Fortibus

VOLUME I: ISSUE NO. 1

JUNE 2012 - FEBRUARY 2013

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F PA R E F N O R T H F I E L D S C H O O L F O R B O Y S

2 Features 6 8 Science 13 Sports 14

News Major changes in Northfield

From inside the school to what’s trending

Opinions Deep, driven, and decided thoughts

NF making a mark

On the way to the top

Home of the Brave!

NF celebrates Family Day 2013; Vinta wins NF House Cup Gab Navarro February 17, 2013 – Around 250 registered families marched to the Parade Grounds of Camp Aguinaldo to celebrate what many considered as one of the most successful Family Day celebrations of PAREF Northfield School for Boys. As soon as the families arrived, they joined the sea of blues and reds representing the two houses, Anchor and Vinta, which surrounded the entire grandstand. Looking forward to all the fun and excitement, both houses were indeed prepared for war.

The 19th NF Family Day Celebration, organized by the parents of the incumbent Grade 4 class, took on the theme “Home of the Brave” this year, which reflected the school spirit every Northfield student must imbibe - fortitude.

Magnanimity of spirit, sharpness of mind and fitness of the body are few of the many qualities that the NF parents wanted their children to develop in their stay in Northfield, and such qualities also inspired the “military-style” concept of the celebration.

The event started with the Holy Mass presided by NF’s chaplain, Fr. Jong Sabandal. The people were silently recollected even if the sun was rising and the temperature was getting hotter. After the Mass, the students fell in line for the entrance of colors headed by the Camp Aguinaldo Marching Band. After this, the whole school got up to their feet and stretched while the music played. Everybody was in-sync with the whole school, following an early morning

stretching routine. At the far end of the stadium, food stalls from various concessionaires were put up for those who might want to grab some snacks and take other refreshments.

The much-anticipated competition between the two houses started with the presentation of their house cheers followed by the execution of their well-prepared field demonstration routines. Right after the field demonstration, both houses had to battle for the House Cup by striving to win the different games prepared by the NF Family Day Committee.

These include the Mighty Push, Unity Walk relay, Go-Kart Relay and the Survival Relay. The winning house of these individual events gets a corresponding number of points that would be summed up in the end to determine this year’s Family Day champion. At the end of the celebration, the House of Vinta secured again for another year the House Cup and their title as Family Day champions while the House of Anchor triumphed over their win in the field demonstration event despite failing to snatch the House Cup from Vinta.

A s i d e f ro m t h e t h r i l l i n g h o u s e competitions and performances, other activities were organized alongside the main event, which even made the celebration a true family bonding experience. Children were given the opportunity to test their biking skills at the Bike-Khana station while the AFP Museum was open for all the families who may want to pay a visit.

Parents played an active role in making this year’s Family Day a remarkable one. Prior to the main event, the Grade 4 parents launched several activities that would set the tone for the Family Day and would also help them raise the necessary funds. Some of these events were the Bingo Rippa held during the school’s Foundation Day and the 12 Cakes of Christmas Raffle. Also, the venue was reserved with the help of Colonel Roland Orengo, a Year III parent. The venue fitted the program’s theme and provided the military environment that the organizers intended from the very beginning.

“We were overwhelmed by the result of this event in all of its aspects and we thank everyone for their participation,” said Mr. Lut Bonifacio, a Grade 4 parent and one of the main organizers of the event. More families were recorded as attendees in this year’s Family Day compared to past years and Mr. Bonifacio affirmed that “the collective effort of all the Grade 4 parents and class adviser, Mr. Mike Clavio, for the preparation of this event was recognized [by the NF community] and became a reason for them to attend the Family Day.” At the end of the celebration, a short ceremony called the “Key of Acceptance” was d o n e, w h i c h s i g n i f i e d t h e t r a n s f e r o f responsibilities for organizing next year’s Family Day. The challenge was accepted by parent coordinators Mr. and Mrs. Charles Arenas in behalf of the incumbent Grade 3 parents.

News 2

F ORTIB U S

office Formation office promotes promotes H.O.P.E. program H.O.P.E Program Gab Navarro Gab Navarro

H.O.P.E. – Northfield builds a unique corporate culture.

H.O.P.E. – Northfield builds a unique corporate The Personal Formation Office (PF) focused on culture. the H.O.P.E program for the school year 2012-2013. H.O.P.E. The Personal Formation Office (PF) focused on the stands for Humility, Order, Piety and Excellence. Every H.O.P.E program for the school year 2012-2013. H.O.P.E. quarter, the school has emphasized on each virtue from the stands for Humility, Order, Piety and Excellence. Every H.O.P.E. program. When a new quarter starts, laminated quarter, the school has emphasized on each virtue pictures filled with examples and definitions of each virtue from the H.O.P.E. program. When a new quarter starts, flood the school. Whether it is in a classroom, the cafeteria, laminated pictures filled with examples and definitions of the or the the school. facultyWhether room, it one see those eachcorridor virtue flood is incan a classroom, artistically printed posters. the cafeteria, the corridor or the faculty room, one can see People may think that this program is new to the those artistically printed posters. schoolPeople but according to Mr. Luistro, the headtoofthe the may think that Mike this program is new Personal Formation Office, “H.O.P.E. has been there for school but according to Mr. Mike Luistro, the head of the a long time. Formation The only difference is that the are more Personal Office, “H.O.P.E. hasstudents been there for conscious of this a long time.

Theprogram.” only difference is that the students are “Insteadofofthis focusing on many virtues superficially, more conscious program.” we decided to focus on four. leads to a lot of “Instead of focusing on One manyvirtue virtues superficially, virtues.”

Mr. toLuistro explained. we decided focus on four. OnePracticing virtue leadsthe to virtue a lot ofof Humility lead to explained. the virtue Practicing of generosity, virtues.” may Mr. Luistro the helpfulness virtue of and thoughtfulness.

Order may teach students the virtues of Humility may lead to the virtue of generosity, helpfulness industriousness and Order discipline.

Pietystudents can develop one’s and thoughtfulness. may teach the virtues virtue of charity, respect and love for God. Excellence of industriousness and discipline.

Piety canWith develop one’s comes fortitude andfor hard work. virtueperseverance, of charity, respect and love God. With Excellence According to the PF office, deeds are comes perseverance, fortitude and hardconcrete work. expected to be observed the students.

Supporting the According to the from PF office, concrete deeds are virtue of order is the Clay Gothe Program launched recently. expected to be observed from students.

Supporting the Students encouraged to Go clean what they have used in the virtue ofare order is the Clay Program launched recently. cafeteria.

In the virtue of piety, what students the Students are encouraged to clean they are havegiven used in responsibility being the ofsponsors for Holy the cafeteria. of In the virtue piety, students are Mass given every the week.

The promotion of sponsors excellence and humility are responsibility of being the for Holy Mass every practiced in promotion the variousofclubs in school. examples week. The excellence and Some humility are practiced in Student the various clubsNF in Mayhem, school. Some would be the Council, Ilayaexamples Arts Guild would be the Student Council, NF Mayhem, Ilaya Arts and Fortibus.

Guild and A Fortibus. virtue is best developed and nurtured through A virtue best developed nurtured repetition.

“Theisprogram should beand there forever.through It serves “The shouldto be therethe forever. asrepetition. a reminder.

Theprogram students need develop cultureItof serves as Mr. a reminder. to develop H.O.P.E.,” Luistro The said. students “When aneed person repeatsthe and culturethe of practice H.O.P.E.,”ofMr. Luistro said. “When personto repeats virtue, it becomes seconda nature repeats and repeats practice virtue, it becomes him that it comes to a the point that heof takes minimal effort in second to hima that it comes to a point that he takes doing it. nature It becomes habit.

Therefore, the students should minimal effort inofdoing It becomes take advantage thisit.program fora habit. each Therefore, individual’s the students should development,” he adds.take advantage of this program for each individual’s he adds.

However,development,” students are not the only ones expected students are not the program. only ones In expected to liveHowever, the virtues promoted in the a recent to live get-together the virtues promoted in the program.

In a Mr. recent faculty entitled H.O.P.E. Full Night, Roy faculty get-together entitled H.O.P.E. Full Night, Mr. Roy Villafuerte emphasized the need for the faculty members Villafuerte need for the members and the restemphasized of the NFthe community to faculty live the spirit of and the rest of the NF community to live the spirit of H.O.P.E. H.O.P.E. “H.O.P.E. is not just a program we launch just for “H.O.P.E. is not just a program weaim launch for the the sake of having a program.

We to just develop the sake of having program. aim tobedevelop theeveryone programin program into a aculture thatWe should lived by intoNorthfield a culture that should beWhen lived by the a the community. an everyone outsider insees Northfield community.

When an outsider sees a Northfield Northfield student, alumni, or teacher, he must be able to student, alumni, or teacher, he must be able to identify identify that person as belonging to our community, to our that person as belonging to our community, to our family. family. To fully realize this, teachers and school personnel To fully realize this, teachers and school personnel should should be at the forefront in practicing the virtues included be at the forefront in practicing the virtues included in in H.O.P.E.,” Mr. Villafuerte remarked.

H.O.P.E.,” Mr. Villafuerte remarked.

In line with the vision set by the H.O.P.E. program, several In line with the vision set by the H.O.P.E. program, teachers and school personnel were recognized as several teachers and school personnel were recognized exemplars of each of the virtues being promoted. The as exemplars of each of the virtues being promoted. awardees were: Mr. Ronald Alava, faculty secretary, and Mr. The awardees were: Mr. Ronald Alava, faculty secretary, Roman Romacruz, purchasing personnel, for Humility; Mr. and Mr. Roman Romacruz, purchasing personnel, for Gregorio Science coordinator, and Mr.coordinator, Raul Arenas, Humility;Jesuitas, Mr. Gregorio Jesuitas, Science Math coordinator, for Order; Mr. Vicente Alcuaz, Religion and Mr. Raul Arenas, Math coordinator, for Order; Mr. coordinator, and Mr. Jose Bacani, guidance counselor, Vicente Alcuaz, Religion coordinator, and Mr. Jose Bacani,for Piety; and counselor, Mr. Mark for Villaluna, English teacher, and Mr. guidance Piety; and Mr. Mark Villaluna, Jeremy teacher, for Excellence.

Also, an EnglishRegondola, teacher, andMath Mr. Jeremy Regondola, Math teacher, over-all H.O.P.E. Award was given to Mr. Raymundo for Excellence. Also, an over-all H.O.P.E. Award was Lucero, given maintenance personnel, having embodied to Mr. Raymundo Lucero,for maintenance personnel,toforan admirable degree all virtues promoted having embodied to the an admirable degree by all the the program. virtues The awardees wereprogram. also given certificates tokens promoted by the Thegift awardees wereasalso givenfor recognition. gift certificates as tokens for recognition.

Winners. Deklamasyon category placers: Dino Robles, Joaqui Palaña, Miguel Marquez

Filipino department spearheads Buwan ng Wika 2013 Roland Orengo “A Christmas of voices.”

This was the short description given by Mr. Lorenzo Guinto, head organizer of this school year’s Buwan ng Wika celebration. Answering the inquiry why he gave such description, he expounded, “This is a momentous time for every Northfield student to unite with camaraderie as they deliver their unified voices, which is the fruit of extensive preparations and practices.

At the end of the competition, the students will be able to savor the festivities prepared by everyone to let them understand that win or lose; they are fused by fate to be one.” The vibrant tone of the gentleman only defined one thing, that he, as a proud Filipino teacher in Northfield, has looked up to the school’s way of letting their students learn without much further risks of boredom.

The school was divided into four main divisions namely: Primary 1 and 2, Intermediate and High School. The pieces given to each class were based according to their levels’ experience, age, talent, and pitch. In some occasions, the vocal maturity is also a basis for the choir pieces of each level. Vocal maturity is defined by the level of the timbre of a person, depending on how high or low it is.

