaSci, and the thing that we can do best is talk about events that happened here. Events that are immediately relevant to you, the readers. Nothing is permanent. Change is in the lifebloood of the press, change is in the ink of the paper. Nothing is permanent. Change is the lifeblood of the press, change is the ink of the paper. The newspaper that you are reading right now is evolving, and will continue to evolve. And it is important that this evolution includes you, the reader. Your input and feedback is important for us to know your opinion about these changes, and what we can do to make it improve even further. We create the future of the news together. Thank you, readers, for your loyalty and for your input. We hope you will enjoy the new Equilibrium. Opinion » 5 The Equilibrium » June–December 2015 » Conveyor belt education REAL TALK Carl Joshua Quines K to 12 does not make students ready for life. Far from it – K to 12 is a conveyor belt education, intended to produce workers ready for export and use. DepEd treats children as products, as numbers, as statistics. Jobs, grades, materials, scores in exams, enrollment, all of them are the numbers that build up DepEd’s model of a child. And K to 12 is perfectly engineered to make this ‘child’ as mathematically ‘ready’ as possible. The conveyor belt starts in preschool. Universal compulsory preschool sounds like a good idea, until one realizes that this means that a child’s first experience of school will be as burden, as work, and not as play, as a preschool ought to be. With DepEd providing stricter regulations regarding preschool, the possibility that teachers degrade to wardens and students degrade to inmates is likely, as if the situation wasn’t as bad as it already was. Then the student reaches first grade, where they see the reality of the lack of classrooms and chairs in the Philippines. The thing which will likely to happen is that they study in a makeshift classroom with about fifty-five students, without all the materials that DepEd expects them to have. Mother tongue-based multilingual education also makes them unexposed to English and Filipino, forcing teachers to use their mother tongue, which may not always be the best medium of discussion for some subjects like math or science. But not in first grade – first grade students don’t have science, but rather have science ‘integrated’ into other subjects, as if the grade one student is too young to understand scientific concepts, and not as if the first grade student is young and inquisitve, making them the perfect student for science. No, DepEd ignores this entirely and instead ‘integrates’ science to other subjects. The student then takes the NAT, and then the NETRC reports the scores. DepEd and the media treat these scores as absolute measures, as if the entirety of three or six years of education can be trivialized with a single score. No test score can reveal that students’ lack of materials, or the fact that the students’ Returning to reading through poetry teachers are underpaid, or that students may not have answered the exam fairly. Yet these scores are treated as absolutes. The student finally reaches junior high school, after going through seven years of cynicism, when they meet with poorly written modules that presume that the student had a perfect elementary education. They meet with the horrors of the zero-based grading system; often, it is in junior high school when the student learns the pain of trying to pass. But what choice do the students have? Low grades can easily become high, but high grades do not receive the same treatment – a system that prioritizes passing and shoddy understanding than excellent work, choosing to reward minimum efforts. “Most senior high school tracks don’t aim to make students ready for life, but ready for export.” Then the student reaches the last stage of their conveyor belt, senior high school. Most senior high school tracks don’t aim to make students ready for life, but ready for export – caretaking, manicuring, hairdressing – jobs that are not in demand in the Philippines, but in other countries. Not to degrade the value of these jobs, they are as important as scientists and engineers, but if a person wanted to get these jobs, it would serve them better to work as an intern than to spend two years learning things they will not use. It is in senior high school that students will also feel the pain of vouchers. With the lack of classrooms and teachers, DepEd turns to the colleges to cater to senior high school, opting to pay them instead, rather than spending that money for building classrooms and raising teacher ‘s salaries. The application for senior high school vouchers will be an esoteric process, guaranteeing that no student will go through it, resulting again in a massive waste of money. And finally, the student graduates after twelve painful years of conveyor belting. The student will now be ‘world ready’ and ‘globally-competitive’-- ready for export. Graduating at the age of eighteen means easily getting a job afterwards, only showing K to 12’s true colors – job finding. K to 12 is similar to a last ditch effort to decrease unemployment by making graduates job-aged and by making senior high school job-oriented, not as matching the Philippines’ standards to the standards of other countries. Weeds and grass: Juan’s garden of leaders Nation-minded Louise Anne Dominique Alarde The upcoming Philippine presidential elections is like picking plants for Juan’s garden of leaders, and it takes discernment and wisdom to separate the weeds from the grass. Since the first day of declaring candidacy, hundreds of aspirants have already shown spirit and compassion through their words. Their words reveal their nature: some talk about huge progress and total change, while others talk about responsibility and running the country. The weeds A nuisance may refer to a person or a thing that causes trouble, but it can also refer to the activity of an individual, namely in candidacy. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez reiterates the provisions on “nuisance candidates” and also told the media that the poll body has the right to turn down the certificates of candidacy of the aspirants whom are deemed less sensible for running. Doubtless, it is distressing that most of the aspirants don’t believe that the election holds our country’s future. A candidacy is a nuisance if the aspirant falls under one of the three categories. First, someone who makes mockery of the election system is definitely not on the right track. The Omnibus Election Code is made to justify a peaceful election and what a good leader should do. An aspirant who intends to break the law should not be able to run. Second, the incoherence when the aspirant aims to confuse voters through a similarity of names to other aspirants. Running a country is not a game and surely, a leader should be mature enough to think rationally. Candidates, for example, should not state that their reason for running is that God had chosen them, or they aim to design the economy like they design fashion, or even declare that they are intergalactic police or the Empire’s Storm Troopers. They should have a reasonable purpose and sensible campaigns. “If a person doesn’t like what they do, then certainly that person can’t make the best out of it.” Lastly, an aspirant without a bona fide desire to run for office is definitely not competent to run, rule and discipline a country. Simply, if a person doesn’t like what they do, then certainly that person can’t make the best out of it. Commitment and passion within a work is needed to produce good work. Being a nuisance is not a definition of the individual, but rather their basis for declaring certificacy. No one can question the candidate’s right to run. But the candidate should be weeded out if their candidacy flaunts mischief and disruption in the process of the election. These kinds of candidates are weeds among the grass – if not completely removed; then, it will only grow vigorously and choke out the better plants. We should focus on the efficient candidates because our country’s future should not be degraded to child’s play. The grass If there are nuisance candidates, then there are also the “potential candidates” who top the presidential surveys. They are the grass, the plants that should be taken care of because they can make beautiful land. “Nognog, pandak, laki sa hirap”, who wouldn’t recognize that line? Jejomar Binay, the vice president, engaged in issues such as corruption, and branding the current administration, except his administration, as “insensitive and bumbling”. But still, his loyalists trust him and remain loyal after all this. The DILG Secretary Mar Roxas got a handful of netizen bashers because of his humorous viral photos in the internet, but his lack of contribution as the department secretary was criticized even more. He still got the chance though; there are still who believe and expect action that will resemble his grandfather’s deeds. Miriam Defensor-Santiago announced her claim for presidency, as she ran in 1992 and lost. Her health issues prevent most people from trusting her to lead the country properly. Rodrigo Duterte, the stern and rigorous mayor of Davao City attracts both interest and intimidation with his brave attitude. There are some misconceptions about him, but some Filipinos oppose his strict style of leadership. “Walang iwanan sa bagong umaga”, but Grace Poe seems to have left her followers as the COMELEC disqualified her. Currently, the SC cancelled the disqualification, but the issue about her citizenship affecting her presidential bid still lingers. Rizalito David, Roy Sineres, Boboy Syjuco, Polly Soguilon, and Camilo Sabio are some of the accepted presidential candidates with good credentials and backgrounds. Their target goals are indeed helpful and likeable. Whoever the next president will be, as long as they get the tamang daan right this time, then there will be no regrets for the Filipino people at all. No more deep sighs at all. The shades of May hold our future for the next six years so the Filipino voters should vote wisely and carefully. Truly, the selection of plants in Juan’s garden will always be one of the most significant events in the lives of the Filipino people. The crucial part is distinguishing the weeds from the grass. It is a must to pluck the weeds. Principled living Commentary Chrysanthemum Mier For fourteen years, I’ve been careless every day in the things I do in my life until time came when a poem I can relate with taught me to have a better personality and traits as a child of God. Of all the moral principles I learned, I chose three that I am so sure will improve myself and others if used as a guide in everyday life. For this reason, I want to keep this principle and share it to others as well, to prevent them from hurting themselves when affected by the inevitable. First, don’t let social groups lead you to do “bad” things. I was in elementary school that time when I realized that I don’t always need a group of friends. Based on my experience, I knew that most of them tend to break rules together. If a person thinks that they have a companion in doing even the worst of things or if they are influenced badly by the groups which they belong to, they will fail to do the right thing. So, if you can prevent bad influences from changing you, surely, a better and prosperous life is waiting for you. Second, don’t be distracted by failures and successes. I noticed that some people in my school are the happy-go-lucky type. They tend to celebrate when they achieved something, and grieve as if someone died when they fail. Moreover, when some people are downcast by failures, they tend to hurt themselves a lot, eventhough, they are unaware of it. As a teenager, I don’t want to be distracted even if I’m in the highest or lowest points of my life. God planned something greater than what we can ever imagine, so let us keep moving. Finally, the best principle that I want to be my (and to be others’) guidepost is to have patience because I believe that waiting is a reality of life which is good. We wait for people, events, plans to come, to be done, and to happen. Even when exhaustion gets into your nerve; and even achieving and pursuing the dreams tire your system, even when hope is lost, and even when pain batters, we should not give up. We should never fail to let go of people and things which weigh us down. We should let go of the stubborn callouses of the past: the bad peers, the negative emotions, the regrets, the scary nonesense, and the guilt. Furthermore, we should let go of the fears of the future which is miles away from now. Instead, walk steadily day by day with courage and faith. We should learn the difference between giving up and letting go. And the patience is not a thing to be given up. The poem referred to is “If ”, written by Rudyard Kipling. All that glitters Miguel Relucio All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king. — JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Among all the different types of written works that man has invented, poetry gets the most attention, both from young and adult readers. No matter the age, it has been proven that poetry will never fail to amuse, unlike other forms of written works. An example of something that can fail to amuse someone would be a book. Reading long passages, novels and long stories isn’t for everyone. Not everyone has the patience to read avidly like a bookworm. Only a few would want to read as we get closer to the future man has dreamt of, since most of us today would rather spend time doing “important” things such as skyping, tweeting, gaming, and using other forms of social media. Still, few would rather choose to lay down or sit in a rocking chair by open windows and read poetry. Poetry is more accessible for most people to read. It is also short compared to other forms of literature. And lastly, it makes the readers think deeply and freely about the elements of it, and all cultures have their own “types” of poetry, which is why poetry is spread worldwide. “The youth of today should get back to reading literature.” Poetry is loved by many, with its accessibility and universality. Indeed, the youth of today should get back to reading literature – and through a vessel called poetry. IN THE MAILBOX Should I give up? Dear Editor, I’m starting to lose my care for it all. My friends talk behind my back, and my family doesn’t notice my sacrifices. Studies suffocate me, and I feel like I don’t have any purpose in my life. It’s tiring, and I just want to give up caring. So, should I give up? —Sodium Dear Sodium, Frustration in everything is the root of the problem, I believe. You failed and you were rejected, so it’s alright to feel disappointed. To the friends who talk behind your back: try to talk and be honest with them. After all, if they are your real friends, then they will understand. If you do your responsibilities properly, you may not always be recognized by the people around you, not even your family. But always remember that your family cares about you, even if they don’t show that they care for you. It’s important to take a break and focus when studying. It’s normal to feel tired after studying for long hours, but the important thing is not to worry about your grades too much. Deep down, everyone has a purpose, even though it may not be immediately obvious to us. Inside you is a heart