By Kean Andrei Bagaipo | April 26, 2024
Silliman University (SU) Woodward and Larena Halls sealed their titles as overall champions for the men’s and women’s categories, respectively, of the Interdorm Sportsfest 2024 held April 6 to 10.
Dormers competed in five events: bench cheering, basketball, volleyball, larong pinoy, and Mobile Legends. Games such as dodgeball and agaw bahay (popularly known as shokok, tayokok, or bahaw-bahaw) were also added to the mix.
Woodward clinched the men’s volleyball, basketball, and larong pinoy titles. They also placed first runner-up in bench cheering and third runner-up in Mobile Legends.
Doltz bagged the win for this year’s men’s bench cheering competition. They also emerged as first runner-up overall in the men’s category, while Vernon Hall and Monapil Cottages placed second and third runner-up, respectively.
Meanwhile, Larena dominated the women’s category in Mobile Legends, volleyball, and bench cheering. They also bagged fourth runner-up in larong pinoy.
Trailing behind Larena were Channon, Edith Carson Hall, Sampacena Cottages, and Woodward as the first, second, third, and fourth runner-ups, respectively.
Organized by the Dormitory Management Council (DMC) of the Student Housing and Residence Division (SHRD) and the SU Student Government Dorm Life Committee, the sportsfest aimed to “promote unity, sportsmanship, and camaraderie among all dormitory residents on campus” by providing them with opportunities to showcase their talents and skills through sports.
“The sports fest upholds friendly competition, which offers a memorable experience for the residents, adding more meaning to the whole dorm-life experience of the SU dorm residents,” Dorm Manager Wendell Arquio said.
Changes in the system
According to Arquio, DMC crafted specific guidelines for this year’s sportsfest “to address unique circumstances,” such as dealing with the high temperatures.
These changes included requiring voluntary waivers and liability forms before dormers can participate. Medical certificates for students joining physically demanding games like basketball, volleyball, and tug-of-war were also required.
“As we collaborate with other departments at Silliman and members of the community, we ensure[d] that all improvement notes from last year have been accounted for,” Arquio said.
He also mentioned that they have coordinated with the school calendar since last year to “ensure the schedules [would] not disrupt students’ studies and that classes [would not be] held during the event to maximize participation.”
However, DMC had to adjust the dates following the province-wide suspension of classes from April 3 to 6. Moreover, the university has since discouraged daytime activities.
“We decided to revise the schedule to run from 6 to 10 p.m., starting Saturday (April 6) night to accommodate the new circumstances and spread out the game schedule,” Arquio said.
He added that DMC has “communicated properly to the student residents” and informed the Physical Education Department about the necessary changes.