Traditionally, Northfield makes the competition of the Primary pupils a “Reader’s Theater.” In this match, the students should read in unison Ang Kamatis ni Peles by Alberta Angeles published by Adarna Publishing House, while acting out their own interpretation of the story as lucid as they can. In this year’s Reader’s Theater, the battle between the first two groups of primary pupils was won by the Grade 2 class. Both groups displayed an exquisite performance with their own styles and rhythm.

Meanwhile, the Primary B division composed of Grades 3 and 4 also expressed their finesse through another kind of a face-off competition called the “Sabayang Himig” as they are primed enough to manage handling the complications of tones and different pitches. The piece they used was Lampara Book’s Ang Ampalaya sa Pinggan ni Pepo written by three-time Palanca Awardee, Mr. Joachim Antonio, who was also one of the judges.

This division was dominated by the Grade 4 class.

Likewise, the Intermediate division also coped with the younger level’s battle, as these division also competed using their unified voices in their own speech choirs. The Grades 5, 6, 7 and Year I competed using the piece Pilipinas ang Bayan Ko, Filipino ang Wika Ko by Pat Villafuerte. The Year I students, with their

booming voices and well-rehearsed choreography, placed first in this division.

Immediately after the Intermediate division, the distinguished groups from the High School division competed in the Madulang Sabayang Pagbigkas with the piece “Pilipino: Isang Depenisyon” by Ponciano Pineda. The Year III class brought the entire school into thunderous applause as they were the last performers, and wowed the audience with their powerful interpretation of the piece, making them this year’s champions.

They used minimal choreography and instead, focused on harmonized bodily formations and artful vocal dynamics that included both rhythmic and syncopated chants, change in tempo and variations in volume. All the categories for the culminating activity were judged by Mr. Joachim Antonio, lecturer in the University of Asia and the Pacific; Ms. Nelly Sierra, Filipino head of Kamuning Elementary School; and Mr. Butch Fernando, executive director of PAREF Northfield.

Earlier during the culminating week, August 28-30, 2013, the Filipino department also organized several academic contests that tested the skills of the students in oral, written and creative communication in Filipino. Alvaro Tomas (Year I) and Bernard Berberabe (Year II) placed first in the Paglikha ng Paskil category in their respective divisions. Jashandeep Aujla (Grade 6), Jose Maria Miguel Berberabe (Year I) and Jose Francisco Pato (Year V) won the Tagisan ng Talino sa Filipino in the Intermediate A, Intermediate B and High School divisions respectively.

Champions for the public speaking contests were the following: Rafael Encarnacion (Grade 3-Pagbigkas ng Tula A), Josemaria Emmanuel Torres (Grade 5-Pagbigkas ng Tula B), Francis David Perez (Year I-Pagtatalumpati) and Martin Joaquin Palaña (Year III-Deklamasyon).

As part of the NF tradition, the entire school got together at the end of the culminating activity to savor the Salusalo prepared by each of the classes. More than anything else, this community feast is a symbol of sportsmanship and camaraderie, of school spirit and unity among all the members of the NF community.

This year’s Buwan ng Wika celebration would not be a success without the hard-working teachers from the Filipino department: Mr. Lorenzo Guinto, Mr. Jojo de la Reyna and Mr. Rommel Trinidad, together with their acting subject area coordinator, Mr. Roderick Fernandez.

V I R T U S

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I N

V E R I TAT E

NF attends Real Love Revolution II Javi Reyes & Gab Navarro Let’s talk about love.

The University of Asia and the Pacific’s socio-civic student organization Catalyst, organized the second edition of Real Love Revolution, an event that aims to promote an awareness of what it means to live authentic charity and love; last September 1, 2012 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City.

Leah Darrow and Chris Stefanick, two very distinguished youth advocates and chastity speakers in the United States, talked about love in its many forms and how young people must be discerning and firm so as not to fall victim in what they called an “imitative kind of love.” Huge crowds of students, young leaders, parents, educators and people from various fields welcomed them in WTC. With them they brought their captivating stories of faith, fortitude, friendship, and of course, love.

“The Philippines is one lucky country”, Chris said as he explained how in Asia the Philippines still has remained the only country where an abortion and divorce law has not yet been passed. He saw a country where people

are still seen fighting for their position on the protection of human life, the institution of the family, and the sanctity of marriage; all of which demand a kind of love that is centered on the person seen as a subject and not merely as an object that satisfy one’s selfish ends.

Leah Darrow’s story was simply a wonder. A finalist in the third season of the prestigious reality show “America’s Next Top Model”, Leah had her life on cruise control. She recounted how her dream of becoming a supermodel obscured her faith and how she would rediscover it once more in a greater light. From then on she devoted herself in relaying to young people her own experiences of how she has striven to live and bring the faith to others, coupled with her talks on the gift of holy purity, the importance of the Sacraments and the beauty of living a life close to God. After their talks, Leah and Chris entertained questions coming from the audience in an open forum. The event successfully concluded with the celebration of the Holy Mass.

Full-production. The Grade 6 class in their Consider Yourself performance.

VOICES 2013 goes Broadway NF celebrates English Month; launches Scholastic Reading Program Phonso Balagtas & Javi Reyes The Les Miserables fever reached the gates of Northfield.

NF held its annual speech choir event last February 1, 2013 at the Abelardo Hall of the University of the Philippines-Diliman. This year, instead of the piece being the usual poem, it would be a song taken from the famous Broadway musicals.

The Intermediate level division kicked off the competition with Grades 5, 6, 7, and Year I performing their rendition of Consider Yourself from the musical Oliver! The Grade 7 class, with their unique interpretation of the theme, which was reflective of the NF school spirit, dominated this division while the Grade 6 class followed closely with only a margin of one point.

Next up was the High School division with Years II, III, IV, and V executing their magnificent interpretations of Masquerade/ Why So Silent from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical The Phantom of The

Opera. Many audience members agreed that this was the most difficult group to judge; all classes were evenly matched. In the end, Year IV was crowned the winner of the High School division with their fusion of contemporary, jazz and classical rhythms in their interpretation while Year V followed at second place with a more theatrical rendition of the piece.

Both Year III and Year II did their best in performing a more melodic and harmonized interpretation of the piece. Parents were all dazzled at the high- caliber performances they witnessed in this division.

The Primary A and Primary B divisions performed last. Students from Grades 1 and 2 competed against each other in Primary A using the piece Happiness from the musical You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.

Meanwhile, the Grade 3 and 4 classes competed against each other with their interpretations of We Built This City from the musical Rock of Ages. The

audience enjoyed seeing all of the cute, little kids on stage with their highpitched voices. Winners of this division were the Grade 2 and Grade 4 classes.

“This year’s theme was inspired by the growing interest of people when it comes to musicals. The Phantom of the Opera was just recently staged this year at the Cultural Center of the Philippines while the film version of Les Miserables became an instant hit even among our students.

Also, the choice of pieces allowed the contestants to think out of the box because these were not the usual pieces that the organizers use for a speech choir festival,” remarks Mr. Rommel Chester Boquiren, one of the head organizers of the event.

Earlier during the month of January, the English Department also held academic contests that tested the skills and talents of the NF students when it comes to oral and written communication. Lucas Bonifacio

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NF join NF writers writers join journalism Journalism confab confab Jose Buencamino Jose Buencamino "Excuse me po."

Mr. Mike Enriquez's famous words snatch the attention of “Excuse in methe po.” blink of an eye. But instead of his avid TV his viewers Mr. Mike Enriquez’s famous snatchinthe of his viewers, his audience for that daywords was seated the attention red-cushioned viewers in the blink of an eye.

But instead of his avid TV viewers, chairs of the Li Seng Giap auditorium of the University of Asia and his audience for that day was seated in the red-cushioned chairs the Pacific (UA&P), merely meters away from the stage on which of the Li Seng Giap auditorium of the University of Asia and the he was standing.

Pacific (UA&P), merely meters away from the stage on which he was CATALYST, a student organization in UA&P, held a standing.

Journalism seminar dubbed "I Write For Change," which featured CATALYST, a student organization in UA&P, held a Journalism practicing journalists as speakers, such as GMA Network’s Mr. seminar dubbed “I Write For Change,” which featured practicing Mike Enriquez, among others. It focused on the role of journalists journalists as speakers, such as GMA Network’s Mr. Mike Enriquez, in social media and the values one must uphold, regardless of among others. It focused on the role of journalists in social media whether one pursues a career in journalism or not. Approximately and the values one must uphold, regardless of whether one pursues a 600 students and teachers from all over Metro Manila attended the career in journalism or not. Approximately 600 students and teachers event,allincluding students PAREF such as Rosehill, from over Metro Manilafrom attended theschools event, including students Woodrose, Southridge, and Northfield to name a few. from PAREF schools such as Rosehill, Woodrose, Southridge, and conference NorthfieldThe to name a few. began with an introduction by Dr. Antonio Torralba, professor from UA&P’s School of The conferenceassociate began with an introduction

by Dr. Antonio Education.

The lectures took place soon after, with an ample Torralba, associate professor from UA&P’s School of Education. The breath oftook timeplace between Villegas, one of the lectures soon each after,talk. withDr. an Bernardo ample breath of time between founders of UA&P and director of the Center of Research each talk. Dr. Bernardo Villegas, one of the founders of UA&P and and Communication (CRC), spoke about power of speech andspoke that director of the Center of Research andthe Communication (CRC), of freethe will, invoking the new be brave and the change about power of speech andgeneration that of freetowill, invoking new the world for betterand through writing. generation to the be brave change the world for the better through writing. Meanwhile, Mr. Emmanuel Rentoy, the faculty moderator of CATALYST, his desire for the to stand up and Meanwhile,expressed Mr. Emmanuel Rentoy, theyouth faculty moderator of act as “catalysts” in ourhis society.

Lopez, regional director CATALYST, expressed desireMr. for Edwin the youth to stand up and act as for Asia ofin EWTN, a Catholic media network, about the “catalysts” our society.

Mr. Edwin Lopez, regionalspoke director for Asia nature of media and the precautions journalists must consider in of EWTN, a Catholic media network, spoke about the nature of media presenting the truth;journalists while Atty.

Jeremy Gatdula, lecturer on and the precautions must consider in presenting thepublic truth; international law inGatdula, the Ateneo de Manila University, shed light while Atty. Jeremy lecturer on public international lawon in the Ateneo practicedeofManila media University, ethics by those the profession and the shedwho lightare onin the practice of media the improvement one may personally make. ethics by those who are in the profession and the improvement one The main speaker, Mr. Mike Enriquez, gave a talk on the may personally make. role The of journalism in society and the value ofgave morals in writing.

He main speaker, Mr. Mike Enriquez, a talk on the role also touched on the nature news itself.

He explained thatHe to also tell of journalism in society andofthe value of morals in writing. the truthon is always good,ofregardless of whether the truth touched the nature news itself.

He explained thatistopleasant tell the truth or not.is always good, regardless of whether the truth is pleasant or not.

Asked about the impact of the writing conference to their Asked about the impact of the writing conference to their life as student writers, the attendees reflected on the key pointslife in as a student writers, variety of ways. the attendees reflected on the key points in a variety of ways. "It was really informative," said Northfield delegate Jose “It(Year was really informative,” delegate Jose Ericta Ericta 3). "[Especially] thesaid partNorthfield when he [Mr. Enriquez] said; (Year “[Especially] theit part he [Mr. but Enriquez] said;bites ‘when 'when3). a dog bites a man is notwhen newsworthy, when man a adog, dogitbites a man it is how not newsworthy, when a dog, it is.' And I like he kept his but speech funman andbites interactive, is.’

I like how he kept his speech fun and interactive, and brief.” andAnd brief."

Mr. Ericta came with students (Year Mr. Ericta came with studentsJose JoseFrancisco Francisco Pato Pato (Year 5), (Year 4), 4), Jandi Jandi Ramirez Ramirez (Year (Year 4), 4), and and Jose Jose 5), Miguel Miguel Marquez Marquez (Year Buencamino their composition teacher, Mr. Buencamino (Year (Year2), 2),accompanied accompaniedbyby their composition teacher, Mark-Julian Villaluna.

Mr. Mark-Julian Villaluna.