and a soul. So don’t give up. Trust yourself. Be confident. You can do this. —The Editor Feature » page 6 » June–December 2015 » The Equilibrium » Nihongojin chronicles: taking the JLPT N5 Joshua Luna tells us about his experiences in taking the JLPT N5 – three nerve-wracking months of difficult preparation for a three-hour exam, as a shot for getting to Japan. もんだい · Exam. Kenneth Ko’s answer sheet for the N5 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. Photograph: Kenneth Ko. Joshua Luna Let’s admit it, all of us have dreamt of going to another country. Even I am not exempted to dream of setting foot into a foreign land and experience a whole lot of new things. Some dream of indulging themselves in the elegance of the West, travelling to the continents of Europe and America. Others find themselves wanting to go to the Middle East to travel to the Fertile Crescent in which not only the sights are great, but the occupational opportunities are great, too. For me, there is this one country that I’m waiting to go to: Japan. Imagine divulging the rich culture and the beautiful sights Japan has to offer! Ever since I was a child, my mother told me stories about this country and I only became more eager to go as I grew older. There, I became a Japanese culture enthusiast. “I took the exam … as my first step to become a Nihongojin, a person capable of speaking the Japanese language and living in Japan.” become a Nihongojin, a person capable of speaking the Japanese language and living Japan. Without a tinge of doubt, I gathered money for the registration fee (which costs 900 pesos, which isn’t exactly cheap, but considering the opportunities it will present, it’s worth it!) and filled out my registration sheet. I was not alone in my cause to take the test. With success at the JLPT as our common cause, I, along with seven other individuals from the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science gathered, and took a step forward to become a Nihongojin. Me, Marc Añon, Lance Jasper Quitalig, Reyssel Quijano, Kenneth King Ko, Grace Uligan, Juan Miguel Antonio and Sean Panganiban. With the registration fees and the registration sheets at hand, we made our way to the Japan Foundation office and registered to take the JLPT N5, the most basic proficiency test. We tiptoed to the office and there, we saw fellow Japanese culture enthusiasts, as well as actual Nihonjin (Japanese people). As much as we want to engage in an exchange of words with actual people from Japan, we had to submit our registration forms to the main desk. After what seemed to be half an hour of filling out a couple of forms, we headed to the office library. べんきょうちゅう · Studying. An application showing several of the hundred kanji characters that need to be memorized for the JLPT N5. Photograph: Kenneth Ko. JLPT: road to Japan And that eagerness is the reason why I took the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. I heard of the JLPT from a classmate. It’s a test which measures an individual’s ability to use the Japanese language. It is divided into five levels referred to as N1–N5 with N1 being the most difficult and N5 being the easiest. Personally, I took this exam as proof that I am capable of speaking the Japanese language and as my first step to There we saw numerous samples of Japanese publications ranging from mangas, novels, magazines and most importantly, previous JLPT questionnaires. The JLPT N5 requires the most basic knowledge about Japanese grammar, vocabulary and knowing over a hundred kanji characters. After much discussion and planning, we made our way home. The JLPT was scheduled on December 6, so we had three whole months to prepare. ともだち · Friends. A photograph of the seven hopeful test-takers (Reyssell is not in the picture), taken on the day of the exam. Photograph: Kenneth Ko. Judgment day For three whole months we struggled with schoolwork, projects and the periodical tests alongside reviewing for the JLPT. (or was it me only me who struggled?) Come December 6, we stood there, eight students ready to take the exam truly fit to be called a boss battle. The location of the exam served to magnify how significant the exam we are going to take is: De La Salle University. “I managed to memorize half of the hundred kanji characters in a single night (and forget them the day after).” At 9 a.m. we journeyed to the said location. We walked happily, different from what you’d expect to be the behavior of students going to take on a major exam. I remember having a cheerful chat with my fellow test-takers about how they reviewed the exam, about how Reyssel skipped three levels of the exam because she thought they were easy (she was taking the N2), about how I managed to memorize half of the hundred kanji characters in a single night (and forget them the day after). We arrived at the De La Salle University at about 11 AM, an hour earlier of the exam. (Which was our own way of being punctual, a culture seen in Japan and not much seen here in the Philippines, as evident in “Filipino time” mentality.) We were surprised by the scene that we saw. The university was not open yet but there was already a line, about 50 feet in length, which stretched from the entrance of the university to the sidewalk. What shocked us further is the fact that it seemed that we were the only high school students to take the exam. Most of the other people taking the exam were college students or people planning to work in Japan. We were one of the youngest examinees. We followed the line and waited for our turn to enter. While we were waiting, we saw some Nihonjin making their way to the university. It seems that Japanese people assigned by the Japan Foundation will handle the N1 exams while the other levels will be handled by Filipinos. After a few minutes, the exam-takers were finally allowed to proceed. The queue moved rather quickly and we entered the university. The university was riddled with bulletin boards, written with our room assignments. Apparently, all of us were assigned to the same room since we all registered for the exam at about the same time. At about 12 noon, the exam started. Armed with pencils, erasers, we answered the exam. The exam was divided into three parts consisting of reading, grammar and listening with breaks in between. To be honest, I was caught off guard by the JLPT. There were some parts that got me running around in circles. And the worst part of the exam? I fell asleep on the listening part. (Lesson learned: do not cram or go binge review in a single night, students!) Aftermath After answering the exam for three and half hours, we egressed the campus and walked with much dignity as if we were seasoned soldiers that survived a war. Before we set for home, we ate at a restaurant that served Japanese cuisine. (I did mentioned that we were Japanese culture enthusiasts, right?) Much of our dinnertime was spent talking about the exam, which parts we found difficult, what parts we couldn’t understand, how we managed to answer those said parts and the infamous “laglag pantasa” incident in which some of the test-takers dropped their sharpeners creating much noise. The said incident caught the attention of the test supervisors which picked up and confiscated the sharpeners. I would like to thank them for diffusing the atmosphere of the exam. After our hearty meal, we made our way home and the energy and bravado we had earlier was no longer evident. The day proved to be quite the rollercoaster ride and it finally took a toll on us. Silently, we separated ways and went back home. The day ended with our farewell. “Taking the JLPT N5 proved to be a challenge and we managed to overcome it.” Taking the JLPT N5 proved to be a challenge and we managed to overcome it. We finally took the first step in becoming a Nihongojin and we are ready to take another step. Next time, we will take the JLPT N4, and hopefully, like the N5, we will succeed in taking it. The road to becoming a Nihongojin is steep. We are still miles away before we can take the N1. We will do what it takes to pass with flying colors. That’s why Japan, wait for us; we are coming. たべましょう · Let’s eat. The test-takers socialize over some Japanese food after the stressful examination. Photograph: Juan Miguel Antonio. FEATURE » 7 The Equilibrium » June–December 2015 » Social incursion » Vanessa De Leon Romana talks about the growing effects of social media in our lives. *toot* “Your mom messaged you: Go downstairs, let’s eat. :)” That everyday scenario at your home when the internet connection conquers your whole house. No more of mom shouting your name from downstairs to call you to the table because it’s dinner time. Before eating, even when you’re starving, you’ll take a shot of your meal first and update your status with a post. “Eating this atm #dinner.” When going out with your family, you’ll take a mirror shot of yourself wearing your new shoes or shirt and post “Thanks mom for the new shoes and shirt #ootd.” When you’re on your trip to somewhere, you’ll surely do this: update your status with “otw to somewhere” or “off to somewhere” and tag your family or friends who’s together with you. You know exactly what I am talking about. Yes, it is Facebook. Like Twitter, it’s where news spreads fast. You can also read the recent announcements from the local government. Your city’s improvements, your leader’s new projects and recent events. As a student, we can also make connections and com- municate with our friends in the list. We can make group discussion over the distance through messaging. Facebook can be helpful, indeed but in the scenes of our everyday living, where is the soul of family? When was the last time your mom shouted your name to eat? Miss that? Facebook can connect the world, but physical connection is different. You should log out from your Facebook account and enjoy your road trip with friends and family and just share it with your FB friends later. Enjoy your meal with conservation, not by taking pictures of every meal. Enjoy real life and get out of the virtual, online life that Facebook surrounds you in. “Tweet, tweet, tweet”. It’s not what you thought. It’s not the chirping birds on that tall tree you can see outside your window. It’s from your mobile phone, isn’t it? Your tweet was sent to your celebrity idol and he noticed it. He hits the heart showing that he likes it. That ’s how Twitter works. A blue bird that can fly around the entire World Wide Web. Bringing you the latest updates, list of worldwide topic trends and lets you follow your favorite celebrity and view his or her profile and b e updated on your favorite boy band’s next concert and shows. Twitter has its own significance in each of us. For us, students, helps us be updated on the recent class suspensions and special non-working holidays. For netizens, this brings us the latest news updates around the world. We can react on the topics and trends using hashtags and mentioning your friends’ account. Perhaps Twitter has it all. From mess a g i n g , to communication through direct messages, to updates from your favorite artist, new products from your favorite shop, or some new quotes that you might choose to retweet. And from time-totime, obviously, you share and post your feelings, thoughts and actions through tweeting. This might be really helpful but somewhat, you need to put down your phone and enjoy the real life. But don’t let this social network be the apple of your eye and make you miss the outside world. You don’t need to know everything that’s happening every second. Go outside and enjoy the outdoors. *click* *snap* *snap* You took a picture of yourself, the place you were at, the food you’re about to eat or the photogenic sky we have for today. Even the green grass at the park. The colorful flower at your neighbor’s garden. After the shot, of course you’ll add filter on your great shot. Upload it using hashtags like “#foodporn” “#ootd” “#atm” also add comments about it and mention some of your followed friends. Life really goes digital. Even photos captured don’t have hard copies anymore. It’s all uploaded on your Instagram account. But where is the essence of the traditional photo albums which you can show to your children and your grandchildren? with any caption that is connected to your shot. Here goes your online photo album, Instagram! Here is where you can upload all of the natural great angles around you. The photogenic nature. The astonishing blue sky or even the great playing of your plating. This Help us express our feelings through captured photos. Look at those photographs and feel the soul of the images. Instagram gets you updated about your celebrity’s latest selfie, meal and place where she or he is earlier. Then you, as a supporter follow him and hit the heart shape below the photo which means you like it. You can T h e internet doesn’t last forever. One day, Instagram may be gone forever, and you may not have your photos backed up. Better pick up your phone and take a squad or family picture and have it printed so you have something to look on when you have to reminisce the memories. Maybe sharing is fun. Probably, taking pictures is the fun way of sharing your experiences and letting others know where you are, what you’re eating or how your pet is doing, but there are some things that need to be remembered instead of pictured. Uploaded photos are temporary, but memories will never fade. “Relatable posts”. The dramas you have in life. The late night dramas, the midnight thoughts or even the suicidal thoughts you have are updated on your dashboard. The message you want to say to your loved one but you cannot say personally because it’s so neither cheesy nor dramatic is also on the dashboard. The photos with the most valuable memories can also be posted in your blog. Tumblr lets you release all the burdens inside you. The tiredness at school, the secret love message for someone, the reactions about government issues and all the problems you have. Personal or not. The suicidal thoughts at 3 AM in the morning or the creepy experiences you have at midnight. Not for dramas but also the happiness of life. The solved problems or anything you want to share. You can say what you want to say. Sharing is fun. This is really true. Tumblr is your way to express your feelings, and it can be said that it’s more private than Facebook and Twitter, be- cause very few people use Tumblr. Venting all your agression and your problems and having an outlet to express it in can help, a lot. Tumblr is a blog: a virtual, online diary. Tumblr can be a wonderful outlet for all the emotions that you keep up inside, and you don’t need to worry about people judging you or calling you names, or being bullied and rejected – Tumblr is safe, private, and free for artistic expression. As writers say, “Write when you’re angry. Write when you’re sad. Write when you’re happy.” Writing is a good expression of your emotions and feelings, and it can be therapeutic. However, Tumblr is no substitute for getting help. Posting on Tumblr is so different from actually talking to someone you can trust, soemone you can feel comfortable with sharing your problems and stresses. If you really have depression or feel suicidal, or have thoughts of self-harm, talk to the guidance counselor or to a professional. Either way, it will always help if you talk it through than vent silently. As time passes by Going mobile. As time passes by, mobile phones become a waste of our