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•PEP gone blonde, Yellowheads ready to perform

page 2

•NCC: Take your pickpage 4

•ADAMSON PEP SQUAD:force to reckon with

page 5

• Hungry and daring: UEPEP SQUAD page 6

• ‘Bawal ang Talo ’ FEUcheering squad page 7

UP PEP SQUADHAIR POWER for the champs.

PHOTOS BY AUGUST DELA CRUZ

FEU:Ready tosteal thespotlight.

SEPTEMBER 15-22, 2011 VOL. 1 NO. 5

• USTSALINGGAWIComfort Zone

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YELLOW HEADS READY TO PERFORM

Pep gone blonde

At first, they saw a few plat-inum blonde boys in the back-ground as spotters. Then someof the girls sported the same ‘doin the next game.

Almost all of them have beentossing their yellow heads inunison by the time they per-formed in the matchup againstthe UE Red Warriors.

Instead of being a spoiler,the teasers have intensified theexcitement.

Fans have since been talkingabout what the theme of thePep will be.

“Coach Lala (Lalaine Pereña)has always known what our

theme will be in advance. Sheprepares them two years beforethe competition,” says captainKathleen Anne “Kae” Madrigal.

Revealing a part of their gim-mick for the competion day isalmost a necessity to check ifeverybody got the correct haircolor. One of them turned up inpractice with silver hair and thetreatment had to be redone.

Kae admits that dyeing herhair is a sacrifice. It is some-thing she will not do on herown. But the cheerdance com-petition is a time for teamworkand even a little craziness soshe went with it.

But while the hair will makethem stand out in the field, wemust remember that this is theUP Pep Squad and more thananything, it is their oft-unique

routine that people will lookforward to.

“The audience can expect ahigher level of difficulty in thestunts.

UP parati ang nagseset ngbar. Kahit kami nahihirapanding i-conquer ito pero we doour best to set another standardfor the UAAP Cheerdance Com-petition,” says co-captain Lau-rence Martin Bautista.

Kae says that the lineup ofthe team is almost the same aslast year’s so it helped themgauge how difficult the stuntsthat they are going to show oncompetition day. She says thisyear’s routine was a lot harderto learn for them.

They have been practicingfor it since summer. So it’s nowonder that even if the compe-tition were scheduled evenweeks before, the UP Pep Squadwould’ve been ready to per-form.

There are nights when theyrequire minimal supervision asthey fine-tune their stunts ontheir own while coach Lalalooks on.

On such nights, the mood iseasy. They laugh and jokearound. But there are nightswhen trainings are intense asthey tirelessly work on perfect-ing their routine.

Some of the things that fanscan look forward to this yearare the hair-raising lifts and thetosses.

And, they can find out oncompetition day the significanceof their hair choices.

UP Pep SquadUAAP 74

Competing Line-upDANCERS:1. John Paul D. Belarmino2. Laurence Martin S. Bautista3. Richbert Patrick R. Asuncion4. Irish Adrienne R. Planes5. Jesus Mari A. Pe Benito6. Brainard Bill Barrinuevo7. Fiona Alexandra G. Gali8. Kathleen Anne C. Madrigal9. Beatrice Isabel C. Segundo10. Kiko A. Cortez11. Bien Joseph F. Insigne12. Carlito N. Serrano, Jr.13. Zar Anthony B. Semsem14. Matthew P. Alonzo15. Noelynne Jane N. Figueroa16. Nesza Isabel A. Salvador17. Marielle A. Barraza18. Patricia Kathryn P. Paraso19. Leann Gaudunce D. Melegrito20. Rafaella R. De Guzman21. Gabrielle Antonette M. Tuazon22. Raymond R. Santos23. Mark Louie G. Castro24. Frances Audrey P. Munoz25. Lara Christina M. Limjap

RESERVES:1. Maria Felicia C. Sison2. Romeo Oscar V. Defeo Jr.