The The majority of students came came in thinking that they majority of students in thinking that would they emerge from Li Seng GiapGiap withwith a wider writing would emerge from Li Seng a widergrasp graspon on the the writing techniques by today's today’s journalists, journalists, however, however, instead instead of of techniques employed employed by learning how to wield the pen to convey the information they learning how to wield the pen to convey the information they intended of intended to, to, they theywere wereequipped equippedwith witha amore morevivid vividunderstanding understanding the rolerole journalists havehave in telling the truth.

This,This, in turn, aidedaided them of the journalists in telling the truth. in turn, to givetoeverybody what iswhat due is todue them. them give everybody to them.

(Grade 4) once again bagged the first place for the Storytelling Contest for the primary level while Josemaria Calvario, Jake Mariano, Iggy Arevalo, Jaime Antonio Kison and Alfonso Syquia (all Grade 6) placed first in the Readers Theater Competition for the intermediate level.

Meanwhile, Joaqui Palaña (Year III) defended his title as the high school Declamation Champion for another year with his powerful delivery of Music of the Night from the musical The Phantom of the Opera, while Miguel Sesdoyro (Year V) won first place in the Extemporaneous Speech Contest.

Door Design Contest winners were the Grade 2, Grade 5 and Year V classes in their respective categories.

Also this year, a new contest was organized for the high school students that aimed to test their knowledge in the field of Literature. Dubbed as the Word Wars I, ten high school teams competed against each other in four different rounds.

However, this is not the same as the usual literature quiz that schools organize. Conceptualized

by Mr. Mark Villaluna, a high school English teacher, teams with the lowest number of points get eliminated per round. Also, “special God and Titan powers” are awarded to teams with the highest points, which they can use for their own advantage during the game. The first-ever champions of this new contest were Team Patroklos composed of Miguel Sesdoyro (Year V), Daniel J a c i n t o ( Ye a r I V ) , J o s e Buencamino (Year III) and Paulo Abadilla (Year II).

In line with these efforts to boost the English program of the school, Northfield English Department also launched the Scholastic Reading Program. The aims of this program are to foster love for reading and to enrich the reading comprehension skills of students. To help achieve this goal, new books were added to a reading corner inside the library.

By far, the Scholastic Reading Program proved to be a success. Young students are constantly asking about the availability of the library. The library became more occupied compared to past years.

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News

F ORTIB U S SPECIAL NEWS

E-CAT: Planting the seeds of knowledge and faith Jose Buencamino

with some public elementary schools is their lack In the heart of Quezon City lies Brgy. of fluency in English. In the era which we are Sacred Heart, an urban village named after the living in, English is a necessary tool for Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, the most accessible international communication, and as concerned church in the area. It is home to numerous individuals, we want to maximize their schools, and among them is the Kamuning potential," said Gab Navarro, a Year 3 student and Elementary School, a public school situated a pioneer of the E-Cat program. "It's also a along Scout Torillo Street. Like other public means for people who go to the study center elementary schools in the country, it is funded by (Lantaka) to experience being involved in the government just enough to keep it on its feet; programs like this." yet everywhere one looks, one can see a child's The student mentors are comprised of beautiful smile. Another sight to behold is the four to five Northfield high school students and image of children elbowing each other to catch a two professionals who preside over the glimpse of the approaching group of student and instruction of the children. A Northfield student professional mentors, eager to teach them is assigned to teach English and another to teach English and Catechism. They come every Friday, Catechism. A student and every Friday, they are moderator is also assigned greeted with the same every week, together with cheery faces - however with I contribute to the two teachers, to assist the every visit, their passion for student mentors in the learning grows. formation of the Free snacks are The EnglishNorthfield students and logistics. being given to the Catechism program (E-Cat) the Kamuning kids. elementary students served is an enrichment program by two other student formulated by Fr. Jong volunteers designated for the Sabandal, the chaplain of the task. There are approximately 30 student Philippine Science High School (PSHS), PAREF mentor-volunteers, and the set of mentors Northfield (NF), and Lantaka Study Center. Echanges every week so that all the student Cat aims to supplement the education given in mentors may experience contributing to the Kamuning Elementary School as a joint outreach education of the children. program launched by Northfield in cooperation The group of volunteers arrives at with Lantaka Study Center. The program is Kamuning Elementary School at least 15 minutes funded wholly by the donations of Northfield prior to the start of their class, which begins at parents, and all of those who take part in 3:00 p.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. The hour is teaching are student and teacher volunteers divided into three segments: 20 minutes of from the same school. It took root in the summer English; 20 minutes of Catechism; and 20 of 2012 and is still growing. minutes of snacks, in their respective order.

"In general, public schools lack There are 30 boys from Kamuning Elementary Religion classes and the instruction of values are School who attend the program, and they are a often neglected. We're here to satisfy that mixture of 5th and 6th graders. necessity. Another concern that we encounter

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NF joins Teenpreneur Challenge 2012 Jose Ericta

"The coordinators form lists of students who will be asked if they would like to volunteer to teach the children, and anybody who is interested may volunteer. The initial plan was to include both alumni and current students of Northfield, however, due to complexities; the volunteers were limited to Northfield students and teachers instead,” says Gab Navarro. "The parents, given their lack of time, contribute by providing financial means for the enrichment program. They provide the books, the snacks, and other materials to aid the E-Cat. Fr. Jong often includes the E-Cat in the petitions of the day’s Holy Mass, and his call is heard both by our Lord and the parents," he adds. M r s . L i v E s t e b a n , a Northfield mother, is a frequent donor, who has nourished E-Cat from its infancy, following her belief that this program will enrich the lives of both the Northfield student mentors and the elementary students.

“I contribute for the formation of the Northfield students and the Kamuning kids.

High school kids will be convinced to contribute to society. At a young age, they can help. The thought of contributing in a program like this is amazing. We don’t know how far this will go. The number of souls that will be helped in this program is

unimaginable! The grace and blessings both parties will receive are unbelievable,” Mrs. Esteban remarks.

Like most trees, its seed came from the fruit of another. The E-Cat was inspired by the success of the Math-Cat, a similar program that teaches Math to students from public schools in the place of English. It was run by the coordinators and the Lantaka fellows who study in Philippine Science High School.

Other university centers and youth clubs from all over Metro Manila such as Amber Drive, Molave, and Sarangani study centers also established educational programs for the less privileged.

And so on every Friday, after the teachers and the children satisfy their tummies that rumble due to tiresome afternoons, the volunteers begin their march back to their school, bearing in mind that they will forever look back on this day ardently, and bearing the immense joy that follows after one is given the opportunity to foster, in the minds and hearts of the children, the passion that sets the paths of the earth ablaze - with faith and love. *Reports from Gab Navarro and Jose Ericta

A batch of NF Year V students joined the brilliant idea of introducing new flavors and fillings Teenpreneur Challenge 2012 launched last August 4, such as the Nutella-filled and the Embutido-filled 2013 and was culminated with the Teenpreneur puto pao. Eventually, they called their product KaChallenge Exhibit held in SM Megamall last Pao. Joining NF in the competition were 17 November 17-18, 2012.

The NF team was composed of Miggy other schools like Ateneo de Manila High School, Pariñas, Dino Robles, Vini Robes, Thomas Philip La Salle College-Antipolo, St. Paul College-Pasig, Yu, Javie Mendoza, Jovic Posadas, Jeko Dizon, Joko Immaculate Conception Academy, Diliman Paredes, Al Arrobio, and Cisco Pato, together with Preparatory School, Collegio de Sta. Rosa and their team moderator and Economics teacher, Mr. Collegio de San Agustin among others. The over-all winner was Colegio de San Agustin, who earned the Mark Andrew Fietas.

Teenpreneur Challenge is an annual most revenue by selling their peanut butter competition organized by the Entrepreneurs cookies.

Even if the NF team did not win School of Asia (ESA) that gives this year’s competition, they a chance for high school were sure they learned a lot students to experience what from the experience. “It was a running a business feels like really really different while at the same time It gave me a new experience,” affirmed Javie promoting positive impact in perspective on how Mendoza, one of the NF their community through businesses, no matter how delegates. “I never really e n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p. E v e r y thought that being the seller of team’s objective was to make small or big they are, can their products, coming from still be really really hard to a product could be so hard pala!

It gave me a new perspective small-scale entrepreneurs manage! on how businesses, no matter from Malabon, to either how small or big they are, can breakeven, sell a lot or get sold still be really really hard to out. Each team was given three manage!” he added. Thomas different items or products to P h i l i p Yu , o n e o f t h e choose from, innovate and sell.

Their performance will be judged according to participants also said: “It was very challenging, and three categories: Most Number of Sales, Best in it taught each and every one of us to lower our Product Innovation and Best in Business pride. Also, I realized it is so freakin’ hard to sell a product that doesn't interest the people.”

Presentation.

Next year, the NF team will definitely step The NF team was asked to choose from slippers, puto seko or puto pao. They chose to up in their preparations for the Teenpreneur innovate and sell the puto pao, a small-scale Challenge. Plans of conducting training sessions on business venture started by Ms. Abbigail Hilario of business presentation, brand development and Malabon. At first, the team found it very difficult to positioning are also being cooked up to aid the NF re-create the product until they came up with a delegates in similar contests.

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NF Storytellers champs Alitaptap storytelling contest Joaqui Palaña Storytelling has never been boring.

T h e No r t h f i e l d S t o r y t e l l e r s b a g g e d t h e championship trophy of the First Chamber Storytelling Contest of Alitaptap Storyteller’s, Inc. held at Alessandra Hotel in Meycauayan, Bulacan last January 31, 2013 in a head-tohead match against Team ABAKADA, which had professional actors and actresses as part of their team.

This championship team, which also competed in this storytelling category for the first time, was composed of four high school students; Jose Ericta, Jose Buencamino, Glenn Regondola and Joaqui Palaña, all from Year III; two grade school pupils, Paolo Fernando (Grade 4) and Jose Rafael Bautista (Grade 5); and two teachers, Mr. Rommel Trinidad and Mr. Mark Villaluna.

On the other hand, Team ABAKADA was composed of out-of-school youths from Bangkarunungan, a non-profit and non-government organization in Zambales that aims to provide informal education to the indigent youth of the province. Team ABAKADA was also joined and helped by professional actors and actresses like Nikki Valdez and Robi Domingo from ABS-CBN, the same media network that covered the event.

The week before, January 24, 2013 at the National Library in Manila, the Northfield Storytellers outstood the Elimination Round by getting a score of 98%, the highest grade among their competitors. Furthermore, the crowd enjoyed watching this fancy group of storytellers as they

wowed the audience with their rendition of “Si Pilandok, ang Bantay ng Kalikasan” by Virgilio S. Almario and published by Adarna Publishing House. With Mr. Rommel Trinidad as the head of their storytelling group, they were able to utilize the given time wisely and prepare immensely to win the contest.

“Discipline and chemistry were the keys to our success. Right now, all we have to do is to be consistent,” says Joaqui Palaña in an interview before the finals. “A fantastic experience it was for me! We hope to join another storytelling contest soon!” exclaims Jose Ericta in the same interview.

Moreover, Mr. Anthony “Nonie” Buencamino, a wellacclaimed stage and TV actor and also a Northfield father, provided his insights during the last rehearsal on how the NF Storytellers could better execute their championship piece entitled “Ang Mahiwagang Kamiseta” by Eugene Evasco and published by Lampara Books.

These young storytellers possessed the child-like passion to convey stories which paved their way to success. As said, they did remain consistent until the end of the competition to snatch that championship trophy and bring it home to where it deservingly belongs. Moreover, the experience proved to them that much can be learned from these colorful children’s books – simplicity, naturalness, and cheerfulness to name a few.

Those who are interested to watch how the Northfield Storytellers performed may catch it on ABS CBN’s I Dare You Season 2 which will be televised this April 2013.

Student Council 2012-2013: Dino Robles, Mico Parreño, Gio Esguerra, Joaqui Palaña, & Javie Mendoza.

