Claretian math wizards compete in Bangkok

John Laurence Sy receives Merit on the fourth day of the contest. (Photo courtesy of John Laurence Sy)

Mathematics, from a Clare­tian’s perspec­tive, is one of the core subjects of some buzz. However, this is not the case of John Laurence Sy of Grade 12 and Elijah Inigo Duran of Grade 6, who carried the colors of Claret School of Quezon City and of the Philip­pines in the recent International Mathematics Wizard Challenge 2016. The contest was held from the July 20 to 24, 2016 in Bangkok, Thai­land. Various schools from seven national contingents were present. Along with the Philip­pine delegation were Sy and Duran.

Relating to the notion provided by the contest, it is parallel to cer­tain entrance examinations, wherein contestants are be­ing assessed and measured based on the academic ap­titude. The contestants ac­cepted the challenge of an­swering the test with three sectors, answering all within 4 hours.

In addition to their five-day stay in the city, del­egates were given a chance to explore and tour the city (go to the zoo, buy at the malls and night markets, and eat in different restau­rants) during the third day to give way for the officials to know the results of the test.

The fourth day com­menced with the awarding ceremony. Philippines gar­nered 240 medals — 34 gold, 74 silver, and 132 bronze medals, finishing in 2nd place, trailing behind Chi­na. One of the 132 bronze medal recipients is Duran, a humble and gallant figure of our school recognized for his excellence portrayed during the event.

John Laurence Sy, who received a Merit, is a member of the Mathemat­ics Trainers’ Guild, a na­tional organization highly revered in the field of aca­demic matters.

Since math, as men­tioned, is a kernel of knowl­edge for Claretians, Sy leaves an advice for us: “We cannot expect to ever be perfect: just do one thing and do it well. When you do, you will feel all the suc­cess you’ll ever need.”

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