time. Photograph: Dem Catapat. Joshua Luna Nowadays, our pastimes revolve around what could be considered as one of the greatest innovations the human race have ever created: the internet. With the internet, mails which mostly takes days to arrive can now reach your recipient within seconds. The tedious task of visiting libraries and searching for books can now be done just by visiting Wikipedia (a database dedicated to sharing information). Did you miss the latest episode of Al- Dub? Don’t worry, you can always watch it at YouTube once it’s uploaded. With the utility and usage it offers, the internet proved to be an efficient tool in both positive and negative ways. The internet is now the medium from which we do our pastimes. Due to the Internet being the efficient tool that it is, accessing our pastimes also became easier. In recent studies it has been shown that activities that are considered as “pastimes” are now being accessed at times we are supposed to be productive. Activities that are supposed to be “pas- times” are now becoming “addictions”. To understand more of this topic, let’s give examples of pastimes that are becoming addictions. First, online gaming. This is perhaps not the first time you’ve read about online gaming addiction. At the advent of multiplayer online games, players became hooked with the idea of playing with other players, friends and classmates. While you are reading this article, there are currently hundreds of thousands of players playing games of different genres, themes, and types, and that number is from the Philippines alone. What more worldwide? Second, mobile apps and games. Mobile apps and games are different with online games in such a way that you can access them anytime, anywhere at your phone. Most online games need computers and hardware of high quality for them to work properly. Mobile apps however, simply needs to be downloaded for a short while, and voila, you can now use it whenever you want. Angry Birds, Flappy Bird, Temple Run and Clash of Clans are just a few apps that have become popular. Lastly, social media. With communication becoming as easy as ever, socializing online is a trend that will always stay relevant. Connecting with people and sharing your view and perspective is just a couple of clicks away. Of course, freedom of expression works both ways; you will find people who either agree or disagree with you and sometimes, your interactions with these people does not always end well. The ability to exercise freedom of expression is so enticing that some people squander a lot of their time in cyberspace rather than being productive real-time. So how can we avoid wasting too much of our time on these so called pastimes? The answer is very simple: self-control. Always keep in mind how much time you should or shouldn’t spend on these things. As a rule of thumb, always remember that too much of something is always bad. Passing and learning Vanessa Romana “Grades are just numbers.” Somehow, this is every student’s motto. A simple hardworking student spends almost eight hours each day being inside their four-cornered classroom, spending a third of the day with their classmates, and their ‘lovable teachers’, as they say. Tired of sleepless nights? Tired of tons of homework? Overloaded with projects to do? Too many requirements to pass? Too many notes and subjects to review? Too many quizzes and exams to take? Tiring indeed – but you have goals. You aim that one day, you can give back a little in exchange of your parents’ sacrifices. You have dreams to pursue while you’re a student. “Being a student is easy, they say. But really, it isn’t.” Being a student is easy, they say. But really, it isn’t. It isn’t just about reading, writing, solving math problems, spelling and pronouncing words correctly, identifying the planets, playing outdoor games in PE class, singing songs in music class, making art, eating during break time and then going home. Being a student is stressful. Some students even undergo depression because of the grading system. “We are students who are really willing to learn and go to school.” We are students who are really willing to learn and go to school before the bell rings, and are willing to seat in our respective seats preparing for the first period. We want to learn. And to learn in a fun way, and to enjoy class discussions – but sadly, pressure is there, so effort needs to be exerted. But most students take that reality wrong. They study harder, exert more effort, spend more sleepless nights studying, not for the purpose of learning but to pass. They pressure themselves to get high grades not to learn, but because passing is too important. Maybe you’re one of them, too. Dying and drowning in a river of books only because of the high grades you aim. “Your grades don’t define you – your knowledge does. Which is why you shouldn’t focus on getting good grades.” Your grades don’t define you – your knowledge does. Which is why you shouldn’t focus much on getting good grades. Although there’s no harm in it, instead, you should strive to learn the material. Don’t worry about passing, but try to learn. Don’t stress yourself out. Don’t focus on the pressure it brings you. Instead take it the other way: the mountain of homework? A pathway to a better future. Quizzes and exams? A test of knowledge. Lots of requirements? Practice for your future job. Be enthusiastic, hardworking and industrious in school and in studying not for the high grades, but for the lessons you will learn. Grades are just numbers that you will see in your report card. You may be the one in control of your grades, but low grades don’t mean you’re weak. Maybe your grades may not be high enough – but as long as you’re studying hard and learning and you keep going on in class instead of quitting school, you’re making good progress. Grades will be forgotten after a few years. But the knowledge you have and the knowledge that you can share with others is what matters, in the long run. Learning is still better than passing. Don’t stress yourself out – instead, enjoy school and do the best you can. 8 » Feature One year older » Carl Joshua Quines It’s been one year since ValMaSci opened its gates to the public. So much has changed since then. We’ve said hello to a new beginning, hello to change, hello to a new building, and hello to the new challenges waiting for us. But we’ve said our goodbyes as well – goodbye to ValSci, goodbye to the teachers and people who had to leave us, goodbye to Mang Gaspar and goodbye to the memories of the old. It is inevitable, of course, it is a fact of life: hellos come with goodbyes, beginnings come with ends. And the change from ValSci to ValMaSci was embraced by all. January 27, 2014. The groundbreaking ceremonies of VCSMS commence, attended by Bro. Armin Luistro and Rex Gatchalian, as well as several councillors. Photograph: Pauline Bartolo. June–December 2015 Editor-in-chief Carl Joshua Quines reviews the events of the last year, from ValMaSci’s groundbreaking to ValMaSci’s first anniversary, and beyond. January 27, 2014 marked a beginning. That was the day of the groundbreaking of ValMaSci. That was the day when the promise made to the batches before us, the people who were in ValSci four years before we have even stepped in its grounds were told, that one day, ValSci would become a state-of-the-art September 5, 2014. The last day of classes at ValSci. Photograph: ValSci’s Finest. building. They may not be there when the promise was fulfilled – but what matters was that the promise was fulfilled. January 27 was a day when the promise made by Win was fulfilled by Rex. January 27 was the beginning of ValMaSci, the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the VCSHS. September 8, 2014. The national anthem is sung on the first day of classes at ValMaSci. Photograph: Valenzuela PIO. After nine months of construction, ValMaSci was born. Out of what once was a blank lot, a four-storey building rose from the rubble, born after nine months of anxious waiting. But this meant saying goodbye. Goodbye to ValSci, goodbye to the gazebo, goodbye to the fish pond which November 9, 2014. Wes Gatchalian delivers guration of the activity center. Photograph: P 2014 September 9, 2014. Mayor Rex dines with Dr. Tan and the SSG in the school canteen. Photograph: Valenzuela PIO. March 20, 2014. ValMaSci’s construction continues. Photograph: Valenzuela PIO. October 10, 2014. Darwin dances to their winning s gle during the first science month. Photograph: Teresa September 1, 2014. Bro. Armin Luistro unveils the VCSMS marker on the day of ValMaSci’s ribbon-cutting and inauguration. Photograph: Pauline Bartolo. A day in Nihongo class: how language unites cultures Basic words and phrases With a few basic phrases, you can take your first steps in becoming a Nihongo speaker as well. Here are a few to start out with: うれしい · Happy. Ai-sensei happily poses for a picture with her students, wearing yukatas, traditional Japanese attire. Photograph: Edna De Jesus. はし · Chopsticks. Nihongo class students use the chopsticks to transfer the nuts from one bowl to another. Photograph: Edna De Jesus. Vanessa De Leon Romana byes, talking about family, colors and telling the time. Once, Ai-sensei taught the class a song to help them remember the Japanese alphabet, to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. The first line went “a, i, u, e, ohayou, ka, ki, ku, ke, konnichiwa.” One class project was to take a short story, whether English or Filipino, and transliterate it in the Japanese alphabet using katakana. The students handwritten their transliterated short stories accompanied with pictures. When Ai-sensei entered the room, the class monitor said “kiritsu” and everyone stood up. With “rei”, the students bowed and greeted her: “sensei, konnichiwa!” Nihongo class what about to start – a sixty-minute class held twice a week. In these two hours of class every week are some of the most exciting moments of a ValMaScian’s grade 9 or 10 week. The class was supervised by a Japanese guest instructor from the Japan Foundation, the beautiful Ai Tanaka. Ai-sensei entered the class with the resident Nihongo teacher Mrs. Edna De Jesus. Ai-sensei bought a bag and placed it on the table, then wrote on the board the word はし. “Hashi,” she explained, “chopsticks. Sometimes you hear it as ohashi.” With the help of Mrs. De Jesus, she handed out chopsticks to everyone in the class. “You hold it like you hold a pencil,” she said, demonstrating how to hold chopsticks properly to the class. After demonstrating how to use chopsticks, Ai-sensei took out a bag of marshmallows and handed one to every student. Then chips, and then chocolate biscuits, which Ai-sensei turned into a game by dividing the class into two groups. Each person from the two groups were to grab one chocolate biscuit and eat it, and then go back to their seats – the group that finished first got the rest of the chocolate biscuits. And then another game – Ai-sensei bought out some nuts, and the group which could transfer the nuts from one bowl to another the fastest would win. Everyone was smiling and talking, and the occasional Nihongo expression could be heard – “oiishi”, which means delicious, or “ureshii”, meaning happy. As the hour drew to a close, the class monitor once again said “kiritsu”. And with “rei”, everyone stood up once again and bid the teachers farewell – “sensei, sayounara!” On other days, Ai-sensei would talk about katakana or hiragana, Japanese writing systems. She would also talk about numbers, saying hellos and good- “Ai-sensei talks about Japanese culture, values, traditions and manners.” But Nihongo class isn’t just about language, writing and speaking. Ai-sensei also talks about Japanese culture, values, traditions and manners. Before the class ate the marshmallows with chopsticks, Ai-sensei instructed the class to say “itadakimasu”, which she explained is like praying before you eat – it roughly means “thanks for the food.” Ai-sensei also bought traditional Japanese dresses to the class, which some of the students wore before they smiled, laughed and posed for the camera. Ai-sensei would teach students about origami, teaching the students to make frogs and stars. Ai-sensei once taught the class about a traditional Japanese festival, the Tanabata festival. Students, following Japanese tradition, wrote their wishes on slips of paper and hanged them on bamboo. Some students are anime lovers or otakus, and they say that the class helps them understand and appreciate more of what they already loved. From songs from their favorite anime, Nihongo class helps them understand more of what is being sung. Anyone who would attended the class would recognize the words being spoken without reading the subtitles. Manga reading was now richer and more fun to read since the students already know about katakana, making them appreciate Japanese culture more. nihongo · Japanese language nihonjin · Japanese people ohayou gozaimasu. Good morning konnichiwa. Good afternoon konbanwa. Good evening sayounara. Good-bye oyasuminasai. Good night arigatou gozaimasu. Thank you. sumimasen. Excuse me; I’m sorry. hajimemashite. How do you do? douzo yoroshiku. Nice to meet you. kawaii · cute sensei · teacher hashi · chopsticks oiishi · delicious tomodachi · friend ureshii · happy tabemono · food tanoshimi · excited But even those who aren’t anime enthusiasts or manga readers appreciate the class. Ask any student – they would say Nihongo class is always “utsukushi”. And if you ask them what “utsukushi” means, they would tell you that it means “wonderful”. And the students’ experience with Nihongo doesn’t end in those two hours every week, with “sensei, sayounara” – they take Nihongo outside the classroom, appreciating Japanese culture and recognizing its connections to Philippine culture. Even Ai-sensei learns in Nihongo class, learning Filipino phrases like “ako si Ai Tanaka”. She always ends the class with a smile on her face, and she always posts pictures of her students happily participating in the classroom activities. Truly, language is the soul of any culture – and when two cultures can speak a common language, connecting to each other isn’t difficult in the slightest sense. Nihongo class is another step towards global understanding and global communication. Feature » 9 5 » The Equilibrium » didn’t even have fish, goodbye to Mang Gaspar and goodbye to having only one faculty room in ValSci. It was not a difficult goodbye. A majority of the ValScian population was too young, at that time, to have memories of ValSci – twothirds were grade 7 and grade 8. But for the older years, leaving ValSci was difficult. It meant leaving the comfort zone, leaving memories behind, and embracing the unknown. Time passed. September 1, 2014 was the day ValMaSci was inaugurated. It was also my fourteenth birthday, which only made the day more memorable. s a speech at the inauPauline Bartolo. If January 27, 2014 was the day the promise made to the batches before us was fulfilled, then September 1, 2014 was the day the promise made to us was fulfilled. I can remember the excitement all of us felt on that day, for the parents and students to be in the school for the first time. And yes, the school was as expected. The school was the promise fufilled – the labs were state-of-the-art, the classrooms were spacious, the facilities were wonderful. And after a few weeks, ValSci quickly faded away. That was one year ago. November 27, 2014. Sir Nathan’s last day at ValMaSci. Photograph: Maria Cecilia Atok. “I still can’t accept the fact that we’ve only been in ValMaSci for one year. So many things have happened since we have moved, that time goes by so slowly.” December 18, 2014. ValMaSci’s first intramurals. Photograph: Dem Catapat. I still can’t accept the fact that we’ve only been in ValMaSci for one year. So many things have happened since we have moved, that time goes by so slowly. First it was science month, then the activity center was inaugurated, the earthquake drills, the tablet launching, and then ValMaSci’s first graduation. The entire time, Valenzuela looked to ValMaSci. The PIO took coverage of all of our major moments. The last year was filled with plenty of memorable and interesting moments. And here they are below – everything placed together. March 14, 2015. The cosplay portion of the Nihongo Matsuri. Photograph: Saira Sitjar. So that we might remember, that we might never forget the humble beginnings, that even though we are people with great minds, we have hearts that will never forget the generosity and teamwork that ValMaSci has produced. So that the future might know, that they may see our beginnings, and that they may know that everything great began small, that they might continue what we have started and make it better. September 1, 2015. One year older. One year of great things. One year that will be remembered by the years to come. May the years to come be better. June 18, 2015. A picture of the new computer lab built in the fourth floor. Photograph: Dem Catapat. 