(Not in the picture: Miko Ubaldo)

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NFsparks sparks new new NF student leadership leadership student Gab Navarro Gabriel Navarro

Northfield elected its new student government Northfield elected its new student governmentofficers officers for school year year 2012-2013 2012-2013 last last August.

August. Members Members of the the for the school Commission Elections (NF-COMELEC) (NF-COMELEC) went each Commission on on Elections went to each classroom in order order to tosupervise supervise the the classroomfrom fromGrade Grade66 to to Year Year 55 in electoral process.

The student body’s decision was revealed electoral process. The student body’s decision was revealeda week after. a week after.

Javie Mendoza of Year 5, who is very well known as the Javie Mendoza of Year 5, who is very well known as the team captain of NF’ dance varsity Mayhem, was elected president team captain of NF’ dance varsity Mayhem, was elected against Miguel Sesdoyro also from Year 5. Joaqui Palaña of Year president against Sesdoyro also fromand Year Joaqui 3, who is noted as aMiguel business-oriented person an5.excellent Palañaspeaker, of Year 3, who is noted as a business-oriented person public was elected external vice president while Raffy andofan excellent public external Uy Year 4, who is lookedspeaker, up to forwas hiselected academic prowessvice and president while Raffy of Year 4, who is president. looked upJoining to for friendly disposition, wasUy elected internal vice them are Mikoprowess Ubaldo and of Year 5 as secretary, Giowas Esguerra of his academic friendly disposition, elected Year 3 as vice treasurer, Mico Parreño Yearare 4 asMiko public relations internal president.

Joining of them Ubaldo of officer, RoblesGio of Year 5 as auditor.

Year 5and as Dino secretary, Esguerra of Year 3 as treasurer, Northfield’s Student Council attended a number of Mico Pareño of Year 4 as public relations officer, and Dino leadership seminars since the start of their term.

One of them Robles of Year 5 as auditor. was a seminar organized by the Ateneo de Manila University Northfield’s Student Council attended a number of called Status. The seminar emphasized on the potential of the leadership seminars since the start of their term. One of Filipino youth being the leaders of tomorrow. Speakers such as them was a organized by theProject Ateneo deinvited Manila Mark Lozano seminar from the One Million Lights were to University Status.of The on share some called experiences beingseminar a risingemphasized leader. Another the potential of the Filipino theuniversity leaders seminar, which was organized and youth held in being the same of tomorrow.

Speakers as Mark from the entitled The Ateneo Code wassuch attended by the Lozano NF Student Council together with other high school student governments.

One Million Lights Project were invited to share some The NF Studenta Council not been this active for experiences of being rising has leader.

Another seminar, quite some time as observed by the faculty.

The student council which was organized and held in the same university of school The year Ateneo 2012-2013, with was the aid of these entitled Code attended by leadership the NF programs and seminars, is expected to help the in Student Council together with other high schoolschool student promoting a positive student culture grounded on the virtues of governments. the H.O.P.E. Program recently launched in NF. Helping the The NF Student Council has not been this active for officers in getting into these events and in realizing their quite some as observed by the Chester faculty. Boquiren The student projects weretime moderators Mr. Rommel and council of school year 2012-2013, with the aid of these Mr. Roderick Fernandez. leadership programs and seminars, is expected to helphave the This year’s batch of student council officers school something in promoting a positive culture grounded started that the students student may imitate, and in order for it remain consistent, called recently to get involved with ontothe virtues of the students H.O.P.E.were Program launched and patronize thethe activities and by events the Student in NF. Helping officers inprojects getting initiated into these and Council like the Foundation andmoderators Christmas celebrations, the in realizing their projectsDay were Mr. Rommel Clay Go Project and the NF Merchandise and Hoodie Project.

Chester Boquiren and Mr. Roderick Fernandez.

This year’s batch of student council officers have started something that the students may imitate, and in order for it to remain consistent, students were called to get involved with and patronize the activities and projects initiated by the Student Council like the Foundation Day and Christmas celebrations, the Clay Go Project and the NF Merchandise and Hoodie Project.

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This year’s batch of student council officers have batch startedof “This year’s something that the student council officers students may imitate. have started something that ” the students may imitate.”

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F ORTIB U S

The Spirit of

Fortibus Miguel Marquez & Jorrel Bencio

There has always been a moment in every student’s life where they have to grow some guts to overcome an obstacle, false ambition or even failure.

We sometimes experience a feeling that we wanted to express ourselves to do good deeds but it was never granted. Many students would say that they’re plucky; that they have the ability to stand up for themselves, for what they believe in, and for what they think is right. It’s the advantage that they get for them to feel that courageous ability of getting done whatever obstacles life has planned for him; it’s making them believe more that anything is possible. But some would say otherwise.

Most probably because they still don’t have this spirit.

But it’s not too late. The discovery is something that we would all find very significant, and with all the things that happen in school, it’s very important. It has to be realized.

The reasons behind it could be because other people put them down or they feel shy to do the right thing. They think that their idea might lead things to disaster. But, we should not worry about it because we have the chance to overcome that feeling. The answer to that problem is bravery or fortitude.

What is Fortitude? What is it for? Is it doing things by sheer force and brawn, even if doing so puts you in danger? Is it merging forward into a new life, when you still miss the old one? Why do I have to do this? I’m scared. Is it because of my fears? These are some of the questions we might have asked ourselves at some point in our life.

Fortitude, courage, valor, strength, bravery, and similar words are at times something you were not born with; it is something you gain. It’s a great quality that helps people in many ways; it has not only helped people

get to where they are today, it has helped them to get to where they need to go. It will be a supporter, an encourager, and a goal setter for your future. It will help you become a better person and a firm leader. Fortitude is above all, a virtue, acquired by men who have the will to always live by what is true and upright even if it means turning your back and going against the current.

In PAREF Northfield, we have our motto ‘Fortuna Favet Fortibus’ which means, ‘Fortune Favors the Brave’. What does this mean? It means that people must learn to be brave to build confidence and self-esteem.

Through bravery, we can fight our fears; do what is right in the most adverse circumstances or in the smallest of things. It means setting our hearts staunchly in what needs to be done at the moment when at times we don’t feel like doing them. It means overcoming obstacles to succeed in everything that we do in our daily ordinary activities.

Doing so would be a challenge to all of us. In our school, Northfield students aim to struggle for an excellent performance and to hone their potentials. In studies, students perform bravery in various ways like participating in class, where students give their best effort to answer hard questions. In showcasing talents, students aim to represent the school to show to other schools that Northfield students can also be competitive in many fields.

Though Northfield isn’t a Catholic school per se, it encourages students to seek help from God. Being guided by the Spirit of the Lord, they will be gifted the grace of strength, which helps them endure hardships and fight against temptation; and the grace of wisdom that serves as light while they travel in the world’s paths without any apprehension of what the future might bring.

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what everyone needs to excel further. It is the spirit each Northfield gentleman must live.

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The Two

Phantoms Miguel Tinio

Every one of us is a part of a story every day, but it can be told a variety of ways. The Phantom of the Opera depicts a story of an isolated man terrorizing a French Opera house who becomes infatuated with one of the performers. While the story stays essentially intact, it can be experienced in a bevy of ways such as through a play or film. Both the play and the film present a different experience and it can give us no harm to attempt to distinguish their differences.

Most aficionados can say that both adaptations fill their own respective stereotypical molds. The film version have grander backdrops, props and costumes; as well as a more dialogue heavy script and more subtle performances from the actors; as opposed to the more animated and deliberate nature of the play and its more simplistic props and designs.

A reason why the film version was capable of having more posh props was because of the monumental budget allotted to recreate the Opera House of France as well as creating elaborate costumes reminiscent of the ones worn in 19th century Paris. Plays, also, usually have simpler props because of the difficulty of moving around larger and more extravagant ones in the set. An example of the contrasting difference between both of their ornamental capabilities was the equipment used during the scene of “Masquerade”. The film adaptation was able to utilize a large ballroom for the piece while the theatrical version was limited to just a staircase.

Another comparison of the two is that the film was a lot more dialogue laden, which in turn allowed smoother transitions and segues in between scenes. On the one hand, the play focused a lot more on the song numbers and the proper conveying of emotions the characters were experiencing during the scene. This is why people usually take notice of the film’s focus on the story while the play focuses on the more experiential aspect of entertainment.

The film can also attribute its polished demeanor to the liberties of being on camera, for mistakes and mishaps are easily erased through retakes. However, even though the play is not as refined, these mistakes can engage the audience even more because of the rawness and instant connection it makes with morality.

Tales of romance, danger and passion will always dominate the theaters, stages and minds of men for as long as humanity persists to exist.

This is one of the most significant reasons for the astronomical popularity of the Phantom of the Opera. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatrical adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s novel has grossed in the billions. The Phantom of the Opera has been captivating audiences for decades, whether it is through the big screen or in the Broadway stages of New York, for both adaptations possess the natural ability to excite and move people with its powerful songs and enigmatic antihero. *Photos taken from Google images

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F ORTIB U S

EDITORIAL

The Power of

Journalism "Journalism is a guardian that never sleeps and protects freedom of the people" -Winston Churchill Journalism nowadays has a distorted and bemused definition. Truly, the definition of journalism is to act as a mediator between the public and policy makers without having any biases. Journalism is the ‘voice of the voiceless.’ Apparently, it does not always work that way in reality, not in this time when most of the media we presently know raise false freedom to the altars while paying lip service to their commitment to the truth. Fearless and nonpartisan journalists are what we need, and in PAREF Northfield, we might already have those journalists as Fortibus has finally been revived and the so-called watchdogs of society are now back in action.

First of all, what is Fortibus? For other students, they still might be confused. Fortibus is the Official Student Publication of PAREF Northfield School for Boys. It was recently revived in this school year 2012-2013. This school newspaper was last seen printed in 2008 since the graduating batch left. At the start of this school year, a handful of students, mainly coming from the Year III journalism class, formed a group that would take on an expedition to proudly bring back the school publication. Thus, Fortibus came back to life, but not alone. Now, it is currently under the Northfield Communication Arts Circle (NCAC) together with two other sub-organizations: Havoc, the Official Public Speaking and Debate Society of PAREF Northfield, and Ang Ang Kumpit, Layag, Ang Opisiyal na Pahayagan ng PAREF Northfield. The mother organization, NCAC, serves as the guide and rule of all the sub-organization’s activities and proceedings to accomplish and achieve its mission and vision, and to live the organization’s ideals based on the pursuit for the academic excellence, friendship, personal development, social responsibility and love for the truth.

Our mission as student journalists in PAREF Northfield is to promote love for the truth among our fellow members and the rest of the school community; through the exercise of both oral and written communication skills, in providing quality information and balanced views on current topics, issues, and trends that concern the school and the whole country in a greater scope. Likewise, it is our vision to be known as a student organization that gives prestige to PAREF Northfield through its members, who are sincerely dedicated in

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Information is liberating.

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the pursuit of academic excellence in the area of campus journalism, and who serve as good examples of servant leadership to other students and young aspiring leaders not only in PAREF Northfield, but also in the various parts of the country.

As it is shown, an anchor is part of the nameplate of Fortibus. There are numerous reasons as to why we have chosen the anchor. First of all, our motto is VIRTUS IN VERITATE, which is translated as “Strength in Truth.” The anchor, although it can represent plenty of things, is a representation of a strong foundation or steadfastness. When a ship lets loose its anchor, it grounds and secures itself to a certain spot from which it will not move. It stabilizes itself from the waves, tides, currents and various other movements which the sea may throw at it. When we act with such steadfastness we are not just being simply stubborn; we are securely anchored to our commitment in presenting the truth with style and daring. The anchor points out that absolutely nothing will stop us from professing the truth.

Come hell or high water, we shall abide by what truth commands us to tell.