COACHES:1. Lalaine Perena2. Niño Jose Antonio3. Pio Niño Opinaldo

By Ruth L. Navarra

T HE SECRET is out. The UP Pep Squad will channelblonde ambition. Halftime performances in thelast few games of the UP Fighting Maroons have

been the root of speculation among cheerdance fans.

BLONDE AMBITIONfor the titleholders.

AUGUST DELA CRUZ

SEPTEMBER 15-22, 2011

3SEPTEMBER 15-22, 2011

Tosses, stunts,lifts and pyramids

Editor in ChiefChito dF. dela Vega

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Photos by August delaCruz and Richard Reyes

RACE IS ON for DLSU,UE performers.

UP Pyramid

ADAMSON formation

4

DISCLAIMER: The predictions were based on a combination of observations, information, and random skills assessment. The outcomes may vary slightly or otherwise, depending onthe judges chosen for the competition and the criteria employed by the UAAP CDC board. As with any judging competition, the composition of variables-category scores, crowd partic-ipation, props, and other intangibles will also determine the final scores, and thus the final standings. All in all, this preview was designed to provoke discussion and debate, in thespirit of friendly competition. Good luck to all teams! —NCC

UAAP CHEERDANCE COMPETITION PREVIEW

Take your pickCompiled by NCC judgesand instructors

UP PEP SQUADSTRENGTHS: Athleticism, Cre-ativity, Dance, Coaching

This squad seems to be madefor this competition. In the his-tory of the UAAP CDC, no otherteam has developed such a fear-some reputation. They are theteam to beat every year, includ-ing this year. A lethal combina-tion of experience, talent, andskills, back-stopped by bravadoand swagger. The members ofthe squad are handpicked by theeagle-eyed head coaches andput through a rigorous trainingregimen. You have to earn yourinvitation to try out for thissquad. These days, more alumnilook forward to watching thissquad perform rather than theirbasketball team. It will take aperfectly awesome routine tounseat the champs.

PREDICTION: 1st

FEU CHEERINGSTRENGTHS: Stunts, Dance,Creativity, Gymnastics, Cos-tumes

The Tamaraws are hungry.They feel they’ve been robbed ofhard-earned victories in the pastand are out to prove they de-serve to win. Mixing theatricalflair and hard-core gymnasticssk i l l s , t he squad has beenpreparing for this moment sincethey came in second last year. Ifthey can hit their stunts, stay intheir spots, and capture thecrowd, this may be the year. Butthey’ll have to earn it. Perfectsynchronicity is the key forthem. The Tamaraw faithful willbe there in full force.

PREDICTION: 2nd

DLSU ANIMOSQUAD

STRENGTHS: Stunts, Tosses,Gymnastics, Coaching

The Animo squad comes intothis year’s CDC armed to the

teeth. Their prized recruit is 5-time NCAA competition champi-on coach Rhufa Del Rosario soyou know they mean business.They are consistent top 10 fin-ishers in the Nationals, so theyknow their stunts and tosses. Ex-pect more dance and creativityfrom the normally traditionalroutine. Coach Rhufa is knownfor spectacular tosses and a realflair for the dramatic, so we ex-pect surprises.

PREDICTION: 3rd

UST SALINGGAWIDANCE TROUPE

STRENGTHS: Dance, Creativity,Costumes

The Tigers, like UP, are al-ways in contention for the topspot in the CDC. There was atime when it seemed there wereonly two squads competing. Re-

cently, the Salinggawi seemed totaper off from the CDC, allowingother squads room to rise. Al-though one of the early pioneersof stunts and tosses in the coun-try, most of the teams have al-ready surpassed them in termsof skill, as they only compete inthe UAAP. Nonetheless , theTigers are still as talented asthey come, recruiting the bestand brightest from the highschool ranks. And because theUAAP CDC sti l l emphasizesdance and props, they might justhave enough to stay in the topfour this year.