2015 science jina Atanacio. January 21, 2015. As part of Mayor Rex’s birthday celebration, he launches the tablets for use at VCSMS. Photograph: Maricon Sosa. November 13, 2014. The Valenzuela Rescue Team practices during ValMaSci’s first earthquake drill. Photograph: Valenzuela PIO. March 27, 2015. Bret De Leon, the valedictorian of Eximius, gives his speech at VCSMS’s first graduation ceremonies. Photograph: Valenzuela PIO. the p olymat h t h e c uber the SPORTSMAN the Board topper the stage artist Bret De Leon Mharr Justine Ampong Tyrone Pamiloza Ivy Elaine Cadalzo Kristofer Kliatchko Batch: Eximius (2015) Batch: Zion (2014) Batch: Enigma (2008) ValMaScian legends » Batch: Spectrum (2009) Batch: Optimus (2007) Of the hundreds of successful ValMaScian alumni, Equilibrium staffers picked five to chronicle the successes of. Lhiana Reign Bañares Denica Daniel Catapat Apelle Encomienda Carl Joshua Quines Jason Renz Barrios Arising from the sea of the hundreds of individuals of batch Eximius comes the valedictorian Bret De Leon. Bret, currently studying environmental science as a DOST scholar at Ateneo De Manila University, considers his win at the Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit (the HNTC) as one of his greatest successes. “Being a part of HNTC has been one factor on why I had been known better. Also, it was the first nation-wide contest that I had won. Not only it has been the greatest, but it was also the most memorable.” Said Bret, “since then, I started competing in different contests”. Another achievement that Bret achieved was he being the batch valedictorian. All of his efforts and sleepless nights in studying paid off. Some words of wisdom? “Just trust yourself na makakaya niyo yan. Wag makinig sa sinasabi ng iba. Wag ka papaapekto sa mga masasamang words at pagbabatikos sa iyo. Instead, gawin mo itong inspirasyon para ma-achieve mo ’yung goals mo. “Isa pa, kung hindi mo man magawa ngayon, tandaan mong marami pang opportunities o time para makuha mo ang gusto mo. Just strive lang and put your best efforts. Kasi everything naman will pay off at the end.” Mharr Justine Ampong is known for his unbelievably fast cube-handling records in solving the Rubik’s cube. He gained the nickname ‘Mamaw’ because he could solve the cube quickly. Back in 2013 when Ampong was in fourth year, he obtained new records in the national, continental and world levels. He ranked eighth nationwide in 3×3 Rubik’s cube, ranked sixth nationwide in Pyraminx category and seventh nationwide in 2×2 category. Throughout 2013, Ampong conquered numerous contests, including the Philippine Open 2013 where he was ranked third in 2×2 and second in one-hand 3×3. His speedcubing started when he joined a math competition in solving the cube. That time, his fastest record was only 40 seconds. He got inspired with his new discovered talent so he strived hard and practiced with the goal of solving faster in his mind. His biggest achievement was when he ranked third place in the Skewb with an average of 6.28 seconds on Febuary 8, 2014. Ampong shared his little secret to aspiring ValMaSci cubers, “Learn new techniques, practice, share knowledge with other cubers, and have fun. Discover your talents and master them.” Tyrone Pamiloza is a practicing clinician, who specializes in orthopaedics and occupational health. He is a licensed physical therapist both in the Philippines and in the United States. He graduated from Valenzuela City Science High School in 2008, the same year he became a sports awardee. This has given him the passion to become a physical therapist. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy at Our Lady of Fatima University in 2014. Back then, he was an active student leader, sportsman, and achiever. He ranked seventh out of 874 examinees across the country. This paved way for various opportunities for him to become a part of the academe. He moved to the United States in 2015 and passed the licensure examination. Currently, he runs a clinic at Layton, Utah and treats patients with musculoskeletal injuries and helps them to get back to their optimum functional capabilities. He is currently working on his clinical doctorate degree and manual therapy certification. His dream is to become a physical therapist for professional tennis players. He sees himself in the persona of characters like Holden Caulfield. He believes that people should “strive to be happy.” Ivy Elaine Cadalzo topped the geodetic engineering board exams last year. She graduated cum laude from UP Diliman, and is currently working as a research assistant at Phil-LiDAR2 Aquatic Resources Extraction. She is a person who always valued her family, and that her biggest achievement was making them proud, as well as inspiring other people in her own little ways. I talk to her to ask her a few questions about her life. In the colorful industry of theater and arts a ValScian alumnus is slowly taking on the limelight in the name of Mr. Kristofer Kliatchko. Kristofer graduated as part of batch Optimus, the pioneer batch of students that graduated in ValMaSci (formerly ValSci). In an interview, he said that he “graduated college from University of the Philippines Los Banos under the BS Human Ecology program of the College of Human Ecology. I took Human and Family Development as my major.” He is currently a member of Tanghalang Pilipino, the resident drama company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines established in 1987. It aims to elevate Philippine theatre that contemplates social realities through artistic expression. He was casted in the renowned stage plays in the country like Ibalong in 2013 and Sandosenang Sapatos last August 2014. He show that science high school students don’t just dominate the fields of science, technology and mathematics but can also excel in the music and performing arts scene in our country. He is a true inspiration for ValMaScian students who dream to become stage artists one day. What is your motto in life? Always believe in yourself and in everything that you can do. How exactly did believing in yourself help you in your student life? I think it helped a lot especially during the hard times. I became my own number one supporter of myself. In every hardship, in every deadline, every exam, I would always say to myself that I can do it and it somehow became my driving force to finish everything. What advice could you give to the students of ValMaSci who are currently struggling with their problems? Yes you can. Don’t give up, all is well. You will get through it. Nothing is impossible. Science » page 10 » June–December 2015 » The Equilibrium » SIPs: the key to discoveries Progress and innovation. SIPs hold the key to discovery, progress and innovation. They are simple tools to comprehend the complicated universe in which we live in. Illustration: Carl Joshua Quines. Lhiana Reign Bañares September 24, 2015 – the annual Division Science Quest was held at the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science, with the theme “A Science Nation Innovating for Global Competitiveness”. The gold medals from the four categories of science investigatory projects or SIPs, which ranged from Life Science (team and individual) to Applied Science (team and individual categories as well) were all successfully swept by ValMaScians in the said event. SIPs could range from simple queries such as how do day and night exist or to how solar panels can save our world from excessive releases of carbon in the atmosphere. Almost all science experiments performed by elementary to high school students to professional scientists, are investigatory projects. The parts of SIP vary depending on its origin or the nature of its topic, however, all these originated from a simple framework of the scientific process. The scientific process also varies, but the gist of the process remains the same. Scientific investigations begin with a simple query or purpose. Researchers ask themselves on what phenomena are they curious about and why do they want to study it. What may be the possible result of such phenomena? It may be the cure for cancer or the innovation the world was waiting for. Afterwards, the investigation continues by searching for similar phenomena or observations by other researchers. It is often placed in the chapter two of research paper with the heading “Review of Related Literature and Studies”. With technologies such as the internet and email, data gathering from around the world regarding queries is now easy. From the gathered information, the researcher becomes fully equipped with the knowledge needed in formulating hypotheses. Hypotheses are scientific guesses regarding the query. There are various types of hypotheses, they may be identified according to its function or its structure. Making hypotheses is a crucial part because it relies on the experimentation and data analysis. The experimentation refers to the testing of hypotheses. From this, the re- Angiogenesis: the new face of phytomedicine Lhiana Reign Bañares Railways, highways, roads, cars and traffic. These are just some of the common things that we encounter regarding transportation. Think about these in a smaller scale. Think about these things happening inside your body. What could these connections be? The circulatory system is the body’s organ system responsible for that transportation. The cars are the blood, carrying nutrients such as water and oxygen, and their destination is the heart, which pumps blood throughout the body. The highways themselves are the blood vessels, the passage of the blood. In real time situation, however, you can notice that there are constant, repairs, being made to our highways. The same happens in your body. There is a constant growth of blood vessels in you. The growth of blood vessels is now called angiogenesis. In early 1960s, Judah Folkman was thinking of new ways to fight cancer. “What if we cut out the supply of nutrients in the growing tumors?” Judah Folkman asked. Since blood vessels are important factors in growth, refraining them from reaching a specific body organ will cause that organ to fail. The same goes with tumors. Tumors would shrink and die without blood vessels. The scattering of cancer cells throughout the body can be avoided as well. Ju- dah Folkman used this concept to create a new phase in the study of medicine, which is now called anti-angiogenesis. Further improvements and studies in the field of angiogenesis are promising. Nowadays, there are anti-angiogenic therapies conducted on cancer patients to avoid the further growth of cancer. However, not only anti-angiogenic studies displayed beneficial effects. Pro-angiogenesis, the promotion of the growth of blood vessels, also showed significant roles in healing diseases such as atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, stroke, and even miscarriage. To test the pro and anti-angiogenic effect of some substances, a common way of doing so is through conducting a chick chorioallantoic membrane assay. In this assay, a substance is introduced to a chick embryo, and after growth, the number of blood vessels is counted. “Maybe, all we need is a little change to discover something big.” Sometimes, trying a new approach to something could be worth trying. It is all in the mattter of perspective, just like how Judah Folkman discovered angiogenesis. Maybe, all we need is a little change to discover something big. searcher sets the variables, or the parts of the phenomena which need to be manipulated in order to arrive at a consistent outcome. In research papers, theses, or even dissertations, this part can usually be found in chapter three with the heading “Methodology”. The steps or processes done during the experimentation will be recorded in this chapter. Subsequently, data gathering and data analysis will be done. The data which will be gathered are usually tangible by the researcher’s five senses, but with the advancement of technology, tons of data is gathered from phenomena which are usually invisible to our naked senses. One example is the molecular or microscopic parts of tangible materials around us. Finally, the data will be used in order to formulate a conclusion. The conclusion reveals if the hypothesis tested was correct or not. The conclusion must be based on the experimentation done. If not, bias may occur. Bias refers to prejudice made by the researcher regarding the phenomena being studied. Conducting SIPs for professionals or students has always been intensive. “It is very difficult. Even so, you’ll be amazed by the discoveries. Just like how simple things around us could possibly be a cure for an epidemic. Yes, it is very difficult because it requires patience and most of the data will be based upon your observation”, said Keart Juanillas, the division SSG president. “If you’re doing the reseach for the welfare of others and for the community, it becomes easier.” Likewise, Francis Marcos, a scholar from the University of the Philippines also stated that, “It’s very difficult to think of a concept, however, if you’re doing the research for the welfare of others and for the community, it becomes easier. It is quite challenging due to some factors, fundings, and such.” SIPs provides training for novice researchers or solutions for scientists. Some projects created by students are engineering systems that improve air quality on airplanes, or anti-bacterial doorknobs that use UV Technology, were winners at the recent Intel ISEF 2015. Many medical practitioners had been using intensive mathematics and its application to physics in order to create efficient medical apparati in order to help people infected with diseases. The product of this labor is the birth of new medical machines or treatments such as MRI scanners or chemotherapy. In the recently concluded Division Science Quest, research such as “Bone Char as an Additive to Hollow Blocks”, “Bactericidal Effect of Various Medicinal plants to E. coli”, and “Evaluation of Tap Water samples from various schools in Valenzuela” have been awarded. Indeed, SIPs are simple tools allowing people to study the universe they live in. As Stephen Hawking said, regarding the universe, “Is it difficult to comprehend? Perhaps. But I believe it is still worth trying.” With the continuous search of humanity for answers regarding existence and the nature we are living in, SIPs present a promising future to those who are ready to take up the challenge to discover the world. The cradle of Coronavirus Tracy Marie Moreno While the cradle of civilization begun in the western regions of Asia (specifically the ancient civilization of Sumeria), the cradle of the latest and quickest infecting strain from the large families of novel Coronaviruses was documented somewhere in the Middle East. The camels have roamed the beautiful deserts of Saudi Arabia until they became threats -- threats that have seemed harmless until it took too many lives. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. MERS-CoV is a viral respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Coronaviruses are large families of viruses that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Although majority of the cases are attributed by human-to-human infection, camels are the primary hosts of the virus but the exact roles and routes of transmission are still unknown. Strains of the virus identical to human strains have been isolated from camels in several countries, including Egypt, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Approximately 36 percent of the reported patients have already died and is still inflating because the disease is asymptomatic meaning that it does not show any symptom while it is still mild. Until more is understood about MERS-CoV, people with diabetes, renal failure, chronic lung disease, and im- The virus. An artist’s perception of the Coronavirus. Photograph: Getty Images. mune-compromised persons are considered to be at high risk of severe disease from MERS-CoV infection. These people should avoid contact with camels, drinking raw camel milk or camel urine, or eating meat that has not been properly cooked. WHO continues their search for the probable cure of the disease and responds to the outbreaks and healthcare facilities accordingly. WHO is coordinating the global health response to MERS, including the provision of updated information on the situation; and conducting risk assessments. While the camels that have roamed the beautiful deserts of Saudi Arabia seemingly got ill and spread the virus among humans, the threat that it has imposed did not put the people in trembling fear. Instead, the people are developing strategies to combat the disease and eventually find the reservoir of the virus. Although the cradle of ancient civilization became the cradle of the now famous Coronavirus, the birth of more unknown viruses are yet to come. The only way to put a stop to this is to find out how and where it happens. Science » 11 The Equilibrium » June–December 2015 » Bone char (Carbo animalis) as an additive to hollow blocks. Photograph: K Acierto. Rivera’s group used bone char as an additive to hollow blocks to increase their durability. Their results show that the hollow blocks they made with bone char were more durable than commercial blocks. Their research won first place in the Division Science Quest in the team category for physical science. Their proponents are Veronica Therese Rivera, James Jastine Solivio, Dianne Enriquez, Jake Dagoy and Krystelle Acierto. Hydroino 2.0: Arduino bluetooth shielded irrigation system. Photograph: Y Taguinod. Rodriguez’s group continued the research his sister started by upgrading it to the Hydroino 2.0, a system that automatically irrigates plants and controls the temperature of the plants. The system can also be contolled through bluetooth. Their research was one of ValMaSci’s official entries to the Regional Inventions Contests and Exhibits. Their proponents are Juan Roy Taguinod, Rio Gabriel Rodriguez, Divine-Kai Tan. Prototype pedestrian crosswalk barrier: a novel design to reduce pedestrian accidents. Photograph: Carl Joshua Quines. “I am very grateful to be a part of a school that made me explore the different possibilities of creating new materials out of pollution.” veronica therese rivera Evaluation of genotoxicity in tap water samples from public elementary schools in Valenzuela City Using Allium cepa chromosomal aberration assay. Photograph: Lhiana Reign Bañares. Lhiana Reign Bañares used an Allium cepa chromosmal aberration assay to evaluate the genotixicity of tap water in public elementary schools. She was concerned about the quality of tap water in schools, and she wanted to make sure that they were clean for children to use and to handle. Bañares’ research involved using Allium cepa, red onion, to test whether the tap water was clean. The advantage in using Allium cepa is that it can be done in any laboratory, without requiring a lot of expensive materials or equipment, making it suited for experimentation. Her results showed that most schools had a genotoxicity rate higher than 50%, while one school even had a genotoxocity rate of 100%. Her research won first place in the Division Science Quest in the individual category for life science. This year in research Science editor Tracy Marie Moreno talks to VCSMS’s researchers to compile the most interesting and most thought-provoking research projects that ValMaSci has produced this 2015. Quines’ group found out that road injury is the ninth leading cause of death in the world. They noticed that Philippine elementary students often walk home after school, which is dangerous. They made a barrier that goes down to block crossing when the pedestrian light is red, and goes up to allow crossing when the pedestrian light is green, to make crossing the street safer. Their team also included a speaker with the barrier to act as a guide for those who have poor eyesight. Their research was one of the three official entries of ValMaSci in the Regional Inventions Contests and Exhibits, a contest sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology. Their proponents are Carl Joshua Quines, Sophia Dominique Dizon, Marc Errol Añon and Vincent Cabalar. “I am very happy to be part of a school that is very active and productive in the field of research. I hope that our school continues to make contributions to the scientific field.” carl joshua quines Multi-faceted window design: Arduino controlled emergency escape window design using MQ-2 smoke sensor circuit. Photograph: Alec Denji Santos. Potential of Tubang bakod seeds, Makabuhay vines, Kakawate leaves and Ylangylang flower extracts for treating different variety of woods for furniture. Photograph: Ranzmae German. German’s team combined several plant extracts to treat wood furniture, making them more durable. Their research won first place in the Division Science Quest in the team category for physical science. Their proponents are Ranzmae German, Vingalliah Palao, Jhade Diaz, Grace Garganera and Grace Uligan. Bactericidal effect of combined extract of Santol (Sandoricum koetjape) pulp, Avocado (Persea americana) seeds, and Pineapple (Ananas comosus) core against Escherichia coli. Photograph: Kelly Guardiano. Guardiano’s group combined extracts of common Philippine plants as a bactericidal against E. Coli. Their research won first in the Division Science Quest in the team category for life science. Their proponents are Kelly Marie Guardiano, Kate Bautista, Glyza Arañez, Matthew Davis Materum and Junielle Cagadas. Santos’ group was inspired by the Kentex factory fire that happened on May 13, 2015. They thought of a way that could potentially have saved the 70 civilians who died that day because they couldn’t find a way to escape the burning building. They designed a window that will open in case of an emergency, primarily when it detects smoke from a fire, to act as an emergency exit. The window is powered by an Arduino and hydraulics were used to open it automatically. Their research was named the third runner-up in the Regional Inventions Contests and Exhibits, and the invention was featured in 24 Oras. Their proponents are Alec Denji Santos, Kaila Nicole Jaucian, Simon Clark Carillo, Daryl Talabo and Ma. Theresa Angela Gaviola. A chance of existence: water on Mars Tracy Marie Moreno “How can we be so arrogant? The planet is, was, and always will be stronger than us. We can’t destroy it; if we overstep the mark, the planet will simply erase us from its surface and carry on existing. Why don’t they start talking about not letting the planet destroy us?” —Paulo Coelho, The Winner Stands Alone The genesis of life on Earth was and will always be a miraculous phenomenon but the discovery of other worlds and a mound of possibility of life in it – even more. One of mankind’s greatest triumphs is the discovery of planet Mars. Over the years, scientists, researchers and astronomers wandered through the wilderness of the ‘red planet’ with limited information. Speculations, rumors and hypothesis were built regarding the planet’s extensive features that could eventually support life. Thanks to NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, definite surface water on Mars was confirmed by the scientists of NASA last September 29, 2015. The orbiter has a HiRise camera mounted on it named as the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). The birth of this new technology paved way for clearer evidences on the surface of the red planet. Apparently, ‘dark streaks’ were observed from the surface of Mars posed Streaks of hope. Dark, chemical streaks on Mars’ surface may indicate water on the red planet. Photograph: NASA. as hints of water five years ago. Unfortunately, these weren’t supported by some scientists due to insufficient data from the chemical composition of ‘dark streaks’. As the number of curious scientists over this matter grew, expensive efforts were extended on creating high uality instruments to prove the many hypotheses. Furthermore, the ‘dark streaks’ are actually “Recurrent Slope Lineae” (RSL) which are possible flow paths of water on Mars. The appearance of RSL only happens annually in certain patterns of the Martian years. The orbiter could decide if it will observe from a closer distance. “If we can go within 20 meters, we can zap it with a laser,” Dr. Green said, referring to an instrument that identifies material inside a rock by the colors of light it emits as it is vaporized. “Then we can learn much more about the details what’s in those RSLs. If we can get closer and actually scoop it up, that would be even better.” The features of flowing water were actually hydrated salts (which contain water in its structure) are evidences that an underground reservoir of evaporated brine actually exists on Mars. “The source of water remains unclear”, said Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. Moreover, history provides a clearer possibility on this discovery. Marte Vallis, a large water channel system on Mars, is somewhat similar to the Mississippi River. Mud and clays existed in Marte Vallis, which may support the evidence that a larger body may have once flown through it. Scientists proposed that the evolution of the planet may have caused the bodies of water to seep underground the surface of Mars. The discovery of the existence of water had also led to deeper scientific speculations such as the existence of microbes on the planet. “The existence of liquid water, even if it is super salty briny water, gives the possibility that if there’s life on Mars, that we have a way to describe how it might survive,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA. Although the existence of living organisms on this planet is vague, it is still considered not to be refuted. Out of this speculation, Mars Curiosity Rover (MCR) has detected methane on the surface of Mars, suggesting possibility of past and present lives, such as Methanogens of Archaebacteria. From the millions of queries that baffled the minds of the geniuses and the ordinary, a single point of data could answer a probability. The mysteries of the universe hold more unsolved puzzles yet to be discovered. While the water on the surface of Mars tickled the curiosity of mankind, is the possibility of life on Mars ever possible? 12 » SCIENCE » News June–December 2015 » The Equilibrium » Sipnayaw struts in Juicy Cologne Dance Competition James Jastine Solivio Style. Sipnayaw struts their style in the competition. Photograph: Faiza Asilum. Sci enti f ic V ie w p o ints How ASEAN integration is important for innovation Lhiana Reign Bañares The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which focused on the economic aspects of each participating country, is now on the verge of achieving the goal of regional economic integration by the end of this year. In order to prepare the youth for such integration, the ASEAN Community has been hosting youth camps since the previous years. This year, the ASEAN Community hosted a three-day seminar entitled the ASEAN Youth Forum (AYF) with the theme of “Moving towards High Quality Education ASEAN Beyond 2015”. In this year’s ASEAN Youth Forum, two students, Axirazel Lorenzo and Lhiana Reign Bañares, from ValMaSci have been chosen to be part of the Philippine delegation team to Bangkok, Thailand from September 7 up to 11, 2015. “The ASEAN integration could be a substantial tool for achieving a sustainable future..” The ASEAN integration could be a substantial tool for achieving a sustainable future, which requires a high quality of education in each country. In such aspect, the ASEAN integration may also be the key in order to achieve a great leap in the field of Science and Technology in Southeast Asia. The ASEAN Youth Forum In the recently concluded ASEAN Youth Forum, student from different countries (Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines) were gathered in Bangkok, Thailand to participate in a three-day seminar hosted by student leaders from ASEAN Youth Junior. The first day was composed of the opening ceremony and the ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook (ACS) hunt which focused on inculcating the five themes of ACS to the delegates. The second day was comprised of the School Visit and Cultural Performance Exchange. In the School Visit, the student leaders were sent to five different schools in Thailand in order to share the details and virtues regarding the ASEAN integration and ACS’s themes to Thai students. In the evening, the students showcased each of their country’s pride during the Cultural Performance Exchange. The final day marked the setting of the new ASEAN identities made by the student leaders who participated in the forum. Also, the students created a mini-museum composed of artworks and presentations from the five themes of ACS. The ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook From the curriculum survey, five themes prevailed and these constitute the five chapters of the ACS: Knowing ASEAN, Valuing Identity and Diversity, Connecting Global and Local, Promoting Equity and Justice, and Working Together for a Sustainable Future. These were agreed upon through consensus of ASEAN member states and reflect the goals of the ASEAN Community, support the purpose of the curriculum, and help teachers keep sight of essential points for learners to know, understand, and