Why is there a need for a school paper? We know for a fact that student publications are there for countless reasons, which all students have yet to consider. However, many do not realize the importance of the newspaper or information yet. As Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian diplomat, would say, “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” To begin with, the school newspaper is there to inform the whole school community of what has been happening in the school. Furthermore, a student newspaper improves communication between all groups in a school. It can give all students, faculty members, parents, and other members of the school knowledge and understanding of school issues not otherwise obtainable. It conveys an image of the school to the community. Another reason is that it provides an outlet for student writing that primarily emphasizes service to

FORTIBUS Editor-in-Chief Gab Navarro Internal Associate Editor Jose Ericta External Associate Editor Gio Esguerra Managing Editor Francis Perez News Editor Joaqui Palaña Features Editor Miguel Marquez Associate Features Editor Javi Reyes

readers rather than self-expression. The school publication assists all other student activities through eye-catching stories about the activities that stimulate attendance and participation.

In PAREF Northfield, it is essential for students to foster the habit of reading newspapers starting with the school newspaper, Fortibus. Just like in writing, we start with the basics.

It is only through the school paper will students start feeling obliged to know more about what is happening in the Philippines and around the globe. As they become aware of the news in school, their hunger for knowledge would be greater. Then would they be able to foster the habit of reading the daily newspaper.

Being part of the editorial staff of Fortibus is such a great honor; at the same time it helps one in many ways. Firstly, a student writer will be able to improve various skills not only in writing, but in people skills and critical thinking as well. In addition, all staff members gain experience in equating freedom with responsibility. The role of a school newspaper is very important in which the students play a bigger role, as they are the primary movers of what has been happening in the school.

In this brave new world, journalism is a powerful tool. It should not be abused, nor misused. The power to wield the pen and to liberate one’s ideas is a gift that has to be maximized in order to let our immediate community benefit from what shines as objectively true. And only if we are anchored to the truth can we, as students of PAREF Northfield, be more responsible in living up to what our school motto says: Fortuna favet fortibus;

Fortune favors the brave!

The Editorial Board & Staff Sports Editor Phonso Balagtas Science Editor Jose Buencamino DevCom Editor David Lee Circulation Manager Ram Cruz Circulation Manager Raffy Flandes Circulation Manager Mikko Supe Photojournalist Kevin Abellar

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V E R I TAT E The Sin Tax Bill and Filipino Vices

ONE AT A TIME Jose Ericta Vices come with prices.

President Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino finally signed the Sin Tax Bill into a law last December 2012. This newly approved bill aims to increase the tax being paid by the manufacturers of tobacco and alcohol. Mr. Aquino said that this bill would project P33.96 billion revenue in its first year of implementation.

Although a number of Filipinos oppose this, I think that this will help free Filipinos from the addiction of smoking and drinking. Not only that, this bill can reduce the number of people dying because of lung or liver cancer, and this will make it harder for young teens to purchase such items, thus discouraging them from consuming such items and eventually sparing them in the troubles related to these commodities. The best part is that 80 percent of the revenue collected will go to health services and 15 for the farmers and workers. The fact that part of the revenue will be allocated for the tobacco farmers serves already as a safeguard to the industries related to cigarette production.

In terms of the allocation for the improvement of health services, the bill is advantageous because of the provisions set for the health benefits that are especially targeted to the poor. Revenues coming from the taxes will be used to boost the Philhealth insurance system, public health care services and the building of new hospitals.

If you think that the cigarettes are overpriced, Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, as quoted from the

Philippine Daily Inquirer, said that “The price [of cigarettes] in the Philippines would still be among the lowest in the region even if they are increased because of this Sin Tax.” He said the lowest-priced brand is sold at P15. With the sin tax increase, this will go up to P26 pesos. Lacierda said this is lower than the same cigarettes sold in Thailand at P72 pesos and in Indonesia at P48.50 pesos.

Those who oppose the Sin Tax Bill also say that this might trigger black markets or smuggling if the prices go too high or the businesses may go bankrupt. I do not clearly see how this may come about since a number of tobacco companies have plantations and manufacturing units here in the country. In fact, some foreigners even purchase their cigarettes here in huge quantities since they are more affordable here than in their country of origin.

Finally, I would like to believe that the Sin Tax Bill is far from being a measure that only constrains one’s use of freedom. In fact, it reinforces its responsible use. By implementing the provisions found in the bill, people will be taught how to be more discerning in the way they spend money for these types of commodities. The bill acts as a light that guides us, citizens of this country, on how we can apply our freedom with a sense of responsibility when it comes to consuming tobacco and liquor. With this Bill, there is more hope in truly minimizing incidences of alcohol-related crimes and substance abuse.

TROPICAL SWEATERS Gio Esguerra

Photojournalist Michael Racho

Photojournalist Polo Segismundo Photojournalist Alvaro Tomas Cartoonist Adrian Lim

Year of Faith TAKING STOCK Gab Navarro

Excellence As Northfield students, we recognize excellence as the “E” in our beloved acronym, H.O.P.E., which our school grasps upon as a foundation for our unique corporate and student culture. But what exactly do we mean by “excellence”?

Interestingly, Wikipedia offers the following definition: “Excellence is a talent or quality which is unusually good and so surpasses ordinary standards. It is also used as a standard of performance.” It could mean slightly different to each one of us, but it has a common aura, which the word gives off. It’s one of those words that are self-defining. I also believe it’s one of those keywords, which if you put onto those cheap tarpaulin posters, still manages to exude a light that captures everyone’s attention.

But apart from the glamour that the word itself connotes, I believe in excellence as a necessary virtue. It is quite obvious why NF’s Personal Formation Office chose excellence as the “E” in H.O.P.E. It could have been equity or some other fancy sounding word, but excellence was the cheetah in the race. It’s because excellence is essential in our lives as students, teachers and members of the same academic institution. It demands from us that we do our work well, with the human perfection expected from each of us. St. Josemaria once mentioned that when we do our work well, when we sanctify our work; it becomes holy, which then turns into an offering that pleases God. We need excellence for it also lends itself to other virtues that we can and should practice, such as diligence, perseverance, fortitude, and care for the little things.

But despite the proliferation of posters bearing that very word on the walls of our school, I observe one enemy that seems to dampen what could have been a blaze of excellence that should be burning in each of us. I am referring to mediocrity. It is

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like the Death-Eaters we have seen in the Harry Potter series, looming around the school grounds and sucks out whatever glimmer of excellence is left in its target prey. Mediocrity is manifested when we resign ourselves from carrying out what could have been a well-done work because we are not generous enough to take upon our shoulders the sacrifice and effort it requires. A mediocre person is like a poor eagle that could soar high and hunt for a really satisfying prey. Instead of swooping down to the glittering body of water, which is inhabited by healthy fish, it settles for the easy, but not fully satisfying worms sticking out of the earth. Why settle for cheap goals and expectations when you can go for the gold and savor the medal?

Indeed, it’s very ironic that the greatest things in life are always the hardest to attain. I myself, have a hard time in practicing this virtue. There are never-ending obstacles and iniquities that we have to cope with in order for us to achieve our well-set goals. And yes, you cannot earn an achievement without hard and honest work. My parents lectured me countless times about this due to my lack of virtue, and it’s very much true.

Welcome to the real world. That is why we must fight it out against mediocrity and the agitations that may hamper us, and aim for the top by always striving to do the best we can. That is why Northfield promotes this as the “E” in the H.O.P.E. program that we have.

In the end, we will realize sooner or later that we not only need this virtue but that we have to embrace it as well, and accept it as a culture everyone in Northfield must live; so that at the end of the day we could bite that medal we know we can all achieve.

In a world immersed in technology, our society’s beliefs are becoming more and more artificial.

We are in a time when faith becomes a mere label or a petty title.

Realizing that he must respond to this threat, Pope Benedict XVI convokes the Year of Faith from the 11th of October until the 24th of November (Feast of Christ the King). In his letter, Pope Benedict defined the Year of Faith as a “summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one savior of the world.” All of us should realize, as Bishop Daniel Jenky said, "We can no longer be Catholics by accident, but instead be Catholics by conviction." We can no longer be just people who receive the Faith. It is time we learn to transmit it ourselves. If we truly are convinced of our religion and our beliefs, if we really love God; we need to be of use to the Church. True love leads to service, it leads to giving oneself to one another so that we can all spread our Faith.

In Northfield, we are fortunate to have religion classes that focus on the doctrine of the Church. Therefore, we must take advantage and strive to learn our faith well for we cannot give what we don’t have. During this Year of Faith, I think we should double all our efforts in learning and living our faith as we ought to.

We must not allow these hedonistic ideas cloud our faith. Life is not all about pleasure. We need to learn to suffer sooner or later. Nothing worthwhile is won without a price and surely, our Faith is more than worthwhile. If we are not convinced of our faith, we would be lying to ourselves. It is better to have a few who are willing to die for the faith than to have many who are ignorant of the faith. As Professor Lupin said in the last movie of Harry Potter, “It is the quality of one’s convictions that determine success, not the number of followers.”

Our generation faces a problem wherein desire is mistaken for what is right. I remember walking by the cafeteria and I overheard someone say “Being good is so overrated.” I couldn’t help but smile and I asked myself, “Why am I striving to be good?” Is it because I would gain fame or admiration in doing it?

Then I realized the fact that people think that a good action’s end is to elate oneself. They try to be someone who is good because they think they will be gaining some benefits from it. People forget that people strive to be good simply because it is the right thing to do. We must actively remind ourselves that we have such a responsibility to the world we are living in. What I am trying to say is that we need to serve as an example to other people. We need to be light, the light of the world.

How unfortunate it is, if one person could have had our Faith but because of us, he was never able to see.

This Year of Faith is truly a summons for all of us, and if we are good sheep in the flock of Christ, then we should heed this calling to be salt, light and leaven of the world, in the ordinariness of everyday.

Staff Writer JM Unciano

Staff Writer Jorrel Bencio Layout Designer Gio Esguerra Online Editor Francis Perez

Cartoonist Roland Orengo

Contributor Miguel Tinio

Staff Writer Ed Pangulayan

Contributor Joshua Paterno

Staff Writer Noli Ojeda

Staff Writer Enzo Mondoñedo

Contributor Mr. Rommel Trinidad Advisor Mr. Mark Villaluna

10

F ORTIB U S

Opinions

Troubling Development

Sheepish Shepherds Should Shape Up

TECH TURNS

POINT BLANK

Francis Perez

Jose Buencamino

Cybercrime Law: A

As you may have heard, the Cybercrime Law Prevention Act of 2012 or R.A. 10175�turned out to be another controversial law under the Aquino Administration� especially� because of the sections on� Freedom of Expression, Freedom of� Speech, and Data Security in the Philippines. The new act has received mixed reactions from various parts of society.� Last February 5, the temporary restraining order or the suspension of the act has been extended until further notice. That is good news, I believe, for many Filipino netizens.

What exactly is� controversial about this aforementioned law? In my opinion, there are certain parts that are wanting of revision. One of these is Libel. As defined by Merriam Webster, "Libel is� a written or oral defamatory statement or representation that� conveys� an unjustly unfavorable impression." An example of a libelous act in the Internet, according to the recently passed law, is posting criticism� that many� netizens� will either "like" or "share" in some social network sites such as Facebook. Earlier, I have read an article stating that�liking a libelous post will make one an offender. � There are two� things about it. First, it is� wrong to represent somebody through� such damaging information. It may be considered immoral especially if the information is delivered with full�knowledge and�with the intention to cause damage to the individual being "attacked".�On the other hand, however,� everyone in this world has the right to personal expression may it be in writing or through the spoken words.

Meanwhile, there are parts of the act that are also positive. I have no problem to data security since it is illegal to access databases and websites that are forbidden for internet users like me. Another thing is that we have to stop identity theft. They should have just explained this further so we know how the steps the government will undertake to stop these crimes. Spamming or flooding is another thing that has to stop. It is an act of repeating said words, messages and media content that annoys and disturbs the one who you are talking to.

I believe, however, that it is still wrong for the Aquino administration to implement measures that can cause harm to the�freedom of expression and speech of many Filipino�netizens. We have rights to it.

