LOUD DRUMS and trumpets blaring that familiar beat was masked by even louder roars from Ateneans cheering for the parade of athletes standing on the polished courts.
This is the sight of the annual Ateneo Cheer Rally.
Dubbed “Go Blue!”, this year’s cheer rally, held on June 27 at the Blue Eagle Gym, was designed to promote team spirit as the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 71 begins.
The cheer rally was also in accordance with Ateneo’s sesquicentennial anniversary.
Going blue
For cheer rally Event Head Rani Roque (IV BS CTM), the theme, “Go Blue,” was significant to the 150th anniversary.
“Go,” he said, meant moving forward.
“The changing of the color of the stoplight from green to blue was a pun against La Salle,” Roque said, referring to the pictures of stoplights that adorned the cheer rally posters.
“Blue is the new go,” he said.
Unlike previous cheer rallies where certain school organizations had a hand at the planning, this year’s event had been organized solely by the College Athletics Office.
“[It] hasn’t been outsourced by any organization… We opted to handle it ourselves,” said Roque. However, he added that some school organs like the Loyola Film Circle (LFC), the Ateneo Junior Marketing Association (AJMA), and the Collegiate Society of Advertising (COSA) helped in promotions and marketing.
Fresh new start
Hosted by Magic 89.9’s DJ Sam YG and Kara Monica Mendoza (IV AB Comm), the event commenced with a prayer by Office of Admission and Aid Director Fr. Nemesio Que, SJ, and opening remarks by University President Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ.
“Cheer harder, and cheer louder,” a grinning Nebres told the audience, who, in turn, replied with a roar of claps and hoots.
Nebres also welcomed the UAAP Season 71 as “an exciting season” and thanked Team Ateneo for their sacrifice, discipline, and hard work.
His speech was followed by Blue Eagles Captain Chris Tiu (V BSM AMF) and Lady Booter Tata Garcia (MBA) unveiling a newly painted sesquicentennial seal on the basketball floor.
Surprise guests
After the introduction of Team Ateneo and performances by the Blue Babble Battalion, the hosts initiated a variety of games featuring selected Blue Eagles.
Basketball alumni and alumnae competed against members of the current Blue Eagles and Lady Eagles.
For the three point shootout, Jai Reyes (IV BS CTM) shot ten baskets defeating former Eagle Wesley Gonzales (AB IS ’03) and Lady Eagle Mariana Lopa (III AB DS). In the speed shooting challenge where players raced to execute a free throw and a layup, Yuri Escueta (MBA), proved to be faster than Enzo Katipunan (II BS Mgt) and Kat Quimpo (MBA) when he dribbled up and down the court in 24 seconds.
For the last game, the two-ball challenge, Kirk Long (II AB IS) and Ryan Buenafe (I AB IS) teamed up for 37 points as they outplayed former captains JC Intal (AB IS ’07) and Doug Kramer (AB IS ’07), as well as the duo in Lopa and Treena Limgenco (V BS CTM).
The final guest arrived when Team Ateneo mascot, Iggy, appeared and began leading the crowd to a rendition of the “Song for Mary”. Nearing the last bars of the song, Sponge Cola lead singer Yael Yuzon (AB Lit Eng ’06) shocked the audience as he appeared from the back as the voice of Iggy.
Team spirit
“I think [the cheer rally] was pretty good this year,” said Roque. He added that the venue and attendance were better. “People were filled up to the rafters. [Their] reactions were pleasing.”
Roque said that the cheer rally served as a send-off for the more or less 600 Atenean athletes.
“We’re requiring the students, especially the freshmen [to attend because] we want to imbibe them with the culture of being in Ateneo,” he said. “We want to teach them team spirit.”
For Lady Batters Co-captain Isabel Marina Cang (III AB Comm), it felt good to be supported by the school. She added that cheer rallies are meant to create hype for the students during the UAAP Season.
Cang believes that these objectives were met but she disagreed that attending should be made a requirement as had been done in recent years.
“School spirit shouldn’t be an obligation. It should come from one’s own free will,” said Cang.
Bryan Aldrich Chua (I AB MEco) thought differently. “Atenean ka na. So dapat kahit ‘di ka pumunta o kung pumunta ka, dapat may team spirit ka na (You’re already an Atenean. Even if you attend or not, you should already have team spirit).”
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