be able to act upon. “Recognizing the pressures brought about by limited resources and growing populations, and the implications for sustainability, while inspiring learners to work together within their communities and beyond so they might build a prosperous, peaceful, and sustainable future for ASEAN” was the description of the theme “Working Together For a Sustainable Future” in the ACS. Since most ASEAN countries are focused on its agricultural aspect, few are focused on industrialization in order to gather a greater profit. Being a tropical region, many Southeast Asian countries are rich in biodiversity. With regards to such, many industrial countries are only using raw materials from agricultural countries. However, many factors affect agricultural countries for not being able to steadily be focused on industrializing. ASEAN integration With differences in culture, religion, and practices, how can the ASEAN cope up with the challenges of the 21st century? With the nearing ASEAN integration 2015, the ASEAN community embarks on a mission to grow in aspects not only in economy but also in education. ASEAN scholars and professionals may well be united, causing progress in the field of science and technology. Instead of working in foreign regions, many soon to be professionals may have a greater opportunity to work in Southeast Asia. One good example is the progress in Singapore. From a third world country during 1965, it has now transformed into a first world country, with two of its universities in the top 5 QS University Ranking Asia 2015. With the open free trade to different countries, Singapore has been the hotspot for big companies to invest in. With proper and strict governance by Lee Kuan Yew, the country’s first prime minister, the country was able to transform to become the best country in Southeast Asia. “With … the ASEAN integration, many advancements could be made by future generations.” With such opportunities awaiting to happen in the ASEAN integration, many advancements could be made by the future generations. Various discoveries may be awakened and innovations to give birth to are waiting in the future. The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science’s (VCSMS) Sipnayaw Dance Troupe showed off their talents as they joined the Juicy Cologne Interschool Dance Competition last August 22, 2015 held in the Trinoma Activity Center. The Sipnayaw Dance Troupe, the official dance group of VCSMS, received the invitation of Juicy Cologne through a memorandum. Then, they prepared themselves afterward for the elimination rounds. Doing their best in the elimination round held at the Amorado Stadium in Quezon City, the dance troupe advanced to the finals, taking a spot in the top seven. After days of preparation, the Sipnayaw dance troupe was announced as second place among the seven other competitors in the grand finals where the actress and the product endorser of Juicy Cologne, Kathryn Bernardo, and the actor and dancer John Prats were present to endorse the product. “We don’t dance to impress, but we dance to express”, said Loella Mae Robles, president of the Sipnayaw dance troupe. “In every dance we do, we do for a reason, and the greatest reason is we dance is for God”, she added. The Sipnayaw dance troupe consisted of eleven members, was led by Loella Mae Robles, and were trained by Mrs. Cynthia Soledad Aspe, the MAPEH coordinator of VCSMS. VCSMS rules reading proficiency tilt Joshua Luna The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science dominated the Division Level Reading Proficiency Contest, held at the Valenzuela National High School last November 26, 2015. Out of the 21 schools that participated in the competition, both grade 7 student Maria Gwen Muska Cuisa Caparas, under the supervision of Ms. Helen Pamatian, and grade 9 student Adrian Matthew Poblete, under the supervision of Mrs. Ma. Teresita Mercado, won first place in the tilt. Both grade 8 student Rushaid Ezekiel Elizano, under the supervision of Mrs. Josephine Francisco, and grade 10 student Leal Christian Juat, under the supervision of Mrs. Allen Ann Delica, won second place. The contestants were overjoyed with their victory. Grade 9 student trainer Mrs. Mercado remarked, “We performed very well this year. The students’ efforts paid off very well. Although it’s quite lamentable that Leal was close to winning by just one point.” Contestants Maria Gwen Caparas and Adrian Matthew Poblete, who topped the division for grades 7 and 9, will compete in the regional reading proficiency tilt which will be held in January of the next year. The said contestants were selected through a classroom-based screening and underwent series of trainings which focused on reading comprehension as preparation for the contest. VCSMS conducts first Buwan ng Wika Nagliliyab. Section Maxwell partakes in the Sabayang Pag-awit competition. Photograph: Jason Barrios. Carl Joshua Quines The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science celebrated the first Buwan ng Wika from August 2 to September 2, 2015. The Filipino club, the Kapisanan ng Literatura at Wika, led the celebrations for the month. Section Maxwell won the S abayang Pag-awit, wherein several students from each section sung different Filipino songs. Curie won second place and Morgan won third place in the said competition. Researchers… Continued from page 1 discussed different ideation tools and techniques, and the IP or Intellectual Property Rights and Patent System. “Di namin inexpect na makukuha kami sa RICE para irepresent yung school at mananalo”, said Gaviola, who was ecstatic about winning. “Nakakatuwa at ang sarap sa pakiramdam na na-appreciate ng iba yung project.” Santos’s group built and designed a window that will open in case of an emergency, primarily when it detects smoke from a fire, to act as an emergency exit. The window is powered by an Arduino and hydraulics were used to Other activities which were held during the month were the Filpop singing competition, Pagbigkas at Paggawa ng Tula, Pagguhit ng Komiks, Pagsulat ng Sanaysay and Larong Kalye. Each section also produced and created a short film for the ValMaSCINE, the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science film festival. The entries ranged from horror films to comedies, dramas and romances. The winning short film was Mrs. Ayala, which was produced by 10-Maxwell, winning Best Picture, Best Editing, and Best Actress, Iris Sofia Selma. Other notable films were GAME!, produced by Schrödinger, Semikolon, prodcued by Meyer, Cinderella at ang Pitong Binabae by Leeuwenhoek, Patay na Pangarap by Riemann, If It Last by Rutherford, Anak Patawad by Pythagoras, Playground by Watson, Laro ng Tadhana by Archimedes, Satsujin by Faraday, Huling Patak ng Luha by Curie, Klasmeyt by Mendel and Malas by Morgan. The event could not be possible without the cooperation and effort of the officers of the Filipino Club, with their adviser Ms. Irish Ivan Eiichi, as well as the Filipino Department. open it automatically; the other materials used were an MQ2 smoke sensor and scrap materials were recycled to build the window. Santos’ group was inspired by the Kentex factory fire which happened on May 13, 2015. Their group believed that the window could have potentially saved the 70 civilians whom died that day, the cause of death being the inability to find a way to escape the burning building. Quines’ group built a prototype barrier that blocks crosswalks when the pedestrian light is red, and opens when the pedestrian light is green. The barrier is powered by Gizduino, similar to the Arduino, and motors were used to open the barriers; the other materials used to build the prototype were recycled. “When we found out that road injury is the ninth leading cause of death in the world, we decided to make something to prevent it”, said Quines. “We also observed that so many elementary students walk home from school alone, and we wanted to build something to give them peace of mind when crossing the street.” Taguinod’s group built a prototype of a system that automatically irrigates plants and controls the temperature of the plants, which can also be controlled using the Bluetooth technology. The students’ successes could not be possible without the assistance of Mrs. Juliana Alvarez, research adviser of Santos’ and Quines’ groups, as well as Mrs. Nerissa Raymundo, research adviser of Taguinod’s group. news » 13 The Equilibrium » June–December 2015 » AXIS competes in 14th PRO Vincent Cabalar The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (ValMaSci) showcased againtheir skills in robotics, being named as a finalist in the recently held 14th Philippine Robotics Olympiad with the theme “Robot Explorers” last September 10 and 11, 2015 at the fourth floor of the SM City North Edsa Annex. Thirty students from grade 7 to grade 10, forming team AXIS, worked together to build a collaborative team project required for the PRO’s Open Category for the high school level. The project consisted of three prototype robots and a booth aligned to the event’s theme. The prototypes were named PH-SAT, PH-99 and SOAR, prototypes aimed to aid exploration of outer space. The three robots worked with each other to survey the planet that is intended to be explored. PH-99 is a robotic arm that scientists can use to control the rovers that are currently exploring a certain planet. SOAR is the rover itself, which can take rock samples and pictures of the surroundings and send the data to PH-99 and PH-SAT. PH-SAT is the satellite which collects the data gathered by SOAR, relaying it to PH-99 and the station at Earth. Team AXIS setup its booths on the morning of September 10, and presented their work in the afternoon. Three members from the team presented their work: Mikaella Bautista, Aldrich Gerald Gatbunton and Juan Miguel Rivera. For the Regular High School category, AXIS sent two teams to participate. The theme was “Treasure Hunt”, and the objective was to build and program a robot, on the spot, which would pick up blocks of different colors, and avoid blocks of other colors. The members of team A were Juan Roy Taguinod, Arzel Herrera and Jan ValMaSci tops 2015 NAT Christian Torres. The members of team B were Divine Kai-Tan, Rain Alexsandria Bauza and Omar Dela Cruz. However, none of the teams won. As Juan Miguel Rivera, president of the Robotics Guild, said, “Sobrang masaya pa rin kami kahit hindi namin nasungkit ang kampeonato dahil naipresenta namin ang aming school [ValMaSci] sa ganitong kompetisyon.” The success of the team’s projects, in both Open and Regular categories, would not be possible without the guidance of the Robotics Guild adviser, Mr. Albert Tolentino, as well as with the cooperation of the members of AXIS. YES-O, scouts join International Coastal Clean Up Carl Joshua Quines The Youth for Environment in Schools Organization (YES-O), Faculty Club members, the Senior Scouts of the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (ValMaSci) joined the 2015 International Coastal Clean Up which was held last September 20. The 2015 International Coastal Clean Up was organized by the Ocean Conservancy Philippines. Organizations such as the Red Cross, the Philippine Navy and the Senior Scouts, private organizations, and even faculty clubs also joined the said activity. The event was a milestone in the history of the YES-O for it became true to its goal in showing love for the environment. The club introduced the value of helping through the said clean-up drive. Dozens of participants from ValMaSci shared their time and effort in picking up litter, cleaning, and sweeping the bay. They were joined by Ms. Maria Teresa Atanacio, the prolific adviser of ValMaSci’s YES-O club. The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science reigned once again in the National Achievement Test, as the fourth year ValMaScian students took their exam last March 5, 2015. The batch 2015 of VCSMS, also known as batch Eximius, gained an overall mean percentile score (MPS) of 78.07, followed by Canumay West National High School which gained an overall MPS of 53.52. Out of the 19 public high schools in Valenzuela City, VCSMS placed first in the ranking for the school with the highest MPS; of the 14 science high schools in NCR, VCSMS ranked second, Parañaque Science High School, first with an MPS of 83.17, and the third was Pasay City Science High School with an MPS of 76.52. Eximius garnered an MPS of 77.38 for Filipino, 70.89 for Social Studies, 92.81 for Mathematics, 41.33 for Science, 68.91 for English and 76.14 for Critical Thinking, all of which are higher compared to the other schools in Valenzuela. After months of preparing for the NAT, students took their day-long examinations in their respective schools. This success would not be possible without the aid and guidance of everyone whom helped Eximius prepare and review for the NAT. ESP club bags second in ESP float making contest Andrew Demition Cleaning up. ValMaScians smile for the camera while cleaning up at the bay. Photograph: ICC Philippines. ValMaSci conducts annual National Reading Month Carl Joshua Quines The English Club and the Reading Society conducted ValMaSci’s Reading Month 2015 last November 5 to 27, 2015, spearheading the multiple activities which aimed to increase attention to reading and love for literature. A book fair was held on November 25, wherein the English Club officers facilitated a book donation campaign. The books ranged from novels, paperbacks, comic books to coloring books. The Book Fair was led by the club adviser, Mrs. Angelica Tanio. Other activites were the Declamation Contest, wherein Iris Sofia Selma won first place, an Oration Contest wherein Louis Pesquerra won first place, and a Grammar and Literature Quiz Bee. In the Spelling Bee, Adrian Matthew Poblete won first place, followed closely by Levi Azriel Degaños, and Kenneth Ko for third. In the Poetry Writing Tilt, Ervin Beni- James Jastine Solivio Not yet. Pasteur performs in the speech choir competition. Photograph: Cecilia Atok. tez won first; Kaiser Tolentino won second, and Mikaella Bautista won third. In the Booth Making competition, 9-Pasteur won first place, Descartes and Pythagoras won second and third respectively. A Speech Choir Competition was also held. Each class was given a month to prepare and memorize the piece, “‘Like the Molave’’ by Rafael Zulueta de Costa. In the overall ranking, Rutherford was named first, Riemann second and Arnisto… Continued from page 1 Ecstatic. Journalists hold their trophies for the camera. Photograph: Veronica Rivera. and Vincent Cabalar for News Writing. Seventh place were James Jastine Solivio for Copyreading and Headline Writing, Ceazar Ian Crucillo for Pagsulat ng Isports, and Anton Van Herrera for Pagsulat ng Balita. The VCSMS English Radio Broadcasting team composed of Aldrin Dizor, Veronica Rivera, Duane Madriñan, Levi Degaños, Xandra Marie Villareal, Iris Sofia Selma, and Carl Joshua Quines was declared as the overall champion in the broadcasting and scriptwriting category. The team grabbed the first place for the Best Anchor, Best Technical Application, Best Infomercial, Best Script and second, sixth and seventh prizes for the Best News Presenter. Maxwell third, while per year level, Riemann, Pasteur, Rutherford and Maxwell won for their respective grade level. The said event was possible through the efforts of the teachers of the English Department; and the officers and members of the English