PREDICTION: 4th

ATENEO BLUEBABBLE

BATTALIONSTRENGTHS: Creativity, Pyra-mids, Tosses, Coaching

The Blue Babble has enjoyeda resurgence in recent years, fin-ishing well in the UAAP and theNationals. But unlike their coun-terparts in basketball, they’veyet to reach championship air.Like their basketball team, theyremain unbowed and full offight. Head coach Randell SanGregorio always handles thisteam well, entering each compe-tition with the confidence andenergy. This year, Ateneo’s re-cruits include members of TEAMPIL IP INAS, which won theSoutheast Asian CheerleadingOpen in Singapore, so expectthe development to continue.People are still talking about the‘moonwalk’ in last year’s CDC.Lets see what they come up withthis year.

PREDICTION: 5th

NU BULLDOGSSTRENGTHS: Creativity, Gym-nastics, Management

The Bulldogs are coming tothis year ’ s CDC with a newteam, a new coaching staff, anda new attitude. Dismayed bytheir 7th place finish last year,team managers decided to re-vamp the squad, recruiting topgymnasts from the PhilippineNational Games in Bacolod thisyear. Coached by former FEUstalwarts, expect the team tobring a new flavor to their rou-tine. Like all the other teams inNU, they are in a definite rush toget to the top. This is step two ofthat climb.

PREDICTION: 6th

ADAMSON U PEPSQUAD

STRENGTHS: Creativity, Tosses,Costumes, Coaching Staff

The Falcons come into thisyear’s competition with a winningattitude. 3-time National championArnold Villanueva lends his exper-tise to the team, which means onlyone thing: higher expectations.Though this is a rebuilding year forthe Falcons, we expect Villanuevaand his team to chisel away therough edges, slowly honing achampionship-caliber squad. Unfor-tunately, all squads have leveled-up, so although we expect markedimprovement, we are also realistic.If Villanueva remains at the helmfor at least three years, expect themin the top three soon.

PREDICTION: 7th

UE PEP SQUADSTRENGTHS: Creativity, Dance

The UE Pep Squad is cominginto the CDC with pretty muchthe same members as last sea-son. While other squads havebeefed up their rosters, hiredveteran consultants, and recruit-ed heavily from the high schoolranks, the UE Pep Squad seemedcontent to stand pat. However,this does not mean they won’tpull off any surprises.

PREDICTION: 8th

WHAT IS THE NATIONAL CHEERLEADING CHAMPIONSHIPS (NCC)?

•The NCC is the Philippines’ first and only cheerleading organization that is nationwide.For the 2010-2011 season, the NCC offers 7 divisions: College Coed, College All-Girls, High School Coed, HighSchool All Girls, Junior All Girls, Groups Stunts Open and Partner Stunts Open.

•The NCC is also launching its All-Girl Dance division, featuring Hiphop and Jazz categories.

•The NCC conducts camps and competitions in provinces and cities all across the Philippine archipelago,leading up to the country’s biggest competition, called the Nationals.

•The NCC Season takes place annually from October-March. It is usually divided into two parts—the Region-al Qualifiers from October-December and the Nationals from January-March.

•The NCC also conducts regular cheerleading camps. These include private coaching and skills training, one-day mini-camps, and the NCC International Cheer Camp Series, which features American instructors andcoaches.It is the mission of the NCC to establish a world-class cheerleading program that allows athletes to excel inter-nationally.

READY TO SURPRISE: Ateneo’sBlue Babble (left) and DLSU’SAnimo Squad.

PHOTOS BY AUGUST DELA CRUZ AND PAUL TAN.

SEPTEMBER 15-22, 2011

5

Adamson Pep Squad: force to reckon withBy Jun Veloira

They were in last place in lastyear’s UAAP Cheerdance Com-petition, but now they’re backto turn things around.

