JPSME-MSU-Gensan quizzers overcome tie-breaker to snatch regional title, earn national tilt berth

Showing off engineering clutch genes, the Junior Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (JPSME-MSU-GSC) clinched the championship in the Quiz Bee of the 2nd Mindanao Regional Students Conference (MRSC), prevailing over other competitors from across the island.

The victory also secures a slot in the 73rd Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME) National Convention Quiz Bee,  where they will face the country’s top contenders.

© Froilan Bien Puzon

After an intense set of regular rounds, which involves the topics such as Mathematics, Engineering Sciences, and Laws (MESL), Power and Industrial Plant Engineering (PIPE), and Machine Design and Shop Practices (MDSP), the MSU-Gensan and Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) were knotted, forcing a nerve-wracking clincher.

The deciding question required computing the air-fuel ratio of a fuel oil for a steam generator with a given percent excess air, and with the guidance of their knowledgeable mentors—Engr. Sandjib Cagiumbaga and Engr. Karl Stenberg Zaldariaga, the youth team of Mohammad Yunous Hassan, Nash Longakit, John Paul Borja, and John Matthew Porras, got the perfect answer, thus securing the quiz championship title.

In an interview, Porras stated that the decision to switch during the tie-breaker was reached collectively, with the each member assigned a particular subject specialization to allow quick substitutions when necessary.

“If Kuya Yunous (Hassan) wanted to stay, I would have receded the strategy, since I would understand undertaking such a risk. But we discussed it among ourselves and we agreed it was a better option to bet on high-school level problems,” Porras added.

On the other hand, Hassan shared that they relied on dividing the topics based on each member’s strengths, ensuring that no one hesitated to speak up when they knew the answer. 

“I encouraged them to take questions one at a time and that they shouldn't let mistakes get into them..I need to act tough and be the one that will guide them all throughout the entire regional quiz bee,” the engineering entrant stated.

Meanwhile, Longakit admitted that personal and academic commitments made team practices rare, so they maximized individual reviews and trusted each other’s expertise in specific topics.

“We divide the topics to each quizzer, based on our year level and experience and just depend on that one quizzer when the topic is brought up during the quiz,” the mechanical engineering stud explained.

For Borja, the focus was on contributing where he was most capable, even if the team’s schedule was inconsistent. 

“Prior to the competition, we prepared ourselves mainly by reviewing for two weeks, naay mga time na hindi kami complete as a team and didto mi medyo nagstruggle kay wala mi ka practice as a team pero atleast, kami sa amoang mga sarili kay naga review ug kanya kanya kay hungry jud mi para sa title,” he recounted.

With the victory, they secured a slot in the aforementioned national tourney in Pasay City this October. 

“We may have won that competition but there are bigger things waiting for us in the nationals… we still need to improve more in order to bring pride and glory to our university,” Hassan said on building momentum.