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Shaping Minds, Shaping Solutions: NOVUS Spoken Word and STEM Workshop 2025
NOVUS Case Competition 2025 Online Workshop
February 10, 2025 • KHLOE LIM & ZAIRA PACASUM
MANILA, Philippines — NOVUS Innovations held its spoken word and STEM workshop for its annual case competition via Zoom last February 1, 2025.
To equip participants with the competencies needed to thrive in the competition, NOVUS invited students and professionals in the fields of spoken word poetry, environmental geology, and research to deepen the youth’s minds on both creative oration and the technical sciences. Through the workshop, NOVUS intends to leave a lasting impression on its participants by imparting versatile skills that can be applied inside and outside of the competition.
The event began with an icebreaker from the hosts, followed by an engaging lecture on spoken word and imagery by University of the Philippines - Diliman Professor Elyrah Salanga-Torralba.
In her speech, Salanga-Torralba emphasized the importance of maintaining accuracy when employing imagery in spoken word poetry regardless if creative language is used. “If you are going to write about real events, it has to be authentic,” she said.
Aside from this, Salanga-Torralba also highlighted how controlling imagery in your writing remains to be a pivotal factor in engaging with your audience. “Too [many] images in a poem can be distracting for the reader,” said Torralba.
Towards the end of her lecture, she emphasized the difference between the usual methodical approach of academic writing and spoken word poetry in solving societal issues. “Isa sa mga objectives mo as a spoken word artist ay to be understood […]. Kailangan may [character], hindi lang ‘yung tula mo kundi ikaw as a performer para ‘lalo mo ma-convey ‘yung current issues,” she concluded.
(One of your objectives as a spoken word artist is to be understood. You have to have character, not just in your poem but as a performer, in order to convey current issues.)
Spoken Word Case Online Workshop with Speaker Dr. Elyrah Salanga-Torralba
Following this, Master Ink Bowl Awardee Mary Antonette Riotoc gave her insights into the different aspects of spoken word poetry, from the initial writing to the performance itself.
Part of her speech also touched on the impact of language usage as a catalyst for change. “I believe that language is one of the most powerful tools that can [induce] destruction, peace, hurt, [or] comfort,” she stated.
In her capacity both as a writer and lyricist, she imparted a few tips when composing poetry for music. “You have to learn how to channel [your flame],” she said. “You have to take it as your instrument.”
STEM Online Workshop with Speaker Alen Clyde Canlas
After the spoken word workshop concluded, the STEM workshop commenced.
The STEM Research Category invited students to develop innovative, research-backed solutions for flood-resistant communities in the Philippines.To prepare the participants for this, the STEM workshop helped participants refine their research skills and develop remarkable proposals.
The first speaker, Alen Clyde Canlas–a licensed geologist and officer in charge of the hydrogeology and environmental geology section of the geosciences in IV Calabarzon, delivered an eye-opening discussion on the science behind urban flooding. He gave a very holistic approach to the problem, acknowledging how “there are many facets to policy, economy, and infrastructure that need to be addressed”. He emphasized that it is a very contextual problem. His presentation provided participants with valuable insights crucial in developing their proposals.
Having been NOVUS Case Competitions 2023 Finalists from Team Dragom, the second set of speakers, Troy Rementina and Raymond Tayag, brought a unique perspective. Rementina is currently a second-year Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Maryland, USA, while Tayag is a second-year INTARMED student at the UP College of Medicine. They reminded the participants to “value brevity” as they are “not writing prose nor poetry, so the language should be concise”. Their sessions served as a valuable refresher on research writing and academic organization.
After the workshop, participants engaged in an interactive activity that directly contributed to their output qualities. Using a structured template with guide questions, they analyzed and identified the key components of a research paper.
The STEM Workshop not only strengthened participants’ research skills but also deepened their understanding of the challenges of urban flooding. By providing structured research guidance, valuable insights and hands-on-practice, the session empowers participants to develop articulate and innovative solutions.
Overall, these short lectures have left a mark not only on the participants themselves but also on the current members of NOVUS. Through these, not only has the organization been able to strengthen its connections with luminaries from varying fields, the workshop also became a space where the participants can build rapport with each other as well. As the competition draws nearer, let the workshop serve as the first step in this journey towards achieving a common goal: to pursue both knowledge and innovation.
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