An Adamson Pep Squad withan overhauled roster vows anexplosive and clean perfor-mance when it tries to conquerthe field in the 2011 UAAPCheerdance

The Adamson Pep Squadmeans serious business thisyear, restocking a crew pillagedby graduation and hiring aproven coaching staff--movesthat have infused confidencethat the team can finally vindi-cate itself and crawl out of lastplace in a slam-bang fashion.

In fact, the change has start-ed to yield results.

The squad rode a perfect runen route to third place in the2011 FilOil Flying V Cheerlead-ing Competition last June 12 atThe FilOil Flying V Arena,where eight schools from UAAPand NCAA participated. Andthey don’t plan to stop there,

hoping to ride that wave of mo-mentum into a dominant per-formance in the UAAP cheer-dance showdown.

"Adamson is a very strongteam. They [didn’t] have propertraining before but they [man-aged] to do technical skills andpyramids. The fundamentals arethere. They just need a new direc-tion,” said head coach Arnold Vil-lanueva, who steered the CentralColleges of the Philippines (CCP)Bobcats to three national titles inthe National Cheerleading Cham-pionship.

But it certainly won’t be awalk in the park for Adamson.The team now mostly consists ofnew members as it lost majorityof its squad to graduation. Theyalso lack gymnasts--which someschools have utilized to great suc-cess. And, aside from the pressureof unloading the eighth-place bur-den on their backs, they will bethe first to perform in this year’scompetition.

But the team is still opti-mistic and plans to use thesechallenges to its advantage.

“’Getting out of last place hasbeen our major motivation.We’ll just try our best to give aclean run and put the pressureback on the other schools. We’lljust have to trust God, trustourselves, and do our best,”said Adamson Pep Squad presi-dent Karlo Lazana, one of theteam’s few veterans who will bemaking his final performancethis year.

The team is also getting a lot

of school support nowadays. Be-fore, the little funding they get,translated into an absence offormal training from

professional coaches. Theyrelied on alumni pep squadmembers for their choreogra-phy. Members would thenbrainstorm moves into theirroutine, often inspired by cheer-dance videos siphoned off theInternet.

That lack of funding, they

believe, made them fall behindin competition.

This year, they are now en-joying tremendous support fromtheir school. They now havecoaches who give them anadded edge and are now beingtreated as varsity athletes bythe school--enjoying benefitslike scholarships, dormitoriesand equipment. Now they feelconfident and are more pre-pared than ever.

UST SALINGGAWI

“We just finished organizingDanscene. It’s a university-widedance competition and we’re in-charge of it. That took up a lotof our time,” says SDT vicepresident Anna Camille Cruz.She said that they’ve only start-ed focusing on the completeroutine a little over a monthago.

But if there’s anything thatSDT is good at, it’s pulling flaw-less, heart-stopping miracles ina few week’s time. It’s workedfor them for their previous eighttitles.

For choreographer Ryan Sil-va this tells a lot about thecharacter of the team.

“Natatalo sila ng isang dancetroupe na ang forte ay hindi na-man cheering. Marami kaming gi-nagawa (na iba sa cheering) thewhole year. Mas nakikita ko angvalue ng Salinggawi as a dancetroupe and not just a cheeringteam. Nakakaadopt kami sa mgakailangan naming gawin at yunang ipinagmamalaki namin,” Silvasaid.

The troupe does its best withthe little time that it has. Theyspend four to eight hours everynight for their routine. They di-vide themselves into smallgroups. They have one area forthe dancers and another forthose who will do the stunts.

One of the biggest assets ofthe team every competition sea-son is the supporters who rallybehind them. They don’t get al-lowance for food but each timeFr. Rolando dela Rosa, OP visitsthem, they are given a dinnertreat.

A restaurant inside the uni-versity recently pledged to SDTpresident Adams Aaron Bernabeto provide food for their prac-tice nights. When their alumnivisit, they bring them sweetpastries for the team.

“This is a tradition. This iswhat we call the ‘sugar rush’ toperk the dancers up,” says for-mer president Marvin Wynant.

