THE 79TH Season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) officially opened at host school University of Sto. Tomas on Saturday, September 3, 2016.
The ceremony took place at the Plaza Mayor, where students, fans, athletes and school officials gathered to begin the competition. The theme of history echoed throughout the event, with the parade sending the participants along the Rizal Walk on campus, a significant monument in the country’s colonial history.
Several key Atenean figures were in attendance at the ceremony, with Loyola Schools President Fr. Jett Villarin, University Athletic Office Director Emmanuel Fernandez, and Assistant Director Ericka Dy representing the athletic administration of the Blue and White. Olympian Blue Eagle Jessie Lacuna and Men’s Judo Team Captain Martel Agustin bore the flags at the parade, leading the Blue Babble Battalion, the Ateneo swimming team, and the Ateneo men’s volleyball team on the walk down to the plaza.
The season marks the first time the opening ceremony took place on a school campus, as the university organized a concluding evening program, the Dare to Dream concert, to introduce the league’s community to Thomasian culture. In a similar historic manner, the league’s first ever ballroom dancing competition served as the first tournament of the season, inviting the schools to compete for the top spots in Latin American dance and Standard Ballroom dance divisions in the Quadricentennial Pavilion of University of Sto. Tomas.
The Ateneo Dance Sports Club (ADSC), an organization coached by Jan Cerezo and chaperoned by Physical Education teacher and former professional dancer Rosalinda Kimpo, marked the school’s entry into the season, representing the Blue and White in Season 79’s opening event. Pitted against fellow newcomers such as the De La Salle University’s Ballroom Dancing Blitz and other decorated troupes such as the University of the Philippines’ pep squad, the ADSC competed in only the Latin American dance division, but ultimately failed to land a spot in the top three with their routine.