Admittedly, the law has a good intention but it has to also accommodate the present needs of the Filipino netizen especially in this era when the internet b e c o m e s t h e b e s t t o o l f o r i n t e r- c u l t u r a l communication. A suggestion one may give for the improvement of the act is that they should really revise it according to the concerns of many of us in the Philippines. If not, this will be a troubling development against free expression. It is not proper for Aquino to�sign a law that will radically affect one’s private Internet activity and our own right to selfexpression.�

On Dec. 12, 2012, PAREF Northfield students were accompanied by a handful of teachers to observe the proceedings of the second hearing of the RH Bill (now the RH Law). On that day, the halls echoed with loud "Ayes" and a thunderous "Nays," along with a disapproving "Deputy Speaker of the House." After that came the "Yes’s” and the "No’s"' and the 3-minute-long "Why’s" (except for Palawan Representative Antonio Alvarez, whose final wish of being able to exceed the three minutes was granted). It was also on that day that the halls were stained with a particular "I am not for the bill and I am a Catholic, but I say yes to the RH bill because my constituents are..."

Try to find an instance in history when a shepherd was hired for his ability to let the sheep do whatever they want.

Leaders - shepherds, managers, directors, and politicians, alike - are meant to direct their people. They are entitled with the responsibility to discern what is right and to yell so they may be heard, and so people will follow them onto the proper path. In doing so, they are symbols of true public service, of new eras of prosperity, and of fortitude, being that it takes a truly brazen individual to stand up and out of the current to pull to shore those who are being swept away by greed and peer pressure.

As servants of the people, however, they must not follow their men blindly. It is true that a good leader must listen to his people. Though, he must not lower the standards of the law to accommodate the likings of his people, as the law is there to mark the standard of a moral society: of a good society. It is also true that the people must listen to their leader. But, they must not follow blindly either. A good citizen knows a dictator when they see one, and they do something about it.

The person who says "I am not for the bill and I am a Catholic, but I say yes to the RH Bill because my constituents are..." is a clear example of a legislator who both fails to make the people listen, and one who gets pushed over easily. This is an example of a legislator who we, as citizens of the Philippines, do not deserve.

When a leader knows that what the public wants is bad for them, he should speak up. No loving mother would feed their children with a poisoned cake.

Though the RH Law has many good sections that will aid the country, not everything is good, thus there is a need for change in the RH Law, and until the impurities are cured, they should prevent it from coursing through the pipes of Philippine society.

Aside from promising to grant women the rights they already have and spend more money on contraceptives than the Philippines allots as the budget for education and more employment opportunities, politicians claim to usher in a new period of economic welfare with the passing of this bill. With a lower consumer rate, they argue, comes a higher production rate. The answer to poverty is seen as the reduction of impoverished people.

Take a step back and look at the world around you.

Countries left and right (Singapore and Japan to name a few) who have passed laws similar to the RH Law long ago are now encouraging their men and women to get married and have children because they see how quickly their most powerful resource is depleting. They are losing manpower because with the introduction of the contraceptive mentality, women begin to equate pregnancy to a disease. Singaporeans tend to stay clear from marriage because they think of it as the antonym of "Getting rich." In fact, Singapore's leaders including Lee Kuan Yew, plead for them to marry and have children, because they see the impact that a growing population has on the economy.

The Filipino legislators are aware of this. The advantage of a booming population is too humungous to overlook, as a huge population equates to a heavy work force. Yet there are still huge numbers of unemployed citizens across the nation, and the government has two plans to handle this: the first is to increase the average number of educated citizens and the standard of education, and the second is to discourage poor people from having babies.

The educational standards and the average number of educated Filipinos can be raised by increasing the budget for the Department of Education. With this, they can increase the salary of teachers (1), thus attracting more men and women to pursue this line of work and level out the disparity in the ratio of teacher to student. They can also use this money to provide the physical requirements of better learning (2), e.g. by supplementing the students with better books, classrooms, and so on. Lastly, this increase in budget could be paralleled with the increase of the quality by which the teachers are trained, thus increasing the quality of the education the students receive. This will not only relinquish the impoverished status of many families, but elevate the work force in the country.

However, the government resolved to invest a hefty amount of money in the RH Law, which will duplicate the written rights for women, incorporate sexual education into every school subject, and giving free access to contraceptives throughout the nation while encouraging them to use it, which will develop an antilife attitude and culminate into the legalization of abortion.

For many people, it is a trivial fact that the government decided to go with the latter option. The truth of the matter is that foreign countries, mainly the United States, are interested in the resources of the Philippines. If the population grows and becomes self-sufficient, less of our resources will arrive on their doorstep, and our dependence on them will lighten, thus diminishing their influence. To combat this, they offer financial support for the passing of the then RH Bill.

Thus the RH fever swept the government, with most people either joining the current out of greed or coasting along lest they lose their positions if they stand up to change the tide. That is why the Philippines has been cheated. Many politicians are seeking short-term results regardless of the long-term toll that the result of their choices will wreak. It seems so long ago when men used to stand up in what they believe in for the sake of a better Philippines.

It seems so long ago when men were shot for striving to turn the tide, yet the gap between now and then is as short as the lifetime spent by a father and his son.

As the impact of the law is most profound upon the youth, the youth must still play their part: and they can. It is important to support our fellow pro-life politicians, and nowadays it is easier to do so. We have the aid of social media and many of us are in the position to bring them to power through our votes. The prospect of a better future rests in the hands of those who are willing to make a change for the better; otherwise, we must hope that this law will be scarcely enforced - similar to many of the laws in the Philippines.

There could be no middle ground in issues such as this. Either you sit at the bench of those who are willing to risk public morality and social welfare in exchange of easily fattened “porks” or you shape up and stand to speak and fight for the cause that has been long grounded in the moral principles and traditional values that our forefathers so courageously defended.

Shape up. Stand up.

FORTIBUS wants YOU. Visit us at: www.fortibus.tumblr.com www.facebook.com/fortibusnf Publishing House Boon Prints Enterprises

11

F O RTIB U S

Features

Stronger Ties

Father & Son Camping 2013 Mikko Supe & Kevin Abellar

The sun was out and gleaming to a group of dads and sons alighting one by one from their vehicles. It was a perfect day to enjoy, and we had that enjoyment the way we just wanted it.

Nothing beats the Annual NF Father & Son Camping as an ultimate bonding experience. For this year, the Father and Son Camping was held in Camptipolo and Loreland Resort for the Intermediate and High School students, while the Primary students had theirs in Philip’s Sanctuary; both located in Antipolo City, Rizal.

Some of us, being new participants of the father and son camping, had no clue on what to expect. We thought this would be a normal camping trip for us, but we found out this was completely different from what we anticipated. The first day was filled with fun father-and-son activities and games facilitated by the organizers from Camptipolo. Just before lunch, the fathers and sons were convened into two separate groups to listen to two different talks. Mr. Mike Luistro gave a talk on parenting and the H.O.P.E. Program for the fathers, while Mr. Floyd Batongbakal explained to us students the different virtues that a Northfield student must strive to develop. Both talks, I believe, were an eye-opener for each of us.

In the early afternoon, we all enjoyed the challenging obstacle courses present in the camping grounds. But before that, we had to survive first an initial challenge: a grueling mountain-side hike from the top of Loreland Resort to the grounds of Camptipolo, which was not a giveaway at all given the load of things we had to carry. A test of fortitude

indeed! On the grounds, there were many obstacle courses setup for us to enjoy like the Tarzan Rope Jump, The Horizontal Wood Balance, the Mud Crawl and Slide and the Tight Rope Course. Students and fathers were divided into four groups – Vinta A and B, and Anchor A and B – to facilitate the flow of those who wanted to try the challenges.

At night, we had some parlor games around a huge bonfire. We also had marshmallow and hotdogs to cook. However, some of those either burned or got some dirt in it while cooking. One had to be creative in finding ways to roast our marshmallows and hotdogs. Some students had the brilliant idea of using bamboo sticks around the area to aid the cooking. After the bonfire, everyone had free time to spend so some of the students either watched a movie using the gadgets they brought or played with their board games like Monopoly and Games of the Generals. The fathers had their usual conferences on the other side of the camping grounds.

The following morning, we all woke up early to fix our tents and other camping implements. We had another challenging bout with the 300 or so steps of the hike going up. Many times, we wonder why we have to give up a comfortable bed or a delicious meal at home just to join camping excursions like this. Being boys, surely the fun and adventure are part of it. However, we would like to think that it’s more than just that. For the greater part, it was really to treasure a day or two with that man you can always rely on, who happened to be both your best friend and your dad.

V I R T U S

I N

V E R I TAT E

12

Features

Netizen Alerts

Gangnam Style, AMALAYER, & Online Memes Francis Perez & Raffy Flandes A new music sensation recently dominated our country, and a somewhat “telenovela” incident came to be viral over the Internet, receiving outrages from different people. It is no ordinary telenovela nor is it your usual Justin Bieber “Baby”. It is this very peculiarity that alerted Netizens all around the world to rush into YouTube to see.

One of the most famous viral videos in 2012 is Gangnam Style, a song performed by South Korean musician, PSY, which is part of his sixth studio album PSY 6 (Six Rules) Part 1. Gangnam Style, a song released on July 2012, is a song about the upscale fashion and lavish lifestyle associated with trendsetters in Seoul’s Gangnam district, which is considered the most prosperous part of the metropolitan area. On the 21st of December, this video reached a billion views on the video-sharing website YouTube surpassing Justin Bieber’s “Baby”. By the end of 2012, Gangnam Style topped the music charts of several countries. The video Gangnam Style spawned many parodies of it due to its fame, and one of the more notable ones is Rewind YouTube Style, which is consisted of many famous YouTube enthusiasts such as Nigahiga, Freddiew, Destorm, Corridordigital, Walk of the Earth, and others. Rewind YouTube Style also features PSY himself. As of the February 1, 2013, Gangnam Style has an estimated 1.25 billion video views on Youtube.

Another viral video that caught the attention of Netizens the world over is Amalayer. Originated in the Philippines, Amalayer is one of these videos, which was highly criticized by Filipino Netizens because of its content. The Amalayer video shows a lady shouting at a lady guard working in the LRT Santolan Station for her “wrongdoing”. But it looks like the one who is shouting is the one in the wrong.

One believes that the original YouTube uploader of the video took it down because of its content. It also became a viral hit due to the term AMALAYER. Parodies of it were done by many people like Vice

Ganda in Showtime and in the movie Sisterakas. Even the Amalayer Girl, Paula Salvosa, was also shown in Mikey Bustos’ Opo Pinoy Style video.

Another viral media contents are internet memes. Pronounced as “meem”, a meme is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture on the internet. Some notable sources for memes are 9gag, Reddit, and social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. One of the notable memes is Grumpy Cat, a meme where a cat shows a sour and grumpy face. Examples of Grumpy Cat memes are, “I had fun once, it was horrible”. Another notable meme is Ermahgerd, also known as Gersberms and Berks , a meme wherein a young woman appears to be speaking with a lisp due to her orthodontic retainer; she was holding a series of books called Goosebumps in her hand.

All these media content getting viral in the online world are nothing but manifestations of the growing activity of Filipinos when it comes to their use of the Internet. For years now, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social network and media content sites have become staples in the Filipino netizens online menu. They flock together in YouTube whenever a Filipino or a Filipina is making raves in some reality TV show or singing contest in other countries, ready to always show support by leaving an encouraging comment or two.

These viral online activities also serve as a proof that we Filipinos are in fact becoming “global citizens” who are always in-touch with the current trends and changes sprouting in many parts of the world.

Getting in touch with other cultures through these contents shared online not only provides us a source of entertainment or topics to gossip about.

These contents, in turn, enrich our worldview and expand our understanding of what human creativity and passion can offer. They spell out what is human in every individual, what makes him tick and what makes him smile.

“

All these netizen alerts reinforce one important thing: our humanity. ”

13

F ORTIB U S

Science

NF science varsity places 3rd in robotics tilt Jose Buencamino

Thirteen schools across NCR gathered under the open-walled gym of Grace Christian College to compete head-to-head in the field of robotics last December 4, 2012.

The tables were set with their respective desktops in preparation for Grace Christian College's Inter-school Robotics Competition, which aimed to increase the awareness and appreciation for robotics and to inspire creativity, along with the advertisement of the host’s new college programs.

