The Starry question

CEBU, Philippines - Once there lived three kittens named Blackfoot, Whitefang and Stripe. As orphans growing up together, the three were the best of friends, even though Blackfoot was all black, Whitefang was all white, and Stripe was a grey tabby.

One evening, the three kittens found themselves quite puzzled with a question, one which was asked by their good friend Brad, the smartest rat in the world.

The question, said under a starry evening as its backdrop, asked the three kittens: “Why do stars shine at night?”

Stripe, being the smartest of the group, was quick to say, “That’s easy, Brad! Stars are actually luminous spheres of plasma, spheres which are held together by gravity. Why they shine is because of a reaction between a star’s hydrogen and helium components, which results to the creation of light.”

“Ah… yes,” said Brad to Stripe’s response. “That’s the scientific answer to that question, but is it REALLY the reason why stars shine at night?”

Taken aback with what Brad said, Stripe was confused. Whitefang and Blackfoot, who were also thinking of the same response, also found themselves confused with Brad’s words.

Their lessons had covered the solar system and stars, and they were quite sure that that was the reason why stars shine at night.

“But that’s the reason why stars shine, Brad!” mewed Stripe. “Yeah!” said Whitefang. “Even Dog-las knows about it, and Dog-las doesn’t really know much about anything,” he added.

“Think harder, little kittens,” Brad said, amused. “Your answer is actually correct, but you missed to point out one key ingredient which explains why stars really shine at night.”

Thinking back on their lessons, the three kittens thought hard.

They knew that stars were actually giant heavenly bodies in space, located millions and millions of miles away from the Earth.

They also knew that the Sun is actually a star, and that the Earth owes all of its light to it, with that light borne from the reaction of its helium and hydrogen components.

“What is Brad talking about?” they thought. “What are we missing?”

After a few minutes of thinking, Whitefang finally said, “I give up!”

“Me to!” echoed Blackfoot. “Same here…” said Stripe.

“What’s the real reason why stars shine at night, Brad?” they asked together.

“Why, the answer is right in front of you, little kittens,” said Brad. “What really makes stars shine… is the darkness of night.”

Kids @ The Museum

To celebrate the Children’s Month and Museum Month in October, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. has held the fourth run of Kids at the Museum every Saturday of October this year.

The culminating program was conducted last Oct. 27 at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu. The program was filled with fun games such as tigmo-tigmo, puso-making relay, and many more. Prizes were given to the best in drawing, painting and winners of the local games. The children also performed a dance number.

Kids at the Museum aims to make children appreciate museums as a venue of learning Cebuano culture and heritage.

Around 390 children, ages three to 12, joined in the weekly activities of the Kids at the Museum.

These activities include traditional Filipino games and workshops on lukay arts, performing arts, cooking, comic drawing, and painting. They will be held in six museums and heritage sites, namely, Casa Gorordo Museum, Fort San Pedro, USPF-Rizaliana Museum, Cathedral Museum of Cebu, CNU Museum, and the JRG Halad Musum.

The children come from the different barangays of Cebu City, who are RAFI’s active partners in its culture and heritage initiatives, such as the Gabii sa Kabilin held every May.

Kids at the Museum is an initiative under the Culture & Heritage focus area of RAFI, believing that a confident community begins with a strong sense of identity. (FREEMAN)