Mind Over Matter: The Underestimated Secret of Sports

In every competition, whether on a field or on paper, preparation of the mind is key — that’s what the winning teams from each competition have to say about their recipe to triumph.

Last October 18, Velezians in blue, green, yellow, and red put their testmanships to the test. Each student poured their all to win against all odds — may it be with quiz bowl, spelling bee, and essay writing. Vested with courage and conditioning of the mind, every contestant proved worthy to stand before the crowd and play the game.

What’s that? It’s the General Information Quiz Bowl!

The General Information Quiz Bowl, led by the quizmaster, Mr. Glenn Joseph Rabor, presented 30 questions with increasing difficulty. With every round that ended, the crowd could not help but hold their breath as the facilitators tally up the score.

In the end, the PTOT Spartans in maroon emerged as victors among the sea of hopeful competitors. They garnered a total of 38 points, having a close fight with the CAS Titans who had 37 points. MT Vikings landed 3rd place with a score of 36 followed by the NSG Knights with 31 points.

When asked about their tips to aspiring quizzers, the Spartans had only one answer — READ. Read to learn. Be aware of the current events. Most importantly, keep the mind open for new knowledge. Even with the last minute announcement, it was their love of reading that geared them towards the frontline of the battle.

Spellbound: Where words take flight

D-E-T-E-R-M-I-N-E-D W-I-T-H A-N O-P-T-I-O-N, the Academic Spelling Quiz accentuated the very essence of words, how they are structured and how they shape the world. In Velez College, the contest most importantly distinguished those with the most outstanding and most deserving lexicon.

Armed with placards and chalk, candidates embarked on a spelling challenge. From relatively simple words like "embarrass" to tongue-twisters like "bouillabaisse," they navigated through rounds of increasing difficulty.

The contest was divided into Easy, Moderate, and Difficult rounds, each round contributing to the accumulation of scores. Ultimately with the combined scores, CAS placed fourth with a total score of 28, Physical/Occupational Therapy placed third with 36, Nursing placed second with 42, and Medical Technology won with 58.

The Medical Technology Department grabbed that number one spot with a good spell. Kaie Beyonce F. Co and Matthew James D. Ong, the MT representatives, were hailed as the winners of the Academics Spelling Quiz on the first day of the 2023 Velez College Intramurals.

The two had different warmups for the contest.

Pen mightier than sword: Write on!

Essays are the foundation of society—they are what speaks life and liberty into future generations to come. It is through the careful threading of such inspiration that led to Velez College’s annual Essay Writing Competition last October 18, 2023.

Mind in Motion: Transformative Impact of School Involvement on Students’ Mental Health and Overall Well-being was this year's carefully-crafted theme, serving as a humble reminder of just how much a seemingly little intervention goes a long way. School is definitely no easy feat, and as its proclaimed title as a student’s “second home”, it becomes a place of both comfort and struggle, and so the relevance of mental health is as resounding then as it is today.

“I studied the Scripps from America, the ones from 2022 and 2023,” Ong elaborated.

“I’m thankful to be a participant. With the top results that happened in the opening ceremony, I didn’t want to let them [Medical Technology Department] down.”

“While I didn’t prepare. I thought it [Spelling Bee] would start on the second day, ha, ha, ha!” Co explained.

“I felt great having to join the program.”

With a time limit of an hour and a 500 max word limit, four writers from each department took on the challenge. Among these amazing talents, Francine Mancelita from the College of Medical Technology triumphed with a score of 97, with the College of PTOT coming close with a 96. CAS followed with a 92, with the College of Nursing bringing up the rear with a 90.

“I made practice essays which I sent to Miss Dagoc for comments and feedback,” first place winner Mancelita said when asked about her preparation for the competition. “I also read other essays to get ideas for writing styles and I read pud on current events so I have background knowledge on possible topics.”

Mancelita was awarded a gold medal along with a gold trophy on October 21, during the closing ceremony of Velez College’s Intramurals.