Each school was represented by a threeman team and their coach, and they had to fashion a robot out of the given K'Nex materials, an instruction-based robotics platform, before entering them into the Robot Sumo tournament, where one robot has to push the other out of the ring in order to win the match. Each match consists in a maximum of 3 rounds given that there

are no technical difficulties. The arena, with a diameter of one meter, was stationed at the center of the stage.

Miguel Sesdoyro (Year 5), Jose Francisco Pato (Year 5), and Jandi Ramirez (Year 4) were hand-picked by Northfield's Science Varsity coach and respected high school science teacher, Mr. Joem Magbanua. With these four were students Jose Buencamino (Year 3) and Benjamin Balmaceda (Year 5), who documented and observed the event in preparation for the contest to be held next year.

The competition began at 8:40 am, and after the initial speech and the enumeration of the various programs offered by the newly established Grace Christian College, the delegates took a massive group picture, listened to the story of the invention of K'Nex, and played a game where they

had to construct the sturdiest and tallest tower consisted of straws and tape.

A workshop was held soon after, which began when the facilitators demonstrated how to use the software and the interface that would be distributed at the latter end of the morning workshop. A break was issued at 10:45 am, during which Mr. Pato, one of NF’s delegates, refined the aesthetic representation of a certain set of functions by "painting" the background pink and crafting a pixelized version of Miguel Sesdoyro. Then, all teams were given the same K'Nex parts, pieces, and instruction manuals, which taught them how to build a "Phantom" robot car. This provided them with the knowledge of how these materials work, and at 12:15 pm they received their interfaces, which they then plugged into their desktops.

Once they returned to their tables, they resolved all the problems concerning the programming, and at 1:30 pm, the teams began to dismantle their identical "Phantom" robots. Fifteen minutes later, the modulators defined the rules, and then the students began constructing their own robots, which lasted from 1:50 pm until 2:50 pm.

Upon construction, each robot was measured and admitted if they found that it was in compliance with the specifications, which were as follows: a) It must be less than 25cm in length; b) It must be less than 25cm in width; and c) Its mass cannot exceed 1,500g. There was only one school, Philadelphia Institute, which did not meet these requirements and was automatically disqualified.

After ensuring that their areas are free of any stray parts, the tournament began. There were four blocks labeled A, B, C, and D; and each block had three contestants that had to defeat the other two

so that they advance to the semi-finals.

There were three fights per block: A1 vs. A2, A1 vs. A3, and A2 vs. A3. If it follows that none of the contestants are able to win twice, they must have a royal rumble, which never occurred. In the semi-finals, the winners of each block would go head-to-head. The winner of the A block fought the winner of the B block, and C fought against D. Those triumphant then walked into the final bout, where the champion was declared.

Northfield was placed in the C block. The official position that was given was C2. The NF robot shoved CLARET and Harris Memorial out of the way to garner a spot in the semi-finals alongside Capitol Hills, the University of the East, and St. Jude.

Capitol Hills, which was simply a massive ramp on wheels, managed to push the robot of UE out of its way, earning a ticket into the finals. On the other block, St. Jude defeated NF’s “little aztec monster.”

UE and NF went head-to-head for third, and Northfield emerged victorious.

“Our little aztec devil leapt from the abysmal depth of despair and grasped the tail of the eagle that is triumph. We, the sons of the field in the North, rose in glory. The child's thirst was quenched,” noted by Jose Buencamino (Year 3).

Meanwhile, Capitol Hills quashed St. Jude in the finals. Capitol Hills, alongside Grace Christian College, are the pioneering schools in the Philippines in terms of using the K’Nex software for high school robotics instruction.

Those who had a podium-finish received scientific calculators with Bluetooth features from Sharp, and all participants were given supermarket bags, books, and certificates of participation. *Reports from Mr. Joem Magbanua

NF celebrates Science and Math Week 2013 Miguel Marquez & Jorrel Bencio

Students, faculty and staff of the Northfield family once again got together to celebrate the Science and Math Week with the theme “Sustaining a Better Future, Science to Win It” in the school promenade and grounds last February 26-March 1, 2013.

This year’s celebration was spearheaded by the graduating Year V batch under the supervision of their Physics teacher Mr. Joem Magbanua and with the help of the entire Science and Math departments under the direction of Mr. Greg Jesuitas and Mr. Raul Arenas respectively.

The Science department kicked off the celebration by putting up science illusion and magic trick booths and a butterfly garden for primary students on the school grounds.

This was followed by the Science to Win It game show last February 27, the first of its kind to be organized in NF and was patterned after the famous U.S. game show Minute to Win It. The game mechanics were almost the same as the original version except that the games to be played had to be conceptualized in such a way that they demonstrate certain physical laws. Games like the Ribbon Pull, Tower of Pisa, The Archimedes Bucket, Elephant Walk, Milo Toss, Ping Pang Pong, Suck’em Up, and The Card Deck Blow were played by the competing NF houses, Vinta and Anchor. Vinta outstood Anchor in almost all the games played on that day.

The next day, February 28, students from the primary and intermediate levels teamed up for the Science and Math Survivor Challenge co-organized by teachers Mr. Jun Venus (Science) and Mr. Dennis Tuazon (Math). Booths with corresponding Math and Science challenge puzzles and questions were put up by the high school students.

Consequences or penalties were also prepared by each booth if any of the teams was not able to answer their challenges at a given timeframe.

Meanwhile, the Math department continued its tradition of holding a Math Quiz Bee for all grade and year levels with the help of Mr. Jeremy Regondola, Math teacher.

The champions for each category were the following: Gian Valdez (Grade 1), Luis Isidro (Grade 2), Miguel Encarnacion (Grade 3), Paolo Fernando (Grade 4), Almyt Poblete (Grade 5), Stanley Emil Ongjoco (Grade 6), Jaime Benitez (Grade 7), Mark David Delos Angeles (Year I), John Rivera (Year II), Gio Esguerra (Year III), Juan Diego Ramirez (Year IV), and Francisco Pato (Year V).

The celebration of the Science and Math Week reinforces the desire of both departments to promote the study of these two subjects in an atmosphere of fun and friendly-competition. *Reports from Ed Pangulayan and Gab Navarro

“

The celebration of the Science and Math Week reinforces the desire of both departments to promote the study of these two subjects. ”

14

F ORTIB U S

Sports

NF Varsity Team, Year II dominate Basketball Intrams 2013 Joaqui Palaña The NF Varsity team, together with the Year II team, proved again that they are the champions when it comes to storming the hoops.

The Annual Basketball Intramurals of Northfield was once again dominated by the NF Varsity Team for the Elves Division as they snatched the championship cup from the Faculty Team A, 97-89, last February 19, 2013. Likewise, the Year II team outlasted the Year I team, 83-66, during the Trolls Division Finals on the same day.

As the game began for the Troll Division Finals, Year I put out their best five in the first quarter and played an all-out first half. They fought valiantly against the superior Year II only to be put off at the latter quarters of the game. In the Elves Division, Faculty A had a bad start which extended the lead of the Varsity Team to about 20 points. Nevertheless, Faculty A’s super scorer, Quito Limbo, once more emerged from the deep and brought the team upon his shoulders to cut the lead of the opponent to about 4 points in the fourth quarter. As the game ended, the Varsity was able to hold off Quito Limbo in the dying minutes and snatch the win over Faculty A. As tradition set it, qualifying teams for the intramurals were divided into three divisions based on their grade or year level. This year’s divisions were named after the renowned Harry Potter series. The first division or the Gnome Division is for students from Grades 4-6 and is comprised of two teams, Black and White. The second division or the Troll Division is for Grade 7, Year I, and Year II students and students from Year

III-V who still need refinement in their basketball skills. This division is comprised of six teams. The last division, the Elves division, is where the competitive spirit thrives. This division is composed of three high school teams, two faculty teams, and the high school basketball varsity team.

Before the season started, rumors were spreading that Year II would rule the Troll Division due to their seniority and the high school Basketball Varsity Team for the Elves division due to their deadly basketball skills.

This season started well for the Year III Team B and Year II in the Troll Division with 3-2 and 5-0 being the top teams at the end of the eliminations. On the other hand, Faculty B swept the entire eliminations, while the Varsity Team finished with one loss. Tough season once more for the batch of Year III as they remain the surviving underdogs in the Elves division with only one win and four losses since Year II went one division lower. At the end of eliminations, the top four teams in the Troll and Elves Division entered the semifinals and moved one step closer to the 2013 Intramurals Championship trophy. In the semifinals, the top one team battles the top four, and the top two fights the top three in a rubber match. The winning teams will proceed to the much awaited finals. Meanwhile, in the Gnome Division, Black has been ruling the game so far with their star player, Paqui Reyes, carrying the team as White begins to change their strategy and game plan. This change of strategy came to be very effective as the White Team upsets the Black Team in the

finals for the Gnomes Division, 47-46, led by their top scorer Julio Balagtas.

In the Troll Division, the number one team, Year II, faced Year IV Team B, while the number two team, Year III Team B, went against Year I to determine the finals match up. In the Elves Division, Faculty B faced their fellow Faculty A, while the Varsity Team was challenged by the Year V seniors.

During the semifinal round in the Troll Division, Year II was in a struggle with Year IV Team B as they were down by more than 20 points in the first half of their crucial game. Unexpectedly, Year IV Team B fumbled in the third quarter which caused the Year II star, Javi Gomez de Liaño to explode. The Year II made a total of about 20 unanswered points to tie the game in the fourth quarter with about seven minutes left. Year IV Team B was not anymore able to answer back as the offense of Year II was already fierily unstoppable. The game finished with Year II advancing to the finals.

On the other hand, it was a lopsided game as Year I finished off the Year III Team B. Year I led the

whole game as their bench played a huge role in their victory against the sophomores. The finals matchup has finally been set for the Troll Division with Year II against Year I. In the Elves Division, Faculty A shockingly outlasted the undefeated Faculty B in what is dubbed to be the “greatest upset in NF basketball history” as their scorer, Quito Limbo, played an all-out neck-toneck game to carry the team on his shoulders. Their opponent for the finals was the Varsity Team who easily handled the Year V Team in their semifinals matchup.

Parents and the school staff had been very supportive during the entire duration of this year’s intramurals, as their presence in NF had been very much felt. Long lines of vehicles were parked along the streets of Scout Gandia that served as a concrete evidence of the active involvement of the parents in the games that taught their sons the real meaning of sportsmanship.

‘El Dinamita’ explodes Pacman Jose Ericta

The People’s Champ loses to the Dynamite!

Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao lost to Juan Manuel ‘Dinamita’ Marquez last December 8, 2012 in Las Vegas during their fourth meeting in the ring.

In the first round, both fighters were sizing each other up as they both throw straights and jabs, while the crowd was audibly chanting “Manny!” A few outbursts of flurries from both fighters flashed here and there. During the last minute of the round, “Marquez!” was being chanted and Pacman’s fans responded by chanting too.

The first and second rounds went to Pacman as he landed two solid left punches. But in the third round, Marquez faked and then followed up a solid punch that hit Pacquiao square in the face and knocked him down spread-eagle on the floor. Pacquiao’s lead was totally destroyed by that punch, but he regained the lead after the fourth round.

In the fifth round, Manny lands a good punch that knocked Marquez down. Although it was not as solid as Marquez’s knock down against Manny; El Dinamita’s gloves merely touched the floor. After that, the fight got more intense as both contenders went all out. Pacman was giving everything he got and relentlessly threw punches at Juan Manuel. Marquez was bleeding after the round. Pacquiao landed 21 and Marquez 7 in that savage round; it was clearly another round for Pacquiao.

The bell clanged. Round six was on its way to the record books, as Pacquiao started with full spirit and knocked Marquez’s mouthpiece off. During the last

ten seconds, Pacman threw a good combo and then went near to Marquez in the last three seconds and tried to finish him while his head was exposed.

