Elize (Elize Young, Grade 7-D) and Paris (Alexandra Dy, Grade 10-B) were named the champions of the Judenites Got Talent (JGT) talent show in the dancing and singing categories, respectively, at the grand finals that was live-streamed on the Saint Jude Catholic School (SJCS) Student Council 崇德學生會 Facebook page.
JGT is Saint Jude Catholic School’s premier Judenite talent competition, which was organized by the SJCS Student Council in cooperation with the High School Parents Auxiliary Group. Instead of the auditorium stage at Saint Jude Catholic School, the showdown was witnessed on-screen for the first time and was thoroughly entertaining even virtually.
“I joined this contest doing the two things I love most: singing and being creative,” Paris said. “The platform gave me space to play around with different camera settings, backgrounds and editing softwares. Moreover, I got to sing in front of a virtual crowd, which was something new to me, but I’m always down to try new things!”
Three esteemed judges graced the event: Fredison Lo, Lloyd Zaragoza, and Linggit Tan-Marasigan. Contestants were judged based on four criteria: Execution, Overall Entertainment Value, Stage Presence, and Level of Difficulty.
The champions
Paris sang “On My Own” from Les Miserables, which is one of her favorite musicals. “The song conveyed such deep emotions that one can feel from the melody alone. I have never felt heartbreak so deep in my life before, so I can’t say it resonates with me personally. Nevertheless, I chose this song because I thought it would be interesting to put myself in a position I’ve never been in before. It’s kind of like acting, but screaming in tune.”
On the other hand, Elize chose “Reflection” and “Loyal, Brave, and True” from Mulan because Mulan is one of her favorite Disney characters. Explaining why she admires Mulan, Elize said, “At first, she was confused about who she is because people around her expected her to act in a certain ‘appropriate’ way which she was not then. She found herself, transformed into a brave warrior out of love and loyalty to her family. The story also goes around being true to yourself and truthful to others as well.”
Elize’s winning performance in the dancing category
Paris also recounted what got her into singing: “It all began with my grandfather’s 60th birthday. I sang on stage for the very first time at age three. In my head, I was a pro, singing my grandpa’s favorite Chinese song, but in reality, I was just a shy little kid muttering a bunch of non-existent words. Irregardless, I had fun, and in singing, that matters most! My parents supported me and later on enrolled me in a music class along with my cousin. At age six, I met a music teacher who, up to this day, still teaches me how to sing.”
For Elize, she got into dancing because she “always loved gymnastics.” She shared, “When I was little, I used to jump from my headboard onto my bed copying tricks I watched on YouTube, so my mom enrolled in special PE in gymnastics when I was in Grade 1. In Grades 2 and 3, I attended rhythmic gymnastics during the summer break.
“During Grade 4 up until Grade 6, I was competing in artistic gymnastics. I was supposed to start training for the level 3 competition, but then the lockdown occurred. The gym I was training in was closed and we had no equipment in the house, and since there was no school, I started challenging myself with doing contortion tricks, and then JGT happened!”
To prepare for the competition and balance schoolwork, Paris “cut the work in thin slices.” They also both practiced on in the evenings on weekdays, as well as on weekends.
“I practiced and recorded my voice every weekend up until the deadline,” Paris said. “That way, I was able to see, rather hear, the progress. I prioritized school on the weekdays. I did my homework in the morning and did some exercises in the evening. Thanks to Mr. Aniceto’s advice on building stamina during the semi-finals, I trained myself by singing while walking on a treadmill — great time saver. Plus, I got to strengthen my voice while burning some extra calories.”
More award-winning performers
The Judenites’ Choice Award was also introduced for the first time, wherein Judenites in the high school and elementary departments were given the opportunity to cast their votes for their favorite acts live until the end of the program. The Judenites’ Choice Awards went to ace (Kyle Arboleda, Grade 12-A; Sherylle Candano, Grade 12-E) for the dancing category and Paris (Alexandra Dy, Grade 10-B) for the singing category.
Meanwhile, the first runner-up in the dancing category was ace (Kyle Arboleda, Grade 12-A; Sherylle Candano, Grade 12-E) while the first runner-up in the singing category was Alex Edrich Lim (Alex Lim, Grade 11-C).
Paris’ winning performance in the singing category
The Social Media Idol Awards were also given to Killerath (Janzenburg Valera, Grade 7-E) and Seth (Jude Allaga, Grade 10-E) for the dancing and singing categories, respectively.
School Director Rev. Fr. Roland Aquino, High School Parents Auxiliary Group President Irene Fenix Mauricio, and Student Council Adviser Edmond Clemente were also in attendance.
SJCS Student Council Officers were also present, namely Student Council President/JGT Season 9 Project Head Jeremy Ace Ng, Junior Vice President/JGT Season 9 Project Head Audrey Lim, Student Council Grade 10 Level Representative/JGT Season 9 Project Head Paulyn Kho, and Student Council Secretary Jaimie Tan. The program was hosted by Jestine Ang and Sophia Dy (Grade 12-A).
As the youngest among the winners, Elize said, “Age doesn’t matter when it comes to following your dreams and working hard
to reach them. If you can dream it, you can achieve it!”
In case you missed it, you can watch the live stream here. For more information, you may visit the SJCS Student Council 崇德學生會 Facebook page or follow them on Instagram @sjcs_sc.