Club and the Reading Society. Meanwhile, as part of the National Reading Month Celebration, the Filipino Department held its various Division Level Contests at the Valenzuela City Astrodome last November 28, 2015. ValMaSci was hailed as the second place over-all. Jason Renz Barrios and Jeremy Calzado were named champion for Malikhaing Pagsulat ng Kwentong Pambata. Kathleen Bartolo won Best Skit for the Cosplay. Mrs. Lorna Hortizuela and Ms. Rowena Francisco also won second place for the writing of the E-Modyul. The selected students from grades 9 and 10 grabbed the first runner-up in the Filipino Jingle contest, and third for the lyrics writing contest. ValMaSci’s English Collaborative Publishing team, members Carl Joshua Quines, Denica Catapat, Lhiana Reign Bañares, Vincent Cabalar, Joshua Luna and Faiza Asilum, won second place for the Best Layout and fifth place overall. The members of the Filipino Radio Broadcasting team won third place in overall production and first place for Best Infomercial. The Filipino Collaborative Publishing team won sixth place overall, with members Ceazar Ian Crucillo, Ayron Herrera, Kenneth Bello, Kenneth King Ko, Noreen De Jesus, Cheriline Garcia and Khrystyn Manuel. Participating in the DSSPC were Rain Alexsandria Bauza for Pagkuha ng Larawan and Kayceelyn Britaña for Pagwawasto at Pag-uulo ng Balita. Training the teams were Mrs. Maria Cecilia Almariego-Atok for English and Ms. Irish Ivan Eiichi for Filipino. ESP club officers and members with the help of adviser Mrs. Gheraldine Villareal of the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science bagged second place in the ESP Float Making Contest, held at Bignay National High School. The awarding was held at the Valenzuela City People’s Park. The float paraded from the Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela Branch to the 3S Alert Center located in Malinta. ValMaSci’s float consisted of 20 live characters with different themes. Danielle Aurea Calixto, President of the ESP club, said that they (officers and members) designed the float for three days and two nights. Scouts gather in 16th NSJ James Jastine Solivio About 21 000 scouts from different parts of the Philippines gathered once again around the campfire as they took part in the 16th National Scout Jamboree with the theme “Peace and Development Through Scouting” held at Tagum City, Davao del Norte last October 24– 30, 2015. Twenty eight scouts and scouters from Valenzuela City also participated in the 5-day encampment including Sct. Adrian Matthew Poblete and Sctr. Albert Tolentino of Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science. In the grand opening ceremony, Mayor Allan L. Rellon who serves as the camp chief of jamboree, together with the guests including Vice President of the Philippines and President of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines Jejomar Binay, Saranggani Representative Manny Pacquiao, and former Philippine National Police-Special Action Force chief Gen. Getolio Napeñas, Jr., greeted the scouts with a warm welcome by a salute. Aside from Filipino scouts and scouters, 100 scouts from ten countries also participated as visiting delegations, which included Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, and others. During the camp, series of activities, lectures, and trainings were held which aided the scouts in developing their skills. 14 » news ValMaSci recognizes new SSG officers June–December 2015 » The Equilibrium » De Vera qualifies for School Head Sherina Shyra Ramos Denica Daniel Catapat After the school-based voting for the new Supreme Student Government (SSG) officers, students of Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science recognized the new set of officers of the student body. The two parties running were SEGA (Students Engaged in Good Alliance) and DOTA.LE (Disciplined Officers in Tactics and Alliance with Leadership and Excellence). DOTA.LE is a long-standing party continuing running, while SEGA is a party that was reformed out of the members of the Ako Mismo party last year, returning to run after several years. The LOL (League of Leaders) party did not return to run for the SSG this year. Mikaella Bautista of SEGA won over Genesis Arnisto of DOTA.LE for the position of president. Micaela Eduvala of DOTA.LE won over Jhon Bensig of SEGA for the vice president external, while Franklin Duane Madriñan of SEGA is the vice president internal. Miguel Del Carmen of DOTA.LE won over Grace Juat of SEGA for the position of secretary, Gifty Ruzette Villamar of SEGA won as treasurer, while Ian Merrel Patarata of SEGA won as auditor. Ceazar Ian Crucillo of DOTA.LE holds the position of peace officer, beating Leal Christian Juat of SEGA. Clarice Sumayao of SEGA is the newly elected public information officer. The representatives for each grade level are John Rose dela Cruz for grade 7, Hannah Nierva for grade 8, Adrian Matthew Poblete for grade 9, and Harold Moreno for grade 10, all from the party of SEGA. The voting of the SSG officers was held last March 2015 where all students voted in the computer laboratory after the short program and introduction of candidates. A miting de avance was also held, where candidates answered questions posed by students. ValmaSci’s ever indefatigable Head Teacher of the Science Department, Mr. Jaime Serrano De Vera, Jr., passed the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) which he took at Ramon Magsaysay High School, Cubao, Quezon City, last October 25, 2015. The NQESH was taken for four hours straight by credentialed teachers to prove that they are qualified to lead a school. The exam inclludes school leadership, instructional leadership, student-centered, human resources, community management, and school management questions. The list of qualifiers was posted on the NQESH website with the qualifiers’ complete names, unranked. Their final scores will be personally sent to them through email. Mr. De Vera is teaching for 12 years now. He started his career in the pub- ValMaSci holds SHS Convergence Carl Joshua Quines The first Senior High School Convergence was held last October 14–16, 2015, at the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (ValMaSci) in preparation for the senior high school phase of the K-12 curriculum. Several students from the different schools of the divsion of Valenzuela came to ValMaSci as different schools within the area that offered senior high school setup booths. The grade 10 students then went from booth to booth to decide their choice of senior high school, as well as their track and specialization for senior high. About 36 public and private schools, all within Valenzuela or near Valenzuela, were present in the convergence. ValMaSci, as well as other schools set up and introduced its booth at ValMaSci’s activity center to showcase to prospective senior high school students the various tracks and strands of the K to 12 curriculum. ValMaSci will be offering the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand under the academic track, and is expected to accept 120 students for grade 11. Other notable schools attendees which graced the Senior High School Convergence were Valenzuela National High School, Our Lady of Fatima University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela, Bobby and Kates Academy, among several others. An orientation was also given on the first day of the event before the students went to the booths. Several speeches regarding career orientation and picking tracks were made, and the students were then escorted to the activity center. Students were also joined by their respective parents and guardians in the orientation of senior high school. This event was a collaboration of the Department of Education and the Valenzuela City Government. Principal-to-be. James De Vera welcomes the guests. Photograph: Tessa Atanacio. lic sector at Valenzuela National High School (VNHS) before he moved and stayed at ValSci. One of his achievements as a teacher was when he became one of the advisers of students who competed in the International Exhibition of Inventors. As of now, Mr. De Vera doesn’t have any specific school in mind, but he is grateful and he will do his best to lead whatever school he will be a school head in. “Send me Lord, kahit saan”, he said. If the time comes that he will be designated to a school, he said that his legacy as a principal will be to give full attention for his students’ welfare. In addition to his first goal as a principal, he stated that he will modify and polish the mission and vision of the school he will be assigned in. His guiding motto in life comes from a Bible verse, from Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things with Christ who strengthens me”. ValMaSci conducts United Nations Month Carl Joshua Quines The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science has once again celebrated the United Nations Month last November 4, 2015, with the theme “Baliktanaw sa Kasaysayang Bumalangkas sa Bansa Tungo sa Aktibong Pakikibahagi sa Pandaigdigang Samahan”. The officers and members of the Araling Panlipunan Club, with its adviser, Mrs. Edna De Jesus, oversaw the smooth conduct of the event. Several competitions were held throughout the month of October to raise nationalism awareness and the role of the Philippines in the world stage, as well as to raise consciousness of the other nations of the world. In the Flag Identification Contest, Bea Ericka Dulay won first place, followed by Jeremy De Ocampo for second and Eunice Ingrid Cleofas for third. For the Portrait of a Hero Contest, students drew a portrait of their chosen hero, whether from the Philippines or from other nations. Angelina Montes won first place in the competition, followed by Rae Koleen Olaes and Trina Ordoñez for second and third. In the Slogan Making Contest, Jason Renz Barrios won first place, followed by Jeremy Calzado and Dave Simon Jacinto for second and third place, respectively. In the History Quiz Bee, students Bold. Aldrin Dizor, first placer in the Your Hero Looks Familiar competition, makes a statement to the audience as Tandang Sora. Photograph: Edna De Jesus. from various grade levels formed four-member groups to answer various history questions about the topics discussed in Araling Panlipunan. The group of Christopher Mark Bauso, Justine Gil Acanto, Lee Aeron Santos and Jeremy Lyka Agmat won first place, followed by the group of Marc Alric Lim, Jeynor Piolo Baylon and Miguel Karlos Del Carmen. Paris Dela Cruz, Jillian Barrio, Van Ramuel Nicolas and Jana Raven Valenzuela won third place. For the Collage Making competition, the section of 7-Descartes won first place, followed by 10-Schrödinger and 10-Thomson for second and third. In the PictoQuiz, students identified a given nation from four pictures. The group of students from 7-Descartes won first, followed by the groups from 7-Pythagoras and 8-Lamarck. A spoken word competition was also held, the ValMaScian Speaks, the theme was about romaticizing nationalism. The five finalists performed in the culminating event after an elimination round. Jhanryme Decilio won first place, followed by Harold Moreno and Jason Renz Barrios for second and third. The main event of the month was the Your Hero Looks Familiar, where students cosplayed as various heroes from history. Aldrin Dizor won first, cosplaying as Tandang Sora. John Rey Ibañez won second as Apolinario Mabini and Ceazar Ian Crucillo won third as Padre Burgos’s head, the body being Loella Mae Robles. Genesis Arnisto, the president of the Araling Panlipunan Club, said it was challenging to lead the event. “Mahirap mamuno sa ganitong event, pero masaya pa rin dahil successful ang naging kinalabasan ng aming pinaghirapan at pinaghandaan.” The event could not be possible without the cooperation of each member of the Araling Panlipunan Club. Logronio named one of Most Responsible Public Servants Carl Joshua Quines Mr. Augusto Logronio was named as one of 2015’s Most Responsible Public Servants last December 19, 2015 at the Valenzuela City Auditorium, for his service as a Mathematics teacher in the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science. He was awarded with other teachers that were given the same honor. Of the two dozen public high schools in Valenzuela, and the hundreds of teachers of Mathematics, Logronio was the only person cited for Most Responsible High School Mathematics Teacher. The Supervisors as well as the Schools Division Superintedent judged the achievements of each teacher. According to Logronio, “Ang pagtanggap ng bagong karangalan ay isa ring bagong responsibilidad para sa akin.” His excellence in his work can be clearly reflected in the work of his students, from the NAT mean percentile score of 92.81 in Mathematics, the highest in Valenzuela, to the students he trains to come home victors in their national and international levels. His attitude when it comes to teaching according to him, could be described as “patient and forgiving, even though mistakes are highly possible.”. This achievement brings pride to the Mathematics Department, which continuously supports the Mathematics teachers of ValMaSci like Sir Log. Responsible. Augusto Logronio (third from left) accepts the award of Most Responsible Public Servant at the Valenzuela City Auditorium. Photograph: Irish Ivan Eiichi. Barrios triumphs in BSP Essay Writing Competition Carl Joshua Quines Jason Renz Barrios has once again bought honor to the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science, as he was awarded first place in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Essay Writing Competition, for writing a short essay with the theme “Karunungan sa Pananalapi para sa Kabataan”. He was also recognized for his essay at the Valenzuela City Library Hub last July 29, 2015. Barrios was overjoyed in his win over the 18 representatives from the other schools in the division of Valenzuela. He participated in the regional level of the competition, representing Valenzuela, last August 29, 2015. The theme of the regional level of the competition was “Matalinong Paggamit ng Piso para sa Pag-Asenso”. He trained himself steadfastly for several weeks before the conduct of the regional competition proper. As Barrios said, “Isa itong espesyal na pagkakataon para sa akin sapagkat totoo namang nakaka-inspire ang pagsulat ng isang sanaysay lalo na kung patungkol sa ikauunlad ng kapuwa nating Pilipino.” His essay was about the economic development of the Philippines, as well as the importance of financial literacy and how this affects the youth of today. His essay highlighted the multiple economic problems present in the nation, and what the youth of today can do to help solve these problems, through becoming financially aware of these. Barrios improved his essay over the days leading to the deadline of the submission with the aid of the teachers of the Filipino Department. His success could not be possible without the aid of the teachers of the Filipino Department, namely Ms. Rowena Francisco and Mr. Robert Allan Mercado, Filipino Department Coordinator, for editing Barrios’ essay. Sports » 15 The Equilibrium » June–December 2015 » The path to victory: “I felt [like I was] floating on water as I stepped up the podium and received my medal.” how our judokas became part of the Philippine team Sports editor Denica Catapat talks to ValMaSci’s resident judokas to outline their path to become a part of the best judo players in the