Watching the ‘sugar rush tra-dition’ is fun to watch. Thedancers circle a box of cakewhere they talk and encourageeach other to give their best.They bow their heads and pray.Then they share a few forks toattack the food in front of them.

By Ruth L. Navarra

F OR others this is cramming, but for the win-ningest cheerleading team in UAAP, it’s a com-fort zone. The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe

(SDT) is still on the stage of practicing their stunts acouple of weeks before the competition.

The support they receive ex-tends beyond the food. The uni-versity’s gym is under construc-tion. There is currently a shortageof venue for practice for otherteams but these teams easily giveup their slots in the Central Semi-nary Gym so that SDT could per-fect its routine.

An alumnus based in SouthAmerica annually sends moneyto his friends to buy props forthe crowd. One of his mostmemorable ideas was the giantt-shirt that stole the show lastyear.

Obviously, hearts have al-ready been won. They are tire-lessly waiting, praying for an-other championship crown. Buteven without the title, they re-main proud of The Troupe.

SDT’s supporters still excitedlymove their fingers in the air incircular motions while they swaytheir bodies to the timeless beatof “Go Uste!”

IMPROVING: Adamson Pep Squad ready for action. RICHARD REYES

HAPPYandconfident.

AU

GU

STD

ELA

CRU

ZSEPTEMBER 15-22, 2011

Comfort Zone

6

UE PEP SQUAD

Hungry and daringBy Din Villafuerte

I T’S BEEN eight years since this squad had a tasteof what’s it like to be at the top of the pyramid.Figuratively, that is.

After placing first runnerupin the 2002 UAAP CheerdanceCompetition, the University ofthe East Pep Squad has sincebeen left behind by otherschools, which benefitted fromincorporating gymnastics intotheir routines.

To make matters worse, theirown gymnasts transferred toother universities.

The UE Pep Squad is one ofthose teams that has, time andtime again, fallen short of leav-ing a strong impression with thecrowd that looks forward to theUAAP Cheerdance Competitionevery year.

This year, the Warriors havegiven hints that an improvedsquad could change that.

UE Pep Squad captain JoanaJane Hipolito says the team hashigh expectations for this year’sUAAP Cheerdance Competition.“Our routine is harder thisyear,” said Hipolito in Filipino.“We will be doing morestunts unlike before when wewere more on dance.”

Hipolito, a senior, hasbeen with the pep squadsince 2008.

Lovelyn V. Yee, UE PepSquad adviser and headcoach, also has highhopes about UE’s perfor-mance this Saturday.

“I think our pep squadhas a winnable routine this

year. Like what Joana said, allthey need to do is perfect theirroutine. They need to be flawless.And they need to sustain their en-ergy level. It has to be consistentfrom the beginning up to the endof the routine,” said Yee, who isconfident of a podium finish forthe squad this year.

This year’s cheering competi-tion is doubly exciting for CoachYee as it is her first year withthe team. The UE alumna usedto be a member of the pepsquad when she was in college.

The job to coach the teamwas offered to her before butshe begged off as she was newlymarried then. But when it wasoffered to her a second time,she didn’t hesitate anymoreand grabbed the opportuni-ty to pay it forward to her

alma mater.Yee said people should watch

out for a more daring squad.“There’s a big improvement

in terms of the members’ move-ments, and to think that 60 per-cent of the squad are rookies.People will be seeing a more ex-citing dance routine.”

“They will see a new squadthis year, a warrior who’s grittierand even more determined thanever,” added Hipolito. She gavehints of a more modern and fu-turistic routine. The squad cap-tain said they’ll make up for lastyear’s slip-ups, where somemembers got injured a day be-fore the competition.

As a consequence, the teamhad to leave off some parts oftheir original routine. They fin-ished sixth last year.

Weeks before the competition,the whole team is in the mindsetthat they are all winners.

“These kids are dedicated towhat they are doing and theyhave this hunger to win. Thosetwo things make them a strongsquad,” said Yee.

