THE BLUE Eagles’ victory over the De La Salle Green Archers on Sunday, November 8 at the Araneta Coliseum marked several milestones for the Ateneo community. For the team, the win meant a step towards attaining a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four playoff round of Season 78. For veterans such as Von Pessumal and Kiefer Ravena, the game would be the last time they would clash with their Taft-based rivals in the regular season of the tournament–possibly their last chance to represent the Blue and White in the biggest collegiate rivalry in Philippine sports.

However, come halftime, the Blue Babble Battalion’s performance would also mark a first for the squad and for the Ateneo community. Past members of the pep squad from 2001 up until the present joined in to create a halftime performance to remember, boosting the morale of the crowd in the stadium and the fans watching at home with an even bigger and louder round of cheering than spectators were used to.

“We prepared well for this game especially knowing it was Ateneo-La Salle,” said Babble Captain RJ Quiroz. “This is by far one of the biggest performances we’ve ever done and the first time that alumni are performing with us.”

This feat has been in the works for years, with the squad finally accumulating enough alumni to partake in such a performance. The battalion was made up of graduates from as early as 2001, the year that the Babble officially became a program sport under the University Athletics Office.

However, there were difficulties that the squad faced in preparing for such a feat: The most problematic of which was finding common time to practice. “The biggest challenge was gathering all of the alumni because everyone had different work schedules. But towards the end, we managed to get everyone to train together,” Quiroz said.

But despite any logistical issues the team had faced in preparation for the momentous day, the Babble was still able to accomplish their goal. According to Program Head Ralph Aligada, the special show was meant “to bring back the halftime performance in a big way–the types where people don’t leave to smoke or buy food. [They] stay to watch.”