Philippines. Denica Daniel Catapat The Judokas of Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (ValMaSci) had once again proved to the whole nation that they were entitled to be called the country’s best judo players when they defended the championship in the annual Batang Pinoy 2015 National Games whichwas held in Malolos, Bulacan. Sean Levyn Panganiban grabbed the gold medal in the 50 kg weight division, in the male category, while Faiza Jennina Asilum won gold in the 52 kg weight divison, in the female category. ValMaSci’s judokas trained furiously hard and have reached their breaking point in preparation for this tournament in competing against the Philippines’ finest judo players. “In order to win, we needed to sacrifice and balance judo and our studies”, said Asilum. It wasn’t easy for the judokas to give everyting they had for the game. “As an athlete we have to prioritize both things [judo and studies] to make sure we give equal attention to them”, Asilum added. Based on Asilum, her most feared opponents were the two finest players of UST women’s judo team. Asilum was the youngest and the least experienced among them. Despite all the challenges she faced, Asilum managed to grab the bronze medal. “They left me an injury as a remembrance”, Asilum said. “I felt like I was floating on water as I stepped up the podium and received my medal”, Panganiban beamed. He said he was proud of himself and of his teammates as well, their hard work for more than 10 years paid off. Panganiban stated that his next nearest goal is to win in the Asian Level Competition. ValMaSci’s judokas have a record of bringing home gold medals for years now. Last year, they fought and brought down their opponents, digging the gold medal in the national league of the judo Batang Pinoy 2014 which was held in Naga, Camarines Sur, from November 11–14, 2014. The same players, Asilum, an orange belter at that time, and Panganiban, a brown belter, b o t h r eceived sean panganiban “As an athlete, your greatest opponent is yourself.” gold medals and the honor to be personally congratulated by the Valenzuela City Mayor, Mayor Rex Gatchalian in a post-event courtesy call. They didn’t rest on their laurels, but they continued training for the International Tournament in Macau. Unfortunately, the said event was held the same date as the Batang Pinoy 2015. Asilum explained “We chose the National Batang Pinoy Tournament over Macau because we had more chances of going to other places if we won, and fortunately, we did win.” Though the trip to Thailand has been a no-win situation, Panganiban didn’t mind at all and is still thankful and proud to represent the country. Striving to prove that they are the best, and to courageously represent this vibrant City of Valenzuela and the whole country, the judokas never stop training and never lose their faith to take their performance to a whole new level. mikaella bautista “Winning is not about placing first. It’s about making friends.” “Always focus on every game and don’t let anything distract you.” miguel relucio angela grande “Winning the game was our goal, but being happy and enjoying it was the real treasure.” gifty ruzette villamar “In order to win, we needed to sacrifice and balance judo and our studies.” “Bilog ang bola.” marvin sauro faiza jennina asilum “Support from each member of the team is all that is needed.” kyla salva “It was just a matter of technique and skills.” mikaella bautista “Giving up is for rookies.” “Knowing that I am playing for our school’s pride inspired me.” aldrin dizor leita saccuan “Pray hard and work hard.” jake dagoy “Sa team, walang lamangan, wala dapat sisihan, walang pasikatan. Team means family.” “Laban lang wag aatras.” micah dampog “We are happy, but we just hoped that our efforts and sacrifices for training [would have] a good result.” kyla salva godfrey montero “As an athlete we have to prioritize both [judo and studies] and make sure we give equal attention to both.” faiza jennina asilum The path to victory. ValMaScian atheletes share their experiences as they journey in their path to victory. Illustration: Carl Joshua Quines. from the courts A good game for the crowd Denica Catapat The crowd-infested ValMaSci gymnasium roared as Meyer went full throttle in a double over-time depleting Curie in a neck-to-neck elimination game that turned out to be a PBA-like game for the VCSMS Intramurals 2015 last Friday, December 11. Dave Bragado of Meyer, who earned total of 49 points, opened up the game with consecutive threes which was quickly overlayed by Archie Tanio, who as well, made three points rain. The first two sets of the game was tough. Both Meyer and Curie’s defences were up and rough necked, taking each other’s bull by the horn. “Napaka intense ng laban parang championship” said one of the audience as she watched with narrow eyes. The game of defense went on tough up to the fourth quarter where they are trimming each other’s deficits by ones. Before the time ended on the fourth quarter where the score is as close as its bait, four seconds left on the clock, Carl Gongon of Curie skated on thin ice as he shot for two points and fortunately nailed it before the horns blew. The whole court was shocked; the committee was confused of whether the ball was shot before or after the time out. The crowd in favor of Curie rejoiced as they thought the lead was uprooted. The committee, together with Mr. Joey Pacia, game administrator, and the officers and team captains made a decision to not count Gongon’s supposedly winning shot, and to go overtime. The whole place was once again wadded with terror and anxiousness as the players furiously fight for the ball. Bragado received couple of injuries as he stumbles his way to shoot the ball. On the scoreboard another tie was lined and only seconds remaining. Tanio tried to take a lead with his free throws but unfortunately didn’t make it until the time finally ended, 64-64. Another over-time was decided to be given and the court was turned into a paradise of three points given by Tanio, Daniel Espiritu of Curie and Bragado. At the end of the time out, Meyer made its way to leap their lead which the Curie wasn’t able to dominate, 80-71. Both teams showed extraordinary skills and performance that gave the audiences a satisfaction and left them with a new subject of conversation. The winning team for this game will be advancing to compete against Watson. “Sana magtuloy tuloy hanggang championship”, said Kyle Cordova of team Meyer. ”I am so proud of my classmates, I even lost my voice just to cheer for them”, said Robyn Untalan, a Meyer fan. After all, sportsmanship among the teams prevails and the memory of this good game will be remembered. Possession. Team Meyer protects the ball against Curie. Photograph: Dem Catapat. Sports » page 16 » June–December 2015 » The Equilibrium » VCSMS Intramurals 2015 commences Relucio, Grande bag second in chess meet Juan Miguel Antonio Fairness. ValMaScian judokas give a demonstration of their skills in the spirit of fairness and sportsmanship. Photograph: Ashley Salazar. Denica Catapat Shots were fired as the students of the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science enthusiastically cheered as they welcomed the opening of the VCSMS Intramurals 2015, with the theme “Breaking Borders, Building Unity” last December 10 at the VCSMS grounds. The program was led by the masters of ceremonies, Sharmaine Presnilla and Adrian Matthew Poblete, together with the intramurals committee that consisted of grade 9 students and MAPEH department teachers Mrs. Cynthia Aspe, Mr. Joey Pacia and Ms. Helen Pamatian. A parade of all the sections presided by their sporty-looking muses and escorts from the atrium to the school grounds started the program. After the national anthem, a doxology, and pledges, the sections then creatively executed their yells, one-byone. Their yells were judged according to originality, performance and creativity. The best yell was awarded. ValMaSci’s Taekwondo Team, members Micah Jill Dampog, Quiana Evia Abesamis, Ashley Salazar, Patricia Solisa, Faye Sierra, Kylene Jutie, Frederick Ilan, Vince Boquiren, Joscel Sagun and Erick Abendan, were applauded in their demo during their production number. They displayed various taekwondo skills and artistry, breaking plywood boards and kicking with dignity. Later on, the muses and escorts vigorously projected their beauty and pageantry skills. They were dressed in sports wear and embellished with sports-related accessories. “Yung excitement na gusto naming makita sa klase, nakikita namin ‘yun sa inyo ngayon.” said Ms. Marilyn Soriano, Mathematics Department Head, during her opening remarks. As Ms. Soriano said, in comparison of the student’s excitement in class, it is far different to their excitement in the intramurals. The awarding of winners was conducted on Taekwondo club: building a legacy Denica Catapat The ancient martial art, typically associated with technique, athletic discipline and footwork, is slowly making its way into the mainstream as something of a new style of dance or performance art. However, the emphasis is not the technicalities, but rather the sport’s artistry. This year, the official sports club of the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (ValMaSci) known as the Sipnayaw Club led by Mrs. Cynthia Soledad Aspe, ameliorated their wide span of community by promoting the Taekwondo Sport to the school. Years before, the ValMaSci is known for being intellectually and academically active and not for sports. Later on, for the past few years, the praxis slowly changed and the students start to embrace the love for sports. Eventually, different kinds of sports were implemented and the students became vigorously active. As the Taekwondo Club embarked, many students applied for it. Some of the students got experience with the sports with different levels or in the taekwondo world, they are called “belts”. Some students were first timers and are enthusiastic to join the team and to learn taekwondo with their schoolmates. “I know I will have more fun specially now that I am with my friends,” said Robyn Faye Untalan, a proud member of the taekwondo club. The officers of the club were nominated that day who were black, red and yellow belters. The Team was able to display their skills as they were assigned to compete in the 2015 Taekwondo Division Meet that was held at the Canumay West Elementary School last October. They trained every Friday after School by their trainer, Coach Ryan Catolico at the Saint Joseph School with other taekwondo players. “We trained hard because this is our first time to compete representing our school”, said Micah Jill Dampog, Secretary, Red Belter. The following fighters received their awards: Ashley Salazar (Blue Belter), Kylene Jutie (White Belter), Silver Medalist; Micah Jill Dampog (Red Belter), Dave Narvaja (Black Belter), Erick Abendan (Blue Belter), Joscel Sagun (Blue Belter), Frederick Ilan (White Belter), Bronze Medalist. “We don’t know who were the other contenders and what their technique would be, we just did our best and enjoyed it. At least we have learned many things from them,” said Dampog. Even though they are not advancing to the regionals, the players were still delighted to fight bearing the name of the school with pride, honor and glory. “We are hoping that many students will join us next school year and we will build a legacy when time comes”, said Quiana Abesamis, Vice Preident of the Taekwondo Club, Red Belter, with all the hopes of success for the new Sports Club. Hard work. ValMaSci’s taekwondo team smiles for their achievements. Photograph: Denica Catapat. December 18, 2015. In basketball Men, 10 - Maxwell grabbed the championship title followed by 9 - Dalton at 1st Place, 8- Leeuwenhoek at 3rd and 7 - Archimedes at 4th. In the female category, the Grade 8 Team crushed the Grades 9 and 10 Team, bringing home the trophy. 9 - Rutherford bagged the Yell Champion Title. The Intramurals was said to be a succes obtaining their goal to break the student’s borders and make unity. The students are now looking forward to the continuation of the Intramurals (SportsFest) this Febuary, 2016 with more exciting and hard-kicking events including Volleyball, badminton and more. Known for its high academic standards, the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science once again showed their competitiveness in sports. In the 2015 Division Meet held at Malinta National Main Campus, first-timer Miguel Relucio instantly captured the second solo in chess for the boys division with five wins, draws and losses one apiece. “Wala akong time sa practice kasi hindi na ako nakakapaglaro ng chess”, said Relucio in an interview. In his last match, he fought against Arnel Grande, the brother of ValMaScian Angela Grande. Angela Grande also bagged second place with six wins and one loss. “Akala ko nga matatalo ako, kaya nilaro ko lang. Tapos lumamang ako kaya napangiti ako”, he said. “Sabi [ni Arnel], ‘resign’. Tapos inulit ko para marinig ng lahat at macount siya na lost. Napatingin lahat ng players dahil gusto talaga nilang matalo si Grande”, he added, smiling. Arnel scored five wins and one draw before he encountered Relucio. “Pagkatapos ng laban, kinamayan ako ng head ng sports ng Valenzuela”, Relucio said. On the other hand, Angela Grande said “I’m too busy for training”. In the past year, she dominated in the games in the regional meet, winning third place with 5-1-1, but was disqualified due to her illness. “Nakakapanghinayang”, she said, describing the past regional meet. ValMaSci’s volleyball team perseveres in meet Sporty. ValMaSci’s volleyball team poses for a groufie. Photograph: Leita Saccuan. Denica Catapat Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (ValMaSci) set the court on fire as they manifested their blazing hot spikes in the qualifying round of the Girls’ Volleyball District Meet held at Polo National High School (PNHS) Gymnasium last July 30. Gifty Ruzette Villamar led the ValMaSci Team as she showed her expertise and led the team to win third place. Despite the fact that the team didn’t made it to the division meet, Villamar and one of her teammates, Kyla Salva, were requested to be a guest player for the Polo National High School team who will be competing for the division meet. The first and second sets of the game were easily blown away as the ValMaSci team swept past PNHS 25–15. PNHS then got a second wind and gave their best shot and trimmed the deficit against ValMaSci down to the wire, 20– 25. With high hopes, the ValMaSci team gave the PNHS a fair shake, but the walls of their defences were just unreachable. ValMaSci team admitted their modest disappointment from their blindsided loss. “We are happy but we just hoped that our efforts and sacrifices for training had a good result”, said Salva. The team trained every day after class, including days when classes were cancelled. They were at the edge of failing and without their most supportive coach, coach Marvin Sauro, they would be in the home stretch. “Always play with all your heart and do anything to keep your communication inside the court open, and remember, bilog ang bola.”, Coach Sauro always tell his team. “Winning the game was our goal, but being happy and enjoying it was the real treasure”, said Villamar. After all, the team satisfyingly brought the name of the school with pride and without any doleful attitude. For them, that was all that mattered.