PHO

TOS

BYRI

CH

ARD

REYE

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CAPABLE: UE Pep cansurprise the favorites.

REACHINGfor the top

SEPTEMBER 15-22, 2011

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FEU CHEERING SQUAD

By Ruth L.Navarra

T HEY arenot set-tling for

anything lessthan perfection.The words “Baw-al ang Talo” iswritten on thewhite bulletinboard in the gymwhere the FEUCheering Squadpractice on.

It was coachJaqueline Alolor’swords for them be-fore she took a preg-nancy leave a fewmonths before. Shemade them read itagain like a sternschool teacher when

she visited to watchthem finished routine.

This is a squadtired of being abridesmaid. Theyhave only been cham-pions twice, more re-cently in 2009 butthey have alwaysbeen a contendersince 2002.

“Talo” means to bedelegated to secondor third place, again.

Three weeks be-fore competition day,the squad has com-pleted its routine. Yet,they still meet everyday to perfect thestunts which theywant to execute flaw-lessly.

“We want to keepdoing it until we getto a point where we

no longer have tothink about whatwe’re doing becausewe’re just doing it.We want it to comenaturally to us,” sayscaptain Ven-Mar Cud-og.

They have beennitpicking for weeks.They start their train-ing by looking forweak spots on theirlifts, toss, and pyra-mids. The membersare not allowed tostop until they get itright. If they do get itright, their facial ex-pressions are thenscrutinized.

“Dapatmakasanayan niyo nayang mga ngiti ninyo.Hindi yung sa compe-tition niyo pa lang

lationship.They are given a

break while theircoaches convene anddiscuss their props.On this few minutesof freedom, they sitaround in group andwatch the routinethey just performed.

“We already knowwhat our theme will

be sa umpisa pa langng second sem. Lahatng dancers nagcast ngvote kung ano gustoniyang theme pero sicoach Jacq talaganagdedecide kungano yung gagawin,”said coach Peter.

They’ve been prac-ticing the core oftheir stunts since

summer.Now, they are just

counting the days toshow it off to thecrowd.

Keep your eyesopen for their tum-bling passes and thefirst pyramid.

You wouldn’t wantto miss out on some-thing awesome.

FEUCheering

SquadUAAP 74

CompetingLine-up

1. Astillar Rachelyn2. Asoi Mark Kazuyoshi3. Aya-ay Ian Paul4. Bugtai Karl5. Buluran Lester6. Bombales Bryan7. Briones Joseph Buck8. Caluscusin Jean9. Cerda Rochelyn10.Copada Kevin Chiel11.Cudog Ven-Mar DS12. De Borja Ronilyn13. Foronda KernellMarphil14. Go Shairelle15.Glena Mark Lowie16. Mateo Trishia Raye17.Palad Marvin Robert18. Perez Annievi19.Reyes Ron Rudolf20.Rivera FrancisJames21. Santiago Iris22.Santos Shaun Ethan23. Singson, IsiahJoshua24. Verceles Jovilyn25.Zuniga Eileen MaeCOACHES:Mrs. Jacqueline A. AlotaMrs. Marilou SantosMr. Peter PadillaMr. Arthuro Saagundo

gagawin yan,” coachJacq yells to them.

They run throughthe whole routine allsmiles and givingtheir 100 percent fora crowd of at least 20that included theircoaches and membersof the FEU Boosterswho do the drums forthem.

When they finish,the members gasp forair, sweating heavily,devoid of any smiles.Then they are askedto do it again so theyrevert to their perkyselves and do it with-out complaints.

The intense prac-tice showed howstrict coaches Jacqand her assistant Pe-ter Kriz Padilla couldbe.

The mood changesonce they’re done.They joke around andtease their coachesthat meant that out-side the dance floorthey have an easy re-

‘Bawalang

Talo’

DETERMINED: FEU wants to shed bridesmaid’s tag. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

SEPTEMBER 15-22, 2011