Marquez saw the opening and gave a huge counter punch in the face of Pacman. The crowd went wild. A knock out for El Dinamita during the last two seconds was declared by the referee while Pacman kissed the floor, unconscious. Marquez quickly ran to the corner, one hand raised with mixed emotions of disbelief and great excitement, and climbed the ropes.

Larry Merchant interviewed him after, “He came out very aggressive, so did you sense immediately, ‘I just have to be patient and counter him’?” Marquez replied, “We knew he was gonna be more aggressive so we needed a fight plan that needed more technique, and that was what happened and we capitalized on it.” After that, Manny patted him on the back and Marquez said, “Thanks, thanks Manny, again, you are a great fighter.”

It was Manny’s turn then to be interviewed, still a little groggy from the punch he just recovered from. “After you suffered the first knock down earlier in the fight, you seemed to have taken control; did you get careless or did you say ‘Now, I have him’?” Larry asked. “Yes, I got careless in that round because I thought I got him but, you know, he’s that good,” Manny admitted. Larry followed up, “Because he was so bloody from your punches, you felt that that was the time to finish him?” “Yes yes, I was so careless; I was so overconfident I thought I got him,” Pacquiao confessed.

V I R T U S

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VERITATE

NF Mayhem blazes DLSU, Skechers’ 8 dance floors Gio Esguerra They are called “Mayhem” but their moves are far from being one.

their creativity in expressing emotions and stories through their grooves.

Northfield’s official dance varsity NF Mayhem wowed the spectators as they blazed the dance floor of the Yuchengco Hall during the Love Dance Celebration 2013 organized and held in De La Salle University, Feburary 23, 2013.

Earlier on September 22, 2012, NF Mayhem also competed at the Skechers’ Streetdance Battle 8 qualifiers at the Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia. Unfortunately, the dance crew was not able to make it to the Top 10 to advance to the Final Battle at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Other competitors who made it to the finals were La Salle’s Air Force, Ateneo’s Indak, Claret School’s Hataw, Xavier School’s Dance X, St. Paul College Pasig’s Terpsichore and Miriam College’s Sayawatha to name a few.

NF Mayhem finished fourth among their competitors that include Immaculate Conception Academy’s dance varsity, Ateneo’s Indak, and Colegio de San Agustin’s CSA-DT, which placed first, second and third respectively according to the official score sheets. The results delighted their faculty moderator Mr. Rommel Chester Boquiren, and their dance trainer Coach Von Asilo despite not making it to the podium finish.

“We weren’t expecting anything.

The crew just did their best and executed what they had long been practicing. I am happy because NF Mayhem has come a long way and they are indeed getting way more competitive than before. In fact, I can say that the routine they executed for this competition was not in their usual comfort zone because they were limited with this year’s theme: Love,” remarks Mr. Boquiren.

De La Salle’s Dance Celebration usually plays around different themes and this year, they chose a theme that would not only showcase the power-packed dance moves of the competing dance varsities but one that could also bring out

The competition team that performed last September, was comprised of team captain Javie Mendoza, seniors Miggy Pariñas, Al Arrobio, Raph Vivar, Thomas Philip Yu; juniors Gabe Feliciano, Mico Parreño, Javi Buan; sophomores Miggy Saluta, Jose Buencamino, Aki Mendoza, and JM Pariñas, was the third team of Northfield that has ever performed at the potentially biggest dance battle event. The crew usually practices three times a week, but when the event grew nearer, the practices were made more frequent and more intense as well.

NF Mayhem had their energycharged moves and audience impact despite Northfield being a small school.

It was controversial how the spot in the final event was “stolen” from the crew, for certain groups of people thought that they had more swagger, skill, and

showmanship to deserve it. The judges thought otherwise, and some people agree, while others disagree.

“It was heck wild since it was my first time being in a competition! I was really surprised about the atmosphere of everything - the crowd, the other dance crews… everything!” said rousingly by rookie JM Pariñas.

Even though they did not get the spot, it also benefitted them well in the sense of gaining more experience. Every year, the crew grows more and more determined as each competition draws near.

It was just the third time NF Mayhem has competed in the biggest and hottest dance event, and gaining more experience and determination would definitely inspire the crew to perform next year with fresher moves, wild stunts, and of course, more swagger.

The Skecher’s qualifier itself was huge. It was hosted by the famous radio DJ, Sam YG, well known as the one-third of the hilarious trio Boys Night Out. The seats were sold out, which forced watchers and supporters to lean on the event fences, and prompted guards to warn a spectator once in a while. There were Northfield supporters inside the boundaries and out, and when it was Mayhem’s turn, they did not fail to do their job.

Spectators lined the fences in both the first and second floors, producing neverending “oohs” and “ahhs” whenever a back flip or some power moves came into play.

A-Rod Appraisal HOME OF THE HUSKIES Phonso Balagtas

Once again, Alex Rodriguez finds himself in the middle of a steroid scandal. Although nothing has been proven yet, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to see his name come up in a report that links several Major League players to the purchase of performance-enhancing substances.

Statistically speaking, A-Rod is possibly one of the greatest players of all time. But he is now seen as somewhat of a pathetic figure in baseball, and for good reason.

First off, A-Rod cheated. He admitted to taking PEDs in the past, and that automatically puts a stain on any of the numbers he put up. Such a shame, considering that from 2001 – 2010, he hit at least 30 homers every year, and was named the AL MVP three times. Of course, that is not to say that A-Rod deserves no credit for what he achieved, but his use of PEDs make it difficult to tell just how good of a player he really is.

Secondly, his contract is an absolute joke. A-Rod set the record for baseball’s most expensive contract when he signed his $275 million, 10-year agreement with the Yankees. A lot of money for someone who only hit .272 and drove in 57 runs last year. Not that those are horrible batting stats, but I have a feeling that isn’t the kind of production the Yankees expected when they paid him $30 million last year. To put into perspective just how much money that is, the Houston Astros’ projected opening-day payroll for the 2013 year is about $25 million. That’s right; A-Rod costs more than one entire team.

One perception about A-Rod is that he always struggles during crunch time. This isn’t exactly true as evidenced by his great 2009 postseason, but for the most part; Rodriguez does struggle during the playoffs; especially this past season when he hit an underwhelming .120 and drove in no runs to go along with a big zero in the home run column. In addition, the game’s highest-paid player was repeatedly benched and pinch-hit due to his inability to hit.

This would again lead to lots of criticism from the media and fans.

With all that being said, however, Rodriguez did lead his team to a World Series ring in 2009. His last few seasons haven’t been up to his usual standard, but he has been slowed a bit by various injuries and is due to return from hip surgery sometime after the All-Star break. It’s not impossible for A-Rod to have a bounce back season.

And all of these problems lead the Yankees to one big question: What will happen to Alex Rodriguez? There are several routes the Yankees could take in dealing with ARod. The most likely option being that they wait for him to return from hip surgery and hope that he returns fully healthy and has better seasons than his past two.

NF junior booters places 2nd in soccer tilt David Lee

The Northfield Football Club grade school division won the inter-school soccer competition held in Diliman Preparatory School and brought home the 1st runner-up title.

Battling against competitive opponents gave the Northfield junior booters problems throughout the match.

The opponents were very rough and used their athletic bodies to challenge the ball. However, they adapted quickly and changed their playing style. The team showed great efforts to win the match, following the planned tactics and having fun during the game.

“During the training we have a lot of laughs but when it comes to competing

in tournaments we are all serious in winning the game while at the same time enjoying it,” according to Jaden Ducut, team captain of the NF Football Club.

The Northfield Team prepared for that competition for over a month of competitive training. They only had limited time for water breaks. The team used the formation taught to them by Coach Edmar Aquino, which they referred to as “the triangle”. The formation was setup by having the three forwards form a triangle and pass the ball around each other trapping the victims in the middle. They also use the technique called 1 - 2 passing much like the “tiki-taka” strategy of FC Barcelona.

This involves three players: two strikers and one defender from the other team.

The two strikers left and right pass the ball towards each other heading towards the goal, making the defender confused. They continued applying these strategies, seeing opportunities to strike that led them to storm the goal with fiery kicks.

Coach Edmar Aquino of NF Football Club is strict and a disciplinarian when it comes to training his team. Being the coach of the alumni football team makes him a long partner of Northfield School.

They could, and I’m sure Yankees fans would love this, trade him; although that seems very unlikely given the circumstances. He’s 37 years old coming off surgery; has shown a steady decline the past few years; comes with certain off-the-field issues; and of course has that ridiculously large contract that no team would want under their payroll.

But if they do trade him, who else do they have to play third base for the near future? The Yankees have Youkilis on the roster, but he’s only signed for a one-year deal. Look into their farm system and no third baseman really stands out as someone who could make a big impact for a Major League team.

Or perhaps A-Rod makes this easier on everyone and decides to call it quits. It seems unlikely, but a New York Daily news article stated that his injury could be career threatening. I don’t believe this will happen though since A-Rod has $114 million left on his contract and I think, he will want to keep playing.

Either way, one thing’s for sure: that Rodriguez will continue to make a lot of money, whether or not he deserves it. It’s possible he even loses his starting job to Youkilis at third base. Or even more unlikely, he comes back with a monster year, proves all his doubters wrong, and shows that he deserves that huge contract.

A Tribute to the Pope who convoked the Year of Faith

Reasonable Faith Jose Buencamino

Science class is the breaker of the hearts of children who took Genesis’ description of the world’s creation literally. “An entire world in 7 days: I can’t believe I fell for that!” They then shrug it off as they come to believe that Science and Religion are two completely different things; thus people make the first misconception between Faith and Reason. And, it is precisely what it is - A misconception.

Faith and Reason, instead, are far from contradictory; they are in fact complementary. Reason is a tool with which one can understand Faith to a greater degree, and it is by both that we know God. The Catholic Faith, with its many practices, traditions, and ceremonies, is heavily rooted in reason, from the elements of the Holy Mass all the way up to the way we kneel in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Everything has a purpose, and with every stone we turn, we rediscover a new patch of earth from which life springs; and that is the life united with Christ.

It is also by these two that the Catholic Church has survived thousands of years, for if one was not about, Catholicism would have burned down during the first time it went under fire. Even until today, the Church faces criticism from various groups for its practices and traditions, including the priests’ vows of celibacy and the concept of fixed prayer, to name a few.

People argue that priests should marry, yet if they did, how will they completely give themselves to God? There are those who see fixed prayers as mumbling, void of personal involvement; however the words are guidelines, so as to help prayer reflect the intent of the person praying perfectly. Often, these prayers are quoted from various passages from the Bible, such as the Angelus, the Lord’s prayer, and others. In such ways, practice is met by reason with every turn of the corner in the house of the church, and with faith, one can take the stairs to the next floor.

One reason why people may think that Faith is irrational is that they seldom try to understand their Faith nowadays, so if you go ahead and tell them that God wants us to eat His Body out of the blue; you cannot blame them for raising an eyebrow. It is with this in mind that Pope Benedict XVI declared the Year of Faith, the goal of which is to increase our doctrinal knowledge. By using Reason to unearth the many intricacies of our Faith, we grow in both faculties, as well as our love for God; for what lover does not want to know all about the being his heart desires, and what fire does not flare when more wood is tossed into the flame?

The Year of Faith was declared by Pope Benedict XVI also because of one of the most significant problems of Faith and morals today: Relativism. It is a concept stating that there is no absolute truth, and that it differs from person to person according to their perspectives. This is what often leads people to believe that whatever is pleasurable is good for the mere fact that they deem it good. Relativism justifies false ideas like this, which makes it such a big problem. By growing in those two faculties, we can combat this issue, because this concept surfaced due to a lack of Faith and err in Reason. Thus, we must not let this Year of Faith pass by without any change - it is here for a reason.

Faith and Reason are more intertwined than you may think. Whereas they may appear to be going in opposite directions, the two overlap. You can say that the relationship between Faith and Reason is similar to that of a Space Shuttle and its External Booster engines. Reason helps lift Faith off the ground and the two rocket into the air together, however Reason can only reach a certain height before running out of fuel and falling to the earth, while Faith just keeps on climbing.