Struggling to finish three poems for her two subjects prior to the competition was what defined Alexis Pepito of CTU Danao, who took the gold medal at the poetry writing event at nationals themed “Women in Space.”
In an interview, the third-year BSEd Science student thought she was not up for the challenge. But little did Pepito know that her task in one her courses would bring her recent success, thus winning the Poetry Writing Contest at the World Space Week of Rizal Technological University – Astronomy Society on October 4 through 10, 2021.
She penned the poem Eve that embodies the realm of astronomy and sits well with the judges:
According to her, Eve “centers on woman empowerment, encouraging them that we [women] are as capable of doing great things,” and further expressed that the poem hopes to break gender stereotypes.
The name “Eve” represents women who deserve to “take a bite from Newton’s apple too”, to explore, raise status through education and training, and be more than just a woman the society expected them to be.
Pepito took inspiration from the first woman in space, Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova and the Pioneer for Women in Science Marie Curie, who was the only person to win two Nobel Prizes in Chemistry and Physics. UICPA